Jessica Rossana Sawin

01

The British Knight by Louise Bay

Read for a book club that consists entirely of booksellers. We apparently all can't resist a ha

 

02

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Just a brilliant end to the series. I can't wait for her Magnus and Alec series to start!

 

03

Wicked King by Holly Black

Oh. My. God. That ending! I need the third book now, please!!

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04

Ship It by Britta Lundin

I wanted to like this more than I did. It was a very good commentary on shipping and fandoms, but still felt forced to me. Full review on Goodreads. 

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05

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

I wanted to read this before I saw the film version. This story is achingly written and definitely food for thought. 

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06

Umbrella Academy vol 1 by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba

I saw the Netflix show and became obsessed, so a friend lent me their graphic novels. Different from the show, in very understandable ways. Still a great read! 
 

07

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo 

I'm not ready to leave these characters! What an excellent series. We need more YA heists! 

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08

The Wicked and the Divine vol 6 by Kieron Gillen and Jaime McKelvie 

This series has always been consistently good. I'm behind on trades and am trying to catch up before the series ends! 

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09

Umbrella Academy vol 1 by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba

Consistently good. I like seeing how the show diverged from the source text. 

 

10

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

I picked this up as an ARC and was not expecting to love it as much as I did. This is one of my favorite books of the year, hands down. It's the dark fantasy YA book I never knew I needed. 

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11

Sunstone vol 6 by Stjepan Sejic 

I never expected this series to be so emotional and fulfilling, but here we are. I look forward to these volumes and buy them as soon as possible.  

 

12

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I knew this was going to be great based on the synopsis alone, but was blown away by how emotional, heartfelt, witty, and fantastically written this book was. I cannot recommend it enough. 

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13

West Coast Avengers vol 1 by Kelly Thompson 

I love Kate Bishop Hawkeye and America Chavez with a passion, so it's wonderful to see them together outside of the Young Avengers. And Clint is there too, which is always a delight. This is just a really fun series. 

 

14

Deadly Class vol 1 by Rick Remender

Thematically not my cup of tea, but is a beautifully crafted comic. The colors were phenomenal, and panel composition was A++.

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15

Deadly Class vol 2 by Rick Remender 

Still not my favorite series, and is a little too grimdark for me, but I understand the appeal and it continues to be a great example of a well-crafted comic. 

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16

Star Wars Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray 

Ever since I read The Jedi Apprentice series as a kid, I have loved stories about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, so this book was more than a little indulgent, but I loved every minute of it. 

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17

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 3 by Kyle Higgins

Speaking of indulgent, I am not ashamed to admit I read this volume primarily because it was all about Tommy, the cutest Power Ranger. 
 

18

Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

I read this to lead a YA book club at the bookstore, not knowing anything about the author or the book. I enjoyed it, but the big plot twist felt a bit gimmicky, and not fully developed. 

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19

Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

The quality of this graphic novel is astounding. I am in love with the entire aesthetic and design, and the story and art blend seamlessly to create a graphic novel the likes of which I haven't seen before. I can't believe it took me this long to read this. 

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20

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Also read for YA book club. I loved the worldbuilding in this and the middle eastern influence made everything rich, but I did have some issues with pacing. 

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21

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

Even if I'm in a reading slump, I always devour Cassandra Clare's books. Magnus and Alec are two of my favorite characters, and getting to read more about them and how they establish their relationship is wonderful. I can't wait for the rest of this series. 

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22

The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill

I adored Tea Dragon Society, and this was beautiful sequel. The art is just so whimsical and joyous, and the characters are all diverse and wonderful. I love this series so much. 

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23

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Read for the YA book club, this is not my typical fare, but I enjoyed it. It was suspenseful without being too horror-y and I liked that the characters were real and messy and not always likable. 

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24

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

I'm unsure how I'm only just now reading these books, because they have literally everything I love about YA. Fantasy land, epic quest, a pantheon, and the snarkiest main character. I will definitely be reading the sequels.  

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25

Twice in A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

I got the ARC for this and read it on vacation. It was a lovely book, with main characters that had such great chemistry. 

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26

West Coast Avengers vol 2 by Kelly Thompson

Still consistently great. It is the greatest shame that the series has been cancelled. 

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27

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Bought on a whim and read in vacation, I enjoyed this book and its premise very much. 

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28

Die vol 1 by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans

I knew I was going to love a comic written by Kieron Gillen about D&D and I was right. It's so well done, Stephanie Hans' art style is gorgeous, and the second volume can't come soon enough. 

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29

Monstress vol 2 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

So far this has been a year of phenomenal graphic novels and I really can't complain. This volume is just as gorgeous, dark, and aesthetic as the first. 
 

30

Soul of Stars by Ashley Poston

This series is the Anastasia-retelling-set-in-space of my dreams and the sequel did not disappoint. 
 

31

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal

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32

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

My favorite book of 2019. This is a love letter to storytellers and bibliophiles everywhere and the gorgeously written prose will keep you enchanted. 

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33

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Because you just need to read vampire romance sometimes. 

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34

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

AAAHHHHHH. That ending! The problem with reading ARCs is that you have to wait even longer for the sequel. 

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35

Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

And sometimes the vampire romance novel is so deliciously fun that you accidentally download the rest of the series.
 

36

Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost

See Above. At least it is October and an appropriate time of year for vampires. 
 

37

Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

 
 

38

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I can't believe it took me this long to 
 

39

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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40

Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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41

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

What an adorable autumn-themed graphic novel! The art and story work together so seamlessly. Such a fun read.  

42

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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43

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

I've been waiting for this story for a long time. I'm so glad we have more Ronan and Adam, but I feel like this entire book was just a prelude to the rest of the story. 
 

44

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

I didn't know I needed a Renaissance Faire themed romance novel, but I'm so glad I picked it up! An absolute delight. 
 

45

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy

The story itself is so sweet and very 
 

46

The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

A fun novella about Percy and Monty and the awkward first stages of their relationship. 
 

47

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Lesbian Necromancers in Space. This book was so weird, but a great kind of weird. 

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Find my 2018 reading list here.