Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton, The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim, & A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

    

 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.

Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton
Publication: April 9th, 2024
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The humans are fighting again. Go figure.

As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.
"

I've been fortunate enough to already have listened to an early audiobook copy of this and it was quite a delight. Looking forward to its official release!


The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim
Publication: April 2nd, 2024 (US)
William Morrow
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center—a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me.

In 2011, Eunju Oh opens her door to greet a stranger: a young Korean American woman holding a familiar-looking knife—a knife Eunju hasn’t seen in more than thirty years, and that connects her to a place she’d desperately hoped to leave behind forever.

In South Korea in the 1980s, young Eunju and her mother are homeless on the street. After being captured by the police, they’re sent to live within the walls of a state-sanctioned reformatory center that claims to rehabilitate the nation’s citizens but hides a darker, more violent reality. While Eunju and her mother form a tight-knit community with the other women in the kitchen, two teenage brothers, Sangchul and Youngchul, are compelled to labor in the workshops and make increasingly desperate decisions—and all are forced down a path of survival, the repercussions of which will echo for decades to come.

Inspired by real events, told through alternating timelines and two intimate perspectives, The Stone Home is a deeply affecting story of a mother and daughter’s love and a pair of brothers whose bond is put to an unfathomably difficult test. Capturing a shameful period of history with breathtaking restraint and tenderness, Crystal Hana Kim weaves a lyrical exploration of the legacy of violence and the complicated psychology of power, while showcasing the extraordinary acts of devotion and friendship that can arise in the darkness.
"

I love historical fiction and think this sounds like it will cover some really interesting historical events and topics that I'm looking forward to learning more about. 



A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
Publication: April 25th, 2024
Orbit
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings' disappearances with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance - and what it could mean for life as they know it.
"

I'm reading this one right now and I'm enjoying it so much! It reminds me of some other delightful epistolary formatted novels I've read and it's been such an enjoyable journey so far. I can't wait to see the final copy since it has such gorgeous artwork!

4 comments:

  1. AI seems to be a hot topic everywhere. I am pretty curious about the Sylvie Cathrall book. Love the cover too!

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  2. Really excited to start Letters to the Luminous Deep, so glad you're enjoying it!

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  3. Thank you for sharing this selection - I've just requested Letters to the Luminous Deep - fingers crossed I get an arc!!

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  4. Mal Goes to War does sound interesting--I am glad you enjoyed the audio. I'm really excited about A Letter to the Luminous Deep too, and The Stone Home sounds very good too!

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