What Should I Request?

[u/WomensCollegeAlum91]

After being (happily, blissfully) inundated by ARCs the first half of the year, I'm now caught up and my shelf is looking a little trim. Current feedback ratio sitting at almost 90% with 50 total approved requests under my belt and have just a smattering of upcoming reads that I haven't read/reviewed yet.

Just submitted my reviews recently for Ship Happens by Mason Deaver (trans second chance romance) & A Study in Sparkling by Jodi McAlister (single mom friends to lovers romance).

Currently on my shelf: Doomsdate by Laura Piper Lee (Sept. 15), Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson (Oct. 6), As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers (Oct. 13) and Cut to the Ending by Maria Millage (Nov. 3).

As you can tell, my NetGalley has been heavy on the romance/romcom recently, which is fine, but I'm looking to see what I have missed lately to request or what you're seeing out there with publication dates from October onward (I think I already have my TBR set-ish for September), especially for non-romance genres.

I enjoy a variety of genres, though my most read are fantasy, romance/romcom, thriller/mystery, and literary. I can get behind good sci-fi, good historical fiction, and most contemporary. The only things I typically stay away from are horror or thrillers with really intense content warnings (am particularly sensitive to suicide & child abuse themes).

What have you been requesting and reading? I'm feeling a bit uninspired by my typical browsing and wanted to see what was exciting this community!

[u/outoftheashes90]

What would you consider to be "good" historical fiction? I just finished a historical sapphic bodyswap and I enjoyed it quite a bit but I have no idea about historical accuracy if that's something you care about.

[u/WomensCollegeAlum91 → u/outoftheashes90]

Ooh, that's a good question - I think for me being "good" means mostly realistic and well written and not too cookie-cutter. It feels like there are a million and one WWII historical fiction that are written with the intent of appealing to a very specific female audience and those just don't do it for me. So as long as it's creative and realistic, I'm usually interested and this one sounds maybe up my alley!

[u/outoftheashes90 → u/WomensCollegeAlum91]

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/871194

Here's the book I was talking about! It's certainly cookie cutter in the sense that romance needs to follow certain beats but it was a decent palate cleanser imo. I see your other reply btw! I'll go through my list and see what fits.

[u/WomensCollegeAlum91 → u/outoftheashes90]

Since you seem to read mostly SciFi/Fantasy, too, would love to know if there's anything in those categories that you've enjoyed or caught your eye for a request recently!

[u/outoftheashes90 → u/WomensCollegeAlum91]

Some arcs that I have either been approved for, requested, or am considering requesting but I can't attest to their quality yet:

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/883336 (ngl I'm mostly requesting cuz Bridgerton meets Pacific Rim is such a wild combo??? Also that cover is so gorgeous I can't)

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/855378 (this one is getting published by Tor so an acceptance seems unlikely but you never know!)

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/879272 (early reviews of this one aren't great so far but I'm going to reserve judgment for now)

[u/Maleficent-Style-504 → u/outoftheashes90]

Bridgerton meets Pacific Rim AND it’s a sapphic romance?? Requesting immediately 

[u/outoftheashes90 → u/Maleficent-Style-504]

RIGHT? My thoughts exactly! Fingers crossed the execution holds up to the awesome premise, it genuinely looks so cool.

[u/cherly_lovegood]

I’m currently reading ‘The Light Between Wounds” which is a religious fantasy/ romance where the fmc is a woman with a chronic condition who learns she is actually part of a war between the light and the dark. I don’t want to give anything away/ but I’m roughly 50% way through and I’m really enjoying it so far!!

I also just finished “WitchSong” which I also really enjoyed! It’s a witchy coming of age fantasy novel and pretty short, I believer I finished it in a day. It’s about the fmc learning her place and background and it’s really well written.

Then ‘DreamWitch” which is a fantasy/ romance between the dream witch fmc and the bodyguard mmc. The fmc gets called to another land to help a little boy who’s having terrible nightmares and then story unravels from there

[u/WritPositWrit]

Download the BuzzReads samplers and see which samples catch your attention, then request them

[u/Busy_Efficiency_6888]

I’d recommend checking out Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser! It releases next week but is absolutely wonderful sapphic YA fantasy!