It’s the month of romance! The month of candy! The month of feeling like Winter has been dragging on awhile, though in all honesty we haven’t had much of a Winter here in Minnesota this year. Add on top of that an extra day due to the leap year and it’s definitely February. And with a new month comes a new group of books that are coming out. Here are the ones we have our eyes on.
Serena’s Picks
Book: “The Butcher of the Forest” by Premee Mohamed
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I’m always interested in any book that hints at quests into deep, dark forests. This is the aspect of dark fantasies that intrigue me the most, those stories that brush up against the gruesome nature of many original fairytales. This story promises much of the same, with a woman tasked to enter a dangerous forest to fetch back two wayward children. But with secrets and dangers around every corner, is this task even possible? I can’t wait to check this one out!
Book: “The Tainted Cup” by Robert Jackson Bennet
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I really enjoyed Bennet’s “Divine Cities” trilogy when I read it a few years ago and have been looking for an excuse to start up with one of his series again. And this one sounded like a match made in heaven! Not only is the world-building intriguing, with a land plagued by Kiaju-like creatures, but the story also seems to be genre-blending between high fantasy and mystery, with its two main characters serving as Sherlock/Watson stand-ins. I also love the gender-swapped version of these characters with the Sherlock-like character being an older woman. Definitely excited for this one too!
Book: “A Tempest of Tea” by Hafsah Faizal
Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I haven’t read any of Fiazal’s other fantasy books, but I know she’s a very popular author. I’m also very interested in this kind of random-seeming resurgence of vampire stories, and this one seems even more odd than most! Vampires but also a “Six of Crows” style heist and also a tea house? Lots going on there, how will it all come together? I, for one, can’t wait to find out!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Almost Surely Dead” by Amina Akhtar
Publication Date: February 1, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I really loved Akhtar’s previous book “Kismet” and how it was the perfect blend of slow burn thriller and satirical critique of the wellness industry, so I am OF COURSE amped for her newest thriller novel, “Almost Surely Dead”. After Dunia is nearly killed by a stranger on a subway platform, she thinks that things couldn’t possibly get worse. But between a volatile ex, more attacks, and an escalation in the sleepwalking she has done since she was a child, Dunia starts to wonder if something else is as play. Something not so human. This has been a highly anticipated read for me so I can’t wait to dive in!
Book: “The Hollow Dead” by Darcy Coates
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Why I’m Interested: The newest entry in Darcy Coates’s “Gravekeeper” Series is out this month, and considering how much I love Coates “The Hollow Dead” is totally a must read for me. Now that Keira is starting to piece together her past and her connection to the malevolent corporation Artec, she finds herself closer than ever to uncovering her forgotten past, and how she ended up with no memories in Blighty. And when Artec’s devious ploy to use the dead targets someone that is close to one of Keira’s loved ones, it becomes all the more personal for her to uncover her past and her connection to them. I am very much eager for answers, and I hope that “The Hollow Dead” delivers!
Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 2): Ice Age” by Stephen Graham Jones
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I really loved “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus”, and re-reading it for book club solidified that love for this time travel historical fiction series. And now “Earthdivers (Vol. 2): Ice Age” is coming out this month, and let me tell you, it’s a great follow up and I NEED highlight it here. After she wanders into a cave with the promise of finding her children, Tawny suddenly finds herself sent back in time to the Ice Age. Alone, unprepared, and also encountering dangerous animals (AND dangerous people), Tawny must try to survive in hopes of finding her missing children, even if she is lost in time. Look for a full review at the end of the month, but know that this is another winner from Stephen Graham Jones.
What books are you most looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
The Library Ladies 