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Welcome to the second half of 2023! There are tons of amazing books coming out in the next 6 months. Here's what I'm looking forward to reading.
Note: Some of the release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Don't come for me if they're wrong. I'm trying to keep up!
🍹 Best July - December Book Releases ⛄
The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
Adult Historical Fiction
July 4, 2023
Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows. When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.
Why I'm excited to read it: It sounds like a nefarious version of Downton Abbey. No more sweet and dedicated housekeepers. It's time for vengeance!
Under The Eye Of Power: How Fear Of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy by Colin Dickey
Adult History / Sociology Nonfiction
July 11, 2023
The United States was born in paranoia. From the American Revolution (thought by some to be a conspiracy organized by the French) to the Salem witch trials to the Satanic Panic, the Illuminati, and QAnon, one of the most enduring narratives that defines the United States is simply this: secret groups are conspiring to pervert the will of the people and the rule of law. We'd like to assume these panics exist only at the fringes of society, or are unique features of the internet age. But history tells us, in fact, that they are woven into the fabric of American democracy.
Cultural historian Colin Dickey has built a career studying how our most irrational beliefs reach the mainstream, why, and what they tell us about ourselves. In Under the Eye of Power, Dickey charts the history of America through its paranoias and fears of secret societies, while seeking to explain why so many people—including some of the most powerful people in the country—continue to subscribe to these conspiracy theories. Paradoxically, he finds, belief in the fantastical and conspiratorial can be more soothing than what we fear the most: the chaos and randomness of history, the rising and falling of fortunes in America, and the messiness of democracy. Only in seeing the cycle of this history, Dickey says, can we break it.
Why I'm excited to read it: I'm more cautious than excited. A few years ago, I read the author's other book, Ghostland. The topics he talks about are fascinating, but I don't like how judgmental and condescending he is toward the people he interviews. You can disprove a person's beliefs without being a jerk. That being said, I want to read about conspiracy theories! They're everywhere in American history.
The Revels by Stacey Thomas
Adult Historical Fiction
July 20, 2023
England, 1645.
After his half-brother dies, aspiring playwright Nicholas Pearce is apprenticed to Judge William Percival, an infamous former witch-hunter who is under pressure to resume his old profession.
In a country torn apart by civil war, with escalating tensions between Catholics and Protestants, Royalists and Roundheads, and rumors of witchcraft, Nicholas hides a secret: the dead sing. He hears their secrets, but will he find the courage to speak up to save innocent lives, even if it means putting himself in great danger?
Why I'm excited to read it: I just really like the cover. I'm shallow, okay! The synopsis sounds pretty good too. The 1600s is a fascinating time to read about because of the widespread extreme religious beliefs.
Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan
Adult Horror
July 25, 2023
Francine Thwaite has lived all her fifty-five years in her family’s ancestral home, a rambling Elizabethan manor in England’s Lake District. No other living soul resides there, but Francine isn’t alone. There are ghosts in Thwaite Manor, harmless and familiar. Most beloved is Bree, the mischievous ghost girl who has been Francine’s companion since childhood.
When Francine’s estranged sister, Madeleine, returns to the manor after years away, she brings with her a story that threatens everything Francine has always believed. It is a tale of cruelty and desperation, of terror and unbearable heartache. And as Francine learns more about the darkness in her family’s past—and the role she may have played in it—she realizes that confronting the truth may mean losing what she holds most dear.
Why I'm excited to read it: Ghosts and family secrets! Those are two of my favorite things in horror books. There's so much potential for devastating plot twists.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Adult Literary Fiction
August 1, 2023
Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides she wants a living wake—a party to bring her family and community together to celebrate the long life she's led—her sisters are surprised. Has Flor forseen her own death, or someone else's? Does she have other motives? She refuses to tell her sisters, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila.
But Flor isn't the only person with secrets. Matilde has tried for decades to cover the extent of her husband's infidelity, but she must now confront the true state of her marriage. Pastora is typically the most reserved sister, but Flor's wake motivates this driven woman to solve her sibling's problems. Camila is the youngest sibling, and often the forgotten one, but she's decided she no longer wants to be taken for granted.
And the next generation, cousins Ona and Yadi, face tumult of their own: Yadi is reuniting with her first love, who was imprisoned when they were both still kids; Ona is married for years and attempting to conceive. Ona must decide whether it's worth it to keep trying—to have a child, and the anthropology research that's begun to feel lackluster.
Spanning the three days prior to the wake, Family Lore traces the lives of each of the Marte women, weaving together past and present, Santo Domingo and New York City.
Why I'm excited to read it: Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favorite young adult authors. I wish her books had been around when I was a teenager because her teen characters are ultra relatable. I can't wait to read her adult fiction debut! I know it'll be hard hitting.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Adult Fairytale Retelling
August 15, 2023
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold.
Why I'm excited to read it: I normally say "absolutely not" to fairytale retellings, but I will change my rules for T. Kingfisher. Her books are quick and fun to read. I love her blend of humor, magic, and horror.
A Guest In The House by Emily Carroll
Adult Horror Graphic Novel
August 15, 2023
After many lonely years, Abby’s just gotten married. She met her new husband—a recently widowed dentist—when he arrived in town with his young daughter, seeking a new start. Although it’s strange living in the shadow of her predecessor, Abby does her best to be a good wife and mother. But the more she learns about her new husband’s first wife, the more things don’t add up. And Abby starts to wonder . . . was Sheila’s death really by natural causes? As Abby sinks deeper into confusion, Sheila’s memory seems to become a force all its own, ensnaring Abby in a mystery that leaves her obsessed, fascinated, and desperately in love for the first time in her life.
Why I'm excited to read it: The Rebecca vibes are strong with this one. Emily Carroll wrote Through The Woods, which is one of my favorite graphic novels. Her artwork is memorable. She uses black and white with a few bold colors. It's atmospheric. I love it.
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Adult Horror
August 8, 2023
In a lonely cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood summer companions and the killer that stalked the small New England town. Of the body they found, and the horror of that discovery echoing down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder’s one-time best friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound.
But as Wilder writes, the lines between memory and fiction blur. He fears he’s losing his grip on reality when he finds notes hidden around the cottage written in Sky’s signature green ink.
Why I'm excited to read it: I'm not excited. I'm cautiously optimistic. I read one of the author's other books and was not a fan, but this book sounds amazing! The New England setting and the child characters remind me of Stephen King. I so badly want it to be creepy and twisted!
Learned By Heart by Emma Donoghue
Adult Historical Fiction
August 29, 2023
Drawing on years of investigation and Anne Lister’s five-million-word secret journal, Learned by Heart is the long-buried love story of Eliza Raine, an orphan heiress banished from India to England at age six, and Anne Lister, a brilliant, troublesome tomboy, who meet at the Manor School for young ladies in York in 1805 when they are both fourteen.
Why I'm excited to read it: I'm not the biggest lover of Emma Donoghue's books. They're hit or miss for me. I'm hoping this novel is a hit because Anne Lister is one of my favorite historical humans. She wasn't afraid to go against the rigid gender roles of 1800s England, and she kept extensive diaries that taught us a lot about life in Yorkshire.
The Fragile Threads Of Power by V.E. Schwab
Adult Fantasy
September 26, 2023
Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory—Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.
But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years—and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own—but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.
And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.
Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.
Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together—or unravel it all.
Why I'm excited to read it: Is this book finally coming out? I feel like I've been waiting for years! This is the first book in a companion series to the Shades Of Magic. I love the parallel Londons! I could read about them forever. If you like stories about parallel universes, you need to read Shades Of Magic.
I actually haven't heard of any of these, so thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am interested in Acevedo's adult debut. Her YAs are great
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for The Fragile Threads of Power too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of any of these but they do sound good.
ReplyDeleteNice list! The Revels caught my eye. How are we already in the second half of 2023 so soon?
ReplyDeleteThese are not my usual kind of books but I love your enthusiasm AJ! I hope they'll be all as good as you hope.
ReplyDeleteThe Black Angels by Maria Smilios, the untold true story about a group of Black nurses who helped with the cure for Tuberculosis in Staten Island: Read more about it here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/722957/the-black-angels-by-maria-smilios/
ReplyDeleteSo have you read Anne Lister's diaries? I'm curious to read the Emma Donoghue novel. I've read 2 of her books and they were so-so but perhaps this one will be better.
ReplyDeleteI kind of love that cover of The Revels.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to read Family Lore, Looking Glass Sound, and Thornhedge! But now I am curious about A Guest in the House and Learned by Heart, too! I hope you love these!
ReplyDelete