We are three months into 2021 and I am more grateful than ever for the absolute gift that is reading. On top of that, I am indebted to librarians everywhere for keeping the book world running in the middle of a pandemic and getting zero credit for it. Thank your librarians, people! Write them nice notes. Advocate on their behalf. 🙏 They are invaluable.
1. What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
You know that one book you just keep talking about that no one will read? Like, not one person. I get it, the thing is fairly new and werewolves aren’t the craze they once were. But people, seriously? This book is magnificent! Why isn’t it on all of your shelves yet!? I realize I’m setting the bar pretty high here, but APPARENTLY that’s what I have to do to get someone to read this beautiful, fantastic, sensational novel! The thing exceeded every one of my expectations. Gimme a dozen sequels, Rose Szabo! I could live inside this world of yours for years.
😱 YA Horror
🩸 Gore
👻 Supernatural
⏲️ Fast- Paced
See my full review of What Big Teeth for content warnings, rep and a bit about the author.
“I don’t love her, if that’s what you mean,” he says. “I just want her love to save me.”
I don’t tell him that that’s how it always begins: in selfishness, in ambition, in lust or desperation. That love starts out as something you want to bite into and ends as something that swallows you up.
Rose Szabo, What Big Teeth
2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Legendborn is the standard to which I am now holding all YA fantasy. The representation in this novel is about as perfect as it gets. Seriously. I do not say that lightly. We have queer characters, gender neutral characters, characters of color, and neuro-diverse characters. There is no tokenizing. There are discussions of race and gender and orientation without making them the focus of the books. This is everything I want from contemporary fiction and particularly from fantasy. To say I am overjoyed is an understatement.
✨ Black Girl Magic
🧑🏽🤝🧑🏻 Love Triangle
💔 Grief and Love
📖 Couldn’t Put it Down
See my full review of Legendborn for content warnings, rep and a bit about the author.
3. When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
The increase in authors of color (and WOMEN, at that) getting published in the thriller/mystery genre is one of my FAVORITE things happening to books right now. The field has been dominated by white women for decades (it was mostly white men before that, though honestly, what wasn’t? 🙄) Alyssa Cole took this genre to new, amazing heights with her book When No One Is Watching which gives the nasty business of gentrification and even more sinister spin. It has a very Get Out feel to it but I feel comfortable recommending it even if the horror genre isn’t quite your bag. This book is chilling without the gore. Because really, what’s creepier than institutional racism and systemic oppression?
See my full review of When No One Is Watching for content warnings, rep and a bit about the author.
“They can break, but they can’t erase,” Gracie says. “They can build but they can’t bury us.”
– Alyssa Cole, When no one is watching
🕵🏽♂️ Mystery/ Thriller
⏲️ Fast Paced
🎤 Own Voices
👁️ Multiple POV
4. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
What do I love most about this book: the characters? the folklore? the teen love? Probably all of those, tbh. But I especially loved buddy reading this book with my friend, Amanda, back in January and am now utterly convinced that the cure to winter blues is books with friends. Even if you’re hundreds of miles away from one another. Reading counts as a social activity and you’ll never change my mind.
🦊 Korean Folklore
🕯️ Slow Burn Romance
2️⃣ Duology
🎓 High School
See my full review of Wicked Fox for content warnings, rep and a bit about the author.
“She’d read books that said two lovers’ hearts could race as one. This wasn’t true for Miyoung. Her heart chased Jihoon’s, speeding in a breakneck sprint to catch up.”
Wicked Fox, Kat Cho
5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Real talk, I read this first book in this series (A Court of Thorns and Roses) the day before I had surgery. And then I read (and re-read) this one and the sequel. THEN, for good measure, I read them all again because I’m a monster! I can’t get enough of this book or the fan art or the fandom in general. I have refrained from writing much about it, though, as I am preparing a big post for once I’ve finished A Court of Silver Flames next month!
🧑🏽🤝🧑🏻 Love Triangle
💘 Enemies to Lovers
🔥NSFW
🐉New Adult Fantasy
Stay tuned for my full review, content warnings, author blurb moodboards and character aesthetics… if you’re into that sort of thing.
Personal note: girl on plans for spring
I’m currently working on my book recommendations (based on astrological signs) for April and am really hoping to go more places with that. Until now I’ve only been posting them on Instagram. Keep your eyes peeled for more zodiac-related book content in the coming month!
Best,
Sarah
Girl on Books 
Ooo, I’m looking forward to that astrology content!
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Yay! I can’t wait to share it!
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At this point I know I just HAVE to read Legendborn – you’re one of many people I’ve seen recommending it and I just have got to give it a try!
Great post! Excited about the zodiac content 😀
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Legendborn is sooooo good! I hope you love it. And yay! Zodiac content is so much fun for me hehe
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Yes to ACOMAF! I don’t remember how many times I’ve read that book or the AOCTAR series 🙈. Can’t wait for your zodiac book recommendations!
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Ahhhh I’m so excited. They are ready to be posted so keep an eye out on April 1st!!
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