Reading books is a luxury for most people, even those who love to read. That's why Buzz Books is a great way to find the next book or books on your TBR (to be read) list. The excerpts are just long enough to let readers get sucked in and just short enough to know that this may not your personal cup of tea, and all without investing anything beyond a few minutes a day.





Some of the books I am excited about:

Romanov by Nadine Brandes, author of Fawkes



The history books say I died.

They don’t know the half of it.

Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.

Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences, or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .

That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher



Power struggles. Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it’s pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn’t write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama—and heroic hilarity—of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognized cultural phenomenon, and it’s more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover.



Descendent of the Crane by Joan He



Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

Thanks to NetGalley for the egalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first time requesting one of these collections of excerpts, and it did pique my interest about some upcoming releases.

I've already read and reviewed To Best the Boys (Mary Weber) and Romanov (Nadine Brandes); you can find these reviews on NetGalley and at unabridgedpod.com.

Of the other excerpts, the novels that intrigued me most were Descendant of the Crane (Joan He), A Place for Wolves (Kosoko Jackson), and Bloodleaf (Crystal Smith). I didn't read two--Outcasts (Claire McFall) and The Missing of Clairdelune (Christelle Dabos)--because they are books in a series, and I haven't read the preceding novels.

a good selection of upcoming Young Adult book previews / excerpts. To be published in the spring and summer of 2019.

This is a great way to get an array of up and coming titles in one book. It left me excited and wanting to read more.

I quite enjoy these especially finding some new reads and reading the excerpts. From this lot I’m most excited about ‘To Best The Boys’, been anticipating this for a while amongst so many others.

A great collection of excerpts from books new and yet-to-be published. Of course, I didn't like them all, but I loved some. A great little teaser!

Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Quote: "But even empty promises could fill a heart for a moment." I just decided, well... I am now 100% sure that I really want to read this book! Magic + Romanov? I'M IN!

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy:
I mean WOW! I need to read this ASAP. A retelling of King Arthur which I love SIGN ME IN! I wasn't interested in reading this book but the first chapter had me so into it that I didn't want to stop!

The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos:
I am not going to read the first chapter of this one now because I am planning to read the first book this month "A Winter Promise" *fingers crossed*.

Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher
The cover caught my attention, let's see what I think about the book... Not for me, I mean, is the movie Mean Girls but if it was written by Shakespeare. I think there must be someone who will enjoy this, but not me, at least not now.

Please send help... by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin
I am not going to read this one, is the follow up book to I hate everyone but you, and I haven't been interested in that book.

Voices by David Elliot:
A re-imagining of Joan of Arc... let's see if I decide to give it a try. Quote: "Each decision that we make comes with a hidden price." Um... wow... I mean, it can be hard/difficult to read (as an ebook even more) but is a powerful story IS JOAN OF ARC. I think I need to read this entirely

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
What a coincidence that this authors' name is Joan?! Not for me, I couldn't finish the first chapter. I got lost really easy and didn't get the point of the story. Maybe if I read this in another moment or I see really good reviews I'll give it a secon oportunity.

A place for Wolves by Kosoko Jackson:
I haven't finished the first chapter and I already know I want to read this, I need to read this and that it would probably break my heart. *Update* I don't want to read it, I have read some reviews about this book and they are all saying the same about how the author uses the Kosovo genocide to put the MCs in danger and how is kind of romanticize that historical moment and I don't enjoy that.

Operatic by Kyo McLear and Byron Eggenschwiler
I like the drawing style, is not the most amazing one but I just like it and makes me feel part of the story, therefor I think is perfect. I would like to read this one too.

Outcasts by Claire McFall
Not reading it becaquse is the final book in a series that I haven't read. But sounds interesting because it is about Greek gods.

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
I am interested in this one. Added to the list. Love how it reminds me to The Crucible and Salem Witches. Hope I get to read it and end up loving it.

To best the boys by May Weber
Quote: "those who never risk are doomed never to risk. And those who've risked previously will be ousted should they try again" I. Am. Lost! I am going to wait till I see reviews around here and in YT to decide.

I think this is a really great idea for those who are not sure what or what not to read.

Buzz books brings us again interesting young adult books this year. Excited to read my new batch of books for this spring and summer!

this collection of previews from up and coming young adult novels had a lot of great hits and a few misses! I’ve reviewed the titles that caught my interest. I particularly loved descendant of the crane, once and future and to best the boys. you can find the entire collection on netgalley!

also posted on my blog.

romanov by nadine brandes
romanov was, to be honest, such a big disappointment. not only was it a wilfully ignorant butchering of history, the mc is so gotdamn annoying and whiny. I can’t take her seriously, I can’t take the entire narrative seriously. there’s no sense of magic or whimsy, a weak narrative voice and a lack of context which makes reading romanov jarring. hard pass for me, thanks. maybe it’s having read a few other comparable titles about magical persecution and oppression, but something about romanov grates.

to best the boys by mary weber
this preview actually got me super interested in the book!! I read the summary a while back and thought ehhh. I totally didn’t expect the mc to be a scientist!! and one who has no qualms about cutting open cadavers lol. I love novels about girls and boys thwarting gender expectations AND a dangerous competition with chances of death or dismemberment? I’m in!

once and future by amy rose capetta & cori mccarthy
once and future is one of my anticipated titles and from the first paragraph it had me hooked! I love space opera tales, and having just finished the disasters, I was super in the mood for another action packed adventure set in space. plus, there’s brilliant ace rep and I loved amy rose cappetta’s the brilliant death. once and future has brilliant siblings dynamics and characters I actually care about!! which can be a bit of struggle for me sometimes. it was also genuinely exciting and I was eager to find out what was going to happen next. I’m definitely going to pick up a copy when it comes out.

descendant of the crane by joan he
descendant of the crane is another of my top top anticipated reads. I’d actually already been approved for an ARC by the published via edelweiss!!! so this was a little taste before I dove into the full book. and I really, really liked it. this did for me what romanov didn’t (sorry to compare but it’s the truth!) I got a real sense of place and character from just that small bit; world building without info dumping and great sibling dynamics. I’m already invested in the characters, who are they, what they want. there’s betrayals and court politics in store – the east asian game of thrones of my dreams!!!

bloodleaf by crystal smith
bloodleaf was… well, it was like reading a very familiar mixed bag of tropes I’ve seen in books and shows before. it wasn’t anything terribly new or exciting, but I can’t really judge just from that small preview. it was appropriately gruesome and tugged at the heartstrings – there’s nothing that gets me more emotionally involved than persecution of magic users. I did like the narrative voice and the first person point of view worked! the worldbuilding was not bad and the ending of the excerpt did leave me interested in wanting to read more.

a place for wolves by kosoko jackson
a place for wolves is a departure from my usual genre of interest. historical fiction that reads with an strong narrative voice. the preview ends right at the best moment when the action starts. this is a thriller novel as well!! I’m looking forward to the rest of it when it releases. kosoko jackson is skilled at giving his characters distinctive personalities and quirks. also holler for the lgbt rep!!

I enjoyed all of these titles and thank you to publishers lunch for making it possible for me to preview these fantastic titles

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publishers Lunch for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great way to discover new titles to add to your TBR list, I have never read a Buzz Book before, and I sure did miss out.
You Have a cover, a summary, and an excerpt; stuff can change of course.
There are some good Titles that I’m interested in especially Romanov.

An excellent selection of upcoming YA novels! These excerpts were great and I'm looking forward to reading quite a few of these, particularly Romanov, Once and Future and Descendant of the Crane.

Such a great selection of books! It is really helpful to read a sneak peek before committing to reading the whole book. Thanks a lot!

This book was a review of the forthcoming titles for the Spring and Summer 2019. It's kind of hard to evaluate the book as a book because it's not really designed as a "book" in the traditional sense. I can say that there were a number of books that I saw in this collection of excerpts that I really think sound interesting and have promise. I will be definitely checking out one or two of them further.

Lots of promising YA reads coming soon! Many of the samples include high-interest plots with strong leading characters. Expect well-written plots with exceptional world building. The world of magic and intrigue is par for the course -- I can't wait to read more!

What a fabulous collection of samplers! I always love Buzz Books because it gives me an idea of what awesome upcoming releases to keep my eye on and what books I neeeed to pre-order. As always, there were a lot of promising upcoming releases in this one. I'm especially excited for Bloodleaf, Descendant of the Crane, and To Best the Boys!

I really enjoyed looking through all the upcoming young adult books! I especially loved the sneak previews of the books. Thank you for having this available to look at!

I really enjoyed these samples and always looks forward to Buzz Book's latest issue. A great way to find new books, series, and authors!

Everyone loves to be "in the know" to have the inside track on new products, movies and books. So imagine my surprise and delight when I recently discovered Buzz Books 2019 featuring excerpts from upcoming titles. What a marvelous idea!

Like a literary taste test, readers can nibble at various new books set to come out. I think this would be an invaluable resource for teachers, school and public librarians as well as parents trying to satisfy a bookworm's insatiable thirst for books. A daunting task in today's world where much written isn't always the most "nutritious" to put it mildly. Having a little sample of a particular author is a great way to discover new authors to try, to find out whether you will enjoy. This ultimately saves the reader time (from wading through books at the library) and money (not purchasing books that you end up hating).

For each book, the cover is shown (which they note may change when published), a very helpful summary, the first chapter of the book and then a nice author bio to finish out the selection. I loved having a chance to become familiar with new works and new authors. This is a resource I definitely recommend to educators, librarians and parents. Now if only it would include video book trailers to really save time!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Buzz Books 2019 from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

I always look forward to seeing the next edition of Buzz Books come out! This is such a great way to get an idea of what's being published soon. As a librarian, this is great for purchasing purposes. As an avid reader, I love being able to read a sample of the books ahead of time to get a feel for the author's writing style.

I love the Buzz.. it gives me enough insight into titles to hand sell them or search for the ARC and make them my staff picks. This is one of my favorite sales tools!