Tag: pub day

Happy book birthday to all the great new books in the world! I feel like each week this September has just been one big surprise after another. One big book publishing after another! This week is no exception as we dive into my current read and some more highly anticipated books being published. Here’s what I’m excited for:

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

When you’re current read is also being published and you haven’t finished reading the book! That’s how I feel as I approach Tuesday and my sixth day of reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. To be honest, my reading life has been a little iffy. I can’t seem to focus on the words and spending more time dumping thoughts into my journal than actually reading pages. But I feel like I’m coming back from that feeling and really starting to get through the book. So far, it’s really good, but it is dense. There’s a lot going on with its single perspective, its main character, and the intrigue throughout the story is quite palatable. I would strongly recommend this book if you’re a fan of science fiction or even fantasy. It’s quite easy to read too without a lot of jargon or lyrical writing. I’ll most definitely be sharing more thoughts when I’m done.

During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move.

As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.

While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope . . .”

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

From the brilliant mind behind Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell comes a much smaller book! LOL, I’m only kidding. But seriously, Susanna Clark has a new book out and I can’t wait to read it.

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

For readers of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds.

Legendborn by Traci Deonn

All I’ve seen are really good reviews for Legendborn. I keep seeing this make its way through the bookstagram community and I’m so excited it’s finally out in the world. I might need to order this one as well. Good grief, where’s my money going?

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

Horrid by Katrina Leno

I feel like 2020 is the year of the spooky books. So many gothic stories like Mexican Gothic and Catherine House are being published, but also excitement around Rebecca being made into a movie. I find myself loving these stories and Horrid is no exception.

Following her father’s death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor’s doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone…and more tormented.

As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident “bad seed,” struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane’s mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won’t reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the “storage room” her mom has kept locked isn’t for storage at all–it’s a little girl’s bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears…. Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more…horrid?

What are you excited about publishing today?

Today is a rare event where the first day of the month also happens to be a publishing Tuesday. Also, this Tuesday and the rest of the month is publishing some incredible fiction. I hope you all get a chance to dive into some great reads and find your next favorite story.

Today’s publishing day is just the tip of the iceberg, but the books publishing today are high on my most anticipated reads. I was a little nervous that so many books pushed their pub dates back because of COVID, but now it feels like such a treat during some pretty depressing times. There’s many publishing today, but I’m most excited for:

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I think the entire bookish world is ready for Yaa Gyasi’s newest book. I remember reading Homegoing and feeling the transformative nature of Gyasi’s writing throughout the pages. That book was also so well put together and the timelines were hard to ignore when you were reading. But now her latest novel is out in the world and I think the entire world is ready to read it.

Gifty is a sixth-year PhD candidate in neuroscience at the Stanford University School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after an ankle injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.

But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family’s loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief–a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi’s phenomenal debut.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

At first, I thought this was going to be another graphic novel. But then on further inspection, I realized this is a ghost story featuring a novice brujo, magic, and a little romance. If you combine romance and magic together, you will see me pick up this dang book. Not to mention that it’s representative and inclusive! You have my full attention!

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

I already fell in love with Alyssa Cole’s writing when I read her A Princess in Theory series and her An Extraordinary Union. But when I found out she’s branching into the thriller category with a “Rear Window”-style story, I knew I would be breaking my habit of not reading thrillers to make room for this one.

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L Armentrout

I already loved this vampire series Jennifer L Arementrout put out earlier this year and I can’t believe the sequel is already ready to be read and received by her adoring fans. I truly love JLA’s writing and style of storytelling, so I know I’ll happily devour this one as well.

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice….

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

We’re into a new month and of course, it’s filled with books and more books. Today is a very exciting publishing day because we have sci-fi, dark fantasy, and the book we’ve all been waiting for (or maybe just me. Don’t laugh!). Let’s get right into what’s publishing that I’m very excited to be in the world!

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

You know that I’m ultra excited about this one! The sequel to Gideon the Ninth has been so interesting to this point, but at the same time so confusing. Leave it up to Tamsyn Muir to confuse the heck out of us and then show us that we’ve been shown the clues to the story throughout. I’m currently in the middle of this one and this human doesn’t quit.

She answered the Emperor’s call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman’s shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor’s Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Was I completely lured in by the cover? Yes. Is that a bad thing? Heck no (but of course, do your research). This particular story includes some real world issues and a side of fantasy. From the description, it reads more like a literary fiction novel, but I can’t help but not be lured by the “Argentine folklore” tagline.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.

Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.

Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past–a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.

As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.

Igniting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

If you follow along with this blog, then you know I’ve recently read Courting Darkness for the first time. I absolutely loved the slow burning dark fantasy about a pair of women who just so happen to be the daughters of Death. Including some 15th century French history and a bigger plot for the country, I really loved that story and I can’t wait to get into this one. I’ll eventually read the trilogy leading up to the duology, but for now here’s what Igniting Darkness will bring:

Sybella, novitiate of the convent of Saint Mortain and Death’s vengeance on earth, is still reeling from her God’s own passing, and along with him a guiding hand in her bloody work. But with her sisters on the run from their evil brother and under the watchful eye of her one true friend (and love) at court, the soldier known as Beast, Sybella stands alone as the Duchess of Brittany’s protector.

After months of seeking her out, Sybella has finally made contact with a fellow novitiate of the convent, Genevieve, a mole in the French court. But when Genevieve mistakenly draws the attention of the French king to the convent of Saint Mortain and its deadly arts, she may do her sisters (and herself) more harm than good. Sybella, having already drawn the ire of the French regent, may not be able to depend on her sister and ally as much as she hoped. Still, Death always finds a way, even if it’s not what one expects.

No one can be trusted and the wolves are always waiting in this thrilling conclusion to the Courting Darkness duology, set in the world of Robin’s beloved His Fair Assassins trilogy.

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

First off, I’m a huge fan of Roselle Lim. I read her debut novel Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune last year and patiently waited for this book to appear. Roselle Lim’s first book was just a magical place with some deeper themes about grief and loss done in a way that’s uplifting. I hope the same for this one as well!

Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people’s fortunes—or misfortunes—in tea leaves.

Ever since she can remember, Vanessa Yu has been able to see people’s fortunes at the bottom of their teacups. To avoid blurting out their fortunes, she converts to coffee, but somehow fortunes escape and find a way to complicate her life and the ones of those around her. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her parents enlist the services of a matchmaking expert from Shanghai.

The day before her matchmaking appointment, Vanessa accidentally sees her own fate: death by traffic accident. She decides that she can’t truly live until she can find a way to get rid of her uncanny abilities. When her eccentric aunt, Evelyn, shows up with a tempting offer to whisk her away, Vanessa says au revoir to America and bonjour to Paris. While working at Evelyn’s tea stall at a Parisian antique market, Vanessa performs some matchmaking of her own, attempting to help reconnect her aunt with a lost love. As she learns more about herself and the root of her gifts, she realizes one thing to be true: knowing one’s destiny isn’t a curse, but being unable to change it is.

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the timey wimey wibbily wobbily stuff. Multiverses and traveling through space and time will always have a special place in my heart. Now, add an author of color who brings identity, privilege, and belonging with an added bonus of queer characters and it’s like science fiction coming to life.

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

Don’t laugh! I’m very excited about the bleeding pomegranate book. A little well known truth is that I was really into Twilight. It was my introduction to YA books and I appreciate it for being that for me. I know the themes are quite problematic, but hopefully there will be some redemption here.

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?

Excited about any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Publishing Day to all the new books out in the world! I’m so excited to bring back this blog series and highlight some of the books publishing. Of course, this doesn’t have an extensive overview of every book publishing, but I wanted to share what I’m excited about and what’s been on my radar. I hope you enjoy these picks and let me know if you’re excited for any of them either!

Today I’m sharing with you just three books. I think with the pandemic many books have pushed their release dates, so not as many books are publishing this summer. However, I think this is only the start of the wave and we’ll be seeing more books soon! Here’s what I’m excited for today:

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

I just posted my book review for this wonderful YA novel and I have to admit, I’m such a fan. But I’ll need to get on with buying a physical copy of this book for my bookcase. Here’s more about the book:

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune’s YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades in TJ Klune’s YA debut.

Find The Extraordinaries on Bookshop.org

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell

I’m not sure exactly when I became a fan of David Mitchell’s, but I am. I’m a huge fan of his twisty topsy-turvy stories mixing in literary with science fiction and the like. However, this book is not that. In fact, this book is about a band called Utopia Avenue and the hijinks they got into during their hey day. I absolutely love stories about bands especially set during the 1960s and 1970s. While I wasn’t a big fan of Daisy Jones and the Six, I feel like this will be a good alternative to that especially set in London (swinging 60s London to be precise). Here’s more about the book:

Utopia Avenue are the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967 and fronted by folksinger Elf Holloway, guitar demigod Jasper de Zoet and blues bassist Dean Moss, Utopia Avenue released only two LPs during its brief and blazing journey from the clubs of Soho and draughty ballrooms to Top of the Pops and the cusp of chart success, to glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome and a fateful American fortnight in the autumn of 1968.

David Mitchell’s new novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue; of riots in the streets and revolutions in the head; of drugs, thugs, madness, love, sex, death, art; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder. Can we change the world in turbulent times, or does the world change us? Utopia means ‘nowhere’ but could a shinier world be within grasp, if only we had a map?

Find Utopia Avenue on Bookshop.org

Running by Natalia Sylvester

I’m a huge fan of Natalia Sylvester. I read her book Everyone Knows You Go Home a few years back and fell in love with her storytelling and writing style. I’m so excited to be reading her YA novel, Running, which talks about family, politics, and what happens when you stop seeing your parents as heroes. I have to admit, the synopsis got me. I love complex family stories as much as the next person and this one sounds really up there. I MUST READ! Here’s more about the book:

When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz’s father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero—while the whole country is watching.

In this thoughtful, authentic, humorous, and gorgeously written novel about privacy, waking up, and speaking up, Senator Anthony Ruiz is running for president. Throughout his successful political career he has always had his daughter’s vote, but a presidential campaign brings a whole new level of scrutiny to sheltered fifteen-year-old Mariana and the rest of her Cuban American family, from a 60 Minutes–style tour of their house to tabloids doctoring photos and inventing scandals. As tensions rise within the Ruiz family, Mari begins to learn about the details of her father’s political positions, and she realizes that her father is not the man she thought he was.

But how do you find your voice when everyone’s watching? When it means disagreeing with your father—publicly? What do you do when your dad stops being your hero? Will Mari get a chance to confront her father? If she does, will she have the courage to seize it?

Find Running on Bookshop.org