Features | Spring Releases 2017

Features | Spring Releases 2017

• Friday, 17 February 2017

The sun is shining! Or at least, it is where I am, as I'm writing this. It will probably be raining again by the time this posts but that is not the point! The point is that spring will be here soon and the horrible drudgery of winter will be over for another year! (It's possible I am being a little dramatic but I am just so done with winter.) The sudden burst of sunshine is making me think ahead to spring with great anticipation not just for the warmer weather but also, of course, for all the new books that will be coming out then. Here are the six I'm most looking forward to.

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera - 21st February

After "borrowing" her father's credit card, Margot has to work in her family's grocery store to pay back her debts and she's willing to do anything to stop this punishment from ruining her reputation.

The Education of Margot Sanchez is described as 'Pretty in Pink comes to the South Bronx'. I'm actually not much of a fan of Pretty in Pink but this sounds like an interesting contemporary read and there's nothing I love more than that. Plus I've never read a novel set in the South Bronx and after watching the Netflix series The Get Down last year I am very interested in changing that.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - 4th April

The third and final book in Jenny Han's series that started with To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Always and Forever, Lara Jean follows Lara Jean into her senior year of high school. Her father is getting married and now Lara Jean is the one who has to face the prospect of going away to college and leaving her family behind.

I devoured the first two novels in this series last summer and was so excited when Jenny Han announced this surprise third instalment. This series is a lot of fun and I can't wait to visit Lara Jean and her family again.

The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik - 6th April

The Other Half of Happiness is the sequel to Ayisha Malik's first novel, Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged and I actually am not going to tell you what this one is about because I don't think I can without spoiling the first book and the first book is excellent. Read Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged first and then join me in being very excited for this continuation of Sofia's story.

Paradise Lodge by Nina Stibbe - 6th April

Paradise Lodge, the follow up to Man at the Helm (both books feature the same protagonist but there's a 6 year gap between the two and they can be read as standalones), is the story of Lizzie Vogel, a 15 year old girl who gets a job at an old people's home in the 1970s because it seems a less exhausting option than becoming a punk or a full-time girlfriend.

Paradise Lodge actually came out last year so I'm cheating a little but the paperback comes out in April and I've been waiting for the paperback so it will sit nicely on the shelf with my copy of Man at the Helm. Nina Stibbe's writing is always sharp and hilarious and I'm really looking forward to reading her voice again.

Aurabel by Laura Dockrill - 20th April

Aurabel takes us back to the world of Laura Dockrill's Lorali. Two years after the events of the first book, we return to Lorali's story but also meet a new mermaid called Aurabel, who has a mechanical tail and a heart set on revenge.

Another sequel, I know, but Laura Dockrill's first book in this series Lorali was such a fun and unique read and I can't wait to read about Aurabel, the steampunk mermaid! If you haven't read Lorali yet I highly recommend it. I promise it is unlike any book you've read before. Unless you happen to have read a lot of books with chapters narrated by the sea.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - 30th May

Dimple Shah is not on board with her parents desire to arrange her marriage so she's relieved when they agree to pay for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers because that must mean they respect her wishes on some level. Rishi Patel, on the other hand, is completely on board with his parents arranging his marriage and he happens to be attending the same summer program as the girl his parents want him to marry: Dimple.

When Dimple Met Rishi just sounds like so much fun. It's a story I've never read before and I've already seen some very positive reviews. Plus, and this is purely superficial, I love iced coffee more than I can say and that iced coffee on the front cover of this book looks delicious and I can't wait to read this book with a similar iced coffee in my other hand. I'm so excited.

What books are you looking forward to in spring? Will you be reading any of these? How do you feel about iced coffee? Let me know in the comments!