strange and random happenstance

The great age of exploration when men went about the Earth planting flags in the most hostile of climates holds no interest for me. It doesn't just smack of colonialism, but of a severe superiority complex. Britain literally was trying to claim the South Pole to regain their manhood. And that isn't me projecting, they actually say that in The Last Place on Earth which is dark and bleak and boils down to two assholes doing something for no reason. Norway, led by Roald Amundsen, took the Pole because they were better prepared, but Britain, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, arriving at the Pole a mere thirty-four days late were the real "winners" because of their heroic deaths on the return trip. By heroic I mean they froze to death in their tent because Scott had no business running an Antarctic expedition. Or at least that's my take after watching this grueling miniseries. Which is why I'm now going to talk about the music. Yes, no Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, and other famous celebs making some of their earliest film roles for me! For me it's all about Trevor Jones! His name is in the credits! It's really big! It's in the crossed flags that make a cross marking a grave. SO DRAMATIC! So mismatched. At the time Trevor Jones was contracted to do The Last Place on Earth he was smack dab in the middle of his "mystical" phase, having worked on Excalibur and The Dark Crystal with Labyrinth on the horizon. And that is exactly what this music sounds like. Which, given the subject matter, is a major disconnect. Because it sounds like he's written a third unreleased score for Legend to replace Tangerine Dream who replaced Jerry Goldsmith and not music for men toiling in the harshest of climes. I feel like there was an exec somewhere who spun a narrative about the South Pole and it's eternal winter being like a snow globe and Trevor Jones just ran with that concept. The glittering ice hovering in the air, the magical, unearthly environment, the eternal darkness, OK, I'm starting to talk about Legend again. But seriously, has someone edited this score to Legend because I think it would be slamming. Because the truth of the matter is I love this music. I want a soundtrack that I can listen to on a loop. My brother said it reminded him of the best in industrial library music from the seventies and he too thought it was slamming. But was, like me, perplexed by how this in any way connected with an expedition to the South Pole. At least it made the copious deaths and treks and eating of animals almost bearable. It's not an understatement to say it's the incongruous music that got me through this show. That and I really wanted to see Scott die. I particularly loved the Norwegians leaving him a fuck you tent at the pole. That was class. Because, fuck Scott! Long live Trevor Jones!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bill Nighy, Britain, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Excalibur, Exploration, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Hugh Grant, Labyrinth, Legend, Norway, Roald Amundsen, South Pole, The Dark Crystal, The Last Place on Earth, Trevor Jones

At the beginning of the pandemic my friends and I wanted to keep in touch so we started a Thursday tradition of using Teleparty to watch a show together. Three years on and the tradition is still alive. It's really the highlight of our weeks if we're honest. We've watched British comedies, animation, comic book adaptations, and then we got into The Witcher universe. Mainly at my insistence because we were wrapping up The Umbrella Academy and rumors were the new season of The Witcher was going to drop summer 2023 and I had yet to watch a single episode, I know, simply shocking. And then the new season of The Witcher was announced and we had some spare time. Not much, but just enough to squeeze in a few prequels, where in one, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, Vesemir who is played to perfection by Kim Bodnia is nonsensically voiced by Theo James and his posh accent. I won't dwell on this though because that story is best forgotten. The Witcher: Blood Origin though was surprisingly interesting. Not in the story itself, it's pretty basic, but when you get down to it all stories are basic, it's how you tell them that makes them original. And this had just enough to make it memorable. Just enough and Dylan Moran. Which, when I heard his voice from a clifftop before even seeing his face I yelled out "Fuck me Dylan Moran!" Which you can literally take both ways, because it's Dylan Moran. In fact most of this show just had me shouting declarative sentences over and over. "Damn this music sounds like someone really wants to imitate Bear McCreary's Black Sails score." Five seconds later, oh, that's because it is Bear! Following which I wanted to know why Bear doesn't do the flagship show, because come on, it's Bear people! Also despite what the internet says I swear this show had to have a higher budget, the camerawork is lush, the sets are jaw-dropping, and everything just felt more polished. But what this show is really for is answers. The flagship show is kind of vague, they don't know exactly what monoliths are for, they're not sure how monsters entered their world, they can't even make any more Witchers, which all starts to slowly tie together near the end of the second season and then in walks The Witcher: Blood Origin and they're like, you want answers? Here's some answers; Monolith's take you to alternate dimensions where the monsters AND chaos magic originate from. Elves didn't used to be oppressed, they were the oppressors, those hypocrites, the way they treated the dwarves, but then the racial genocide seems kind of cyclical. And as for the conjunction? That event which if you grew up watching The Dark Crystal you assumed was a nice planetary alignment, it was rather a smashing together of dimensions that ended up bringing humans to the Continent. I mean, realities literally crashing together! And as for the first Witcher? Well, oddly enough the magic and the commingling of the I want to say powers or possibly blood of all our warrior friends is back to the vague, with possibly a baby being the first Witcher. That was unclear. Odd given how many answers were given and the title of the show. Which means this one-off show needs a sequel. How hard could it be to green light it? We are now in the age of Michelle Yeoh after all. Minimally I need a spinoff with Meldof and Gwen.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Bear McCreary, Black Sails, Dylan Moran, Kim Bodnia, Michelle Yeoh, Monoliths, The Dark Crystal, The Umbrella Academy, The WItcher, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Theo James, Vesemir, Witcher

Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk
Published by: Erewhon
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss...with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries - even for love - she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever regret the path not taken?"

Could it be? Dare I hope? A new Regency Magic book!?!

Serpentine by Philip Pullman
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 80 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This companion to His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust offers a tantalizing new glimpse of Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon.

The world-changing events of The Amber Spyglass are behind them, and Lyra and Pan find themselves utterly changed as well. In Serpentine, they journey to the far North once more, hoping to ask the Consul of Witches a most urgent question.

This brand-new story, a beguiling must-read for Pullman fans old and new, is a perfect companion to His Dark Materials and a fascinating bridge to The Book of Dust."

Just when I was thinking, how will I get through the fall without a new Philip Pullman book...

The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra by Adam Cesare
Published by: Insight Editions
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 168 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover the wild and wonderful creatures of Thra in this guide to the flora and fauna of the Dark Crystal universe featuring remarkable original illustrations.

In a world where rocks talk and trees dispense wisdom from across the ages, anything is possible. The Dark Crystal Bestiary is a comprehensive volume that catalogs the many lifeforms of Thra’s unique ecosystem. Drawing from all aspects of the Dark Crystal saga’s universe, this book is visually dazzling and filled with enthralling information about all of Thra’s lifeforms, making it the definitive guide to a world of wonders.

• Own the most comprehensive guide to the Dark Crystal universe: This book showcases fauna from all corners of Thra, from the vile Skeksis and their noble counterparts, the Mystics, to a whole cornucopia of amazing creatures and critters, including Landstriders, Garthim, Peeper Beetles, Fizzgigs, Pluff’m, and many more fan favorites.

• Over 200 fantasy illustrations: Featuring all-new illustrations by Iris Compiet, a protégé of the original Dark Crystal concept artist, Brian Froud, this book will show you the world of Thra as you’ve never seen it before.

• Learn about the world of Thra: The Dark Crystal Bestiary is packed with lore, drawing information from the original film, the hit Netflix show The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, comic books, and novels.

• An epic addition to your home library: Great for fantasy lovers, The Dark Crystal Bestiary will be a perfect addition to your bookshelf or coffee table."

My love for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance can not be put into words, hence this lovely book of pictures! 

Cinder and Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann
Published by: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A suspenseful tale of witches, family, and magic from internationally bestselling author Stefan Bachmann. When a twelve-year-old orphan unexpectedly becomes the mistress of a seemingly abandoned castle, she is thrust into a mysterious plot involving murderous spells, false identity, and a magical battle of wills between the living and the dead. Readers of Kate Milford's Greenglass House, Victoria Schwab's City of Ghosts, and Diana Wynne Jones will be riveted.

Twelve-year-old Zita, an orphan and a housemaid, has resigned herself to a life of drudgery when a strange letter arrives, naming her the only living heir to the Brydgeborn fortune. Now the mistress of the castle, Zita soon realizes foul play led to the death of her family. And as she is guided through lessons in the art of witchcraft by the somewhat mysterious Mrs. Cantanker, Zita begins to wonder who is friend and who is foe.

Unforgettable and utterly enchanting, this stand-alone tale about family, belonging, and friendship will bewitch readers of Tahereh Mafi’s Whichwood, Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces, and Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle. Cinders and Sparrows is a magical page-turner by the author of The Peculiar, the acclaimed international bestseller."

Even without that stellar blurb, you get your cover designed by the Balbusso sisters, you are going to get your book bought by me.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in a Hugo award-winning author's powerful novel of magic amid the suffragette movement.

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters - James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna - join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote - and perhaps not even to live - the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January."

October screams witches! And with the election ever looming, a little suffrage is a good thing!

The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins
Published by: Candlewick
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A riveting middle-grade fantasy about sibling bonds, enchanted houses, and encroaching wildness, lyrically told in eerily beautiful prose.

The grass grew taller than the house itself, surrounding it on all sides. It stuffed the keyholes and scraped against the roof. It shook the walls and made paintings shiver.

Seven years ago, the Ballastian sisters’ parents left them in the magical Straygarden Place, a house surrounded by tall silver grass and floating trees. They left behind a warning saying never to leave the house or go into the grass. “Wait for us,” the note read. “Sleep darkly.” Ever since then, the house itself has taken care of Winnow, Mayhap, and Pavonine - feeding them, clothing them, even keeping them company - while the girls have waited and grown up and played a guessing game: Think of an animal, think of a place. Think of a person, think of a face. Until one day, when the eldest, fourteen-year-old Winnow, does the unthinkable and goes outside into the grass, and everything twelve-year-old Mayhap thought she knew about her home, her family, and even herself starts to unravel. With luscious, vivid prose, poet and author Hayley Chewins transports readers to a house where beloved little dogs crawl into their owners’ minds to sleep, sick girls turn silver, and anything can be stolen - even laughter and silence."

A timely tale told lyrically.

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In her debut novel A Golden Fury, Samantha Cohoe weaves a story of magic and danger, where the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone will haunt you long after the final page.

Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone - whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold - but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.

While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of a revolution looming, Thea is sent to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.

But there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse - instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die."

You said Philosopher's Stone? I'm in! 

Winter White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore
Published by: Amulet Books
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mad Max: Fury Road meets Frozen in this striking YA fantasy about a rig driver’s journey to save her friend.

Twice-orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. Alone in her truck, she takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child.

Sylvi likes the road, where no one asks who her parents were or what she thinks of the rebels in the north. But when her best friend, Lenore, runs off with the rebels, Sylvi must make a haul too late in the season for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with, the infamous Mars Dresden. Alongside his team - Hyla, a giant warrior woman and Kyn, a boy with skin like stone - Sylvi will do whatever it takes to save her friend.

But when the time comes, she’ll have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter - or the future of the island that she calls home."

I'd also add a little Ice Road Truckers to the mix...

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of the “rich, dark, and intricately twisted” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs returns with another taut and white-knuckled thriller following a group of people whose lives shockingly intersect when a young woman disappears.

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a computer science teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel - involuntary celibate - forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears - and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

With evocative, vivid, and unputdownable prose and plenty of disturbing twists and turns, Jewell’s latest thriller is another “haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author)."

Let's get all deep and psychologically twisted OK? 

A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""He’s gone..."

When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.

Rebus fears the worst - and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.

He wasn’t the best father - the job always came first - but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective?

As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast - and a small town with big secrets - he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find..."

I wish we were still getting adaptations of these books with John Hannah...

A Resolution at Midnight by Shelley Noble
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey in this critically acclaimed mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble.

Roasted chestnuts from vendor’s carts, fresh cut spruce trees lining the sidewalks, extravagant gifts, opulent dinners, carols at St Patrick’s Cathedral, a warm meal and a few minutes shelter from the cold at one of the charitable food lines...

It’s Christmas in Gilded Age Manhattan.

And for the first time ever an amazing giant ball will drop along a rod on the roof of the New York Times building to ring in the New Year. Everyone plans to attend the event.

But the murder of a prominent newsman hits a little too close to home. And when a young newspaper woman, a protégé of the great Jacob Riis and old Vassar school chum of Bev’s, is the target of a similar attack, it is clear this is not just a single act of violence but a conspiracy of malicious proportions. Really, you’d think murderers would take a holiday.

Something absolutely must be done. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige in A Resolution at Midnight, the third book in this best selling series."

If you watched the latest season of The Alienist and wanted a certain newspaper man dead, well, read this to fill that longing!

The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham.

Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father's death and her mother's abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.

Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate's tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.

Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them - and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance."

If you're still suffering from Poldark ending, this book is here to ease that pain. Also, suffering from Poldark is an entirely real ailment!

The Dollhouse Family by M.R. Carey and Peter Gross
Published by: DC Comics
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alice loves to talk to her dolls, and her dolls and dollhouse love to talk back.

When Alice is six, she is given a beautiful antique dollhouse. When things in her life get scary, Alice turns to her dolls and dollhouse for comfort. One day, they invite her to come play inside with them. As Alice's life is turned upside down in the "big" world, she is always welcomed home to the little world inside the dollhouse; the house will even grant her a wish if she agrees to live with them!

Follow Alice through the door of the dollhouse and into the demon's den."

The Crown Jewel in DC's Hill House Line. 

The Slaughtered Lamb by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar. I’m Sam Quinn, the werewolf book nerd in charge. I run my business by one simple rule: Everyone needs a good book and a stiff drink, be they vampire, wicche, demon, or fae. No wolves, though. Ever. I have my reasons.

I serve the supernatural community of San Francisco. We’ve been having some problems lately. Okay, I’m the one with the problems. The broken body of a female werewolf washed up on my doorstep. What makes sweat pool at the base of my spine, though, is realizing the scars she bears are identical to the ones I conceal. After hiding for years, I’ve been found.

A protection I’ve been relying on is gone. While my wolf traits are strengthening steadily, the loss also left my mind vulnerable to attack. Someone is ensnaring me in horrifying visions intended to kill. Clive, the sexy vampire Master of the City, has figured out how to pull me out, designating himself by personal bodyguard. He’s grumpy about it, but that kiss is telling a different story. A change is taking place. It has to. The bookish bartender must become the fledgling badass.

I’m a survivor. I’ll fight fang and claw to protect myself and the ones I love. And let’s face it, they have it coming."

Urban Fantasy set in a San Francisco bookstore!?! Is someone reading my dream book ideas list?

White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: October 13th, 2020
Format: Paperback
To Buy

The official patter:
"Not all magicians go to schools of magic.

Adam Binder has the Sight. It's a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam's life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father's rage.

Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby's wife.

It isn't long before Adam becomes the spirit's next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings...including his first love."

My bookseller friend Johnnie Cakes says read this. So do what I do and listen to him and read this. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alix E. Harrow, C.L. Polk, Hayley Chewins, Ian Rankin, Joe Hill, Lisa Jewell, Philip Pullman, Poldark, Regency Magic, Samantha Cohoe, Seana Kelly, Shannon Dittemore, Shelley Noble, Stefan Bachmann, The Dark Crystal

The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fifty years after The Andromeda Strain made Michael Crichton a household name - and spawned a new genre, the technothriller - the threat returns, in a gripping sequel that is terrifyingly realistic and resonant. The Evolution is Coming.

In 1967, an extraterrestrial microbe came crashing down to Earth and nearly ended the human race. Accidental exposure to the particle - designated The Andromeda Strain - killed every resident of the town of Piedmont, Arizona, save for an elderly man and an infant boy. Over the next five days, a team of top scientists assigned to Project Wildfire worked valiantly to save the world from an epidemic of unimaginable proportions. In the moments before a catastrophic nuclear detonation, they succeeded.

In the ensuing decades, research on the microparticle continued. And the world thought it was safe...

Deep inside Fairchild Air Force Base, Project Eternal Vigilance has continued to watch and wait for the Andromeda Strain to reappear. On the verge of being shut down, the project has registered no activity - until now. A Brazilian terrain-mapping drone has detected a bizarre anomaly of otherworldly matter in the middle of the jungle, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle.

With this shocking discovery, the next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts hailing from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.

But the microbe is growing - evolving. And if the Wildfire team can’t reach the quarantine zone, enter the anomaly, and figure out how to stop it, this new Andromeda Evolution will annihilate all life as we know it."

Damn, sometimes I miss Michael Crichton so much it hurts.

Otherlife by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Return to the series BuzzFeed compared to Ready Player One with the third book in the fast-paced trilogy from New York Times bestselling authors Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller that's perfect for fans of HBO's Westworld.

Simon, Kat, Busara, and Elvis are on the run with the tech super-villains at the Company hot on their heels. The new VR gaming experience the Company created, OtherEarth, will change how the world experiences gaming. Paired with the hardware the Company developed, it has the potential to alter our reality forever.

The Company is on its way to becoming the world's newest superpower. And Simon is determined to shut them down forever. But to do that, he'll have to survive OtherLife - the next phase of gaming, and a complete reality reboot."

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Jason Segel? Because seriously, I love him so much, just finished re-watching Freaks and Geeks and am in need a a Jason fix, and this fits the bill!

A Sanctuary of Spirits by Leanna Renee Hieber
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York, 1899, and the police department's best ally is the secret Ghost Precinct, where spirits and psychics help solve the city's most perplexing crimes...

There's more than one way to catch a killer-though the methods employed by the NYPD's Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists led by gifted young medium Eve Whitby, are unconventional to say the least. Eve is concerned by the backlash that threatens the department-and by the discovery of an otherworldly realm, the Ghost Sanctuary, where the dead can provide answers. But is there a price to be paid for Eve and her colleagues venturing beyond the land of the living?

Searching for clues about a mortician's disappearance, Eve encounters a charismatic magician and mesmerist whose abilities are unlike any she's seen. Is he a link to mysterious deaths around the city, or to the Ghost Sanctuary? Torn between the bonds of her team and her growing relationship with the dashing Detective Horowitz, Eve must discern truth from illusion and friend from foe, before another soul vanishes into the ether..."

Psychics and spiritualists fighting crime? I don't just want to read this book I want to live it!

Lethal Pursuit by Will Thomas
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"London, 1892 - Cyrus Barker is brought into a game of international espionage by the Prime Minister himself in the newest mystery in Will Thomas's beloved series.

Private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn receive in the mail an unexplained key stamped with the letter Q. Barker, recognizing it for what it is, uses the key to unlock an anonymous door in the alleyway, which opens to an underground tunnel leading to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has a small task for Cyrus Barker. A Foreign Office agent stole a satchel in Eastern Europe, but was then himself murdered at Charing Cross. The satchel contains a document desperately wanted by the German government, but while the agent was killed, the satchel remains in English hands. With a cold war brewing between England and Germany, it's in England's interest to return the document contained in the satchel to its original owners and keep it out of German hands.

The document is an unnamed first century gospel; the original owner is the Vatican. And the German government isn't the only group trying to get possession of it. With secret societies, government assassins, political groups, and shadowy figures of all sorts doing everything they can - attacks, murders, counter-attacks, and even massive street battles - to acquire the satchel and its contents, this small task might be beyond even the prodigious talents of Cyrus Barker."

Victorian John le Carré!

The Body on the Train by Frances Brody
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Frances Brody's eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery is sure to delight readers of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.

Two murders. A one-way ticket to trouble.

And it's up to Kate to derail the killer.

London, 1929. In the darkness before dawn, a railway porter, unloading a special train from Yorkshire, discovers a man's body, shot and placed in a sack. There are no means of identification to be found and as Scotland Yard hits a dead end, they call on the inimitable Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth, confident her local knowledge and investigative skills will produce results. But it's no easy task.

Suspicion of political intrigue and fears of unrest in the Yorkshire coalfields, impose secrecy on her already difficult task. The murder of a shopkeeper, around the same time, seems too much of a coincidence. The convicted felon was found with blood on his hands, but it's too tidy and Kate becomes convinced the police have the wrong man.

By then it's too late. Kate finds herself in a den of vipers. The real killer is still at large, and having tinkered with Kate's car, nearly causes her to crash. Not only that, but Scotland Yard has turned their back on her. As Kate edges toward the shocking truth, she's going to need all the strength and resourcefulness she can muster to uncover this sinister web of deceit."

For the Agatha Christie cozy fan in all of us. 

The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian
Published by: Henery Press
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 274 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A locked-room mystery at a Paris mansion. A supposed ghost haunting a French family who looted treasure from Cambodia.

A reclusive thriller author writing a novel in honor of historian Jaya Jones--is it a work of fiction or a devious device to lure Jaya into solving a chilling mystery?

Three unsolved murders spanning seventy years have befallen the same French family, each taking place two nights before Christmas at their Paris mansion--and blamed on the family ghost.

When Jaya realizes the truth hits closer to home than she realized, she must risk everything as she flees San Francisco for France and Cambodia to find a missing sculpture known as the Serpent King and stop a flesh and blood killer."

I was sold at locked-room mystery in a Paris mansion, everything else is just icing on the cake.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance by Daniel Wallace
Published by: Insight Editions
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Explore the creation of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Netflix’s highly-anticipated new prequel series from The Jim Henson Company, with this all-access look at the show’s journey to the screen.

Delving into the incredible creative process behind the series, this deluxe volume reveals how Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, legendary character and costume designer Brian Froud, and director Louis Leterrier brought Thra and its characters to life alongside the artists and puppeteers who are continuing the legacy of the original film.

Filled with exclusive interviews with the creative forces behind the show, plus concept art, set photography, puppet designs, and more, this is the definitive exploration of The Jim Henson Company’s epic return to Thra."

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a perfect show and everything the original movie could have been with a better script. I can not wait to delve further into the amazing designs of Thra. 

Bowie's Bookshelf by John O'Connell
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three years before David Bowie died, he shared a list of 100 books that changed his life. His choices span fiction and nonfiction, literary and irreverent, and include timeless classics alongside eyebrow-raising obscurities.

In 100 short essays, music journalist John O’Connell studies each book on Bowie’s list and contextualizes it in the artist’s life and work. How did the power imbued in a single suit of armor in The Iliad impact a man who loved costumes, shifting identity, and the siren song of the alter-ego? How did The Gnostic Gospels inform Bowie’s own hazy personal cosmology? How did the poems of T.S. Eliot and Frank O’Hara, the fiction of Vladimir Nabokov and Anthony Burgess, the comics of The Beano and The Viz, and the groundbreaking politics of James Baldwin influence Bowie’s lyrics, his sound, his artistic outlook? How did the 100 books on this list influence one of the most influential artists of a generation?

Heartfelt, analytical, and totally original, Bowie’s Bookshelf is one part epic reading guide and one part biography of a music legend."

A few years back I went to the touring Bowie exhibit and it was apparent that he was inspired by everything he took in, in particular what he read. This little insight into his life is invaluable to a fuller understanding of this remarkable man.

Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge by Sheila Weller
Published by: Sarah Crichton Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A remarkably candid biography of the remarkably candid - and brilliant - Carrie Fisher.

In her 2008 bestseller, Girls Like Us, Sheila Weller - with heart and a profound feeling for the times - gave us a surprisingly intimate portrait of three icons: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. Now she turns her focus to one of the most loved, brilliant, and iconoclastic women of our time: the actress, writer, daughter, and mother Carrie Fisher.

Weller traces Fisher’s life from her Hollywood royalty roots to her untimely and shattering death after Christmas 2016. Her mother was the spunky and adorable Debbie Reynolds; her father, the heartthrob crooner Eddie Fisher. When Eddie ran off with Elizabeth Taylor, the scandal thrust little Carrie Frances into a bizarre spotlight, gifting her with an irony and an aplomb that would resonate throughout her life.

We follow Fisher’s acting career, from her debut in Shampoo, the hit movie that defined mid-1970s Hollywood, to her seizing of the plum female role in Star Wars, which catapulted her to instant fame. We explore her long, complex relationship with Paul Simon and her relatively peaceful years with the talent agent Bryan Lourd. We witness her startling leap - on the heels of a near-fatal overdose - from actress to highly praised, bestselling author, the Dorothy Parker of her place and time.

Weller sympathetically reveals the conditions that Fisher lived with: serious bipolar disorder and an inherited drug addiction. Still, despite crises and overdoses, her life’s work - as an actor, a novelist and memoirist, a script doctor, a hostess, and a friend - was prodigious and unique. As one of her best friends said, “I almost wish the expression ‘one of a kind’ didn’t exist, because it applies to Carrie in a deeper way than it applies to others.”

Sourced by friends, colleagues, and witnesses to all stages of Fisher’s life, Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge is an empathic and even-handed portrayal of a woman who - as Princess Leia, but mostly as herself - was a feminist heroine, one who died at a time when we need her blazing, healing honesty more than ever."

A while back now EW (because Entertainment Weekly seems to have forsaken the "weekly" and are now monthly) profiled this book and instantly I was like yes. This is a book I must read.

It's Garry Shandling's Book by Judd Apatow
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: November 12th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 472 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Judd Apatow comes an intimate portrait of his mentor, the legendary stand-up comic and star of The Larry Sanders Show, with never-before-seen journal entries and photos, as well as new contributions by fellow comedians and writers.

Garry Shandling was a singular trailblazer in the comedy world. His two hit shows, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and The Larry Sanders Show, broke new ground and influenced future sitcoms like 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and his stand-up laid the foundation for a whole new generation of comics. There’s no one better to tell Shandling’s story than Judd Apatow - Shandling gave Apatow one of his first jobs and remained his mentor for the rest of his life - and the book expands on Apatow’s Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.

Here, Apatow has gathered journal entries, photographs, and essays for a close-up look at the artist who turned his gaze back onto the world of show business. Beyond his success, though, Shandling struggled with fame, the industry of art, and the childhood loss of his brother, which forever affected his personal and professional lives. His diaries show Shandling to be self-aware and insightful, revealing a deep philosophical and spiritual side. Contributions by comedians and other leading lights of the industry, as well as people who grew up with Shandling, along with never-before-seen pieces of scripts and brilliant jokes that he never performed, shed new light on every facet of his life and work. This book is the final word on the lasting impact of the great Garry Shandling."

How old were you when you realized Garry Shandling spelled his name with two "R's"? I was today years old.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Carrie Fisher, David Bowie, Frances Brody, Freaks and Geeks, Garry Shandling, Gigi Pandian, Jason Segel, Judd Apatow, Kirsten Miller, Leanna Renee Hieber, Michael Crichton, The Dark Crystal, Will Thomas

Murder at Kensington Palace by Andrea Penrose
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Wrexford and Sloane must unravel secrets within secrets - including a few that entangle their own hearts - when they reunite to solve a string of shocking murders that have horrified Regency London...

Though Charlotte Sloane’s secret identity as the controversial satirical cartoonist A.J. Quill is safe with the Earl of Wrexford, she’s ill prepared for the rippling effects sharing the truth about her background has cast over their relationship. She thought a bit of space might improve the situation. But when her cousin is murdered and his twin brother is accused of the gruesome crime, Charlotte immediately turns to Wrexford for help in proving the young man’s innocence. Though she finds the brooding scientist just as enigmatic and intense as ever, their partnership is now marked by an unfamiliar tension that seems to complicate every encounter.

Despite this newfound complexity, Wrexford and Charlotte are determined to track down the real killer. Their investigation leads them on a dangerous chase through Mayfair’s glittering ballrooms and opulent drawing rooms, where gossip and rumors swirl to confuse the facts. Was her cousin murdered over a romantic rivalry...or staggering gambling debts? Or could the motive be far darker and involve the clandestine scientific society that claimed both brothers as members? The more Charlotte and Wrexford try to unknot the truth, the more tangled it becomes. But they must solve the case soon, before the killer’s madness seizes another victim..."

Horrifying murders? Regency England? Hears aflutter? Yes, yes, and YES! 

Charlotte Bronte Before Jane Eyre by Glynnis Fawkes
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart!

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is a beloved classic, celebrated today by readers of all ages and revered as a masterwork of literary prowess. But what of the famous writer herself?

Originally published under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, Jane Eyre was born out of a magnificent, vivid imagination, a deep cultivation of skill, and immense personal hardship and tragedy. Charlotte, like her sisters Emily and Anne, was passionate about her work. She sought to cast an empathetic lens on characters often ignored by popular literature of the time, questioning societal assumptions with a sharp intellect and changing forever the landscape of western literature.

With an introduction by Alison Bechdel, Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre presents a stunning examination of a woman who battled against the odds to make her voice heard."

Oh yes, let's hook them young! Also for the young at heart.

Coming Home to Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters
Published by: Hera
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"No matter how far you go, home is where the heart is...

Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up rather than risk her family’s disapproval, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle - but now she’s finally returning to Glendale Hall.

As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew - Beth’s first love.

Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?

Will Christmas work its magic on Glendale - or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?

A charming, uplifting novel that will warm your heart - the perfect read to curl up with this autumn. Fans of Trisha Ashley, Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley will love this gorgeously romantic read."

Like a Christmas Scottish Gilmore Girls! 

The Dark Crystal by Jocelyn Lange
Published by: Golden Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jim Henson's epic fantasy film The Dark Crystal is retold in a Little Golden Book!

Jim Henson's epic fantasy film from 1982, The Dark Crystal, is gently retold in a beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book. Children ages 2 to 5 - and The Dark Crystal fans of all ages - will be delighted to read about Jen the Gelfling's dangerous quest to heal the Dark Crystal and bring the vicious Skeksis and the peaceful urRu back together and restore harmony to the land."

Aw, Chamberlain as drawn by Golden Books looks cute AND conniving at the same time!

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Published by: Imprint
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunted Argentinian mansion.
A family curse.
A twist you'll never see coming.
Welcome to Vaccaro School.
Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi - a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother - it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house - despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored... and one of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence."

I seriously haven't read a blurb for a book that has made me want to read it more than this one. Gothic goodness! Perfect as we plunge deeper into fall... 

Afterlife with Archie: Betry R.I.P. by Robert Aquirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla
Published by: Archie Comics
Publication Date: September 24th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 168 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The dark plague of the undead has swallowed Riverdale whole, forcing the survivors led by Archie, Betty and Veronica to flee the formerly idyllic town in search of safe haven. The rag-tag group's once-lighthearted romantic rivalries, power struggles and family feuds are now cast in a desperate light, as tensions and emotions are heightened by the fact that any decision, no matter how trivial it may seem, could now be a choice between life and death. And more and more frequently... death is the winner.

Afterlife with Archie: Betry R.I.P. compiles the second storyline from the hit ongoing comic book horror series Afterlife with Archie."

Huh. It's finally coming out. I swear I've had this volume on hold at the library for years and years, for a long time not realizing that that was because it was published yet... but now... now I'll finally get to read it... thankfully a vaguely remember the first volume.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Afterlife with Archie, Andrea Penrose, Charlotte Bronte, Coming Home to Glendale Hall, Glynnis Fawkes, Jane Eyre, Riverdale, Sara Faring, The Dark Crystal, The Tenth Girl, Victoria Walters