2020 Anticipated Books+ Reading Challenge

I always have a huge TBR, but today I will share with you some of my anticipated reads for the coming year and (at the end) announce my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2020.

In no particular order, I present to you, a lengthy list of books I anticipate to read in 2020:

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas

This book is packed with revenge, demons, angels, shapeshifters, and all things that make me excited about reading. This series is so far only announced as a duo-logy, but this is only book one and Maas usually doesn’t only write two books for a series of this nature. We will see how many she ends up writing when it happens.

If I am not mistaken, this is supposed to be an adult fantasy, which I am so into. I can’t wait to see how Maas does in this genre, since I did absolutely love her other fantasy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses.

This book is set to release on March 3rd of 2020.

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan

This book was a 2019 YA Fantasy about a girl who can speak to gods, a prince, and a boy with a secret who team up to assassinate the king and prevent a war.

This book is said to be Gothic, dark, and exciting, so I would really like to get to it before the sequel releases some time in 2020. Honestly, I wasn’t interested in this book until I watched PeruseProject’s video Reading Recs: Books To Defeat Your Reading Slump!!. Regan’s explanation of this book and how much she loved it was what ultimately got me interested. Not to mention this series’s gorgeous cover.

Bone Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace #1) by Kathryn Purdie

This YA Fantasy follows a pair of star crossed lovers, who are destined to kill each other. There is magic, lost souls, mystery, vengeance, and all things dark fantasy.

Honestly, the cover is what drew me in initially, but the synopsis made me even more excited for this book. Lately, I am really feeling the fantasy-romance vibes with an overtone of death and vengeance, and I am pretty sure this book will satisfy that desire.

I am really interested in the part of the synopsis that mentions the characters that have to “ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld” which includes sacrifice and power. The pagan/witch in me is giddy with anticipation.

This book is said to release on March 10th of 2020.

Forest of Souls (Shamanborn #1) by Lori M. Lee

Before I say anything, know that the inclusion of the word “shaman” in the series title is what initially drew me in to this book. Now that that is out of the way, look at this beautiful cover and intriguing title!

This YA Fantasy is about a girl in training to become a royal spy, but in the process discovers a dangerous power within herself that involves bringing her friend back from the dead.

What isn’t exciting about a fantasy with necromancy, war, sisterhood, and magic? I am stoked about this one, as you can tell.

This book is set to release on June 23rd of 2020.

Set Fire to the Gods (Set Fire to the Gods #1) by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons

This Ya Fantasy with SciFi vibes is one that I highly anticipate reading. That name alone has me interested, but the summary makes it sound pretty exciting as well. Gladiators, elemental magic, gods, and battle; what’s not to love?

I really hope this book doesn’t add a cheesy and unnecessary romance between the main characters. Don’t get me wrong, romance is great, but I don’t want it to be artificial and weird in a story like this one.

This book is set to release (right before my birthday) on August 4th of 2020.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

I talk about this book in my “Bookish Wishlist“, so check that out if you are interested!

This is basically a dark YA Fantasy (wow we have a theme this year) about criminals in a world with various types of magic and heavy politics. There are a lot of parallels to our current political situation and there is a small romance, but not enough to be annoying or cheesy. I love these characters and can’t wait to spend more time with them in this installment.

Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park #1) by Michael Crichton

I read the second book in this series for a class last year and loved it. So, naturally, I will hopefully read this one next year. I already own a copy of this book, so it shouldn’t be hard for me to get around to it.

My obsession with dinosaurs, and this movie in particular, is borderline unhealthy. It is to the point that my coworkers get me dinosaur things (like cute socks) and my supervisor announced our theme for the summer will be dinosaurs because it would make me so excited. I totally freaked out… Some one send help. Also, my partner got me a dinosaur plant container that I am obsessed with… it’s only a minor obsession though; I can stop at any time.

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

This should be obvious since I mentioned the third book in this series in my Bookish Wishlist, but I do plan to actually remove this from the bookshelf it has been sitting on for a year and finally read it.

These books are thiccc with three C’s, so I hope it is interesting enough that I don’t want to die the whole time I am reading it. This series received some not so great reviews this year, so I am a bit worried. I already own this book, so of course I will read it… eventually.

Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

I bought this book from Barnes and Noble during a sale earlier this year, and I did so without any knowledge of the premise or even genre. The cover looked nice and it was less than $10, so I bought it. I am terrible, I know.

I have read a few pages, but I was in school at the time, so I haven’t read any more of it than that. I really hope to get to this next year, especially since I am trying to lower the number of books I own but haven’t read yet.

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #1) by Tamsyn Muir

This Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction and Debut Novel for 2019 is a dark Fantasy SciFi with LGBTQ+ representation and amazing reviews.

I love the cover, the premise, and the LGBTQ+ presence. I am very hopeful that this book will be a good read for me, and even if I don’t love it, I think I will at least like it enough to be glad I read it.

Wow, I have a lot of dark fantasies and books dealing with necromancy on my list this year… am I okay? Probably just a phase…

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

I read a sample of this book in November and have heard amazing reviews, so I will definitely be getting this book soon. This is a witchy YA Fantasy/Romance with heaps of winter and dark vibes. I love a good dark romance, and I love most anything with realistic witches. Please don’t let me down Ernshaw, I am so optimistic.

This book was released in November of 2019, so it is pretty new. Also, the cover is gorgeous!

Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

I was not initially interested in this book, because I thought it was a joke, then I found out it is a romance about rich people and I still wasn’t interested. I wasn’t interested in this book until a handful of my coworkers at the library told me that I had to read it because the romance is tasteful and the drama interesting. I will give this book a chance, because I can use a bit of romance alongside my heaps of dark fantasy and SciFi lined up for 2020.

Everyone needs a heartwarming story every now and then, so hopefully this one isn’t a DNF for me. I will also watch the movie if I end up enjoying this book.

You made it to the end of the list to my 2020 Reading Challenge:

Now, my Goodreads Reading Challenge is something I always undershoot a bit, mostly so that I am ensured to succeed. (My self esteem can’t handle a failure like this… pathetic, I know.) With that in mind here is the number of books I plan to read in 2020, unless my life explodes and I don’t read anything.

My 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge is: 36 books

This means that I will have to read at least three books each month to complete this goal.

In addition to this challenge, I will also challenge myself to read or listen to at least one book from my “books that I own but haven’t read” pile every month.

Wish me luck!

Please share your 2020 TBR and Goodreads Reading Challenge! We are always looking for recommendations.

All book covers are from Goodreads. I do not own any of these images.

Happy Reading!

-Knight of Cups ❤

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