My Most Anticipated Releases of 2022!

Hi everyone! Here are my most anticipated releases of 2022! There are so many new releases I’m excited for, so it was difficult to narrow the list down to just twenty. Anyways, let’s get into it!

(PS: Click on the book covers for the Goodreads links.)

1. Golden Girls by Reem Faruqi

If there’s any indication as to how I look like in real life, it’s the girl on the cover; Aafiyah! Well, at least they look like me as a kid. 😆

Publication Date: February 22nd, 2022

2. Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf

I’ve actually been in Scrabble competitions before, and adore the game. So when I found out there’d be a Scrabble mystery with a Muslim MC coming out this year, I was extremely excited!

Publication Date: April 19th, 2022

3. Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg

I’ve been in a big book hangover since SK Ali’s Love From A to Z. It was just too good! So I’m hoping this’ll be as amazing too.

Publication Date: January 4th, 2022

4. Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas

I’ve been anticipating Squire for over a year now, so I can’t wait for it’s release! It’s also a graphic novel, which makes me even more excited!

Publication Date: March 8th, 2022

5. So This Is Ever After by F. T. Lukens

After loving the author’s book In Deeper Waters, I was incredibly happy to know that F.T. Lukens would be releasing a new book. The cover is giving me major Merlin vibes, and I’m loving it! I also interviewed the author, you can find that post here!

Publication Date: March 29th, 2022

6. Beauty and the Besharam by Lillie Vale

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, so I’m beyond excited for this YA retelling of it! Not to mention that it also had desi representation too!

Publication Date: May 10th, 2022

7. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

Last year I read Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by the author, and I can’t wait for this one as well. Also, isn’t Joya Goffney the queen of book titles?

Publication Date: May 3rd, 2022

8. You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See

This book has disabled representation, which is something don’t see very often in YA novels. I know I say this with every book on this list, but I am so excited for this!!

Publication Date: May 31st, 2022

9. As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

This seems like such a heartbreaking book. I just know I’m going to love it!

Publication Date: September 2022

10. Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee

I mean, who doesn’t love books about books?

Publication Date: July 26th, 2022

11. Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey

Ahhh this looks amazing! We love seeing powerful women!!

Publication Date: June 14th, 2022

12. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

This sounds so heartwrenching. Akwaeke Emezi is such a unique writer, I can’t wait to read this one!

Publication Date: May 24th, 2022

13. Circling Back to You by Julie Tieu

This cover is everything to me! I’m always a sucker for a good contemporary, and this seems right up my alley.

Publication Date: July 12th, 2022

14. One for All by Lillie Lainoff

The Three Musketeers was my favorite story as a child, so I cannot wait to read this one! Also, just look at that stunning cover!

Publication Date: March 8th, 2022

15. Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Last year, I read Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson, and I still think it today. It was such an amazing book, so naturally I’m interested in this one too!

Publication Date: March 29th, 2022

16. Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

I adore books set in winter, and this one seems perfectly winter-y~.

Publication Date: July 5th, 2022

17. The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

I’ve read two books by Lindsay Currie now, so of course I have to read this one too! I adore their writing style, it’s so amazingly eerie.

Publication Date: September 2022

18. An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan

 

Retellings are my thing! So I can’t wait for this Romeo and Juliet retelling! Also, I’ve been wanting to get into different types of mythologies. So when I found out this book was inspired by Chinese Mythology, I was so excited!

Publication Date: April 12th, 2022

19. Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon

Any book with Sunny in the title catches my attention instantly. 😆 I mean, my nickname is Sunny — it’s also part of my blog name. Jokes aside, I’ve been warning to read more books with desi representation, and this one seems really fun!

Publication Date: February 8th, 2022

20. The Maid by Nita Prose

Mysteries and thrillers are one of my favorite genres, and The Maid just looks so intriguing. I also adore this cover! It’s so simplistic yet eye-catching.

Publication Date: January 4th, 2022

Alrighty folks, those are my most anticipated releases of the year! If you want to buddy read any of these, do let me know! Buddy reads are always so fun.

What are your most anticipated reads of 2022? Let me know in the comments! Have a fabulous day!

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Some Girls Do | A Review

Hey everyone! Today I’m super excited because I’m going to be reviewing Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan. I hope you enjoy!

(PS: This was a buddy read with the amazing Calliope @ Confessions of a Reading Addict)

Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school’s code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can’t deny their growing feelings. But while Morgan–out and proud, and determined to have a fresh start–doesn’t want to have to keep their budding relationship a secret, Ruby isn’t ready to come out yet. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together? 

The plot of Some Girls Do was right up my alley! It was very summer-y, which I liked. However, I struggled a lot with the characters.

The main characters Morgan and Ruby are quite dislikeable. They were both very negative and unoptimistic. There is nothing wrong with that per se, it’s just that I prefer it when at least one main character is positive. Even by just a little bit. Moreover, Morgan was insufferable. It’s hard to put into words why, but I’ll try. Morgan was by all means not privileged in terms of the homophobic experiences she went through, but she felt very “I’m only supporting queer kids because I’m in that community”. She didn’t understand that POC and poor kids go through a lot too. I do think that the side characters were written very well though. Especially Morgan and Ruby’s parents. 

In addition, the dialogue was just okay. In my opinion, it tried too hard to be funny. 

Furthermore, the writing wasn’t anything special either. Some words were overused a bit too much for my liking. For example, ‘mysterious’, and ‘said.’

To conclude, I didn’t enjoy Some Girls Do as much as I hoped I would. While I can appreciate the summer-y atmosphere and unique premise, I disliked the characters and writing style. However, I still recommend this book to Jennifer Dugan fans!

Age Rating: 15 and up

TW: Homophobia

Final Rating: 6/10 or 3 stars

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What’s your favorite book with a summer-y vibe? I’d love to know! Have a great day!

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