The leaves have mostly fallen (which just means tons of raking, a sad fact we always forget in the general love of fall). And Kate has had to say a sad farewell to October and all of its creepy crawlies. But the holiday season is before us and it’s the month to be thankful! And, as always, we are more than ready to be thankful for all of the good books headed our way!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “All of Us Villains” by Amanda Foody
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Why I’m Interested: This book has been compared to a darker, grittier “Hunger Games” as well as thrown in with the works of V.E. Schwab, so you know I’m all over it! While I could never get fully on board the “Hunger Games” madness bandwagon, I did enjoy the basic premise of a fight for the death with a deeper inspection of the injustices and perversions that can happen in a deeply divided class system. This follows a similar premise, with a group of families selecting members to participate in a fight to the death to win control of a magick supply for their family. So, essentially the “Hunger Games” but with fantasy. Sign me up! I also have to say that this cover art slaps.
Book: “Miss Moriarty, I Presume?” by Sherry Thomas
Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Why I’m Interested: Obviously I’m going to continue reading this beloved series. But I will say that had I somehow never come across this series before, this title would be enough to immediately snare me! Miss Moriarty? Color me intrigued! Moriarty has been a player in this series almost from the beginning, but we’ve only passed the character like ships in the dark in one book several books ago. Since then, it’s felt like this classic villain has slowly been circling closer. So I’m hopeful that we’ll see an appearance at last in this latest outing for Charlotte and Co.!
Book: “A Rush of Wings” by Laura E. Weymouth
Publication Date: November 16, 2021
Why I’m Interested: Yes, yes, I love fairtyale retellings and all of that. And it’s also been fairly established which ones are my favorites: “Beauty and the Beast,” “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” and “The Seven Swans.” One guess as to which one this is. Mostly, it follows the standard story, though this time our main character has some sort of magical abilities and it’s her own mother, not a step-mother, who turns her brother (and love interest?) into swans. I’m very curious about the “love interest as a swan” angle, as that’s a fairly major swerve from the romance of most versions of the stories that see the young woman pair up with a prince/man who helps her complete her task. Count on seeing a review for this one soon!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “You’ll Be the Death of Me” by Karen M. McManus
Publication Date: November 30, 2021
Why I’m Interested: Karen M. McManus is one of my go to thriller authors, given how much fun her previous novels are. And a book that is described a “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” but with a murder-y twist is bound to catch my attention, so obviously “You’ll Be the Death of Me” is making the list. Cal, Ivy, and Mateo were thick as thieves, but time and proximity has taken its toll. But now they’re in high school, and when they all run into each other they impulsively decide to have a ditch day… and then witness a murder. And to make matters worse, they all have their own secretive connections to the victim. The premise is unique and I can’t wait to see how McManus twists it all up!
Book: “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris
Publication Date: November 2, 2021
Why I’m Interested: Corporate secrets sound like they’re going to be all the rage in this new thriller, that and a woman who has secrets of her own. These are two things that can make for a very entertaining story. Ellice is the only Black attorney at her firm, and she is damn good at her job. She is also sleeping with her boss Michael, a secret that neither of them want to get out for various reasons. But then one day Ellice discovers Michael’s body, a bullet wound in his head. Ellice decides to walk away and let someone else make the discovery, as she can’t have the spotlight on her in this context. But then she’s named Michael’s replacement, and while it should be a boon, Ellice starts to wonder if something else is going on… and starts to find out some secrets her firm has been hiding. Sounds sinister and soapy!
Book: “Our Violent Ends” by Chloe Gong
Publication Date: November 16, 2021
Why I’m Interested: I knew that the moment I finished Gong’s book “These Violent Delights” that I would need to see how it all ended, and now we finally have our conclusion to this “Romeo and Juliet” retelling right around the corner. Now that Juliette has thrown Roma to the side in hopes of protecting him (but breaking his heart in the process), she now wants to keep her position as the next leader of the Scarlet Gang out of reach of her cousin. Roma wants to get his revenge against Juliette, even though he is still in love with her. But even though they conquered a monster before, threats of a new monster, as well as war and revolution, are creeping into Shanghai. And Juliette and Roma may have to team up one last time. I’m sure there will probably be a lot of tears and a few kisses here and there before all is said and done.
What books are you looking forward to this month?
The Library Ladies 