2019 is the YEAR of anticipated releases. I mean, I’ve truthfully never been this estatic about a year of reading in my entire life because of all the incredible books to be released. Basically, my next 12 months are going to be spent waiting impatiently for one book after the next.
BUT. While I am overwhelmingly excited for all the new releases coming, I know I still need to give my love to backlist books. Older reads deserve just as much support, and there are plenty I’ve missed out on over the years. Because of this, I decided to compile a list of pre-2018 releases I want to read in 2019!
There are dozens and dozens of backlist books I have yet to get to, but for this list, I’ve narrowed down five standalones and five series I can’t believe I haven’t read yet, but plan to (finally) get to this year:
Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
First of all, that cover. Second of all, how how how have I not read this yet? I’ve heard only endless praise for it, that it’s incredibly moving, and super emotional. I cant wait for this one. Luckily, there was an ebook deal on this one recently, so I immediately downloaded it and now I just need to READ IT ALREADY.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Okay I saw a clip from this movie a few days ago (it looked incredible) and I realized how ridiculous it is that I still haven’t read this?! I know it’s such a powerful and impactful read, and I really don’t want to keep puting it off any longer. This’ll be a must-read for 2019.
Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills
I’ve just spent the last several minutes studying this cover… and I’ve never noticed this, but is it actually textured? Because whoa. I love that. Anyway, I hadn’t actually heard of this book until recently, but now I feel like I’m seeing it hyped up all over. It sounds very cute and I’m very intrigued.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I am ashamed. ASHAMED. This has been recommended to me a countless number of times and I have yet to hear even one negative thing about it, so I’m not sure how I haven’t read it yet? I know I’m going to love this. Plus, I really need to meet this Evelyn because she sounds iconic. Soon, friends. Sooooon.
I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman
I! want! to! read! this! I adore Alice Oseman and this has been on my TBR for too many months now. The only reason I haven’t read it yet is because it isn’t available in the US and I keep forgetting to order it… otherwise I would’ve downloaded the ebook and fallen in love with it already. I should go order it ASAP. Like, as soon as I’m done with this post.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I cannot believe 15-year-old Brianna stumbled upon the first book of this series at the library one day, brought it home, and then returned it UNREAD. Flash forward 5 years later and Laini Taylor has written one of my favorite series in all of existence (Strange the Dreamer, my love) and I now strongly regret not reading DOSAB sooner. This series is a Major Priority for 2019.
All for the Game by Nora Sakavic
I think I’ve had The Foxhole Court ebook downloaded since… 2015. I’ve been meaning to read this series since then, and I honestly have no excuses for why I haven’t yet. I’m about 100% sure I’m going to absolutely LOVE these. And I need them in my life already.
The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I’ve seen the hype surrounding this series for ages, but I never did have plans to read it because 1.) I’m not super in to sci-fi and 2.) Every time I flip through one of these at Barnes & Noble, I get intimidated by the formatting and immediately put it down. I think it’s time to branch out and get over my unnecessary fear of this series this year though. And I have to admit, it DOES sound kinda intriguing.
Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab
Every once in a while I remember there are Victoria Schwab books out there in the world that I haven’t read yet and I die a little inside. I did get a few chapters in to This Savage Song last month, but I neeeed to continue it, if only because this series was inspired by Victor Vale.
The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
I don’t even know who I am anymore. Honestly, who am I? How have I let an entire PERCY JACKSON SPINOFF SERIES go by without reading it? PJO was (and still is) everything to me. I also still need to read Uncle Rick’s other series, but this one is an absolute must before those because. IT IS PERCY JACKSON RELATED.
Oh, I still need to read most of these too! 🤣
But I highly recommend trying out the Illuminae files, as I don’t normally like sci-Fi either but I’ve really enjoyed the series so far!
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Hehe I’m so glad I’m not alone! And oooh that’s super good to know about Illuminae – I’ve always been wary of it since it is sci-fi, but I feel *way* more encouraged to try it out now 🙂 Thanks so much Xandra💞
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You’re welcome! 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
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*screams while running around in circles!!* OMG this is such an amazing backlog TBR!!! You’re going to have a blast this year while waiting for new releases! 😆 I need to organize what I actually want to read from my backlog and might join the “Beat the Backlist” challenge if I’m feeling confident enough hehe
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AHHHH Ashley you’re making me even *more* excited to pick up these books! I cannot waaaait. And oh same here! I’ve been thinking of joining Beat the Backlist but I’m still deciding lol. I wish you luck if you end up doing it! 💕
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Thanks you too!! 🍀
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Omg I need to read The Hate U Give too! I really hope you enjoy HoO and Illuminae when you get to them, I love them both so much!! The format of Illuminae was a little off putting for me at first too but I loved it once I got into the series more.
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I honestly cannot believe I haven’t read THUG yet ahhh I need to! And same goes for HOO and Illuminae, which I’ve unintentionally been avoiding for way too long now oops. And oh okay sweet! I feel more inspired to try out Illuminae now that I know the formatting isn’t as terrifying as I think it is lmao ❤️ thank youuuu!
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Oh my gosh I NEED to read The Heroes of Olympus! I just… keep being distracted by other books…
Other than that, I’ve actually read… all of these? Shockingly enough. (I mean, I still have a million backlist books I need to catch up on, but…) I love all of them except for DoSaB, which I sorta thought went downhill. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
And then the rest of these are ALL amazing! Girl Made of Stars is so powerful and stunning and wow. And The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is SO GOOD and SO UNIQUE, and just so utterly unlike anything else I’ve ever read, and I ADORE IT! And of course I’m complete trash for the All For the Game series… I swear every time somebody mentions them I get the overwhelming urge to reread them. SO GOOD. I AM OBSESSED. I really hope you like them!!
Hahaha Illuminae was one of the first sci-fis I picked up, and I still don’t read a ton of sci-fi, but it was SO GOOD, and honestly just changed my mind on sci-fi permanently. It was sooooo good! And the formatting takes some getting used to at first, but it’s pretty easy to read actually!
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OMG for some reason I though you’ve read HoO but I’m so glad to know I’m not alone in this😂 I seriously cannot believe the series is now complete and I STILL haven’t read it lol.
But I am glad to know you’ve the rest of these I mentioned (so I can yell about them with you)! And aww really, DoSAB went downhill?? That’s so sad. I’ve been so excited for it but also I totally need to lower my expectations because I know it’s NOT going to be good as Strange the Dreamer hahaha.
OOOOH your hype for all these books is making me super excited to pick them up! I’m going to try to read Evelyn Hugo, Illuminae, Girl Made of Stars, and TFC in the next few months I think. I AM SO INTRIGUED.
And oh okay that’s so good to know about Illuminae! Sci-fi is always hit or miss for me so I don’t read a whole lot of it either, but I have a feeling I’ll like Illuminae. And that I’ll get over my wariness about the formatting😂 lol thanks Iris!
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I mean everyone else seems to love DoSAB, soooo… hopefully you’ll like it more than I did? But yeah I liked the first two books, and then the third one was just… sort of a mess.
And ahhhhh I really hope you enjoy them when you read them! I LOVE THESE BOOKS SO MUCH! And yeah sci-fi can be hit or miss for me too, but I just really adore Illuminae! Fingers crossed you will too 🙂
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FOXHOLE COURT AND ILLUMINAE GOTTA BE YOUR PRIORITIES THEYRE SO GOOD AHHH
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AHH I LOVE THIS HYPE, I NEED TO GO READ THEM ASAP 💞 thank youuu!
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Oh, I do hope you can read Heroes of Olympus!!! To me, it is everything from the original PLUS more perfection.
And The Hate U Give is spectacular! Definitely 100% recommend. I also really love The Illuminae Files and Foolish Hearts!
I also want to read The Monsters of Verity series and I was Born for This. Everything I keep hearing about Alice Osman sounds amazing!
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Everything from PJO plus even more perfection?? I AM SOLD. Oooh I cannot wait to read The Hate U Give, Foolish Hearts, and Illuminae – I’ve only heard super great things about all of those💕
Monsters of Verity and I Was Born For This both sound incredible, right?? And YES Alice Oseman is one of my faves! I’d highly recommend her book Radio Silence 🙂 thanks for your comment Liz!
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Illuminae is the best! I really want to read The Foxhole Court, as well. My TBR just keeps growing and growing.
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Ahh I cannot WAIT for Illumiane and The Foxhole Court! 💞 And oh I can relate to that so much – my TBR seems to be endless hehe. thanks for your comment, Hannie!
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Oh thank god I’m not the only one who hasn’t finished reading the illuminae files! ^_^
I read illuminae way back when in 2017 (don’t worry – I was intimidated by the formatting too) and I actually really enjoyed it. Illiminae is a book that really packs a punch. I planed to re-read and finish the series last year but you know how it is. To often than not, the books we promise ourselves we’ll read get pushed to the back burner. That being said – if you need a little motivation I would love to do a buddy read. x
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Hehe no you’re not alone!! It seems like *everyone* has finished The Illuminae Files so I’m glad to know there’s someone else out there who hasn’t either lol.
But ooh I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed the first book! The way you described it is making me even more intrigued to pick it up. And oh I can 100% relate – I always mean to read/reread certain books but they get pushed off for ages ahh. But YES I would absolutely love to do a buddy read 🙂 I’m not sure when I’ll have time to read the series yet, but we’ll definitely have to! ❤️
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I’ve only read The Hate U Give and Heroes of Olympus out of ALL of these…looks like I’ve got some catching up to do too!😄
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Lol I know how you feel😂 I hope you enjoy the books you haven’t read whenever you get around to them! happy reading 💕
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There’s so many good books in this post! Good luck with your TBR this year — I really need to take a leaf out of your book and start working on mine, cuz it’s wayyyy too long.
I’m glad to see that you’re thinking of reading the Illuminae series! Honestly, I was wary of the format too when I first picked them up, but the story was so good that I got hooked quickly and literally couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see what you think of them! 😀
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Ah thank you – and I wish you luck with your TBR as well! I can totally relate to it being endlessly long haha😅
Ooh that’s so good to hear about Illuminae. You’re making it sound so intriguing! I definitely feel more excited and encouraged to try out the series now☺️ thanks for your comment Alex!
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YES, read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It was one of my fav book in 2018!! The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is a fantastic read as well, Laini Taylor is amazing.
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I hear only incredible things about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I am SO intrigued💚 Ahh I cant wait to read it! And ooh that’s so good to hear about DOSAB. I totally agree – Laini Taylor is an absolute genius 🙂
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I love this idea of books you hope to read. I have already read a couple of my outstanding books and hope to read more as well. I also have the Savage Song. It survived two recent moves so I hope to get to it soon.
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Ah thank you so much! I’m really looking forward to This Savage Song. I hope you end up loving it when you get the chance to pick it up! Happy reading 🙂
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This is such a great post! I hope you get to read all these marvelous books soon.✨
GMOS, THUG, and Foolish Hearts are so good- I highly recommend! (Yess, the Foolish Hearts cover is SO pretty.) I also want to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I Was Born for This too, I’m sad I’ve missed out on them so far.
Oh, I really think you’ll love Heroes of Olympus! I adored it, and have reread it multiple times. It differs in that it’s not solely from Percy’s POV (and some books don’t have any of his POV, but it’s still amazing), but it still doesn’t lose the original sass and hilarity of the series. Also, there may or may not be the most WONDERFUL Percabeth moments. *cries* I hope you get to read it soon! ❤
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AW thank you sm Olivia! I hope I get to read all these books soon too hehe💞
Oooh I definitely need to prioritize GMOS, THUG, and Foolish Hearts then – I hear *lots* of wonderful things about those. And YES same, I want to read Evelyn Hugo and I Was For This so so so badly!
Ahh everything you said about Heroes of Olympus is making me want to pick it up even more🥰 Especially knowing there are Percabeth moments. Those are the BEST.
Thanks so much for your comment Olivia! I hope you have a happy February!
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I was a little worried when I first started Illuminae because I’m not a big sci-fi reader either. But I loved it so much! I really hope that you enjoy it, and all the other books on your list 😊
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Oh good, this makes so happy to hear! I’ve been reluctant to start Illuminae because of the sci-fi aspects, but I’m definitely more intrigued now. Thank you Rose!💗
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Glad to know I’m not the only one who hasn’t read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. 🙂
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Hehe, no you’re not alone in that! But it does seem like everyone has read it, right?! Hopefully we both enjoy it if we ever get the chance to pick it up💚
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Brianna, you have to read Foolish Hearts like right now!!! It is such a fun and cute and amazing book!! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it soon :))
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AHHH I keep hearing so many great things about it! 💗 I gotta read it ASAP. And I’ll definitely let you know all my thoughts☺️
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I also really want to read Girl Made of Stars, I was Born for This, and the Illuminae files!
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Those all sound so good, right?? I hope you love them whenever you get the chance to read them, Maria! 💗
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Oh yes I definitely need to read Illuminae as well!! I tried picking it up once and then put it down haha but everyone loves it so I really do want to read it. Also oh my gosh the Monsters of Verity books are SO GOOD! I really hope you enjoy them. Girl Made of Stars and The Hate U Give are also amazing as well!!
I’m also glad to see I’m not the only one who hasn’t read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, literally everyone seems to have read and loved it already ahaha. 😅 Hopefully you enjoy it when you get around to it!
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Ahh yeah I’ve been so reluctant to try out Illuminae, but the hype is certainly intriguing! I hope you enjoy it if you ever decide to continue it☺️ That’s so good to hear about Monsters of Verity – I did get through some of TSS and LOVED what I read so I’m very excited to keep going. And oh GMOS and THUG are definitely going to be priorities💗 I can’t wait to read them both!
Hahaha yes it DOES seem like everyone has already read Evelyn Hugo. Aw thanks, I hope you enjoy it whenever you get to it as well! 💚 happy reading!
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I agree with so many of the books on this list – I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but for some reason never continued on in the series ??? (I do this with some frequency. Send help!) I also just started the The Illuminae Files and am enjoying it so far, though I wish I had a hardcopy version of it, instead of the ebook. I think that a physical version would lend itself to the unique formatting. ALSO SAME ABOUT PERCY JACKSON. I think we might have talked about this before (that or my memory is faulty haha).
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I loved heroes of Olympus! I’ve never read the daughter of smoke and bone nor illuminae yet 🙈🙈
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I’m so glad to hear you loved HOO! I can’t wait to read it. And ahh I hope we both enjoy DOSAB and Illuminae whenever we get around to those haha. Happy reading Paige! 💗
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Yay, good luck!!!
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Thank you very much! 💗
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