strange and random happenstance

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.

But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.

As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales."

A perpetrator who is Poe inspire!?! YES!

A Golden Grave by Erin Lindsey
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The follow-up to Murder on Millionaires' Row, Erin Lindsey's second historical mystery follows Rose Gallagher as she tracks a killer with shocking abilities through Gilded Age Manhattan.

Rose Gallagher always dreamed of finding adventure, so her new life as a freshly-minted Pinkerton agent ought to be everything she ever wanted. Only a few months ago, she was just another poor Irish housemaid from Five Points; now, she’s learning to shoot a gun and dance the waltz and throw a grown man over her shoulder. Better still, she’s been recruited to the special branch, an elite unit dedicated to cases of a paranormal nature, and that means spending her days alongside the dashing Thomas Wiltshire.

But being a Pinkerton isn’t quite what Rose imagined, and not everyone welcomes her into the fold. Meanwhile, her old friends aren’t sure what to make of the new Rose, and even Thomas seems to be having second thoughts about his junior partner. So when a chilling new case arrives on Rose’s doorstep, she jumps at the chance to prove herself - only to realize that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined. Six delegates have been murdered at a local political convention, and the police have no idea who - or what - is responsible. One thing seems clear: The killer’s next target is a candidate for New York City mayor, one Theodore Roosevelt.

Convinced that something supernatural is afoot, Rose and Thomas must track down the murderer before Roosevelt is taken out of the race - permanently. But this killer is unlike any they’ve faced before, and hunting him down will take them from brownstones to ballrooms to Bowery saloons. Not quite comfortable anywhere, Rose must come to terms with her own changed place in society - and the fact that some would do anything to see her gone from it entirely."

Ever since becoming absorbed by The Alienist, this period in New York and Theodore Roosevelt have captured me and I love the opportunity to revisit this time period.

Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Syewart
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the fifth installment of Amy Stewart’s clever and original Kopp Sisters series, the sisters learn some military discipline - whether they’re ready or not - as the U.S. prepares to enter World War I.

It’s the spring of 1917 and change is in the air. American women have done something remarkable: they’ve banded together to create military-style training camps for women who want to serve. These so-called National Service Schools prove irresistible to the Kopp sisters, who leave their farm in New Jersey to join up.

When an accident befalls the matron, Constance reluctantly agrees to oversee the camp - much to the alarm of the Kopps’ tent-mate, the real-life Beulah Binford, who is seeking refuge from her own scandalous past under the cover of a false identity. Will she be denied a second chance? And after notoriety, can a woman’s life ever be her own again?

In Kopp Sisters on the March, the women of Camp Chevy Chase face down the skepticism of the War Department, the double standards of a scornful public, and the very real perils of war. Once again, Amy Stewart has brilliantly brought a little-known moment in history to light with her fearless and funny Kopp sisters novels."

Firstly, is there really a Camp Chevy Chase!?! Secondly, anyone else want to see these books as a series with the cast that played these real life sisters in an episode of Drunk History? 

Downton Abbey: The Official Film Companion by Emma Marriott
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The official tie-in book for Downton Abbey, the full-length feature film.

Downton Abbey: The Official Film Companion is a stunning memento, bringing the world and the characters of our favorite fictional country house to life. Featuring spectacular photographs from the production, interviews with the cast and crew, and a look into the historical and geographical backdrop of the film, this official guide to the Downton Abbey film is made to be treasured and loved by fans across the globe.

The film revolves around the King and Queen making an official visit to Downton in 1927, and not only sees the return of all the main cast from the final television series, but also introduces some great British actors to the world of Downton, as we meet the royal family and their retinue. The accompanying book is lavishly illustrated with stunning shots from both behind and in front of the camera, which capture some wonderful off-guard moments during filming, as well as the original costume illustrations."

Whether you thought the TV show should have been left alone due to it's pitch perfect ending or whether you disagree, the movie is here this week...

Christmas at Pennington's by Rachel Brimble
Published by: Aria
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 316 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gripping drama as Pennington's department store prepares for a glittering Christmas in 1911, but a killer stalks the women of Bath.

Christmas sees Pennington's at its most glorious, thronged with shoppers, its grand staircase and balcony adorned with holly, mistletoe, tinsel and lights. It should be the happiest time, but dramas are seething beneath the surface.

For Cornelia Culford, in charge of jewellery, a divorce hearing looms, where she could lose custody of her young sons to her overbearing and unfaithful husband.

For Stephen Gower, being head of security at Pennington's is the perfect refuge from a tragic past at Scotland Yard. But soon the past will call him back, as Joseph Carter and Elizabeth Pennington beg him to help solve the murder of Joseph's first wife, now that it seems as if the killer has struck again.

For Joseph and Elizabeth, their marriage depends on exorcising the past. But can it ever be laid to rest?"

For those who thought The Paradise and Mr. Selfridge needed a little more dangerous and deadly intrigue. 

What Happened That Night by Hester Fox
Published by: Wattpad Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 328 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Griffin Tomlin is dead. And Clara’s sister killed him...

Four months after the murder, the entire town of Shiloh is still in shock. For Clara Porterfield, the normal world has crumbled around her in a million chaotic pieces. Now Clara lives in a new reality, where her sister awaits trial for murder, her mother obsessively digs in a dead, frozen garden, and her father lives and breathes denial. At school, Clara is haunted by her classmates' morbid curiosity - and all of the unspoken questions they won’t ask.

But none of them knows what she knows...

Now Clara's sister wants something from her - the one thing in all of this that Clara isn't ready to face: the truth about what really happened that night. Because this story didn't die with Griffin Tomlin. There's another story that needs to be told. And sometimes, the lies we're told are nowhere near as deadly as the lies we tell ourselves..."

My main question is, when did Wattpad start publishing physical books?

What Rose Forgot by Nevada Barr
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In New York Times bestselling author Nevada Barr's gripping standalone, a grandmother in her sixties emerges from a mental fog to find she's trapped in her worst nightmare.

Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital gown, her brain in a fog, only to discover that she's been committed to an Alzheimer's Unit in a nursing home. With no memory of how she ended up in this position, Rose is sure that something is very wrong. When she overhears one of the administrators saying about her that she's "not making it through the week," Rose is convinced that if she's to survive, she has to get out of the nursing home. She avoids taking her medication, putting on a show for the aides, then stages her escape.

The only problem is - how does she convince anyone that she's not actually demented? Her relatives were the ones to commit her, all the legal papers were drawn up, the authorities are on the side of the nursing home, and even she isn't sure she sounds completely sane. But any lingering doubt Rose herself might have had is erased when a would-be killer shows up in her house in the middle of the night. Now Rose knows that someone is determined to get rid of her.

With the help of her computer hacker/recluse sister Marion, thirteen-year old granddaughter Mel, and Mel's friend Royal, Rose begins to gather her strength and fight back - to find out who is after her and take back control of her own life. But someone out there is still determined to kill Rose, and they're holding all the cards."

Barr steps away from parks but still delivers a strong, and disconcerting mystery for the aging amongst us. 

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A hilarious, offbeat debut space opera that skewers everything from pop culture to video games and features an irresistible foul-mouthed captain and her motley crew, strange life forms, exciting twists, and a galaxy full of fun and adventure.

Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra cruise the galaxy delivering small cargo for even smaller profits. When her sister Mari is kidnapped by The Fridge, a shadowy syndicate that holds people hostage in cryostasis, Eva must undergo a series of unpleasant, dangerous missions to pay the ransom.

But Eva may lose her mind before she can raise the money. The ship’s hold is full of psychic cats, an amorous fish-faced emperor wants her dead after she rejects his advances, and her sweet engineer is giving her a pesky case of feelings. The worse things get, the more she lies, raising suspicions and testing her loyalty to her found family.

To free her sister, Eva will risk everything: her crew, her ship, and the life she’s built on the ashes of her past misdeeds. But when the dominoes start to fall and she finds the real threat is greater than she imagined, she must decide whether to play it cool or burn it all down."

I could lie, and say that the reason I picked this book up is my love of space operas that skewer, but in truth it's because, OMG THERE'S A CAT WEARING A SPACE HELMET ON THE COVER!!!

System Failure by Joe Zieja
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"War is spreading through the galaxy - and it’s becoming abundantly clear that there’s an outside force at play in this explosive and hilarious new installment of the Epic Failure series that reads like Catch-22 meets David Weber.

With the galaxy thrown into chaos by mutual breaches of the Two Hundred Years’ peace, what seemed like an isolated incident on the Thelicosa/Merida border has become an epidemic. In the midst of this chaos, the Thelicosan and Meridan fleets on their respective borders have come to a sort of tense peace after the events in Book II but now it’s clear: somebody wants war. And it’s not the Free Systems of the galaxy.

No. It’s a mom-and-pop convenience store gone galactic. It’s the purveyors of balloons and nachos and supplies for bowling lanes. It’s the company that made the droids and a large part of the technology that all of the Free Systems are using in their militaries.

It’s Snaggardirs. And they want to snag it all."

For your space opera sans cats on the cover needs. 

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria cooking. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home."

YAS! All the YAS! So much fun and nostalgia and come on, let's be honest, BUFFY!

The House at the End of the Road by Kari Rust
Published by: Owlkids
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One summer, while exploring the town during their annual stay at Grandma’s house, two siblings and their cousin come across a creepy old house. The kids poke around, one of them causing mischief and tossing rocks at the window, until they glimpse a ghost through the glass! Later, Grandma reveals the house doesn’t belong to a ghost - just old Mr. Peterson.

After visiting again with better intentions, the kids discover Mr. Peterson’s great sense of humor and that his house is full of fascinating things: old toys, photographs, even a film projector. They become regular visitors, until one day, Mr. Peterson is gone: he has left for a retirement home, and his house sits empty. Using odds, ends, and gifts he gave them, the kids create mementos of Mr. Peterson’s home to give back to him.

Full of heart, this picture book incorporates graphic novel elements to tell a layered and moving story about an intergenerational friendship. It shows how appearances can be deceiving: sometimes the best adventure awaits where you least expect it."

A sweet summer tale with heart. 

The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 136 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Revisit the enchanting world of Tea Dragons with an all-new companion story to the two-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society!

Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.

Critically-acclaimed graphic novelist Katie O'Neill delivers another charming, gentle fantasy story about finding your purpose, and the community that helps you along the way."

Last year I read The Tea Dragon Society and not only immediately wanted a Tea Dragon of my own but started following all that the talented Katie O'Neill does. Seriously, follow her on Instagram, buy all her books, you won't regret it!

Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 216 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life as a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of queer misfits - and several angry vampires.

Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust and Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue - qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.

But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.

Both witty and slapstick, elegant and gory, Emily McGovern’s debut graphic novel pays tribute to and pokes fun at beloved romance tropes, delivering a joyous, action-packed world of friendship and adventure."

Firstly, if you haven't heard of My Life as a Background Slytherin, how are we friends? Secondly, this book has EVERYTHING I love, Lord Byron, Regency England, Vampires!

The Hardy Agency Volume 1: The Vanished Perfume by Pierre Christin and Annie Goetzinger
Published by: Europe Comics
Publication Date: September 17th, 2019
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"Edith Hardy runs a small detective agency off an unassuming alley in the 13th arrondissement. It's the 1950s, and foreign forces are busy vying for power in a Paris still recovering from World War II. Edith has a good heart and a missing husband, and her attempts to do right by her small world get her caught up in far larger, darker affairs. A classic Pierre Christin script - a strong sense of place and history, humane leftist sympathies - combines with Annie Goetzinger's indelible artwork to deliver a stylish mystery for fans of classy whodunits."

Who can beat the style and elegance of 50s detection in Paris? 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy Stewart, Buffy, Deanna Cameron, Downton Abbey, Emily McGovern, Erin Lindsey, Hester Fox, Joe Zieja, Kari Rust, Kate Williams, Katie O'Neill, Nevada Barr, Pierre Christin, Rachel Brimble, Valerie Valdes

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Published by: Nan A. Talese
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.

When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her - freedom, prison or death.

With The Testaments, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead."

You know, the thing I liked about The Handmaid's Tale was that is was unresolved... so this could be a big misstep, bigger even than that horrid cover. I mean seriously, WHO gave the go ahead on that cover is what ever single graphic designer in the world is currently asking.

The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew conjures a dark and unpredictable tale of family secrets that explores the lengths people will go to hurt one another.

When her beloved nanny, Hannah, left without a trace in the summer of 1988, seven-year-old Jocelyn Holt was devastated. Haunted by the loss, Jo grew up bitter and distant, and eventually left her parents and Lake Hall, their faded aristocratic home, behind.

Thirty years later, Jo returns to the house and is forced to confront her troubled relationship with her mother. But when human remains are accidentally uncovered in a lake on the estate, Jo begins to question everything she thought she knew.

Then an unexpected visitor knocks on the door and Jo’s world is destroyed again. Desperate to piece together the gaping holes in her memory, Jo must uncover who her nanny really was, why she left, and if she can trust her own mother...

In this compulsively readable tale of secrets, lies, and deception, Gilly Macmillan explores the darkest impulses and desires of the human heart. Diabolically clever, The Nanny reminds us that sometimes the truth hurts so much you’d rather hear the lie."

Oh oh oh, dead nanny? Or is it something more? I can't wait to find out!

The Institute by Stephen King
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 576 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It - publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters.

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win."

I have a feeling that this week belongs to Stephen King more than Margaret Atwood, especially as whatever victory she gets is tainted by the Amazon scandal.

The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm by Richard Estep with Robert Graves
Published by: Llewellyn Publications
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fox Hollow Farm, the infamous Indiana property where Herb Baumeister allegedly murdered at least eleven men, has a grim past and an unsettling present. This riveting book pieces together the story of the tragic case and explores the paranormal encounters that continue to this day, delving into the psyche of a suspected murderer and the terrifying supernatural activity that lingers in the aftermath of such unspeakable evil.

The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm provides detailed insights from the original criminal investigation as well as the perspectives of the man who survived Herb's attempt on his life. This chilling book also features actual supernatural evidence - from EVPs and psychic confirmations to first-hand accounts of the disembodied hands and voices that regularly manifest on the estate."

True crime plus true ghosts? Oh yes. Also I was recently explaining EVPs to someone, so this book should help them along their ghost hunting way.

The Fragments by Toni Jordan
Published by: Text Publishing Company
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inga Karlson died in a fire in New York in the 1930s, leaving behind three things: a phenomenally successful first novel, the scorched fragments of a second book - and a literary mystery that has captivated generations of readers.

Nearly fifty years later, Brisbane bookseller Caddie Walker is waiting in line to see a Karlson exhibition, featuring the famous fragments. A charismatic older woman quotes a phrase from the Karlson fragments that Caddie knows does not exist. Caddie is jolted from her sleepy life in 1980s Brisbane, and driven to uncover the truth about this fascinating literary mystery."

This is the kind of literary mystery I'd personally love to solve! 

The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Before they became legendary writers, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Anne Brontë were detectors in this charming historical mystery...

Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson’s daughters - the Brontë sisters - learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance.

These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines - it’s seeing what is not there.”

As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril..."

While of all the authors turned crime fighters I find this most absurd, I DO still want to read it, even though the publisher denied by request for an ARC.

Hilda and The Mountain King by Luke Pearson
Published by: Flying Eye Books
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 80 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The newest book in the beloved Hilda series continues the action-packed adventures with our beloved Hilda stuck in the body of a troll trying to save all of human and troll-kind! Hilda and the Mountain King takes off from the cliff hanger in Hilda and the Stone Forest that left you waiting breathlessly!

We rejoin our heroine for her latest adventure just as she awakes to find herself in the body of a troll! Her mother is worried sick, and is perplexed by the strange creature that seems to have taken Hilda's place. Now, both of them are in a race to be reunited before Ahlberg and his safety patrol get the chance to use their new secret weapon to lay waste to the trolls, and Hilda along with them!"

I discovered Hilda last year and fell instantly in love, and this was BEFORE the Netflix series thank you very much. The cliffhanger I've been living with for over a year has been very stressful, thankfully this book will hopefully answer all my questions and quell my anxiety. 

The Magic Misfits: The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 10th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third magical book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits series from acclaimed and wildly popular celebrity Neil Patrick Harris!

Theo Stein-Meyer loves being part of the Magic Misfits. Armed with his trusty violin bow, he completes the team with his levitation skills, unflappable calm, and proper manners. But when a girl named Emily begins to spend time with the group, Theo is surprisingly drawn to her. She seems to understand the pull he feels between music and magic, between family and friends.

Then a famous ventriloquist arrives in town, and the Misfits are sure he (and his creepy dummy) are up to no good. With their mentor, Mr. Vernon, suddenly called away and tension simmering among the friends, can they come together to stop another member of the villainous Emerald Ring? It's time for Theo to make a choice about where - and with whom - he belongs.

Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this unique and surprising series. Whether you're a long-time expert at illusion or simply a new fan of stage magic, hold on to your top hat!"

Anyone else REALLY freaked out by that dummy on the cover?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Bella Ellis, Bronte, Fox Hollow Farm, Gilly Macmillan, Hilda, Hilda and the Mountain King, Luke Pearson, Margaret Atwood, Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen King, The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments, Tonu Jordan

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

From Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of Vera and Shetland, beloved by readers and TV viewers alike, comes a spectacular new series, told with deep compassion and searing insight."

A new Ann Cleeves series, be still my heart! Also, how long until it's a TV series? My guess is REALLY SOON.

Iced in Paradise by Naomi Hirahara
Published by: Prospect Park Books
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Paperback, 216 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Leilani Santiago is back in her birthplace, the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, to help keep afloat the family business, a shave ice shack. When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father. As her father soon becomes the No. 1 murder suspect, Leilani must find the real killer and somehow safeguard her ill mother, little sisters, and grandmother while also preserving a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in Seattle."

Last year I watched all of Magnum, P.I. and I miss it horribly. I think this will fill the void. Or I might just have to rewatch it all again...

Murder on a Mystery Tour by Marian Babson
Published by: Open Road Media Mystery and Thriller
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Kindle, 187 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With their fortunes dwindling, Reggie and his wife, Midge, have turned the family mansion into an English country inn. When Midge gets a call from an old classmate who arranges “mystery tours” for visiting Americans, she happily agrees to host one of these staged-murder events.

But the tour seems to be a disaster from the get-go, with lots of arguing and complaining among those involved. Then, after a massive snowstorm, a real murder takes place - and it’s up to the amateur sleuths to solve the case before the killer checks them out permanently."

Wannabe detectives snowed in when the killings start? YAS! 

A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Dangerous Engagement is the stylish, charming sixth novel in the Edgar-nominated Amory Ames mystery series by Ashley Weaver, set in 1930s New York.

As they travel by ship to New York for her childhood friend Tabitha’s wedding, Amory Ames gazes out at the city’s iconic skyline, excited by the prospect of being a bridesmaid. Her husband Milo, however, is convinced their trip will be deadly dull, since Prohibition is in full swing. But when a member of the wedding party is found murdered on the front steps of the bride’s home, the happy plans take a darker twist.

Amory discovers that the dead groomsman has links to the notorious - and notoriously handsome - gangster Leon De Lora, and soon she and Milo find themselves drawn into another mystery. While the police seem to think that New York’s criminal underworld is at play, Amory feels they can’t ignore the wedding party either. Tabitha’s fiancé Tom Smith appears to be a good man, but he has secrets of his own, and the others in the group seem strangely unaffected by the death of their friend...

In an unfamiliar city, not knowing who they can trust, Milo and Amory are drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of nightclubs and bootleggers. But as they draw closer to unraveling the web of lies and half-truths the murdered man has left in his wake, the killer is weaving a web of his own."

Because who doesn't like the siren call of the thirties with a dash or murder and mayhem?

The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Kindle, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school in 1830s Victorian London. She is also a well-respected author of "silver-fork" novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories - the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Charles King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats, intelligent detectives solving grisly murders, and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.

Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Charles King started taking all of his readers. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the social and political causes of their working-class readers. The group knows King could be an asset with his obvious monetary success, or he could be the group’s undoing as King’s readership continues to cut into their profits.

Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. What neither author anticipated was the instant attraction, even though their social positions dictate the impossibility of a relationship.

For the first time Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line."

This book had me at writer of Penny Dreadfuls... 

Magic Under the Mistletoe by Lucy Coleman
Published by: Aria
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Kindle, 334 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Christmas and romance are in the air...

It's December 23rd and while everyone else is rushing home for the holidays, workaholic Leesa Oliver is dreading switching on her out-of-office for the festive season. And it seems her equally driven boss, Cary Anderson, isn't relishing spending Christmas at his family's country estate either.

So together, they draft an unexpected Christmas contract: They'll spend half of the holidays with each other's families, pretending to be a couple. Leesa knows the insufferably good-looking Cary will make her Christmas more bearable, but what happens after the last of the mince pies have been eaten...?

Leesa signed off on a sensible business agreement, but somewhere, amongst the fairy lights and carols something seems to have changed... It seems there might just be some magic under the mistletoe this Christmas!"

Yes, I'm setting up my holiday reading, do you want to make something of it?

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows meets Kristin Cashore's Graceling, with a dash of Winter is Coming, in this showstopping debut YA fantasy!

The Age of Darkness approaches.
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it...or unleash it?

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations - until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation...or the cause of its destruction. With chaos on the horizon, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them - or all of them - could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer? Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Children of Blood and Bone, and An Ember in the Ashes."

Yes to the Six of Crows comparison, no to the Children of Blood and Bone. I just didn't like that book. 

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
Published by: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.

Some legends never die...

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé - and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life - Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler - more widely known as Dracula - and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths - including murder - to possess it."

I'm a sucker for anything Gothic and Dracula related, it is that time of year...

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Ann Cleeves
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep, comes her new gut-wrenching epic The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again - a home."

Tattoos and runes? Yes please!

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library...or see everything it stood for crumble."

There is never not a right time for a new installment in this series.

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now in hardcover, the thirteenth novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling Toby Daye urban fantasy series!

Hundreds of years ago, the Selkies made a deal with the sea witch: they would have the sea for as long as she allowed it, and when the time came, she would call in all their debts at once. Many people assumed that day would never come. Those people were wrong.

When the Luidaeg - October "Toby" Daye's oldest and most dangerous ally - tells her the time has come for the Selkies to fulfill their side of the bargain, and that Toby must be a part of the process, Toby can't refuse. Literally. The Selkies aren't the only ones in debt to the Luidaeg, and Toby has to pay what she owes like anyone else. They will travel to the fabled Duchy of Ships and call a convocation of the Selkies, telling them to come and meet the Luidaeg's price...or face the consequences.

Of course, nothing is that simple. When Dianda Lorden's brother appears to arrest Dianda for treason against the Undersea, when a Selkie woman is stripped of her skin and then murdered, when everything is falling apart, that's when Toby will have to answer the real question of the hour.

Is she going to sink? Or is she going to swim?"

I'm going to start referring to Seanan McGuire as the Urban Fantasy Stephen King, she really has the output to match! 

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee
Published by: Marvel Press
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This is the first of three young adult novels from New York Times best-selling author Mackenzi Lee that explores the untapped potential and duality of heroism of popular characters in the Marvel Universe.

Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity...except for Amora. Asgard's resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit-someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him.

But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard's most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing. Without the only person who ever looked at his magic as a gift instead of a threat, Loki slips further into anguish and the shadow of his universally adored brother, Thor.

When Asgardian magic is detected in relation to a string of mysterious murders on Earth, Odin sends Loki to investigate. As he descends upon nineteenth-century London, Loki embarks on a journey that leads him to more than just a murder suspect, putting him on a path to discover the source of his power-and who he's meant to be."

Because who doesn't need more Loki in their lives? 

Little Witches: Magic in Concord by Leigh Dragoon
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A charming and magical graphic novel adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women!

Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg March are four sisters living in Concord with their parents - Father, who's tending to soldiers fighting in the Civil War, and Marmee, who teaches the girls simple but effective witchcraft. The Marches have to keep their craft quiet, as there are many in Concord who see magic in a bad light - especially after things have begun disappearing.

When Mr. Laurence, a witchfinder, moves in next door to investigate the missing objects, the girls fear for their livelihood. But he turns out to be a kind old man, and his grandson, Laurie, quickly befriends the Marches. As the cold winter blusters on, the girls continue their education, even as missing objects soon turn into missing people.

Things take a turn for the worse when Jo and Laurie try investigating on their own, and a dangerous storm takes hold of Concord. There's powerful magic at play here - stronger than anything the Marches, or even Laurie, has ever seen before. Can they hope to defeat it? Or has the magic already become too strong for them to fight against?"

Now THIS is the Little Women adaptation I'm excited for. 

Texts from Mittens by Angie Bailey
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Format: Paperback, 152 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Internet’s favorite text-happy cat is back at it - with a little help from his friends.

Follow along with Mittens as he enjoys hilarious, snark-filled text volleys with his cast of quirky friends and family: Earl (the “filthy hound”), Stumpy (the best friend), Drunky Patty (the usually tipsy next-door neighbor), Grandma (giver of treats), and Fiona (Mitty’s girlfriend). Based on Angie Bailey’s virally popular blog, Texts from Mittens: The Friends and Family Edition is feline humor at its finest."

A book I'm SO excited to read! And why am I excited to read it? Not just cat snark, oh no, it's because I got a digital ARC through NetGalley and they archived it before they said they would and I didn't get to read it! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adrienne Young, Ann Cleeves, Ashley Weaver, Cats, Christmas, Jenn Bennett, Katy Rose Pool, Little Women, Loki, Lucy Coleman, Mackenzi Lee, Marian Babson, Naomi Hirahara, Rachel Caine, Sarah M. Eden, Seanan McGuire

Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Walk the ancient streets, meet the colorful characters, and uncover the secret history of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the new expansion to the Disney Parks experience!

After devastating losses at the hands of the First Order, General Leia Organa has dispatched her agents across the galaxy in search of allies, sanctuary, and firepower - and her top spy, Vi Moradi, may have just found all three, on a secluded world at the galaxy’s edge.

A planet of lush forests, precarious mountains, and towering, petrified trees, Batuu is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map, the last settled world before the mysterious expanse of Wild Space. The rogues, smugglers, and adventurers who eke out a living on the largest settlement on the planet, Black Spire Outpost, are here to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary complications. Vi, a Resistance spy on the run from the First Order, is hardly a welcome guest. And when a shuttle full of stormtroopers lands in her wake, determined to root her out, she has no idea where to find help.

To survive, Vi will have to seek out the good-hearted heroes hiding in a world that redefines scum and villainy. With the help of a traitorous trooper and her acerbic droid, she begins to gather a colorful band of outcasts and misfits, and embarks on a mission to spark the fire of resistance on Batuu - before the First Order snuffs it out entirely."

I would literally give anything to get to go to Galaxy's Edge! I mean, to actually be IN the Star Wars universe? Dream. Come. True.

A Better Man by Louise Penny
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.

It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.

As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.

Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel..., he resumes the search.

As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.

In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.

What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?"

Sounds a little too close to reality...

Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the fourth in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop delicious mystery series, Ho-Lee Noodle House is ready to take the Cleveland night market by storm - until a brand-new food venue literally explodes onto the scene.

Lana Lee is all smiles when the first evening of Cleveland’s Asian Night Market kicks off the summer. The weekly festival is always good for business, packed with locals and tourists, and this year, some stiff new food-truck competition. Wonton on Wheels, run by old friends of Lana’s parents, promises to have customers lining up for their delicately wrapped delights - until the truck blows up at evening’s end.

Lana’s boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, had been planning a birthday getaway for the two of them but, lo and behold, Lana must assume the role of amateur sleuth yet again. With one proprietor of Wonton on Wheels dead, it’s beginning to look more like murder and less like an unfortunate accident. And as they begin to unwrap layers of disturbing secrets, Lana’s own family erupts into new drama. Will Lana be able to solve this crime - or has she jumped from the wok right into the fire?"

Food truck cozy to celebrate the start of fall and a new school year, AKA, the time of year I relied on food trucks as an undergrad.

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The sixth Lisbeth Salander story - the crime-fiction phenomenon that has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide.

Lisbeth Salander - the fierce, unstoppable girl with the dragon tattoo - has disappeared. She's sold her apartment in Stockholm. She's gone silent electronically. She's told no one where she is. And no one is aware that at long last she's got her primal enemy, her twin sister, Camilla, squarely in her sights.

Mikael Blomkvist is trying to reach Lisbeth. He needs her help unraveling the identity of a man who lived and died on the streets in Stockholm - a man who does not exist in any official records and whose garbled last words hinted at possible damaging knowledge of people in the highest echelons of government and industry. In his pocket was a crumpled piece of paper with Blomkvist's phone number on it.

Once again, Salander and Blomkvist will come to each other's aid, moving in tandem toward the truths they each seek. In the end, it will be Blomkvist - in a moment of unimaginable self-sacrifice--who will make it possible for Lisbeth to face the most important battle of her life, and, finally, to put her past to rest."

I just recently saw the film adapted from the first of Lagercrantz's books on Lisbeth and it's made me interested in checking out the rest of the books he's written for this series, though I still think he should have followed the original outlines and not done his own thing. 

Beneath the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel - Flowers in the Attic - debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution.

Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother.

Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed?

Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller."

If anyone else is suffering from V.C. Andrews withdrawal after the final Lifetime movie adaptation aired on Saturday here's your cure!

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Small Spaces.

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland's help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help - or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story."

It's like The Shining for kids! 

Best Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
Published by: First Second
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling creators of Real Friends Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with a true story about popularity, first crushes, and finding your own path in the graphic novel, Best Friends.

Follow your heart. Find your people.

Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school.

But the rules are always changing, and Shannon has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and who she’s allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules, anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them?"

A must read for those who love Shannon Hale and those who have yet to discover her!
 A Bride's Story, Volume 11 by Kaoru Mori
Published by: Yen Press
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Having reached his destination in Ankara, Smith is not only reunited with his old friend, but also Talas, the woman he briefly stayed with on his journey. An agreement was made, and now Smith must travel back to Amir and Karluk with his new companions and newly acquired camera. However, the roads back are perilous as war approaches..."

To me, it's never really the start of fall until a new installment of this magnificent manga is released. 

Bottle Grove by Daniel Handler
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: August 27th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A razor-sharp tale of two couples, two marriages, a bar, and a San Francisco start-up from a best-selling, award-winning novelist.

This is a story about two marriages. Or is it? It begins with a wedding, held in the small San Francisco forest of Bottle Grove - bestowed by a wealthy patron for the public good, back when people did such things. Here is a cross section of lives, a stretch of urban green where ritzy guests, lustful teenagers, drunken revelers, and forest creatures all wait for the sun to go down. The girl in the corner slugging vodka from a cough-syrup bottle is Padgett - she's keeping something secreted in the woods. The couple at the altar are the Nickels - the bride is emphatic about changing her name, as there is plenty about her old life she is ready to forget.

Set in San Francisco as the tech-boom is exploding, Bottle Grove is a sexy, skewering dark comedy about two unions - one forged of love and the other of greed - and about the forces that can drive couples together, into dependence, and then into sinister, even supernatural realms. Add one ominous shape-shifter to the mix, and you get a delightful and strange spectacle: a story of scheming and yearning and foibles and love and what we end up doing for it - and everyone has a secret. Looming over it all is the income disparity between San Francisco's tech community and...everyone else."

San Francisco and a shape-shifter? Did someone read my dream book combination?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Bride's Story, Daniel Handler, David Lagercrantz, Delilah S. Dawson, Galaxy's Edge, Kaoru Mori, Katherine Arden, LeUyen Pham, Lisbeth Salander, Louise Penny, Shannon Hale, Star Wars, V.C. Andrews, Vivien Chien

Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London's east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. Only one man stands between her and the danger that lurks within - and only if he decides to keep her biggest secret hidden."

This sounds like a more Gothic version of Fingersmith and I'm sold! 

The Zepplin Deception by Colleen Gleason
Published by: Avid Press
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker return in their final - and most exciting - adventure together.

It’s a cold, blustery day in January of 1890 when Mina Holmes receives an invitation to Evaline Stoker’s wedding. The two young women - partners and occasionally friends - haven’t spoken for nearly two months, since the events at the Carnelian Crow.

Shocked, Mina is still looking at the invitation when constables from Scotland Yard begin pounding on her front door. They’ve arrived to arrest her for the murder of a man she’s never even heard of.

Meanwhile, Evaline has her hands full with wedding plans (boring) and an overbearing sister who wants to manage her every move - including a dizzying array of social activities. In the midst of all this, she receives an invitation to visit Lady Isabella Cosgrove-Pitt, a most villainous woman.

With Pix in jail, Mina being hunted by Scotland Yard, and Evaline dining with the murderous Lady Isabella what more can possibly go wrong?

Plenty. And when the mysterious black zeppelin appears once again in the night sky, things are about to get even more dangerous for Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes."

Their final adventure has FINALLY arrived. Though if I were you I'd go over to Colleen's website to order it...

The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An utterly transporting and original historical novel about an eighteenth-century experiment in personal isolation that yields unexpected - and deeply, shatteringly human - results.

Herbert Powyss lives in an estate in the Welsh Marches, with enough time and income to pursue a gentleman's fashionable investigations and experiments in botany. But he longs to make his mark in the field of science - something consequential enough to present to the Royal Society in London. He hits on a radical experiment in isolation: For seven years a subject will inhabit three rooms in the basement of the manor house, fitted out with rugs, books, paintings, and even a chamber organ. Meals will arrive thrice daily via a dumbwaiter. The solitude will be totally unrelieved by any social contact whatsoever; the subject will keep a diary of his daily thoughts and actions. The pay: fifty pounds per annum, for life.

Only one man is desperate to apply for the job: John Warlow, a semi-literate laborer with a wife and six children to provide for. The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included."

Don't you just NEED to know the consequences? I know I do! 

A Shadowed Livery by Charlie Garratt
Published by: Sapere Books
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 261 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first book in a page-turning historical mystery series! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Philip Kerr and Andrew Taylor.

War is on the horizon...

Warwickshire, England, 1938.

While Hitler and Chamberlain are preparing to sign the Munich agreement, the murderer of a Jewish shopkeeper is being hanged in Birmingham.

After witnessing the execution, Inspector James Given, who brought the killer to justice, is surprised to find he has been taken off the investigation to pursue something completely different.

Grovestock House, owned by the wealthy Barleigh family has witnessed a triple death.

With the terrible events neatly written off as a murder and a double suicide, Given is supposed to tidy up a few loose ends with the help of local constable, John Sawyer.

But Given is sure there is more to the case than meets the eye.

What dark secrets were the Barleigh family hiding? Could there be another killer involved?

And how will Given react when he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past...?

A Shadowed Livery is an intriguing historical mystery - a traditional British investigation set in England immediately before the Second World War."

A time of change, a true event, and perfect for fans of Agatha Christie? Perfect summer read in my book.

The Paper Bark Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
Published by: Constable
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Su Lin is doing her dream job: assistant at Singapore's brand new detective agency. Until Bald Bernie decides a 'local girl' can't be trusted with private investigations, and replaces her with a new secretary - pretty, privileged, and white. So Su Lin's not the only person finding it hard to mourn Bernie after he's found dead in the filing room. And when her best friend's dad is accused, she gets up to some sleuthing work of her own in a bid to clear his name.

Su Lin finds out that Bernie may have been working undercover, trading stolen diamonds for explosives from enemy troops. Was he really the upright English citizen he claimed to be?

Meanwhile, a famous assassin commits his worst crime yet, and disappears into thin air. Rumours spread that he may be dangerously close to home.

Beneath the stifling, cloudless Singaporean summer, earthquakes of chaos and political unrest are breaking out. When a tragic loss shakes Su Lin's personal world to its core, she becomes determined to find the truth. But in dark, hate-filled times, truth has a price - and Su Lin must decide how much she's willing to pay for it."

I hope you love a different kind of detective story as much as I do! 

Turning Darkness into Light by Marie Brennan
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Marie Brennan's Turning Darkness Into Light is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape.

As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study.

When Lord Gleinheigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, Audrey must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late."

Anyone else as over the moon as I am that we have more dragon tales by Marie Brennan?

Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 64 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:

"A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by New York Times bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran!

A not-so-evil queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter and determined to repel this creature and save her kingdom from a world where happy endings aren't so happily ever after.

From the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, Nebula award-winning, and New York Times bestselling writer Neil Gaiman (American Gods) comes this graphic novel adaptation by Colleen Doran (Troll Bridge)!"

That Erté-esque cover is TO DIE FOR!

Tidelands by Philippa Gregory
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 New York Times bestselling author and “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, who cannot bear to conform to the life that lies before her.

Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, England is in the grip of a civil war between renegade king and rebellious parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even the remote tidelands - the marshy landscape of the south coast.

Alinor, a descendant of wisewomen, trapped in poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband. Instead, she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life.

Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbors. This is the time of witch mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands.

It is dangerous for a woman to be different."

I love nothing more that Philippa Gregory and her cunning women! 

The Deaths and Afterlife of Aleister Crowley by Ian Thornton
Published by: Unbound
Publication Date: August 20th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Aleister Crowley, also known as the Great Beast, is one of the most reviled men in history. Satanist, cult leader, debauched novelist and poet, his legacy has been harshly contested for decades.

Crowley supposedly died in 1947, but in Ian Thornton's new novel, set in the present day, the Great Beast is alive and well and living in Shangri-la. Now over 130 years old, thanks to the magical air of his mystical location, he looks back on his life and decides it is time to set the record straight.

For Crowley was not the evil man he is often portrayed as. This was just a cover to hide his real mission, to save the twentieth century from destroying itself and to set humanity on the road to freedom and liberty.

The Death and Afterlife of Aleister Crowley is an epic novel that will make you see this notorious figure in a completely new light, as he encounters an impressive cast of real-life characters including Timothy Leary, The Beatles, Princess Margaret, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock."

If you don't know who Aleister Crowley is, where have you been? You must immediately catch up my reading this book and watching Strange Angel.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aleister Crowley, Alix Nathan, Charlie Garratt, Colleen Doran, Colleen Gleason, Dragons, Hitchcock, Ian Thornton, Joanna Davidson Politano, Marie Brennan, Neil Gaiman, Ovidia Yu, Philippa Gregory, Strange Angel