Happy Tuesday!
Top Ten Tuesday is a Bookish Meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, and this week’s theme is BOOK TITLES THAT MADE ME WANT TO READ THE BOOK!
Happy Tuesday! Titles are one of the first things I tend to notice about books, and today’s list is all about the titles that were so good, I just had to read the books. I’ve read all but one of these (because it isn’t out until November) and eight of them are on my perpetually growing list of favorite books! So while you can’t judge a book by its cover (spoiler alert: you totally can and also did I mention I’ve been featured in my local paper?), you can certainly judge a book by its title!
Also, honorary shout outs to JUNIPER JADE V. HER PARENTS by Marisa Reichardt and TO BE (MIS)READ by Marisa Kanter, which became A SHOT AT NORMAL and WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, respectively. The original titles would definitely have been on today’s list, the revised titles- not so much.
And now without any further ado, here’s this week’s Top Ten Tuesday!
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace Published on April 23, 2016 by CreateSpace
Genres: Adult, Poetry
Pages: 156
Add to Goodreads
"Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we're off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales."
A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. Explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.
Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons Published on May 25, 2021 by Philomel Books
Genres: Contemporary, Dystopian, Fantasy, Horror, Neurodivergent, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA
Pages: 448
Add to Goodreads
Mega-fan June Blue's whole life has been leading up to this moment: ZombieCon! The Ultimate in Undead Entertainment has finally come to her hometown. She and her two best friends--gorgeous, brilliant Imani and super-sweet, outrageously silly Siggy--plan on hitting all the panels and photo ops, and meeting the heartthrob lead of their favorite zombie apocalypse show, Human Wasteland. It's going to be the best time of their lives--and one of their last adventures before they all split up for college.
And when they arrive, everything seems perfect. June's definitely not going to let anything get in the wayof the flawless con experience--even though she's endlessly anxious about the SATs and college admissions, and she can't seem to avoid her ex-best friend Blair, whose VIP badge lets her walk straight to the front of every single line. No matter what, June is determined to make the best of her dream day at ZombieCon!
But something's not quite right at the con--there are strange people in hazmat suits running around, enthusiastic cosplayers taking their shambling a little too far, and someone actually biting a cast member. Then, at a panel gone wrong, June and her friends discover the truth: the zombie apocalypse is here.
Now June, Imani, and Siggy must do whatever it takes to survive a horde of actual flesh-eating zombies--and save the world. A hilarious and heartfelt horror comedy, that is an ode to zombies, friendship, and girl power.
A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel Series: Take Them to the Stars #1
Also in this series: A History of What Comes Next
Published on February 2, 2021 by Tor.com
Genres: Adult, Alternate History, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Queer, Science Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 304
Add to Goodreads
Always run, never fight. Preserve the knowledge. Survive at all costs. Take them to the stars.
Over 99 identical generations, Mia’s family has shaped human history to push them to the stars, making brutal, wrenching choices and sacrificing countless lives. Her turn comes at the dawn of the age of rocketry. Her mission: to lure Wernher Von Braun away from the Nazi party and into the American rocket program, and secure the future of the space race.
But Mia’s family is not the only group pushing the levers of history: an even more ruthless enemy lurks behind the scenes.
A darkly satirical first contact thriller, as seen through the eyes of the women who make progress possible and the men who are determined to stop them...
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Published on August 6, 2020 by Bloomsbury YA
Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Retellings, Romance, YA
Pages: 389
Add to Goodreads
It's 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairytale is over.
Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she's tiny until the night she's sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball . are forfeit.
But Sophia doesn't want to be chosen - she's in love with her best friend, Erin, and hates the idea of being traded like cattle. And when Sophia's night at the ball goes horribly wrong, she must run for her life. Alone and terrified, she finds herself hiding in Cinderella's tomb. And there she meets someone who will show her that she has the power to remake her world.
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason Series: The Thorne Chronicles #1
Also in this series: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse, How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge
Published on October 8, 2019 by Daw Books
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Futuristic, Multiverse, Neurodivergent, New Adult, Retellings, Science Fiction
Pages: 408
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram
Rory Thorne is a princess with thirteen fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she'd inherit her father's throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.
Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.
When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.
Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer Series: CatNet #1
Also in this series: Catfishing on CatNet, Chaos on CatNet
Published on November 19, 2019 by Tor Teen
Genres: Alternate History, Contemporary, Dystopian, Futuristic, Queer, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA
Pages: 304
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
How much does the internet know about YOU?
Because her mom is always on the move, Steph hasn’t lived anyplace longer than six months. Her only constant is an online community called CatNet—a social media site where users upload cat pictures—a place she knows she is welcome. What Steph doesn’t know is that the admin of the site, CheshireCat, is a sentient A.I.
When a threat from Steph’s past catches up to her and ChesireCat’s existence is discovered by outsiders, it’s up to Steph and her friends, both online and IRL, to save her.
The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton Published on May 5, 2020 by Page Street Kids
Genres: Contemporary, Queer, YA
Pages: 378
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok
Working as a wench ― i.e. waitress ― at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.
Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling Series: These Witches Don't Burn #1
Also in this series: These Witches Don't Burn
Published on May 28, 2019 by Razorbill
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Queer, Romance, YA
Pages: 336
Add to Goodreads
Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.
But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.
While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston Published on May 2, 2017 by Penguin Books
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 243
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok
She won't be anyone's cautionary tale.
Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports team. This year's summer training camp is Hermione's last, and she knows this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.
In every class, there's a star cheerleader and a pariah pregnant girl. They're never supposed to be the same person. As Hermione struggles to regain the control she's always had, she faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The assault wasn't the beginning of Hermione Winter's story and she's not going to let it be the end.
The Year I Stopped Trying by Katie Heaney Published on November 16, 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 256
Add to Goodreads
Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram
Mary is having an existential crisis. She's a good student, she never gets in trouble, and she is searching for the meaning of life. She always thought she'd find it in a perfect score on the SATs. But by junior year, Mary isn't so sure anymore.
The first time, it's an accident. She forgets to do a history assignment. She even crosses history essay off in her pristine planner. And then: Nothing happens. She doesn't burst into flames, the world doesn't end, the teacher doesn't even pull her aside after class.
So she asks herself: Why am I trying so hard? What if I stop?
With her signature wit and heaps of dark humor, Katie Heaney delivers a stunning YA novel the sprints full-force into the big questions our teen years beg--and adeptly unravels their web.
What titles made you want to read the books? Let me know in the comments below and have a splendiferous week!
So many great titles here! Kit Sweetly looks like a fun read, and These Witches is definitely going on my tbr! This is my TTT this week, half covers and half titles.
Great list! I want to read Girls Save the World in This One.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | UK vs US covers ft. 2021 releases
The Princess Saves Herself in This One does sound good!
Lydia recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Titles That Made Me Want to Read the Book
I love great titles, but I don’t want the title to be the best thing about the book!
A great list of books! I actually picked up The Girls Save the World in This One last week after seeing it on your blog. I hope to read it soon and then share it with my daughter.
When you get the chance, I hope you check out my post: https://readbakecreate.com/15-book-covers-that-scream-summer/
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create! recently posted…15 Book Covers That Scream Summer
Great picks!
I love the cover for Cinderella is Dead. I also love her current release, This Poison Heart. Beautiful!
I’ve never seen The Princess Saves Herself with a pink cover before!
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #327
The title of These Witches Don’t Burn is EXACTLY why I ended up picking up the book last year! These are some great books and I found a couple I want to check out!
The title (and cover) of The Witches Don’t Burn is exactly why I ended up picking up the book last year! This was a great list! I definitely found a few that I added to my TBR to check out!