Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to show off intriguing upcoming book releases. Check them out and tell me which new releases you’re excited to read.
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New Books For August 2020
WHY VISIT AMERICA: STORIES BY MATTHEW BAKER
Adult Short Stories
August 4, 2020
The citizens of Plainfield, Texas, have had it
with the broke-down United States. So they vote to secede, rename themselves
America in memory of their former country, and happily set themselves up to
receive tourists from their closest neighbor: America. Couldn't happen? Well,
it might, and so it goes in the thirteen stories in Matthew Baker's brilliantly
illuminating, incisive, and heartbreaking collection Why Visit America.
The book opens with a seemingly traditional story in which the speculative element is extremely minimal—the narrator has a job that doesn't actually exist—a story that wouldn't seem much out of place in a collection of literary realism. From there the stories get progressively stranger: a young man breaks the news to his family that he is going to transition from an analog body to a digital existence. A young woman abducts a child—her own—from a government-run childcare facility. A man returns home after committing a great crime, his sentence being that his memory—his entire life—is wiped clean.
As the book moves from universe to universe, the stories cross between different American genres: from bildungsroman to rom com, western to dystopian, including fantasy, horror, erotica, and a noir detective mystery. Read together, these parallel-universe stories create a composite portrait of the true nature of the United States and a Through the Looking-Glass reflection of who we are as a country.
The book opens with a seemingly traditional story in which the speculative element is extremely minimal—the narrator has a job that doesn't actually exist—a story that wouldn't seem much out of place in a collection of literary realism. From there the stories get progressively stranger: a young man breaks the news to his family that he is going to transition from an analog body to a digital existence. A young woman abducts a child—her own—from a government-run childcare facility. A man returns home after committing a great crime, his sentence being that his memory—his entire life—is wiped clean.
As the book moves from universe to universe, the stories cross between different American genres: from bildungsroman to rom com, western to dystopian, including fantasy, horror, erotica, and a noir detective mystery. Read together, these parallel-universe stories create a composite portrait of the true nature of the United States and a Through the Looking-Glass reflection of who we are as a country.
Why I’m excited: I like that this collection has a variety
of genres. I don’t think I’ve seen that before. Sometimes when I read
collections, the stories blur together in my brain because they’re too similar.
This one sounds unique. I want to see how the author handles the different
stories.
THEY WISH THEY WERE US BY JESSICA GOODMAN
Young Adult Mystery / Thriller
August 4, 2020
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the
expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of
Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years
ago, nothing is as it seems.
Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player—a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player—a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
Why I’m excited: Dark academia! This book has been compared
to The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I love that novel! I’m cautiously optimistic
that They Wish They Were Us lives up to
the comparison.
DEATH
IN HER HANDS BY
OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
Adult Literary Fiction / Mystery
August 11, 2020
(International. It’s already out in the US.)
While on her normal daily walk with her dog in
the forest, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully
pinned to the ground with a frame of stones. "Her name was Magda. Nobody
will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body." Our
narrator is deeply shaken; she has no idea what to make of this. She is new to
area, having moved her from her longtime home after the death of her husband,
and she knows very few people. And she's a little shaky even on her best days.
Her brooding about this note quickly grows into a full-blown obsession, and she
begins to devote herself to exploring the possibilities of who this woman was
and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real
world, and with mounting excitement and dread, the fog of mystery starts to
form into a concrete and menacing shape. But as we follow her investigation,
strange dissonances start to accrue, and our faith in her grip on reality weakens,
until finally, just as she seems be facing some of the darkness in her own
past, we are forced to face the prospect that there is either a more innocent
explanation for all this or a much more sinister one—one that strikes closer to
home.
Why I’m excited: Well, definitely not the
clunky writing in the synopsis. I am super-interested in the
mystery and in the age of the protagonist. I love Elizabeth
is Missing and Three
Things About Elsie. Both of
those star elderly characters with memory problems who are trying to solve
mysteries. I like my narrators unreliable.
SIA MARTINEZ AND THE MOONLIT
BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING BY
RAQUEL VASQUEZ GILLILAND
Young Adult Science Fiction
August 11, 2020
It’s been three years since ICE raids and phone
calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Three years since
Sia Martinez’s mom disappeared. Sia wants to move on, but it’s hard in her tiny
Arizona town where people refer to her mom’s deportation as “an unfortunate
incident.”
Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.
Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car . . . and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.
As Sia races to save her mom from armed quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous.
Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.
Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car . . . and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.
As Sia races to save her mom from armed quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous.
Why I’m excited: Well, that synopsis took a turn for the
weirdly awesome. I was expecting a contemporary, but aliens are excellent too.
Actually, aliens are more than excellent. This is a must-read for sure. I want
to see how the author incorporates sci-fi elements into a real-life setting.
CUT
OFF BY
ADRIANNE FINLAY
Young Adult Science Fiction
August 11, 2020
Each contestant has their own reasons—and their
own secrets—for joining the new virtual reality show CUT/OFF that
places a group of teenagers alone in the wilderness. It’s a simple premise:
whoever lasts the longest without “tapping out” wins a cash prize. Not only
that, new software creates a totally unprecedented television experience,
allowing viewers to touch, see, and live everything along with the contestants.
But what happens when “tapping out” doesn’t work and no one comes to save you?
What happens when the whole world seemingly disappears while you’re stranded in
the wild? Four teenagers must confront their greatest fears, their deepest
secrets, and one another when they discover they are truly cut off from
reality.
Why I’m excited: I’m a reality show junkie. I love Survivor and
all those “don’t die in the wilderness” shows on Discovery Channel. If a book
involves reality TV, I want to read it. This novel is giving me vibes of The
Last One by Alexandra Oliva. I’m crossing my fingers that Cut Off is
faster paced than The Last One.
Which upcoming releases are you excited to read?
Well no wonder you're drooling with anticipation with that pile of beauties stacked up on your August reading pile! I love the sound of Cut Off and Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything, in particular!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is an impressive list you picked. Hope you will enjoy all of them. Happy reading and stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteThey Will They Were Us is on my TBR. I like a YA mystery/thriller every now and then, and Jessica (A Great Read) said it felt very contemporary and that I would probably like it.
ReplyDeleteA lot of new books to me!
ReplyDeleteThey Wish They Were Us sounds like it's going to be a good read!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! I am intrigued by They Wish They Were Us. I am gearing up for reading some thrillers this fall. I hope that you enjoy all of these.
ReplyDeleteAugust looks like a great reading month. I hope you enjoy your books.
ReplyDeleteWait... aliens??? You have quite a variety of books to read! I hope you enjoy every one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by My WoW earlier.
Wow LOTS of good ones coming out, eh? I liked Cut Off a LOT, even though it has mixed reviews. I mean- it had flaws, but I found it so much fun that I kind of brushed them off tbh hah. Why Visit America DOES sound really good, I love the idea of so many genres too! And Sia Martinez sounds awesome, I need to get to that one as well. Hope you enjoy them!
ReplyDeleteOoh these are all new to me. Cut Off looks fun. That first one looks interesting too!
ReplyDeleteThese all look great, I want to read them all!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe Sia Martinez book sounds wonderful! 👽 Thanks for the heads up. 👍✨
ReplyDeleteI'm already planning on reading When They Were Us and now looks like I'm adding Death in Her Hands as well. Both sound awesome. Thanks for sharing some new releases.
ReplyDeleteI am busy whittling down my tbr pile to read new books (but a good friend from elementary school just published his third novel and it came out in late July and I'll look forward to reading it. Billy Beasley, "The Girl in the River.") The first book kind of reminded me of Ecotopia, a novel set in the West (Washington, Oregon and Northern California left the union to form a new country.
ReplyDeleteI am really curious about They Wish They Were Us, and I kind of love the cover. I'll be excited to see some reviews of that one - I want to know what others think!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
A lot of great-looking books are coming out this month! I'm really intrigued by Cut Off.
ReplyDeleteWhy Visit America looks interesting and is new to me! Great picks! Thanks for visiting Lisa Loves Literature's Wednesday post!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this! They Wish They Were Us is definitely going on my list.
ReplyDeleteAnika | chaptersofmay.com
I think out of these, I'm most looking forward to Cut Off.
ReplyDeleteSia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is also on my list, but Cut Off also sounds good. Thanks for linking up! :)
ReplyDeleteTressa @ Wishful Endings
I like the sound of Why Visit America and Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything. Hope you enjoy all of your picks. Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteThey Wish They Were Us and Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything are both on my TBR! I'm really looking forward to reading them. :)
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
Dark Academia indeed! That and Sia Martinez grabbed my attention rightaway! Great picks!
ReplyDeleteThese all sound really good! I especially like the sound of They Wish They Were Us.
ReplyDeleteThe Secret History was indeed very good. For my August picks: I'm looking a bit at two dystopian type novels: one called Migrations and the other one is The New Wilderness. I hope they will be good ... but I don't have copies yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything.
ReplyDeleteHappy readings!
Tânia @MyLovelySecret