Top Ten Tuesday — Books on My Spring 2022

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here for more on this weekly meme and for future topics.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

It’s probably about time to finally read Pachinko, with the TV series coming out and all and that it’s one of those books I’ve heard nothing but great things about.

A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion

I read a little bit of this one a while ago in January/February but since I borrowed it from the library I had to return before getting a chance to really get into it. However from the first few chapters I read, I was super intrigued. It reminds of Unsolved Mysteries in a way. Maybe I had been watching too much Unsolved Mysteries at the time, but it has that bit of mystery and intrigue in it that makes it feel like I’m watching an episode unfold in front of me. It’s more so a coming of age story with a mystery/thriller-ish vibe.

Violeta by Isabel Allende

One of the authors I have wanted to read for a while now is Isabel Allende, especially her classic novel, The House of the Spirits. However I saw that she was releasing a new book this year that’s relevant to the times about a 100 year old reflecting on her life being born in 1920s and living through all those years and being alive during yet another pandemic in 2020, as told through letters. It was available at my library so I decided to go ahead and borrow it.

Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You by Ariel Delgado Dixon

This is a fairly new release that I discovered through how I typically always find out about new/future releases, NetGalley. It’s a story about two sisters who are sent to a wilderness camp for troubled teen girls. This is based on real life groups that actually take “troubled” teens out of the blue from their homes to make them “better” and there’s a lot of harrowing traumatic tales and a dark underbelly behind these wilderness camps and retreats that you can read up on. But it’s a weird industry that is still somehow making a profit. I finally decided to place a hold from the library and I can’t wait to get around to it this spring.

Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel

Yet another library read, this sounds like the next best thing to read after having read Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton, a darkly thrilling story about a toxic female friendship gone very wrong. This book also has that but with a few interesting details such as it taking place in 2008 (I think lol) and I think there’s even more murder in it.

Sundial by Catriona Ward

Of course I also want to read some horror this spring and I think this release sounds perfect. I haven’t read anything from this author yet, I’m also interested in reading The Last House on Needless Street.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

One of my recent reads, How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, which I highly recommend, mentioned this book, which is one I have had on my many TBRs before and one I think I’ve talked about wanting to read but How to Do Nothing convinced me that I need to read this. I don’t have a copy of this yet, however, I do think there’s an eBook available through my library that I can try to place a hold on. Last time I checked out there was a 6 week wait for it 😬

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

Speaking of Social Creature, Tara Isabella Burton’s next novel was just released and it sounds so perfect. It’s a dark academia story that also has some religious cult-y stuff. I don’t actually know if this will be what the novel really is but I will read whatever Tara Isabella Burton writes.

Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung

I’m sure I have talked about this book before, but if I haven’t, it’s one I bought myself last summer and I’m dying to read. It’s a ghost story that ties in family and grief. It just sounds super interesting.

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

This is a book that comes out in May and I was fortunate enough to get an eARC! I really loved the author’s debut novel, The Wolf and the Woodsman, from last year which I still want to talk about more on my blog and crossing my fingers that I finally do it justice with a review. So yeah I’m really anticipating reading this one as well more stories from Ava Reid.

Top Ten Tuesday — Christmas Wishlist

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

This week’s topic is: Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I’m not going to link a wishlist here, so I’m just sharing some books I would love to get myself for Christmas when I get money. It’s actually been a hot while since I’ve gone book shopping which is a simple joy in my life.

1. Cultish by Amanda Montell

One of my favorite reads from this year! I checked this out from the library but would love to have a physical copy of my own so I can annotate it and highlight my favorite bits. Hopefully the paperback will be out in 2022.

2. Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Recipes (And Love My Microwave) — David Chang and Priya Krishna

I swear every year I have some cookbook on my wishlist. Do I actually cook? No lol. I would love to at least learn to cook or just cook. This sounded like an interesting cookbook that focuses less on recipes and just fucking around and finding out which tbh is how I approach most things.

3. Devotions — Mary Oliver

I read Mary Oliver for the first time this year and I loved the three collections I have from her; Felicity, Dream Work and Blue Horses. Her poetry was so beautiful yet accessible and I am glad to have discovered her this year. I see Devotions brought up a lot in conversations about her work so I would to own a copy of it.

4. Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread — Michiko Kakutani

I just kind of like coffee table/listicle books like this. I think they’re neat.

5. The Collected Poems — Sylvia Plath

I would love to really dig deeper into Sylvia Plath’s poetry. So why not try to get this collection? I am wary because I’ve heard that this version or a certain version is heavily edited and has some poems left out.

6. feminism is for everybody: passionate politics — bell hooks

Around the time of me writing up this post, bell hooks passed away. I have never actually read her works but I have always wanted to read, of course, this one. Seeing people on twitter talk about her story, life and works was nice to see.

7. All About Love — bell hooks

Another bell hooks book that a lot of people were talking about on Twitter. Seeing a few of the quotes from this being shared on Twitter really made me want to read this more.

8. How to Do Nothing — Jenny Odell

I’ve had my eyes on this for a while. It’s on a lot of lists of books that I want to read. This book is also apparently what made Lorde get off the internet so I’m interested to see what power it could have over me if it made Lorde disappear into the sun (or well to Antarctica).

9. Starting Point: 1979-1996 — Hayao Miyazaki

In 2022, as I will talk about at some point in the future, I would like to read more books about art and artists! Hayao Miyazaki, being one of my influences and favorite creators of all time, seemed like a good place to start. Both this and the one below, Turning Point, are collections of essays & interviews from Miyazaki.

10. Turning Point: 1997-2008 — Hayao Miyazaki

see above.

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Thanks for reading this list! I hope all of us can get something from our wishlists! Happy Holidays to everyone and Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday — Books on My Winter 2021 To-read List

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

Hello all! I hope everyone is having a chill time or fun time or just having a time. Happy Holidays as well to everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I last participated in TTT. However I think this post is a great jumping-back-into-it point, since I was planning on making my own Winter TBR post anyways. Now that is a sort of just a few books I want to read before the end of the year/following into 2022.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

I swear I will read The Winternight trilogy starting with this book!!! I have had this series on my TBR for years now and every winter I decide to add to my TBR, because its winter and so I should read this wintery series. Also its probably about time I read a book that I know way too much about because of Book Twitter and one that I will share fanart of because I like the main couple of the series!

White Ivy by Susie Yang

Since I work at the library I often come across books where I tell myself “I’m going to read that soon”. This is one of those books that I find myself always looking at and through when I go to shelve books. So now I finally decided that I want to read it. It sounds like an interesting take on the Talented Mr. Ripley-esque con artist story, this time from the POV of a Chinese-American woman who learned from her grandmother to lie and steal and eventually she falls in love with a rich guy and chaos ensues probably.

All’s Well & Bunny by Mona Awad

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Mona Awad’s books. I believe Bunny is a sort-of-dark academia novel and All’s Well is a Shakespearean horror story. I’m going into both with little knowledge of each but I think that’s for the best.

Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak

Part one of two books I’ve added to this TBR thanks to Ally @ Ally Writes Things. Ally has talked about this book a lot and I’ve wanted to read it for some time because I like disaster/messy/slightly unhinged and/or unlikeable female characters. Also since the author has a new release in 2022 called Our American Friend, that I am also super interested in, I’d like to read this before I get around to that one.

Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

And here’s part two of book recs from Ally! Thanks again! This is a book she described the same way as Necessary People, which means it sounds like my jam. The author also has a 2022 release I’m interested in, The World Cannot Give.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

This is another “I saw this book while shelving” book. The first sentence is what caught my eye. “When we were eight, Dad cut me open from throat to stomach.” Brutal. It sort of slips my mind every time I try to think of what the book is actually about. I think it has something to do with two sisters who are scientists and raising wolves and the wolves are maybe causing problems? IDK But I’ll give it a go.

We Can Only Save Ourselves by Alison Wisdom

This threw a buzzwords and buzz-titles (?) at me that I had to put a hold on this. If you know me, I like stories about cults and this apparently has that going for it, with a mix of The Virgin Suicides. From the synopsis this about a teenage girl who disappears, joins a cult and all that ensues of that.

We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman

Similarly titled to the previous book I mentioned, this is about a writer, involved in a scandal, who goes off to Los Angeles, California and befriends a female filmmaker whose next project is a semi-documentary about a girls who start an actual fight club inspired by the book/movie Fight Club. This sounds wild and I am here for it.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

This is a 2022 release however it was a Book of the Month pick and I really wanted to read this one. I’m hoping it comes in soon because I have a Book of the Month related post I’m working on that I would like to have done by the end of December/beginning of January. There is also already a TV series in the works starring Aubrey Plaza so there’s that. I’m going into this not knowing much but we’ll see what we get.

(As I was typing this on my phone, it arrived! Sometimes manifesting works kids!)

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Thanks again to anyone who reads this! Let me know what your TBR plans are for the season.

Top Ten Tuesday – Spooky Non-Fiction

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

What’s spookier than fiction??? NON-FICTION mwahahaha because it’s R E A L. And there’s nothing you can do about it’s realness.

Okay moving on from that terrible intro, today’s topic is Halloween freebie and I’ve been wanting to discuss more non-fiction so I’m recommending two I’ve read and eight others on my TBR.

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My Little Occult Book Club by Steven Rhodes

You may have seen this artist’s shirts on websites before. They say things like “EASY BAKE COVEN”, “LET’S SUMMON DEMONS”, or “LET’S SACRIFICE TOBY” and they have very 80s/90s vibes with kids that parody the kids games with that of the occult, paranormal and spooky. Which is the same vibe of this art book that features darkly funny illustrations that have hints of nostalgic book value. It makes for a fun coffee table book and I highly recommend it!

Cursed Objects by J.W. Ocker

I got this from my library recently and it was a fascinatingly delightful read! These details of course, cursed objects, real life objects from all parts of the world that have caused misery, pain, haunting, and d e a t h. Sorry for being morbid but I do find this subject interesting and also terrifying seeing as one of these objects is in my state!!! This is also illustrated like the previous book recommended but does have some words and stories about each object. I think this makes for a great history read as well. So I recommend this one for a quick read.

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

This is a pretty well known true crime book from a well known true crime author Ann Rule about Ted Bundy, whom she actually knew before anyone ever knew the truth about him. I actually have read a little bit of this, at least the first few chapters where she actually talks about how she worked at a crisis center where she met Ted. However I know that she goes further into the story of the infamous serial killer and his life, the women and girls that he murdered and so on. It’s a heavy read and a big book so it may take me a while.

Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix

There’s this really cool YouTube video that talked about old school paperback horror covers which I’ll link here. From that video I found out about this book which also talks and shows off some of the grotesque, weird, horrifying covers from 70s and 80s horror paperbacks. I got this just recently from a Kindle deal and I cannot wait to see what’s in store!

Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World by Yoshi Yoshitani

I’ve had small peels at the gorgeous art featured in this book from Yoshi Yoshitani and it just looks so stunning. Maybe less on the spooky side but I think it works for this list because it’s about folklore and myths from around the world, as the title says. I believe the art also was used for tarot cards.

Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession by Alice Bolin

I’ve had this on my Kindle for a long while. I’m always fascinated with books that critique and analyze trends in media and this details on why media in particular is maybe a little too fascinated and sensationalized dead girls. I can’t wait to see what this talks about, I saw something that it talks about Twin Peaks, which is a favorite of mine but nevertheless has some pretty problematic elements in it and I can see why it’s easy to critique one particular element from it.

Monster, She Wrote by Lisa Kröger & Melanie R. Anderson; Nightmare Flower by Elizabeth Engstrom; The Women of Weird Tales: Stories by Everil Worrell, Eli Colter, Mary Elizabeth Counselman and Greye La Spina

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A 3-in-1 section!!! MONSTER, SHE WROTE, specifically focused on women who wrote horror & speculative fiction such as Mary Shelley, Octavia Butler, VC Andrews, Angela Carter etc. Then the other two are companions to MONSTER, SHE WROTE with stories and authors that were mentioned in MSW. I love things like this about women who wrote in this genres but were maybe overlooked during their time because of so many reasons and now we can look back see their influence in horror and the speculative genre.

The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara

What’s more horrifying that ghost or ghouls? Men who get jealous of a woman’s success and tries to take credit for her contributions to film! This nonfiction tale is the story of Millicent Patrick, one of Disney’s first female animators and the woman who created the design for the Creature of the Black Lagoon and how unfortunately one jackass tried to make everyone forget about her. But I’m glad that a book like this exists to give Millicent Patrick the credit she deserves. It also has me questioning everything about how women especially throughout history have been overlooked or intentionally forgotten due to the patriarchy™️.

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Well that’s that for my Top Ten! Let me know if you’ve read any spooky, scary non-fiction recently and what you’d recommend or if you’ve read of any of these! Thanks for reading and Happy Halloween week!!! 🎃

Top Ten Tuesday – Floral Horror Covers

This is a Top Ten Tuesday post, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Click here form more on this weekly meme and for future topics

Today’s topic is a Cover Freebie!! Freebie topics are always fun and easy and I had many ideas for this but I was led to this idea since it’s close to spooky szn 🎃!!! I wanted to share a a trend I’ve noticed recently (not saying it hasn’t probably been done before) when it comes to horror books: floral horror. Basically these are horror books that feature flowers/plants. I am going to admit that I am using the word “horror” loosely for some of these books which maybe would fit more into murder mystery or dark fantasy but let’s just pretend it’s all under the same umbrella of horror. Just for my sake 😉

I think this is an interesting trend because a pretty cover doesn’t typically go together with what most people associate with horror but I think that may be the intent of the artist and/or publisher. To attract people who like pretty covers to read horror stories. I like both so these appeal to my taste. Then again we did get a movie like Midsommar which is both pretty and disturbing.

Flowers can be deadly. Literally. There are flowers than can kill you.

I tried to look into the covers and see if the artists were going for metaphors or deeper meaning with the flowers in the covers. Some actually did, some seem to be for more ~ aesthetic~ purposes which is honestly fine. I did some deep dives on the internet and looked up what some of flowers meant. However I have also learned that I could not identify different types of flora if my life depended on it. Like I know what a rose and a sunflower looks like. But other than few other flowers, IDK. I’m not an expert on these things. I just think they’re pretty.

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WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power / Cover by Aykut Aydoğdu & Regina Flath – OUT NOW

Definitely the most attention grabbing one is this gorgeous yet horrifyingly creepy cover of WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power. It’s so pretty but if you think about it too long it’s kind of terrifying and twisted. This is how the author described the cover/story in an interview for the cover reveal.

“Girlhood is its own kind of horror. Girls grow up steeped in it, in that slow-burning fear, in that sneaking sense that our bodies aren’t our own. In writing Wilder Girls, I wanted to take that horror and make it something else. Something you can touch. Something you can fight against, if you want, or keep tucked inside. Wilder Girls is about agency; it’s about hope; it’s about the things girlhood tries to drive out of us. I’m so proud to be sending it out into the world with this stunning cover – I hope you enjoy it.”

HORRID by Katrina Leno / Cover by Tran Nguyen – Release Date: September 15 2020

It should not be a surprise that this cover is on this list because this one of my favorite covers for this year. But at the same time I’m not sure if the black flowers have any sort of deeper meaning. It just looks horrid but in a good way. I can’t wait to read this horror that’s inspired by Stephen King and Agatha Christie.

HOUSE OF HOLLOW by Krystal Sutherland / Cover by Aykut Aydoğdu – Release Date: April 2021

Of course the same artist for WILDER GIRLS goes absolutely hard on another YA horror. This one gives me Midsommar vibes and the insects and blood make it even more creepy and chilling. The artist definitely does pretty body horror very well. “Beautiful, unsettling, haunting” as described by the author. Which is a perfect description!

THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS by June Hur / Cover by Pedro Tapa – Release Date: April 2021

This book is a historical murder mystery that takes place in Joseon Korea on Jeju Island. So I looked up what kind of flowers exist on Jeju Island. I found out that Jeju Island is most known for canola blossoms (which are a gorgeous yellow), cherry blossoms, red azalea, and rhododendron blossoms. I don’t know if any of the flowers on the cover are these variety of flowers but I’d like to think they are. But regardless this is such a lush cover that would be fill in with colors like a coloring book page. But use of flowers with the two girls sort of hiding or disappearing within the flowers may represent secrets lurking.

WHAT BIG TEETH by Rose Szabo / Cover by Corey Brickley – February 2021

I’ll be honest and say I don’t have much to say about the floral aspect of the cover design here since I think the most obvious draw is the face with fangs. BUT THERE ARE FLOWERS in the background. This is a horror story and it’s about a family with “monstrous” secrets. Mwahaha.

IN THE RAVENOUS DARK BY A.M. Strickland / Cover by Natalie C. Sousa – Release Date: May 2021

The author, via me looking at their Twitter, feed helped me figure out that the flowers are poppies and that this book is inspired by Greco-Roman culture and mythology. So with those little tidbits in mind, I did a quick Google search. Poppies in Greco-Roman myths were used as offerings to the dead and often represent eternal sleep. Cool. Also it’s a skull made from flowers!!!

PRIDE & PREMEDITATION by Tirzah Price / Cover by Dan Funderburgh & Corina Lupp – Release Date: March 2021

LOOK ANOTHER SKULL MADE OF FLOWERS!!! I can assume these are lillies, tulips etc. I don’t really know but it just looks pretty. Also this is a Pride & Prejudice murder mystery retelling so I’m in for a treat when I get my hands on this book!

MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia / Cover by Tim Green – OUT NOW

The only adult title I have on here, I know, but I really think this is a beautiful cover. Also one book I can’t wait to read soon. Of course there’s the yellow flowers that the main character is holding. Then there’s the wall decor which is very stylish and gothic. But it also may represent the feelings of entrapment which is a common theme of horror/gothic tales.

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas / Cover by Mars Lauderbaugh – OUT NOW

As described by the author in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “Lady Death and the marigolds represent Dia de Muertos, the holiday during which Cemetery Boys takes place. This cover is the perfect mix of beauty, magic, mystery and unapologetically Latinx!” So glad to see that the flowers do play an important role in the story here. It’s also a book on my immediate TBR. I just got my copy in the other day!!

WATCH OVER ME by Nina LaCour / Cover by Pippa Young – Release Date: September 15 2020

It’s pretty!! And it’s a ghost story! I have no idea what these flowers are but again it’s pretty and I’m actually very hyped for this book!

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That’s that for my Top Ten! Let me know what you think and share your own posts if you joined in! Also let me know if you know anymore about these flowers than I do lol.

Also check out these artists. They are all amazing. They’re indivual work is so impressive my favorites are Tran Nguyen’s, Pedro Tapa, and Aykut Aydoğdu.

My Most Anticipated Horror & Thrillers Books for 2020 – Part Two

Part two of my need to tell everyone about spooky reads. 2020 features a wide spectrum of interesting horror/dark concepts from thrillers, dark fantasy, retellings, and other creepy stuff. 2020 is also the year for queer & POC rep in these kind of stories and I couldn’t be happier. You’ll notice most of these books feature both kinds of representation.

If you see anything you want to add to your TBR just click on the titles and it’ll take you to Goodreads!

WITCHES OF ASH AND RUIN BY E. LATIMER

COVER DESIGN BY PHIL BUCHANAN

Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy and A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES.

Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader.

And then a witch turns up murdered at a local sacred site, along with the blood symbol of the Butcher of Manchester-an infamous serial killer whose trail has long gone cold. The killer’s motives are enmeshed in a complex web of witches and gods, and Dayna and Meiner soon find themselves at the center of it all. If they don’t stop the Butcher, one of them will be next.

With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that’s impossible to put down.

MY THOUGHTS

#ownvoices rep for OCD and bi rep! Celtic mythology and witchcraft! Sounds fun! On a side note I do have some mixed feelings about the fact that the character is outed HOWEVER I’m glad that it actually states in the synopsis instead of people having to find out without warning, so applaud whomever wrote the synopsis for that.

WHEN WE WERE MAGIC BY SARAH GAILEY

A sly, witchy dark comedy about four teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an “author to watch.”

Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder.

Alexis has always been able to rely on two things: her best friends, and the magic powers they all share. Their secret is what brought them together, and their love for each other is unshakeable—even when that love is complicated. Complicated by problems like jealousy, or insecurity, or lust. Or love.

That unshakeable, complicated love is one of the only things that doesn’t change on prom night.

When accidental magic goes sideways and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her friends come together to try to right a terrible wrong. Their first attempt fails—and their second attempt fails even harder. Left with the remains of their failed spells and more consequences than anyone could have predicted, each of them must find a way to live with their part of the story.

MY THOUGHTS

MORE QUEER WITCH STORIES! Also I enjoy dark comedy which I know is very niche but if that is your cup of tea, join the club.

FOREST OF SOULS BY LORI M. LEE

COVER DESIGN BY LAURA BENTON AND ART BY CHARLIE BOWATER

Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard.

Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to become the queen’s next royal spy, her plans are derailed when shamans attack and kill her best friend Saengo.

And then Sirscha, somehow, restores Saengo to life.

Unveiled as the first lightwender in living memory, Sirscha is summoned to the domain of the Spider King. For centuries, he has used his influence over the Dead Wood—an ancient forest possessed by souls—to enforce peace between the kingdoms. Now, with the trees growing wild and untamed, only a lightwender can restrain them. As war looms, Sirscha must master her newly awakened abilities before the trees shatter the brittle peace, or worse, claim Saengo, the friend she would die for.

MY THOUGHTS

Forest of Souls seems to lean more towards the fantasy genre but it still gives off horror vibes so it fits the bill. Spiders are spooky y’all. According to the author “this book features Asian-coded characters being warriors and shamans, queens and mentors, villains and friends, all within a secondary world fantasy.” Also I’m in love with the cover! So haunting and gorgeous.

GHOST WOOD SONG BY ERICA WATERS

COVER DESIGN BY JENNA STEMPEL-LOBELL & ART BY ALIX NORTHRUP

Shady Grove is her father’s daughter, through and through. She inherited his riotous, curly hair, his devotion to bluegrass, and his ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle.

That cursed instrument drowned with him, though, when his car went off the road, taking with it the whispering ghosts, nightmares, and the grief and obsession that forced her daddy to play.

But Shady’s brother was just accused of murder, and so she has a choice to make: unearth the fiddle that sang her father to the grave and speak to the dead to clear her brother’s name, or watch the only family she has left splinter to pieces.

The ghosts have secrets to keep, but Shady will make those old bones sing.

MY THOUGHTS

A Southern gothic story and it apparently takes place in Florida and features a Bi MC.

WHERE DREAMS DESCEND BY JANELLA ANGELES

COVER DESIGN BY KERRI RESNICK & ART BY MICAELA ALCAINO

A debut fantasy duology pitched as The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge, the story follows Hellfire House’s star showgirl who, haunted by a dark past, must enter a magician’s competition in order to secure her freedom from the handsome, enigmatic keeper of the club, even as mysterious accidents seem to plague her every move.

MY THOUGHTS

Not much to go on but Phantom meets Moulin Rouge is a very great way to get to read this. I’ve had this on my TBR ever since it was announced so I’ve been dedicated to this book for a long time. Also support Filipino authors!

YOU’RE NEXT BY KYLIE SCHACTE

When a girl with a troubled history of finding dead bodies investigates the murder of her ex, she uncovers a plot to put herself—and everyone she loves—on the list of who’s next.

Flora Calhoun has a reputation for sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. After stumbling upon a classmate’s body years ago, the trauma of that discovery and the police’s failure to find the killer has haunted her ever since. One night, she gets a midnight text from Ava McQueen, the beautiful girl who had ignited Flora’s heart last summer, then never spoke to her again.

Just in time to witness Ava’s death from a gunshot wound, Flora is set on a path of rage and vengeance for all the dead girls whose killer is never found. Her tunnel-visioned sleuthing leads to valuable clues about a shocking conspiracy involving her school and beyond, but also earns her sinister threats from the murderer. She has a choice—to give up the hunt for answers, or keep digging and risk her loved ones’ lives. Either way, Flora will regret the consequences. Who’s next on the killer’s list?

MY THOUGHTS

So I am going to point out that there’s already a great horror film called You’re Next that I really like but this obviously seems to be very different. Also there seems to be some sapphic vibes so even better.

BLOOD COUNTESS BY LANA POPOVIC

A historical YA horror novel based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula

In 17th century Hungary, Anna Darvulia has just begun working as a scullery maid for the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Báthory. When Elizabeth takes a liking to Anna, she’s vaulted to the dream role of chambermaid, a far cry from the filthy servants’ quarters below. She receives wages generous enough to provide for her family, and the Countess begins to groom Anna as her friend and confidante. It’s not long before Anna falls completely under the Countess’s spell—and the Countess takes full advantage. Isolated from her former friends, family, and fiancé, Anna realizes she’s not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel Elizabeth. Then come the murders, and Anna knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too.

MY THOUGHTS

Historical YA horror is all I ever wanted and Elizabeth Bathory is the perfect subject.

THE SILENCE OF BONES BY JUNE HUR

COVER DESIGN BY KATIE KLIM & ART BY KASIQ JUNGWOO

I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak;
Ears, but I mustn’t hear;
Eyes, but I mustn’t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur’s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

MY THOUGHTS

This sounds so refreshing. A murder mystery set in 1800s Korea. This by far is one of the most interesting premises for a mystery I’ve read in a while. I also have to give props to the cover. The shades of blue make this feel so noir-ish.

FROZEN BEAUTY BY LEXA HILLYER

BEFORE
Everyone out in Devil’s Lake, Michigan, knows the three Malloy sisters: perfect big sister Kit; tomboy Tessa, who shares more with Kit than most people realize; and Lilly, the baby of the family, determined to make her own mark. Yet as close as they are, there are certain things sisters don’t tell one another. And one of them is keeping a secret that will turn their little world inside out.

NOW
No one knows exactly what happened to Kit in the woods that night—all they have are a constellation of facts: icy blue lips and fingers cold to the touch, a lacy bra, an abandoned pick-up truck with keys still in the ignition. Still, Tessa, even in her fog of grief, is certain that her sister’s killer wasn’t Boyd, the boy next door whom they’ve all loved in their own way. There are too many details that don’t add up, too many secrets still tucked away.

But no matter how fiercely she searches for answers, at the core of that complicated night is a truth that’s heartbreakingly simple.

Told in lush, haunting prose, Frozen Beauty is a story of the intoxicating power of first love, the deep bonds of sisterhood, and a shocking death that will forever change the living

MY THOUGHTS

Horror stories with sisters is a great combination. I wasn’t even sure what genre this was until actually looking into the synopsis, but this sounds quite haunting indeed.

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS BY KIT FRICK

COVER DESIGN BY DEBRA SFETSIOS-CONOVER & ART BY LEVENTE SZABO

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried.

When Anna Cicconi arrives in the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected—and that she knows what happened on New Year’s.

Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession’s is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

Inspired by Serial and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, this thrilling story of psychological suspense is told in three interwoven timelines, including the transcript of a fictionalized true crime podcast.  ‘

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve had this on my TBR since it was known originally as Windermere. It’s interesting to see that podcasts have made their way into YA novels. I loved that aspect in Sadie by Courtney Summers, and I hope it works here too.

THE DARK TIDE BY ALICIA JASINSKA

COVER DESIGN BY NICOLE HOWER & ART BY HELEN CRAWFORD WHITE

A fast-paced, well-plotted fantasy retelling of an ancient Scottish fairy tale ballad, this exciting debut will appeal to fans of Stephanie Garber’s CARAVAL, Shea Ernshaw’s THE WICKED DEEP, and Kendare Blake’s THREE DARK CROWNS.

Every year on Walpurgis Night, Caldella’s Witch Queen lures a young boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking.

Convinced her handsome brother is going to be taken, sixteen-year-old Lina Kirk enlists the help of the mysterious Tomas Lin, her secret crush, and the only boy to ever escape from the palace. Working together they protect her brother, but draw the Queen’s attention. When the Queen spirits Tomas away instead, Lina blames herself and determines to go after him.

Caught breaking into the palace, the Queen offers Lina a deal: she will let Tomas go, if, of course, Lina agrees to take his place. Lina accepts, with a month before the full moon, surely she can find some way to escape. But the Queen is nothing like she envisioned, and Lina is not at all what the Queen expected. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldella’s streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save: themselves, each other, or the island city relying on them both.

MY THOUGHTS

Sapphic. Witches. Scottish Fariy Tale. Enemies to lovers. What more can I say?

RED HOOD BY ELANA K. ARNOLD

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

Elana K. Arnold, National Book Award finalist and author of the Printz Honor book Damsel, returns with a dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it.

MY THOUGHTS

Getting real here but I don’t often seek out retellings but I do find myself enjoying them especially if they subvert the original story’s ideas and themes and challenge them. This being a Little Red Riding Hood retelling, this has the opportunity to be fantastic or messy. This does sound promising.

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US BY TRICIA LEVENSELLER

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

MY THOUGHTS

This sounds like it’ll enemies to lovers and also full of morally grey characters so I’m into that stuff. Especially a female lead who is morally grey.

SEVEN DEADLY SHADOWS BY COURTNEY ALAMEDA & VALYNNE E. MAETANI

COVER DESIGN BY ERIN FITZSIMMONS & ART BY SAM WEBER

Kira Fujikawa has always been a girl on the fringe. Bullied by her peers and ignored by her parents, the only place Kira’s ever felt at home is at her grandfather’s Shinto shrine, where she trains to be a priestess.

But Kira’s life is shattered on the night her family’s shrine is attacked by a vicious band of yokai demons. With the help of Shiro—the shrine’s gorgeous half-fox, half-boy kitsune—Kira discovers that her shrine harbors an ancient artifact of great power . . . one the yokai and their demon lord, Shuten-doji, will use to bring down an everlasting darkness upon the world.

Unable to face the Shuten-doji and his minions on her own, Kira enlists the aid of seven ruthless shinigami—or death gods—to help stop the brutal destruction of humankind. But some of the death gods aren’t everything they initially seemed, nor as loyal to Kira’s cause as they first appeared.

With war drawing nearer by the day, Kira realizes that if this unlikely band of heroes is going to survive, they’re going to have to learn to work together, confront their demons, and rise as one to face an army of unimaginable evil.

MY THOUGHTS

YAY for more Japanese inspired supernatural stories. I know Courtney Alameda is known for her horror stories so I’m hoping to see that in this.

ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS BY DIANA URBAN

This thrilling debut, reminiscent of new fan favorites like One of Us Is Lying and the beloved classics by Agatha Christie, will leave readers guessing until the explosive ending.

Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?

MY THOUGHTS

Okay this isn’t a book that high up on my TBR but its still a thriller and sometimes that’s all I need to know.

VAMPIRES NEVER GET OLD EDITED BY ZORAIDA CORDOVA & NATALIE C. PARKER

A YA fantasy anthology featuring fresh takes on old souls with vampire stories.

MY THOUGHTS

Vampires are here to stay y’all. Also the title is so perfect. I see a lot of great authors here and I can’t wait to see the different vampire stories we’ll get.

INK IN THE BLOOD BY KIM SKEJKAL

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.

Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time . . . until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob’s now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.

To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all—Profeta itself.

MY THOUGHTS

Tattoo magic? This sounds so bizarre but so fascinating.

LITTLE CREEPING THINGS BY CHELSEA ICHASO

When she was a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her neighbor. At least, that’s what she’s been told. She can’t remember anything from that day, and her town’s bullies, particularly the cruel and beautiful Melody Davenport, have never let her live it down.

But then Melody goes missing, and Cassidy thinks she may have information. She knows she should go to the cops, but she recently joked about how much she’d like to get rid of Melody. She even planned out the perfect way to do it. And then she gets a chilling text from an unknown number: I’m so glad we’re in this together.

Now it’s up to Cassidy to figure out what really happened before the truth behind Melody’s disappearance sets the whole town ablaze.

MY THOUGHTS

Of course to really scare me just throw a creepy doll on the cover. If I’ve learned anything from scary stories about kid’s toys is to not mess with creepy baby dolls.

My Most Anticipated 2019 Horror,Thrillers & Mysteries – Part One

2019

I thought I’d start this little series with some newly released and upcoming releases that sound perfect for Halloween. I did two posts like this last year and had fun with it. You can read part one here and part two here.

Feel free to add any of these to your TBR by clicking n on the titles which will take you to Goodreads!

THE BONE HOUSES BY EMILY LLOYD-JONES

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family, and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.

MY THOUGHTS

The cover is haunting first all. Skulls are always the perfect aesthetic for a spooky book. Apparently this features zombies or at least “the undead” and curses and I’m interested to see how this novel tackles zombies since there’s so many ways to use zombies.

THE TENTH GIRL BY SARA FARING

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.

One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.

MY THOUGHTS

I think I was already sold by it being a “gothic psychological thriller” but the fact that its base in Patagonian myth seems like it’ll be a more refreshing tale. This is also an #ownvoices Latinx horror!

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN BY A.J. HACKWITH

In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren’t finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.

Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell … and Earth.

MY THOUGHTS

The premise is stands out to me. I mean, a library in Hell, characters unfinished stories emerging and probably causing chaos.

NINTH HOUSE BY LEIGH BARDUGO

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve never read anything by Leigh Bardugo. I’ll admit the the hype for her Grishaverse series makes me intimidated to even begin reading them. But this one caught my eye because its not Grishverse related and its about secret societies in Yale. I know this will be a bit darker than what she’s known for but I enjoy reader darker stories sometimes. Also this already has TV deal so I really want to see if I like it before the show starts.

THE BEAUTIFUL BY RENEE AHDIEH

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful.

BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR BY A.M. STRICKLAND

Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn’t listen …

Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people’s souls while they sleep.

But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.

When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.

A.M. Strickland’s imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai’s own soul, but the entire kingdom …

MY THOUGHTS

This is one of my most hyped for the year. It’s got a villain romance, #ownvoices ace rep & demi-biromantic rep. Dark fantasy is thriving this year folks.

GRAVEMAIDENS BY KELLY COON

The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.

In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.

When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.

But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.

Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.

MY THOUGHTS

I honestly haven’t look much into this because I want to go without knowing what I’m getting into. But it does sounds unique and compelling.

WINTERWOOD BY SHEA ERNSHAW

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance set deep in the magical snow-covered forest, where the appearance of a mysterious boy unearths secrets that awakens the enchanted, but angry, woods.

Be careful of the dark, dark wood . . .

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

MY THOUGHTS

The Wicked Deep was so good that I had to immediately add Winterwood to my TBR. Shea Ernshaw’s stories are very atmospheric and I hope this one is as well. I think one of the best things a scary story can be atmospheric.

SONGS FROM THE DEEP BY KELLY POWELL

A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

MY THOUGHTS

Speaking of atmospheric, this one also fascinates me. I’m loving that we’re getting more sea-related horror and SIRENS!

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Anyways, those are some books that you should check this spooky szn. Feel free to add your thoughts on these books and other books from 2019 that are great for this season!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

2019 Anthologies TBR

Last year in around this same time I did a post about 2018 YA anthologies I was excited for and this year has even more great anthologies to anticipate.

Much like last year this year’s anthologies are filled with diverse voices and unique themes.

EDIT 3/9/2019: I added a few more that I discovered after some more research!

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America edited by Ibi Zoboi

I’m excited to read an #ownvoices Black anthology and this features some of my new favorite authors: Renee Watson and Brandy Colbert! This book is already out as of typing this!

Black Enough is a star-studded anthology edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi that will delve into the closeted thoughts, hidden experiences, and daily struggles of black teens across the country. From a spectrum of backgrounds—urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—Black Enough showcases diversity within diversity.

Whether it’s New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds writing about #blackboyjoy or Newbery Honor-winning author Renee Watson talking about black girls at camp in Portland, or emerging author Jay Coles’s story about two cowboys kissing in the south—Black Enough is an essential collection full of captivating coming-of-age stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America.

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Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of
Food & Love
edited by Caroline Tung Richmond & Elsie Chapman

What’s better than an anthology about food? An anthology about food featuring diverse voices and cultures and family! I know I’m going to be super hungry while reading this one but it sounds so worth it.

From some of your favorite bestselling and critically acclaimed authors—including Sandhya Menon, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Rin Chupeco—comes a collection of interconnected short stories that explore the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives of thirteen teens.

A shy teenager attempts to express how she really feels through the confections she makes at her family’s pasteleria. A tourist from Montenegro desperately seeks a magic soup dumpling that could cure his fear of death. An aspiring chef realizes that butter and soul are the key ingredients to win a cooking competition that could win him the money to save his mother’s life.

Welcome to Hungry Hearts Row, where the answers to most of life’s hard questions are kneaded, rolled, baked. Where a typical greeting is, “Have you had anything to eat?” Where magic and food and love are sometimes one and the same.

Told in interconnected short stories, Hungry Hearts explores the many meanings food can take on beyond mere nourishment. It can symbolize love and despair, family and culture, belonging and home.

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Color Outside the Lines
edited by Sangu Mandanna

This one is all about interracial relationships and I’m already hearing great things about the stories. I think my most anticipated one is Tara Sim’s which features a F/F Hades x Persephone retelling with Persephone as a Indian MC.

Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen has bought Sangu Mandanna’s Color Outside the Lines, a YA anthology centered around interracial relationships and the complicated, rewarding and sometimes hilarious dynamics between friends, family, and first loves. The collection features Anna-Marie McLemore, Elsie Chapman, Karuna Riazi, Lydia Kang, L.L. McKinney, Lori M. Lee, Lauren Gibaldi, Tara Sim, Eric Smith, Caroline Tung Richmond, Kelly Zekas, Tarun Shanker, Samira Ahmed and Adam Silvera, and more. Publication is set for fall 2019; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary brokered the deal for world rights.

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His Hideous Heart
edited by Dahlia Adler

Edgar Allan Poe reimaginings !!! I don’t really know what else to say but this wow I’m super pumped for this and it also comes out on my birthday.

Thirteen of YA’s most celebrated names reimagine Edgar Allan Poe’s most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation.

Edgar Allan Poe may be a hundred and fifty years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar to readers or discovered for the first time, readers will revel in Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales, and how they’ve been brought to life in 13 unique and unforgettable ways.

Contributors include Kendare Blake (reimagining “Metzengerstein”), Rin Chupeco (“The Murders in the Rue Morge”), Lamar Giles (“The Oval Portrait”), Tessa Gratton (“Annabel Lee”), Tiffany D. Jackson (“The Cask of Amontillado”), Stephanie Kuehn (“The Tell-Tale Heart”), Emily Lloyd-Jones (“The Purloined Letter”), Hillary Monahan (“The Masque of the Red Death”), Marieke Nijkamp (“Hop-Frog”), Caleb Roehrig (“The Pit and the Pendulum”), and Fran Wilde (“The Fall of the House of Usher”).

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Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance
edited by Bethany C. Morrow

A very timely and relevant anthology about resistance. I love the power that this cover exudes.

A young adult anthology featuring fictional stories of everyday resistance.

You might be the kind of person who stands up to online trolls.
Or who marches to protest injustice.

Perhaps you are #DisabledAndCute and dancing around your living room, alive and proud.

Or perhaps you are the trans mentor that you wish you had when you were younger.

Maybe you call out false allies, or stand up to loved ones. 

Maybe you speak your truth and drop the mic, or maybe you take it with you when you leave.

This anthology features fictional stories–in poems, prose, and art–that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that readers like you resist every day. TAKE THE MIC’s powerful collection of stories features work by literary luminaries and emerging talent alike, including Newbery-winner Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestseller Samira Ahmed, anthologist and contributor Bethany C. Morrow, Darcie Little Badger, Jem Yoshioka, Keah Brown, Laura Silverman, L.D. Lewis, Sofia Quintero, Ray Stoeve, Yamile Mendez, and Connie Sun, with cover and interior art by Richie Pope.

It’s a Whole Spiel edited
by Katherine Locke & Laura Silverman

Another #ownvoices anthology featuring Jewish writers!! I also really love covers that have a bunch of people on them.

Knopf has acquired It’s a Whole Spiel, a YA anthology by Jewish writers, edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman. With contributions from #ownvoices authors including David Levithan, Nova Ren Suma, and more, the anthology will contain contemporary stories with Jewish protagonists who are diverse in sexuality, ability, race, and level of religious observance. Publication is planned for fall 2019.

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Hope y’all enjoyed this little post and made your TBR get a bit bigger. Also feel free to suggest some anthologies I missed coming out this year or from previous years!

Anticipated June Releases

Coming at yall with some more books I can’t wait to spend all my money on !!!

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Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim
Release Date: June 5

A fun read about 3 three Muslim friends going on a road trip???? Sign me up.

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Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
Release Date: June 5

I don’t really know anything about this except its YA sci-fi but the cover really reminds me of this iconic image from The End of Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion).

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Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez
Release Date: June 5

“Inspired by the star-crossed tale of Tristan and Iseult, this is the story of the legend’s true heroine: Branwen” 

So I have no knowledge of the story of Tristan and Iseult but I hope to read it by the time I get to this. I’m just super interested in reading some retellings of famous stories/myths/folklore.

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Smoke in the Sun (#2) by Renee Ahdieh 
Release Date: June 5

I haven’t read Flame in the Mist yet, the first book of this duology, but I really want to get around it! From what I know this is a Mulan retelling set in Feudal era Japan. Also I personally love the new covers.

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Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Cordova
Release Date: June 5

Also another sequel to a book that I haven’t read yet, which is Labyrinth Lost. I have zeor clue what this one is actually going to be about, but I know that MC of Labyrinth Lost is bi, so I’m pretty hyped to get into this series.

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Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno 
Release Date: June 5

Solely based off the cover this looks like it could have a queer romance. Which I’m obviously 100% here for. It’s also described as magical realism which is one of my favorite things. I haven’t heard many people talk about this one yet but I think once it comes out more people will.

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Final Draft by Riley Redgate
Release Date: June 12

I know a lot of people have hyped up Riley Redgate’s first novel, Noteworthy (which is also on my TBR). This one seems really interesting and the cover is stunning.

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Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi
Release Date: June 18

From the cover this looks like a cute YA contemporary but from reading some of the reviews, it’s a lot more intense, so I’m interested to see how this folds out.

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Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak 
Release Date: June 26

Blue blue blue. One of my favorite covers. I adore this cover. I already raved about this in this post about my favorite blue covers. I know that the actual story is about a summer camp and its has some romance in it. It could be pretty good.

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A Thousand Beginnings and Endings – Edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman (Anthology)
Release Date: June 26

I was hype for a while ago when I talked about all the YA anthologies coming out this year, and I’m so excited to pick this up. It’s all about Asian authors writing stories about Asian mythology. What’s not to like?

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My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Release Date: June 26

I bought My Lady Jane recently and I’m hoping that’s good, because I love the covers for these two books. Also I’ve heard that these are satirical books and I’ve been looking for more funny books.

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Anticipated May Releases

I would have had an Anticipated Releases for April back in March, but I honestly wasn’t sure what all was coming out that month but I have so many April Releases to add to my TBR now.

Most of these will be YA Releases but I do have a few that are outside of the YA sphere.

The books with the star icons next to them are the ones I’m most anticipating and most likely will buy and read sooner than later. So here are of my thoughts, first impressions, and reasons why I want to read most of these.

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Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis
Release Date: May 1

This is YA contemporary of a girl who goes to live with her biological father after her mom dies but also comes to learn that there’s another man claiming to be her biological father. The premise just sounds really interesting and I can’t wait to read this one. Also I love the cover.

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Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope
Release Date: May 1

This seems like a really interesting fantasy series. I think this is New Adult. That cover is also really gorgeous.

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The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green
Release Date: May 1

This one I’m slightly less interested in, but it is YA fantasy with multiple POVs, so that means I’m either going to really enjoy it or really dislike it. 

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Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne 
Release Date: May 1

So I’ve heard of Alexa Donne from her YouTube channel where she talks about the process of writing and about being an author. I haven’t gotten around to watching all of her videos but she seems really informative and passionate about writing, I can’t wait to read this one. The basic premise is that this is Jane Eyre in Space, which really sold me on this story.

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Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
Release Date: May 1

Another YA contemporary but this one is much more emotional and about a more difficult, hard-to-talk-about topic. This book deals with the main character’s brother being accused of rape and how the MC deals with that struggle. This book talks about victim blaming, sexual assault, and consent which is a very relevant topic today. This is also listed under the LGBT+ shelf on Goodreads and I know that the author has written another book that has F/F romance, How to Make a Wish (which is on my really-need-to- read list) & I think that this book is #OWNVoices. Also I have to give a shoutout to the beautiful cover.

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Ship It by Britta Lundin
Release Date: May 1

So the premise of this sounds really interesting and also very eerily similar to some real life drama that has happened with some popular television series concerning queerbaiting and how some TV shows disrespect their LGBTQA+ audiences. But also I quickly read a review that said that this story is actually kind of darker than you’d expect, so I can’t wait to be surprised. This BTW is #OWNVoices.

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A Date with Darcy by Tiffany Schmidt
Release Date: May 1

LMAO So this book…I’m not positive if I’ll absolutely love this one since it sounds just like a wish fulfillment story but at the same time, it sounds fun so why not?? Also this was originally titled “Bookish Boyfriends” but I think since it’s apparently going to be a series they changed it to “A Date with Darcy”.

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The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Release Date: May 1

WOW THIS COVER. It’s so weird and beautiful. This is one of the few books on here I have that isn’t a YA. I just follow the author on Twitter and she tweets about her anxiety and depression with humor.

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I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
Release Date: May 3

I still want to read Radio Silence by this same author before I get to this, but I don’t I would mind reading this one first anyways. The plot is something that doesn’t entirely interest me but I’ve heard that Alice Oseman’s writing is really good.

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Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
Release Date: May 8

This just sounds like a lot of fun and I’m all about girl gangs.

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The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo
Release Date: May 8

So I want to get into more YA romance and just romance in general so I feel like this might be a good place to start. It has a cute premise and also has an Asian MC!

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What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine
Release Date: May 8

Yes another non-YA book. This cover is really what got me. But the synopsis is pretty good and I didn’t expect it to be a fantasy for some reason. I feel like this could one of those surprise reads.

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All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
Release Date: May 15

So I just quickly read through the synposis because I don’t want to know too much going into this one. I want to say its a thriller/suspense/drama. IDK But I’m kind of getting Misery vibes from this one since its about these girls who befriend their favorite author.

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My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
Release Date: May 15

I know absolutely nothing about Bollywood. However this book still sounds a lot of fun and cute. This is also another YA romance that I think I’ll like.

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Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron
Release Date: May 15

This is a British YA fantasy novel with a f/f romance and fallen angels. One of the characters is Sri Lankan. I don’t think I’ve read a f/f romance with a paranormal element in it yet so this sounds pretty unique.

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Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Release Date: May 15

Another YA fantasy with a forbidden romance in it. IDK Maybe this could surprise me. I adore the cover!!

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Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson 
Release Date: May 22

A YA contemporary / mystery. I also really just love this cover! It’s so minimalist and stylish!

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Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Release Date: May 22

The premise of this one is really interesting since it’s separated by long periods of time. This sounds like a more refreshing YA fantasy but I’ll have to wait and see.

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Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Release Date: May 22

The cover looks really cute and the premise sounds cute. Sometimes you have to have the fluffy stuff too I guess lol. Also I’ve heard that the love interest is Japanese-American!

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From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon
Release Date: May 22

So I want to read When Dimple Met Rishi before I get to this one but FTWL in my opinion has a premise that sounds more interesting to me being that the MC wants to be a filmmaker which was once a dream job I had when I was younger. Both of the covers for WDMR and FTWL are really cute!

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The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde
Release Date: May 22

The title instantly reminds of me Mr. Brightside by The Killers and that may be the number one reason why I want to read this one. But seriously I’ve heard that Jen Wilde’s previously released book Queens of Geek was super good and she writes LGBTQA+ characters really well. Also this about a band and I love stories about musicians and bands and music in general.

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Thanks for reading! Comment down below what May Releases you’re excited for and put down some recs for me to read if I missed anything.

Sav