So I have a bookshelf on Goodreads called ‘dying to read’. That list is kind of long, and every few months I have to go in and prune it, since some books that I was ‘dying to read’ eventually fall off my radar.

Other books, on the other hand, stay on my radar, blinking furiously at me at every turn I make on the internet, making me swoon in delight at their gorgeous covers and giggle with giddy excitement at their clever plots.

After looking at The Atlantic Wire’s post on upcoming winter 2013 titles, I realised there’s quite a few on that list that are coming out soon and are making me jump up and down with excitement.

So here is a list of some of the books coming out in the next few months that I really am dying to read.

If you know anything about me, you know that I love Downton Abbey; so when Cinders and Sapphires was described as Downton Abbey for the YA audience, I was already on board!

Cinders and Sapphires tells the story of the Averley family, who have just returned to Somerton after several years in India. Telling the tales of both the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ characters, it sounds like it’ll be a treat to read!

Cinders and Sapphires comes out January 22nd.

The Madman’s Daughter is a book I’ve been drooling over ever since I first heard of it back in October. It’s been on my ‘dying to read’ list since then, and I’m so glad the wait is almost over!

When I first read the brief description of this title in October, I thought it was a Beauty and Beast retelling, which make me squeal in excitement. But it’s actually a retelling of one of H.G Wells’ classics The Island of Dr. Moreau, which I’ve never read.

Described as being chilling and gothic, The Madman’s Daughter follows the journey of young Juliet back to the island of her childhood, where she hears rumours that her father is conducting some strange and sinister experiments…

The Madman’s Daughter comes out January 29th.

 Scarlet is the sequel to the amazingly clever Cinder, which was a combination of Sailor Moon fanfiction, a dystopian world, and a Cinderella retelling. Yeah, it was kind of awesome.

Now told by another young fairytale heroine (the girl from Little Red Riding Hood), Scarlet picks up Cinder’s story in the same futuristic, cleverly developed world. Since I absolutely loved Cinder, I can’t wait to see where Meyer takes this story!

Lucky for me, I don’t have too long to wait. Scarlet comes out February 5th. 😀

Another historical-y title! Except Etiquette and Espionage is actually steampunk, and takes place in the universe as Gail Carriger’s beloved Soulless series.

Sophronia and her mother don’t get along; but when her mother sends her to finishing school, she doesn’t imagine that Sophronia will be learning the art of espionage! Even though the protagonist is only 14, I’m eager to see what sort of fun Carriger has cooked up for her in this series!

Etiquette and Espionage comes out February 5th.

Another retelling of a classic story, except this one’s no fairytale. Strands of Bronze and Gold instead takes on the cautionary tale of Bluebeard, a man who marries and then murders his red-haired wives.

Sophia is taken in to the care of her godfather when her beloved father dies. She’s then taken to a very different house than the one she grew up with, and experiences the lavish attentions of Monsieur de Cressac, her guardian.

It’s only when she discovers some of the secrets her guardian is hiding in his massive manor, does Sophie realise she’s been trapped.

Strands of Bronze and Gold sounds absolutely amazing and it comes out March 12th.

And those are my top 5 highly anticipated YA titles! They’re all due out in the next few months, so luckily I don’t have too long to wait. 🙂

What books or movies are you looking forward to?

Thanks for reading,

Ikhlas