strange and random happenstance

The Witch and the Wolf by Lindsey Kelk
Published by: Magpie (UK)
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover the sequel to gothic fantasy sensation The Bell Witches from Sunday Times bestseller, Lindsey Kelk.

Blood is thicker than water...

Since arriving in Savannah, Emily Bell has faced prophecies, werewolves, family secrets and her own grandmother's attempt to take her life.

But, strangely, surrounded by her friends and new family, Savannah has never felt more like home.

Now, faced with the absence of her love, Wyn, as he wrestles with his new abilities as a werewolf, and burdened with the task of finding her fellow witches to avert the prophecy that surrounds her, Emily is attacked by a new threat. A lone wolf that will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Emily must act fast and find out the wolf's identity before it kills her and all those she cares about. She will soon find out she can't do everything alone, and that a burden shared is a burden halved..."

This book might be very important to an upcoming theme on my blog...

When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching.

Roslyn isn't herself anymore. It's been a year since her sister, Adeline, died under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister.

Strange, beautiful, and intriguing, the girls are closed off from the world. And as it turns out, they're brought together by a force more sinister than Roslyn's nightmares could've conjured up: Death himself.

Death has spared the girls from untimely endings, and to pay for their lives, the girls travel the country reaping souls on his behalf. Now Roslyn must decide if finding closure is worth the price of striking the same deal."

Romani reapers? I could get behind that concept. 

What Digs Itself Free by Stoney Brooks
Published by: River-Lily Publishing
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Kindle, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Zap Rogers has made a career out of exploiting others, most of whom are dead. With one of the most successful, longest running ghost hunting shows on the market, he and his team have raked in the cash. But with market trends shifting, Zap and his crew are no longer relevant, and are losing market share to younger, more hip trends.

Scrambling to remain in the spotlight, Zap and his crew order new gear in an attempt to give the show a facelift. But when a mysterious package arrives from a secret admirer, things begin to take a sour turn. Investigations are seemingly sabotaged, weird sightings around the house have everyone on edge, Zap's plagued with nightmares of a mysterious old hag, and the manifestations are not only haunting, but starting to get physical.

With the help of an old colleague Zap begins investigating the occurrences, following the trail right back to his own selfish behavior. Now Zap must do everything in his power to stop the malevolent entity before this investigation turns into his last."

Oh, yes, ghosts, it's time for a bit of just desserts! 

The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu
Published by: Tin House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Most Anticipated Book of 2026 from TIME, Book Riot, and Chicago Review of Books.

From the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century comes The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts - an eerie, spellbinding novel of grief and guilt, with a razor-sharp eye for the absurdity and melancholy of the internet age.

In the aftermath of her mother's death, Eleanor is unmoored. For years, her mother orchestrated every detail of her life - from meals, to laundry, to finances - so that Eleanor could focus on her career as a therapist. Left to navigate the world on her own, Eleanor clings to her mother's final directive: use her inheritance to buy a house.

Desperate to obey her mother one last time, but finding few options she can afford, Eleanor impulsively buys a model home in a valley-turned-construction site, a picturesque development steeped in a shadowy history. It feels like a fresh start, until the rain comes - an endless, torrential downpour. As water seeps in through the house's cracks, the line between what is real and what is not begins to blur. Haunted by the stories of her clients, a stream of workmen and bureaucrats she can't trust, and visions of ghosts from her past and present, Eleanor's reality unravels, and she is forced to reckon with the secrets she's buried and the dark choices she's made."

Yes yes, unraveling reality and ghosts!

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters
Published by: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that "upends everything you think you know about ghost stories" (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

The Devil enters through doors left open...

On the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia, Edith is a healer, a woman of knowledge - and a woman watched. Shadows move where they shouldn't. Whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to the Devil, Edith makes a desperate choice.

Claire doesn't believe in ghosts - until she returns home to care for her dying father and finds her childhood house... listening. As one sleepless night bleeds into the next, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has waited a long time to rise.

Is the house haunted? What compels this lurking darkness? As the danger mounts, Edith and Claire will discover they'll need each other to survive. But they are separated by four hundred years. And time is running out for them both."

It's hard when that which can save you is separated from you by hundreds of years.

Burn the Water by Billy Ray
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning screenwriter of The Hunger Games Billy Ray comes an immersive and breathtaking enemies-to-lovers epic romance about war, loyalty, and the power that love has to save... or destroy.

The year is 2425 and London is underwater.

Three hundred years ago, rising oceans drowned a vast majority of the English Isle. London is now a jungle of dead skyscrapers and submerged streets.

Fighting over the scraps of a world none can remember, two Houses - the Crowns and the Rogues  - have been at war for three centuries.

Rafe is the Rogue army's fiercest captain. Jule is the Crown army's deadliest soldier. They are vicious and merciless, courageous and beloved by their Houses. They are sworn enemies.

And then they fall in love.

It's a death sentence. But their love is all-consuming. As Rafe and Jule try to keep each other alive in their war-torn world, they are forced to confront new, horrifying threats to their loved ones while the hatred between their Houses only grows.

When mysterious foreigners appear on their shores, the warring factions may destroy each other, unless their two most ruthless soldiers can become beacons of peace and possibility, showing their people a different way, and save them all.

From the award-winning screenwriter of The Hunger Games comes a visceral and breathless forbidden romance about sacrifice, the neverending cycle of violence, and fiery, all-powerful love."

So British Waterworld? PS, though he's a screenwriter he DID NOT write Waterworld. 

The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 383 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this spellbinding dark fantasy from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg that concludes the Shattered King duology, Nym must escape the clutches of her captors and find her way back to Renn even as forbidden love, magic, and secrets collide with the weight of the crown and the war between kingdoms.

Nym never told Prince Renn she loved him. And now, as a captive and political pawn to the ruthless King Nicosia, Nym finds herself guarding more than her forbidden feelings for Renn as the kingdoms of Cansere and Sesta clash and the bloodshed of war rages. Nym's connection to Renn is more than just romantic - it's magical, and King Nicosia will stop at nothing to find Renn's weakness and claim the kingdoms as his.

Now Nym must find a way to escape the cruel and twisted fate of imprisonment as she faces the unimaginable horrors and dangerous secrets hidden within King Nicosia's palace walls. With the succession of kings on the line and a dangerous prophecy unfolding, Prince Renn faces his own impossible choice. The future of the throne hinges on a political alliance that means forsaking his love for Nym. If he can't fulfill his destiny and unite the kingdoms, King Nicosia will destroy them all."

Come on, Nym and Renn have to have an HEA! Fiction is the only place that happens these days.

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (And Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt
Published by: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A conflicted villain and his unstoppable bride form the realm's most chaotic alliance in this riotously funny dark romantasy perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier.

"What's mine stays mine."

Step One: Kidnap someone cute.
Step Two: Force her into marriage.
Step Three: Try not to catch feelings.

When Dark Lord Kazimir Blackrose kidnaps Lady Arabella for a forced marriage, he expects an obedient, trembling bride. What he gets is a knife to the throat and a furious woman with demands of her own. He may need her heroic bloodline to achieve ultimate dominion, but she's not about to make this easy for him.

Arabella has already survived her father's tower prison and a lifetime of being treated like property. Getting abducted by the realm's most notorious villain is just another Tuesday. If she must be married to the infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) Dark Lord, she'll do it on her terms: freedom within his fortress, hands strictly to himself, and complete honesty about his plans.

But when those plans go awry, Kazimir faces his most terrifying challenge yet: he must date his own wife. Between magical training sessions, playing golf with the eyeballs of his enemies, and aphrodisiac dinners gone spectacularly wrong, his attempts at villainous seduction are failing at every turn.

As Kazimir and Arabella navigate magical explosions and jealous exes, they discover a far more terrifying prospect than war or magical catastrophe: They might actually be falling for each other.

This dark and sexy fantasy romance is perfect for readers who love: a morally gray antihero (who stays that way); a strong heroine who embraces her dark side (she doesn't need rescuing, thanks); touch her and die trope; hilarious, wicked banter and sizzling spice; one bed/forced proximity; kidnapped bride/forced marriage; and dark humor."

The hardest thing is not catching feelings.

A Kingdom of Shadows by Emily Bain Murphy
Published by: WaterBrook Children's
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that's slowly overcoming their kingdom - the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.

Ever since the Great Betrayal, the light in Wildfel has been dying. The sunshine is dimmer, it takes more firewood to brighten a room, and the shadows grow stronger by the day. Twelve-year-old orphan Finn survives in this world by being a thief. When he, his best friend Adrion, and younger sister Lydia meet a mysterious stranger who claims to know of a Lake of Light, they set off on an adventure to places where the mist can steal a precious memory, starlight gathers in waterfalls, and spiders spin shimmering webs of glass as deadly as they are dazzling.

But there are secrets hiding in the shadows that could change Finn's understanding of everything he knows - and finding the Lake of Light could alter not only the course of his life but the very kingdom itself."

I just adore a great fantasy series. I have a good feeling about this one.

Speak of the Devil by Sweeney Boo
Published by: HarperAlley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thrilling, witchy sequel to Over My Dead Body, Abigail fights to clear her name as strange occurrences continue to plague Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft - a spooky teen graphic novel perfect for fans of Wednesday Addams and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

Months after Abigail and her friends thwarted a dark magic ritual that threatened to destroy Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft, new dangers and long-buried secrets bubble to the surface.

As autumn turns to winter, a mysterious rune-dotted fissure has appeared in the school grounds, and no one from the Coven is able to seal it - no matter how powerful their magic is. Even worse, it's believed this fissure is the source of hazardous tremors that continue to rip through the grounds, threatening the institute's very foundation. Abigail is certain this is all her fault and hatches a plan to seal the fissure herself, but when her ritual goes sideways, she awakens a long-dormant entity hellbent on revenge. To put things right, Abigail will need to unearth the true history of Younwity Institute and, just maybe, unravel the secrets of her own forgotten past along the way."

I have been addicted to any school of witchcraft since I first saw The Worst Witch. OG version with Diana Rigg and Tim Curry of course.

The Bewitching Miss Blair by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: eBook, 308 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a world where secrets are as dangerous as spells, love might be the most powerful magic of all...

Clio Blair is a fire witch - gifted, defiant, and hiding more than just her magic. With the power to speak to the dead and glimpse their final memories, she's called in by her uncle at Scotland Yard to help solve the murder of Viscount Beachley. His ghost lingers, his wife is missing, and the trail leads straight into the glittering world of the ton...where Clio has no place.

Enter Lieutenant General Thomas Grey: brooding, scandal-shadowed, and bound by honour to assist the investigation. He never expects to be paired with a sharp-tongued witch who walks with ravens and burns like fire beneath her skin. As they're forced into close quarters and dangerous secrets begin to surface, so does a desire neither of them can resist.

But Clio knows a witch's heart is a dangerous thing to give away - especially to a man who swore never to love again. And Thomas knows desire alone won't protect her from the dead who would use her, or the living who would destroy her.

Solving the murder may save them both - but surrendering to passion could consume them completely.

Practical Magic meets Bridgerton with a dash of Agatha Christie in this new series from Darcy McGuire."

Falling in love doesn't end her powers like in Bell, Book and Candle does it!?!

The Regency Switch by Helen Gaskell
Published by: HQ Digital
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Holiday meets Lost in Austen, with a sprinkling of Bridgerton steam...

Etta Moore expects nothing more from a Tuesday than another dull day in the office. But when her morning commute ends in Regency England, she is forced to accept the impossible: she and her ancestor Miss Henrietta Bainbridge - or 'Mad Hetty', as she's known amongst the ton - have switched bodies.

Suddenly Etta and Hetty must get to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. For Etta, it's goodbye to dating apps and the daily commute and hello to the list of things 'Ladies Do Not' do. Luckily the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of faux pas.

Meanwhile Hetty, who has always felt unseen and unknown, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and the most welcome attentions of her rather beautiful Adult Learning teacher, Stella.

Two hundred years away from everything they've ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found a place where they each truly belong?"

How did Etta just accept the situation so fast?

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cat Sebastian's long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can't stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They've spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon's contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.

Simon's only problem is that people might assume he's been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn't get along with people - unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show's first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit - and he finds he's actually not having a terrible time.

The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he's underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever's starting between him and Charlie can't really amount to anything... right?

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn"

Never worry about distance when the love starts to take hold!

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They were sent away to be forgotten. This is their story.

In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

It's 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth "Baker" Phillips: She's the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash - in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family's shining star to their embarrassing secret. Without any other options, Baker is sent to a home for unwed mothers, and finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she grapples with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the "girls who went away."

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights - and society's expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent."

Love the concept, hate the tryhard cover.

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Mercury and Shiner comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle's past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Wait for Me exalts the lush hills of Appalachia and the bright lights of Nashville as it reveals the legacy of Elle Harlow, the bold voice that defined her, the intimate betrayal that undid her, and the unexpected faith of another young woman determined to resurrect her."

I mean, I'm a sucker for a disappearance that's straight out of a folk song.

Buried in a Book by T.C. Lotempio
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bookshop owner Charley James is plunged into a mystery involving a rare book worth killing for in this new Cozy Bookshop Mystery by award-winning and national bestselling author T.C. LoTempio.

No treats but lots of tricks and murder!

Retired thriller author and current bookshop owner Charley James is preparing for Halloween in her small hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania - what she isn't prepared for is discovering the body of a woman at the local inn.

Charley recognizes the stranger as a suspicious customer who popped in just to hide a rather peculiar book at her store - did she already know she was about to lose her life for it?

Pursuing this mysterious case, Charley can't seem to stay out of trouble, and no one knows this better than Detective Hottie, Ian Grant. But Charley has a mind of her own and, together with cat Poe, sets off on another puzzle-riddled quest, unaware that the killer might be someone she knows...

"If you've ever wondered what it would be like to read a Hallmark Mystery movie in book format, wonder no more" (Cozy Crime Mystery). For fans of Laura Childs's Tea Shop Mysteries, Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's Mysteries, and Ellery Adams's Secret, Book and Scone Society Novels."

The best place to hide and book is among other books! Though personally I would have opted for a library. 

The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Witty, endearing, and wildly entertaining, this Southern cozy mystery is a little bit Gilmore Girls, a little bit Finlay Donovan, with a big helping of Only Murders in the Building.

Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house - and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond's palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.

Soon after Lila's arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building's splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She's certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered...and Lila becomes the prime suspect.

Now Lila needs to solve both murders to avoid jail, and even worse, losing her daughter to her snobby in-laws. To catch a killer and clear Lila's name, she and Bea must rely on their elderly neighbors - Jasper, a shy former detective, and Evelyn, an opinionated socialite - along with Nate, a good-looking reporter who keeps appearing at the most inconvenient moments. As the amateur sleuths expose the truth about the Primrose, Lila hopes she can also unravel the trickiest parts of her own life and start fresh."

I mean, the chance to solve the unsolvable AT WORK and get money? Perfect. Just ignore the pesky possible prison time.

Two Bodies Are Better Than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 347 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Loaded with dark humor and sharp wit, this wild ride through the '80s follows an advice columnist trying to unravel the mystery of the dead body on her lawn - while keeping her own secrets under wraps.

Until 1989, the wildest thing to happen in the sleepy town of Sheboygan Bay was surfers catching waves on frigid Lake Michigan. Then one summer morning, Lorraine Highsmith wakes up to find a corpse on her lawn.

Detective Michaela "Mike" Zenoni is on the case immediately, eager to make a name for herself in a male-dominated precinct. And Lorraine is close behind - as the local advice columnist, she's always looking for a scoop.

What they don't know is that Lorraine once had ties to the mob, and those connections could be coming back to haunt her. A recent transplant to Wisconsin, she keeps her past shrouded in mystery, and she'd like to keep it that way.

Mike might be working with her to find the killer, but Lorraine knows that alliances can change on a dime. She needs to get ahead of this story...no matter who's trying to put an end to hers."

Oh trust me, Wisconsin is not the place to escape the mob. 

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands' crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands' brutal crimes. With their exes - some of California's most infamous murderers - dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley tries compulsively to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot prefers partying to homemaking and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine - anything to quell the shame from her husband's deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one thing: How could they not have known what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet when a string of local killings hits the news, the three women - underestimated, overlooked, shrewd - decide to get to work. After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women's lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure."

But even if they succeed then the gossip will be, takes one to know one, am I right?

Has Anyone Seen My Hormones by Anne Taintor
Published by: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Celebrate the hot flashes of wisdom and the power that comes with getting older in this hilarious collection of vintage-with-a-twist art and wit - from the bestselling queen of women's humor, Anne Taintor. Are you forever young...ish? Are you ready for someone to invent cool yoga? Do you see no good reason to act your age? Sure, midlife and menopause can come with moments of wondering if it's you or the thermostat running warm, but they also bring well-earned realizations and rewards:
-You've awakened from the nightmare of youth.
-You're old enough to know better, but too young to give a rat's ass.
-Wrinkles reveal character, and you've come far enough to realize, honey, you couldn't pay me to be twenty.

Funny, sarcastic, and sympathetic, with just the right dose of bad behavior, Anne Taintor's new collection is proof that getting older is an upgrade.

MENOPAUSE: IT'S SO HOT RIGHT NOW: New York Times bestsellers like The New Menopause and The Menopause Manifesto have ushered in a new era of conversation and knowledge about perimenopause and menopause, tearing down the topic's longstanding taboo.

TALK ABOUT IT, LAUGH ABOUT IT: Half the population goes through menopause, yet few giftable items address this life transition. Here is a just-right, art-filled humor book to share with moms, sisters, partners, best friends, grandmoms, cousins, or anyone you love who may need a bit of laugh-therapy self-care between hot flashes and mood swings.

GREAT GIFT BETWEEN FRIENDS: The ultimate "iykyk" topic for women makes this a fun and thoughtful gift to share with friends and loved ones navigating this phase. Pair with an Anne Taintor calendar to keep track of each day of fresh hell survived to create a hilarious bundle.

ANNE TAINTOR'S BESTSELLING HUMOR: With over two million books, postcard boxes, and calendars sold, Anne Taintor has been making people laugh since 1985.

Perfect for:
-Women ages 35 - 65
-Anyone going through perimenopause or menopause in need of a laugh
-Gift-giving for birthday, Mother's Day, and Galentine's Day
-Readers of The New Menopause, The Menopause Manifesto, and The Menopause Reset
-Fans of humorous takes on the subject, such as Menopause The Musical and Samantha Bee's How to Survive Menopause
-Fans of popular perimenopause and menopause novels, including Miranda July's All Fours and Catherine Newman's Sandwich"

I mean, yes, there's menopause in the title, but it's basically just her old magnet and sign stuff repurposed with a catchy title to sell. Don't fall for it. It's OK and that's about all.

The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An awkward young woman develops an "unsuitable attachment" to a beautiful, worldly widow in a queer-coded novel set in a luxurious hotel on the Italian Riviera.

Sydney Warren is a young, rebellious women in her twenties, uninterested in marriage and a puzzle to her friends and family. She becomes infatuated with Mrs. Kerr, an older and very beautiful widow - and the two women's close friendship swiftly becomes the subject of gossip at the hotel. But when Mrs. Kerr's young son arrives to visit his mother, the balance of Sydney and Mrs. Kerr's relationship is upset: a drama that plays out in front of an array of delightful, fascinating minor characters.

Originally published in 1927, Elizabeth Bowen's The Hotel is a debut novel that explores social and emotional relationships and one young woman's coming-of-age."

Such a fan of Elizabeth Bowen and this is a beautiful new edition.

Death in the Palace by Barbara Hambly
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A proposal to die for...British widow Emma Blackstone gets mixed up in murder once again in this stunning 1920s historical mystery featuring New York high society, mobsters, and silent-movie stars!

November, 1924. Beautiful silent-movie star Camille de la Rose - Kitty, to her adoring fans - is amused to receive an unusual proposal from an extremely rich stranger. Clark Dexter offers her $50,000 if she will marry and then divorce him.

Young British widow Emma Blackstone, Kitty's dog walker, companion, and dearest friend, is determined to talk her employer out of it. Emma might have been living in the topsy-turvy world of Hollywood for a year now, but she knows a bad idea when she hears one.

There are disturbing rumors about Mr. Dexter. And when the source of the rumors is found dead in mysterious circumstances, Emma soon finds herself plunged into a disturbing investigation that sees her mixing with New York's high society, mobsters, and movie stars...and a ruthless killer, who'll stop at nothing to see their evil plan through.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly brings the glamor, intrigue, and dark side of Hollywood to life in the Silver Screen Mysteries - a perfect choice for fans of female-fronted historical mysteries set in the roaring twenties."

I take $50,000 to marry and divorce someone!

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure, but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica's interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide - and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker's, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they've gone from being the hunters to the hunted...."

Wait, what!?! A crossover with her Lady Julia Grey series!?!

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow
Published by: Head of Zeus - an Aries Book
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of the Kate Shugak Mysteries, a thrilling new detective series set during America's wild boom time of the nineteenth century.

WELCOME TO THE GILDED AGE. WHERE NOT EVERYTHING GLITTERS.

1890. The New Mexico Territory is a lawless frontier where criminals steal money and land alike with impunity. Everyone wears a six-gun and is ready and willing to draw it.

In the new city of Montaña Roja, Fred Harvey's growing empire is threatened by the robberies plaguing his newest Harvey House restaurant. To get justice, he needs a skilled detective to go undercover and procure answers to questions the law will not ask.

The assignment falls to Clare Wright, a young Pinkerton agent. Disguised as one of Harvey's famous hostesses, Clare travels west where she risks being exposed at every step of her investigation. To get answers - and to get out alive - there are only two things she can trust: her instincts, and her derringer."

Mainly here for the Harvey House if I'm being honest...

The Woman and Her Stars by Penny Haw
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She must find her own place amongst the stars.

Caroline Herschel has always lived in the shadows. Beholden to her wildly popular older brother, William, who rescued her from servitude, she's worked hard to build a life for herself - one where she can go unnoticed and repay the debt she believes she owes him. But when her brother becomes obsessed with sweeping the stars, everything changes.

Newly appointed as the King's Astronomer, William is rushed away from the bustling streets of Bath to the quiet countryside of Windsor. When Caroline makes a discovery that could send her right back to the people she was rescued from, she has no choice but to leave her carefully constructed life and follow her brother. Taking up the position as William's assistant, Caroline resolves to learn everything she can about astronomy. But the more she understands, the more she falls in love with her telescope, and soon, she discovers that she might be good at the science, great, even, and that the stars could offer her the freedom she's always secretly wanted. When it's clear that Caroline is just as much the astronomer as her brother, she realizes she must break free from the life she has lived and find her own place in the night sky.

Based on the true story of Caroline Herschel, The Woman and Her Stars shines a light on a woman who was raised to believe she was worth nothing more than to serve others, but whose genius and resolve made her one of the world's leading astronomers. An awe-inspiring story set within the societal boundaries of the Georgian era, it's a hopeful journey of self-discovery, familial bonds, and passion."

YAS! Break that glass ceiling! Go for the stars! Literally!

Two Spinsters and a Swindler by Eve Tarrington
Published by: Tenacious Teacup Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 234 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Derbyshire, December 1815. A cozy family Christmas turns deadly when a visitor is murdered.

Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, still reeling from a broken engagement, must come to terms with both her parents' displeasure. Though her family's Christmas visitors are a welcome distraction, one handsome man in particular promises to raise her spirits by Christmas. But she cannot live for pleasure alone, as her father's financial difficulties threaten both her home and her family's reputation. What's more, there are warning signs that one of their visitors, an old lady, has come expressly to defraud Louisa-Margaretta's family.

Judith St Clair promised to help unmask the swindler, but she has her own troubles. Her father, usually the most mild-mannered of men, has not given her marriage his blessing. Unless Judith's fiance, Mr Ramsbury, quickly finds a profession, Judith will get not one penny for her dowry. Judith's sister Miriam is now engaged to a man who once proposed to Judith herself, raising tensions in the St Clair household. But Judith is too preoccupied by a sudden murder at Wycliff Castle to properly tend to her family ties.

The magistrate has no intention of sparing the Haddingtons or the St Clairs, and Judith and Louisa-Margaretta quickly find themselves tangled in his false accusations. If they wish to save their fortunes and their reputations, they must find the killer before Christmas.

This Regency cozy historical mystery will whisk you away to the English countryside."

It's never too early to start planning your holiday reading.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband's title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters' future through marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters - only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world's most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother's love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes."

An Ever After for our time.

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The unmissable BookTok sensation, now at Nightfire! Enter a darker age with USA Today bestselling author Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires, a medieval horror adventure unlike anything on the shelf.

And Lucifer said: "Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of Heaven down..."

The year is 1348.

Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm - that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has become their battleground. Is it delirium or is it faith?

Now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission: to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and give him - blood-stained and wretched as he is - a chance at redemption he long thought lost.

As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man."

An apocalyptic cataclysm that's thankfully fictional. 

The Spire by William Golding
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Succumb to a churchman's apocalyptic vision in this prophetic tale by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Benjamin Myers.

A Penguin Classic.

Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire. His master builder fearfully advises against it, for the old cathedral was miraculously built without foundations. But Jocelin is obsessed with fashioning his prayer in stone. As his halo of hair grows wilder and his dark angel darker, the spire rises octagon upon octagon, pinnacle by pinnacle, watched over by the gargoyles - until the stone pillars shriek, the earth beneath creeps, and the spire's shadow falls like an axe on the medieval world below."

I mean, authors like Orwell and Golding are more relevant today than ever.

The Inheritors by William Golding
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Ben Okri.

A Penguin Classic.

When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer's brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Imaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people do not know is that their day is already over."

Poor neanderthals. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexis Henderson, Barbara Hambly, Cat Sebastian, Charlie N. Holmberg, Christopher Buehlman, Dana Stabenow, Darcy McGuire, Deanna Raybourn, Elizabeth Bowen, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Lindsey Kelk, William Golding

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club Series.

A brand new mystery. An iconic new detective duo. And a thrilling new murder to solve...

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over. Adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's job now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She's currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D'Antonio, until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. So she sends an SOS to the only person she trusts...

As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer?

Solving murders. It's a family business."

I already have it on hold at my library!

Bleeding Hearts by Erin Lark Maples
Published by: Lodestar Literary
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 227 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Declan takes aim at his first mystery...

Burnt out from his day job, Declan hangs up his past for a fresh start in the charming coastal town of Astoria, Oregon. He rents an apartment and opens a quaint shop downtown, hoping to blend into the human world. But Declan's plans for a peaceful new life are shattered when he discovers a lifeless body in his own backyard.

All fingers point to the new guy in town, and with the police watching his every move, Declan finds himself at the center of every target. Desperate to clear his name and get out of the spotlight, he enlists the help of a quirky group of locals. They dive into the mystery to uncover secrets - to uncover secrets about the victim, and each other - that Astoria's picturesque streets have long concealed.

As they unravel a web of intrigue, magic, and murder, Declan is running out of time. Will they solve the case before Declan's true identity is revealed, or will the killer strike again?

Join Declan and his motley crew in this heartwarming, humorous, and engaging cozy mystery series debut that will leave you eager for a trip to the coast!"

I mean, what kind of magical creature is Declan? Please say it's a cat!

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A thrilling collection of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set.

From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the Gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik's most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:

- A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.
- The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon's egg and bonds with the hatchling.
- A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.
- A delightful reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.
- The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik's upcoming epic fantasy series - a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.

Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise."

AND REGENCY MAGIC! YAROO!

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor's murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness in order to secure his reign over the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she's only read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader - Lorelei's beloved mentor - is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are the five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again - and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons hiding beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth - and resist their growing feelings for each other - they discover that their leader had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, and if this kingdom is worth saving at all."

Yes, wonderful dark world, but you see there's also a locked room mystery at it's heart! Be still MY heart.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter's life is falling apart.

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

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

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it's a test she's terrified she's going to fail."

But to be among those like her that would level the playing field...

Bringer of Dust by J.M. Miro
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 608 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this highly anticipated second book in the Talents Trilogy, the world of the dead is closer than you think.

Agrigento, Sicily, 1883. With the orsine destroyed, Cairndale lies in ruins, and Marlowe has vanished. His only hope of rescue lies in a fabled second orsine - long-hidden, thought lost - which might not even exist.

But when a body is discovered in the shadow of Cairndale, a body wreathed in the corrupted dust of the drughr, Charlie and the Talents realize there is even more at stake than they'd feared. For a new drughr has arisen, ferocious, horned, seemingly able to move in their world at will - and it is not alone. A malevolent figure, known only as the Abbess, desires the dust for her own ends. And deep in the world of the dead, a terrible evil stirs - an evil that the corrupted dust just might hold the secret to reviving or destroying forever.

So the dark journey begun in Ordinary Monsters surges forward, from the sinister underworld of the London exiles, to the mysteries of a sunlit villa in nineteenth-century Sicily, to the deep catacombs hidden under Paris. Against bone witches, mud glyphics, and a house of twilight that exists in a netherworld all its own, the Talents must work together - if they are to have any hope of staving off the world of the dead, and saving their long-lost friend."

And so begins the supernatural grand tour, if you will.

A Pocketful of Diamonds by Pam Lecky
Published by: Storm Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lucy Lawrence smoothed her silk travelling gown and watched as darkness fell over the shimmering waters of Lake Como - her honeymoon bliss shattered in an instant by a telegram carrying deadly tidings...

Newlyweds Lucy Lawrence and Phineas Stone arrive at the glittering shores of Lake Como, Italy, not to enjoy a romantic honeymoon but to answer a frantic plea for help. Phin's brother-in-law - the charismatic Count Luca Carmosino - has vanished without a trace from his Belle Époque villa, and the couple find themselves thrust into a world of stolen diamonds and smuggling rings.

From the opulent Grand Hotel Bellagio with its crystal chandeliers to the misty mountain passes of the Swiss border, Lucy must solve the mystery of the Count's disappearance and navigate the treacherous waters of Italian high society, all while maintaining the decorum expected of a proper Victorian lady... But as Lucy edges closer to the truth about what happened to Count Carmosino, the stakes rise dramatically. When an attempt is made on her life while Phin is out of town, Lucy realizes they're both in grave danger. Can she unravel this conspiracy and save those she loves before it's too late?

The fourth in the beloved Lucy Lawrence mystery series! A gripping tale of stolen diamonds, family intrigue, and hard-won redemption set against the stunning backdrop of glamorous Italy."

I'm just saying, Lucy needs to embrace the ability to see things from both sides, sure, there may be danger, but at least their honeymoon is still in a beautiful locale...

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.

With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.

In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.

Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.

Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.

Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age."

I'm glad that the story of Anne Frank is continuing to inspire and that this was done so thoughtfully.

Hampton Heights by Dan Kois
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of the Washington Post notable novel Vintage Contemporaries, something completely unexpected: a hair-raising and rollicking adventure set on one night in 1987, when six paperboys must confront a slew of monsters as well as their own personal demons in a haunted Midwestern neighborhood.

On a cold winter's evening in 1987, six middle-school paperboys wander an unfamiliar Milwaukee neighborhood, selling newspaper subscriptions, fueled by their manager Kevin's promises of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. But the freaks come out at night in Hampton Heights. Sent out into the neighborhood in pairs, the boys will encounter a host of primordial monsters - and triumph over them.

Sigmone, who is bussed to a white school, is stuck with Joel, a white kid who idolizes Black culture. Mark, who's wrestling with his sexuality, joins his secret crush, Ryan. Nishu and Al are outsiders; one is a second-generation immigrant, the other a poor kid in a rich school. Over the course of one eventful evening, the three pairs will encounter the wild things of Hampton Heights - werewolves, witches with a centuries-old story to tell, and a creepy, ancient monster who feeds on memories. Meanwhile, Kevin is having an adventure of his own, seducing a beautiful woman in the neighborhood's tavern...but who is actually in control?

Funny, thrilling, outrageous, and sneakily beautiful, Dan Kois's Hampton Heights captures without sentimentality the dreams and fears of teenage boys in a tender horror-comedy about camaraderie, bravery, vulnerability, and the terrifying prospect of growing up."

Paper Girls for those who prefer prose.

The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning
Published by: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly whodunit.

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand - each - for a single night... Wren insists it's a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

The hostess is dead, the gates are locked, and a magical curse ensures no one can leave until they solve both her murder and the riddles she left behind - in just three days. Because everyone else at this party is a powerful witch. And if the witches realize Ruby and Wren are imposters? The sisters won't make it out of Hegemony Manor alive."

Three things I love; magic, locked room mystery, and standalone. 

The Others: Book 1 by Evette Davis
Published by: Sparkpress
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"True Blood meets Supernatural in the kickoff of this urban paranormal fantasy series from an acclaimed author. Readers enter a dystopian San Francisco filled with empaths and vampires embroiled in political unrest - and Book 1 is just the beginning.

Much as she wishes otherwise, superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd was born a powerful empath. It's a legacy she walked away from long ago - but when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, a tenacious time-walker, standing in her kitchen, she realizes she can no longer ignore her gifts. She is quickly plunged into the hidden world of powerful "Others" and drafted to work for the Council, a shadowy organization that summons the fog to San Francisco to obscure their involvement in human affairs.

Complicating matters further is Olivia's new love interest, William. A centuries-old vampire, William is far too jaded to take an interest in human affairs - but Olivia no longer has the luxury of remaining impartial. As shocking details from Olivia's own past emerge and her role in the Council begins to take shape, will she rise to the challenge of her destiny?"

I will read anything set in San Francisco. Throw in a supernatural element and I am SO there.

Stage Fright by Wendy Parris
Published by: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new locked room scary story about thirteen-year-old Avery, who plans a séance at a deserted theater to bond with her friends, only to realize they're locked inside with someone - or something - else. This spine tingling read is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lindsay Currie!

When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing's changed.

Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy.

What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in...and discovers they're not alone."

I adore that the cover has the theater's ghost light front and center.

The School for Wicked Witches by Will Taylor
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ava isn't ready to leave her home in Oz - especially not to become a witch. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen occurs - Ava's magic goes very wrong and she is banished to a school for wicked witches. Perfect for fans of Wicked, Witchlings, and The School for Good and Evil!

In Oz, most girls and boys with magical powers are sent from the north, south, east, and west to renowned witch academies, where they are elevated and taught all the finer ways to be a responsible witch. But if you misbehave? Or are thought to harbor darker magic? You're sent to the equivalent of witch reform school - The School for Wicked Witches. ONLY! Once you get there, you find that the witches running it are so powerful that they've managed to trick the rest of the outside world. Yes, it looks to outside like they are taming the wickedness out of the witches... but in truth, the school is run by wicked witches (who, incidentally, don't see themselves as wicked at all... although some of them really are.)

Ava Heartstraw has never even considered being wicked. But when she goes to take her entrance test for a witch academy, she doesn't get the reaction she's expecting - and is the first kid in memory from the west to be sent to the School for Wicked Witches."

This fall it's all about Oz!

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this spellbinding warm and cozy debut novel, a burned-out witch will need to turn to her friends and trust in herself to find the magic in her own life again.

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn't lost her magical spark, precisely...but she hasn't seen it in a while either.

With her witchcraft under wraps and a toxic boss making her days miserable, Belle is struggling to keep her beloved Lunar Books afloat and just make it through the day. The last thing she has time for is perfecting her magic.

So when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst. With only the month of October left to prove herself or risk losing her magic forever, Belle will need all the help she can get - from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an infuriating coven watchman who's sworn to protect her..."

I swear, if I could move into the cover of a book it would be this one.

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she's tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone - anyone - to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he's perfect for her purposes. He's a bit strange, but that's fine; it'll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn't hurt that he's very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia's first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic."

But what if the wedding is outside at noon?

Does This Taste Funny? by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stephen and Evie Colbert invite you to pull up a chair as they share their favorite recipes from family and friends and offer a glimpse of food and fun in their South Carolina home.

"Hopefully reading this book and cooking these recipes will feel like hanging out with us at home. We basically live in the kitchen anyway." - Evie and Stephen Colbert

As Evie and Stephen explain it, Does This Taste Funny? had its beginnings in the Covid lockdown. "We were all stuck together and couldn't go out, so we cooked. We had all three kids back under one roof for the first time in a long time, and we had dinner each night as a family. Cooking together became a major source of entertainment."

Now, the Colberts invite us into their kitchen and around their dining room table. Sharing Stephen and Evie's favorite recipes, as well as those of their family and friends, this book offers everything from Party Food (called "party food" because "appetizers" implies something to follow when we all know that, often, this is the only course), to Seafood, to Poultry and Meat ("Evie and I have different relationships to meat. I like it. Evie can take it or leave it, and mostly she leaves it."), to Desserts ("This is one of the largest sections of the book. Evie always reminds me that desserts are a great way to postpone clearing up."), to Drinks ("I love cocktail hour. It feels like a reward for having gone so long without a cocktail."), all tied together with playful dialogue between Stephen and Evie and gorgeous shots of their food, family, and home."

Now THIS is the cookbook I've been waiting for. Plus, I mean, don't you love Stephen and Evie and that awesome cover?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexis Henderson, Alice Hoffman, Allison Saft, Erin Lark Maples, Evette Davis, J.M. Miro, Jenna Levine, Lucy Jane Wood, Naomi Novik, Pam Lecky, Richard Osman, Sarah Henning, Stephen Colbert, Will Taylor