Books To Be Read [2020 Vol. 1]

Welcome to my first TBR books post for this year! I'm going to mention a few of the books that I'm planning to read in the coming months. This is also a way for me to stick to this list (or at least try to) and not always ditch these wonderful books for other recently published ones (yes I will also get to the recent ones but I need to mix it up come on! haha).

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

“A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.”

The Priory of the Orange Tree is a high fantasy novel that is getting a huge hype. It’s definitely on my to be read list, even though I’m intimidated by how long it is. It is like a brick (but a beautiful brick). It’s 848 pages long, so imagine the commitment haha. But imagine how good it would be to just be in that world this long. So I’m looking forward to reading this beast soon. And can we just take a moment to admire this beautiful cover!!

The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah

“Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.

In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.”

The Great Alone is a historical fiction novel that is praised highly in the books world. I have read so many great reviews about it. Every once in a while I decide  to or crave to read from this genre, for I usually lean towards the fantasy and fiction, but not always historical. I’ve chosen this book among others to get to this year, and from the synopsis it seems really powerful. Plus it's told from the point of view of a 13 year old daughter so that seems interesting.

And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini

“So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one...Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters. To Abdullah, Pari - as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named - is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled. One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand. Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos, with profound wisdom, depth, insight and compassion, Khaled Hosseini writes about the bonds that define us and shape our lives, the ways in which we help our loved ones in need, how the choices we make resonate through history and how we are often surprised by the people closest to us.”

I am 100% ready for another Khalid Hosseini novel that will tip my heart again. This year I’m aiming to read more of his writing, including The Mountain Echoed and A Thousand Splendid Suns. My Brother is the one who recommended to  me the Kite Runner that changed my perspective of books and always telling me to read this one also. So here I am again. I can’t wait to dive back into Kabul and the stories of fate, choices, compassion and life.

War Storm - Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #4)

Don’t read the following synopsis if you haven’t read the first three books in the series.

“Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.”

I have been reading this series since November last year, and I am left with the last book to finish. I just received it in the mail and dying to get to it! It’s a fantasy series about power, kingdoms, injustice along with other twists. I decided to go into them with no expectations because I’ve heard mixed reviews beforehand, but guess what... I flew through them so fast. Now onto the conclusion.

So there you have it friends, a small part of my reading list!
If you read any of them or planning to read some, tell me and maybe we can talk about them like crazy but happy readers!
Until next time.

Read away..

Salam