Anticipated November 2022 Releases!

Fall 2022 is just bursting with incredible releases, and November is here to continue that trend. I've been fortunate enough to have already read Empire of Exiles and White Horse and am currently in the middle of Wayward and The Stars Undying, and I have to say that so far November is living up to its hype! What books are you most looking forward to releasing in November?

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Wayward (Wanderers #2) by Chuck Wendig || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Cloisters by Katy Hays || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Neom by Lavie Tidhar || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

To Each This World by Julie E. Czerneda || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman || November 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami, trans. Philip Gabriel || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Galatea: A Short Story by Madeline Miller || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Tase, trans. Alison Watts || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Last Hero (The First Sister Trilogy #3) by Linden A. Lewis || November 8th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Pulling the Wings Off Angels by K.J. Parker || November 15th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard || November 24th -- Book Depository

Small Game by Blair Braverman || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree || November 8th -- Amazon

Winterland by Rae Meadows || November 29th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Toad by Katherine Dunn || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Egypt’s Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth by Colleen and John Darnell || November 1st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated November releases?

The Friday Face-Off: Black Cover

 

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:

Black Cover

There are a lot of great black covers to choose from for this topic, and when I saw Sin Eater by Megan Campisi I knew it would be the perfect choice for this week because what a great title for an October pick! I was surprised to see how many covers there were for this one, and even more surprised by how beautiful and colorful they all are! So not a very black cover choice overall, but it works. Let's have a look. :)

2020 US Hardcover | 2020 UK Hardcover | 2022 Italian

2021 Portuguese | 2021 Hungarian | 2021 Chinese

2021 Spanish | 2021 UK Paperback

My choice(s):

These are all so unique! I'm partial to the US hardcover because I love the simplicity of it, but I think a lot of these are really lovely, and the Chinese one is so unique. 

What cover(s) do you like the most?

Horror Mini-Review Pt. IV: We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

Welcome to part four of my mini horror review series, featuring We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory! Previous mini horror reviews can be found below: 

Part I: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Part II: We Can Never Leave this Place by Eric LaRocca
Pt. III: Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

Tachyon Publications
Publication: July 21st, 2014

Paperback. 182 pages.

About We Are All Completely Fine:

"Harrison is the Monster Detective, a storybook hero. Now he’s in his mid-thirties and spends most of his time not sleeping. 

Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by the messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. And for some reason, Martin never takes off his sunglasses. 

Unsurprisingly, no one believes their horrific tales until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these likely-insane outcasts join a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within and which are lurking in plain sight."

We Are All Completely Fine follows a group of people through their time in a therapy support group together. However, this is no ordinary group of people, but rather is composed of people who have survived their own horror story and have been living their life dealing with the aftereffects ever since. I’ve read a few books with this similar set up and have really enjoyed them, so I was pretty excited about this one.

What I liked: I really liked getting to know each character and their backstory since they all come from very different circumstances with some very unique, tragic history, and it was fascinating to see them come together and share these experiences with one another. It was particularly interesting to see how they all chose to deal with their experiences; for instance, some embrace it and are public with their experiences, whereas other try to hide from it and embrace as much invisibility as possible. Throughout the story, we visit each group member’s POV and get to see everything from their perspective, which I appreciated and I think allowed for a more well-rounded and compelling narrative to see how each perceived the rest of the group. I also liked Daryl Gregory’s writing style overall, and it definitely makes me want to read more books from him.

What I didn't like: There is a bigger overall plot that comes to light more near the end of the book, and although this plot was really interesting to explore, I did feel that things were just a little rushed and out of place at times for me. I liked seeing how individual characters ended up at the end, but I just didn’t necessarily love the pacing and I did find my focus wavering a bit in the latter portions of the book.

Overall, this is a very solid horror story following some intriguing characters straight from their own horror stories. It wasn’t as spooky as some horror novels are, but it will definitely still hit the spot for anything in the horror realm.

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, The Cloisters by Katy Hays, & The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

 

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard
Publication: November 24th, 2022
Gollancz
Paperback. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Book Depository

From Goodreads:

"Xích Si: bot maker, data analyst, mother, scavenger. But those days are over now-her ship has just been captured by the Red Banner pirate fleet, famous for their double-dealing and cruelty. Xích Si expects to be tortured to death-only for the pirates' enigmatic leader, Rice Fish, to arrive with a different and shocking proposition: an arranged marriage between Xích Si and herself. 

Rice Fish: sentient ship, leader of the infamous Red Banner pirate fleet, wife of the Red Scholar. Or at least, she was the latter before her wife died under suspicious circumstances. Now isolated and alone, Rice Fish wants Xích Si's help to find out who struck against them and why. Marrying Xích Si means Rice Fish can offer Xích Si protection, in exchange for Xích Si's technical fluency: a business arrangement with nothing more to it. 

But as the investigation goes on, Rice Fish and Xích Si find themselves falling for each other. As the interstellar war against piracy intensifies and the five fleets start fighting each other, they will have to make a stand-and to decide what kind of future they have together..."

I realized while putting this post together that this appears to be a UK release, just as a head's up to my fellow US readers! This sounds like quite an adventure and I've been meaning to check out more of Aliette de Bodard's work.

and...

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
Publication: November 1st, 2022
Atria Books
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:

"In this “sinister, jaw-dropping” (Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary) debut novel, a circle of researchers uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters. 

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination. 

Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs. 

A haunting and magical blend of genres, The Cloisters is a gripping debut that will keep you on the edge of your seat."

Everything about this sounds perfect and I'm particularly excited about the fact that we are following some researchers! I'm just loving this premise. 

and...

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick
Publication: November 1st, 2022
Park Row
Paperback. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:

"What if you could write a new ending for yourself?

England, 1898. When Evelyn first married the famous novelist William Aubrey, she was dazzled by his brilliance. But their newlywed bliss is brief when William is gripped by writer’s block, and he becomes jealous of Evelyn’s writing talent. When he commits the ultimate betrayal—stealing a draft of her novel and passing it off as his own—Evelyn decides to write her way out of their unhappy marriage. 

California, 2006. Abigail always wondered about her father, his identity forever lost when her mother unexpectedly died. Or so Abigail thought, until she stumbled upon his photo and a message that her great-great-grandmother was the author Evelyn Aubrey, leading Abigail on a journey to England in search for answers. There, she learns of Evelyn’s shocking disappearance and how London society believed she was murdered. But from what she uncovers about Evelyn, Abigail believes her brilliant great-great-grandmother had another plot up her sleeve. 

Rich in atmosphere and emotion, The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey tells the story of literary secrets, a family curse and the lengths women will go to take charge of their future."

This sounds like a really interesting dual timeline story that's going to have so much mystery to explore and uncover. 

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Horror Mini-Review Pt. III: Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

Today we have part III in my mini horor reviews series featuring Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham! You can find my previous mini horror reviews below:
Part I: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Part II: We Can Never Leave this Place by Eric LaRocca

Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

Credo House Publishers

Publication:  September 1st, 2021

Paperback. 286 pages.

About Winterset Hollow:

"Everyone has wanted their favorite book to be real, if only for a moment. Everyone has wished to meet their favorite characters, if only for a day. But be careful in that wish, for even a history laid in ink can be repaid in flesh and blood, and reality is far deadlier than fiction . . . especially on Addington Isle. 

Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book-a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It's Barley Day . . . and you're invited to the hunt. 

Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run."

Winterset Hollows plays with the idea of what would it be like if one of your favorite childhood stories was based on characters that actually existed... but with a dark twist that will probably ruin your childhood forever once you figure it out. When a group of friends travels to Addington Isle, the real location that inspired the setting of Winterset Hollow, to celebrate Barley Day, they discover that things aren't quite what they appeared to be in the book...

What I liked: I really liked how much detail was put into crafting the fictional story within Winterset Hollow and that the author even included small excerpts at the beginning of each new part of the story, which allowed us readers to get a glimpse of what this well-loved childhood story is all about and why the characters are so beloved. I thought the atmosphere of Winterset Hollow was also built up extremely well and incorporated a captivating mix of nostalgia, tension, and a sort of creeping unease that built up as the story progressed. The author also managed to showcase the importance of various elements of the fictional world without overdoing it, and everything felt very subtly done. There's an excellent shift in tone between the beginning and later portions of the novel where things go from sort of endearing and charming and innocent to an almost outright terror and shock at some unexpected violence and discoveries. This book was a weird experience, but an entertaining one!

What I didn't like: I felt that there were portions in the exposition and post-climax parts of the book where things were dragged out just a little too much, which made the pacing drag slightly. There was also something about the characters–largely the secondary characters–that made me keep mixing up who was who. I read the audiobook version, so I'm not sure if it's indicated better in the book, but Winterset Hollow has a sort of omniscient narration style that jumped around to different characters fairly often and left me trying to keep up with what character we were following closely. 

Overall, I think Winterset Hollow holds up really well as a short horror novel that contains something a little shocking and terror-inducing for the spooky season!

 

Review: Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood

 

Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood

Kensington

Publication Date: October 25th, 2022

Paperback. 304 pages.

About Such a Pretty Girl:

"Living peacefully in Vermont, Ryan Flannigan is shocked when a text from her oldest friend alerts her to a devastating news item. A controversial photo of her as a pre-teen has been found in the possession of a wealthy investor recently revealed as a pedophile and a sex trafficker—with an inscription to him from Ryan’s mother on the back. 

Memories crowd in, providing their own distinctive pictures of her mother Fiona, an aspiring actress, and their move to the West Village in 1976. Amid the city’s gritty kaleidoscope of wealth and poverty, high art, and sleazy strip clubs, Ryan is discovered and thrust into the spotlight as a promising young actress with a woman’s face and a child’s body. Suddenly, the safety and comfort Ryan longs for is replaced by auditions, paparazzi, and the hungry eyes of men of all ages. 

Forced to reexamine her childhood, Ryan begins to untangle her young fears and her mother’s ambitions, and the role each played in the fraught blackout summer of 1977. Even with her movie career long behind her, Ryan and Fiona are suddenly the object of uncomfortable speculation—and Fiona demands Ryan’s support. To put the past to rest, Ryan will need to face the painful truth of their relationship, and the night when everything changed."

Such a Pretty Girl is the thoughtful and enthralling story of Ryan Flannigan and her mother, Fiona, as they navigate both their lives and relationship with one another in 1970s New York. Fiona has always wanted to be an actress and is constantly taking auditions and looking for opportunities despite never landing any large roles. Once in New York, however, Fiona is shocked when Ryan is “discovered” at random and begins to push her into taking on the career Fiona never got. 

In the present day, Ryan is living in Lost Rivers, an idyllic secluded place outside of the city, but is drawn right back into the city she grew up in when a man she from her childhood dies and she must return for the memorial. Ryan is drawn right back into everything that happened to her as a child, and she soon sees some very intense accusations about her mother have come to light about her and her career. Such a Pretty Girl deals with some very heavy topics, including many mentions of pedophilia (though nothing explicit), so please be aware of that going into this. 

This is a dual timeline storyline, with some chapters taking place in the present day of 2019 and the rest taking place in the 1970s when Ryan was ten years old living with her mother in New York. I really enjoyed getting to see both of these important times in Ryan’s life, as I found it vital to see her experiences firsthand in order to understand many of her present-day thoughts and motivations. Ryan as a child was enchanting to follow and I really adored her personality. I liked how Greenwood portrayed her childlike innocence and wonder and how her later experiences in New York sort of changed that and introduced her to a world much different from the one she wanted. 

I thought Greenwood did a great job of capturing the tension and toxicity that existed within this mother/daughter relationship, and specifically in Fiona’s desires and deep-seated need to become a star. The jealousy that Fiona feels when she sees her daughter getting the attention that she never got, which eventually morphs into what feels like resentment, was palpable on the page. You could see Ryan realizing that something didn’t feel quite right about how her mother treated her, but not understanding exactly what it was that was wrong about it.  I think Greenwood tackles the complicated dynamic between the two really well, and how the constant uncertainty seemed to exacerbate some anxiety and panic attacks that Ryan began to have as a child. As a reader, you can really see where this anxiety comes from and how the pressure placed on Ryan affects her and her constant worries about her mom and how her mom will react to things. 

I also really liked that we got to see Ryan with her own daughter in the present day and how her treatment towards her was very much molded by her own experiences with her mother–that is, to basically do the opposite of everything Fiona ever did to Ryan and to offer her unconditional love without judgment or neglect. 

I really enjoyed getting to explore the 1970s setting in New York and seeing how much everything changes between then and 2019 when Ryan returns. The dual timeline is really highlights in these moments and I loved getting the dual decade comparison. And, of course, getting to explore the ‘70s in any setting and story is always entertaining, and I liked getting to be a part of all the pop culture notes and world events that are referenced, including the 1977 New York City blackout. 

The pacing was consistent throughout the entire story and felt very steady at every turn in Ryan’s life. I truly didn’t want to put it down and really loved how well Greenwood’s writing flowed. It’s very simplistic in a way, but mainly in the sense that it reads easily due to the talent behind it, and there’s immense meaning on each page and with almost every sentence. 

There are a lot of books out there that explore fraught mother/daughter relationships and I always find them interesting and appreciate different author’s explorations. I found T. Greenwood’s exploration is incredibly well executed and full of nuance and difficult discussions around parenting, what it means to grow up as a woman, and much more. I read this Such a Pretty Girl not long after reading Jenette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, and I think the two work as great companion books for mother/daughter relationships that aren’t the positive view that many stories like to show. There’s a lot of food for thought in Such a Pretty Girl, from the ways Ryan is treated by her mother to the way women are treated by our society, and T. Greenwood was the perfect author to explore these. Overall, it’s four stars from me!

*I received a copy of Such a Pretty Girl courtesy of the publisher and Leilani Fitzpatrick in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Blog Tour: Strike the Zither by Joan He

That's right, I'm here with another blog tour stop for you all today! 

Today I am featuring Joan He's latest upcoming release Strike the Zither! I have been consistently impressed by Joan He's work and have no doubt that Strike the Zither is going to be just as creative and engaging as her previous work. As usual, below you'll find some information and a summary of the book, some information about Joan He herself, and some amazing things other people have been saying about Strike the Zither. And can we talk about how absolutely striking this cover is? I am really loving the overall design and colors used throughout. 

Huge thanks to Ellen Whitfield for her help with this blog tour and providing me with a copy of Strike the Zither!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: STRIKE THE ZITHER
Author:  Joan He
Pub. Date: October 25th, 2022
Publisher: Roaring Brook/Macmillian
Find it: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble

SYNOPSIS:

“New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He shocked readers with the rich Chinese-inspired fantasy Descendant of the Crane, and stunned with the “cli-fi” (climate sci-fi) twists of The Ones We’re Meant to Find. Now she returns with a masterful, genderswapped reimagining of China’s most famous historical epic, Three Kingdoms, in her new novel STRIKE THE ZITHER (October 25, 2022, Roaring Brook Press). 

He is diversifying a YA market saturated by Eurocentric fantasy and Western canon by exploring a classic based on one of China’s most tumultuous eras in a way that is captivating for unfamiliar readers, and thrilling for lovers of the original tale. 

STRIKE THE ZITHER opens to a world of chaos in the year 414 of the Xin Dynasty, with a puppet empress on the throne and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves. Zephyr (a female reimagining of Chinese statesman Zhuge Liang) took control of her fate by becoming the realm’s most cunning strategists, serving under warlordess Xin Ren, whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But in a war in which one must betray to survive, there are more enemies than one – and not all of them are human. 

Filled with found family, adventure, and political intrigue, readers will be exported to another world where loyalty and betrayal come hand in hand."

 

EARLY PRAISE:

“Strike the Zither is a page-turner, full of unexpected twists, with an expansive, intricate world of sisterhood and subterfuge. He’s smooth, economical style is the perfect vehicle for this gripping political fantasy, marrying cat-and-mouse intrigue with a tenderness and emotional depth that heightens the stakes of every new reveal. A standout work from a remarkable author.” – Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six 

“A fierce reimagining of the Chinese classic: an ode to loyalty, family, destiny, and the complicated ways each of these elements bind or free the cunning strategist at the center of the tale. This riveting read is full of twists and surprises that shock and delight, building up to the epic conclusion that left me gasping.” – Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Book of Tea duology 

“Joan He takes no prisoners, and Strike the Zither is her latest triumph. An intricate, expansive epic that poses difficult questions and eschews easy answers, this book is as ambitious as its scheming, ruthless cast―and just like its narrator, delivers above and beyond.” – Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series and Little Thieves 

“Filled with twists and turns, Strike the Zither is a meticulously plotted, supremely satisfying story that explores identity, legacy, and loyalty in unexpected ways. This is Joan He’s best yet.” – Hannah Whitten, New York Times-bestselling author of FOR THE WOLF 

“Rich with intrigue and epic in scale. Strike the Zither grows tall on the heroic classics it draws from, yet beats powerfully with a heart of its own.” – Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the These Violent Delights Duet 

“Richly layered and highly creative, Strike the Zither offers a world brimming with war, love, and unforgettable characters. A truly magnificent book.” – June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace 

“In this tautly plotted, vividly reimagined tale of a beloved Chinese classic, He orchestrates an epic page-turner… Strike the Zither will keep you guessing―and gasping for more.” – June CL Tan, internationally bestselling author of Jade Fire Gold 

“Strike the Zither reimagines the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a way never seen before, with intense twists and turns that pay homage to its inspiration while being refreshingly different. A brilliant exploration of destiny and identity!” – Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Iron Widow

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JOAN HE was born and raised in Philadelphia but still will, on occasion, lose her way. At a young age, she received classical instruction in oil painting before discovering that storytelling was her favorite form of expression. She studied Psychology and East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Pennsylvania and currently writes from a desk overlooking the Delaware River. Descendant of the Crane is her debut young adult fantasy. Her next novel, Strike the Zither, is the first in a duology and will be published on October 25, 2022. 

LINKS: Author Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

The Friday Face-Off: Good vs. Evil

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:

Good vs. Evil

Good vs. evil certainly feels like the ultimate face-off! I felt like there were a lot of big options to go with, such as Lord of the Rings, but since I'm sure those have tons of editions I decided to feature John Gwynne's The Faithful and the Fallen series instead. These ones don't have that many different editions out there, but I still thought they'd be fun to share and take a quick look at. 

Book One:

     

2012 UK Hardcover | 2022 Russian

Book Two:

   

2014 UK Hardover | 2014 US Paperback | 2020 German Audiobook

Book Three:

   

2015 UK Hardcover | 2021 German Audiobook

Book Four:

   

2016 UK Hardcover | 2016 US Paperback | 2016 Audiobook

My choice(s):

There aren't too many options, but I really love the simplicity of the original UK covers. They follow a really nice pattern and have such a fantastic classic fantasy vibe that I really enjoy. It's interesting how some just have a very simple color change, while the audiobooks really get a bigger makeover. What do you think?

What cover(s) do you like the most?