Top Ten Tuesday #11: Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish.

List by Danielle

You should really see my full TBR list, guys. It's carefully arranged into three separate columns: ARCs, ebooks, and physical copies, and then ranked again by how long I've had the book. I try to read one from each list at a time while sticking pretty close to the order, but sometimes I can't resist a new and shiny acquisition. My summer TBR list is a mix of things I've neglected, fun beach reads, and amazing things set to come out.

 1. Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death. In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city. Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero. With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.

The hotly anticipated sequel to an extremely fun, gothic story based on the Edgar Allen Poe story? This is like more fun mandatory summer reading, though you probably won't pass American Lit just by reading Dance of the Red Death. When we left Araby Worth, we were just about to get the famous masquerade. Here's hoping the end of this duo is just as action packed as the end of Masque.
2. A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty 

Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – a city of spires, Isaac Newton and Auntie’s Tea Shop.
Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of attacks from dangerous Colours.
They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of white – the slim seam of a letter.
A mesmerising story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science that binds them and the colours that infuse them.

This blurb reminds me of the His Dark Materials trilogy, which I liked but didn't love. Still, I'm always looking forward to a new and different fantasy series and if it reminds me of simpler times, so much the better.

 3. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings
The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.
Alexandra Coutts's TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.

OK, this doesn't come out until fall, but I have an ARC and it's high on my list. Because guys, oh my gosh, look at that gorgeous cover. This looks new and fresh in the sea of dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels. It looks romantic and dramatic and probably like a good cry.

4. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales 

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.
Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

Another fall release that I have on advance galley. I'm not always a fan of contemporaries, but sometimes you need something "genuine" and "laugh-out-loud funny" for those long, hot summer days. And another great cover.

 5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.


In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

This is a book that Jessie gave great a score and I actually went out and bought for CHRISTMAS and I still haven't read. It sits on my unread bookcase, (yes I have a whole bookcase of unread books,) big and bright, glaring at me from the top row. Making me feel bad about myself. But not after this summer. No Seraphina, I'll soon be immersed in your dragons and mathematics.

 6. The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan 

Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision.
And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.
Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist…even though it could mean the ruin of them both.

I don't know about you, but a smart, sexy romance is exactly what I want on the beach, and Courtney Milan delivers every time. I could list any of Courtney's back-catalog, and I'll probably get to them all over the next few months, but it's the next in her Brother's Sinister series, due out in July, that's really got me pumped.

 7. Towers of Midnight by Brandon Sanderson & Robert Jordan

The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.
The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.
Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way--at long last--to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever
Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways--the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn--have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.
This penultimate novel of Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Timesbestselling series--the second of three based on materials he left behind when he died in 2007--brings dramatic and compelling developments to many threads in the Pattern. The end draws near.
Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

 Brandon Sanderson is the best fantasy author writing today and his Gathering Storm completely reinvigorated a franchise I'd given up on. I'm still a bit behind, the final book came out in January, but as I work my way though the summer, this is definitely the kind of dense fantasy I'll want for long trips.

 8. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.
Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.

See point seven. This time, Sanderson decided to try his hand at young-adult fantasy, obviously a genre near and dear to our hearts here. I really enjoyed the first in his MG series and I have full confidence in the man who brought us magic systems based around eating metal shavings and breathing colors to do something stupendous and unique with pictographs.

 9. The Immortal Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Young Daine's knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal horsemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. Soon it becomes clear that Daine's talent, as much as she struggles to hide it, is downright magical Horses and other animals not only obey, but listen to her words. Daine, though, will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.

 Pierce is supposed to have a companion book coming out this year that I'm very excited for, and one of my reading goals this year was, (completely separate from Alexa, Gaby, Rachel, and Gillian's Piercefest, but great minds and all that,) to reread the entire Tortall series. The Immortal Quartet has always jostled with the Song of the Lioness Quartet as my favorite set, and some of my favorite books of all time. There is nothing better than a rainy day and Numair and I will never hear otherwise.

10. Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court--and to convince the whole court they're lovers--she accepts. Before long, Anne's popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice--but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.

Young-adult historical about Anne Boelyn? This could be so amazing or absolute drivel. But more than anything, I'm interested in hearing a take on her life that doesn't paint her as sexed up villain. And again, cover!