Good morning and happy Monday, all! I haven’t done this challenge in a while, but I am in a book rut and think this will be really inspiring to do at the beginning of the week.

A couple of months ago, I started this weekly book challenge hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook called #5OnMyTBR, and I really enjoyed the exercise. It occurs every Monday when they post about 5 books on their TBR.

This week’s theme is Books with an Ensemble Cast. Love it!

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1. The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

• Why I’m Excited: I finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley a couple of weeks ago, and fell in love with it. Murder and unreliable narrators and a Christie-esque Christmas trip where one of them doesn’t come back? Sign me up.
• Bonus: I got this on the Kindle on a deal, so I already have it for whenever I am ready.

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2. The City We Became, by N.K. Jemisin

• Why I’m Excited: I made a vow to expand the diversity of my reading collection, and N.K. Jemisin is arguably one of the most exciting BIPOC fantasy writers out there. I loved Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, so I had City We Became on preorder.
• Bonus: It’s set in Brooklyn, so I am obviously ridiculously excited for this. Very “New York Strong.”

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3. The Queen‘s Bargain, by Anne Bishop

• Why I’m Excited: Anne Bishop is a goddess. I loved her new series, The Others, but I loved the Black Jewels Trilogy even more, and this is a revisit of that world.
• Bonus: It has been sitting on my nightstand since it came out (lol) and I have been avoiding it out of some obscure fear of emotional pain because Anne Bishop is all the feels.

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4. The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi

• Why I’m Excited: Gilded Wolves seems to have appeared on a lot of people’s lists for this challenge, so when I saw it on my TBR, I knew it would be a good fit. I love the “misfit band of unlikly experts” trope because I thik authors get to explore so much more human nature and the ties that bond us through this medium.
• Bonus: Beautiful cover, and the sequel comes out this year!

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5. Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer

• Why I’m Excited: Eh, I am on the fence about this one. I liked the movie, but sometimes books scare me more than the movie. However, definitely need to give it a try. It sounds surreal and interesting, and the all woman “cast” of scientists and muscle is exciting to me.

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That’s all for now, folks! What is on your TBR for an ensemble of characters? Have you read any of the above? Let me know in the comments; let’s chat 🙂