5 upcoming book releases i'm excited about ♣

what's next in the bookish world

Hi readers 💌

Every now and then, I like to check out my Goodreads to-read list and do a bit of cleanup. Sometimes I don't even remember why I added a particular book; other times, I'm like, "Yeah, nope..." But today, let's talk about the books I'm really excited about reading once they come out!

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• Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea. Donlea's one of my fave authors; I've read all his stuff, and while some I've liked more than others, his novels are consistently intriguing, addictive, and super fun to read. This one looks like it's going to be another winner!

Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger. When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, the results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case. Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case her disappearance…

• All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker. Whitaker's novels are truly something else. He's got this knack for creating characters that just stick with you, and he blends drama and mystery in such a fantastic way. I've been hooked on all his books (well, except for that one apocalyptic one), and I can't wait to dive into his latest release.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.
Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another. A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.

• The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven. This crime saga is hands down one of my favorites (or at least up there). I just can't get enough of Tilly and Poe, and the synopsis for this latest installment is surely intriguing. 🤔

Washington Poe has a story to tell. And he needs you to listen. You'll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . . He'll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it. He'll tell you how the man's murder was connected to a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier when a young girl massacred her entire family. And finally, he'll tell you about the mercy chair. And why people would rather kill themselves than talk about it . . . Poe hopes you've been paying attention. Because in this story, nothing is as it seems . . .

• Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. I absolutely adored A Head Full of Ghosts. Honestly, I haven't delved into anything else by this author yet, but being a huge film fanatic, there's no way I'm missing out on this one! It's giving me vibes similar to Night Film… Can't wait!

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick. The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot. The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions — demons of the past be damned. But at what cost? 

• Middle of the Night by Riley Sager. I'll admit, Riley Sager's books tend to stir up some debate, but they're a guilty pleasure of mine. Whether I end up loving them or not, there's something about his writing that just keeps me glued to the pages. His last book was a total hit for me, so I've got high hopes for his next one!

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again. Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle? The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate. The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

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What about you? What upcoming books are you excited about?