2026 Anticipated Releases

 2026 looks like a fantastic year for book releases. Many of my favourite authors are releasing new titles, there are interesting debut novels being released and some (hopefully) scandalous memoirs too! 

Check out my list below to see what books I am going to be anticipating the release of this year. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT RUBY COOPER BY LIZ NUGENT (Goodreads) 12 March 2026

One of my all-time favourite authors - I can't wait!

Blurb: 

If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.

Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.

Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.

Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.

But it can’t stay a secret forever.

Review: The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

Publication Date: 3rd May 2018
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Bought

[ Goodreads ]            [ Book Depository ]


Blurb:

Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice? 

Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale is reimagined through a searing feminist lens, with the stunning, scalpel-sharp writing and world building that has won Louise her legions of devoted fans.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I was so excited when I picked this novel up. Yet, there was something lacking for me. 

Going into the novel, I was so excited. A combination of two of my favourite things - Disney and feminism?! Heck yes! As I began reading though my excitement began to wane a little. 

The novel is told by protagonist Gaia, a beautiful mermaid with a great singing voice. She grows up in the palace, daughter of a ferocious king who reigns over his kingdom and daughters. I found the oppressive world Gaia lives in to be so well written. The mermaid society is extremely patriarchal where the mermaids live to serve the mer-men and are judged upon their talents and beauty. Even the king lines his own daughter up in terms of preference, which I found extremely disturbing. 

Dream Crate: YA Feminism Crate

The people over at LootCrate have been collaborating with bloggers to design their own crate based on any theme they would like to see. I was so excited by this idea as I love the idea of LootCrate and have watched so many unboxing videos and blog posts online of different bloggers crates, that designing my own sounded like fun. 


I decided to go with a YA Feminism Crate. Encompassing two things I am passionate about- YA literature and equality. Lets dive into the crate I would create; 


Books;

So the first item in my crate would be books of course! Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill and Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne.  But these books are two of my all time favourite books that I've read, written by the most amazing and well spoken women I've had the pleasure of meeting and talking to IRL. 

I'm not going to go into too much detail as to what these books are about (asides from that they are fundamental, in my eyes, YA feminist thought provoking literature) so click on the covers to see my review of the novels! 

Frida Funko Pop!

I would also include a funko pop, which often come with these subscription boxes, of the inspirational and amazing Frida Kahlo. Frida is an inspiration. She defied cultural and societal  norms and gender stereotypes in favour of self expression and being happy in her own skin. Her art was also extremely personal and moving and she aimed for personal success and happiness. A true inspiration. 

Review: No Virgin by Anna Cassidy

Publication Date: November 3rd 2016 
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Received from publisher for review


[ Goodreads ]              [ Book Depository ] 


Blurb: 

A raw, powerful, moving tale about a girl attempting to deal with the aftermath of a sexual attack.

My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey's story.

 (*Trigger Warning for abuse, rape, sexual assault*)

Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a full honest review. 

I had been really looking forward to reading this but with exams and college, I knew I needed to read it in a time where I could just sit down and fully give my attention over to it until I had finished it. When I started the book I did not want to put it down and I tore through the pages of Stacey's story until the end. 

The book deals with a lot of issues such as family life, friendships, teenage emotions, infatuation and ultimately abuse and rape. I think it is obvious Cassidy has done her research into the topic and the story comes across as raw and painful to read. The build up to the attack happens in a way which makes you understand Stacey, her life, her ambitions, personality and dreams all come across from the story in such an authentic way that you feel yourself identifying with her. 

Top Authors I Discovered in 2015

So, 2015 was such a great reading year for me. I read lots of great books, even if I did not meet my Goodreads reading goal, I went to lots of bookish events, made lots of new friends and read so many new authors whose novels I fell head over heels in love with!

The top authors I discovered in 2015 are;


Louise O'Neill                         (Reviews: Only Ever Yours ,  Asking For It )

Louise O'Neill is one of my all time favourite authors. After reading both of her novels, I immediately wanted to shove them into the faces of all of my friends while saying "READ THIS NOW" and that is a sign of a good author, right?
Louise O'Neills novels are always hard hitting, thought provoking and memorable. Her writing style is sharp, shocking, and she has a way of getting inside the characters and laying bare their inner thoughts in a way that the reader can connect with. 


Juno, formerly known as James, Dawson
(Reviews: Under My Skin, This Book Is Gay, All Of The Above )

Every novel I have read by this author has been incredible and unique. One thing I feel sometimes happens is an author writes a new novel loosely based on their last success but Dawson does not do this. I adored This Book Is Gay so very much and found it incredibly informative. Under My Skin was dark, fun and gripping. Dawson got into the  minds of the characters and wrote a fantastic YA horror. 
My all time favourite Dawson novel that I have read so far is All Of The Above. This novel shows Dawson's skill at character creation, growth, plot, writing realistic teenagers and relationships and a realistic representation of teenagers sexual discovery. Please pick up a book by Dawson, you will not forget it. 

Favourite Books of 2015

I read and discovered so many amazing new books and authors in 2015 that narrowing it down to just those on this list was extremely difficult. 

I absolutely adored all of the books mentioned on this list and if I have not posted a review of them yet, it shall be up very soon. 

Lets jump right in to my list of the best books I read in 2015; 

Only Ever Yours by Louise O' Neill

This book was one of the first books I read in 2015 and it honestly blew me away. This is Louise O'Neills debut novel filled with a powerful setting, strong characters, feminism, themes of friendship, body issues, fat shaming, objectification and parallels can easily be drawn to our own society. Honestly this novel will stay with you for a very long time after reading and change your perspectives. 

Dept Con 1 | Event chat & Haul

Dept Con 1 was something myself and my friend Cooleen (Youtube Channel) had been looking forward to since it was announced back in August. 

Dept Con is a book convention organised and ran by the Easons and Department 51 (the YA side of Easons) staff  and head children's and YA book buyer Dave O' Callaghan. The convention took place over two days in Smock Alley Theatre. 

The convention featured 26 speakers and authors along with signings, a YA breakfast and plenty of other fun things!

The authors featured at the event included: 

Books I got signed: 

 Over the course of the Con, I mostly tweeted my reaction to all the bookish awesome-ness (@Shannonbookworm) 


Day One: 

On the first day of the event, the con kicked off at 3pm and ended at 10pm.

Panels on the first day included discussions on "The World of YA & How it is Perceived & Represented by Hollywood" which Jenny Downham, Sally Green & Patrick Ness discussed YA adaptations and Patrick Ness' upcoming A Monster Calls adaptation (Review) . 

The next panel was on the topic of "LGBT* in YA Panel" held by James Dawson, Cat Clarke, Deirdre Sullivan and David Maybury . This was one of my favourite panels of the day as I felt that all the topics raised such as representation of LGBT main characters in YA and discussion on whether "Gay YA" was a trend in YA lit (the answer was an obvious no). 


The "Future of YA & Its Audience (Adult readers vs Teens) panel was hosted by Holly Bourne, Sheena Wilkinson and Julia Bell which talked about the new stat released that 55% of YA book buyers are aged between 30 - 44, and whether an author should write with their reader in mind or focus on the story. 

The final panel of day two was a great panel which featured Holly Smale and Louise O'Neill (Review) on the topic of "Death to the patriarchy!" and feminism in YA. I loved this panel and the discussions on abusive relationships being shown as the norm in YA and the representation of women in YA. Such a great panel and a wonderful way to end the first day. 

Review: Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Publication Date: September 3rd 2015
Publisher: Quercus Books
Source: Review copy

[ Goodreads ]             [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 

It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident. One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma. 

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't know why she's in pain. But everyone else does. 

Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes...

A massive thank you to Quercus publishing for sending me a review copy of this novel. 

If you don't follow me on my Twitter or Instagram, you are probably unaware of the fact that I am a huge fan of the marvel that is Louise O'Neill. I read her debut novel back in January and was so very excited to read this, her second novel, as soon as possible. 

To sum up Asking For It in a sentence, I would have to describe it as being brutally realistic, sharply written and overall an extremely important novel. The novel touches on so many incredibly important topics such as consent, rape, victim shaming, the horrors of social media, family and gender inequality. Although I can not say it is a comfortable read, I was physically appalled and feeling sick at some parts of the novel, it is a necessary read.

Asking For It centres around the protagonist Emma, an 18 year old girl who goes to a party, drinks too much alcohol, takes drugs and passes out. It is the next day when she realises what happened to her and was done to her while she was incapacitated that sets the main plot of the novel going. 

New Releases: September 2015

September is here! I love this time of year, the slightly colder weather, digging out your boots and cardigans and snuggling up with a good book, This month there are so many new releases I am excited about! 

Release Date: September 1
Publisher: Delacorte Books

[Buy The Book Here! ] 

Blurb: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Release Date:   September 1st

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

[Buy The Book Here!]

Blurb:  In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?
Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Anne & Henry beautifully reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time.

Release Date: September 15th

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

[Buy the book here]

Blurb: 

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Release Date: September 8th

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

[Buy the book here!]

Blurb: Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye.

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and impromptu road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

Louise O'Neill & Sarah Bannan Book Signing

Hi readers! 


Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of attending a Q&A and book signing featuring Sarah Bannan , author of Weightless, and Louise O'Neill, author of the award winning Only Ever Yours. 

Check out Sarah's Twitter page here! 

Check out Louise's Twitter page here!

I was so excited for this event, it was all I could talk about for weeks coming up to it. 

I traveled for 3 hours to get to the signing and went with my lovely friend Eimear (who blogs at An Abundance Of Novels) who is as big a fan of Only Ever Yours as I am. 

I am very excited to begin reading Weightless and am going to do so very soon! It sounds amazing and I've only heard great things. 

The signing was a free event held in Easons Dublin and ran by Easons special YA unit Department 51 . 

The area was well laid out with chairs and a speaker so everyone in the audience could see the stage and clearly hear the Q & A.

 I chatted to two staff members in the Easons, David and Jacqueline, and both were so easy to talk to, friendly and funny. A big shout out to Jacqueline as she was so nice and I loved talking about books with her! 

[Image Source: Cormac Kinsella ] 

The Q & A kicked off with Eason's David O'Callaghan chatting to Louise & Sarah and asking them questions both about their novels, their inspirations and about themselves. 

I really enjoyed the Q&A and I thought David was so funny and asked all of the questions I had been wanting to ask!   

I really liked listening to how well Louise and Sarah spoke and really liked the obvious friendship between them as they complemented each others novels. Both Sarah and Louise were so funny and lovely.