Month: June 2024

New Releases Wednesday – June 19, 2024

by Stefani

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Published: June 18, 2024 by Minotaur Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this captivating novel of suspense, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing.

Emlyn doesn’t let herself think about the past.

How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the man she thought was the love of her life, left her freezing and half-dead on the side of the road three years ago.

Her new life is simple and safe. She works as a fishing and hunting guide, spending her days in Idaho’s endless woods and scenic rivers. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer, her closest friends a handsome and kind Forest Service ranger and the community’s makeshift reverend, who took her in at her lowest.

But when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing, Emlyn is propelled back into the world she worked so hard to forget. Janessa, it turns out, has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged survivalist boyfriend. But she hasn’t posted lately, and when she does, it’s from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be. In spite of their fractured history, Emlyn knows she might be the only one with the knowledge and tracking skills to save her friend, so she reluctantly teams up with Tyler. As the two trace Janessa’s path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can’t deny there’s still chemistry crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods―and that Janessa isn’t the only one in danger.

Poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING explores what it takes to start over―and the cost of letting the past pull you back in.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Published: June 18, 2024 by William Morrow

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change, brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.

Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.

But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution is wrapped in the cover of The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette. A jacket that belongs to Our Confederate Heroes ends up on Beloved. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town…and change it forever.

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

Published: June 11, 2024 by William Morrow

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Audiobook review: Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

by Stefani

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Released: June 4, 2024 by Tantor Media

Buy this audiobook at: Audible / Audiobooks.com / Kobo

Synopsis:

Five childhood friends are forced to confront their own dark past as well as the curse placed upon them in this horror masterpiece from the bestselling author of Come with Me.

Maybe this is a ghost story…

Andrew Larimer thought he left the past behind. But when he receives a late-night phone call from an old friend, he finds he has no choice but to return home, and to confront the memories—and the horror—of a night, years ago, that changed everything.

For Andrew and his friends, the past is not dead, and the curse that has befallen them now threatens to destroy all that they’ve become.

One dark secret…

One small-town horror…

Rating:

Review:

This ended up being a difficult book to rate. Initially after I finished it I was contemplating three stars. But the more I thought about it, the more disappointed I was in it. So ultimately this falls at a two star, maybe two and a half if I’m feeling generous. This book has also given me a case of “everyone loves it but me”. The book world is RAVING about this book right now. And I can’t quite figure out why?

The writing was good. I have never read Malfi before but his writing was good enough that I’d probably pick up one of his books again. He is very good at creating a creepy feel and an increasing sense of dread. Those are very desirable qualities in a horror author. I also enjoyed the narrator. He kept a good pace, he made the characters inflections and tone unique, and he told the story in a compelling. So, what was the problem then?

I think there were two problems here. First, I don’t believe this book is well suited to an audiobook. We jump around in time quite a lot, and there’s not much introduction to inform the listener about what year we’re in. As a result I felt jarred by the story. I couldn’t remember where in time we were. And so I ended up re-listening to entire chapters because I was thoroughly confused about what was going on. And the characters were also pretty dull people. It wasn’t just the main protagonist, it was all of them. The problem is that it’s very difficult for an audiobook narrator to tell a compelling story when the characters are not compelling. This was another thing that made me tune out of the audio and have to go back and listen again.

Down to the story itself. It was okay. The lead up to the reveal was quite good. The increasing sense of doom and dread was really fun. And I liked seeing how each of the characters came to their conclusion about what was going on, and why they got to that conclusion. It only started to fall apart near the end. It seemed at first like the ending was going to be a twist, it wasn’t actually a curse it was an entirely mundane answer. But then it wasn’t the mundane answer after all, it was the supernatural answer. Then it felt like we went into an infomercial because “wait, there’s more!” It wasn’t just supernatural, here’s the cunning plan, and the unwilling accomplice! “But wait, if you order now you’ll get a free gift!” And even the unwilling accomplice was deceived in this brilliant plan! It was convoluted. Sometimes it’s okay for the simple answer to the correct answer. Sometimes it’s okay for the ending not to have a twist. Instead, I feel like the author was trying so hard to do something unexpected that it just got weird and confusing.

In the end, there was enough redeeming qualities about the writing for me to give the author another chance. But this one wasn’t a hit for me. Or maybe it was, in the end, just me. Because everyone else in the book world seems to love it.

Review: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

by Stefani

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Published: April 25, 2024 by Orbit

Buy this book at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / AbeBooks

Synopsis:

Dive into the curious correspondence of Sylvie Cathrall’s delightful debut novel, A Letter to the Luminous Deep.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.’s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy, and Henerey’s brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings’ disappearances with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance – and what it could mean for life as they know it.

Perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and TJ Klune, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a whimsical epistolary fantasy set in a mystical underwater world with mystery and heart-warming romance.

Rating:

Review:

As evidenced by how quickly I breezed through this book (only halfway done on Friday), it was a lovely read. This book quickly introduces us to our two main characters. The introverted, brilliant, troubled “E”. She lives in an underwater home known as the Deep House. One day she spots a creature through her porthole that she’s never seen before. Struck by its beauty she writes to a well known natural Scholar that she admires, Henerey. The two strike up a correspondence about these creatures and what they could be, and then it moves into more of a general conversation about their lives and interests. The interesting part is that we only learn about E and Henerey through their letters to each other, and to and from their siblings. Even when they meet in person, the only details we know about it are what E shared with her sister, Sophy, about the evening.

Later, when Sophy and Vyerin start to unravel the mystery of what happened to their missing siblings, we also only follow their correspondence with each other. The entire book is told in letters between the characters, occasional excerpts from Henerey’s journals, and a few transcriptions from other scholarly works within the world. It’s an inventive way to tell a story. I also imagine it was quite difficult to write.

Because of the writing style the characters are full of depth and personality. I learned intently who each of these individuals are, and I grew to adore each of them immensely. I also enjoyed that both of the main protagonists deal with mental health concerns or are otherwise neurodivergent. As a neurodivergent individual myself I found it very relatable and genuine. The character building in this novel was top notch. I can’t say enough good things about that aspect. However, the writing did present a challenge when it came to world building. There’s a lot of things that I feel were left out. At the end of the book I knew so little about E and Henerey’s world. And the main culprit to that is the writing style. If E is writing to Henerey, she doesn’t need to explain to him the history of their civilization, he already knows. But I would like it explained to me, because I don’t know. It’s a unique challenge. I feel like the author tried to overcome this with the excerpts from scholarly books in the book, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to know more. I hope we get more in upcoming books.

The romance in the story was sweet and simple. E and Henerey flirted with each other through their individual interests. They each showed an enormous amount of restraint and respect for the other’s boundaries. For example, even after they agreed to meet in person Henerey told her “If you change your mind, even if I’m already on my way, just put a sign in your window that says NO HENEREY and I’ll leave and think none the worse for it.” It was so cute, and so romantic. Each of them met the other exactly where they were capable of existing, and both were content with it. Sigh. I think I might have fallen in love with these two also. They are just so adorable and relatable.

The mystery in the book was intriguing. I started putting the pieces together fairly early, but it didn’t make the journey any less enjoyable. Even though I knew where it was headed, I still enjoyed watching Sophy and Vyerin put those same pieces together. And at the end, we finished one piece of the adventure and looked to the horizon for the start of the next adventure. You can’t ask for a much better ending than that.

Upcoming Releases – June 16, 2024

by Stefani

Antenora by Dori Lumpkin

Expected publication: October 1, 2024 by Creature Publishing

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Antenora: Dante’s ninth circle of hell reserved for traitors to their country.

What really happened to Nora Willet? The religious community of Bethel, Alabama can’t agree on the truth. They always said she was trouble. Later, they said she was possessed. Maybe she lost her mind, killing three people and injuring many others.

In a part confessional, part plea for Nora to come home, Nora’s childhood friend Abigail Barnes tells of another girl’s gruesome eighteenth birthday, of the time Nora may have fully revived a snake, of the intimacy of their private encounters at the lakeside, of Nora’s deliverance ceremony. Where, Abigail wonders, is Nora now?

In this tender and horrific debut, religious dogmatism sniffs out two girls whose innocent affections threaten an entire town and way of life, making one a traitor to a homeland in which only Abigail and Nora know the bittersweet truth. A homeland in which Nora can only say, “There’s a snake speaking to me, Abby-girl.”

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

Expected publication: October 1, 2024 by Titan Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this atmospheric Appalachian gothic, the Haddesley siblings of West Virginia must unearth long-buried secrets to carve out a future when the supernatural bargain entwining their fate with their ancestral land is suddenly ruptured

Since time immemorial, the Haddesley family has tended the cranberry bog. In exchange, the bog sustains them. The staunch seasons of their lives are governed by a strict covenant that is renewed each generation with the ritual sacrifice of their patriarch, and in return, the bog produces a “bog-wife.” Brought to life from vegetation, this woman is meant to carry on the family line. But when the bog fails—or refuses—to honor the bargain, the Haddesleys, a group of discordant siblings still grieving the mother who mysteriously disappeared years earlier, face an unknown future.

Middle child Wenna, summoned back to the dilapidated family manor just as her marriage is collapsing, believes the Haddesleys must abandon their patrimony. Her siblings are not so easily persuaded. Eldest daughter Eda, de facto head of the household, seeks to salvage the compact by desecrating it. Younger son Percy retreats into the wilderness in a dangerous bid to summon his own bog-wife. And as youngest daughter Nora takes desperate measures to keep her warring siblings together, fledgling patriarch Charlie uncovers a disturbing secret that casts doubt over everything the family has ever believed about itself.

Brimming with aching loss and the universal struggle between honoring family commitments and the drive to strike out on one’s own, The Bog Wife is a haunting invocation of the arcane power of the habits and habitats that bound us.

And the Sky Bled by S. Hati

Expected publication: October 15, 2024 by Bindery Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the occupied city of Tejomaya, calor—a magical fossil fuel—is found only in the blood rains that fall from the sky. While a six-month drought has brought Tejomaya to a desperate standstill, rumors of a secret stash of magic propel three unlikely treasure seekers to risk everything.

Tenacious and street-smart Zain Jatav has been forced to steal calor for her slumlord bosses for years. Finding the magic reserve might be her only key to freedom. But she’ll have to contend with Iravan Khotar, a slumlord himself and an ambitious revolutionary hoping to use the same magic to save his people from the mysterious illness devastating the slums—and to bolster a fight against their oppressors. Meanwhile, heiress Anastasia Drakos leads the ruling council of Tejomaya from the safety of a nearby island. With the hidden magic, she could finally take full control of the city and crush the slums beneath her unyielding fist.

As Zain, Iravan, and Anastasia draw closer to finding the treasure, their paths tangle, and not for the first time—they met before, a decade ago, in a fire that destroyed each of their lives in different ways. Their reunion might bring the already-weakened city to its knees.

Exploring the devastating mechanisms of power, this searing climate fantasy breathes life into a crumbling world hovering on the brink of total destruction.

Progress Updates Friday – June 14, 2024

by Stefani

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Progress: 147 of 432 pages

Check this book out at: Goodreads

How it’s going:

I think I have fallen in love with this book. This letter is told entirely in letters and occasional excerpts from books. It starts with anxious, introvert “E” writing to her favorite scholar about a creature that she saw in her front yard. To her surprise, he writes back. And the two of them start corresponding back and forth about their various interests and their families, and eventually they start to develop feelings for each other. The romance so far is very light. It appeals to me in a “talk nerdy to me” sort of way.

Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen

Progress: Page 191 of 540

Check this book out at: Goodreads

How it’s going:

Now that this book has transitioned into the boom period of Area 51 I am making some excellent progress. I’ve been reading more about reckless nuclear bomb testing. Did you know that the US government nearly blew a hole in the ozone layer with a nuclear bomb? They wanted to see what would happen if one detonated in the upper atmosphere. And we’re also getting into the tense Cuban Missile Crisis, and the President is placing enormous pressure on Area 51 to get their new A-12 spy plane up and running immediately. They want it to more effectively spy on what the Russians were doing in Cuba. This morning I was also greeted to a news article that apparently Russians navy ships and submarines arrived in Cuba again today…ironic timing I’m sure you’ll agree. Ironic and disconcerting.

Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

Progress: 20%

Check this book out at: Goodreads

How it’s going:

This is my current audiobook selection. So far it’s a fairly typical “group of people has to confront terrible thing they did as kids” kind of horror/mystery book. Andrew, the main protagonist, is rather dull so far. A bit of a boring fellow who works and worries about his pregnant wife. I am getting a good feel for the few characters we’ve introduced so far.

Advancer Reader Copies (ARC) Approved – June 13, 2024

by Stefani

Run by Blake Crouch

Expected publication: October 22, 2024 Ballantine Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

No time to think. No time to ask why. Only time to run.

Five days ago, the epidemic of rage began.

Four days ago, the rash of senseless murders swept the nation.

Three days ago, the president addressed the country and begged for peace—even as the murders increased tenfold.

Two days ago, the killers began to mobilize.

One day ago, the power went out.

And tonight, the killers are reading the names of those to be killed over the Emergency Broadcast System.

Jack Colclough is listening over the battery-powered radio on his kitchen table in Albuquerque, and he just heard his name. People are coming to his house to kill him, his wife, his daughter, and his son.

He has no idea what’s happening, or why, but the time for questions is long past. 

His only chance is to run.

Following an ordinary family on a desperate race through an America that’s destroying itself, Run is a terrifying, brutally stripped-down thriller from master storyteller Blake Crouch.

Why I requested it:

A few years ago I read another book by Blake Crouch. Recursion. You can find my review here. I enjoyed that book, even though I felt the ending was a bit disappointing. I really enjoyed the way Crouch writes. So when I saw this available for review I knew I needed to try it. The plot sounds exciting and horrifying, and Blake Crouch writes in a very compelling way. This should be a fun ride.

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams

Expected publication: June 25, 2024 by Dafina

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

An upstanding political candidate. A determined stalker. A shattering lost weekend. Now, when his worst secret comes calling, how far will one man’s elegant, all-too-devoted wife go to uncover the truth . . . or bury it?

For Jolene “Jo” Baker, the least she can do for her adoring husband, Dominic, is give unwavering support for his North Carolina gubernatorial run. He is not only the love of her life, he’s also helping her prove that she’s far more than just a pampered trophy wife. With huge crowds showing up at Dominic’s speeches and the polls consistently in his favor, she’s never been happier to stand proudly by his side . . .

Until she and Dominic start seeing the same, strangely ominous woman turning up all along the campaign trail. Until their tour starts becoming a nightmare of botched events, crucial missed information, and increasingly dangerous “accidents.” Suddenly Jo can’t get any answers from Dominic—or understand why he is acting so paranoid and terrified . . .

What Jo can do is start digging into his past—one she’s never really questioned beyond his perfect image and dazzling accomplishments. What results is an alarming series of events that leave her Good friends turn into enemies, truths are revealed to be lies, and all clues lead back to one secret, shattering weekend that changes Jo’s entire life. With her world splintering into pieces, can Jo risk trying to set things right? Or will hiding the bitter truth by any means necessary destroy her as well?

Why I requested it:

This sounds like a typical thriller plot. The politician and his adoring wife who have secrets. And those secrets are about to be exposed. But that’s a good thing. It’s an exciting premise. And there is nothing that a reader loves more than seeing the bad guy get what’s coming to them. I hope that happens in this one.

Thyme Travellers edited by Sonia Sulaiman

Expected publication: September 5, 2024 by Roseway Publishing

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Thyme Travellers collects fourteen of the Palestinian diaspora’s best voices in speculative fiction. Speculative fiction as a genre invites a reconfiguring of reality, and here each story is a portal into realms of history, folklore and futures.

A man stands on the shore waiting to commune with those who live in the ocean. Pilgrims stretch into the distance, passing a stone cairn with a mysterious light streaming from it. Two Australian women fervently dig a tunnel to Jerusalem. Men from Gaza swim in the sea until they drown, still unconcerned. A father and son struggle to connect over the AI scripts prompting their conversation.

Building on the work of trailblazing anthologies such as Reworlding Ramallah and Palestine +100, this volume is the first of its kind in Canada. Editor Sonia Sulaiman brings together stories by speculative fiction veterans and emerging writers from Australia to Egypt, Lebanon to Canada.

Why I requested it:

I really love speculative fiction. I really love short story anthologies. And I also love new and interesting voices in fiction. This one is a win, win, win. Plus the one liners about some of the included stories sound fantastic.

New Releases Wednesday – June 12, 2024

by Stefani

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart

Published: June 11, 2024 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do?

Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers.

When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

Published: June 11, 2024 by Berkley

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through – and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business – one that plays for keeps.

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate

Published: June 4, 2024 by Ballantine Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.

Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O’dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val’s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.

Upcoming Releases – June 9, 2024

by Stefani

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

Expected publication: September 17, 2024 by Ace

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton college, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it’s a test she’s terrified she is going to fail.

Old Soul by Susan Barker

Expected Publication: January 28, 2025 by G.P Putnam’s Sons

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The woman never goes by the same name.
She never stays in the same place too long.
She never ages. She never dies.
But those around her do.

When two grieving strangers meet by chance in Osaka airport they uncover a disturbing connection. Jake’s best friend and Mariko’s twin brother each died, 6,000 miles apart, in brutal and unfathomable circumstances.

Each encountered a mesmerising, dark-haired woman in the days before their deaths. A woman who came looking for Mariko – and then disappeared.

Jake, who has carried his loss and guilt for a decade, finds himself compelled to follow the trail set by Mariko’s revelations. It’s a trail that weaves across continents and centuries, leading back to the many who have died – in strange and terrifying and eerily similar ways – and those they left behind: bewildered, disbelieved, yet resolutely sure of what they saw.

And, at the centre of it all, there is the same beguiling woman. Her name may have changed, but her purpose has never wavered, and as Jake races to discover who, or what she is, she has already made her next choice.

But will knowing her secret be enough to stop her?

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books

Check this book out at: Goodreads

Synopsis:

There are always two sides to a story. This dark and twisted reimagining of Cinderella, told from her stepsister’s POV, is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m.

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free.

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

Did you hear? Susan Collins saves the day….

by Stefani

No this is not a drill. I am pretty sure every reader on planet earth has heard by now. But Saint Suzanne Collins is delivering much needed relief to the world with another Hunger Games book.

Now, admittedly, I have had an on and off again relationship with Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games was superb. Catching Fire was good, not great but it accomplished what it needed to as a transitional second book in a trilogy. Mockingjay started off so well but the ending disappointed me. It felt like Collins lost her nerve in the end and backed away from anything that could be controversial

Then she announced a prequel book and I was overjoyed. And then annoyed. It was a President Snow origin story.

Literally no one wanted that story. No one wanted to know more about President Snow. It was the prequel no one asked for. I haven’t read it yet but I heard it was very good. It was not just about President Snow but also about District 12, so I definitely need to read it soon. But this…..this….is going to be the story of Haymitch’s Games.

I think that’s about all of the coherent thought I can muster about this. Needless to say it’s already been pre-ordered.