Top Ten Tuesday: Ten 2016 Releases I Didn't Get Around To Reading - But Definitely Will In 2017!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Of Fire And Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (No UK publisher, boo!)

This fantasy, about a princess who is betrothed to a prince but instead falls for his sister, sounds utterly wonderful. There's LOTS of great buzz about it on my Twitter timeline and numerous friends of mine have read and adored it already. Political upheaval, magic and murder are TOTALLY my jam.

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman (Walker)

This historical fantasy about an 18-year-old girl drawn to the dark shadows of Regency London when her maid goes missing is one that I was sent but that didn't really appeal to me that much at first glance. However I have seen so many people saying such amazing things about it recently that I definitely need to try it soon - especially with sequel The Dark Days Pact just around the corner.

Girl In The Blue Coat by Monica Hesse (Macmillan) 

I hadn't heard much about this last year, but read an exceptionally positive piece on it in Majorie Ingall's fabulous 'Best Jewish Children's Books Of 2016' round-up for Tablet magazine. It's a thriller, set in 1943 Amsterdam, where a teenage wheeler-dealer is asked to find a Jewish girl who has mysteriously vanished. It's compared in that round-up to Code Name Verity - a favourite of mine - which has got me really interested in reading it.

Plastic Smile by SL Huang (SL Huang)

SL Huang was kind enough to send me this book even though I still hadn't got around to reading her third, Root Of Unity at that point. I am currently reading Root Of Unity and absolutely loving it, so I definitely won't wait too long to get to this one. (On a side note, I'm also very excited for her short story, The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist, another 2016 release I need to get to soon!) For those who haven't read about Cas Russell's adventures before, imagine Jack Reacher as a young woman who is so good at maths that she's pretty close to being a superhero - making incredibly quick calculations to allow her to dodge bullets, knock back Molotov cocktails, and drive her way out of danger. The series is far-fetched but INCREDIBLY enjoyable, one of my favourite adult thriller sequences.

Blade & Bone by Catherine Johnson (Walker)

I got sent this a few months ago but I'm hopeless at reading out of order so I wanted to get and read Sawbones first! Having read Sawbones - a fabulous adventure story which brings 18th century London thrillingly to life - I'm really excited for this Paris-set sequel. Ezra and Loveday are fabulous characters and I'm excited to see what they do next!

Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan (Scholastic)

Peasant boy Thorn and heir to the throne Lillith - who's banned from doing magic due to being female - team up to try and find out who killed Lillith's parents. Set in a world of six ancient magical kingdoms, this sounds fascinating and is getting some amazing reviews, with Rick Riordan being particularly happy to shout about how amazing it is!

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (Walker)

I was so excited when Susan Kuklin's book of photographs and interviews with six transgender/gender-neutral young adults came to the UK and SOMEHOW I haven't got around to getting it yet; I have no idea how. I will definitely sort that out soon!

Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence (Hodder Children's Books)

People whose views I respect have been encouraging me to read this for ages but I hadn't been in the mood for any contemporaries except the lightest ones. Then when I was ready to go for something that would potentially be hugely affecting I got distracted by the shiny newness of The Sun Is Also A Star and History Is All You Left Me (both wonderful, by the way!) Again, this book - about a teen boy whose first date ends in tragedy, leaving him a wanted man - doesn't look like a light read but it DOES look like an amazing one so I will finally listen to those people telling me to start it!

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria (Abrams and Chronicle)

I have been saying for the last week or so that I've been tidying my flat in an attempt to be more organised; to be honest the main reason is that I realised I'd lost this book and was desperate to find it! Set in 1919 Boston and following two best friends who can create illusions through art, I love the idea of this and can't wait to read it.

A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir (Harper Voyager)

I loved book one in this series, An Ember In The Ashes, and somehow haven't got around to the sequel yet but definitely need to change that soon. If you want a richly imagined fantasy world inspired by Ancient Rome, this is a series you shouldn't miss!