Category: Highlights

We are entering the Dog Days of Summer, as the heat keeps rising and the last throes of the warmest season start to sound off. In Minnesota that means more trips to the lake and the Minnesota State Fair! We have some books that we’re looking forward to this month, maybe some we’ll take to the beach or on a last summer trip!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Wicked like a Wildfire” by Lana Popvic

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Why I’m Interested: The synopsis presents this as a story of two sisters who come from a magical family. Each with their own abilities, one who can manipulate what sees into beautiful glass works and the other who can interpret the true depths of music, these two grow up with only two rules: don’t share the family secret and don’t fall in love. So…it’s like “Practical Magic” right? We all know how much I love sisters stories, so combined with the magical elements, this sounded like the book for me. A bit concerned about whatever inevitable romantic plot lines get squeezed in there, but I’m still hopeful!

Book: “The Stone Sky” by N. K. Jemison

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I’ve been a fan of N. K. Jemisin since being blown away by the surprise that was “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.” Her novels are always richly complex with complicated character who you long to spend more time with. I haven’t reviewed the first two books in this series on the blog yet, but they’re lined up in the pike to be gotten through so I can get to this, the third book in her “Broken Earth” trilogy. My expectations are high, but she’s one of the few authors currently writing who has yet to let me down!

Book: “The Dire King” by William Ritter

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I have been joyously making my way through the “Jackaby” series. It’s one of those magical unicorns of a series where the story gets better with each book. The last book, especially, did a lot of work to tie together the threads of the series and set the stage for its grand finale in this, the fourth and final book in the series. The big bad has been revealed, and the stakes have never been higher. Will Abigail, Jackaby, and the rest of their supernatural crew have what it takes to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself? I can’t wait to find out!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Emma in the Night” by Wendy Walker

Publication Date: August 8th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: A story of two sisters named Emma and Cass who go missing and what happens when one comes back years later, but the other doesn’t. That sounds like a seriously solid premise, right? That’s “Emma in the Night”, and when I heard about it I knew that I would have to get my hands on it. Especially since it sounds like there are going to be some crazy twists and turns in this one, like a dysfunctional family unit, a strange island, and a tenacious forensic psychiatrist who hopes to find answers in this strange case and the return of Cass without Emma. I have high hopes for this one, given that my last foray into a book about a missing child coming home didn’t go as well as I had hoped it would.

Book: “Are You Sleeping” by Kathleen Barber

Publication Date: August 1st, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is described as “In A Dark, Dark Wood” meets “Serial”, so man, that really perked my ears up when I heard about it. When a long closed case is given new life because of a true crime podcast, Josie has to revisit her father’s murder and her messed up childhood. This childhood involves death, a two faced twin sister, and a cult. Okay, does this NOT sound super interesting? It also harkens back to the book “Dark Places” by Gillian Flynn, the best of her books. I’m sort of worried that this will turn into another ‘messed up female protagonist’ book, but I’m hoping that it will keep my interest up and that it will surprise me.

Book: “See What I Have Done” by Sarah Schmidt

Publication Date: August 1st, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Um, a fictionalized account of the Lizzie Borden murder and subsequent trial????? I’m both interested and hesitant!! But I have to put this on my list, because true crime is one of my guilty pleasures, and Victorian history is a not so guilty one. I don’t really know how I feel about taking an actual murder and tragedy and fictionalizing it in a way that could appeal to an thriller novel audience, but I’m willing to give it a try. Anything that gives me an excuse to chant ‘Lizzie Borden took an axe…’ over and over again while checking a book out from the library.

What books are you looking forward to this month?? Let us know in the comments!

We’re back from ALA and ready for another holiday with the Fourth of July coming up tomorrow. Also, it happens to be Serena’s birthday today, so there’s that. She will not disclose her age except to say that “Yes, she is turning 30 once again!” But on to relevant business: here is our list of books we’re excited to get our hands on this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Buried Heart” by Kate Elliott

Publication Date: July 27, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I’ve read and loved the first two books in this series, “Court of Fives” and “Poisoned Blade.” This series has it all: great world building, an interesting commentary on colonialism that gets beyond the surface points, and, most importantly, a stellar main character. Not to mention the sports! The first book focused on Jes’s rise to stardom as an athlete. The second saw her begin to realize her own power as public figure and the responsibilities that came with that. And now, in the third book, Jes will need to find her place in the growing rebellion while trying to maintain her relationship with the prince who falls on the other side of it.

Book: “Strange Practice” by Vivian Shaw

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is the story of Greta Helsing, a girl who has inherited her family’s strange medical practice of providing health care to to the undead. And when a group of murderous monks come onto the scene, killing both the living and the dead, Greta must jump into action to save herself and her practice. What a bizarre sounding story! And I’ve had some great success with bizarre-ness in the past, so sign me up for this! The mixture of fantasy, horror, and mystery all bookended by a girl physician sounds great. And full props for the cover art that also immediately struck me!

Book: “The Painted Queen” by Elizabeth Peters & Joan Hess

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Sadly, Elizabeth Peters passed away before she completed this book, the 20th and last in her “Amelia Peabody” mystery series. From what I can tell, it was in the editing stage when she died, and was finished by Joan Hess, a friend of Peters’ and a fellow mystery author. Luckily, I still have many, many books left in the series to enjoy before I get to this one, but as I love the series so much, I had to highlight the last one coming out. And I will be curious to see the reception it receives. All of my fingers are crossed that Hess did right by Peters and Amelia Peabody, and that the series can end as strongly as it has been at its very best.

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Final Girls” by Riley Sager

Publication Date: July 11th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Once again, I have been sucked in by the promise of a group of horror movie scenario survivors in peril. While “Survivors’ Club” ultimately didn’t give me everything I needed, I’m hoping that Sager is going to bring this concept to grisly, scary life. So basically a girl who survived a massacre while on Spring Break has become the member of an unofficial club of other survivors like her. Just as her life has started to get back on track, with a loving fiance and a successful blog (about BAKING, this girl sounds great), the original Final Girl in their group is found dead. Could it be that the nightmare is happening again? I am REALLY looking forward to this one.

Book: “The Lying Game” by Ruth Ware

Publication Date: July 25th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I really loved Ruth Ware’s book “In a Dark, Dark Wood”, and while “The Woman in Cabin 10” wasn’t as enthralling, I liked it enough that I’m still a huge fan of Ruth Ware. So of COURSE when a new one by her is coming out, I’m going to be pretty excited to get my hands on it. This one concerns a group of women who are linked by a dark and mysterious past. When they were in school they played ‘The Lying Game’, in which they would tell lies to see how far they’d go. When it ended in tragedy, they were expelled and went their separate ways. Now they are being pulled back in for reasons unclear. I am totally on board for this and have it on request, hoping to get it ASAP.

Book: “The Breakdown” by B.A. Paris

Publication Date: July 18th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: While I haven’t read Paris’s last big runaway bestseller “Behind Closed Doors”, this one definitely has my interest piqued. This one concerns a woman named Cass who saw a broken down car on the side of the road, but didn’t help the driver inside. Which, of course, lead to the driver’s death. And now Cass is starting to feel like someone may be watching her, along with her own nerves being frayed and on edge. My hope is that it will keep me guessing, and given how it sounds like it could be “I Know What You Did Last Summer”-esque it could be a creepy stalker book, and I haven’t read one of those in awhile.

What are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Summer is finally here, which makes both of us pretty happy! The weather is warm, the outside is inviting, and the days are filled with possibilities for fun and socializing! We have a new set of books that we’re excited for this summer, and we’re going to start with our June Highlights!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Our Dark Duet” by Victoria Schwab

Publication Date: June 13, 2017

Why I’m Interested: The review won’t be up for a few weeks yet, but SPOILERS, I very much enjoyed “This Savage Song,” the first in this YA fantasy duology. The tenuous peace between the north and south side in a city plagued by monsters has been broken. Kate is off hunting beasts in the waste land and August is left to be a good soldier, using his Sunnai abilities to help save a city seemingly bent on its on destruction. It seems to be a pattern with Schwab to separate her protagonists from one book to the next, so I’m excited to see the impetus will be that draws these two back together and how this whole crazy situation will resolve!

Book: “Down Among the Sticks and Bones” by Seanan McGuire

Publication Date: June 13, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This novella is written as a companion (?) or sequel (?) to “Every Heart a Doorway” which introduced us to Jack and Jill, two girls returned from a dark and dangerous world and who are each…coping?…in their own way with their sudden and forced return to the “real world.” Here we will get their story, in what I’m sure will prove to be a very dark, tragic story. We already have hints of what these girls’ lives were like in this mysterious land of science and vampires, but I’m sure this will be a deep dive into all the sad feels.

Book: “Now I Rise” by Kiersten White

Publication Date: June 27, 2017

Why I’m Interested: “And I Darken” was probably one of the biggest surprise hits for me last year. What started with a bizarre concept, Vlad the Impaler but as a teenage girl, morphed into a complex, and tragic, character study into both Lada (girl!Vlad) and her brother Radu who share a complicated love for their childhood friend Mehmed, a boy who is also the heir to an empire that Lada has sworn to fight. The last book ended with Lada setting off on her own to re-claim her homeland, a task that is seemingly impossible due to her gender as well as the complicated political, cultural, and religious conflicts overtaking the region. The last book blew me off my feet with the surprisingly serious historical take the author managed to create even in the midst of such a the bizarre concept as a female Vlad. But now I’m prepared! And super excited!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “The Party” by Robyn Harding

Publication Date: June 6th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: “The Party” sounds like it’s going to be a ‘When Sweet Sixteen Parties Go Bad’ kind of romp, which sounds like it’s just the right amount of salacious and sudsy for me. And you know when something like this goes horribly wrong, there is going to be a domino effect that threatens to expose the dark secrets of a perfect family. I’m not certain if there is going to be much mystery to this one or not, but it’s implied that there are twists and turns that will make you question just how innocent everyone is in this whole thing. I like domestic dramas with thriller elements, so I hope that this one delivers.

Book: “The Changeling” by Victor LaValle

Publication Date: June 13th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I really enjoyed LaValle’s horror novel “The Devil in Silver” as well as his short story “The Ballad of Black Tom”, and so I feel like it’s a good bet to give this one a try as well. This newest book of his sounds like a dark fairy tale, in which a man tries to find his wife who has disappeared after committing some kind of horrific act. Given the title of the book I’m going to go ahead and assume it involves a child or their child. LaValle has a penchant for the disturbing and creepy, and I feel like this book could be deeply haunting as well as beautiful.

Book: “Every Last Lie” by Mary Kubica

Publication Date: June 27th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I really liked Kubica’s “Pretty Baby”, and while I wasn’t as enthralled with her more recent book “Don’t You Cry” I like her writing enough to give this a whirl. In this one Clara, a wife and mother, is devastated to lose her husband Nick in a car accident. She’s relieved that their daughter Maisie is okay, but starts to wonder if it really was an accident when Maisie starts having night terrors. I’m sure that there will be a lot of twists and turns in this book, and I’m hoping that it will be a thrilling read.

What books are you excited for this month? Tell us in the comments!

On the first Monday of each month we highlight our top three books that are scheduled to be published that month.

Serena’s Picks:

Book: “Triple Threat” by Gwenda Bond

Publication Date: May 1, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Kate and I have posted joint reviews for the first two books in this series, “Fallout” and “Double Down,” as our love of  all things Superman and Lois Lane is never-ending. While we’ve each begun to have some concerns about the longevity of the premise of this series (teenage Lois solves mysteries in Metropolis with the help of her “friend” SmallvilleGuy whom she knows only through virtual reality), I’m sure we’ll both end up reading and reviewing this one sometime in the near future!

Book: “Flame in the Mist” by Renee Ahdieh

Publication Date: May 16, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I read and enjoyed both “The Wrath and the Dawn” and “The Rose and the Dagger” by this author, so I was excited to hear that she was starting a new YA series. Even more exciting, this book is being marketed as a similar story to “Mulan” and I love me some “Mulan.” Basically, any story about a girl dressing up as a man and becoming a badass warrior is a book that I will probably be checking out. The fact that it’s by an author who wrote a solid YA duology just increases the appeal.

Book: “Thick as Thieves” by Megan Whalen Turner

Publication Date: May 16, 2017

Why I’m Interested: OMG OMG OMG! This is not only one of the books I’m most looking forward to that is being published this month, but it may be my most anticipated book of the entire year! The combination of it being the 5th in a series that I have absolutely adored and the fact that it’s been SEVEN YEARS since the last one came out….I’m so excited! What’s more, Whalen Turner has created such a complex world and changed up her narrator and storytelling style so many times throughout the series that I truly don’t even know what to expect from this. All I know is that, yes, I am excited.

Kate’s Picks:

Book: “Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins

Publication Date: May 2nd, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I was one of those people who enjoyed “The Girl on the Train”, and I feel that Paula Hawkins has a pretty good chance of delivering another solid thriller novel. This one involves the body of a single mother being discovered in a lake, a fate that met a young woman in that town fairly recently before that. Now the daughter left behind has to adjust to a new life, and a new person in the form of her strange aunt. I’m sure that twists and turns will ensue. This sub-genre may wear me down and grate me a bit, but I’m looking forward to see what Hawkins brings us this time.

Book: “Black Mad Wheel” by Josh Malerman

Publication Date: May 23rd, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I really liked Malerman’s novel “Bird Box”, and I was hoping that he would be coming out with something new. This one also has an incredibly intriguing and original premise, as a group of people have been recruited by the U.S. Government to go into an African desert and track down the origin of a dangerous sound. What they find is something that is far more complicated and dangerous than just one malevolent piece of audio, I guess, and honestly that sounds pretty freakin’ rad, premise wise. Malerman is so good at writing unsettling and uncanny stories, and I have high hopes that “Black Mad Wheel” will be a worthy follow up to “Bird Box”.

Book: “The Boy on the Bridge” by M.R. Carey

Publication Date: May 2nd, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is the much anticipated sequel to Carey’s break out work “The Girl With All The Gifts”, the runaway zombie hit. While I didn’t particularly care for the execution of that one, the originality he gave to the zombie story did impress me to a certain degree. And therefore, even if I wasn’t too impressed by that one, I am more than happy to go back into this world that he has created. It seems that official promotions are being pretty tight lipped about the plot to this one, but the few things I have read has given me hope that the originality is still going to be there.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Picks:

Book: “Shadowcaster” by Cinda Williams Chima

Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Why I’m Interested: First off, I see what you did there, marketing company! Trying to make it look like the cover of the “Throne of Glass” books! This is a bad sign for the series, that the first book probably didn’t perform as well as they’d like, so they’re changing up the cover design to mimic a popular title. And…I kind of get it? I loved Williams Chima’s first series in this world, but the book that started off this sequel series, “Flamecaster?” A big “meh.” But I’ll give it another go still based on the strength of the first and my hope that the story can bounce back from a slow start.

Book: “Red Sister” by Mark Lawrence

Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is another female assassin book, and as my quest for a good female assassin book continues, I’m including this on the list. For two references to “Throne of Glass” in one post, that is by far the most popular YA title of this type right now…and I kind of hate it. So it is with everlasting hope that I continue to search for a good one! Mark Lawrence is know for writing quality political fantasy fiction, but I haven’t read any of his books up to this point. This may be a good place to start!

Book: “Skullsworn” by Brian Staveley

Publication Date: April 25, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Speaking of female assassins, THIS is where my real hope for this type of book lies! And it’s mostly due to the fact that I’ve already met Staveley’s assassin, Pyrre, in his debut trilogy “The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne” and both it, and she, rocked! Staveley’s assassins are no joke. Their organization is a religion that worships death, yet somehow the author has side-stepped all the stereotypes that come with that set up and left us with a no-nonsense and tragic group of people. Pyrre’s past was hinted at in the first books, so I’m fairly sure this won’t be a hunky-dorey fun time, but she seems like the type of character who would be well-served by a prequel/spin off and I’m excited to see how her story unfolds!

Kate’s Picks:

Book: “Final Girls” by Mira Grant

Publication Date: April 30th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I liked Mira Grant’s “Newsflesh” Trilogy because it was an interesting and fresh science-y take on zombies. A lot of tech is used in that series to explain some aspects of society after a zombie uprising, and it’s as fascinating as it is tense. Serena let me know that Grant had written a new novella that also takes on some cool tech themes, so I was definitely intrigued. “Final Girls” speaks of a therapy that puts people through a terrifying simulation, similar to a horror movie scenario, in hopes of either curing phobias, or repairing broken relationships. It, of course, probably goes completely wrong. So think “Westworld” madness meets questions about ethics in the psychological profession.

Book: “Ararat” by Christopher Golden

Publication Date: April 18th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Survival horror stories that put people up against the elements and the awfulness of nature are great on their own. But when you add in the paranoia of an unseen possible monster, you get something all the more terrifying. “Ararat” goes in the tradition of “The Terror” and “Abominable” and puts two people in a blizzard on Mount Ararat in Turkey. Some people suggest that this is the mountain that Noah’s Ark ended up on after the flood. But when the climbers explore the inside of a strange ship, they find something that seems far less godly, and far more demonic. I’m here for that, as I’m sure you all know.

Book: “Unearthly Things” by Michelle Gagnon

Publication Date: April 11th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: So it’s true that sometimes retellings of classic tales can be very hit or miss. I’ve read some that are pretty good, and some that are pretty… not? But I’m a sucker for anything that tries to tell “Jane Eyre” (remember “Jane Steele”?), even if it could be a total train wreck. “Unearthly Things” takes the “Eyre” story and puts it in modern day California, with orphan surfer girl Janie moving in with the rich Rochester family. She doesn’t really fit in with the upper class, but connects with John, the bad boy older son of the family. Though there are weird noises, perhaps even screams, coming from the attic of the mansion, and Janie may be stumbling upon a terrible secret in her new home. This book could either be just what I need, or terribly disappointing. I’m willing to gamble on it.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Winter is still here, but we’re dreaming of spring! And in the mean time, February is the month when all chocolate eating is justified and weight gain magically doesn’t exist! So yay for that! It also seems that the beginning of the year is ripe with tons of new releases. We both had a very tough time narrowing our list down to only three choices,  but here they are!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Burning World” by Isaac Marion

Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is a very strange book in that it is a sequel to “Warm Bodies,” a novel that was published seven years ago now and has had a feature film released a few years ago on top of that. The timing is bizarre, to say the least. So this is listed based on the strength of the original that introduced us to “R” a zombie who wanted more from life and found it in his human love interest, Julie. Kate and I both read this for bookclub (check out the review here) and very much enjoyed it. But the book also felt fairly perfect as a stand-alone novel, so combine the question of “is there really more story to tell here?” with the delayed publication date…we shall see!

Book: “Wintersong” by S. Jae-Jones

Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This story features the tried and true story of a girl stolen away to an underground world by a Goblin King. But never let it be said that simply because we’ve read  one (or a million!) iterations of a story that there’s not still more than can be done if you have the right take and author. While the premises definitely sounds similar to “Labyrinth,” there also seems to be notes from “The Phantom of the Opera” with a musically inclined protagonist whose mentor is some type of Other. This is the second month in a row that has a book that references “Phantom of the Opera.” Is this a trend??

Book: “Miranda and Caliban” by Jacqueline Carey

Publication Date: February 14, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I read and loved Jacqueline Carey’s three Terre d’Ange trilogies. I read and loathed her urban fantasy series. From everything I’ve heard, this book hearkens back to the former both in style and substance. A re-telling of “The Tempest,” this book focuses the tale on Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, a lonely girl who befriends Caliban, a wild boy that is taken into servitude by her father. This sounds like such an intriguing premises, and if Carey is back to form, than she is more than capable of bringing much beauty and heart to this strange tale.

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Afterlife With Archie (Vol.2): Betty R.I.P.” by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Publication Date: February 14th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: As you all know, I absolutely LOVED the first collection of “Afterlife with Archie” comics. And finally, FINALLY, the second volume by Aguirre-Sacasa is coming out. When we left the Riverdale gang they ventured out into the zombie apocalypse, running from Jughead and his undead army. I’m still so tickled about it. I’ve just been dying to find out what happens next because I love what’s been done with these characters and I love how genuinely creepy Aguirre-Sacasa has written this story. I’m a bit worried about the collection title, because Betty is my girl and I don’t want to say goodbye to her yet!

Book: “The Devil Crept In” by Ania Ahlborn

Publication Date: February 7th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: When Stevie Clark’s cousin disappears, memories and whispers in the community remind him of another disappearance he heard of, from years before. Not only did children disappear, but pets did too, and no one knows what happened. Stevie decides to try and find his cousin on his own, but maybe the truth is far worse than anyone ever expected. This sounds like a really creepy and suspenseful book, and while missing person books can be a bit heavy at times, this one has the potential to bring in more scares than melancholy. I really can’t wait to see what this is all about.

Book: “Dreamland Burning” by Jennifer Latham

Publication Date: February 21st, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Though this one kind of functions outside of my usual genres, I have to say that I’m very intrigued by this book. It is a two perspective story in which a girl in modern times finds a skeleton on her property, and then nearly 100 years ago a boy finds himself in the middle of a community simmering with racial tension. The context of the story is Jim Crow Laws and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, and I am very interested to see what Latham does to interweave these two stories, and how she connects the past to the present in a number of ways.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

Happy New Years everyone! Christmas is over and January has arrived, that time of year where we really should be in the gym working off the the cookies, but instead just want to curl up with all the new books we got for Christmas! And avoid the bitter, bitter cold. The year ahead looks great for new books, so let’s start things off right with our list for January.

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Cold Eye” by Laura Anne Gilman

Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I haven’t reviewed it yet on this site, but the first book in this series, “Silver on the Road,” was one of my favorite reads in a long while. It’s essentially a fantasy western novel featuring a great heroine and unique magic system. The first book was almost a travelogue and had a very apprentice/mentor story line as Isobel learns her role as the Left Hand (pretty much a magical enforcer). I’m excited to see where the author takes this story! There were a lot of strings left hanging, especially with regards to her companion Gabriel’s back story.

Book: “RoseBlood” by A. G. Howard

Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Why I’m Interested: This is a risky pick because it’s another one of those that is based on an original classic that I loved and so as all the more opportunity for disappointment. This time, a modern re-make of “The Phantom of the Opera” featuring a female Phantom? I think? I love this story, especially the musical version, so I’m intrigued by the idea of a young adult retelling of it. Of course, it could also be hugely disappointing based on these same high expectations and I’m also a bit unsure about its being set in the modern era? (Will there be texting and stuff??) But I can’t not check it out either, so we will see what comes of this!

Book: “Heartstone” by Elle Katharine White

Publication Date: January 17, 2017

Why I’m Interested: I can’t help myself! Whenever I find a re-imaging of “Pride and Prejudice” I just have to read it, no matter that I’ve been burned so many times in the past! (And also, there are always exceptions like “Shades of Milk and Honey” that I mostly liked and the brilliant “Death Comes to Pemberley” that I very much liked). Anyways, this is yet another retelling somehow mixing Jane Austen’s classic tale with tons of magical beasts. Sounds kind of like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” except insert gryphons, direwolves, and dragons in there instead of the zombies. Could be fun! Could be awful! Only one way to find out!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Little Heaven” by Nick Cutter

Publication Date: January 10th, 2017

Why I’m Interested: Nick Cutter is an author who has intrigued me, but i haven’t been able to read his last few books. With “The Troop” it was because it was parasite themed, and I am NOT here for that! With “The Deep” it was ocean horror based, and I’m not here for that either (unless sharks are involved, otherwise nope)! But now this one sounds like wilderness, paranoia horror, and THAT I am here for! He’s had a lot of good buzz, and so I’m finally stoked that my neuroses can be held at bay as I read this one.

Book: “X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate” by Johnathan Mayberry

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2017

Why I’m Interested: BECAUSE DUH! It’s “The X-Files”! Also, it’s a story about Scully when she’s a teenager! I love both Mulder and Scully, but I think that of the two Scully is the more interesting one. One of the reasons for that is that she is a skeptical and grounded scientist, but she is also deeply religious. And this story goes back to her teenage years and tries to give origins to why she is a skeptic, with a backdrop of Satanic Panic and murder serving to set the scene. I am beyond excited for this. And not just this, because….

Book: “X-Files Origins: Agents of Chaos” by Kami Garcia

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2017

Why I’m Interested: BECAUSE THERE IS A SECOND ONE FROM MULDER’S SIDE! If I find Scully the more interesting of the two, I find Mulder to be the more relatable of the two (I am such a believer, or at least want-t0-believer). So of course I’m also going to read this book! Is this a cheat to pick both? NO. They’re totally different stories from different writers. The description for this one is just as vague as the one for Scully’s, but I don’t even care because I will be on board for this no matter what.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!

October seemed to fly by, and now we really are staring down the barrel of winter (yes, we know we obsess about weather changes in these summaries…but we’re in Minnesota, you’d understand if you lived here!) But with the new month (and probably/hopefully not/maybe snow) comes our new list highlighting books that are coming out this month! Let’s see what we’re most looking forward to.

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Den of Wolves” by Juliet Marillier

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Why I’m Interested: Look, I’ve had my copy of this book pre-ordered basically from the first moment it was possible. Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors, I own every single one of her books, and I’ve already pre-reviewed the first two in this series (which I loved). So….obviously. In other news, it seems that the original contract with this publisher was only for three books, so maybe (please say no!!!) this might be the last in the series, which would be a real travesty since it seems clear that Marillier set up the series to be longer-running than that. We’ll see how she handles that situation in writing this story!

Book: “Heartless” by Marissa Meyer

Publication Date: November 8, 2016

Why I’m Interested: Catherine is loved in all of Wonderland and destined to marry the King of Hearts, but instead she dreams of becoming a baker and falls in love with the wrong man: a jester. You can see where this is going…Yes, a prequel to “Alice in Wonderland” telling the story of the fabled Queen of Hearts!

Book: “Flashfall”by Jenny Moyer

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Why I’m Interested: Featuring Orion, a miner on Outpost 5, this story sounds vaguely like “Red Rising,” which I loved. Both are sci-fi stories featuring mining on another planet with unknown factors about the world becoming slowly more clear to our protagonist. But it does seem to be more of an exploration novel, and less “Hunger Games in space,” like the other way. Either way, I’m always interested in a new sci fi novel, especially one feature a female lead character!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Lovemurder” by Saul Black

Publication Date: November 17th, 2016

I read Black’s “The Killing Lessons” last year, and I had no idea that it was going to the the start of a new series! But then I found out about “Lovemurder”, and I was pretty darn thrilled! I love the very troubled homicide detective Valerie Hart, the protagonist from “The Killing Lessons”, and she’s back for more angst and bleakness. This time Hart has to go back to one of her most notorious cases, as bodies are turning up and they may be related to a woman Hart put on Death Row. Oh yeah, I’m here for this. “The Killing Lessons” was harsh and graphic, and I have a feeling that “Lovemurder” will be too.

Book: “Dead Girls Society” by Michelle Krys

Publication Date: November 8th, 2016

I like a good mystery about secret societies, so when I looked a bit more into “Dead Girls Society” my interests were piqued. You have a girl named Hope who has cystic fibrosis, and all she wants to feel is normal and not totally fragile. Enter a strange group calling itself “the Society”, who invites Hope to join in a game that could win her some money and get her heart racing. What could possibly go wrong? This sounds like it has some promise, and I do love a fun and soapy YA thriller!

Book: “Gotham Academy (Vol.3): Yearbook” by Brendan Fletcher (cover not final, apparently. Okay, werk.)

Publication Date: November 8th, 2016

The fun boarding school set series “Gotham Academy” is a fun and quirky comic that I’m really enjoying. It follows a group of teens going to the prestigious Gotham Academy, having to deal with school, friendships, and the usual nonsense and crime stuff you’d expect from Batman’s home city. This is more a collection of vignettes that Olive, Maps, and all their friends have had through the first year of school, and that is just fine by me! I love how fun and spunky this series is, and can’t wait for the next installment!

What books are you guys excited for that are coming out this month? Let us know in the comments!