Top Ten Tuesday (#19): Titles That Draw Me In
I'm twisting this week's prompt and taking it a little differently. We're focusing on books with "Extraordinary Titles!!!" this week, but I'm taking this opportunity to shed some light on books that I haven't talked about before (and even some where I had NO idea what they were about until this post!) – and all of these books are to be published in 2020! Exciting, right?
As I scrolled through this magnificent list of 2020 releases, I read the titles, glanced at the cover, and then decided whether or not they were deemed 'extraordinary' in my mind. If they were, they made the list! And then – and only then – did I read the blurbs (if I haven't heard of the book before) and decided if I wanted to add it to my Goodreads TBR for 2020.
Let's get this party started, shall we???
2020 Titles That Draw Me In
Where Dreams Descend
This is the first title that caught my eye, and coupled with that beautiful red and gold cover, I'm left a little speechless. The styling of the title is also beautifully done, and that type of font is very eye-catching for me!
A debut fantasy duology pitched as The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge, the story follows Hellfire House's star showgirl who, haunted by a dark past, must enter a magician's competition in order to secure her freedom from the handsome, enigmatic keeper of the club, even as mysterious accidents seem to plague her every move. (Goodreads)
Okay, yes.I will be adding this to my TBR! If anything is pitched for fans of Phantom of the Opera, I am THERE.
Expected publication: June 2, 2020
Added? Yes
The Silence of Bones
I was intrigued by 'The Silence of Bones' … and the blue hue of the cover also lured me in. It has almost a watercolor-like quality that always satisfies my eyes. 😏
I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;
Ears, but I mustn't hear;
Eyes, but I mustn't see.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: "May you live in interesting times." Indentured to the police bureau, she's been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh. (Goodreads)
Hmm. The description doesn't capture me as much as the title and cover did. But for fans of Maniscalco AND Ahdieh? Ah, from what I've read of them, I loved their stories. Should I give this a try? Maybe I'll just keep an eye out for reviews closer to its publication date.
Expected publication: April 21, 2020
Added? No
Reds + purples together are just = 👌🏻👍🏻👏🏻
At first, I though maybe this was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, because I'd be all about that. And it's not. But that's okay.
I love the way the moon in crowning the woman's silhouette, and there are people dancing in the purple down below. I just really love it. I wonder if the physical book is going to have a sparkly title, because it looks like it may be sparkly!
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.
Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva's feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever's history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there's more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
With McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal. (Goodreads)
Shoes that make you want to dance forever? I wonder if this will be alternate POVs from Lavinia (in 1518), and Rosella + Emil in the present? That could be interesting. I already see that one of my friends on Goodreads can vouch for Anna-Marie McLemore's writing, so… I think I'll go ahead and add it!
Expected publication: January 14, 2020
Okay, so: modern, edgy, cute (it literally says it in the title), and most def a contemporary that I could get on board with just by looking at the title and cover! Let's take a look at the blurb now:
Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account.
Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper's side. When he isn't trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin's shadow, he's busy working in his family's deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe, he'll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.
All's fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack's spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they're publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they're also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.
As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can't ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected. (Goodreads)
"All's fair in love and cheese" – I'm sold. Added. Also, their names are PEPPER and JACK! GUYS.
My heart is ready for snarky memes and retweet battles.
All These Monsters
Let me be up front: put 'monster' in the title, and I'm curious.
And. Holy. Crap. This cover is AWESOME! Lookit that scaly little tentacle coming out to say hi! Hello there littl– GAH! *swipes at it and backs away* N-n-nice tentacle!
Anyway. The blurb…
Seventeen-year-old Clara is ready to fight back. Fight back against her abusive father, fight back against the only life she's ever known, and most of all, fight back against scrabs, the earth-dwelling monsters that are currently ravaging the world. So when an opportunity arises for Clara to join an international monster-fighting squad, she jumps at the chance.
When Clara starts training with her teammates, however, she realizes what fighting monsters really means: sore muscles, exhaustion, and worst of all, death. Scrabs are unpredictable, violent, and terrifying. But as Clara gains confidence in her battle skills, she starts to realize scrabs might not be the biggest evil. The true monsters are the ones you least expect. (Goodreads)
Scrabs? Reminds me of scarabs + crabs… but they seem like they'll be bigger than those combined? They are MONSTERS, after all. Also, it seems like there might be a nice plot twist. I've haven't really heard (or paid much attention) to reviews for Amy Tintera, but I know she's written another series that I have on my TBR. I think I'll add it! I will probably revisit when there are more reviews for it, too, and see if it's a hit.
Expected publication: July 7, 2020
It Sounded Better in my Head
Literally everything sounds better in my head… I can relate to this on such a personal level.
From debut author Nina Kenwood comes a tender, funny, and compulsively readable novel about first love and its confusions, and all of the awkwardness of teen romance.
When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can't understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She'd always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.
It Sounded Better in My Head is a compulsively readable love letter to teenage romance in all of its awkward glory, perfect for fans To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Emergency Contact. (Goodreads)
If this doesn't have day-dreamy scenes where she hooks up with her friend Zach, I'll be sorely disappointed. But this sounds like a cute contemporary book, and I think I wanna read it. I want to learn about this unexpected romance!
Expected publication: April 7, 2020
Ghost Wood Song
The title is definitely unique, as is the way the title is formed from branches of trees! It's a very pretty cover, with a warm vibe emitting from it.
Shady Grove is her father's daughter, through and through. She inherited his riotous, curly hair, his devotion to bluegrass, and his ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle.
That cursed instrument drowned with him, though, when his car went off the road, taking with it the whispering ghosts, nightmares, and the grief and obsession that forced her daddy to play.
But Shady's brother was just accused of murder, and so she has a choice to make: unearth the fiddle that sang her father to the grave and speak to the dead to clear her brother's name, or watch the only family she has left splinter to pieces.
The ghosts have secrets to keep, but Shady will make those old bones sing. (Goodreads)
I don't know guys. I like the fact that the MC's name is Shady Grove. But. That's about it really. I Am Disappoint.
Expected publication: July 21, 2020
Queen of Coin and Whispers
The use of the word 'queen' in young adult novels is getting a little out of hand, I'll admit. But the other part of me can't help but feel intrigued. I love a simple cover like this one, too. Also… coin and whispers? Wanna know what that's about.
When idealistic teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle's bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold… Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father.
As the two grow closer, they're quick to learn that all isn't fair in love and treason.
They must decide not only what to sacrifice for duty, but also for each other… (Goodreads)
I feel like there's too little information, and it didn't suck me in enough. I might have to pass on this one (at least until publication and it gets more coverage from the Goodreads community).
Sisters of Sword and Song
What beautiful, twisty font, and hand-drawn motifs. I love books about sisters, too, so that is definitely a word to use that'll make me want to check out a book.
Blurb time!
This is the third book by Rebecca Ross and is not related to The Queen's Rising. (Goodreads)
Waitwaitwaitwait – that's it? That's ALL WE GET???
I feel robbed.
Expected publication: June 23, 2020
Hold Back the Tide
Is that… is that blood in the water? Okay, cool cool, just checking.
Water themes are on my list of YAYs, and this definitely has a water theme, in both title and cover. Simple, yet alluring at the same time!
Everyone knows what happened to Alva's mother, all those years ago. But when dark forces begin to stir in Ormscaula, Alva has to face a very different future – and question everything she thought she knew about her past…
Unsettling, sharply beautiful and thought-provoking, HOLD BACK THE TIDE is the new novel from Melinda Salisbury, bestselling author of The Sin Eater's Daughter trilogy. (Goodreads)
See, this one doesn't have enough information… but in a much better way than some of the other's I've shown you. I am just too desperate to want to know more about this book, that I'm going to go ahead and add it. That, and I've heard good things about Melinda Salisbury, so I'm going to go with my gut on this one and add it.
Expected publication: March 5, 2020
What types of titles draw you in? Do you have any key words that you simply can't ignore? Have you heard of any of these 2020 releases?
I'm linking up my post to Top Ten Tuesday!
2020 releases meme top ten tuesday
11 Responses to Top Ten Tuesday (#19): Titles That Draw Me In
Jess @ Jessticulates says:
Great list! I haven't read any Anna-Marie McLemore yet but I'm SO EXCITED for Dark and Deepest Red. I can never resist a book with witchy vibes.
The Silence of Bones sounds interesting.
Kait Plus Books says:
These are all great titles! I'm really looking forward to Dark and Deepest Red! Happy reading! 🙂
I'm a sucker for the standard YA title format so I super love Queen of Coin and Whispers. But I really like Dark and Deepest Red too (and the premise sounds amazing; I read When the Moon Was Ours by her and it was so so so good). I'm also fond of Ghost Wood Song because it sounds like a hashtag someone was using as they drafted because they didn't have a name yet, haha. But the typography on a lot of these cover is A++++.
A Darker Shade of Rosie says:
Imagery is important, but typography is where it's at! And yes, I'm such a sucker for that plug in "BLANK of BLANK and BLANK" format. 😅 x
Where Dreams Descend, It Sounded Better in My Head, Tweet Cute are definite title-catchers. But Hold Back the Tide and All These Monsters lured me in by their cover, especially ATM! I'm so intrigued!
Dedra @ A Book Wanderer says:
I love that you used this week's list to focus on 2020 reads. There are some great titles to look forward to!
Here's my TTT for this week!
My favorite title has always been "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray. Luckily, the book itself is as fabulous as the title is.
Ah, I loved that book! x
I've just added so many of these to my tbr. Thanks for introducing me!
Ha, you're very welcome!! x