My Top 5 Book Releases for November

It is my birthday month so I am looking forward to treating myself to some of the latest book releases. October was jam-packed with new releases. November seems like a much quieter month, which I am grateful for to be honest! So much to read and never enough time. There are however some of my top picks for this year being released this month! Here are the books I’m most looking forward to in November:

Skyward

Title: Skyward

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Published: 6th November

Publisher: Gollancz

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

It was my boyfriend who first introduced me to Brandon Sanderson’s works and I have enjoyed every book I have read so far. I am really excited to read Skyward as it seems to perfectly fit my taste in books. As it is a YA novel, I am hoping that not only will it encourage YA readers to read Sanderson’s other series but also that his fans will start to explore the world of YA literature if they don’t already. There is a lot on offer in both cases! The Mistborn trilogy is probably Sanderson’s most well known fantasy  series but I highly recommend Steelheart and The Reckoners trilogy, especially for fans of YA. Here is the synopsis for Skyward:

“Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.”

Girls of Paper and Fire

Title: Girls of Paper and Fire

Author: Natasha Ngan

Published: 6th November

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Genre: YA Fantasy, LGBT+

There has been a lot of buzz about this book! The cover is gorgeous. I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I saw the synopsis. For those people who follow trigger warnings, you should be aware that Girls of Paper and Fire does contain scenes of violence and sexual assault according to Goodreads and other sources. If you would like to know more then here is the synopsis that captured my attention:

“Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king.
 It’s the highest honour they could hope for…
 And the most demeaning.

 This year, there’s a ninth girl.
 And instead of paper,
 She’s made of fire.

Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class in Ikhara. Ten years ago, her mother was snatched by the royal guards, and her fate remains unknown. Now, the guards are back, and this time it’s Lei they’re after — the girl whose golden eyes, whose rumoured beauty has piqued the king’s interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king’s consort. There, Lei does the unthinkable — she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world’s entire way of life and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she’s willing to go for justice and revenge.”

Mammoth

Title: Mammoth

Author: Jill Baguchinsky

Published: 6th November

Publisher: Turner Publishing

Genre: YA Contemporary

YES! Mammoth is almost here. I am a huge advocate of this book after being lucky enough to read an ARC (advanced reader copy) over summer. Jill tackles really important issues such as being body positive, women in STEM and bullying. Her characters are very well written, especially the protagonist Natalie who it is really easy to identify with. I definitely recommend this book to YA Contemporary fans and any girl who is secretly, or not so secretly, a dino-geek. My review of Mammoth is here and I was lucky enough to interview the author herself this week so you can find out more about Jill and her latest book here.

“The summer before her junior year, paleontology geek Natalie Page lands a coveted internship at an Ice Age dig site near Austin. Natalie, who’s also a plus-size fashion blogger, depends on the retro style she developed to shield herself from her former bullies, but vintage dresses and perfect lipstick aren’t compatible with prospecting for fossils in the Texas heat. But nothing is going to dampen Natalie’s spirit — she’s exactly where she wants to be, and she gets to work with her hero, a rock-star paleontologist who hosts the most popular paleo podcast in the world. And then there’s Chase the intern, who’s seriously cute, and Cody, a local boy who’d be even cuter if he were less of a grouch.

It’s a summer that promises to be about more than just mammoths.

Until it isn’t.

When Natalie’s hero turns out to be anything but, and steals the credit for one of her accomplishments, Nat has to unearth the confidence she needs to stand out in a field dominated by dudes. To do this, she’ll have to let her true self shine, even if that means defying all the rules for the sake of a major discovery.”

Damsel

Title: Damsel

Author: Elana K. Arnold

Published: 15th November

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: YA Fantasy

It is a good month for YA Fantasy fans! Another book that I have seen a lot of book bloggers talking about is Damsel. It seems to be a book that people either love or hate. There are apparently a lot of trigger scenes in this book and there are no warnings listed on sites like Goodreads. I feel that if you normally follow trigger warnings then this won’t be a great book for you, although please take advice from friends or bloggers who managed to grab an advanced copy. Many people describe it as a very dark fantasy. I am certainly intrigued and as it is released on my birthday I will be gifting myself a copy! Here’s the synopsis:

“The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.”

The Mortal Word

Title: The Mortal Word

Author: Genevieve Cogman

Published: 27th November

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Genre: Fantasy

This is book five in The Invisible Library series. It is a really quirky series with a very interesting universe. Irene, a librarian from the invisible library, travels to different worlds in order to acquire unique versions of books. It reminds me of book bloggers trying to collect special editions of their favourite books! Obviously it isn’t quite that easy and Irene’s missions are full of danger, world politics, dragons and the fae. The series has mystery, a little romance, steam punk and urban fantasy aspects. All of the books have been easy reads that I have consumed very quickly. My sister also loves this series so we are both looking forward to publication day. If you haven’t read any of the series then I would highly recommend it. The synopsis is safe spoiler-wise so everyone feel free to have a read:

“Peace talks are always tricky, especially when a key diplomat gets stabbed. This rudely interrupts a top-secret summit between the warring dragons and Fae. As a neutral party, Librarian-spy Irene is summoned to investigate. She must head to a version of 1890s Paris, with her assistant Kai and her detective friend Vale, where these talks are fracturing. Here, she must get to the bottom of the attack – before either the peace negotiations or the city go up in flames.

Suspicions fly thick and fast and Irene soon finds herself in the seedy depths of the Parisian underworld. She’s on the trail of a notoriously warlike Fae, the Blood Countess. However, the evidence against the Countess is circumstantial. Could the killer be a member of the Library itself?”

Summary

November 6th is a very busy day in publishing this year! I am behind on my TBR, like I think most book bloggers are, so these November releases will certainly be carrying me into the Christmas holidays. What books are you looking forward to most this month?