10 Books I Want to Get on My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me! I’m not a big birthday celebrator. I usually treat myself to something nice and spend time with my friends and family. I think there were some years I didn’t eat cake. Those were the dark years.

Anyway, as a birthday treat, I put together a list of all the books I want to buy for myself. It’s been a while since I’ve purchased any books for myself. I try to read what I already have, but I didn’t get any books for Christmas and if I’m going to treat myself to books what day is better than on your birthday. Some of these books are old favorites, others books I’ve wanted to read for a while. There are even a few pre-orders because I’m so excited about the book publishing this year.

Here’s what I’ll be buying for myself on my birthday:

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

As if I need another fantasy series on my endless list of fantasy series to read. It’s about a young boy named Lazlo Strange who dreams of finding the lost city of Weep. However, he doesn’t have the ability or strength to travel across the world to find some lost city. That is until a band of warriors finds him and he then makes the decision on staying where he is or looking for a mythical city. Of course, there’s magical elements and new worlds to discover.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

I haven’t read anything by James Baldwin and serendipitously he’s our February read for my online book club. The story follows Tish and Fonny, a young couple who are ready to start their lives together. That is until Fonny is accused and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. It feels like a poignant read from a time when civil rights were fresh and new. It’s funny how history repeats itself.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

I’m actually going to be reading this one for my real life book club. One of our members has already read it and gushed about it. You can’t really turn your back on a glowing review. It’s about a young woman named Korede who notices her sister, Ayoola, happens to have a lot of bad luck with men; all of them have gone missing. She also knows how to do things like cleaning blood and mourning missing boyfriends. However, when Ayoola starts flirting with Korede’s crush, things take a turn.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

While I made a resolution not to read YA this year, I have to make an exception when it’s an author of color and has representation. This book is definitely your typical contemporary YA, but I’ll be reading it between heavier-themed novels and because representation is just as important.

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

I absolutely loved The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. When I heard Sally Thorne was writing another novel coming out this year, I had to put it on my TBR. The story follows Darcy, her twin brother Jamie, and his best friend Tom. Tom is off-limits dedicating 99% of himself to his friendship with Jamie. However, when Darcy and Jamie inherit a rundown

The Kingdom of Copper by SA Chakraborty

Happy birthday to me and Happy Book Birthday to SA Chakraborty. I read Chakraborty’s first book The City of Brass last year and absolutely fell in love with the Middle Eastern folklore and fairy tale. It wasn’t the easiest read as I recall, but it’s never easy when you’re trying to build an entire world filled with myth and legend. Now that the book has been established, I can’t wait to dive into The Kingdom of Copper. I know it’ll be fantastic.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This book sounds so intriguing. It’s about a young woman who lives in the marshes of North Carolina on her own. When a dead body is found, she’s immediately assumed the guilty party. However, what we come to learn is that this woman is an intelligent and sensitive person who wouldn’t harm a fly. It sounds so deeply sad and brilliant at the same time. I can’t wait to read.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

I’m a nut for the Grishaverse. When Leigh Bardugo announced that her books will be coming to Netflix, I squealed a little. So you know I’m going to be collecting and reading King of Scars. If you’re not aware of this book, it’s the story for a fan-loved character, Nikolai. I had a myriad of emotions for him and I can’t wait to read the next chapter of his story in this beautiful book.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I started reading Samantha Shannon when she wrote The Bone Season, which is a great fantasy series. So when she announced she was writing something new, I had to get it regardless of what it’s about. But if you must know, it’s a full blown epic fantasy with heiresses who need to be born, queens to protect, and dragons. OMG, yes a book with freaking dragons in it.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

I’d heard about this book from Katharine at @readwithkat. It’s about a young couple who are both hospitalized for Cystic Fibrosis. One person is on the lung transplant list while the other can’t wait to get out of the hospital. When the two meet, of course there’s turmoil but what was an effort to keep everyone healthy turns into trouble keeping each other apart. I’m going to probably cry.