Anticipated May 2024 Releases

May brings us yet another month simply overflowing with some amazing new releases and I cannot wait for them! I've been fortunate enough to have already read a couple of these and can happily say that so far they've all been incredible (The Ministry of Time was so fun!). I've compiled my regular monthly list of just some of the many new books coming out next month, so be sure to have a look and let me know which books you're most excited for (and let me know if there are any I've missed!)!

The Sword Unbound (Lands of the Firstborn #2) by Gareth Hanrahan || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Road to Ruin by Hana Lee || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Woodworm by Layla Martinez, Sophie Hughes || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

You Like it Darker by Stephen King || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Evocation by S.T. Gibson || May 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Shanghailanders by Juli Min || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Dare by Natasha Preston || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Vladivostok Circus by Elisa Shua Dusapin || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Exhibit by R.O. Kwon || May 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov || May 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur || May 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated May releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel & One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

     

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
Publication: May 21st, 2024
Redhook
Hardcover. 416 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi.

A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son."

I really loved Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel, Kaikeyi, so I'm really excited to have another release from her to dive into. 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
Publication: May 21st, 2024
Scout Press
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.

But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.

A fast-paced, spellbinding thriller rife with intrigue and characters that feel so true to life, this novel proves yet again that Ruth Ware is the queen of psychological suspense."

This sounds like it'll be a really fun ride and I'm curious to see how Ruth Ware executes this idea. 

Mini-Review: High Vaultage by Chris Sugden & Jen Sugden

High Vaultage by Chris Sugden & Jen Sugden

Gollancz

Publication Date: March 14th, 2024

Hardcover. 400 pages.

About High Vaultage:

"EVEN GREATER LONDON, 1887.

An uninterrupted urban plane encompassing the entire lower half of England and, for complex reasons, only the upper third of the Isle of Wight. The immense Tower casts electricity through the sky, powering the mind-boggling mechanisms of the city. The engineer-army of Isambard Kingdom Brunel swarms across the capital, building, demolishing, and rebuilding whatever they see fit. And at the heart of it all sits the country's first private detective agency.

Archibald Fleet and Clara Entwhistle hoped things would pick up quickly for their new enterprise. No-one is taking them seriously, but their break will come soon. Definitely. Probably.

Meanwhile, police are baffled by a series of impossible bank robberies, their resources absorbed by the case. Which means that when a woman witnesses a kidnapping, Fleet-Entwhistle Private Investigations is the only place she can turn for help. They're more than happy to oblige!

But what's the motive behind the kidnap? As Clara and Fleet investigate, they find more than they could ever have imagined . . ."

High Vaultage is an extraordinary mystery novel set in the tumultuous city of London–Even Greater London, to be exact– and is filled with sharp dialogue, satirical undertones, and an inventive world. I didn't realize that this was going to have nearly as much as humor as it did, as I tend to find those types of novels a bit hit or miss (for instance, I should love Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet, but for some reason I just can't get through it!), but I ended up having a wonderful time with this book and adored the Sugdens' writing. 

What I liked: This was honestly such a delightful read and it took me completely by surprise how much I enjoyed this! I absolutely adored out main protagonists Archibald Fleet and Clara Entwhistle, who together make up Fleet-Entwhistle Private Investigations and thought they worked as such perfect foils for one another, which made them an incredible duo. This book was absolutely overflowing with imagination and creativity and each page had something delightfully odd that I found such enjoyment in discovering, and the world-building and setting of High Vaultage was also incredibly intriguing and creative. I also loved how witty and clever the writing and dialogue was and I found myself genuinely laughing at some things said in this book. The overall mystery at the heart of this story was interesting, though took a bit of a backseat to some of my general enjoyment of just experiencing the world and Fleet and Clara's interactions with people and things throughout. 

What I didn't like: There's not really too much that I particularly didn't like. As mentioned, the mystery took a bit of a backseat to my enjoyment of other elements of the story, so I'd say perhaps I wasn't a gripped by that aspect of the plot as I could have been. I also did find a few things a bit too overcomplicated or drawn out to where I found my attention wavering slightly, but I wouldn't say this was a huge issue. 

Overall, I really did love my time reading High Vaultage and am very much anticipating the sequel because I will read it in a heartbeat. I've given High Vaultage 4.25 stars!

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #27

                    

 Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:

Current Read #27

The only book I'm reading right now that has more than one cover edition to check out is Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, so that is what I'm featuring for this week's Friday Face-Off! Nothing to Envy is a nonfiction book that follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years and really dives into what life was like during this period in North Korea, as well as what we know of the present state (or present at the time this book was written, which was 2009–to me knowledge, there is not an updated version). This book has been translated into so many different languages so there are a lot of different covers to check out–and I didn't even manage to include them all in this post! Let's have a look at some of them. 

2009 US Hardcover | 2011 Chinese | 2023 Arabic

2010 UK Paperback | 2011 Spanish | 2023 Slovak

2015 Persian | 2014 Czech | 2013 German

2011 Icelandic | 2011 Swedish | 2014 Romanian

2017 Polish | 2011 Thai | 2013 Portuguese

My choice(s):

I'm not really sure that I have a "favorite" cover for this book, but I do think the US hardcover really seems to cover the bleakness of the country and the mange challenges the people in these books face. These covers all interpret and convey the messages of what they think of North Korea differently, and I like seeing how different they all are. Which one(s) do you like the most or find the most interesting?

Blog Tour: Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina + Excerpt

Today, I'm thrilled to be a stop on the blog tour for Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina! I read Nick Medina's novel Sisters of the Lost Nation last year and–because of how much I enjoyed it–knew I'd had to check out Indian Burial Ground. This captivating story is full of mystery, intrigue, family, the supernatural, and so much more. Below, you'll find some information about the book, author Nick Medina, and an excerpt from the first chapter to show you why you're going to want to read this book! :) 

 Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy reading!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: INDIAN BURIAL GROUND
Author:  Nick Medina
Pub. Date: April 16th, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384
Find it: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

SYNOPSIS:

"A man lunges in front of a car. An elderly woman silently drowns herself. A corpse sits up in its coffin and speaks. On this reservation, not all is what it seems, in this new spine-chilling mythological horror from the author of Sisters of the Lost Nation.

All Noemi Broussard wanted was a fresh start. With a new boyfriend who actually treats her right and a plan to move from the reservation she grew up on—just like her beloved Uncle Louie before her—things are finally looking up for Noemi. Until the news of her boyfriend’s apparent suicide brings her world crumbling down.

But the facts about Roddy’s death just don’t add up, and Noemi isn’t the only one who suspects that something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands.

After over a decade away, Uncle Louie has returned to the reservation, bringing with him a past full of secrets, horror, and what might be the key to determining Roddy’s true cause of death. Together, Noemi and Louie set out to find answers...but as they get closer to the truth, Noemi begins to wonder whether it might be best for some secrets to remain buried. Born in"

Excerpt:

Noemi

The bathroom door opened just then, and I'm sure we were both glad it did. From within, black leather boots, skinny jeans, a black tank top with a rainbow heart bedazzled across the chest, shiny lips, and puffed-up hair emerged. Mom.

Her eyes widened. Fear momentarily cracked her made-up face, and a scream of terror in response to the strange man standing in our living room almost rang out, transforming instead into a cry of joy at the last second, right when she recognized him. "Louie!" She did a little hop, her boots thumping against the laminate floor. "Don't do that to me!" A second later, she was in her brother's arms.

"Lula," he cried.

We'd gone years without phone calls, video chats, and greeting cards. Sometimes we'd exchange texts on birthdays and holidays, filled with statements like Hope you're well, rather than questions that might encourage conversation.

Mom looked up at him, taking his face in her hands. "You cut off your hair. It's gray." Even though she was three years older than him, Mom's hair has been chocolate cherry my entire life. "Let me turn back time for you." She laughed. "My god, what are you doing here?"

"Pow wow," he said.

"I wish you'd have told me. Everyone's going to be so surprised to see you. But this is perfect!" She clapped her hands. "We're meeting friends at the Blue Gator tonight. You can meet Noemi's boyfriend. My new guy's gonna come by too."

"No he won't," I interjected from the couch. Mom threw a dismissive wave in my direction.

"Say you'll come," Mom said.

"Sure. Yeah." He seemed to reassure himself again. "I'll meet you there after I check in at the hotel."

"Why not stay here? I know it's a little small for-" Mom paused, finally looking past her brother. "Where's Holly? Jill?"

"Can we-?" he started, but was cut off by a trio of stern knocks against the door.

It wasn't Holly or Jill.

"Chief Fisher," Mom and Uncle Louie said in unison the instant I opened the door.

Luke Fisher wasn't chief of the tribal police anymore, but he had been for so long that most of us still called him that. Most days, he still acted like he was on the job.

"Noemi." His hands reached for mine as his eyes gave Mom an acknowledging glance. They lingered a little longer on Louie, but whatever he'd come to say took precedence over the friendly reunion that might have otherwise occurred.

"What is it?" I said. Luke wasn't the type to just drop in for visits. He wasn't the type to just stroke the back of your hand either.

"Let's sit," he said.

I didn't want to.

"It's Roddy," he uttered. "I know how close the two of you are, so I thought I should tell you before-"

"Tell me what?"

His old hands, veins stretching the thin skin, squeezed mine. "He was hit by a car."

"What?" I shrieked. Mom did too.

Luke glanced at the sofa, but I hadn't changed my mind about sitting. "I'm really sorry."

Sorry. I'd never known how much weight a word could hold until Luke uttered it.

"No!" Tears appeared as if a magician had waved a wand in front of my eyes.

"Tribal PD will figure out what happened."

"You're saying . . . ?" Though I heard what he was saying, I couldn't grasp it. Didn't want to.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"How?"

"He was out on Grand Nacre Drive. The driver said he came out of nowhere."

That didn't make sense. I'd texted Roddy a couple hours earlier, confirming our plans for the night. He was going to pick me up at eight. I told Luke as much. "He didn't say anything about driving anywhere else."

"He wasn't driving. He was on foot."

That made even less sense. "It's the height of summer. Roddy hates walking in the heat." There were only two reasons to be along Grand Nacre Drive: to get to the casino or to leave it. "Was he at the casino?" I asked, knowing he had no reason to go there.

Luke's shoulders hitched. "There's a lot to figure out."

I pulled my hands away from his and braced myself against the wall. Reality wasn't yet registering, but I knew what I'd lose if I lost Roddy. Hopes, dreams, second chances. Without him, all I'd have were memories, regret, and forty years in the rearview mirror. Mom told me the years would go fast, back in my twenties when $130k-the amount of my trust fund, thanks to years of per capita payments I couldn't touch until I turned twenty-one-seemed like a million bucks. And Mom was right, the years came and went like sparks. And, like the money, I'd wasted them all.

"When?" I asked Luke.

"About an hour ago."

I looked out the window. The sun was below the horizon. All that remained of its light was a fiery orange band like the ring around a lit cigarette. "It must have been light when the accident happened." Anger rose within me. "Was the driver drunk?"

"Noemi . . ." Luke threw his head back and cupped his brow. I'd never seen him so unsettled. "It might not have been the driver's fault."

"He's blaming Roddy?"

"She's saying . . ." Eyes clenched tight, he slowly exhaled and then, finally looking like the authority he'd always been, as his arms fell to his sides and he gave it to me straight. "The driver said Roddy lunged in front of her vehicle. You've already said yourself that Roddy didn't like to walk and that he hadn't mentioned going anywhere today. There's concern"-his voice softened-"that this could have been suicide."

"What?!" I shrieked again. "No fucking way. He wouldn't. He wouldn't. We had plans. We were gonna get out of here. We were gonna get tattoos!"

"There's a lot to figure out," he repeated.

"What exactly did the driver say about Roddy?" Uncle Louie asked, stepping closer to Luke.

"According to her, he jumped in front of-"

"He wouldn't!" I insisted.

"With the way word travels around here, I might as well tell you everything." Luke exhaled another deep breath. "The driver ran for help. When she returned to Roddy, she saw a coyote standing over his body . . . with blood around its mouth."

My stomach churned. I finally sat. Mom plopped beside me, wrapping me in her arms, while Uncle Louie, paler than before, inexplicably locked the door.

Excerpted from Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina Copyright © 2024 by Nick Medina. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Nick Medina appreciates blues-based music, local folklore, and snowy winters. A member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, he drew on personal and family experiences, along with research into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) epidemic, to inspire his debut novel, Sisters of the Lost Nation. He has degrees in organizational and multicultural communication, and has worked as a college instructor. He also enjoys playing guitar, listening to classic rock, and exploring haunted cemeteries and all sorts of spooky stuff. Learn more online at nickmedina.net.

Author photo by Ashely Suttor, 2022.