We’re back to good, old muggy Minnesota! Serena is anxiously looking forward to her escape to the dry heat of the West later this month and Kate is hunkering down either inside or poolside. And of course we both have piles of booksto get through!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “Never the Roses” by Jennifer K. Lambert
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This book sounds right up my alley! Not only does it feature a mature hero and heroine, but they are warring sorcerers who have been pitted against one another by their respective nations for years. But when Oneira manages to finally retire, she becomes curious about the rival she never met. And, of course, romance ensues! While there have been a few misses here and there, Bramble has done pretty well as a new option for quality romantasy/romance reads, so I have high hopes for this one!
Book: “Red Tempest Brother” by H.M. Long
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I keep thinking this series is over when it isn’t! The first one I thought was a stand-alone. Nope! Then the second I thought was wrapping up a duology. Nope! And here we are with the actual conclusion to the trilogy. I’ve loved the heck out of this sea-faring fantasy story! It’s the perfect mix of high seas action, intricate fantasy world-building, and a lovely romance that is firmly a subplot but also given all the time and attention it needs to thrive. This entire series seems to be completely off so many readers’ radars, and it’s such a shame. Hopefully someone will pick it up for a special edition (looking at you “The Broken Binding”) or something else will propel it further into the public’s eye, because boy, does it deserve it! At this point, I’m not even concerned for the ending, just excited to see how it plays out!
Book: “The Jasad Crown” by Sara Hashem”
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Why I’m Interested: It’s been two long, painful years, but the sequel to 2023’s “The Jasad Heir” is finally here! The first book took me completely by surprise with its excellent world-building and superb romance. Truly, that book was a masterclass in how to do enemies-to-lovers the right way! Of course, it left off with some major secrets being revealed and the stakes skyrocketing, so there’s a lot of ground to cover in this conclusion to the duology. Mostly, I’m worried how the romance will be managed with our two characters now separated not only geographically by ideologically. There are a lot of moving pieces, but if the first book taught me anything, it was not to doubt Hashem’s storytelling abilities!
Kate’s Pick
Book: “Everyone Is Lying To You” by Jo Piazza
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Why I’m Interested: As someone who has always been very left wing, I am always so deeply fascinated/horrified by right wing propaganda disguising itself as life style tips, and the recent rise in ‘trad wife’ content has me OBSESSED because of how insidious it is. So OBVIOUSLY I’m interested in a thriller that is all about trad wife influencers, social media ambition, and MURDER! Bex and Lizzie were besties in college, but after graduation Bex fell off the face of the earth. Now she’s a picture perfect tradwife influencer, who reaches out to now journalist Lizzie with an offer for an interview and a trip to an influencer convention. But then Bex disappears, and her husband is found murdered. Can Lizzie figure out what happened? I guess I’m going to find out!
Book: “Not Quite Dead Yet” by Holly Jackson
Publication Date: July 22, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I have basically loved most of the books that I’ve read by Holly Jackson, and imagine how thrilled I was when I found out that she had a new thriller coming out… and that it was for adults! Don’t get me wrong, I love her YA stuff, but I feel like an adult story can open so many more doors for her thriller writing, and “Not Quite Dead Yet” sounds like a doozy. Jet is a somewhat aimless woman who is part of a wealthy, but somewhat damaged, family. When she is brutally attacked on Halloween, she has a head injury so complex that the doctors are predicting an aneurism in a few days time that will take her life, even though she is cognizant. So Jet decides that with the little time she has left she’s going to solve her own eventual murder, with the help of childhood friend Billy. Jackson hasn’t failed me yet and this one sounds amazing.
Book: “The Library at Hellebore” by Cassandra Khaw
Publication Date: July 22, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I’ve enjoyed Khaw’s work before, with their adept skill for writing stories that are incredibly gory and grotesque, but with the most beautiful language and descriptions. And now we aren’t getting a novella, but an actual novel! And it sounds like a gory and grotesque dark academia tale! The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is an elite school that has a very different kind of student. Namely, incredibly dangerous beings that can cause much violence and chaos, who may not want to be there in the first place. At least, that was Alessa’s experience, having been taken and enrolled against her will and told that Hellebore can offer a new start for hopeless cases. Until graduation night. Because on graduation night it becomes clear that Hellebore’s promises are filled with lies. Sounds like it could be some nasty fun.
We’re both getting excited for ALA 2025 in Philadelphia! And, while we’re there primarily for the convention itself, you know we both plan on getting in a good amount of personal reading time as well! Alone, in our separate hotel rooms, like true BFF introverts do! Here are a few titles we’re excited to check out this month!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V. E. Schwab
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Why I’m Interested: V. E. Schwab is one of my favorite modern fantasy authors, so of course I’m looking forward to her new book! I’m particularly excited for this one to see how she tackles vampires. There are so many vampire books out there that I imagine it’s challenging to find a way to approach the topic from a new angle. On the other hand, I’m a bit concerned that this book might be a bit too similar to “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” both focusing on long-lived beings and the challenges of staying “in the world” when you’re so disconnected from time and death. That said, I did enjoy “Addie LaRue,” so it may all work out in the end anyways!
Book: “The Rushworth Family Plot” by Claudia Gray
Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This is another obvious pick for the month! Claudia Gray has been hitting every one of these books out of the park, and at this point, I’d be foolish to expect anything different. It’s always such a relief to be able to go into a book know that it will be good, and that’s what we have here. Plus, I’m excited to see how she handles a plot that is more closely tied to the characters from “Mansfield Park.” Not only is Edmund and Fanny’s relationship one of the more challenging ones to depict for modern audiences, but there are also several challenging topics, such as slavery and plantation wealth, that will likely be covered. Beyond that, I’m itching to see how Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney’s fraught relationship progresses! The last book left off with their pesky fathers standing in the way of their happy union!
Book: “A Legionnaire’s Guide to Love and Peace” by Emily Strukskie
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I’ve heard next to no hype about this book up to this point, and even without having read it at this point, I feel like that’s a damn shame! The romantasy genre is desperately in need of fresh material and this book, with its focus on common soldiers with no special abilities (or dragons!) to speak of and their slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, seems like the perfect fix! Of course, it also has to be good, but I have high hopes already! I, too, enjoy an enemies-to-lovers love story, but please, for the love of everything, can we have some variation in our fantasy romance stories??
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Bald-Faced Liar” by Victoria Helen Stone
Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I don’t know why I insist on touching the hot stove of the huge triggering topic that is The Satanic Panic, but whenever a book about this ludicrous and highly maddening time comes out, I have to read it. So of course “Bald-Faced Liar” caught my eye! Elizabeth May is a traveling nurse who has been trying to run from her past as a witness to a high profile trial that involved the Satanic Panic, especially since she was revealed to be a liar who put innocent people in prison. Now she has settled down in Santa Cruz, still hiding, still planning to move on. But then someone starts stalking her, someone who may be eager to expose her identity, and to punish her for what she did. Sounds devilishly twisty.
Book: “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I have loved every Taylor Jenkins Reid book that I have read, and while this may not end up being reviewed on the blog as it’s outside my genres (though if I love it enough I may make an exception), “Atmosphere” is high, high, HIGH on my anticipated titles for the year. Joan Goodwin is one of the women who has been selected to be a part of the NASA Shuttle Program of the 1980s, fulfilling a dream that seemed impossible until she was given the position. And when she meets Vanessa Ford, an aeronautical engineer who is a skilled pilot to boot, she realizes that not only could she potentially help make history, she could also perhaps find a kindred spirit. If Reid can do for space flight what she has done for 1970s rock bands, dysfunctional families, and tennis players, this will surely be a winner of a read.
Book: “With A Vengeance” by Riley Sager
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I haven’t missed a Riley Sager book yet and I don’t intend on doing it now! And besides, it wouldn’t be summer time if I didn’t have a Sager book at the ready. And this one sounds a little different. Anna has been plotting revenge against those who wronged her family for years, and her plan has all led to luring her targets onto a train in hopes of turning them all in after she makes them confess to their crimes. But then someone else commits a murder against one of her targets, and that just won’t do. Because SHE is the one who gets to get her revenge, not someone else! So now she has to figure out who wants them dead, and how she can save them… for now. Always nice to have Sager back in my reading rotation!
Summer is so close we can taste it! We have a cabin trip planned with book club at the end of the month, the sun stays out later and later, and we have a few books that we are very much looking forward to as we start to march towards the changing season! Here’s what we are excited about this month!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “The Knight and the Moth” by Rachel Gillig
Publication Date: May 20, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I read “One Dark Window” back when it came out, but didn’t connect with it. From there, I watched the entire duology become something of a phenomenon within the fantasy genre and began to wonder if maybe it was just me?? That being the case, I was excited to see the author coming out with the start to a new duology, and this time debuting in adult fantasy fiction! Books that tackle destiny, prophesy, and free will are also often right up my alley, so I’m definitely excited to see what Gillig will do with these themes!
Book: “Anji Kills a King” by Evan Leikam
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Why I’m Interested: It feels like it’s been too long since I’ve read a debut epic fantasy book, and this one looks just about perfect! Not only does it sound like it’s going to be a “travelling” fantasy book, of the sort where people trudge back and forth across the land ala “Lord of the Rings,” but who wouldn’t be interested in a book with this unique of a title and cover?! I really don’t know what to expect with this one, and that’s half the fun!
Book: “The Devils” by Joe Abercrombie
Publication: May 6, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Yes, yes, I’m one of those rare fantasy fans who HASN’T yet read a Joe Abercrombie book. Mostly this is become grimdark fantasy isn’t often my thing, and that’s what he primarily writes. But this one, with its focus on an oddball troupe of characters forced to march a would-be empress across a dangerous landscape sounded too good to resist! And who knows, maybe I’ll be a convert and will have an entire backlist of fantasy titles to check out! I’m a bit nervous about the large cast of POV characters, as that’s often a particular sticking point for me. But Abercrombie has to be as popular as he is for some reason, so I’ll trust that he has it well in hand.
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Bochica” by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This is the first of two Gothic haunted house tales that I wanted to mention this month, and this one has been on my radar for a long while. In 1920s Columbia a family moves into a huge and foreboding mansion called La Casona. They are haunted by visions and nightmares of an angry spirit trapped on the property, leading to tragedy when the mother falls to her death and the father tries to burn the house down with his daughter inside. Though she escapes, the daughter can’t forget, and finds herself back at La Casona, hoping to get answers about her mother’s death and her father’s actions. But whatever was there before is still there….
Book: “Lore Olympus: Volume 8” by Rachel Smythe
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I am still absolutely adoring this series by Rachel Smythe, and after reading and reviewing a book about the Persephone Myth in YA Fiction with my friend David for a classics journal I got all the more hyped for the newest Volume of the romantic and thrilling retelling of Persephone and Hades. When we left off Persephone and Demeter were on trial for the coverup they did of Persephone’s unapproved smiting of mortals, and now Zeus is going to have to render a verdict. But Hades will do anything to keep Persephone safe, and it will surely lead to a showdown between brothers that could wreak havoc on Olympus and beyond. Especially when a truth about Apollo is revealed.
Book: “The Manor of Dreams” by Christina Li
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This sounds like it has the dynamics of a classic haunted house story, with some shades of Hollywood secrecy and questions of identity and generational trauma. Vivian Yin is a lauded Hollywood starlet, who became the first Chinese American to win an Oscar for Best Actress, and who leaves an old and glamorous mansion behind when she dies. Her family expects to inherit it, but then another estranged family connected to the house pops up, staking their claim as per the will, and leading to both families moving in to fight it out on paper. But something is haunting the house, and things get to the point where the feuding families may need to band together to confront the presence as well as their own secrets and resentments.
I think that for many people, once April hits they would be able to say that they are sinking fully into Spring. Well, we’ve had two snow storms already here in Minnesota. But we also have some decidedly Spring-y things coming up, including the usual Spring holidays (Easter for Serena with chocolate bunnies, Passover for Kate with a harried planning of a big Seder), and slowly greener neighborhoods. We also have some books we can’t wait to read!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “A Drop of Corruption” by Robert Jackson Bennett
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Not only have I loved all the books I’ve read by this author before, but I absolutely adored the first book in this series, with its perfect balance of mystery, fantasy, and even a healthy dose of horror! Plus, the core duo is made up of a wholly unique version of the Holmes and Watson dynamic! The story picks up a bit after the last one, with Ana and Din assigned to a case on the very outskirts of the Empire. There they find mysterious experiments, a delicate political situation, and, of course, the titular drop of corruption, both literal and philosophical! Can’t wait to see what this one has in store!
Book: “The Rave Scholar”
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This is the exact sort of new high fantasy book that would immediately draw my attention. Yes, there is the well-trodden ground of a magical competition at its heart, but that’s never enough to fully put me off, especially when the book description features such a unique narrative voice: that of a Raven god himself! Beyond that, I’ve seen a lot of early hype for this one. Now, if the past is any guide, that means I’ll either love this one or absolutely hate it! Crossing my fingers for the former.
Book: “The Ashfire King” by Chelsea Abdullah
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I could only give you the barest talking points about what happened in the first book in this series. Not only was it a fairly complex fantasy world, but it’s been a few years now since the first book was released. That said, I do remember really liking it, so I’m excited to finally get the second entry in the series. I also really like the cover on this one and am super curious about the bird especially. I don’t remember anything about that in the first book, so we’ll see what this one gets up to!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “The Staircase in the Woods” by Chuck Wendig
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I really love Chuck Wendig’s horror stories, as they are usually guaranteed to not only disturb, but to also bring big emotions. Last time the big emotional gut punches involved fathers and daughters, and it looks like this time it’s going to be old friends. “The Staircase in the Woods” follows four friends who have drifted apart over the decades after their fifth disappeared… after climbing up a mysterious staircase in the woods they were exploring, only for both him and the steps to disappear. Now they are back together, grudgingly, to try and solve what happened. And if Wendig is involved, it’s going to go poorly for them. I’ve always loved the urban legend of mysterious steps in wooded areas, so I can’t wait to see what he’s doing with it.
Book: “Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” by Kylie Lee Baker
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This sounds like it could be combining not only a supernatural horror story, but also a disturbing mystery involving the targeting of Asian American women due to racism and misogyny, all investigated by a determined crime scene cleaner dealing with her own loss and trauma. Cora cleans up crime scenes for a living. She sees the aftermath of terrible violence every day on the job, but it can’t compare to the violence she saw when someone murdered her sister in front of her. As more women in Chinatown are being murdered, and Cora wants to solve the mystery, she has a harder and harder time ignoring a presence that has been haunting her recently. One that is a bit otherworldly. This one sounds so intriguing and will probably also have lots of emotional oomph.
Book: “Julie Chan is Dead” by Liann Zhang
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This one has had a fair bit of buzz in book circles that I follow, and the plot sounds twisty and soapy. So clearly I’m all about that. Julie is a working class supermarket worker who is struggling to make ends meet. She has an identical twin sister named Chloe, who is a successful social media influencer, and with whom she has barely had a relationship in many years of their lives. But when Julie finds Chloe dead, she decides to take over her identity and to live the glamorous and high end life of an influencer. But keeping up appearances may not be so easy. Especially since Chloe was actually a target for something sinister. Give it to me NOW.
March is always a bit of a mixed bag here in Minnesota. We get the teasing of a faux Spring that makes us think that Spring is here, only to dump more snow and cold on us. But hey, lambs and lions aside, we both have some book titles we are quite looking forward to this month!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “The Trouble with Anna” by Rachel Griffiths
Publication Date: March 4, 2025
Why I’m Interested: It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a historical romance novel! I’ve read a few here and there, but for whatever reason, haven’t gotten around to posting full reviews. Well, I received an ARC of this one, so I’m excited to dive back into this genre! Plus, the hook of the story revolves around Anna, a young woman with a distinct knowledge of horses who sets out to save her estate and stables after her grandfather passes away. And, of course, may find love along the way!
Book: “Slaying the Vampire Conqueror” by Carissa Broadbent
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Bramble is really messing up my plans to draw out the process of reading Carissa Broadbent’s back catalog! They keep releasing her books one after another! So, obviously, here I am again. While I’ve enjoyed all of books, I will say I’m especially looking forward to this one as its the first stand-alone I’ve read by her (not including the novella). It’s always nice to have a contained story, and after the cliffhanger at the end of her most recent book, I feel like she owes me an HEA right now, in the meantime! This one also introduces a new god/religious order to this word. Who wants to bet that it’s extremely messed up??
Book: “Faithbreaker” by Hannah Kaner
Publication Date: March 13, 2025
Why I’m Interested: While the second book was a bit of a let down from the highs of the first, I have endless hope for this one, especially because our main trio have been reunited at last! There were a few side plots that seemed to wander a bit astray as well in the previous book, but it also ended with a bang, setting up the greater conflict to be tackled here. Beyond that, I’m simple excited to get to spend more time with Kissen; she’s such an excellent main character!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Vanishing Daughters” by Cynthia Pelayo
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I really love Cynthia Pelayo and have loved her for a long while, so obviously I am excited for her newest horror story with a Chicago based flair. A woman named Briar has been haunted in multiple ways since the death of her mother, whether it’s bad dreams, strange happenings in her home, or the heavy weight of grief. While Briar tries to cope, a serial killer is murdering women all over Chicago. When a mysterious person reaches out to Briar as she does her own investigating, she starts to realize that maybe there’s a connection between her personal demons and a very real monster lurking in the shadows. Pelayo always has creepy but absolutely gorgeous horror stories, so this has been a highly anticipated read for me this year.
Book: “The Haunting of Room 904” by Erika T. Wurth
Publication Date: March 18, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This was one of my overall picks for 2025 on our Highlights for the Year list, and we are now in the publication month for this new ghost story from Erika T. Wurth. Olivia is a reluctant medium who never even had the gift until her sister Naiche, who was a medium herself, passed away. Now Olivia is seeing ghosts wherever she goes, and has managed to turn this into a successful ghost hunting business. Her most recent case brings her to a hotel with a notorious room where multiple people have died. As Olivia investigates she finds unexpected connections to her own life. I loved Wurth’s previous novel “White Horse” so this has been on my radar for awhile.
Book: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones
Publication Date: March 18, 2025
Why I’m Interested: HOORAY, a new Stephen Graham Jones horror story! And this time he’s taking on VAMPIRES!!! In this epistolary horror novel we find the diary of a Lutheran pastor who, during the early 20th Century, interviews and records the life, experiences, and confession of a man named Good Stab, who has been living in and around the Black Foot reservation in the area. The confession is strange and otherworldly, and tells of many horrors, supernatural and human alike. Another most anticipated read of 2025 for me!
So far it’s been cold, but the snow has been lacking, for now the second year in a row! We know other places have been getting their share (if not MORE than their share at times). Why are we hitting negative digits but having to stare out at dirty, brown lawns?? Oh, who are we kidding. Our eyes are too glued to our books to be looking out windows. Here are some upcoming titles we can’t wait to check out!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “The Beasts We Bury” by D. L. Taylor
Publication Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Why I’m Interested: For one thing, I just think this cover is incredibly unique and interesting. For another, the subject matter sounds super unique and interesting! If a bit traumatic, since one of the main character’s abilities seem to be tied to animal death. I don’t love that topic, but if done well, I can also see how it could be used to craft a powerful character arc revolving around power and cruelty. It’s a duel POV title, however, between two love interests, something that I often struggle with. So we’ll see how this one goes!
Book: “Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales” by Heather Fawcett
Publication Date: Feb. 11, 2024
Why I’m Interested: Well, obviously. This is probably my most anticipated sequel of the year, honestly. After the wild success of the first two books, I have every confidence that Fawcett will nail the landing on this one, too! I’m not sure if this is the last one in the series or not (hopefully not!), but the stakes have definitely never been higher! Emily and Wendell are finally making their way together back into Fae to reclaim Wendell’s kingdom. Of course, this is an excellent academic opportunity. But Fae politics are also nothing if not dangerous. It’s really been killing holding off on reading my early copy of this one until an appropriate time!
Book: “Upon a Starlit Tide” by Kell Woods
Publication Date: Feb. 18, 2025
Why I’m Interested: This one could go either way. On one hand, while the first book by this author I read had potential, I by no means loved it. It was maybe a 6 or 7? I also didn’t fail to notice the two portraits of men on the cover, heavily implying there will be a love triangle involved. But, on the other hand, I love fairytale fantasies, and “The Little Mermaid” has been a particularly difficult one to nail down. On the other, OTHER hand, I’m not so sure about the inclusion of “Cinderella,” as well! So, as you can see, I have some very mixed feelings going into this one. But the cover is gorgeous, and I’ve definitely had some surprises from authors on my second attempt with them!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “The Vengeful Dead” by Darcy Coates
Publication Date: February 18, 2025
Why I’m Interested: We are finally at the end of Darcy Coates’s “Gravekeeper” saga, and while I am eager to see how it ends, I’m also not ready to say goodbye to Keira and her ragtag group of friends and her ghostly adventures. I am such a fan of Coates and her really scary stories, but this sort of cozier and lighter series has been such a joy and has shown off her range. I am really hoping that she sticks the landing, but knowing her she will nail it.
Book: “Listen to Your Sister” by Neene Viel
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I am always on the look out for new voices in the horror genre, and this one has been getting a bit of buzz from other creators and horror reviewers that I generally trust. And when you are comparing it to the works of Jodan Peele I’m absolutely going to be very, very interested. “Listen To Your Sister” is a horror novel about family, hardship, sibling love and complications, and the way that our siblings can be both the most important thing in our life AND a huge stressor. This one caught my eye and I am very interested to see how it all shakes out.
Book: “Deep End” by Ali Hazelwood
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Well I am once again putting a book that is out of genre for me on my most anticipated list, and it in all likelihood won’t end up reviewed on here, but I don’t care, let me live! I have enjoyed almost everything Ali Hazelwood has put out, and she keeps up with the sub-genre jumping by taking on a sports romance with “Deep End”! I’ve had this one on pre-order from one of my favorite local bookstores for awhile now, and I can’t wait for it show up on my doorstep!
What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
There are always so many books to look forward to each year. So in this post, we tackle the impossible task of choosing some favorites that we’re most excited about in the next twelve months!
Serena’s Picks
Another year absolutely packed with great books! Now that we’ve finally started doing these “year of” lists, I’m not almost thinking that we need to do one every six months. As you’ll see, this list is heavily loaded towards the first half of the year, mostly because those are the ones that we have firm dates for at this point. I’m sure there will be tons more this coming fall that I haven’t even discovered yet. This year seems to be the year of sequels and returning authors, however, as after I made these lists, I only then noticed they were all picks from authors I’ve enjoyed in the past. To start, here are a few honorable mentions that didn’t make the list: “Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales” by Heather Fawcett, “Hemlock & Silver” by T. Kingfisher, “Queen Demon” by Martha Wells, “Upon a Starlit Tide” by Kell Woods (this is an author I read before but didn’t love, so there you go, almost like a new pick!), and “The Witch Roads” by Kate Elliott.
Book: “The Amber Owl” by Juliet Marillier
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Book Summary: Stasya lives in an isolated farming village on the edge of the mysterious Heartwood Forest with her unusual dog for company. Thought odd by the locals, she is tolerated for her rare gift with animals. Engaging with her fellow humans is difficult, with one goatherd Lukas, who shares her love of storytelling.
The peace of Heartwood is shattered when a group of soldiers descends, under orders from the Ruler of the Northlands. Their to hack a path through the forest and find the fabled treasure said to lie deep within. Under the grueling decree, Stasya’s village falls into chaos. The task is clearly impossible. The forest is alive with bears and wolves, and the old tales speak of evil spirits, monsters and uncanny beings. Nobody has ever gone deep into Heartwood Forest and returned safe and well.
When Stasya raises her voice in protest she is removed from her beloved home and transported to court – a different world. Word of her special skills has reached the Ruler’s ears, and Lady Elisabeta has a job for her. But Stasya will not break her vow to protect the forest, even under the most appalling threat. Help comes from an unlikely quarter.
Secrets abound; dangers lie everywhere; and it is hard to tell friend from foe. As Stasya and her band of unlikely allies embark on a perilous mission, it becomes apparent that uncanny forces may indeed be involved. Maybe the old tales of the Hermit are true.
Book: “The Floating Word” by Axie Oh
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Book Summary: Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.
Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.
Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…
Book: “The Listeners” by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Book Summary: JANUARY 1942. THE AVALLON HOTEL AND SPA offers elegance and sophistication in an increasingly ugly world. Run with precision by June Hudson, the hotel’s West Virginia born-and-bred general manager, the Avallon is where high society goes to see and be seen, and where the mountain sweetwater in the fountains and spas can wash away all your troubles.
June was trained by the Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, and she has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. Now, though, the Gilfoyle family heir has made a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats. June must convince her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the frontlines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.
She also must reckon with Tucker Minnick, the FBI agent whose coal tattoo hints at their shared past in the mountains, and whose search for the diplomats’ secrets disrupts the peace June is fighting so hard to maintain. Hers is a balancing act with dangerous consequences; the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal, and only June can manage the springs.
As dark alliances and an elusive spy crack the polished veneer of the Avallon, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.
Book: “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V. E. Schwab
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Book Summary: Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1532. London, 1837. Boston, 2019.
Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.And all of them grow teeth.
Book: “Katabis” by R. F. Kuang
Publication Date: August 28, 2025
Book Summary: Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld.
Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.
That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.
Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….
Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.
With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.
But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.
Kate’s Picks
At the beginning of the year I always love to scour through the titles that are gong to be coming out, and this year we have some GOODIES. So many authors I have adored in the past have books coming out this year, including Joe Hill, though his new book is a little mysterious at this point. After 2024 where I suffered some serious mental health burn out which affected my reading habits, I hope that this year will have more reading in it, no matter what it brings, though this is only the tip of the ice berg when it comes to titles. I’m sure I’ll have more by the time I leave ALAAC in June. But here are the ones that are sticking out right now! Some honorable mentions that didn’t make the final list definitely need a shout out though. So other books I’m looking forward to include “This Book Will Bury Me” by Ashley Winstead, “The Bewitching” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, “Vanishing Daughters” by Cynthia Pelayo, and “Lucky Day” by Chuck Tingle.
Book: “The Haunting of Room 904” by Erika Wurth
Publication Date: March 18, 2025
Book Description: From the author of White Horse (“Twisty and electric.” —The New York Times Book Review) comes a terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.
Olivia Becente was never supposed to have the gift. The ability to commune with the dead was the specialty of her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, somehow Olivia suddenly can’t stop seeing and hearing from spirits.
A few years later, she’s the most in-demand paranormal investigator in Denver. She’s good at her job, but the loss of Naiche haunts her. That’s when she hears from the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel. The owner can’t explain it, but every few years, a girl is found dead in room 904, no matter what room she checked into the night before. As Olivia tries to understand these disturbing deaths, the past and the present collide as Olivia’s investigation forces her to confront a mysterious and possibly dangerous cult, a vindictive journalist, betrayal by her friends, and shocking revelations about her sister’s secret life.
The Haunting of Room 904is a paranormal thriller that is as edgy as it is heartfelt and simmers with intensity and longing. Erika T. Wurth lives up to her reputation as “a gritty new punkish outsider voice in American horror.”
Book: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Book Description: A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.
A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.
Book: “The Staircase in the Woods” by Chuck Wendig
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Book Description: A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.
Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .
Book: “Not Quite Dead Yet” by Holly Jackson
Publication Date: July 22, 2025
Book Description: In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.
Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. She’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until, on the night of Halloween, Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic brain injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, she’ll suffer a deadly aneurysm.
Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new her family, her ex-best friend turned sister-in-law, her former boyfriend.
She only has seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish. Jet is going to solve her own murder.
Book: “The Possession of Alba Díaz” by Isabel Cañas
Publication Date: August 19, 2025
Book Description: When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust… from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.
In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.
Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them… and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood grows stronger.
What books are you all looking forward to this year? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome to 2025, for better or for worse! We never know what we’re going to get with a new year, but one things is always guaranteed: there are sure to be great books in the year ahead! We’ll be posting our regular monthly picks here, but look forward to our list of top picks for the entire year of 2025 coming in a few weeks!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “A Sea of Unspoken Things” by Adrienne Young
Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Adrienne Young is one of those awesome writers who not only produces incredible books, but also manages to pump that out practically on a yearly basis! Between her and Silvia Morena-Garcia, I’m always guaranteed a few great reads a year! This one sounds like another entry into her recent foray into contemporary romantic fantasy stories. Again, we follow a young woman with a mysterious past as she returns to a home town she fled from years before. Of course, there’s a second chance romance in there as well!
Book: “Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Publication Date: Jan. 14, 2025
Why I’m Interested: While I’m not a big fan girl of Studio Ghibli, I was also intrigued by the description of a highly whimsical contemporary fantasy story that follows the owner of a pawn shop that deals in regrets. The cover itself is also pretty great! Plus, it promises a nice romance at its heart, so there’s a lot of potential here! Can’t wait to check it out soon!
Book: “A Crown So Silver” by Lyra Selene
Publication Date: Jan. 21, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I really enjoyed “A Feather So Black” when I read it last year. Not only was it a unique version of “Swan Lake,” but it managed to tack in a love triangle that I didn’t end up hating. It didn’t end on a cliffhanger per se, but there was definitely a lot left to be handled in the sequels. As the middle book in a trilogy, this one faces an uphill battle, but I’m excited to see how this one manages it! Mostly, I hope that the main couple doesn’t fall into the trap of pointless drama in the pursuit of “tension.” We shall see!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Wake Up and Open Your Eyes” by Clay McLeod Chapman
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Clay McLeod Chapman is one of my favorite horror authors writing today, and I am always excited and apprehensive to pick up one of his novels because I know that he doesn’t hold back. Enter “Wake Up and Open Your Eyes”, his newest horror novel where he satirizes far Right wing media and the way that it seems like it brainwashes its consumers, and poisons the rest of American society. In this case, Right Wing cable news viewers (as well as other Right Wing media consumers) turn into violent possessed automatons who attack anyone who doesn’t think like them. A bit on the nose for 2025, but that’s the point. Buckle up. It’s gonna be rough.
Book: “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Why I’m Interested: I also really enjoy Grady Hendrix and the quirky horror stories that he comes up with, usually with a bit of a tongue in cheek flair. But this time around he’s not only taking on witchcraft, but also the tragedies and injustices of young unwed mother homes and the traumas that came with such circumstances for many, many teenage girls in the years before Roe v Wade. As someone who is deeply disturbed by the way we’re movie backwards on reproductive rights in America AND who loves witchcraft stories, this is a book that has been on my radar for AWHILE. I’m sure it will be heartwrenching as well as quirky. Which it absolutely should be.
Book: “Mask of the Deer Woman” by Laurie L. Dove
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Why I’m Interested: Procedurals continue to be a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’m always thrilled to see procedurals written from more diverse perspectives. Berkley was kind enough to send me access to “Mask of the Deer Woman” by Laurie L. Dove, which is not only a police procedural dealing with missing women themes, it is also starring an Indigenous female former cop now working on a reservation who want to look into the disappearances of multiple Indigenous women. Throw in some mythology involving Deer Woman and I am even more excited. I hope that this is a start to a new series I can follow!
What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
It is so incredibly dark here in Minnesota. But at least we have Christmas and holiday lights to cheer us! The house across from Serena goes all out in this regard (seriously, there are tour buses that stop by this place every night!), and while Kate’s neighborhood can’t compete, she at least has the double whammy of Christmas tree AND Menorah lights in her own home to look forward to. However, when it gets dark so early, that just leaves more time to fully commit to the coziness of winter reading: book in hand, blanket on lap, warm drink within reach. Here are some titles we’re looking forward to this month!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “A Monsoon Rising” by Thea Guanzon
Publication Date: Dec. 10, 2024
Why I’m Interested: December is always a light month, so it’s been great having this book to look forward to this season! I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, “The Hurricane Wars,” and the general set up of both the world and the enemies-to-lovers romance. There were a lot of pieces in play in the first book, so I’m curious to see how it is all balanced in this sequel. Second books are notoriously difficult, especially when trying to navigate both a high fantasy plot line and a central romance. However, the first book was such a fun time to read that I have high hopes that Guanzon can pull it off again!
Book: “Upon a Frosted Star” by M. A. Kuzniar
Publication Date: Dec. 10, 2024
Why I’m Interested: For one thing, this simply looks like a wintery read, perfect for the vibes of December! For another, I’m always interested in fairytale retellings of “Swan Lake.” I have yet to find one that really blows me away, but I’m ever hopeful! Luckily, the publisher reached out offering a copy of this for review, so count on seeing my thoughts on this one in a few weeks!
Book: “How to Steal a Galaxy” by Beth Revis
Publication Date: Dec. 3, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I love science fiction, but I’m also incredibly picky with this genre I’ve found. But the first novella in this series checked every box (even more impressive for managing this in a shorter page count than your average novel!). It was action packed, had a fun lead character, had a good twist, and balanced the burgeoning romance in a believable way. That being the case, I was thrilled to discover the next book was coming out only a few months later. Even better, it would be the rare unicorn of a new title releasing in December! I can’t wait to check this one out and see what escapades Ada gets up to this time!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “What The Woods Took” by Courtney Gould
Publication Date: December 10, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I hear a plot that has to do with one of those horrific wilderness survival schools that also has some horror elements (beyond the obvious THESE PLACES ARE HORROR STORIES) and I am immediately going to want to read it. And I have enjoyed some of Courtney Gould’s books in the past. So this was a clear choice for a book to take on. Devin is a teenager in foster care who is kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night. Well, not so much kidnapped, as her foster parents gave the full go ahead to send her to a wilderness retreat for misbehaving youth. The kids are told that they are to learn to change their ways, and that a fifty mile hike and camping trip will surely do the trick. But when the counselors disappear, and strange things start happening in the woods, Devin and the rest of the campers find themselves in a dire situation. Gracious this will no doubt be upsetting.
Book: “Alter Ego” by Alex Segura
Publication Date: December 3, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I enjoyed Segura’s previous novel in the duology, “Secret Identity”, and when I saw that not only was there a sequel but there were ARCs available at ALAAC24 I snagged it up pretty damn fast. Set in the present day, we follow Annie Bustamante, director, comics artist, and writer who has made a mark, even if she’s been shoved aside as of late. When she is approached by Triumph Comics to help reboot her longtime favorite superhero the Lethal Lynx, the offer seems… off. For one, the company is being cagey with some of the details. For another, they expect her to work with a notorious filmmaker who is part genius, part ticking time bomb. And then the strange messages start arriving. Annie starts to peel back some secrets about her favorite superheroine, and realizes that she may be in danger should she not tread carefully. I really enjoyed “Secret Identity”, and seeing what Segura does next is tantalizing.
Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 3): 1776” by Stephen Graham Jones
Publication Date: December 3, 2024
Why I’m Interested: Well OF COURSE I’M INTERESTED! I’ve been loving Stephen Graham Jones’s historical/fantasy/Sci-Fi series about Indigenous people from a climate disastrous future being sent back in time to different points in American history in hopes of changing the fate of the world, going from Columbus’s time to the Ice Age. And now? THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, BABY! Now it’s Emily’s turn, the Two Spirit who went into the cave with no clue as to what awaited her, only to find herself in Philadelphia in 1776. Her plan is a different approach from the violence her compatriots thought could work; what if she can change history by working within the system? I have a feeling it’s not going to go AWESOMELY for her, but given that Emily was a favorite of mine from the first volume, I can’t wait to see what she does with the Founding Fathers.
What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
The candy high is passing (our kids’ candy highs, not ours…no…) and the madness of the holiday season is already setting in! What better time to escape from responsibility into the world of books?? Here are some titles that we’re most looking forward to this November!
Serena’s Picks
Book: “Wheel of the Infinite” by Martha Wells
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
WhyI’m Interested: This is actually a re-release of a novel that Wells published way back in 2000, I believe. I was reading her books near that time, but somehow missed this one. I’m thrilled, however, that her back catalog is finally get the loving attention it deserves and was super excited to add this to my reading list for November when I saw that Tor was putting out a new edition this month! A few things can always be counted on from this author: wholly unique second-world settings and strong main characters. Can’t wait to see what she has in store this time!
Book: “Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Why I’m Interested: Yes, another Fae fantasy book. There’s definitely a bit of fatigue setting in as far as Fae romantasy stories go, at least for me. But I’ve also still read a few great ones over the last few years, so I never want to wholly give up on the subgenre. Plus, the cover on this one feels unique from the art we typically see on this sort of story. The story itself, however, sounds rather familiar: deadly trials, powerful Fae, multiple potential love interests…All of these can be great, as well, of course! We’ll just have to wait and see!
Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” by Carissa Broadbent
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Why I’m Interested: This was probably one of my most highly anticipated titles for the year, so of course it was going to show up on this list! I loved the first duology in this world and was only too eager for any excuse to return to this story! Making it even better, this story follows Mische who was a fairly significant side character in the first two books! The story also seems to be a quest-like story that follows our characters as they travel into this world’s underworld, which sounds awesome as well! I’ve been waiting so long to read this one, and I’m so excited the time has finally come!
Kate’s Picks
Book: “Guilt and Ginataan” by Mia P. Manansala
Publication Date: November 12, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I’m so happy that the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series reliably has a new book every year, and given that I try to soak in the cozy in November this is going to be a perfect read to match the vibes. And this one even takes place in the Fall, which makes it all the more seasonally appropriate! There’s another murder afoot in Shady Palms, this time happening during the annual Corn Festival, and also involving amateur detective Lila Macapagal is on the case. Especially since her friend Adeena is found unconscious next to the body. I really enjoy this series, and can’t wait to see what recipes come with it this time around!
Book: “Sundown in San Ojuela” by M.M. Olivas
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I saw M.M. Olivas on a panel at ALAAC this past summer and was very intrigued by the book she was promoting. That book happened to be “Sundown in San Ojuela”, as she said she took inspiration from spaghetti westerns as well as the films “Near Dark” and “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”. I mean, COME ON. Of COURSE I wanted to read it. When Liz returns to San Ojuela after years of being away (and after enduring a trauma that left her clairvoyant), she has to not only face family strife, but also a monster that has been consolidating power for years. This has been on my radar for almost half a year at this point and it’s finally time to jump on in.
Book: “Heart Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang
Publication Date: November 26, 2024
Why I’m Interested: I love a nice sudsy murder mystery, and given that this one is saying that it’s “John Tucker Must Die” meets “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” I was totally on board to give it a go. Tommy Harding is a popular online prankster, who just so happens to be stringing along three women as his star rises. But when his infidelities are exposed by a mystery person, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh leave him in the lurch. Problem is that the next day he winds up dead, and the three of them become the most obvious suspects. I have high hopes for this one!
What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!
The Library Ladies 