Hello everyone and welcome back to the third round of Twelve Days of Bookmas, a festive series of posts where we are counting down to Christmas book recommendation style!
Be sure to check out
Day 1 , Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4
Today I am sharing five novels that are high on my TBR which are stand alone novels. Meaning, all us bookish commitment-phobes can dive in, no strings attached.
On the fifth day of Book-mas I found under the tree: five standalones!
Instant Karma by Marissa MeyerPublished by Feiwel & Friends on November 3, 2020
Pages: 400
Goodreads
In this young adult contemporary romance, a girl is suddenly gifted with the ability to cast instant karma on those around her—both good and bad.
Chronic overachiever Prudence Barnett is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her. Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to karaoke hecklers, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner and all-around mortal enemy. Soon, Pru begins to uncover truths about Quint, her peers, and even herself that reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate.
Why I Want To Read It
I have a confession. I own tons of Marissa Meyers novels and still haven’t read her- okay I read some of the Lunar Chronicles books but haven’t not finished it yet- told you I have commitment issues! But that didn’t impeded me from purchasiing Instant Karma at good old B&N this past weekend and adding it to my growing stack of unread Meyer novels I will get to all of them, including this latest offering from a widely beloved author eventually, right?
Ties That Tether by Jane IgharoPublished by Berkley on September 29, 2020
Pages: 336
Goodreads
When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.
At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.
When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage.
Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.
Why I Want To Read It
I was drawn to this one initially because of the cover and when it was offered by Book of the Month I knew I had to snatch it up. It tackles hard questions of identity, relationships and what it means to truly know ourselves. It sounds like my kind of thought provoking contemporary.
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah JohnsonPublished by Del Rey Books on August 4, 2020
Pages: 336
Goodreads
An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.
On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.
But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.
Why I Want To Read It
I definitely have this book on the brain and best of lists come out from bookish websites and podcast (stay tuned for my best of coming the last week of December). I cannot count the number of times I have heard this book mentioned in the last two weeks alone. It has happened so much that I conciously placed the book on the shelf under my nightstand, which is basically the spot it goes before I read it- some time I’ll tell you all about the different places that I keep books in my house and what each spot means. Just now that where my TBR mountain is concerned, this one is nearing the summit.
The Hierarchies by Ros AndersonPublished by Dutton on August 25, 2020
Pages: 352
Goodreads
Your Husband is the reason for your existence. You are here to serve him. You must not harm your Husband. Nor may you harm any human.
Sylv.ie is a synthetic woman. A fully sentient robot, designed to cater to her Husband's every whim. She lives alone on the top floor of his luxurious home, her existence barely tolerated by his human wife and concealed from their child. Between her Husband's visits, deeply curious about the world beyond her room, Sylv.ie watches the family in the garden—hears them laugh, cry, and argue. Longing to experience more of life, she confides her hopes and fears only to her diary. But are such thoughts allowed? And if not, what might the punishment be?
As Sylv.ie learns more about the world and becomes more aware of her place within it, something shifts inside her. Is she malfunctioning, as her Husband thinks, or coming into her own? As their interactions become increasingly fraught, she fears he might send her back to the factory for reprogramming. If that happens, her hidden diary could be her only link to everything that came before. And the only clue that she is in grave danger.
Set in a recognizable near future and laced with dark, sly humor, Ros Anderson's deeply observant debut novel is less about the fear of new technology than about humans' age-old talent for exploitation. In a world where there are now two classes of women—“born” and “created”—the growing friction between them may have far-reaching consequences no one could have predicted.
Why I Want To Read It
I am a librarian and one of my main jobs is to unpack and receive the new books we get in- yes it is as fun as it sounds. The Hierarchies was a book I knew nothing about until the finished copy showed up at our library and I knew I had to have it. The synopsis makes it sound like The Handmaid’s Tale with androids and I am here for it.
The Silence of Bones by June HurPublished by Feiwel & Friends on April 21, 2020
Pages: 336
Goodreads
I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;Ears, but I mustn't hear;Eyes, but I mustn't see.
1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.
Why I Want To Read It
I have been interested in this historical mystery for quite some time. I have even checked out three separate times from my library and I still haven’t read it. It has a lot of my trademark loves: a girl defying the patriarchy, a rich historical setting, and just a dash of murder. The cover isn’t bad to look at either. I hope to get to this one sooner rather than later and regardless, I look forward to the author’s second novel coming out some time next year.
What About You?
Have you read any of these books? What are some Standalones that you’ve read and loved this year? What do you think of my picks? Let me know in the comments!
The Hierarchies sounds amazing! I will definitely pick that one and Silence of bones up. Thanks for the recommendations!!
You are so welcome! I hope you enjoy them!