You know, there are tons of books. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books—no, even just novels—there are to read. My Twitter feed is full of aspiring authors, most of whom I would love to support by buying a book and giving it a thoughtful review. My Goodreads “to-read” shelf is longer than my “read” shelf. My mental list of books to buy is separated into three categories: “desperately and wildly need,” “want,” and “don’t really want but ought to read.” There are at least five in each category.
As if these lists were not long enough with only previously existing books, people keep writing more. And a lot of these—too many, in fact—are worth reading. On top of this, I a) want to buy books, not borrow them and b) currently have less money in my bank account than my 15-year-old brother does in his pocket. While I haven’t figured out the financial dilemma, I’ve picked five newly released or yet-to-be released books from my “desperately and wildly need” category to share with you.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
Truth be told, I have never read anything by Neil Gaiman. I KNOW. Don’t make me feel WORSE. To be perfectly honest, he wasn’t even on my radar until I started following bookish people on Twitter and realized not having read Neil Gaiman was not something to admit to anyone, especially not on your blog where anyone in the world can read it. Anyway, back to the book.
This is one I would pick up for title and cover alone, but the early reviews tell me it’s as gorgeous on the inside as the outside. Kirkus Reviews calls it “poignant and heartbreaking, eloquent and frightening, impeccably rendered,” and Publishers Weekly says it’s a “splendid and subtle modern myth.” June 18 can’t get here soon enough.
Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger
Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
Unlike the previous author, I have read two books by Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry). I loved both, and I can’t wait to have a few dollars to buy Raven Girl. This is another cover that would prompt me to buy the book, but if that’s not good enough for you, Booklist says “Niffenegger weds the fabulous with the deeply human in this concentrated, suspenseful fable of unlikely love, a struggle for selfhood, and a dramatic metamorphosis.”
The Blue Blazes by Chuck Wendig
Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
I know, I talk about Chuck Wendig a lot. However, I haven’t read any of his books. I want to read all of them, but here we are again at my empty bank account. Really, though, they all look brilliant and get great reviews; The Blue Blazes just happens to be his most recent. Since his is one of the few blogs I actually read and love on a regular basis, I can only assume I’ll enjoy his books just as thoroughly. Also, as you might’ve guessed from the title of this blog, I’m all about the nitty-gritty, and the nitty-gritty seems to be his specialty.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
I’ve read both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns and they are beautiful, heartbreaking stories that stayed with me for days. This latest novel came out May 21 and it has a million billion trillion glowing reviews. I can’t imagine it will be anything less than exquisite.
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Photo courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
I don’t watch scary movies and I don’t read scary stories, but man, this sounds fantastic. I hate jump-scares and I’m not into the repulsive-creepy-disgusting, but from the reviews I’ve read, this seems like something I could sink my teeth into. Of course, it might require keeping my night-light on for a while (yeah, I really have one) but I think it will be worth it.
Well, there they are, five books I desperately and wildly need and will buy as soon as I have money or borrow as soon as my podunk library gets them in. Which happens first is anyone’s guess. What are some books you’re dying to read? Have you read any of these on my list? Would anyone like to berate me for not having read anything by Neil Gaiman and having the audacity to admit it? Talk to me, people! I love hearing from you.
The Creative Cesspool 
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