The Different Kinds of Anticipated Releases

Hello and welcome to a combo post! At first, I wanted to do a kind of recommendation post, where I talk about the books I’m anticipating and why that is. But me being me, I had to complicate matters. You see, I was having trouble just writing down a list of books to recommend and I couldn’t figure out why. UNTIL I DID. While I’m going to mention almost 20 books that are on my TBR, I’m not anticipating all of them equally. Which at first made me think that I could rank them, but I then realized that wouldn’t work. Because I’m anticipating all of these books for different reasons. I’m not going to be able to compare a book I’m anticipating by an author I know and love the same way I’m going to anticipate a debut author’s book that has a really great synopsis and a winning cover. So instead today, I’m going to break down the different releases I’m anticipating (and for two or three, was anticipating earlier in 2023) by category, and explain to you what factors are making me interested, what is making me hesitant, and any other thoughts I may have!

I’m going to start with the most obvious category first. The books releasing from an author you’ve loved in the past. There are so many positives about these books. You know the author’s writing style. If it’s a companion book or a series, you know and love the characters. Usually the plots are ones you’re interested in. What about this book DOESN’T make you excited!??!

For me, some of the books I’m really looking forward to in that category are the following. First up, we’ve got Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. It’s gonna be just like all her other books and I can’t wait! Plus, the love interest has a chemistry tattoo on the cover! SO CUTE! Then we have Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese. I’m in middle of Two Wrongs Make a Right as I type this, and it is so freakin adorable. Since Better Hate Than Never is a companion book to Two Wrongs Make a Right, AND it’s another Shakespeare retelling, obviously, I’m going to love it. I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it is. And lastly is Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin. Not only is this yet another Shakespeare retelling, but it’s by an author whose previous two books have just WORKED for me. I’m SO excited!

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Now, while I could stop there with this category, there’s something else those last three books had in common and that is their pretty covers! I love each and every one of them. The covers would have made me want to look into the book even if I wasn’t familiar with the authors, but these next three? Well, the covers aren’t terrible, but if I hadn’t already read these author’s books and enjoyed them, I can’t say I’d be rushing to read these books.

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks is a weird one to put in this category because it’s a graphic novel. And you’d think that if I like Faith’s art style, which I do, I’d like the cover. And that’s true! I just hate the font and the color gradient used on the cover! Mostly the color gradient. But will I be reading this book regardless? That’s the plan! As for Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron, again, I’m just not in love with that font. And I’m really concerned for the giraffe! Will it be able to get its neck out? As for Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma, just no. There’s so little detail, so much blank space. I truly dislike this one. But again, chances are, I’ll still read it, despite the cover! That’s how much power authors hold! They can get me to read books with covers I don’t love!

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Taking a slight tangent to further my point about most graphic novels immediately getting added to my TBR once I like the art style, here we have Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa and Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter, both of which have the sharply drawn art style I love, with great covers (and fonts) that make them no brainers to be added to my fast growing graphic novel collection. Did they need to be included in their own section? Probably not. But I wanted to showcase more graphic novels that I’ve added to my TBR, so here we are!

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Getting us back on track, next up, we have the books where for whatever reason, I wasn’t interested in the author’s previous works, but their newest title sounds really good! These are a safer bet than some of the later categories we’ll get to, because whether or not I was interested in the previous books, I got to see if other people liked those books. Two such books that came to mind are Cleat Cute, by Meryl Wilsner, which has the most stunning cover or ever, and With Love, From Cold World, by Alicia Thompson, which has kissing on the cover! Will I read these authors’ previous books? Probably not. Might I test these ones out! Perhaps!

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The final category for anticipated releases are the debuts. These ones usually need to have a pretty cover and an intriguing synopsis to hook me. I’ll also look at reviews to see if other people are liking the execution to help me filter out which new releases end up being ones I purchase and/or read. My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine has an amazing cover and the premise sounds hilarious, so I’m intrigued. Meanwhile, Best Men by Sidney Karger has a beautiful cover and a pretty cute synopsis, so it’s another one I’m considering checking out!

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Now we move on to the books that I’m excited for, just with some caveats. The next two titles are books I was and maybe still am planning on reading, but my excitement isn’t as great as it once was. You see, I’ve read from both these authors before! I’ve liked their books! I’ve purchased/pre-ordered these books, but the reviews that I’ve seen now have me nervous. Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan has a pun for a title, and a beautiful cover, plus it’s by an author that I’ve enjoyed in the past. But the reviews have me a little nervous. And I read and even reviewed Falon Ballard’s previous title, but Just My Type might not be my thing from some reviews I’ve seen. I’ll probably give these ones a go, but I’m not quite as hyped for them as I might have been when discussing them a few months ago, which is kinda sad, honestly.

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But books that have an even worse fate are books that I had been anticipating, with author’s I’ve never tried before, where now my excitement has waned. I may have read things that make me less interested in the book, or I might have seen lower ranged ratings. The result is the same. A book that was high on my anticipated release TBR is now facing greater scrutiny before I will pick it up. Does Wild Things have a really cute cover? Of course! Does the plot sound good? Yes, or I wouldn’t be interested. But I haven’t seen glowing reviews, so now I’m more cautious. Does Bear With Me make me smile over the pun and cover every time I see it? Yes. But am I reconsidering reading now, because upon a reread of the synopsis I’m not as sure I’d like it? Also yes! And these books don’t have the benefit of a familiar author to push me to give them a chance. So I guess only time will tell if I end up reading these!

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The last category is a bit of a weird one. These are the books by an author I’ve read before, where I’m unsure if I want to give the author another try or not. For both of the book’s I’m mentioning, I’ve read (and reviewed!) the author’s title prior to this one, and not loved that book. And yet there’s something drawing me to their next book! I had several issues with Season of Love by Helena Greer, and yet, even though I’m prettys ure some of the same things would bother me, I’m intrigued by For Always and Never! And Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell wasn’t great either, but somehow I’m hopeful that Zora Books Her Happily Ever After will work better for me! Like I said, a weird category!

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So there you have it! Anticipated releases are confusing. How I feel about a book depends on the cover, the author, the reviews, the synopsis, the time of year, the weather, and a number of other factors I probably forgot to mention. A book I was anticipating for MONTHS could suddenly become one I’m not interested in, and a book by a favorite author will have a better chance of getting purchased and/or than a debut author. All of these are books I’m considering reading, but I hesitate to state that I will read any of them with certainty, because of how much my feelings fluctuate with regards to different titles over time. But hopefully through this rambling quasi-recommendation, quasi-discussion post, I’ve introduced you to a book or two, while making you overthink your anticipated release TBR vetting process as well!

What are some books you’re anticipating? Why are you anticipating them? Are there any books you were anticipating a few months back, but no longer are?