books – Chapter Malliumpkin

Salutations Chapterlings! It’s been a hot minute since we’ve sat down with one another, hasn’t it? I hope you’re doing well, staying hydrated and reading all of the books. Today I’m posting something I’ve never posted on my blog before. I know I said I wasn’t trying to pressure myself with reading or really make tbrs anymore because quite frankly, it really messes with my mood reading. However, this post is kind of an ‘in general’ year tbr post, in a way. Basically, books that I am and will be reading for the year of 2023. Some of these books I may have already read, some may be anticipated releases, and some may be arcs (or long overdue arc reviews) or recommendations from friends. Whatever the case may be, I wanted to share all of these books with you.

Without any further shenanigans and rambles, my 23 books I want to read in 2023!

✨ Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier ★★★★

This was an arc that I received back at the start of 2023 and has been on my anticipated 2023 releases list. I recently just finished this book and posted a review. While I won’t give any spoiler, I had a really fun time with this book and enjoyed many things about this book. Plus, if you love quotes like I do, so many quotes! There are so many!

✨ White Horse by Erika T. Wurth ★★★

I said at the very beginning of 2023, I was going to read this book, this year and I accomplished that! This book is unapologetically Native/Indigenous and a love letter to all urban and disconnected/reconnecting Natives out there. While there were things outside of the amazing themes of this book that hindered my reading experience, I love this book with my whole chest and encourage others to give it a chance.

✨ Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

This is an arc I’ve recently received and a book I plan on picking up very soon! This is a middle grade novel that follows a transgender main character who’s grieving and coming to terms with the loss of his best friend. In the midst of all of this, our main character, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, in hopes that Mothman understands him and sets out to search for Mothman. If you’re new here, hi hello, I love monsters and cryptids. But also the cover is stunning and the synopsis has me very excited to pick this book up as soon as possible!

✨ Nanny for the Neighbors by Lily Gold

Now this book, I think I just hit the halfway mark within the pages. Yup, you guessed it, this is my current read! So my thoughts so far, I’m having fun! There are some difficult conversations that happen around the foster system and how it impacts children, what it means to be a new parent out of the blue, but there’s also steamy times and the real reason I picked it up is for the polyamorous representation. I’ve been trying to pick up more books that have polyam rep in them. So this hit my radar end of 2022, beginning of 2023. I’m excited to see where this book goes and if you love multiple povs, we get all four povs in this book!

✨ The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

While I need to update my GoodReads review, this is an arc that I need to get to soon! I have talked about this book in my 5 Star Predictions 2023 edition. All I know is the cover is stunning, the synopsis is intriguing, this is a Rapunzel retelling, and that’s all I want to know. I will hopefully be picking this up, hopefully sometime this month or in April, but I’m really excited for!

✨ Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree ★★★★★

This is on my backlog of reviews I need to write, but oh my goodness did I love this book with my whole chest! This was also on my 5 Star Predictions 2023 edition and this book didn’t disappoint. I was so immersed with the world and the characters. It made me miss D&D so freaking much. If you haven’t given this book a chance, it’s worth it. Plus, the second book was just announced!

✨A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

Am I ever going to stop talking about this book? NOPE! Again, this is another 5 Star Prediction for 2023 and one of my most anticipated books I really want to read before this year ends. Darcie Little Badger is the first Apache author I have come across since entering the book community. I can’t begin to express how excited I am for this book and how much I know I’m going to fall in love with this book the same way I did with Elatsoe.

✨Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin

Last year I absolutely devoured Wild Is The Witch while I was one vacation. I read it all in one day because I was so captivated by Griffin’s writing, the characters she wrote, and the world she built. When this book was announced, I rushed to preorder my copy and slam it onto my anticipated releases for 2023. This is not only a 5 star prediction read for me, but I’m just going to throw it out there now, it’ll probably be one of my top books of 2023, as well.

✨Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

In 2023, I’m really trying to highlight more Native/Indigenous literature. And 2023 has some amazing books coming out by Native/Indigenous authors. This is one of those books! I’m so excited for this release. It’s releasing in my birth month and it’s my only read I actually have planned for the month of May. This is in my most anticipated releases for 2023 and I just know I’m going to love this book with my whole chest. Plus, the cover. Have you seen the cover?! STUNNING!

✨House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig

One of my most anticipated releases of 2023 is this book right here! I have been waiting, wondering if House of Salt and Sorrows was going to have a sequel and now we have our answer! I’m so excited for this release and the cover is beautiful. I haven’t read the synopsis, I want to go in knowing as little as possible, but this is the second book in the Sisters of Salt series. I haven’t seen on if this is just going to be a duology or a full series yet, but I’m really excited!

✨ Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

Keeping on the theme of Native/Indigenous literature, we have Bad Cree! I do have an arc copy of this book, but I also had to wait for my preorder to arrive. I ended up ordering the UK paperback cover and all I have to say is it’s gorgeous! I’ve been feeling my horror, thriller, and mystery books lately sop this book is right up my alley!

✨Tentacles & Triathlons by Ashley Bennett

Look, it’ll happen! Honestly, I had planned to read this in February, but life has a been a little bit of a whirlwind. I’m hoping to pick this up this month, hopefully. Either way, I loved Muscles & Monsters and I know I’ll love this one just as much!

✨ Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover of this book? Truly, it stole my breath the moment I first saw it. If I’m really being honest, I know nothing about this book except I’m intrigued and excited about it!

✨ The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill ★★★★★

This has become my favorite graphic novel of 2023! K. O’Neill does it again by hitting the ball right out of the park! The artwork is absolutely breathtaking, the story itself is so moving, and even though I’ve finished this book, I’m still thinking about it. If you haven’t ordered this book and read it yet, you need to! I’m so glad I read it and as usual, I’m looking forward to the next book for O’Neill to release!

✨Hollow by Shannon Watters

You would think with how much I love spooky things, the Fall/Halloween season, adore Sleepy Hollow, that I would have read this graphic novel by now and put a review out for it long ago. NOPE! I’m very behind in my arc reviews, my backlog for reviews is kind of wild at the moment, and my mood reading has been taking me on a roller coaster ride. So this in pretty high up on my priority list!

✨City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Well… I guess I’m a Schwab stan now?! Honestly, when Gallant took me by storm and then The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue completely gutted me, on my knees ugly crying, not long afterwards – I knew there was no going back for me. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Schwab’s work the way I have. Truly, I thought I wasn’t going to connect with them, I thought her books were going to be added to my ‘books that were overhyped and didn’t live up to it’ list. I was very skeptical and so sure I wasn’t going to vibe with either of those books. I don’t know what magic happened, but the absolutely blessings! Now I want to read everything by Schwab and City of Ghosts is up next on my list!

✨ Broken Bonds by J. Bree

I’m back on my series kick with a new project in the works! I read a chapter sampler for Broken Bonds and it captivated me so much so that I lost all control, bought the whole series in paperback! Yup, that happened. So this is happening, I don’t know when, but it is.

✨ Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been nervous on picking this book up. I’ve been hearing a lot of mixed things through the grape vine and now I’m nervous that I overhyped myself up about this book. I really, really want to love this book even more so because it’s one of my most anticipated books of 2023. Wish me luck because I’m scared!

✨ The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshni Chokshi

This is another book that I’m a bit nervous about. I’ve been hearing a lot of mixed things through the grape vine and now I’m nervous to pick this book up. I’m still excited about it, but I do wonder if I overhyped the book up. I do have an audiobook and a physical version of this book. If you’ve read this book or listened to the audio, please let me know your thoughts on which you prefer more!

✨ Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova

I want more anthologies! Plain and simple! Back in the beginning of 2022, I read Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space and had a blast reading it! This year, I want more anthologies because I miss them. So when this anthology was announced and I got wind that Darcie Little Badger is one the authors, I started researching anything I could find on this book. There are so many incredible authors lined up for this anthology and I have a mighty need to read this book immediately!

✨ Sisters of the Lost Nation by Medina

Not just more Native/Indigenous literature, but also more horror, thriller mystery genre goodness! I’m very excited about this book to release. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I have some thoughts, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself in case I end up spoiling it. Just know, I really want to read this especially for the fall! It seems like the perfect fall/winter read!

✨Not So Much Appreciated by Clio Evans ★★★★★

I was so excited for this release and it’s no surprise I ate it up! Honestly, I enjoyed the series as a whole. You can find my full series review HERE. This book was such a bittersweet way to conclude this series, but it has me excited for the future. I’ll be keeping my eyes opened for more books from Clio Evans in the future!

✨ Fox Snare by Yoon Ha Lee

Finally! FINALLY! The cover for this book was announced back in January and I have been grasping at straws for any inch of information I can get about this book. I have fallen in love with this series and I’ve been trying to keep up with it as much as possible. Last year, I was blessed to have received an arc of Tiger Honor and adored it! I think I’m going to absolutely love Fox Snare, but sadly this book won’t be out till Fall 2023. So we have a bit of a wait before we can dive back into this world!

We have finally made it to the end, friends! We did it! I don’t know why I thought this was going to be a short list, but I really love the way this post turned out. I’m really excited for what this year has in-store, reading wise. If you’re planning on reading 23 books in the year of 2023, what are some titles you plan on reading? Are you anticipating the release of any of these titles? Come chat about it in the comments below! Until next time friends, I hope your reading plans are going well, you’re staying hydrated, and as always, I love you! ♥

Hello Chapterlings! It’s that time again where I set myself and add on a readathon to my already jam packed schedule! Once again, The Reading Rush is upon us all. Previously known as the Booktubeathon, The Reading Rush is a week-long readathon in July, where the whole community comes together and reads! There will be challenges, sprints, Bookstagram prompts, you name it, The Reading Rush probably has it! This is my very first year participating in this readathon! I know, I know – I said July was going to be my easy going month, a relaxing month, a time to recover type of month. Well… I lied, apparently, because this readathon has badges you can earn and my achievement hoarding self needs those badges! Gotta catch em’ all! But in all seriousness, I really wanted to put myself out there more and take part in something new, exciting, fresh! The readathon is taking place from July 22nd to July 28th!

This year, Ariel and Raeleen, our lovely hosts really upped their game and there’s now a shiny new website where you can join many other readers and chat with them before, during, and after the readathon! If you want, feel free to add me HERE! Reading is much more fun when we read together and with friends! Once again though, those badges… I freaking LOVE badges and earning achievements! It might just be the Slythrin in me, but the hype is real and I’m ready… with an over flowing TBR that has me going “how did this happen and how did I get here?!” Aside from me setting myself up for doom, make sure to check out this site these wonderful beings put together, add me as a friend if you’re participating and if you would like. And not without any further delay, let’s get into the TBR and the challenges!

🌻 1.) Read a book with purple on the cover

I know, I know… you’re probably looking at these three books and saying “Malli, why would you do this to yourself?” Well…I’m already reading Black Iris and I’m hoping that give me the motivation to finish it (audio books just aren’t my style of reading). So in case that back fires, I have a reread of Moonstruck Vol. One and Tiger’s Promise (a novella) planned for backups!

🌻 2.) Read a book in the same spot the entire time

A super cute, fun, quirky little graphic novel to fly through because I put more on this TBR than I anticipated doing. Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too may be a bit thick, but I devour graphic novels in an hour or less.

🌻 3.) Read a book you meant to read last year

Both, Boys Over Flowers Vol. 10 and Snowbound with the Boss were on my December 2018 TBR – those never happened and here we are! Both are short reads so I have no doubt in my mind that I won’t be able to fly through one, if not both.

🌻 4.) Read an author’s first book

If my research serves me right, Starfish is the first book Akemi Dawn Bowman has written. There is a chance I might be wrong, but I really hope I’m not because I’m dying to read this book! I love those emotional reads! This book could also work for the first challenge…if I didn’t already have three books for that part already.

🌻 5.) Read a book with a non-human main character

I’m pretty sure I’m stretching it with Hot and Badgered due to the fact that they’re honey badger shape-shifters. So, in case that’s stretching it a bit too much, I brought in Warriors: Tales from the Clans. I mean… Is anyone truly surprised that added a book by Erin Hunter on here?!

🌻 6.) Pick a book that has five or more words in the title

Two books that couldn’t be more different! Things We Lost in the Fire is a book filled with heart twisting, gut wrenching things, and I am here for it! On the opposite hand, P.S. I Still Love You is light, fluffy, and of course, romantic! I’m basically flipping a coin because I could choose between the two of these!

🌻 7.) Read and watch a book to movie adaptation

If you don’t know about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda then where have you been! This is one of my favorite movies, ever! And yes, I have seen the movie before reading the book! Actually, I’ve seen it fifteen times already! Can’t stop, won’t stop! But I figured this is the best time to read the book especially since this is one of my favorite movies to keep re-watching!

Okay, friends! I think that about covers every challenge! I did forget to mention that there is a bonus challenge of read seven books. So you already know what my goals are! Earn those badges, Gotta Catch em’ All! Please let me know in the comments below if you’re participating and I would love to know your TBR! Until next time, I hope your reading game is on point, I love you! ❤️