Can't-Wait Wednesday: Cold Empty Rooms by Andy Marino, This Wild Wanting by Sophie Gonzalez, & Tiger's Mouth by Lucy Tan

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Cold Empty Rooms by Andy Marino

Publication: November 10th, 2026

Run For It

Paperback. 384 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"From the dark imagination of underground horror sensation Andy Marino comes a haunted house story like you've never read before ...  

'Marino's work is unlike any others in the genre―horrifying, complex, fascinating, and utterly unique.' ―Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of the Wilderwood series  

Deep in the woods, on the side of a mountain, there sits an old, sprawling manor. Only those who truly need it will find it. Mara and Soren are the latest residents. The two are broke, deeply in love, and desperate for a home. But something is wrong with the house.  

Soren begins to receive messages from a nameless entity that he has dubbed The Great Other. The first direction is simple: Invite more to this home. The second: Relieve them of their sorrow. Mara, too, hears this otherworldly voice. She has been running from her past for a long time. The Great Other offers her the solace she seeks, if she has the courage to walk the home’s shadowed halls. Soon more wanderers begin to arrive: a collection of outcasts, drawn in by Soren’s magnetic ideology.  

Within the shifting walls of this ancient house, something darkly miraculous is unfolding. Wounds have been suffered in this place. Wounds that are. Wounds that will be.  

'Andy Marino understands horror in a way that very few writers do.' ―Keith Rosson, author of Coffin Moon"

I'm curious to see Andy Marino's take on a haunted house, so I'm eager to check this one out!

This Wild Wanting by Sophie Gonzalez

Publication: November 17th, 2026

Wednesday Books

Hardcover. 352 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"Everybody knows about the faerie market that borders the crumbling edges of the mortal world. It is a place where almost anything can be bought . . . by those willing to pay terrible prices. Skills, memories, years of your life―even the freedom of one’s own mind are the currency of choice.  

Declan Bonfeld, the only son of a noble house, has never encountered a price he cannot afford to pay. Until the day he attempts to bargain with a ruthless potion merchant for the impossible: a way to bring back someone he loves. When Declan dares to steal from the tyrant’s shelves with the help of the merchant’s captive daughter, Calla, the two discover a horrifying truth. Once a stolen potion is consumed, the thief pays the price, no matter who drinks it.  

With Declan’s mind and body unravelling piece by piece, Calla must help him outwit her father, the man she has spent a lifetime fearing, before Declan is stripped of everything he is, and she loses the only person who has ever truly seen her.”

I mean, I'm always at least a little bit up for a faerie market...

Tiger's Mouth by Lucy Tan

Publication: November 17th, 2026

Ballantine Books

Hardcover. 320 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"When two young men meet during a tech internship, it sparks an intense friendship—and even more intense competition—in this sweeping novel of privilege, identity, and ambition from the acclaimed author of What We Were Promised.  

Jack Chen, the oldest son of caterers from Queens, is an expert at studying the rich from afar. When he finagles his way into a prestigious internship at tech giant K.O. Systems, he’s prepared to fake everything: his credentials, his confidence, even his past. What he isn’t prepared for is his officemate, Jack Owens, the depressed son of the company’s billionaire founder, who’s only there for a summer reprieve from his father’s scrutiny at the family vacation house.  

Their connection is immediate, built on mutual admiration. Chen sees in Owens the advantages he’s been denied; Owens sees in Chen someone free of the pain he’s been taught to hide. Owens, Chen, and Chen’s girlfriend quickly become close friends, but by summer's end the three can no longer outrun the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. As pressures build throughout the next few years, the two Jacks circle each other like opponents in their favorite board game, Go, each chasing the life the other was born into, from career to family to lovers. But the path to success and matters of the heart can test even the closest of friendships—and not all of them survive.  

Nostalgic, heart-wrenching, and propulsive, Tiger’s Mouth is a nuanced portrait of complex friendship, family dynamics, and love in its most unexpected forms.”

It's been quite a while since I've read anything from Lucy Tan and I'm really intrigued by the sound of this one! I'm curious to see what she'll do with it. 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: All the Beastly Things by Eilish Quin, There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole, & The Wolves of War by John Gwynne

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

All the Beastly Things by Eilish Quin

Publication: November 17th, 2026

Atria Books

Hardcover. 320 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"In a post-apocalyptic matriarchy that has erased men, a young novitiate faces a crisis of faith when her best friend begins receiving mysterious visions of an archangel—and must choose between the faith that shaped her and the forbidden longings that could destroy it.  

The year is 2171, and the Earth is not what it once was. After climate collapse, plague, fascism, artificial intelligence, and nuclear fallout reduced civilization to ash, nature has reclaimed the Earth. Small monastic communities have emerged from the carnage—self-sufficient, female-only religious utopias governed by a strict codex and surrounded by walls to keep the wilds at bay. The new world is harmonious, and blissfully free from structures of oppression such as hierarchy, capitalism, and time.  

Seventeen-year-old Igraine has never known life beyond the cloistered walls of the Field or seen a human male. Brilliant and devout, she spends her days in the gardens and scriptorium beside her closest companion, Ophelia. Their studies will culminate in twin posts at the Lunar Abbey—a gothic cathedral on the Moon reserved for the most venerated Sisters.  

Their futures fracture when Ophelia begins receiving visions of a mysterious, alluring, and damningly masculine archangel. As the girls contend with cryptic fragments of revelation and devastating rumors about the Order’s darker origins, their bond becomes precarious and Igraine must confront her unraveling faith in a system that demands her complete surrender."

I don't know much about this one, but I've been seeing it slowly start to pop up in various book spaces and I'm getting more and more curious about it.

There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole

Publication: November 3rd, 2026

Berkley

Hardcover. 368 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.  

Wenton, Mississippi: A man enters the bathroom of a local gay bar and doesn't come back out. Instead he's found cold, on the floor, and facing the wall. And no one seems to know how this happened.  

Samuel Barkley is Wenton's only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel's one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it's not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can't seem to like...or hate. Nor with the cold, questioning eyes and fake smiles from those in town. Persistent. Judging. Wrong. Samuel is reaching his breaking point.  

As his investigation leads him to a curious plane crash cover-up, Samuel's placid existence is turned on its head. Because what crashed in Wenton isn't a plane. There are others here. They like it here. And if Samuel can't stop them, they will find a way to stay.  

With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.”

When I first saw "detective" in this blurb I almost just skipped it and moved on because I'm not a big fan of detective/police/crime stories, but fortunately I kept reading and realized this is much more than that, and I'm so curious to check it out now!

The Wolves of War by John Gwynne

Publication: November 3rd, 2026

Orbit

Hardcover. 496 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"King of heroic fantasy and New York Times bestselling author John Gwynne returns with a blockbuster epic fantasy inspired by Slavic mythology and packed with ancient magic, heroic sacrifice, and thrilling adventure.  

'Gwynne is a rare breed of writer whose gift lies not in his panoply of talents, but in his authenticity. The Wolves of War is a beautiful book.'– Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author  

'A tour de force by one of fantasy's greatest writers.' – Jay Kristoff, New York Times bestseller author  

THE WOLVES OF WAR ARE BARING THEIR FANGS   

The Clans once lived freely, honouring their gods and traditions. Then the northern invaders unleashed a tide of blood and fire. Now the Clans are a conquered people.   

Ivan cares not for wars or kings. His only concern is the safety of his family, especially his daughter Halia, whom he would protect with his life. Halia has been trapped in her own body since birth, yet at night she has dreams of running with wolves and speaking with fae creatures of the forest. Many believe her cursed, but Halia's awakening powers may be the only way she and her family can survive the coming storm.   

For the wolves of war are stalking the horizon. Two princes have become mortal enemies, and an iron-toothed witch haunts the shadows. As mighty nations clash, Halia must master her strange magic to protect those she loves. To do so, she must accept a terrifying truth.   

Sometimes, the only way through the darkness is to embrace it.”

This is probably one of fantasy's most anticipated fall releases, and I can't wait to get started on my ARC of this one! 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q. Sutanto & A Glacier's Guide to Dying by Michelle Porter

      

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publication: November 17th, 2026

Harper Voyager

Hardcover. 368 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"In a brilliant departure from the novels that made Jesse Q. Sutanto a USA Today bestselling author—including Dial A for Aunties—comes the first book in a debut dark fantasy duology, following an assassin, a scholar, a con man, and a guard in a race to rediscover powerful lost magic and save their world...  

Mara has no memory of life before her assassin training behind the fortress-like walls of Tchu-Morrokhai, which has been her world since she was five. Practicing discipline and strategy, sacrifice and solitude, she has dedicated herself to resisting the Divine Empress’s plans of eradicating the all-but-forgotten magic. She longs for a world once again filled with magic—and freedom and love. And she’ll do whatever it takes to find those things.  

In the faraway city of Velingard, Livya is the privileged daughter of the revered scientist whose invention of an indestructible new metal was the catalyst for a great revolution. Yet Livya’s bored of suitors and balls, more interested in philosophical debates. But when an invite to a secret salon leads to a kidnapping attempt, Livya is suddenly on the run—with the unlikely aid of charming con man Kaian, a once dear childhood friend inexplicably turned frosty stranger.  

Captain Fonde has served Velingard faithfully in the twenty years since the revolution, and all has been peaceful... until now, when he’s informed that their “indestructible” metal is inexplicably starting to crumble. Ships, bridges, buildings, statues—their entire post-revolution world is literally about to come apart. Could it be that the metal—and therefore the revolution—was flawed all along? Or is there something darker—evil, ancient, inhuman—at play?  

With stunning world-building, Jesse Q. Sutanto weaves an epic tale of characters whose lives irrevocably intertwine—and unravel—as paths collide across continents, racing toward an explosive twist that will forever change all of their fates..."

I've never read any of Jesse Q. Sutanto's books, but I'm always up for a dark fantasy, so I'm excited to check this one out!

A Glacier's Guide to Dying by Michelle Porter

Publication: November 3rd, 2026

Algonquin Books

Hardcover. 272 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A young Métis man searching for his missing father finds himself arguing with a dying glacier in this compelling and hopeful novel about the burdens and blessings of inheritance, from the award-winning author of A Grandmother Begins the Story.  

Robbie has spent most of life wondering about his real father, Mike, who long since left their family due to his struggles with visions and mistrust of the modern world. Robbie can't forget how much he felt connected to him from his few visits, and not just because they share two differently colored eyes. But now, as he rescues his mother from encroaching wildfires, he's determined to also find his father. Robbie takes off to find answers, and when his uncle confesses that he last dropped Mike off at a glacier, he and his uncle head climb up the mountain of ice to see if Mike might still be there, and whether he's still alive.  

On the slopes of a huge glacier, Robbie, starts hearing the ancient voice of the glacier itself giving him guidance. Has he accessed a deep connection to the land, or is he succumbing to the same illness that had wreaked havoc on his father's life?  

Michelle Porter brings her profoundly moving sensibility and disarmingly funny voice to a powerful contemporary story of identity and belonging, loss and healing, within families and with the immortal land itself.”

Something about this one just really catches my eye, so I'm very curious to give it a read.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Find Me Where it Ends by Cassandra Khaw & The Names of the New World by Kawai Strong Washburn

     

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra Khaw

Publication: October 6th, 2026

Tor Books

Hardcover. 144 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A woman wakes up to find the black hound of Death at her front door in this hauntingly beautiful tale from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw.  

Antigone is no stranger to death. 

 For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog.  

When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led―the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step.  

Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice.  

But a good death comes at a price."

It's been hard for me to connect with many of Cassandra Khaw's, but I'm always drawn to the premises of her stories (and also these awesome covers!) this one is no different! I really hope I love this one, because I am really excited to check it out!

The Names of the New World by Kawai Strong Washburn

Publication: October 6th, 2026

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Hardcover. 448 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The highly anticipated second novel from the award-winning author Kawai Strong Washburn: an extraordinary saga of resilience and ambition in the face of a chaotic world.  

A ferocious superstorm strikes Minneapolis, leveling large swaths of the city in a matter of minutes. In the storm’s wake, three people forge an unlikely bond that will shape their lives for the next twenty five years: Naomi, a disillusioned lawyer by day and amateur MMA fighter by night, searching for the meaning she’s lost after migrating from Hawai‘i; Amaré, an up-by-the-bootstraps investment banker with grand designs for all the money he’s about to make; and Raheem, a diesel mechanic nearly paralyzed by the storm and struggling to save his business.  

When Naomi realizes that energy companies are responsible for the climate-induced superstorm―and the many more to come, potentially dooming her island homeland―she initiates a bitter legal battle, one that culminates in her ascension to a political office in D.C. with the power to prevent future tragedies. Yet her rise puts at risk a burgeoning romance with Amaré, whose own ambitions test Naomi’s ethical limits, while Raheem’s fate as a blue-collar business owner becomes dependent on the couple’s growing power.  

Following his acclaimed debut, Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Kawai Strong Washburn again turns his remarkable gift of mythic sight to the oceans and landscapes we so often overlook in the name of progress. Spanning two decades and ranging from the American Midwest to the nation’s halls of power to islands across the Pacific, The Names of the New World is a startling, energetic, and optimistic vision of how to live in this era of overwhelming change.

"'An epic account of the fight for human dignity and an intimate, unforgettable story of love, ambition, and resilience.'―Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Wayfinder ”

I love an epic sci-fi, especially when it's about big things affecting the world, so I am really excited to check this one out!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Night of a Thousand Hells by Intan Paramaditha & Passengers by Alexander Maksik

     

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Night of a Thousand Hells by Intan Paramaditha, trans. Stephen Epstein, Tiffany Tsao

Publication: October 6th, 2026

Europa Editions

Paperback. 384 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"'An unforgiving tale of political horror and womanhood by a writer that is fearless.'—Mariana Enriquez, author of Our Share of Night  

A propulsive work of feminist gothic that blends Indonesian folklore with Islamic mysticism and examines the tension between freedom and responsibility, violence and care, familial obligation and the limits of sisterhood  

Night of the Thousand Hells is the story of three sisters: the caretaker, the traveler, and the bride. Mutiara and Maya find their lives irrevocably altered when their younger sister, Annisa, straps a bomb to her chest and commits a devastating act of violence. What led Annisa to such an abominable act? As her surviving sisters grapple with grief, guilt, and unanswered questions, their search leads them to long-concealed secrets, forsaken family bonds, and the unsettling prophecies of their grandmother, whose enigmatic wisdom has shaped the destinies of women across generations.   

Intan Paramaditha is an international literary sensation whose Night of a Thousand Hells is an urgent, haunting, and subversive blend of mysticism, horror, domestic drama, and social novel that defies genres and expectations."

Indonesian folklore alone sold me on this one, but fortunately the rest of this premise sounds fascinating as well, so I'm very eager to hopefully check this one out. 

Passengers by Alexander Maksik

Publication: October 13th, 2026

Europa Editions

Hardcover. 256 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A taut, emotionally gripping, and surprisingly funny novel about a father and daughter stranded in an airport at the end of the world.    

Ivan is a solitary man in his seventies, set in his ways and haunted by the failures of his past. His smart and cynical daughter, Nina, is in the twilight of her twenties and has long kept a distance from her sentimental father. But when Ivan proposes a trip to Europe in hopes that it will bring them closer together, Nina reluctantly agrees. They meet at LAX, where their departure is delayed. And delayed again. And again. As the hours drag on, their sharp, caustic and wide-ranging conversation reveals a lifetime of misunderstandings, unhealed wounds, and stubborn love.   

Soon more flights are canceled, security tightens, airport staff grow evasive, and it becomes clear to Ivan and Nina that something is wrong. They begin to suspect that they’re being held prisoner—sequestered from the world without explanation. At last, the surreal starts to overtake the mundane, and their need to escape—and to protect each other—turns increasingly urgent.   

What begins as a piercing portrait of a father and daughter becomes a novel of eerie suspense, as Nina and Ivan navigate not only their fractured bond but also a world teetering on the brink of collapse. A story of loving across gaps—between parent and child, between things said and unsaid—and about what happens when the outside world finally mirrors the chaos within, Passengers is Maksik’s most timely and accomplished novel yet.

'This is the stuff we live for—a spinning dream of a book, pure heart-in-your-throat magic. I can’t say this enough: read it, today, now.'—Paul Yoon, author of Etna  

'A beautiful, unsettling novel about the depths of love, the burden of nostalgia and the maddening impossibility of translating feeling into language.'—Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers  

'A novel of surpassing beauty and among the most moving portraits of parenthood I’ve ever read. It also happens to be exceptionally funny, propulsive and wise—an example of the alchemy that occurs when a writer finds the work he was born to pursue. Passengers is Alexander Maksik’s masterpiece.'—Anthony Marra, author of Mercury Pictures Presents”

I really love the premise for this one and think it sounds right up my alley!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones & What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

     

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Off the Reservation (The Only Good Indians #2) by Stephen Graham Jones

Publication: October 13th, 2026

S&S/Saga Press

Hardcover. 416 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A ragtag group of activists sets out to repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet boy taken to the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School in author Stephen Graham Jones’s return to the Blackfeet reservation of his award-winning New York Times bestsellers The Only Good Indians and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.  

Five years have passed since the massacre on the Blackfeet reservation in Stephen Graham Jones’s breakout bestseller The Only Good Indians. Nathan Yellow Tail, one of the survivors of the revenge murders, finds himself in the hospital after a terrible accident that should’ve killed him and that nearly killed his best friend, Sebby, who is hanging on to life in a room a few doors down.  

Nate’s life is out of balance, so when he is given the chance to reset his life, and maybe save Sebby in the process, Nate steps up, again. This time it’s into a camper van that is almost as run down as his broken body, filled with three older Blackfeet, to find the bones of the lone Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School—where many Indigenous children were abused—and repatriate this boy home. The problem is, when they get the bones, something terrible has escaped with them.  

By turns terrifying and deeply moving, Off the Reservation is a haunting American Indian novel of survival, reckoning, and redemption, shining light on the dark corners of this country’s history while also showing the desperate choices people make when they’re put up against a wall."

Given the fact that The Only Good Indians is one of my favorite books and Stephen Graham Jones is a favorite author, to say that I am excited for Off the Reservation is a bit of an understatement! 

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Publication: October 6th, 2026

Bindery Books

Paperback. 266 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The darkness isn’t empty. It’s hungry.   At the edge of the City of the Void, a massive chasm extends miles into the earth, its treacherous terrain overrun with vicious monsters and carnivorous plants. For orphaned best friends Petra and Jade, guiding treasure-seeking tourists down into the Void is the only way to earn enough to pull themselves up out of the slums for good.   

Petra prefers to play it safe and take jobs only in the Void’s upper levels, where the dangers are better understood, while Jade wants to risk a descent to the deepest and most mysterious Sixth Layer. Because the deeper they go, the better the payout, and the sooner their dreams can become reality. Their friendship is Petra’s whole world, and Jade’s approval means everything—so Petra agrees to do it Jade’s way.   

When their job goes wrong and Jade is lost in the Void, Petra must plunge deeper than she’s ever dared to save her friend. But she doesn’t know the truth of the Void . . . or what really waits for her in its depths.

STARRED KIRKUS REVIEW: 'Lush and innovative worldbuilding, gruesome body horror . . . A nail-biting tale set in a beautifully rendered world of darkness and danger'"

I'm reading an ARC of this right now and I'm really liking it--the world-building is so cool and super creepy and I'm having a great time. Can't wait to see how it ends and for it to be released into the wild!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun & Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova

    

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun

Publication: October 27th, 2026

Hogarth

Hardcover. 608 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma   

 Find the receiver. Make it real.  

At 5:35 p.m. on September 3, 1988, Dallas weatherman Ray “Can You Say Sunshine” Davino makes passing reference to Public Access Afterworld during a rambling monologue, right before he puts a gun to his head on live television and pulls the trigger.  

On June 12, 2009, David Sawyer and Erin Morrison, two lonely, TV-obsessed suburban teens who might be falling in love, gather in Erin's basement to watch TV's analog-to-digital transition. But in the static that follows, Erin witnesses surreal broadcasts from a pirate TV network called Public Access Afterworld, and their lives are changed forever.  

Seventeen years later, Bethany Peters toils through the night shift at megacorp GlobalVill’s bleak Austin campus. A trans content moderator, she spends her evenings reviewing an endless stream of horrific videos. But then a young streamer begins to crop up in her feed calling out to Public Access Afterworld.  

But what is Public Access Afterworld?  

Spanning decades and realities, with an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and nerds—especially the messy but wholly relatable Bethany, who must overcome paranoia and self-doubt to transform into a hero of our times—Public Access Afterworld will have you reading through the night and rooting for its characters to survive. A mesmerizing mash-up of speculative fiction, horror, and conspiracy, it marks the arrival of a major new force in contemporary fiction by a groundbreaking filmmaker who’s been compared to David Lynch and Paul Thomas Anderson.

“Beautiful, funny, and scathing . . . I stayed up all night binge-reading.”—SenLinYu 

“Gave me a vertiginous thrill I haven’t encountered since David Mitchell.”—Torrey Peters 

“Psychedelic horror of the first order.”—Grady Hendrix 

“Heart-wrenching, hilarious, visionary, and so damned smart, this novel is a major work by a major writer.”—Paul Tremblay 

“Utterly hypnotic.”—Lev Grossman 

“Dazzling and politically acute, Schoenbrun’s debut announces a major literary voice.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 

“A dazzling story . . . a great American novel.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

This book has been absolutely calling out to me and I cannot wait to dive into it! It has so many aspects that are right up my alley and I really have high hopes for this one.

Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova

Publication: October 13th, 2026

Ballantine Books

Hardcover. 592 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The last living member of a family of historians who has been hunted by dark forces associated with Dracula finds himself in peril at the hands of a new threat in this thrilling novel from the #1 bestselling author of The Historian.  

After his beloved mother passes away suddenly, Jay Turner finds himself at a crossroads. She was always secretive, and when he returns to their Boston home to clear out her possessions, he finds an unusual item: a partially burned scrap of newspaper bearing the name “Gael Brogan.” Soon after, a deliveryman leaves behind a package containing a small antique volume bound in leather—and two bloody footprints.  

The sight of the volume is chilling. As a young scholar, his mother had been given the medieval book—one of a set commissioned by Vlad Țepeș, otherwise known as Dracula, just before his death in 1477. She'd always warned Jay of the dangers associated with it, and had donated it to a museum before she died . . . yet here it is, back in his possession.  

Jay sets out to learn more about Gael Brogan, a prominent nineteenth-century actor whose last and most famous role was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As Jay begins to dig deeper—with the help of a mysterious woman named Rhiannon—he uncovers the frightening story of a young actress who fell under Brogan's sway long ago. Before long, Jay and Rhiannon realize that something similarly implacable is pursuing them.  

In this epic and riveting tale, Elizabeth Kostova takes us deep into the Gilded Age of the theater and across the Atlantic in pursuit of an ancient evil and its dramatic followers.”

I've been a fan of Elizabeth Kostova's writing since I read The Historian close to two decades ago (that feels insane to type!), so I'm always curious to see what intricate new work she has coming out next.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Solace House by Will Maclean & Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella

    

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Solace House by Will Maclean

Publication: October 13th, 2026

Grove Press

Hardcover. 512 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"You are about to enter a place of strange genius, possible madness, and timeless love . . .  

“The Secret History meets The Haunting of Hill House . . . rich, thoughtful, terrifying.”—Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution  

An addictive and brilliant puzzle box of a novel following a group of university students who discover an astonishing secret while clearing out a neglected Victorian mansion  

For Alex Lane’s wealthy university friends, the summer break stretches out before them, full of promise and fabulous plans. But for Alex, broke as usual, going home is not an option. So when the university offers him an unusual summer job clearing out a dilapidated Victorian mansion, Solace House, he jumps at the chance.  

Alex joins an unlikely crew of students, from stoner Clive to uptight, short-tempered Helen, and the extremely peculiar Adam. Alex is particularly drawn to mercurial, red-headed Ella, and as the students begin sorting through piles of old newspapers and magazines, dusty antiques, and esoteric junk, Alex and Ella become enthralled by the elaborate and eerie journals of the house’s former owner, Edwin Flayne. In these diaries, Flayne details his obsession with his missing mother and his belief in a mysterious realm lying parallel to ours, along with coded instructions on how it might be reached.  

As the students gradually uncover the house’s secrets, the rift between those who want to delve further and those who believe they’ve already gone too far grows ever wider."

I love this cover and I love this premise! I love a parallel realm, a mysterious house, and especially comps with The Secret History and The Haunting of Hill House, both of which are favorites of mine (I never except comps to be that accurate, but I'm still caught up in them!). I got approved for this one on NetGalley and I can't wait to read it!

Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella

Publication: October 6th, 2026

Run For It

Paperback. 352 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The Wicker Man meets The Twisted Ones in Bitter Karella’s Quaint Folk—a queer folk horror novel that peels back the idyllic veneer of a seemingly perfect island town to reveal the rot beneath.   

From the outside, it looks like Jessica has the perfect life. She's a stay-at-home mom, married to a man with a respectable job, raising a son they adore. Her family is as wholesome as all-American pie. But deep down, Jessica knows there's something wrong with her; she knows she can't escape her past.   

When her husband’s job has them move abroad, Jessica thinks this is her chance for a fresh start. On the remote island of Hasenhurst, the modern world can’t get in. The people there grow their own herbs, make their own jam, and mind their own business. They believe in folk tales and the power of dreams. They tell visitors, we’re a quaint, quiet people. The right sort of family would do well here.  

Jessica is determined to be the right kind of person for a family—and a life—like this. But as she tries to befriend the townsfolk and learn their ways, she soon realizes that beneath the town’s cozy idyll, something sickly-sweet and rotten lays buried..."

I've just received an ARC of this and I am so excited to have a chance to check it out. I was a really big fan of Bitter Karella's Moonflow last year and I've been really excited to read more from them!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Rooted by Leopoldo Gout, The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon, & American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee

   

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

Rooted by Leopoldo Gout

Publication: September 15th, 2026

Tor Nightfire

Paperback. 288 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"Author of Piñata, Leopoldo Goût's latest horror novel Rootedis a "a blood reckoning" (Marlon James) where one woman's return to Mexico City digs away the layers of her forgotten past and the Aztec gods she awakened.
There’s nothing wrong with Aurora. 

A successful art lawyer, she has returned to Mexico to celebrate a recent campaign for the repatriation of stolen artifacts―in particular a mysterious statue of an Aztec god, The Flayed One. 

But Mexico City isn’t as she remembered. Nothing is. Elements of her past hint at darkness and power, and reality begins to crack and warp the streets. 

There’s nothing wrong with Aurora. 

As Aurora’s sanity unravels, she must pry apart her family’s secrets and accept the simplest of truths: The Flayed One cannot stay buried. 

'It wields all the destructive fury of a flayed god determined to avenge centuries’ worth of colonial devastation and greed...'–Cynthia Gómez, Ignyte-nominated author of Muñeca"

This hints at so many different elements of horror that I love, so I'm really curious to check this one out!

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Publication: September 8th, 2026

Doubleday

Hardcover. 528 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people. Venture onto the high seas with the thrilling latest from the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River and I Was Anastasia. 

Grace O’Malley was born to be a sea captain. But despite her natural skill on the water, Grace learns early that her dreams of a life at the helm are not compatible with the expectations of her noble family. As the only daughter of a powerful chieftain, her role is to secure a strong alliance and bear children. But when she’s sent to foster with a nearby clan, Grace falls for a clever and open-minded second son—a man she cannot have. 

Married off against her will to a brutal warrior, Grace performs her duty, all the while gathering followers loyal to her, and consolidating her husband’s power, only to be ousted from his lands. But this betrayal offers Grace the opportunity to return to sea, finally leading clan O’Malley’s mighty fleet. Just as she finds true independence, Queen Elizabeth’s incursions into Ireland grow bolder and Grace must fight to defend her land, her ships, and the people she loves most against the cruel and power-hungry English deputies, who will stop at nothing to check her influence. 

Keenly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon's new action-packed novel channels the untamed beauty and harsh realities of sixteenth-century Ireland, as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine who rightly became “the Pirate Queen of Ireland.”"

Pirates, folk heroines, historical fiction--honestly, say no more, I'm in!

American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee

Publication: September 29th, 2026

Cardinal

Hardcover. 656 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Pachinko returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic: a masterpiece by turns sweeping and intimate, that reckons with ambition and moderation, lust and loyalty, personal dreams and familial duty.

'Min Jin Lee brings grand ambition, fierce heart, and the tenderest hope to a novel I didn't want to end.' ―Roxane Gay, bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger

In schools and churches, hotel rooms and nail salons, law firms and fried-fish shops; in cramped, dingy apartments and luxury, gated communities, the men, women, and children in American Hagwon struggle to find satisfaction and meaning in a world that seems to grow less forgiving with each passing year. Once comfortably middle class in Korea, John and Helen Koh and their three children―Bo, DH, and Mido―find their lives upended, first by a shocking betrayal by John’s oldest friend, then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Desperately striving to regain their footing, they leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in Southern California―where new vistas of opportunity open up for the children as their parents, strangers in a strange land, must adjust to a new life in which their experience and education mean little, and they set their sights on whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures. The Kohs, their friends, relatives, and even their foes move in and out of each other’s lives as they navigate new courses across the years, always nursing the almost all-consuming faith that education will lead the next generation to success and security.
In American Hagwon, Min Jin Lee has crafted an unforgettable, panoramic novel where the smallest of gestures can have enormous repercussions, where the bonds of family and of memory twist and fray but rarely break, and where willful self-sacrifice―for the benefit of loved ones and even strangers―is a kind of prayer."

I, like many others, really enjoyed Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, and I've been looking forward to new work from her!