strange and random happenstance

Stranger Things: The Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two years before the events of Stranger Things: Season 4, Eddie Munson - Hellfire Club leader, metalhead, and Hawkins outcast - has one shot to make it big.

Hawkins, Indiana: For most, it's simply another idyllic, manicured all-American town. But for Eddie Munson it's like living in a perpetual Tomb of Horrors. Luckily, he has only a few more months to survive at Hawkins High. And what is senior year, really, but killing time between Dungeons and Dragons sessions with the Hellfire Club and gigs with his band?

At the worst dive bar in town, Eddie meets Paige, someone who has pulled off a freaking miracle. She escaped Hawkins and built a wickedly cool life for herself working for a record producer out in Los Angeles. Not only is she the definition of a badass - with killer taste in music - she might be the only person who actually appreciates him as the bard he is instead of the devil incarnate. But the best thing? She's offering him a chance to make something of himself, and all he needs to do is get her a demo tape of Corroded Coffin's best songs.

Just one problem: Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn't have. But he's willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It's a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.

Eddie can feel it: 1984 is going to be his year."

Poor Eddie, gone too soon.

The Viper's Nest Roadhouse and Cafe by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: November 15th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 358 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I'm Sam, the werewolf book nerd owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar. Clive, Fergus, and I are moving into our new home, the business is going well, and our folly is taking shape. The problem? Clive's maker Garyn is coming to San Francisco for a visit, and this reunion has been a thousand years in the making. Back then, Garyn was rather put out when Clive accepted the dark kiss and then took off to avenge his sister's murder. She was looking for a new family. He was looking for lethal skills. And so, Garyn has had plenty of time to align her forces. When her allies begin stepping out of the shadows, Clive's foundation will be shaken.

Stheno and her sisters are adding to their rather impressive portfolio of businesses around the world by acquiring The Viper's Nest Roadhouse and Café. Medusa found the place when she was visiting San Francisco. A dive bar filled with hot tattooed bikers? Yes, please!

Clive and I will need neutral territory for our meeting with Garyn, and a biker bar (and café, Stheno insisted) should fit the bill. I'd assumed my necromancy would give us an advantage. I hadn’t anticipated, though, just how powerful Garyn and her allies were. When the fangs descend and the heads start rolling, it's going to take every friend we have and a nocturne full of vamps at our backs to even the playing field. Wish us luck. We’re going to need it."

It feels like forever since the last Sam Quinn book, which means it's only been a year...

Haunted Echoes and Southern Nights by Peter D. Baker
Published by: Peter Baker
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 222 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Children going missing.

A corrupt police officer.

A drug-dealing motorcycle gang.

A car breaking down on the way to see the Great American Bash.

And Daniel Belascoe deals with it all while trying to impress the woman of his dreams-who is far too smart for him.

Long before Daniel raised his tough-as-nails daughter Bethany Belascoe, he was a rookie Savannah cop trying to do some good despite his rotten partner. When that partner seems guilty of more than just negligence, Daniel begins investigating.

Things get even trickier when Daniel finds himself stranded in a small town with his new paramour, Rebecca Church - and he stumbles upon a mystery involving lost children, a local legend, and the stench of demonic activity.

Can Daniel get to the bottom of these mysteries in time to find a missing child, fix the car, and see Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair fight for the championship inside of a steel cage?

And will Rebecca decide he's worth the trip despite the fact that he's never seen Gremlins?"

I mean, how can you never have seen Gremlins?

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One girl murdered...another one missing...and a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in When I'm Dead, the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter's best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery - her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions...details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect."

I'm getting a distinct Twin Peaks Laura Palmer vibe.

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nat Cassidy is at his razor-sharp best again with his horror novel Nestlings, which harnesses the creeping paranoia of Rosemary's Baby and the urban horror of Salem's Lot, set in an exclusive New York City residential building.

Ana and Reid needed a lucky break.

The horrifically complicated birth of their first child has left Ana paralyzed, bitter, and struggling: with mobility, with her relationship with Reid, with resentment for her baby. That's about to change with the words any New Yorker would love to hear - affordable housing lottery.

They've won an apartment in the Deptford, one of Manhattan's most revered buildings with beautiful vistas of Central Park and stunning architecture.

Reid dismisses disturbing events and Ana's deep unease and paranoia as the price of living in New York - people are odd - but he can't explain the needle-like bite marks on the baby."

This year is THE YEAR for all the Rosemary's Baby pastiches.

The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg
Published by: Amazon Crossing Kids
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mika is not your average twelve-year-old - and she's about to prove it.

It's 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets...or is he?

Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this "Dark Angel" he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.

Drawn in by Mika's unique ability to notice small details - a skill Mika has always used to survive - the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet...with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika's chance to be someone who matters."

Well, everyone matters, but whether that leads to a means of survival is another thing...

What the Rivers Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez's lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that's been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents - who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and a golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there's more to her parent's disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian's infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent's disappearance - or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

What the River Knows is the first book in the thrilling Secrets of the Nile duology."

Oh my, EGYPT! 

The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit in this chilling novel from the author of A History of Fear - perfect for fans of Simone St. James and Katy Hays.

Curator of paleontology Dr. Simon Nealy never expected to return to his Pennsylvania hometown, let alone the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. He was just a boy when his six-year-old sister, Morgan, was abducted from the museum under his watch, and the guilt has haunted Simon ever since. After a recent break-up and the death of the aunt who raised him, Simon feels drawn back to the place where Morgan vanished, in search of the bones they never found.

But from the moment he arrives, things aren't what he expected. The Hawthorne is a crumbling ruin, still closed amid the ongoing pandemic, and plummeting toward financial catastrophe. Worse, Simon begins seeing and hearing things he can't explain. Strange animal sounds. Bloody footprints that no living creature could have left. A prehistoric killer looming in the shadows of the museum. Terrified he's losing his grasp on reality, Simon turns to the handwritten research diaries of his predecessor and uncovers a blood-soaked mystery 150 million years in the making that could be the answer to everything.

Are these the ravings of a madman? Or is there something supernatural at play? And what does this have to do with Morgan's disappearance?

Another atmospheric mystery from Luke Dumas, The Paleontologist is a ghost story unlike any other that will haunt you long after you turn the final page."

It's like Michael Crichton decided to write a ghost story!

The Costumes of Downton Abbey by Emma Marriott
Published by: Weldon Owen
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An Official Companion to the Downton Abbey Films and TV Series: An exclusive inside look at the intricate and glamorous costuming of the popular PBS series, with complete historical detail and beautiful imagery.

An inside look at the intricate costuming of the popular PBS series, including character costume choices and the historic fashion trends characteristic of the aristocracy during the Edwardian era.

Appealing to Anglophiles, costume and sewing aficionados, and fans of the hit series, The Costumes of Downton Abbey presents - with comprehensive historical detail and beautiful imagery - the design decisions and wardrobe intricacies that shaped the glamour and elegance of the characters of Downton Abbey.

Featuring the fashion of both upstairs and downstairs cast members, this title explores the unique daytime, evening, special occasion, and wedding wardrobes that led to a 2011 Emmy and several Emmy nominations for Outstanding Costumes for a Series. Detailed photographs, fan-favorite stills from the television series, and designer notes and insights make this a delightful and informative guide to the role costumes played in the character portrayal, story development, and art direction of the series."

The touring exhibit of the costumes was so amazing, if this book is even a fraction of that experience it will be worth it.

Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond by Henry Winkler
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: October 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole.

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as "The Fonz" in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it's simply not the case, he's really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he's been revealed as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself."

I never liked Happy Days, but always admired Henry Winkler, especially for his work in Scream, Arrested Development, and most recently, the amazing Barry. He's a nice guy with an amazing ability of reinvention.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Barry, Downton Abbey, Hannah Morrissey, Henry Winkler, Isabel Ibañez, Johan Rundberg, Laura Palmer, Luke Dumas, Nat Cassidy, Peter D. Baker, Rosemary's Baby, Sam Quinn, Seana Kelly, Stranger Things, Twin Peaks

Mummy Darlings by Emily Hourican
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This stunning novel the from author of The Glorious Guinness Girls follows the three enigmatic Guinness sisters as they take on married life and motherhood at the beginning of the 1930s.

It's the dawn of the 1930s and the three privileged Guinness sisters, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh, settle into becoming wives and mothers: Aileen in Luttrellstown Castle outside Dublin, Maureen in Clandeboye in Northern Ireland, and Oonagh in Rutland Place in London.

But while Britain becomes increasingly politically polarized, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh discover conflict within their own marriages.

Oonagh's dream of romantic love is countered by her husband's lies; the intense nature of Maureen's marriage means passion, but also rows; while Aileen begins to discover that, for her, being married offers far less than she had expected.

Meanwhile, Kathleen, a housemaid from their childhood home in Glenmaroon, travels between the three sisters, helping, listening, watching - even as her own life brings her into conflict with the clash between fascism and communism.

As affairs are uncovered and secrets exposed, the three women begin to realize that their gilded upbringing could not have prepared them for the realities of married life, nor for the scandals that seem to follow them around."

If you've read all there is about the Mitfords, might I suggest the Guinnesses?

The Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz
Published by: Graydon House,
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One woman. Two childhood loves. The dazzling place where it all began.

When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can't help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love.

But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can't ignore the more complicated memories. Because that's not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn's character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family's grandson, Henry - a former love - and by the driver's son, Leo - her best friend.

As plans for the property are put into motion and the three are together for the first time in over a decade, Emma finds herself caught between two worlds and two loves. And when the house reveals a shattering secret about her own family, she'll have to decide what kind of life she really wants for herself now and who she wants to be in it."

Here for the Sabrina of it all!

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One of Buzzfeed's Romance Books To Look Out For In 2023!

Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice's capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she's immediately assigned to the case.

But she's not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice's greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life - pretending to be Alice's husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target."

A pirate house party!?! 

The Cherished by Patricia Ward
Published by: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of White Smoke, The Hazel Wood, and Wilder Girls comes an original, hypnotizing horror thriller in the vein of Midsommar, as one girl inherits a mysterious house from her estranged grandmother - and a letter with sinister instructions.

Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother's will - let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.

Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.

The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?

But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it's true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay."

I love menacing inheritances, I hate Midsommar.

Stranger Things: Heroes and Monsters by Rana Tahir
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A thrilling Choose Your Own Adventure® book based on Netflix's Stranger Things!

Are YOU ready to journey to the dark side of Hawkins, Indiana? Join Eleven, Dustin, Max, Lucas, and their friends as they explore Pennhurst Asylum, the creepy old Creel house, and possibly even the Upside Down. The decisions YOU make will decide the fates of the characters and lead to unexpected, thrilling, and even deadly outcomes. Fans of Netflix's hit show Stranger Things will love this exciting addition to the Choose Your Own Adventure® series.

In Netflix's Stranger Things, a group of young friends explore supernatural forces and secret government exploits in Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. As they search for answers, the children embark on incredible adventures and unravel extraordinary mysteries."

OK, I couldn't think of a better partnership if I tried.

Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Exploring the fine line where supernatural ends and real human monstrosity begins, Games for Dead Girls is a haunting, dark read from award-winning author Jen Williams.

In the vein of Jennifer Hillier and Alex North, and told in alternating timelines, a ritualistic game turns deadly for two young girls, but it will be years before they must face the true horrors of their past.

When Charlie was eleven, she created a monster...

For Charlie and her niece Katie, it's supposed to be a quiet holiday in the peaceful, out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves seem to offer up plenty of material, while Katie is just there to run wild and get some fresh air.

But Charlie's research reveals a deeper, darker secret, one that uncovers her own, carefully hidden past. Because young women are going missing again: a teenage girl snatched from the beach in broad daylight, and before that, other girls through the decades have vanished from the area, their families left with no answers and no bodies to bury.

Charlie's creation was a thing of felt, straw, fury, and a rusty pair of scissors in the dark. It couldn't be her monster. Could it? Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls' disappearances, but she's about to encounter a force of pure, obsessive malevolence that threatens to destroy anything in its path."

Folklore and monsters made real, YES!

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young Native girl's hunt for answers about the women mysteriously disappearing from her tribe's reservation leads her to delve into the myths and stories of her people, all while being haunted herself, in this atmospheric and stunningly poignant debut.

Anna Horn is always looking over her shoulder. For the bullies who torment her, for the entitled visitors at the reservation's casino…and for the nameless, disembodied entity that stalks her every step - an ancient tribal myth come-to-life, one that's intent on devouring her whole.

With strange and sinister happenings occurring around the casino, Anna starts to suspect that not all the horrors on the reservation are old. As girls begin to go missing and the tribe scrambles to find answers, Anna struggles with her place on the rez, desperately searching for the key she’s sure lies in the legends of her tribe's past.

When Anna's own little sister also disappears, she'll do anything to bring Grace home. But the demons plaguing the reservation - both ancient and new - are strong, and sometimes, it's the stories that never get told that are the most important.

Part gripping thriller and part mythological horror, author Nick Medina spins an incisive and timely novel of life as an outcast, the cost of forgetting tradition, and the courage it takes to become who you were always meant to be."

Oh, I love the phrase mythological horror! I have to use that more often because that is my jam.

Trejo's Cantina by Danny Trejo
Published by: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: April 18th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cantina-style celebration of Mexican food and drink, entertaining, and Hollywood culture in 100 recipes for nachos, tacos, and Danger Dogs plus cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from the legendary actor, restaurateur, and author of the acclaimed Trejo's Tacos.

The cantina is the place where families, friends, and colleagues gather to celebrate. In Trejo's Cantina, beloved actor and restaurateur Danny Trejo shares recipes for snacks and drinks that celebrate his traditions and spirit. Along with mouthwatering recipes that make all people feel welcome, from plant-based (Vegan Tamales) and vegetarian (Fight Night Nachos; Mexican Grilled Caesar) to meaty faves (Chorizo Smash Burgers; Tijuana-Style Birria), there are also dozens of inventive takes on classic cocktails including spicy Margaritas and Oaxacan "Moscow" Mules as well as dozens of thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drinks such as Agua Frescas (Pineapple, Guava Lime, Mango), a Tamarind Fizz, and a Cacao Chile Smoothie.

Danny includes helpful tips like how to build a booze-free bar, how to master the tamale, how to mix-and-match salsas, and much more. He also reminisces about his upbringing in Los Angeles, from barhopping with uncles on Olvera Street to his memories of sneaking into movie theaters to cool off and watching films wide-eyed and inspired.

Danny's approach to entertaining is accessible, celebratory, and empowering to cooks of all skill levels. Trejo's Cantina, at its heart, is about living to the fullest, and about how no matter what happens, you need to eat well, drink with gratitude, and celebrate life."

I love Danny Trejo and I love that he has non-alcoholic drinks in this book as a non-drinker.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Brenda Janowitz, Choose Your Own Adventure, Danny Trejo, Emily Hourican, Guinesses, India Holton, Jen Williams, Mitfords, Mythological Horror, Nick Medina, Non-Alcholoic, Patricia Ward, Sabrina, Stranger Things

Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 16th, 2021
Format: Kindle, 416 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Bitter Rock, a small island off the coast of Alaska, is known for two things, it's unique birds and the fact that large numbers of people have disappeared from it. Sometimes all at once. Sailors, GI's, and in 1973 the entire village of Landontown. All thirty-one inhabitants. But anyone stupid enough to build on Belaya Skala, Bitter Rock's headland, should have known better than to take up residence on that blighted bit of rock. The founder of Landontown's widow didn't know what to do with this island she owned and decided to form the Landon Avian Research Center, LARC for short, that studies the island's unique birds, the red-throated tern. Sophie has lied her way into an internship at the LARC because it was there that her mother was working when she disappeared in 2003. This is recent news to Sophie because she always thought her mother died when she was three which resulted in her going into care. But ever since Abbey Ryder called and asked about her mother's disappearance, not death, she knew she had to return to the place her mother was last seen. Turns out Sophie's whole life has been a lie and those nightmares about drowning might be more real than she ever thought, because the moment she arrives on Bitter Rock she feels as if she's not just been here before, but has lived here. She knows the land, she knows the people, and there are some people her brain is screaming at her to avoid. Why would she react so viscerally to William Hardcastle? He just runs the LARC with Dr. Kapor, who approved Sophie's internship. She never knew him before, did she? And then Abby shows up. She comes out of the mist, the same mist that Dr. Kapor's son Liam could have sworn he saw Sophie walking into. But the locals are weird about the mist. Sophie, Abby, and Liam decide to ban together to solve the mystery of Bitter Rock. Sophie has never had friends before, no one else to rely on, so it's strange having people to help. People who won't look at her like she's crazy, people who don't freak out that her reflection doesn't quite match, people who see there's something in the mist and are willing to find out what it is, people who will help her until the bitter end.

Kate Alice Marshall's Rules For Vanishing felt uninspired, disjointed, and unoriginal to me. So why would I read the "sequel" you ask? I could say that it was because the teaser at the end of Rules For Vanishing felt more inspired than the rest of the book, which would be true, but really it was just because it was there. I can never seem to leave well enough alone and end up in situations that I completely put myself in. And yet I would say, for half this book, it really was something special and then it fell apart and my interest went with it. Because Kate Alice Marshall fell into all the traps she laid for herself in Rules For Vanishing. This book became nothing more than a mashup of other stories better told. Here was some more Annihilation, here was some Labyrinth, here was a whole hell of a lot of Stranger Things, and then there's Twin Peaks. I admit that the Twin Peaks comparisons are probably heavily responsible for getting me to pick up Out Last Echoes. I've been an addict since day one when I was probably too young to watch but my parents didn't really believe in censorship, and they also really wanted to watch it themselves, so they let little eleven year old me watch with them. I don't know how many times I've watched the original series since then, but every time I introduced a friend to the series I'd rewatch the whole show with them. I also wrote a paper on the show for my forestry class, which involved me rewatching the whole show again but this time taking notes. And my obsessive preparations leading up to it's return? Yeah, you could say I'm a fan in the true fanatic sense. I wasn't sure how this book would tap into the Twin Peaks vibe. Could it be location, could it be thematic, or could it go all out like Psych did with their episode "Dual Spires?" Turns out it was with doppelgangers, black oil, and music always being in the air. So yeah, I can see why Our Last Echoes is mentioned as being "like" Twin Peaks. But I would also strongly argue against this assessment as well because Twin Peaks has a very fixed and well defined mythology and meticulous worldbuilding. I have now read two books by Kate Alice Marshall set within the same universe and I have no idea what her mythology or worldbuilding is about. So there are what, seven worlds with some Gods and they want to gain access to our world again? This is vague and well confusing and what!?! I mean really what!?! I've read some eight-hundred pages of her work and that is all I've got. Will I pick up the inevitable next book? Probably, I'm a masochist. But seriously, just some cohesive worldbuilding would go a long way to saving this series.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abby Ryder, Alaska, Annihilation, Doppelgangers, Dual Spires, Fog, Going Gothic, Kate Alice Marshall, Labyrinth, Mythology, Our Last Echoes, Psych, Rules For Vanishing, Stranger Things, Twin Peaks, Worldbuilding

Stranger Things Holiday Specials by Michael Moreci, Chris Roberson, Keith Champagne, and Todor Hristov
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Get all three Stranger Things holiday specials in one package!

In the Halloween Special, Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin gather in Castle Byers to eat candy and scare each other with a spooky story, revealing the quaint town’s darkest secret: the Child-Eater of Hawkins.

In the Winter Special, Eleven and the kids of Hawkins are getting into the full spirit of the season. As they recall their favorite stories from their childhoods to teach Eleven about Christmas, tensions run high as Dustin swears he saw something spooky lurking in the forest outside.

In the Summer Special, Officers Powell and Callahan patrol the "mean" streets of Hawkins, Indiana with the enthusiasm of two hefty dachshunds pretending to be bloodhounds. Typically they don’t have to chase down more than the occasional petty theft and teenagers smoking refer but lately, the town has been getting weirder, and while they might not get to the bottom of it they just might be lucky enough to survive.

Featuring writing by Michael Moreci, Chris Roberson, and Keith Champagne, and art by Todor Hristov, ABEL, and Caio Filipe. Colors by Chris O'Halloran, DJ Chavis and Dan Jackson, with lettering by Nate Piekos."

Because obviously I had to feature something Christmassy this week.

Lair of the Crystal Fang by S.A. Sidor
Published by: Aconyte
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a mysterious killer haunts Arkham, three struggling investigators must confront the eldritch horrors of their past in this action-packed pulp adventure from the world of Arkham Horror.

In the swirling sewers beneath Arkham, excavators uncover a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city's past. As the discovery makes headlines, so too does a series of bizarre murders. With no leads, the Arkham police are always one step behind. Acting on a hunch, down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio know of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world, and the reality haunts them. But time is running out and between them they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos."

Seriously, Lovecraft and pulp go together so well, but don't take my word for it.

Sleeper Omnibus by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Published by: DC Comics
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 736 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sleeper is the critically acclaimed graphic novel series written by Eisner Award-winner Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Deadenders, Captain America) and stylishly rendered by legendary artist Sean Phillips (Marvel Zombies, Criminal, Incognito).

Agent Holden Carver is forced to live one day at a time in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse he plays with the leader of the secret criminal organization he has infiltrated while trying to elude detection."

I'm just saying, if there's a chance you forgot to buy me a Christmas present, well, look what came out this week...

Death of a Minor Character by E.X. Ferrars
Published by: Felony and Mayhem
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 206 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Virginia Freer has had it with her sort-of-ex-husband's taste for drama. Yes, Marcus Avery was a dear old duffer who lived in Virginia's town. Yes, Lillian Pace, Felix Freer's neighbor in London, was a sweet old bird. Yes, it's terrible they were murdered, but we live in a naughty world. But look at the coincidences! - Felix insists. That unpleasant silversmith. That awful couple seeking revenge. These were not two separate murders, I tell you: There is Something going on.

Virginia raises an eyebrow and sighs deeply: The world lost a second Olivier, she thinks, when Felix opted for gambling, mooching, and petty theft rather than the stage. But eventually even her relentless pragmatism gets worn down, and thank goodness, because there is, indeed, Something going on. And Felix and Virginia are just the duo to sort it out, chalk and cheese though they may be."

Why have I never heard of this series until now? It's like a snarkier Nick and Nora!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Arkham Horror, Chris Roberson, E.X. Ferrars, Ed Brubaker, H.P. Lovecraft, Nick and Nora Charles, S.A. Sidor, Sean Phillips, Sleeper, Stranger Things, Stranger Things Holiday Specials, Virginia Freer

Lakewood by Megan Giddings
Published by: Amistad
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 288 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Lena doesn't know what to do. Her grandmother was barely keeping things together before her passing. Now that she's gone Lena has to be the head of the family. Her mother has been ill for years. $80,000 worth of tests proved that she's sick but they still don't know with what. She has headaches and seizures, and her brain sometime just doesn't want to work right. In order for her to get the care she needs they need money. So Lena makes a decision. Her degree in art history can wait. It's not like school is going anywhere. She will become the breadwinner in the family. The problem is the only real job offer she's had is to be a sexy mascot at a taco restaurant opening up, and that isn't exactly going to pay much. But then she gets an invitation in the mail to join a medical study supposedly on memory. She'd have to sign an NDA and understand no one would be allowed to know what she is really doing. They'd set it up to make it look like she is just doing normal office work and all her and her mother's medical bills would be covered. Plus, Lena could start building a nest egg for herself and her mother. First she has to complete a week long series of tests. They are harrowing. Lena doesn't remember much except lots of doctors and needles and talking. But at the end of the week she's a few thousand dollars richer and realizes that because of her position, if she's lucky enough to be offered a place in the study, she will take it with no hesitation. Which is how Lena ends up in the town of Lakewood. There she reports everyday to a normal office and is handed a sheet of paper that tells her what her day consisted of. This is a well fabricated lie about dirty microwaves and stolen yogurt. In reality she and her colleagues undergo various tests. At first they seem benign. But then the "secretary's" teeth all fall out and Lena is locked in a cabin for she doesn't know how long. And then it gets worse. Also, why are there no white participants? And what is happening on other floors? And what will happen to Lena's mother if she leaves? Or worse, if Lena doesn't survive the study? Only time will tell if the mysteries of Lakewood get revealed.

The thing I love about my book club is that we all have such drastically different tastes that I read books I would never pick up on my own. And no, we never read books that the internet would designate as "perfect for your book club." Have you ever noticed those books are just... well, I could see the older women in my mom's old book club reading them, but never me. We read speculative science fiction, biographies, mysteries, YA, we are all over the place. I have to admit that the last few picks prior to Lakewood were not my cup of tea. So I was hesitant going in but also hopeful that it would break the cycle of, what I deemed, schlock. Lakewood delivered. The book was sold as "part The Handmaid’s Tale, part The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." While I get the whole reason for comparing books to other books to get people to pick them up, it sometimes annoys me, and in this instance I think they sold Lakewood short, because this is The Circle meets Get Out with a dash of The Office and a final helping of Annihilation and Stranger Things. It's got EVERYTHING! There's this day to day grind of what horrors will happen to Lena today. What will happen while she plays at having an office job? There's this veneer of normalcy that made me think of The Circle. The fact that this could be all above board except for this feeling that something is lurking beneath the surface. And while Lakewood would have been good at anytime, I think that when it was released led people to appreciate it all the more because it resonated with what was happening in the world, from the pandemic to BLM. This country has a horrible history of how it has treated people of color, and specifically in regard to medical trials, seeing them as nothing more than lab rats. Just look to the television commercials targeting people of color to get vaccinated featuring Spike Lee and the Obamas. The reason these ads are even necessary is because they have EVERY REASON not to trust. Years and years of medical experimentation have made them rightly wary. This book shines a light right on that and on the fact that people will only pay attention once white people start getting hurt. Things need to change and I hope this book, besides being entertaining, will get people to actually think.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Annihilation, BLM, Book Club, Get Out, Going Gothic, Lakewood, Medical Trials, Megan Giddings, Racism, Stranger Things, The Circle, The Handmaid's Tale, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Office, Vaccine

Earlier this year when I Am Not Okay With This debuted I admit I was suffering superhero fatigue. I mean, seriously, why do we need so many films and shows churning out the same story over and over again? So a story about a young girl, Sydney Novak, dealing with sudden powers did not feel like something I wanted to watch. Again. Enter my book club, and the fact that almost every single member started harassing me to watch this superhero origin story. I think they might have even threatened me, which I of course forgave as soon as I watched the show. I Am Not Okay With This reinvents the superhero origin story for those with superhero fatigue. It's a coming of age tale that just happens to have supernatural elements. I have since become a spokesperson for this show demanding everyone I know to watch it. The way I catch them is by saying it's as if John Hughes and David Lynch decided to make a show together. Because that is seriously the vibe. The teen angst, the music, the mysteries, the full out Carrie dance! What makes it even more special is that it's about not just Sydney struggling with her new powers, it's her struggling with who she is, and in particular her sexual orientation as she realizes she has feelings for her best friend Dina. This show is just unabashedly fun and inclusive and wonderful and Netflix I am still BEYOND pissed with you for cancelling this delightful series. Yes, I have the graphic novel to still read, but that isn't enough. I want more teen angst, I want to know who that stranger at the end offering to help Sydney was, and most importantly, I want more Stanley Barber. Stanley Barber has entered my pantheon of great geeky boys. He joins such luminaries as Duckie and Bill Haverchuck. Keep on being you Stanley. Keep on being you.   

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Bill Haverchuck, Book Clubs, Carrie, David Lynch, Duckie, Freaks and Geeks, I Am Not Okay With This, John Hughes, Netlfix, Stranger Things, Superhero, Superhero Fatigue, Syndey Novak

The Summer Country by Lauren Willig
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brilliant, multigenerational saga in the tradition of The Thorn Birds and North and South, New York Times bestselling historical novelist Lauren Willig delivers her biggest, boldest, and most ambitious novel yet - a sweeping Victorian epic of lost love, lies, jealousy, and rebellion set in colonial Barbados.

Barbados, 1854: Emily Dawson has always been the poor cousin in a prosperous English merchant clan -  merely a vicar’s daughter, and a reform-minded vicar’s daughter, at that. Everyone knows that the family’s lucrative shipping business will go to her cousin, Adam, one day. But when her grandfather dies, Emily receives an unexpected inheritance: Peverills, a sugar plantation in Barbados - a plantation her grandfather never told anyone he owned.

When Emily accompanies her cousin and his new wife to Barbados, she finds Peverills a burnt-out shell, reduced to ruins in 1816, when a rising of enslaved people sent the island up in flames. Rumors swirl around the derelict plantation; people whisper of ghosts.

Why would her practical-minded grandfather leave her a property in ruins? Why are the neighboring plantation owners, the Davenants, so eager to acquire Peverills? The answer lies in the past - a tangled history of lies, greed, clandestine love, heartbreaking betrayal, and a bold bid for freedom.

The Summer Country will beguile readers with its rendering of families, heartbreak, and the endurance of hope against all odds."

Lauren's new book is finally here, which means I can FINALLY talk to people about it! Also, in tour news, Lauren is making her way to Wisconsin for the first time, and I am majorly excited!

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan
Published by: Crown
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes a thrilling new WWII story about a village busybody - the mighty Mrs. Braithwaite - who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter.

Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left - her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war.

But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, the timid Mr. Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days - with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her. Aghast, Mrs. Braithwaite sets her bullish determination to the task of finding her only daughter.

Storming into the London Blitz, Mrs. Braithwaite drags the reluctant Mr. Norris along as an unwitting sidekick as they piece together Betty’s unexpectedly chaotic life. As she is thrown into the midst of danger and death, Mrs. Braithwaite is forced to rethink her old-fashioned notions of status, class, and reputation, and to reconsider the question that’s been puzzling her since her world overturned: How do you measure the success of your life?

Readers will be charmed by the unforgettable Mrs. Braithwaite and her plucky, ruthless optimism, and find in The Spies of Shilling Lane a novel with surprising twists and turns, quiet humor, and a poignant examination of mothers and daughters and the secrets we keep."

What draws me to this book is that it's a different fresh take on WWII.

The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montlclair
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"First comes love, then comes murder.

In a London slowly recovering from World War II, two very different women join forces to launch a business venture in the heart of Mayfair - The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, practical and widowed with a young son, are determined to achieve some independence and do some good in a rapidly changing world.

But the promising start to their marriage bureau is threatened when their newest client, Tillie La Salle, is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is the prospective husband they matched her with. While the police are convinced they have their man, Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are not. To clear his name - and to rescue their fledging operation’s reputation - Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own, using the skills and contacts they’ve each acquired through life and their individual adventures during the recent war.

Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk."

Matchmaking gone awry! 

This Storm by James Ellroy
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 608 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A massive novel of World War II Los Angeles. The crowning work of an American master.

It is January, 1942. Torrential rainstorms hit L.A. A body is unearthed in Griffith Park. The cops rate it a routine dead-man job. They're grievously wrong. It's a summons to misalliance and all the spoils of a brand-new war.

Elmer Jackson is a corrupt Vice cop. He's a flesh peddler and a bagman for the L.A. Chief of Police. Hideo Ashida is a crime-lab whiz, caught up in the maelstrom of the Japanese internment. Dudley Smith is an LAPD hardnose working Army Intelligence. He's gone rogue and gone all-the-way Fascist. Joan Conville was born rogue. She's a defrocked Navy lieutenant and a war profiteer to her core.

They've signed on for the dead-man job. They've got a hot date with History. They will fight their inner wars within The War with unstoppable fury."

I've always been a sucker of James Ellroy's Hollywood Noir, and after devouring Strange Angel on Amazon, I kind of need more of a WWII Hollywood fix. I think this fits the bill!

The L.A. Quartet by James Ellroy
Published by: Everyman's Library
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 1416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Here in one volume is James Ellroy's first great body of work, an epic re-envisioning of postwar Los Angeles - etched in red and black and film-noir grays.

The Black Dahlia depicts the secret infrastructure of L.A.'s most sensational murder case. A young cop morphs into obsessed lover and lust-crazed avenger. The Dahlia claims him. She is the deus ex machina of a boomtown in extremis. The cop's rogue investigation is a one-way ticket to hell.

The Big Nowhere blends the crime novel and the political novel. It is winter, 1950--and the L.A. County Grand Jury is out to slam movieland Reds. It's a reverential shuck--and the three cops assigned to the job are out to grab all the glory they can. A series of brutal sex killings intervenes, and the job goes all-the-way bad.

L.A. Confidential is the great novel of Los Angeles in the 1950s. Political corruption. Scandal-rag journalism. Bad racial juju and gangland wars. Six local stiffs slaughtered in an all-night hash house. The glorious and overreaching LAPD on an unprecedented scale.

White Jazz gives us the tortured confession of a corrupt cop going down for the count. He's a slumlord, a killer, a parasitic exploiter. He's a pawn in a series of police power plays and starting to see that he's being had. He's just met a woman. Thus, he's determined to claw his way out of the horrifying world he's created--and he's determined to tell us everything.

The L.A. Quartet is a groundbreaking work of American popular fiction."

I've been known to complain that there wasn't one book that combined all of James Ellroy's L.A. Quartet... for once someone must have heard me!

We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1959, a family of four were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were convicted and executed for the crime, and the murders and their investigation and solution became the subject of Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood. But what if there was a third killer, who remained unknown? What if there was another family, also murdered, who crossed paths with this band of killers, though their murder remains unsolved? And what if Dick Hickok left a written confession, explaining everything?

Retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn and her husband Carlo, a former priest and university professor, are trying to enjoy each other in this new stage in their lives. But a memento from Carlo's days as a prison chaplain - a handwritten document hidden away undetected in a box of Carlo's old things - has become a target for a man on the run from his past. Jerry Beaufort has just been released from prison after decades behind bars, and though he'd like to get on with living the rest of his life, he knows that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. Following the path of this letter will bring Jerry into contact with the last person he'll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.

Becky Masterman's unputdownable thrillers featuring unique heroine Brigid Quinn continue with this fascinating alternative look at one of America's most famous crimes."

If you wanted something more to In Cold Blood, than this book's for you.

The Shallows by Matt Goldman
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the words of Lee Child on Gone to Dust, “I want more of Nils Shapiro.” New York Times Best Selling author and Emmy Award-winning writer Matt Goldman obliges by bringing the Minneapolis private detective back for another thrilling, stand-alone adventure in The Shallows.

A prominent lawyer is found dead, tied to his own dock by a fishing stringer through his jaw, and everyone wants private detective Nils Shapiro to protect them from suspicion: The unfaithful widow. Her artist boyfriend. The lawyer’s firm. A polarizing congressional candidate. A rudderless suburban police department. Even the FBI.

Nils and his investigative partners illuminate a sticky web of secrets and deceit that draws national attention. But finding the web doesn’t prevent Nils from getting caught in it. Just when his safety is most in peril, his personal life takes an unexpected twist, facing its own snarl of surprise and deception.

In The Shallows, Goldman delves into the threat of dark history repeating itself while delivering another page-turner with his signature pace, humor, and richly drawn characters."

I was lucky enough to meet Matt Goldman when he toured for Gone to Dust, and it makes me very excited for this newest Nils Shapiro book.  

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid, who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and who dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

When a surprise engagement is announced between Khalid and Hafsa, Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and the unsettling new gossip she hears about his family. Looking into the rumors, she finds she has to deal with not only what she discovers about Khalid, but also the truth she realizes about herself."

I love how Pride and Prejudice has a universality that has lead to other cultures adapting it into their country's literary tradition.

Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott
Published by: Jo Fletcher Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1558: Twelve children, gifted far beyond their years, are banished by their Tudor queen to the town of Rotherweird. Some say they are the Golden Generation; some say the devil's spawn. But everyone knows they are to be revered - and feared.

Four and a half centuries later, cast adrift from the rest of England by Elizabeth I and still bound by its ancient laws, Rotherweird's independence is subject to one disturbing condition: no one, but no one studies the town or its history.

Then an Outsider arrives, a man of unparalleled wealth and power, enough to buy the whole of Rotherweird - deeply buried secrets and all..."

When I book is described by The Guardian as "[T]he love child of Gormenghast and Hogwarts" I am THERE!

Sorcery of Thrones by Margaret Rogerson
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens comes an imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery - magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught - about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined."

Literally THE YA book this summer... also a library!

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare et al
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 624 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Clare comes an exciting new short story collection that follows Jem Carstairs as he travels through the many Shadow Markets around the world. Ghosts of the Shadow Market is a Shadowhunters novel.

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks, and vampires. There, the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters’ world. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is a sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. And Jem is searching through the Shadow Markets, in many different cities over long years, for a relic from his past.

Follow Jem and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festival, Anna Lightwood’s doomed romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin, and Tessa Gray as she is plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah."

Because we got to milk the Shadowhunters series for every penny!

The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 800 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Holly Black’s acclaimed Modern Faerie Tales series is now available in this special bind-up edition featuring all three books!

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself as an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.

This special bind-up edition includes Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside."

Perfect for that someone who had an ice damn form in their window and had their copy of Tithe destroyed by water damage.

The Witchkin Murders by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Published by: Bell Bridge Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 354 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Four years ago, my world - the world - exploded with wild magic. The cherry on top of that crap cake? The supernatural world declared war on humans, and my life went straight to hell.

I used to be a detective, and a damned good one. Then Magicfall happened, and I changed along with the world. I’m witchkin now - something more than human or not quite human, depending on your perspective. To survive, I’ve become a scavenger, searching abandoned houses and stores for the everyday luxuries in short supply - tampons and peanut butter. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, but anything’s better than risking my secret.

Except, old habits die hard. When I discover a murder scene screaming with signs of black magic ritual, I know my days of hiding are over. Any chance I had of escaping my past with my secret intact is gone. Solving the witchkin murders is going to be the hardest case of my life, and not just because every second will torture me with reminders of how much I miss my old life and my partner, who hates my guts for abandoning the department.

But it’s time to suck it up, because if I screw this up, Portland will be wiped out, and I’m not going to let that happen. Hold on to your butts, Portland. Justice is coming, and I don’t take prisoners.

About the Author: Diana Pharaoh Francis is the acclaimed author of a dozen novels of fantasy and urban fantasy. Her books have been nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award and RT’s Best Urban Fantasy. The Witchkin Murders is the first book in her exciting new urban fantasy series - Magicfall."

This new Urban Fantasy series sounds right up my magically inclined alley!

Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal
Published by: Tor Teen
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ann Dávila Cardinal's Five Midnights is a “wickedly thrilling” (William Alexander) and “flat-out unputdownable” (Paul Tremblay) novel based on the el Cuco myth set against the backdrop of modern day Puerto Rico.

Five friends cursed. Five deadly fates. Five nights of retribución.

If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there - murderer, or monster?"

Or both!?!

Strangers Things: Runaway Max by Brenna Yovanoff
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Don't miss this gripping, emotional prequel to the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things! The never-before-told backstory of the beloved Dig Dug maven, Max Mayfield, written by New York Times bestselling author Brenna Yovanoff.

This must-read novel, based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, explores Max's past - the good and the bad - as well as how she came to find her newfound sense of home in Hawkins, Indiana."

Because Max has SO MUCH background needing exploration! 

The Artist Who Loved Cats by Courtenay Fletcher and Susan Schaefer Bernardo
Published by: Inner Flower Child Books
Publication Date: June 4th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Artist Who Loved Cats is a rhyming picture book biography of artist Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen, the creator of the iconic Le Chat Noir Cabaret posters created in 19th-century Paris.

This story opens in modern-day France, when a little girl named Antoinette notices a little bronze cat in the window of her favorite antique store, and begs the shopkeeper Monsieur Arvieux and his clever cat Noir to tell her all about the artist. She learns that Steinlen moved to Paris in 1881 to pursue his artistic dreams, ultimately creating not just the Chat Noir posters but also more than 700 journal illustrations, famous posters, sculptures, cartoon strips and paintings, and even used his art to make the world a better place. Many of Steinlen's artworks feature cats, his favorite subject.

Delightful rhyming verse, a sweet sprinkling of French vocabulary, and lovely illustrations by the award-winning team of author Susan Schaefer Bernardo and artist Courtenay Fletcher bring art history to life.

More than just a biography, The Artist Who Loved Cats is a celebration of art, inspiration, and following your heart to create a life that you love. It's the perfect book for expanding children's knowledge of real life artists, teaching them to appreciate art and antiques, and supporting their creative spark! It's also a great companion guide for a trip to France or study of French culture."

Cats and art, is there any better combination in the world? 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allison Montlclair, Andrew Caldecott, Ann Davila Cardinal, Cassandra Clare, Cats, Holly Black, In Cold Blood, James Ellroy, Jennifer Ryan, Lauren Willig, Matt Goldman, Stranger Things, Uzma Jalaluddin

The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits by Alys Clare
Published by: Severn House Publishers
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"London, 1880. “I’m dreadfully afraid someone is threatening to kill my wife...” When accounts clerk Ernest Stibbins approaches the World’s End investigation bureau with wild claims that his wife Albertina has been warned by her spirit guides that someone is out to harm her, the bureau’s owner Lily Raynor and her new employee Felix Wilbraham are initially sceptical. How are the two private enquiry agents supposed to investigate threats from beyond the grave? But after she attends a séance at the Stibbins family home, Lily comes to realize that Albertina is in terrible danger. And very soon so too is Lily herself..."

I'm a sucker for a séance.

Murder at Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stella Kendrick is an all-American heiress who can’t be tamed. But when the lively aspiring equine trainer tangles with British aristocracy, she meets her match - and a murderer...

Spring, 1905: Free-spirited like the Thoroughbreds she rides across the Kentucky countryside, Stella takes adventure by the reins when she’s asked to attend a mysterious wedding in rural England. But once she arrives at the lush Morrington Hall estate, her cold and ambitious father confesses that he won’t only give away his best racehorses as gifts—he has also arranged to give away his daughter as bride to the Earl of Atherly’s financially strapped son...

Stella refuses to be sold off like a prized pony. Yet despite a rough start, there’s something intriguing about her groom-to-be, the roguish Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst. The unlikely pair could actually be on the right track with each other...until they find the vicar who was to marry them dead in the library.

With culture clashes mounting between families, a scandalous murder case hangs over Morrington Hall. Now, Stella and Lyndy must go from future spouses to amateur sleuths as they team up to search for the truth - and prevent an unbridled criminal from destroying their new life together right out of the gate..."

More period murder!

Who's Sorry Now? by Maggie Robinson
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"London, England 1925.

A Russian prince. A wealthy heir. An impoverished earl's daughter. Which one will make an untimely exit from the London social scene?

Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Devenand Hunter finds himself in the middle of a series of upper-class deaths in London. Bright Young People are being extinguished in their favorite night spots, from a sleazy private jazz club to the Savoy ballroom. Dev knows just the person to help him navigate the treacherous society waters: Lady Adelaide Compton, a marquess' daughter and widow of a Great War hero. Unfortunately, he has put her in jeopardy once before, nearly leading him to turn in his warrant card.

But when her sister Cee is nearly one of the victims, Addie turns to Mr. Hunter, offering her help...and it soon becomes clear that the two of them working together again could lead to much more than merely solving crime."

Anyone else love a little twenties cozy?

Murder, She Uncovered by Peg Cochran
Published by: Alibi
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 231 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An intrepid 1930s Manhattan socialite uncovers deadly secrets during an assignment to the Hamptons in this riveting historical cozy mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Westhampton, 1938. To the dismay of her well-to-do family, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is quickly establishing herself as a seasoned photographer over at the Daily Trumpet. Growing more confident in her decision to pursue a career, Elizabeth is thrilled when she and her reporter sidekick, Ralph Kaminsky, are sent to Long Island to cover the story of a young maid found dead in one of the glamourous summer homes in the devastating aftermath of the Great New England Hurricane - also known as the Long Island Express.

At first it’s assumed that the young woman was caught in the terrible storm, but when a suspicious wound is found on the side of her head, the police suspect murder. The maid’s death becomes even more tragic when it’s discovered she was pregnant, and with Elizabeth and Kaminsky at the scene of the crime, the Daily Trumpet scoops all the other papers in town.

The young woman’s boyfriend emerges as the likeliest suspect. But as Elizabeth follows the story, she begins to wonder whether someone in the household of the maid’s employers might be responsible - someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth about the baby’s paternity hidden...."

And even more coziness here!

Blonde Rattlesnake by Julia Nricklin
Published by: Lyons Press
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nineteen-year-old Burmah Adams, a hairdresser and former Santa Ana High School student, spent her honeymoon on a crime spree. She and her husband of less than one week, White, an ex-con, robbed at least twenty people in and around downtown L.A. at gunpoint over an eight-week period. But the worst of their crimes was the shooting of a popular elementary school teacher, Cora Withington, and a former publisher, Crombie Allen, who was teaching her how to drive his new car.

A few days later, a watchful pair of patrolmen in a Westlake neighborhood called their detective colleagues at the Los Angeles Police Department; they had spotted a car that looked like one the duo had stolen days before. Two of these detectives dressed as mechanics and kept an eye on the apartment building until Burmah and Thomas appeared one afternoon. As police swarmed the building, Burmah tried to hurl herself out of a third–story window, while Thomas shot at officers and was immediately gunned down and killed.

Blond Rattlesnake reveals the events that brought Adams and White together and details the crime spree they committed in the sweltering hot days and nights of Los Angeles in the height of the Great Depression. It describes the terror of citizens in their path and the outrage they directed at the female half of the duo. Politicians exploited Burmah’s incarceration and trial for their own purposes as the press battled for scoops about the “Blonde Rattlesnake” and created sensation while trying to make sense of her crimes."

I love me some true crime!

Bayou City Burning by D.B. Borton
Published by: Boomerang Books
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 390 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Texas, 1961. The state’s slickest politician has lost his presidential bid to a good-looking naval hero from Massachusetts, and sleepy backwater Houston finds itself short on air conditioners just when things are beginning to heat up. The Freedom Riders have raised morale for local civil rights activists, and President Kennedy wants to put a man on the moon.

In a seedy office downtown, a well-dressed out-of-towner hires P.I. Harry Lark to tail two D.C. visitors looking to build NASA a space center. The more Harry finds out, the more he suspects he’s working for the wrong side, and he vows to wash his hands of the case. Meanwhile, Harry’s twelve-year-old daughter Dizzy is puzzling over a mystery of her own: she’s been running a lost-and-found out of a suburban garage, and is unexpectedly hired to find a missing father who’s supposed to be dead and buried.

When Harry’s client turns up dead on his office floor and mobsters start hounding him for cash he’s never seen, Harry realizes he needs all the help he can get - even if it comes from his daughter. As Harry’s and Dizzy’s cases converge, one thing becomes clear: someone wants Houston to look like a lawless Wild West Cowtown - and together, Harry and Dizzy are going to find out who."

There's a P.I. and a cat on the cover, what more could I want?

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 284 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Death, deception, and a detective with quite a lot to hide stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz's brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne.

“You shouldn’t be here. It’s too late...”

These, heard over the phone, were the last recorded words of successful celebrity-divorce lawyer Richard Pryce, found bludgeoned to death in his bachelor pad with a bottle of wine - a 1982 Chateau Lafite worth £3,000, to be precise.

Odd, considering he didn’t drink. Why this bottle? And why those words? And why was a three-digit number painted on the wall by the killer? And, most importantly, which of the man’s many, many enemies did the deed?

Baffled, the police are forced to bring in Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, the author Anthony, who’s really getting rather good at this murder investigation business.

But as Hawthorne takes on the case with characteristic relish, it becomes clear that he, too, has secrets to hide. As our reluctant narrator becomes ever more embroiled in the case, he realizes that these secrets must be exposed - even at the risk of death..."

Yes! A new Anthony Horowitz mystery! 

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstack
Published by: SForge Books
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness."

True crime podcast book? Um yes please! Also I hope I can go to their event when they're in town.

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: Subterranean
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 216 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With this long new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series. If you thought magic was confined to one country - think again. Trier: famous for wine, Romans and being Germany's oldest city. When a man is found dead with his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth. But fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything. Enter Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police which handles the supernatural. His aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. Together with frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he quickly links the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men whose novel approach to their mid-life crisis may have reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. As the rot spreads, literally, and the suspect list extends to people born before Frederick the Great, Tobias and Vanessa will need to find allies in some unexpected places. And to solve the case they'll have to unearth the secret magical history of a city that goes back two thousand years. Presuming that history doesn't kill them first."

A long novella is the best way to wait for the next Rivers of London book. 

Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Chief Jim Hopper reveals long-awaited secrets to Eleven about his old life as a police detective in New York City, confronting his past before the events of the hit show Stranger Things.

Christmas, Hawkins, 1984. All Chief Jim Hopper wants is to enjoy a quiet first Christmas with Eleven, but his adopted daughter has other plans. Over Hopper’s protests, she pulls a cardboard box marked “New York” out of the basement—and the tough questions begin. Why did Hopper leave Hawkins all those years ago? What does “Vietnam” mean? And why has he never talked about New York?

Although he’d rather face a horde of demogorgons than talk about his own past, Hopper knows that he can’t deny the truth any longer. And so begins the story of the incident in New York—the last big case before everything changed....

Summer, New York City, 1977. Hopper is starting over after returning home from Vietnam. A young daughter, a caring wife, and a new beat as an NYPD detective make it easy to slip back into life as a civilian. But after shadowy federal agents suddenly show up and seize the files about a series of brutal, unsolved murders, Hopper takes matters into his own hands, risking everything to discover the truth.

Soon Hopper is undercover among New York’s notorious street gangs. But just as he’s about to crack the case, a blackout rolls across the boroughs, plunging Hopper into a darkness deeper than any he’s faced before."

If Hopper isn't your favorite character on Stranger Things I'm no longer talking to you. 

Black Badge by Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins
Published by: BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An espionage series about a top-secret, elite branch of boy scouts tasked by the government to take on covert missions.

Meet the Black Badges, a top-secret branch of boy scouts tasked by the government to take on covert missions that no adult ever could. Among their organization, the Black Badges are the elite—the best of the best. The missions they’re tasked with are dangerous, and will only get worse as their leader’s attention is split between their objective and tracking down a lost team member. A member who disappeared years ago...presumed dead. Reuniting New York Times bestselling author Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and illustrator Tyler Jenkins (Peter Panzerfaust) following their multiple Eisner Award-nominated series Grass Kings, Black Badge is a haunting look at foreign policy, culture wars, and isolationism through the lens of kids who know they must fix the world that adults have broken."

I don't know what BOOM! Studios comic I was reading when I first saw an ad for Black Badge, but I knew right away it was for me. 

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: May 28th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species - formerly extinct - roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time...love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty - and what it truly means to be human."

Yes, this Westworld for YA is one of the most anticipated books this Spring!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alys Clare, Anthony Horowitz, Ben Aaronovitch, Black Badge, Clara McKenna, D.B. Borton, Jess Rothenberg, Julia Bricklin, Maggie Robinson, My Favorite Murder, Peg Cochran, Stranger Things, True Crime, Westworld