Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Can’t Wait Wednesday: More February 2020 Book Releases




Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to spotlight a few upcoming book releases that sound interesting to me. Here’s what’s coming out in the next few weeks.

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More February 2020 Book Releases







The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave


Adult Historical Fiction
February 11, 2020


Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Bergensdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.

As Maren and Ursa are pushed together and are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.



What interests me? An isolated Norwegian town in the 1600s. That’s not a setting you see often in novels. The book gets bonus points from me for being inspired by real events. I haven’t read the author’s children’s books, but I know they’ve won a ton of awards. I need to read her work someday. Might as well start with this one.















The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson


Adult Horror
February 11, 2020


Ever since her father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.

But dark forces are at work in the bayou, both human and supernatural, conspiring to disrupt the rhythms of Miranda's peculiar and precarious life. And when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe.


What interests me? There’s a mad preacher and a band of followers, which means cults! It’s set in a bayou, which automatically reminds me of the awesome weirdness that is Karen Russell’s Swamplandia! Goodreads compares this novel to Joe Hill and Neil Gaiman and calls it, “a gorgeous, horrifying novel, a journey into the dark corners of human nature, drawing our worst fears and temptations out into the light.” That sounds like an ideal horror story to me.















And I Do Not Forgive You: Stories And Other Revenges by Amber Sparks


Adult Short Story Collection
February 11, 2020


In “Mildly Happy, With Moments of Joy,” a friend is ghosted by a simple text message; in “Everyone’s a Winner at Meadow Park,” a teen precariously coming of age in a trailer park befriends an actual ghost. At once humorous and unapologetically fierce, these stories shine an interrogating light on the adage that “history likes to lie about women.”

What interests me? The author has been compared to Karen Russell. I’m also intrigued by the “history likes to lie about women” line. I want to know how the author works history into fantastical-sounding short stories.















The King At The Edge Of The World by Arthur Phillips


Adult Historical Fiction
February 11, 2020


The year is 1601. Queen Elizabeth is dying, childless. The nervous kingdom has no heir. It is a capital crime even to think that Elizabeth will ever die. Potential successors secretly maneuver to be in position when the inevitable arrives. The leading candidate is King James VI of Scotland, but there is a problem.

The queen's spymasters—hardened veterans of a long war on terror and religious extremism—fear that James is not what he appears. He has every reason to claim he is a Protestant, but if he secretly shares his family's Catholicism, then the last forty years of religious war will have been for nothing, and a bloodbath will ensue. With time running out, London confronts a seemingly impossible question: What does James truly believe?

It falls to Geoffrey Belloc, a secret warrior from the hottest days of England's religious battles, to devise a test to discover the true nature of King James's soul. Belloc enlists Mahmoud Ezzedine, a Muslim physician left behind by the last diplomatic visit from the Ottoman Empire, as his undercover agent. The perfect man for the job, Ezzedine is the ultimate outsider, stranded on this cold, wet, and primitive island. He will do almost anything to return home to his wife and son.


What interests me? Like many Americans, I’m inexplicably fascinated by royal families. The royals in this book sound like they’ve got some issues. You know there’s going to be drama when spymasters are involved.















Ink In The Blood by Kim Smejkal (Ink In The Blood #1)


Young Adult Fantasy
February 11, 2020


Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.

Their opportunity to escape arrives with the Rabble Mob, a traveling theater troupe. Using their inkling abilities for performance instead of propaganda, Celia and Anya are content for the first time . . . until they realize who followed them. The Divine they never believed in is very real, very angry, and determined to use Celia, Anya, and the Rabble Mob’s now-infamous stage to spread her deceitful influence even further.

To protect their new family from the wrath of a malicious deity and the zealots who work in her name, Celia and Anya must unmask the biggest lie of all—Profeta itself.


What interests me? I’m always on the lookout for unique young adult fantasy. I haven’t read any fantasy like this before. There are no queens, assassins, or pirates! Who knew that was possible in YA fantasy? I like that the main characters are tattoo artists who tattoo magical propaganda on people. That’s unusual.















No True Believers by Rabiah York Lumbard


Young Adult Contemporary
February 11, 2020


Salma Bakkioui has always loved living in her suburban cul-de-sac, with her best friend Mariam next door, and her boyfriend Amir nearby. Then things start to change. Friends start to distance themselves. Mariam's family moves when her father's patients no longer want a Muslim chiropractor. Even trusted teachers look the other way when hostile students threaten Salma at school.

After a terrorist bombing nearby, Islamaphobia tightens its grip around Salma and her family. Shockingly, she and Amir find themselves with few allies as they come under suspicion for the bombing. As Salma starts to investigate who is framing them, she uncovers a deadly secret conspiracy with suspicious ties to her new neighbors—but no one believes her. Salma must use her coding talent, wits, and faith to expose the truth and protect the only home she's ever known—before it's too late.


What interests me? I have an ARC of it. Also, the cover is awesome. I love the colors. The biggest selling point for me is the comparison to Sadie by Courtney Summers. Sadie was one of my favorite books of 2019. It’s an innovative, contemporary addition to the mystery genre. I’m hoping this book lives up to the comparison.















The Snow Collectors by Tina May Hall


Adult Literary Fiction
February 12, 2020


Haunted by the loss of her parents and twin sister at sea, Henna cloisters herself in a Northeastern village where the snow never stops. When she discovers the body of a young woman at the edge of the forest, she’s plunged into the mystery of a centuries-old letter regarding one of the most famous stories of Arctic exploration—the Franklin expedition, which disappeared into the ice in 1845.

At the center of the mystery is Franklin’s wife, the indomitable Lady Jane. Henna’s investigation draws her into a gothic landscape of locked towers, dream-like nights of snow and ice, and a crumbling mansion rife with hidden passageways and carrion birds. But it soon becomes clear that someone is watching her—someone who is determined to prevent the truth from coming out.


What interest me? I have a not-so-secret obsession with Arctic exploration. Dead bodies + Arctic explorers + historical ladies? I think there’s also supposed to be an environmental disaster? I’m in. Give it to me now.















The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld


Adult Literary Fiction
February 13, 2020


In 1720s Scotland, a priest and his son get lost in the forest, transporting a witch to the coast to stop her from being killed by the village.

In the sad, slow years after the Second World War, Ruth finds herself the replacement wife to a recent widower and stepmother to his two young boys, installed in a huge house by the sea and haunted by those who have come before.

Fifty years later, Viv is cataloging the valuables left in her dead grandmother’s seaside home, when she uncovers long-held secrets of the great house.

Three women, hundreds of years apart, slip into each other’s lives in a novel of darkness, violence and madness.


What interests me: Historical ladies with secrets! I read Evie Wyld’s other novel, All The Birds,Singing, a few years ago and really liked it. It’s beautifully written and brilliantly structured. This novel also seems like it will have an unusual structure. I’m excited to check it out.

















Are you looking forward to any February book releases?








32 comments:

  1. Ink in the Blood is one that I have had my eye on. There are quite a few here that are new to me and The Mercies really intrigues me as well. That setting is quite unique. Thanks for sharing these. :)

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    1. The setting is the main reason why I want to read The Mercies. It sounds awesome.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  2. I love these covers that are so out of the ordinary. The King at the Edge of the World looks fantastic :)

    Happy reading!
    Megan | Ginger Mom & Company

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  3. And I Do Not Forgive You and The Snow Collectors both intrigue me! I am kind of interested in The Mercies, although it sounds a bit intense. Looking forward to your review!

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    1. I hope I get a chance to read it! It’ll depend on if I can find a cheap used copy.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  4. YOU'RE KILLING ME! So many good books this month I'm almost overwhelmed. Why can't I retire and read all the time? Or better yet, why won't someone PAY me to read all the time!

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  5. There are so many amazing books coming out this month.

    <a href="https://jeneasbookobsession.net/cant-wait-wednesday-21-the-book-of-two-ways-by-jodi-picoult/>My CWW</a>

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  6. I didn’t realize Ink in the Blood was young adult. I totally agree that no queens, pirates or assassins is quite unique. �� haha I’ll have to look this one up! You seem 8nto historical fiction a lot nowadays AJ.

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    1. I’ve always been into historical fiction. My favorite books are about the past or the future. I do read a lot of contemporaries, though.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  7. I'm still trying to read the book releases from Feb. 1899... But the Boatman's Daughter caught my eye, you got to watch out for those mad preachers.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. Yeah, there are so many classics I want to read! I am hoping to get through all of the Sherlock Holmes books this year.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  8. The cover for And I Do Not Forgive You is sort of frightening . I hope these are all enjoyable for you

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  9. Almost all of these are new to me. There are so many books being released this month that I can't keep up! I love the cover of Ink in the Blood. I hope you enjoy all of these!

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    1. Thanks! I can’t keep up with the new releases either. I’ll probably read these five years from now.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  10. The Mercies definitely sounds like a good one. That whole first paragraph of the blurb had me like- yup. Plus Norway. And the 1600's too.

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    1. I’m so excited for The Mercies. I hope I get a chance to read it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  11. This is a terrifically varied list — with some gorgeous covers. I am prticularly interested by no True believers — the cover is 🤩

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  12. Ink in the Blood is high on my list.

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  13. You always find the most interesting books I've never heard of! I have to check out The King at the Edge of the World.

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    1. I try really hard to find books that other bloggers aren’t talking about. All books need love, not just the hyped ones.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I’m so excited for that book. I hope I get a chance to read it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  15. Looks like you have a lot of great reads coming up for you in the future, enjoy!

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  16. I desperately need The Mercies in my life. But The Mercies with THAT cover, not the meh US one. The Snow Collectors looks quite good, too. Hope you end up enjoying these!

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  17. I love the cover for The Mercies! Great colour and design.

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  18. There's a copy of the Mercies on its way to me and I am so excited for it and can't wait to see what I will make of it. Been loving your upcoming posts lately!

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  19. Oooo... I hadn't seen most of these! 📚

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