My first TBR of 2021!

I’m keeping my overall 2021 expectations low 😅 I’m hoping for the best, but 2020 taught me to not get my hopes up.

But reading-wise I GOT PLANS.

If you missed it I shared a bunch of goals for the year that have to do with my reading and posting. But the gist is this:

Every month I’ll be drawing 6 TBR challenges that I’ll be picking OWNED books for (whether thats ARCS, audio, physical, ebooks, whatever). The only rule is that I must own the book in some capacity when I draw the prompt.

If you want to see the prompts drawn – check out the highlight on my Instagram!

I kept it to 6 so I have plenty of room to read other ARCS, new releases, or whatever the heck I want. And the prompts are pretty vague so it shouldn’t be too difficult to incorporate during readathon months or that.

Anyways – enough rambling. Here’s what I’m hoping to read in January!

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TBR Challenges

Challenge 1. Book Bag (Draw a Random Book Out of a Bag) – Fable by Adrienne Young

I put a couple of books that were relatively the same size into a bag and just drew randomly. I joked when I picked this that the only thing I know about this is that it involves water…. 😅 But I’ve heard good things about this series and the author so I’m excited to give it a read!

Challenge 2. Young Adult – You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Okay so we already have my first fail 😅 If you watched my IG stories where I picked the challenges I originally had a different book for this prompt and I chose this book for another challenge. HOWEVER. I was stressed AF talking to the camera and forgot I wanted to pick “Most Anticipated” from the blog list I made…

So – to correct my mistake I’m just swapping the two books. Easy enough.

This is Emma Lord’s follow up to Tweet Cute and it’s another YA contemporary. This one follows 2 half sisters who recently discovered each other and agree to meet at summer camp. It’s sounds heartwarming and sweet and I really hope I love it as much as her last book.

Challenge 3. Mass Market – Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

This the first book in a historical romance series following a group of wallflowers who each fall involve with a rake or rogue. I had an ARC copy of this but I’m the worst and never got to it… But now is the time! Also, her red hair paired with this blue cover is *chefs kiss*

Challenge 4. Most Anticipated – Into the Heartless Woods by Joanna Ruth Meyer

This is the book I swapped with You Have a Match.

I’m so excited to finally pick up this ARC! This is a atmospheric YA fantasy romance following a tree siren and local boy who lives on the edge of the woods. It sounds like everything I love and I can’t wait.

Challenge 5. Big Book – Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

Another late ARC! (sensing a theme? 😅) This is a historical, gothic/horror/suspense-like novel that’s well over 600 pages. It takes place an all-girls boarding school in the 1900s when a string of deaths occurs. And in the present day during the filming of a movie based on those events. I’ve heard it’s super queer and super feminist. So I can’t wait.

Challenge 6. 20 to Read in 2021 – If It’s Only Love by Lexi Ryan

Lastly! I decided to kick off the year right and finish a series! This is the final book in the Boys of Jackson Harbor series and it follows a second chance romance between the only Jackson sister and her ex-boyfriend turned football star.

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ARCs

I have 7 January ARCs and 2 of them are already on my TBR – Into the Heartless Woods and You Have a Match. Here are the remaining 5 ARCs I need to read!

1. The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M Waggoner

This is a historical romance following a sapphic romance between two body guards protecting a young rich lady from a magical foe.

2. In the Garden of Spite by Camila Bruce

This is an adult historical horror following America’s most prolific female serial killer.

3. Enjoy the View (Moose Springs, Alaska #3) by Sarah Morgenthaler

This is the 3rd book in this adult rom-com set in Alaska. This series is a little corny and over the top but I enjoyed book 2 so I’m excited to give this 3rd book a read. It follows a quiet, outdoorsy man and a Hollywood starlet.

4. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

I’m writing this post a little early, so hopefully by the time you’re reading this I’ve already read this! This is an adult thriller based on the classic Jane Eyre. This is my most anticipated January release and it comes out right way on the 5th!

5. Remote Control Nnedi Okorafor

This is a sci-fi novella following a woman who is the adopted daughter of the angel of death. That’s all I know. But I’ve heard such amazing praise for this author so I’m really excited to check out some of her work!

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Buzzword Readathon: “DREAM”

Okay so we’re not starting off the year great with this challenge 😅 I’m not actually going to participate this month. I don’t have a single unread book with the word Dream in the title on my entire Goodreads…. And I really want the focus of this challenge to be about reading books I already own.

So nothing for this in January!

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Book Clubs/Readalongs/Buddy Reads/Other

This is where everything else lives!

1. Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

This was on a couple 2020 TBRs but it just didn’t happen. I picked it up in November but then I got covid… and then it was super overdue. I had to pay $12. It was a whole thing.

But now I have the beautiful new paperback editions of the original trilogy and I’m super excited to binge this series before the new book comes out!

2. The Darkest Star (Origin #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I needed to add at least one audiobook to this TBR so I’m finally going to start this series! I have this available on Hoopla from my library. If I get through this really quickly (I always fly through JLAs books..) I’ll probably pick up the sequel too.

3. Skyhunter by Marie Lu

This is book is just calling to me. I recently picked up a physical copy and I also have an audio copy on Libro.fm. So I’m not sure how I’ll read it but hopefully I can fit it in this month. I know literally nothing about this beyond that it’s a YA sci-fi with the most stunning cover. I’m excited to go in totally blind!

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Okay so that’s 14 books officially on my January TBR. I’m sure things will shift around a little. But I think most of this TBR will actually happen. I’m excited about all of these and I can’t wait to chat about them throughout the month!

What are you hoping to read to kick off 2021?!

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