Friends, readers, laymen…lend me your eyeballs. As we approach 2017 let’s look at some awesome cool books coming out shall we? From the gloriously expected from authors we know will please us to newcomers, 2017 has some whoopers of titles being released.

Leading up to 2017 there shall be 5 posts about books I’m looking forward to in:

• SFF (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (link)
• Romance (link)
• Anthology
• Whatever I Want (link)
• Young Adult Contemporary (link)

Some books may cross over in terms of category, but I tried to list them on the list I consider them first to be.

Today’s edition is all about anthologies releasing next year. Normally I wouldn’t really make a big deal about these, but there are some very interesting ones ranging in topic from villains you can’t help but to love to being a feminist for teens in this day and age. Diversity and representation seem to be key factors in next year’s offerings, and that always excites me.

 

Let’s get the feminist party started!

Here We Are is a scrapbook-style teen guide to understanding what it really means to be a feminist. It’s packed with essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations from a diverse range of voices, including TV, film, and pop-culture celebrities and public figures such as ballet dancer Michaela DePrince and her sister Mia, politician Wendy Davis, as well as popular YA authors like Nova Ren Suma, Malinda Lo, Brandy Colbert, Courtney Summers, and many more. Altogether, the book features more than forty-four pieces, with an eight-page insert of full-color illustrations.

Here We Are is a response to lively discussions about the true meaning of feminism on social media and across popular culture and is an invitation to one of the most important, life-changing, and exciting parties around.

Why? There is a number of people in this collection that I follow through some social media outlet. I’m also trying to find branch out and learn more, as my niece grows older and will be facing a country that elected Trump as president once.

Whether it is basketball dreams, family fiascos, first crushes, or new neighborhoods, this bold anthology—written by the best children’s authors—celebrates the uniqueness and universality in all of us.

In a partnership with We Need Diverse Books, industry giants Kwame Alexander, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Peña, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Tim Tingle, and Jacqueline Woodson join newcomer Kelly J. Baptist in a story collection that is as humorous as it is heartfelt. This impressive group of authors has earned among them every major award in children’s publishing and popularity as New York Times bestsellers.

From these distinguished authors come ten distinct and vibrant stories.

Why? This is a bit of a cheat as I have an ARC of this, but so many authors I like are in this collection and since like many others I am trying to read diversely (consciously, not just because it happens to work out that way) this is a perfect MG read.

This unique YA anthology presents classic and original fairy tales from the villain’s point of view. The book’s unconventional structure–thirteen of the most influential BookTubers on YouTube join forces (writing-prompt style) with thirteen acclaimed and bestselling authors–gives these mysterious, oft-misunderstood individuals characters a chance to tell their stories, their way.

Like Maleficent or Wicked, these are stories of vengeance, of defiance, of rage. They are stories of pain, of heartbreak, of sorrow. But don’t expect a circle of hands. Leave it to the heroes to help the world; villains just want to rule the world. We love to hate them and they hate to be loved, if only because being hated frees them from having to be good.

Why? Granted my favorite Disney villain is a toss up between Ursula and Peter Pan, but I find this intriguing since its not just YA authors of note, but booktubers (folk I tend to stay away from because the visual and audio does little for me – I prefer words, my brain doesn’t process visual and audio the same way).

The YA event of the year. Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is to love about Aussie YA.

Why? Yes I know this is for an Australian book. No I don’t care. Yes I will import this book (at probably great cost) if I don’t hear about a domestic release. (I did check Book Depository, but alas it says “unavailable” likely because its Australian, not British, published)

 

No Cover and/or Release Date:

“Welcome Home” edited by Eric Smith (Goodreads Link)

Out with Jolly Fish Press in the Fall of 2017, Eric Smith’s anthology WELCOME HOME, is a collection that explores the emotional complexities of adoption, featuring new, multi-genre short stories from an array of authors.

Why: Well I trust Eric Smith to start with, but also adoption is a route I may take later in my life if I want to raise a kid. I’m interested to see what this means.

“Triangles: The Points of Love” (Goodreads Link)

The anthology explores the myriad tragic, frustrating, humorous possibilities of the teen love triangle, and features 15 new stories of these authors.

Why: Not because I like love triangles…but the authors involved have me convinced I’ll enjoy a lot of this (EK Johnston, Garth Nix, Rae Carson…) so I’m cautiously hopeful.

Did I miss any? Normally anthologies don’t hit my radar before they’re out, but these have some fairly big names attached so I couldn’t help myself.