Angsticipation / Angsticipated
Angst + Anticipation – The feeling experienced when you finish the latest book in a series, it ends on a serious cliffhanger, and there isn’t even an estimated publication date for the next book in the series yet.
Whenever I get into a series, my anxiety trebles as the book nears its end; for now, I need to pick up the next one, and oftentimes, it’s not published yet!! This angsticipation for the next book in the series is very killing for me and leads to re-reads as often the next book takes years to be published.
You should rightly wonder and ask why do I put myself through this angst? Sigh!! for the love of a good book. I know there are many out there who would empathize with me on this.
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So while the wait for the next in an exciting series is an exquisite torture for me; I also have a list of books that I look forward to reading in the year. My five most angsticipated books to read before this year ends are:
Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn 
Genre: Historical fiction / murder mystery / Victorian
I have been drooling at the blurbs and covers of this series and have read the first one in the series – A Curious Beginning – which was a whopping 5/5 stars for me.
A butterfly chasing foundling who does not shy away from speaking her mind meets a count in hiding who moonlights as a taxidermist and lives in utter poverty. After repeated abduction and murder attempts, the two hide away in a travelling show and try to figure out why someone is chasing them. The duo form an unlikely team and attempt to solve the mystery chasing their heels.
A beautifully done up historical fiction sprinkled generously with Victorian nuances that add a zing to the tale.
Also read about another feisty heroine in this charming tale set in the quiet by lanes of the Nizammudin Dargah, New Delhi.
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Genre: Historical fiction / South-east Asian
Absolutely enamored by the historical fiction like Pachinko, I have been quite looking forward to this book too. Set against the Vietnam war, this multi generational tale encompasses the life and survival of the Tran family in the wake of the political turmoil. The themes of family, community, loyalty and sacrifice run paramount in this thought provoking tale.
I ended up picking up the hard bound copy of this book as I just couldn’t wait for the paperback to hit the market. Looking forward to reading about the Vietnamese culture and traditions via this book.
Have you read it?
What did you think?
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Fantasy fiction hits the sweet spot of reading for me every time and I am always on the lookout for an interesting series. The Daevabad Trilogy comes highly recommended and thankfully all the books are out. In fact I found most on audible and am now pretty excited to dig into them one by one.
The tale begins in Cairo in the 18th century and follows Nahri who is a brilliant con artist and uses sleight of hand to fool the nobles. The story takes a devious turn when she accidentally summons a Djinn warrior. He recognizes her true potential and takes her on a journey to discover the city of the ancients – Daevabad.
The press release describes the story as “an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.” – Wikipedia
Also read the book review of an exciting fantasy fiction series with a truly kickass heroine
The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili
Genre: Historical fiction / German – Russian Literature
Set during the Russian revolutions, this tale revels in love, tragedy, ghosts and a secret recipe of hot chocolate. It spans an entire century and talks about six romances in its entirety while showcasing the conservative Georgian society. It has been reviewed and recommended by most of my favorite bookstagrammars and that’s one of the reasons why its on this list.
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Genre: Historical fiction / Spanish Literature / Magical Realism
Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors whose wordsmithry in the historical fiction department is legendary. This one is brilliantly set along the lines of the Arabian nights where the central character Eva Luna is a master storyteller. Lying in bed with her lover, she begins telling him short stories in response to his query for an untold story. The book consists of twenty three amazing tales with varied subjects and makes for an interesting read.
Well that is it for my list. Amazed and happy to realize that all five of my angsticipated books for this year are by women authors.
Go woman power!!!
Do share your favorite anticipated reads for 2023 in the comments below. Please let me know if you have read any of these and what did you think of them.
Coming up on Monday B- Biblioklept!!
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For the uninitiated, AtoZ challenge is a blogging challenge wherein one has to write on every alphabet from A to Z and post on all days of April, except Sundays. Usually its better to devise a theme as it makes it easy to write the posts. Plus readers have a reason to stay hooked too.
I haven’t read any of the ones you listed apart from The Mountains Sing. Will surely check them out.
That one is my most anticipated read this year. Lets see how this one turns out.
I knew this year was going to kill my TBR stone dead. I have heard of some of your recommendation, and read others by some of the authors. Maybe I should be strict with myself and only add one book to my TBR per day.
But which one?
Jemima
PS I must go and look at your migratory birds blog post, too 🙂
Thank you for visiting the birds post as well. Welcome to my blog. I also rue increasing my TBR but its something that happens unchecked , no matter what my resolution is. All the best with your resolution to add only one book a day 🙂
Anticipating a new book in a series can indeed be agonizing, especially when it’s gripping and ends on a cliffhanger. Havent read any of these authors, so would wait for your review and then pick them once they are released!!
Yeah the wait is killing. I am going to review the ones I have read so far post the second half of the year. Not been disappointed so far.
I’m think with so many of us doing book reviews/recommendations in this year’s A-to-Z challenge that my To-Be-Read list is going to be pretty long.
Yes thats so true. I am glad for it as I find very few bookish friends with matching reading sensibilities. All the best for the challenge and thanks for dropping by.
Oh, you will love The Eighth Life. Such a brilliant read. I’m looking forward to read A Day of Fallen Night, The Curse Of True Love, and the next by Gillian Flynn, Diane Setterfield and Beth O’Leary.
You have been reading a lot of books and so many that I havent heard of yet. I will slowly work my way around these once your reviews are out. I am also looking forward to digging into the Eighth life. And ditto on the wait for the next Diane Setterfield.