My Most Anticipated Releases of December 2020

It’s finally a new month, and I’m ready for the holiday season to begin! I feel like December is where winter vibes/season really starts for me (forget the official start day) and I’m excited for it! I’m still kind of mad that some places got snow the other day, while our area got pouring rain, but I’m hoping we’ll get our turn soon.

So, to start off this new month, I have some anticipated releases for this month! I honestly don’t do much research for new releases, so I’m kind of using this blog post as an excuse to look up exciting books coming out, but maybe you’ll find a new favorite read out of it! Like last month, I’ll include the usual list of books along with a couple sentences as to why I’m so excited about it. Let’s get started!

1. The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

I’m SO EXCITED about this one! I read both One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next from this author, and both were so fun. This one in particular is about a couple of cousins who were mysteriously invited to their grandmother’s island, where they will learn about their family’s past. I’ve been getting into more mysteries, and I think that the focus on family secrets could be intriguing. I’ve hear that this book features multiple POVs as well, which is my absolute favorite, because it always complicates things in the best way for these who-dun-it style books.

2. A Curse of Roses by Diana Pinguicha

I love the representation and concept behind this book. It is a historical fantasy focusing on a girl who is cursed with turning food into flowers while a famine is plaguing the land. She is betrothed to the King of Portugal, but slowly falls in love with the woman behind her cure. I actually had no idea this one was a retelling, but apparently it’s actually based on a Portuguese legend? I’m not really familiar with anything from that culture, so I feel like it could be a unique read. Plus, it’s #ownvoices with an F/F romance, and I always appreciate the representation of these often marginalized voices.

3. The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley

The cover of this looks so cute and I’ve fallen in love with rom-coms after reading Tweet Cute. It’s yet another #ownvoices F/F love story between a high school musical’s stage manager and lead actress. It sounds like a fun, feel-good, light book, and honestly, play/musical themed books just give me good vibes (literally not even a real reason to be excited about something, I know). BUT, I enjoyed Always Never Yours a few months ago about a school Shakespeare play, so a Les Miserables play?? It sounds like it could totally be my thing.

4. The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

I’m not going to lie, this book is on the list because of it’s stunning cover, but it’s okay, because the plot sounds really good too! This book is about an heiress who attempts to find the true story behind her mother’s murder, while also being pitted in a competition against her cousins to determine the family heir. I’m a huge fan of royal politics in my books, so I’m very excited about this. I had no idea about this, but the same author also wrote Rebel in the Sands, which I’ve heard good things about, so it only makes me more enthusiastic. Also, did I mention the cover? No, I’m not going to get over this.

5. A Universe of Wishes – Anthology

Okayyyy so I usually don’t read anthologies since I’m a much bigger fan of longer stories, but this one intrigued me. This one features fifteen diverse authors like Victoria Schwab (ADSOM), Libba Bray (Diviners), Natalie C. Parker (Seafire), and so many more that have all written amazing books in the past. All of the different stories sound so unique and interesting, and they include a Cinderella retelling, one set in 1897 New York City, and a crew on a futuristic mission.

Anyways, thanks so much for reading through this shorter post! I know I only included five books, but I hope you’ve all found something you might be interested in!

Have a great Tuesday and happy December 1st!

-Allison