Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are the books scheduled to be released in the second half of 2019 that I’m anticipating the most. Since the vast majority of what I read comes from my local library, I probably won’t get around to many of these titles until months after they are released.

If my library turns out to have lots of copies of all of them, I’m going to have to spend the month of September doing nothing but reading in my free time. Honestly, that sounds like a nice way to spend those weeks. I don’t know about the weather where you all live, but here in Toronto we still have plenty of hot, humid days in September. Sometimes “summer” lasts well into October, too!

Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler

Expected publication date: July 30

Why I want to read it: Historical novels appeal to me, especially when they’re about groups of people who are rarely if ever discussed in traditional history classes. Two of the characters in this tale were young women who were pregnant out of wedlock a century ago when that was an incredibly shameful thing to do. I’m interested in seeing what happened to them.

When the Plums Are Ripe by Patrice Nganang, Amy Baram Reid (Translation)

Expected publication date: August 13

Why I want to read it: I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I know almost nothing about the history of Cameroon. This book talks about this country in the World War II era, and I’m hoping it might lead me to other titles that discuss other time periods there as well.

This Tender Land by William Kent Kruege

Expected publication date: September 3

Why I want to read it: There is so much going on in this tale: The Great Depression, Native American children being stolen from their parents to be raised by the state, runaways, the (mis)treatment of orphans in the 1930s, the inclusion of a mute character, and more. I want to see how it all weaves together.

 

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Expected publication date: September 10

Why I want to read it: The main character of this book is a girl who befriends a monster after it emerges from one of her mother’s paintings. Given the countless hours I’ve spent staring at paintings and dreaming about what it would be like to step into them, I already adore her. She sounds like a true kindred spirit. The Goodread tags for it also indicated that either her or someone else in the storyline is part of the LGBT+ community which is very cool and yet another reason why I simply must read this at some point.

The Testaments (Handmaid’s Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood

Expected Publication Date: September 10

Why I want to read it: I’ve been a huge fan of The Handmaid’s Tale since high school and can’t wait to see this story continue on in novel form.  I will be reviewing it for this site after I read it and am virtually guaranteed to talk everyone’s ears off about this book on Twitter and in future Top Ten Tuesday posts. Consider yourselves warned.

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Expected publication date: September 17

Why I want to read it: My immigration process was a much calmer affair than what it sounds like this character is going to go through, but I’m still curious to compare notes. Moving to a new country always bring all sorts of surprises with it no matter who you are or where you’re moving to.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Expected publication date: September 24

Why I want to read it: I’ve never read a fantasy book about someone who was a slave before, much less a character living in the southern U.S. in what I assume will be the early 1800s. This sounds like it will be a wonderful read.

Marley: A Novel by Jon Clinch

Expected publication date: October 8

Why I want to read it: I’m always interested in stories that retell or branch off of the various subplots of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This happens to be a prequel that shows what Marley and Scrooge’s lives were like when they were young boys. I’m quite curious to find out more.

I’m a Gay Wizard by V.S. Santoni

Expected publication date: October 29

Why I want to read it: This sounds like it might be the 2019 version of a gay Harry Potter-esque novel, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that!

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

Expected publication date: October 29

Why I want to read it: I remember a time when all books about AIDS were about it being an automatic death sentence because that was the reality for people with this illness back then. In fact, I know someone whose life was saved by the newer and more effective drugs to treat AIDS in the mid-1990s. Now that medical care for this disease has greatly improved, I’m quite curious to see how a character who has HIV will live her life in 2019.

135 Comments

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135 Responses to Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

  1. Yes I am looking forward to The Testaments too, I also think my mum would love the Home for Erring and Outcast girls, she was fascinated and is still bewildered at the reasoning and acceptance for the Magdalene Laundry stories so this looks right up her street.

    • I hope your mom loves that book! Yeah, I’m flabbergasted by the Magdalene Laundries, too. I don’t know how society ever thought they were okay.

      I hope you like The Testaments. Will you be reviewing it?

  2. I think we all are looking forward to the new Margaret Atwood book. Could it be the most anticipated release for the second half of 2019?

  3. Great list! I love the cover of Marley! The Water Dancer sounds brilliant, I’ll have to give that one a try, and I need to finally read The Handmaid’s Tale soon.

    • Thank you. Yes, that is one great cover. Have you seen the TV version of The Handmaid’s Tale? Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t watched it yet.

  4. The Stars and the Blackness between them looks amazing! Great list! There are a few I don’t know yet, but they look really good.

  5. I’m really interested in Pet and Marley and actually think I have e-arcs of both. There are so many good books coming out this fall!

  6. The Home for Erring & UnWanted Girls sounds terrific! I have to go look it up and get on my library list for it!

  7. Ta-Nehisi Coates is always a good idea.

  8. I haven’t heard of most of these, but man, they sound great! I’m going to have to check out Pet and I’m a Gay Wizard (and doesn’t that title just grab your attention? lol). I heard of The Water Dancer, and I’m looking forward to reading that, even though it seems like it’s going to be an emotionally difficult book to read. Ah, well. Some of the best books are.

  9. I forgot about This Tender Land – tried to get an ARC of but have not been able to. I should have included that one on my list!

  10. I didn’t know that The Handmaid’s Tale was getting a second book! That’s really cool. I haven’t read the first book but I have watched the tv show and think it’s so interesting. I hope to read the book soon!

    • Yes, it was announced last autumn or winter, I believe?! You still have lots of time to read the first book before the sequel comes out. I wish I could tell you for sure if watching the show was enough to know what’s going on in The Testaments, but Atwood has been pretty tight-lipped about the details of book 2.

  11. I completely forgot about the sequel to Handmaiden’s Tale! I need to get on both of them asap.

  12. This Tender Land and When the Plums are Ripe both sound good. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything set in Cameroon. I think that’s one of the reasons why I’m doing a read around the world challenge. There’s so many places we don’t read about.

  13. I really need to read Atwood’s books, they look so intriguing!

  14. Glad to see Full Disclosure here! I’m also glad to see our mutual love for historical fiction. And I’m definitely intrigued by I’m A Gay Wizard!

  15. I forgot to add The Testaments to my list, but that’s one I’m looking forward to as well!

  16. Oooh full disclosure and the stars and the blackness between them are both on my Longlist! They sound great

  17. I really need to read the Handmade tale!!

  18. I’ve heard of only one or two of these. Nice list! I love seeing how we each have different directions we take the TTT lists.

  19. The Testaments should be really interesting!

  20. This is a great list! This Tender Land and Full Disclosure especially look like books I definitely want to read! 😊

  21. Full Disclosure sounds like it could be a fascinating read, but also possibly quite emotional. I hope you enjoy them all!

  22. She wrote a sequel to the Handmaids Tale??? Under His Eye!

    I did read the first book before the show came out. It’s been some time now but of course there are deviations but the first season is pretty close. I had thought Atwood had stayed in close contact with production even beyond season 1 but I could be wrong.

    • Under His Eye. 😉

      Yes, she sure did! All we know about it at the moment is that it’s set 15 years after the events in The Handmaid’s Tale and has three female narrators/protagonists.

      I knew Atwood was involved with the production of season 1. I didn’t know she stuck around after that. Neat!

  23. I totally get you. Our summers here in Arizona tend to last until the end of November. No real humidity, but it’s still HOT, which I despise!

    I was actually really disappointed in Kibler’s newest. I adored her first book, but her newest just fell really flat for me. Bummer. I hope you enjoy it, though, as well as all the others on your list.

    Happy TTT!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

  24. PHEW, so many good titles on here. I’m honestly never not going to be in shock that we’re finally getting a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Like, it’s just so surreal to me in the best possible way? I’m ready. COMPLETELY ready. Can’t wait to see you thoughts when you read it/when it’s released!

  25. I can’t wait to read The Testaments, I suppose that’s all anyone will be able to talk about the first week of September! It’ll be interesting to see how Atwood handles it now that the definition of feminism has evolved to include more people. It’ll certainly be exciting!

  26. Home For Erring and Outcast Girls, while not in my TTT post today, is on my to read list. I hope it is good.

  27. Full Disclosure is on my TBR as well. I’m also looking forward to that one. Hope you enjoy all these!

  28. What a unique list! I really need to add some of these to my TBR.

  29. September’s one of my favourite months! I’m definitely going to read The Testaments but I am not going to get too excited over it, as I’m not sure if it needs a sequel. But I’m still interested!

  30. Thanks for putting these books on my radar! I haven’t heard of most of them, so it’s awesome being able to add some new books to my TBR! I haven’t read The Handmaid’s Tale, but really want to. I watched a few episodes of the Hulu show though.

  31. It’s the same way here in Michigan in September- still plenty of warm weather.

    I’m really curious where she’s going to go with The Testaments!

    • We’ll find out in a few short months!

      And, yeah, Michigan and southern Ontario have very similar weather….although you guys do tend to get more snow in the winter from what I’ve heard. 🙂

  32. Mae

    If you are part of NetGalley, they had the Home for Erring and Outcast Girls available for review ahead of the release date, but overall interesting list.

  33. So many good books that I want to read on this list! The Water Dancer was a close call for my list too, so excited for that.

  34. I love your list! There’s a lot of good ones on that list that I wasn’t aware of.

  35. Lau

    Great list!
    I’m excited for The Testaments too but I haven’t even read The Handmaids Tale yet – I’ve watched and loved the TV show though 😂

  36. I hadn’t heard of Pet before this, but it sounds amazing!

  37. Oh wow- I didn’t realize there was going to be a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale! I watched the first few episodes of season 1 but have fallen behind, lol.

  38. Quite a few of these I hadn’t heard of before but I am really looking forward to Pet. It sound so cool and I’m in love with the cover.

  39. I picked up Pet for review—I agree that it sounds fantastic. And now you definitely have me curious about Full Disclosure as well.

  40. I almost put The Testaments on my list too, but ended up leaving it off because I didn’t know enough about it to say very much. Full Disclosure is also on my TBR for some point in the future.

  41. I can’t believe I forgot to put Margaret Atwood’s book on my list this week. I’m definitely excited about that one!

  42. I may have to check out I’m a Gay Wizard and check out some other titles on your list as well.

  43. I think I’m gonna pick up Full Disclosure. It would be great to shed light on a disease with such stigma surrounding it. This feels like an important book.

  44. I forgot all about The Testaments, that is one I really am looking forward too as Margaret Atwood is a favourite dystopian author of mine.Thanks for visiting The Phantom Paragrapher

  45. The Water Dancer looks so good. I am adding it to my TBR.

  46. I haven’t heard about Pet! It sounds really good. Thanks. 🙂

  47. There are so many on this list I hadn’t heard of before! I’ll definitely look them up.

  48. Pet has been on my TBR for a while but I’d never heard of I’m a Gay Wizard before and I totally need it in my life! I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for it.
    Thanks for sharing!

  49. I had no clue a sequel to The Handmaiden’s Tale was coming out! Wow. Now I really need to read the first book.

  50. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is already on my TBR and it’s not even out yet 😀

  51. I totally forgot about Ta-Nehisi Coates’ novel! That’s one my TBR for sure.

  52. I haven’t heard of many of these books before, but there are quite a few gorgeous covers. I’m especially interested in When the Plums Are Ripe and The Water Dancer.

  53. I’m A Gay Wizard sounds amazing, going straight on the TBR. I love A Christmas Carol as well so i’m definitely going to check out Marley!

  54. Great picks Lydia! There’s a few on here I haven’t heard of yet.

  55. There are a couple here I want to check out, Marley and The Home for Erring and Outcast Girls. I have This Tender Land already on my TBR. Enjoy all this interesting looking books.

  56. I’m A Gay Wizard sounds so intriguing! 🙂

  57. Fabulous list! I would love to read Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, The Water Dancer and Marley. All sound wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

  58. Great list, Lydia! I hadn’t heard of Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, but it sounds really interesting. I have Full Disclosure on my tbr as well.

  59. Great list! I loved Krueger’s book Ordinary Grace so also looking forward to something new from him. Have you read anything else of his? I recently got a copy of Desolation Mountain (second book in a series) and trying to get Iron Lake from the library.

    My TTT: http://bookloverspizza.com/top-ten-tuesday-most-anticipated-releases-of-the-second-half-of-2019/

  60. I haven’t heard of any of these 😮
    HOW?!?!? They sound amazing!
    I hope you enjoy them when they release!
    Happy Reading!! <3

  61. I had not heard of I am a gay wizard but now I really need to check that out!

  62. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates sounds like a interesting book!

  63. Jay

    Your choices are often so thoughtful and unexpected and these are no exception.
    BTW bring it with The Testaments! I’m here for it:)

  64. I haven’t heard of any of these! Fantastic list!

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