Hey guys! We have entered 2022, and this will be my first post of the year! Usually I have a New Year’s Resolutions post, but I think I’m just going to stick to short-term goals this year so I don’t overwhelm myself. In terms of reading, though, I’d really like to get to 100 book! Because of that, I’d like to read at least 8 books a month, and this will include five novels, a reread, a short story, and perhaps a manga/graphic novel. I’d really like to make it easy on myself, but I’ll see what happens. Any, let’s get to the list!

Majesty by Katharine McGee

Genre: Alternate History

Synopsis: Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless. Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we’re looking at you Daphne Deighton.

As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with everything she lost when she gained the ultimate crown. Samantha is busy living up to her “party princess” persona…and maybe adding a party prince by her side. Nina is trying to avoid the palace–and Prince Jefferson–at all costs. And a dangerous secret threatens to undo all of Daphne’s carefully laid “marry Prince Jefferson” plans.

A new reign has begun….

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I did actually start this book in 2021, but my heart really wasn’t in it. I wanted to start something new, so I ended up putting this one down for a while. I’d really like to get back to it this month, though! I loved the first one a lot, so I’m a bit afraid that this one might not live up to the expectations I have now. Unfortunately, I haven’t really liked what I’ve read from this one so far. While the first one had me hooked from the start, it was taking me a bit to really get into this sequel. Still, I’m going to give it a chance!

Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy?

Synopsis: Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will.

After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs. 

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It will be so weird to read this book now that I’ve finished the Mistborn trilogy! I LOVE Mistborn so, SO much, so it’ll be strange being in the same world, just with different characters. I’ve heard many good things about this book, and Brandon Sanderson is now my favorite author, so I’m sure I’ll quickly get used to the new characters and new surroundings! I can’t wait to get into this one!

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Satire

Synopsis: Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

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This is one of the books my sisters picked out for me to read in December, but I wasn’t able to get to it, sadly. But I’m hoping I will be able to this month before school starts, since it’s a longer book. I’m not really sure what to expect with a synopsis like that, and I’ve heard that the Jane series is pretty weird, so I’m hoping I’ll end up liking it.

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

Genre:

Synopsis: Anthony Hope’s swashbuckling romance transports his English gentleman hero, Rudolf Rassendyll, from a comfortable life in London to fast-moving adventures in Ruritania, a mythical land steeped in political intrigue.

Rassendyll bears a striking resemblance to Rudolf Elphberg who is about to be crowned King of Ruritania. When the rival to the throne, Black Michael of Strelsau, attempts to seize power by imprisoning Elphberg in the Castle of Zenda, Rassendyll is obliged to impersonate the King to uphold the rightful sovereignty and ensure political stability.

Rassendyll endures a trial of strength in his encounters with the notorious Rupert of Hentzau, and a test of a different sort as he grows to love the Princess Flavia.

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I was thrilled to get this as a Christmas present from my bestie (thank you so much Christian Girl Writes!)! We had talked about this one before, and I was wanting to read it the more I heard about it! I was pretty surprised when she sent to me for Christmas, and I immediately decided it would be in my January TBR! I have high expectations going into this book, so I hope it can live up to them!

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre: Mystery

Synopsis: The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.

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If you read my “What I Read in December” post, then you know I have mixed feelings about The Inheritance Games. I think it’s going to take reading this sequel to decide if I like this series or not, and I’m trying not to go in with high expectations. I REALLY want to like this series, so let’s hope this one doesn’t let me down! The synopsis is intriguing, and I do love the characters, so I have a feeling I’ll end up enjoying it either way.

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

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This is one that I read last year in January (as you saw if you read my post where I ranked everything I read in 2021), but I chose it to reread for this month! In 2020 I got the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, and though it did take me a while to like it, it ended up being some of my favorite books of 2021. When I finished the first three, I was excited to find out there was a fourth, which was a short story told from Prince Cardan’s perspective. This book was extremely well-written, and the art was incredible! I ended up finishing it within a couple hours after it got to my house, so it is a pretty quick read. I can’t wait to get to it again!

Teddy’s Button by Amy Le Feuvre

Synopsis: Here is a story that will open a child’s understanding of the spiritual battle within as Teddy learns that he is his own worst enemy. As a stubborn boy and girl refuse to back down from their selfish pride, one of the many lessons they learn is that they cannot win battles by force and hate, but by carrying the banner of love.

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This is another one of those Lamplighter books that I didn’t read as a kid, so I thought it was about time I got to it. I’m not quite sure what to expect from it, but it is a shorter story so it’ll be fast to read. I’m hoping I’ll like it, but I never know with the series. So far I’ve been picking up some good ones!

Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu

Genre: Science Fiction/Graphic Novel

Synopsis: Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Born into the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives are not as sinister as they often seem. One day June’s brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June tries desperately to avenge her brother’s death. And the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together and the lengths their country will go to in order to keep its secrets.

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When I found out there were graphic novel versions of Marie Lu’s Legend series, I HAD to have it! Legend is now one of my favorite books ever, so it’ll be interesting to see what the graphic novel is like. I know a lot of stuff got cut out since graphic novels tend to be pretty short, and I’m curious to see what parts were taken out. I just hope it wasn’t any of my favorite parts…

That’s all! I may be pushing it in saying that I’ll try my best to read eight books every month, what with work and school and whatnot, but I’m sure going to try! Now I want to know what you’ll be reading this month! Let me know in the comments below!

As always, God bless y’all and have a wonderful week!

Synopses from Goodreads