Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Summer? (June-August)

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings in order to discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging (and some slightly more personal matters throw in for good measure). After Heidi stopped blogging (apparently for good), five of us took over as hosts while providing new questions. The current team is composed of Berls at Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen at That's What I'm Talking About, Karen at For What It's Worth, Linda at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Roberta at Offbeat YA. This week's question is...

WHICH BOOKS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THIS SUMMER? (JUNE-AUGUST)

I don't know if I'll ever get around to buying all these books or when, since 1) early reviews and excerpts might cause me to change my mind in the future, and 2) given my current situation (see: unemployment status), book money is scarce...(I got more than half of these in eARC form though! See below). Anyhow, I wanted to give a bit of exposure to all the summer books that caught my eye, so here's my list (complete with pub dates)...brace yourself for a SHOWER of new releases!

JUNE

4th. Seanan McGuire: Tidal Creatures (Adult)

All across the world, people look up at the moon and dream of gods. Gods of knowledge and wisdom, gods of tides and longevity. Over time, some of these moon gods incarnated into the human world alongside the other manifest natural concepts. Their job is to cross the sky above the Impossible City―the heart of all creation―to keep it connected to reality.

And someone is killing them.

There are so many of them that it's easy for a few disappearances to slip through the cracks. But they aren't limitless.

In the name of the moon, the lunar divinities must uncover the roots of the plot and thwart the true goal of those behind these attacks―control of the Impossible City itself.

Note: Book 3 in the Alchemical Journeys series. ARC received, read, loved and reviewed. I've ordered a physical copy of course!

 ***

4th. Matteo L. Cerilli: Lockjaw (YA)

Chuck Warren died tragically at the old abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident — there's a monster under the town, and she's determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She'll need the help of her crew — inseparable friends, bound by a childhood pact stronger than diamonds, distance or death — to hunt it down. But she's up against a greater force of evil than she ever could have imagined.

With shifting timeframes and multiple perspectives, Lockjaw is a small-town ghost story, where monsters living and dead haunt the streets, the homes and the minds of the inhabitants. For readers of Wilder Girls and The Haunted, this trans YA horror book by an incredible debut author will grab you and never let you go.

Note: Another ARC I got, read, enjoyed and reviewed!

***

4th. Quinn Connor: The Pecan Children (Adult)

In the struggling town of Clearwater, Arkansas, the annual pecan harvest is a time of both celebration and heartbreak. But even as families are forced to sell their orchards and move away, Lil Clearwater refuses to let go of the land her family has been rooted to for generations. She feels a connection to the earth that goes deeper than memory―which is why she reluctantly accepts her sister Sasha's return to the fold after so long away. It should be a time of joyful reconnection, yet it isn't long before things take a dark turn. There is rot hiding beneath the surface, and hungry eyes that watch from the dark. As phantom fires begin to light up the night and troubling local folklore is revealed to be all too true, the sisters―confronted with the ghosts of their pasts―come to the stark realization that in the kudzu-choked South, nothing is ever as it seems.

Note: Yet another ARC I got...atmospheric, creepy and tender at the same time, all-around inventive, delivering so much more than the blurb promises (then again, the blurb needs to be vague, because there's so much you can spoil while talking about this book that it's like walking through a minefield). Review coming in a few days.

***

4th. Steven Dos Santos: Malicia (YA)

On a stormy Halloween weekend, Ray enlists his best friends Joaquin, Sofia, and Isabella to help him make a documentary of Malicia, the abandoned theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic where his mother and brother died in a mass killing thirteen years ago.

But what should be an easy weekend trip quickly turns into something darker because all four friends have come to Malicia for their own

Ray has come to Malicia to find out the truth of the massacre that destroyed his family. Isabella has come to make art out of Ray’s tragedy for her own personal gain. Sofia has come to support her friends in one last adventure before she goes to med school. Joaquin already knows the truth of the Malicia Massacre and he has come to betray his crush Ray to the evil that made the park possible.

With an impending hurricane and horrors around every corner, they all struggle to face the deadly storm and their own inner demons. But the deadliest evil of all is the ancient malignant presence on the island.

Note: Originally a May book whose release has been postponed. My EW request was promptly declined, and my NG one stayed still in limbo for a long while, until I was approved 18 days before the new pub date...😅

***

11th. Nadi Reed Perez: The Afterlife of Mal Caldera (Adult)

Mal Caldera—former rockstar, retired wild-child and excommunicated black sheep of her Catholic family—is dead. Not that she cares. She only feels bad that her younger sister, Cris, has been left alone with their religious zealot of a mother, picking up the pieces Mal has left behind. While her fellow ghosts party their afterlives away at an abandoned mansion they call the Haunt, Mal is determined to make contact with Cris from beyond the grave.

She manages to enlist the help of reluctant local medium Ren, and together, they concoct a plan to pass on a message to Cris. But the more time they spend together, the more both begin to wonder what might have been if they'd met before Mal died.

Mal knows it's wrong to hold on so tightly to her old life. Bad things happen to ghosts who interfere with the living, and Mal can't help wondering if she's hurting the people she loves by hanging around, haunting their lives. But Mal has always been selfish, and letting go might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do…

Note: Another ARC I got...and was about to start when I was approved for Malicia, whose pub date comes earlier, so I decided to read that one first (though my reviews will be late for both 😅). Anyhow, dead characters and music are two of my favourite things, so this one sounds really exciting! I'll start it after I've finished my review for Malicia.

***

18th. Kyrie McCauley: Bad Graces (YA)

Liv Whitlock knows she doesn’t belong there. But after years of stumbling between foster homes, often due to her own self-destructive tendencies, Liv desperately needs to change the trajectory of her life . . . so she steals her perfect sister’s identity.

Using her sister’s grades and clean record, Liv starts to rewrite her story, winning a prestigious internship on a movie set filming in Alaska. Then executive producer Vincent Bellegarde changes her travel plans. Instead of a commercial flight, Liv finds herself on a luxury yacht alongside pop star Paris Grace, actress sisters Effie and Miri Knight, Olympic gymnast Rosalind Torres, and social media influencer Celia Jones. Liv tries to find common ground with her famous companions, but just as the group starts to bond, a violent storm wrecks their vessel, stranding them on a slip of an island in the North Pacific Ocean.

Among the threats of starvation and exposure, they learn there is a predator lurking in the forest, unlike anything they’ve seen before—until they begin to see it in themselves. Every injury they suffer on the island causes inexplicable changes in their bodies, transforming them bit by inhuman bit. With little hope for rescue and only each other as their final tether to humanity, can the girls endure the ominous forces at work on the island? Or will they lose themselves to their darker natures?

Note: I tried to get an ARC to no avail. Still intrigued and keeping it on my radar (though I heard there's romance...I don't know how prominent).

***

25th. Henry Herz et al.: Wink - Young Adult Tales that Wink at Classic Children's Books * (YA)

Fifteen young adult contemporary fantasy and science fiction tales that wink at classic works of children's literature.

Featuring stories by: James Aquilone, Kendare Blake, Leah Cypess, Stacia Deutsch, David Gerrold, Tara Gilboy, Henry Herz, Nancy Holder, Alethea Kontis, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Wulf Moon, Henry Neff, Alex Shvartsman, Maggie Stiefvater.

* (That's the subtitle the book has been given on GR, though it doesn't appear anywhere on the front cover...).

Note: I requested an ARC of this anthology because it features a Seanan McGuire story...alas, it turned out to be a mixed bag for me (the McGuire story was great though!). Here's my mini review in case you missed it.

***

JULY

2th. Amelinda Bérubé: The Ones Who Come Back Hungry (YA)

After the sudden death of her perfect, popular older sister, Jo and her family feel empty. But days after crying at Audrey's graveside, Jo stumbles on the impossible: Audrey, standing barefoot in the snowy backyard. But Audrey isn't breathing. She's still marred with the evidence of an autopsy. She's decaying. And worst of all, Audrey is hungry, and only human blood can curb her relentless appetite.

Jo knows she can put her family back together; she just has to figure out how to fix Audrey. She hides her sister and sustains her with her own blood, determined to figure out how to keep Audrey with them. When her search takes her to her sister's grieving inner circle of friends, Jo finds herself drawn into their fold―and to Audrey's boyfriend, Sam.

As Jo slips further into her sister's old life, Audrey's hunger and jealousy grow more insatiable. She's not going to sit back and let Jo replace her or, worse, discover the secrets hidden beneath her golden girl facade. As Jo struggles to juggle everything she will be forced to decide which of her loved ones needs her the most ―and who she's willing to sacrifice to save them.

Note: NG request refused, EW one still in limbo. I've read Bérubé before, and this sounds like my kind of horror...not to mention the sibling relationship aspect (...which, OK, is a tad gruesome 😂)! Though that "drawn [...] to Audrey's boyfriend" line makes me nervous...

***

16th. Abigail Miles: The Building That Wasn't (Adult)

When Everly Tertium encounters a strange man in the park claiming to be her grandfather, she is invited to visit a mysterious apartment building. There, she finds herself in a constant state of déjà vu, impossibly certain that she’s already lived through these moments, already been introduced to these people, and already visited all of these rooms and floors. So why does she have no idea what’s happening to her?

The longer she stays in the building, the more Everly becomes convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Something is off, time seems to pass differently, and the people living there seem trapped. Slowly, Everly begins to wonder if she is trapped too. But would she even want to leave, if she could?

Note: Another ARC I got. The premise is to DIE for.

***

16th. Leon Kemp: Trespass Against Us (YA)

Two years ago, Riley visited the abandoned and allegedly haunted religious reform school Dominic House with his boyfriend, Ethan, and his best friends, Colton and Vee.

Ethan never came out. Colton’s leg will never quite heal, Vee is branded as hysterical, and Riley has horrific scars as a reminder of that night.

Now, at eighteen, Riley hasn’t exactly moved on, but he’s kept away from all things paranormal.

Until legendary ghost chaser Jordan Jones shows up with an offer: return to Dominic House with her to film an episode of her Spirit Seekers TV show.

Riley may have vowed never to return, but he has unfinished business at Dominic House. With a reluctant Colton and Vee at his side, Riley is determined to find out what happened to Ethan once and for all.

But as the night wears on, Riley realizes he isn’t just revisiting the most terrifying night of his life— he’s reliving it.

Note: Yet another ARC I got, yet another killer premise!

***

23rd. Cherie Priest: The Drowning House (Adult)

A violent storm washes a mysterious house onto a rural Pacific Northwest beach, stopping the heart of the only woman who knows what it means. Her grandson, Simon Culpepper, vanishes in the aftermath, leaving two of his childhood friends to comb the small, isolated island for answers―but decades have passed since Melissa and Leo were close, if they were ever close at all.

Now they'll have to put aside old rivalries and grudges if they want to find or save the man who brought them together in the first place―and on the way they'll learn a great deal about the sinister house on the beach, the man who built it, and the evil he's bringing back to Marrowstone Island.

Note: Yet another ARC I got! I love the "estranged friends reunion" trope, especially on the backdrop of a mystery regarding another former friend...

***

30th. Josh Winning: Heads Will Roll (Adult)

After sitcom star Willow tweets herself into infamy and stumbles blind-drunk into a swimming pool, her agent ships her off to Camp Castaway. Nestled deep in upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults who are desperate to leave their mistakes behind. No real names, no phones . . . no way to call for help.

Willow’s fellow campers seem okay. Her own favorite actress is even here, making a s’more. And did that jaded writer, Dani, just wink at her? But the peaceful vibe is shattered when one of the campers vanishes and Willow finds a mutilated doll in her room with a threatening message rolled up inside its mouth. Terror grips the group, campers begin to lose their heads—literally—and disturbing past deeds come to light.

Is Willow about to get cancelled all over again, this time for good?

Note: I haven't had the chance to beta-read for Josh since The Shadow Glass, which is fine - he needed a quick feedback for both his horror thrillers, plus I mightn't have been the right person for the job in those cases. I'm a bit bummed about Josh's adult books publisher hating me though 😂 - I haven't had any luck with my requests...I'm going to buy a copy anyway.

***

AUGUST

6th. Codie Crowley: Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch (YA)

Between her careless mom, her cheating ex-boyfriend, and her rotten reputation around town, Annie Lane is used to being left behind. But she’s never been left for dead before—until she wakes up to find her body’s been dumped on a mountain rumored to raise the dead.

Annie can’t remember who killed her, but she’ll stop at nothing to figure it out and make them pay. Because girls like her don’t get justice unless they take it for themselves.

Note: My EW request is still in limbo (and I could only "wish" for the book on NG, so let's forget about it altogether 😅). But I WILL buy a copy. I mean, a dead/undead heroine, and that title? 😂

***

6th. Alex Brown et al.: The House Where Death Lives (YA)

A dance to the death. A girl who’s just as monstrous as H.H. Holmes. A hallway that’s constantly changing―and hungry. All of these stories exist in the same place―within the frame of a particular house that isn’t bound by the laws of time and space.

Following in the footsteps of dark/horror-filled YA anthologies like His Hideous Heart and Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, and Netflix’s groundbreaking adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, this YA speculative fiction anthology explores how the permanence of a home can become a space of transition and change for both the inhabitants and the creatures who haunt them.

Each story in the anthology will focus on a different room in the house and feature unique takes on monsters from a wide array of cultural traditions. Whether it’s a demonic Trickster, a water-loving Rusalka, or a horrifying, baby-imitating Tiyanak, there’s bound to be something sinister lurking in the shadows.

Note: This was put on my radar by Nova Ren Suma, who announced being one of the featured authors. Plus that title and premise? Whoa. The book isn't on EW (yet?), and my NG request is still in limbo (again), but I WILL BUY.

***

13th. Katrina Monroe: Through the Midnight Door (Adult)

The Finch sisters once spent long, hot summers exploring the dozens of abandoned properties littering their dying town―until they found an impossible home with an endless hall of doors…and three keys left waiting for them. Curious, fearless, they stepped inside their chosen rooms, and experienced horrors they never dared speak of again.

Now, years later, youngest sister Claire has been discovered dead in that old, desiccated house. Haunted by their sister's suicide and the memories of a past they've struggled to forget, Meg and Esther find themselves at bitter odds.

As they navigate the tensions of their brittle relationship, they draw unsettling lines between Claire's death, their own haunted memories, and a long-ago loss no one in their family has ever been able to face.

With the house once again pulling them ever closer, Meg and Esther must find the connection between their sister's death and the shadow that has chased them across the years…before the darkness claims them, too.

Note: Another ARC I got, another awesome premise, another sisterly bond!

***

20th. B.C. Johnson: Deadgirl: Gravedust (YA)

(No cover yet - no Goodreads page yet - no synopsis yet).

Note: The last installment in the Deadgirl series, which has stayed with me during all my blogging journey so far...you all know how much I love it. I'm excited for the finale, and sad at the same time (scared too...).

***

20th. Isabel Strychacz: House of Thorns (Adult)

Lia Peartree is haunted—by memories, by her past, by secrets, by the ones she left behind. Five years ago, the Peartrees fled their home—the infamous ancestral Brier Hall—and never looked back. But her oldest sister went missing that night, and there’s been no sign of her since.

In the aftermath, the Peartrees are traumatized and get by however they can. Lia’s remaining sister Ali says yes to any bad idea, and Lia tries so desperately to be the perfect daughter that it’s tearing her apart. But as the five year anniversary of the night they left nears, Lia begins seeing her missing sister everywhere, and memories of Brier Hall won’t leave her alone.

When Ali disappears with no warning except a cryptic phone call—“don’t follow me when I’m gone”—Lia is sure she’s gone back to Brier Hall. Lia must go home one final time and face what haunts her in an effort to find her sisters and uncover the truth of her past.

Note: Yet another EW request that is still in limbo (and again, I could only "wish" for the book on NG, so I don't stand a chance on there 😅). I can never have enough spooky houses, morbid mysteries and troubled but fiercely attached sisters (alive or dead or both 😁).

***

Well, that's it for now. Did you enjoy this post? Would you like to participate in the meme on a regular or semi-regular basis, and get emailed the prompt list? Just head over here and fill in Jen's form! (Of course, you can jump in anytime you like - you are under no obligation to actually do all the posts, or even most of them, just because you signed up, and you can remove yourself from the list at any time). And if you're interested in participating in a more casual manner, or only in commenting, here is the TMST prompt list for the month of June:

• June 4th: What outdoor activities do you like to do in the spring/summer?
• June 11th: Have your reading interests changed over time?
• June 18th: Share some LGBTQ-character books you've recently enjoyed
• June 25th: Mid-year check-in: what books have you loved so far in 2024?

I don't know when I'll be back for the meme, since I'm still tangled in my pile of ARCs (I guess you noticed 😅)...maybe I'll do a recap post later where I'll reply to the last batch of questions in brief, but don't hold your breath...

Now tell me something...which summer books are on your TBR list?