August 27, 2024

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Fall? (September-November)


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 LifeJen at That's What I'm Talking AboutKaren at For What It's WorthLinda 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 FALL? (SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER)

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 most of these in eARC form though! See below). Anyhow, I wanted to give a bit of exposure to all the fall books that caught my eye, so here's my list (complete with pub dates)...

SEPTEMBER

3rd. Cheryl Isaacs: The Unfinished (YA)


When small-town athlete Avery’s morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook’s Falls have long forgotten.
The black water has been waiting. Watching. Hungry for the souls it needs to survive. 
Avery can smell the water, see it flooding everywhere; she thinks she's losing her mind. And as the black water haunts Avery—taking a new form each time—people in town begin to go missing.
Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanien’kรฉha:ka (Mohawk) relatives, she has never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.
When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanien’kรฉha:ka and save the town but lose her friend forever…or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

Note: I got an ARC of this one. Not a favourite, but a good one for the younger crowd. Mini review coming next month.

 ***

24th. Margot Harrison: The Midnight Club (Adult)


It’s been twenty-five years since The Midnight Club last convened. A tight-knit group of college friends bonded by late nights at the campus literary magazine, they’re also bonded by something darker: the death of their brilliant friend Jennet junior year. But now, decades later, a mysterious invitation has pulled them back to the pine-shrouded Vermont town where it all began.
As the estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion, they soon learn that their host has an ulterior motive: she wants them to uncover the truth about the night Jennet died, and she’s provided them with an extraordinary method—a secret substance that helps them not only remember but relive the past.
But each one of the friends has something to hide. And the more they question each other, the deeper they dive into their own memories, the more they understand that nothing they thought they knew about their college years, and that fateful night, is true.
Twisty, nostalgic, and emotionally thrilling, The Midnight Club explores that innate desire to revisit our first loves, our biggest mistakes, and the gulf between who we are and who we hoped we’d be.

Note: AWESOME premise! I'm bummed about having been denied an ARC, but I plan to buy the book because, c'mon ๐Ÿ˜ƒ.

***

24th. Daniel Church: The Ravening (Adult)


Jenna's life has always been a fight. From the traumatic and mysterious loss of her mother on a dark woodland road when she was fifteen, to the abusive and controlling boyfriend she's recently escaped, she has learned that trust hurts you in the end.
Now Jenna's found what she hopes is happiness with her new girlfriend, Holly. But the world is full of darkness - some of it ancient, some of it closer to home... Evil, and those who serve it, will not let Jenna go.
The Ravening is a gripping, claustrophobic horror novel that sets a timeless nightmare against one woman and her belief in herself, and the possibility that somewhere, somehow, there is love in the world.

Note: Another ARC I got...an engrossing read. Review to come near pub date.

***

OCTOBER

1st. Sophia Ajram: Coup de Grรขce (Adult)


Vicken has a plan: throw himself into the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal and end it all for good, believing it to be the only way out for him after a lifetime of depression and pain. But, stepping off the subway, he finds himself in an endless, looping station.
Determined to find a way out again, he starts to explore the rooms and corridors ahead of him. But no matter how many claustrophobic hallways or vast cathedral-esque rooms he passes through, the exit is nowhere in sight.
The more he explores his strange new prison, the more he becomes convinced that he hasn’t been trapped there accidentally, and amongst the shadows and concrete, he comes to realise that he almost certainly is not alone.
A terrifying psychological nightmare from a powerful new voice in horror.

Note: Yet another ARC I got, but alas, I DNF it. Too gross for me. It's having good reviews though, so maybe check those? My DNF-mini one will be up next month.

***

7th. Mira Gonzalez: The Darkness Behind the Door (NA)


When a phantom moose nearly runs Theo's car off an icy Alaskan road, Theo succumbs to curiosity, following the moose's trail to a door hidden amongst the trees. Despite the threat of becoming the latest victim in a string of mysterious disappearances, Theo crosses the threshold. To his horror, the door vanishes, stranding him in a monster-infested alternate reality. Looming adult responsibilities are forgotten as Theo must fight just to survive.
Inside the surreal dimension behind the door, Theo finds allies who hold the encroaching darkness at bay: a sword-wielding man named Archer with a strange case of amnesia, and a shapeshifting dragon named Zephyr. A sinister phenomenon threatens to consume Theo as he grapples with his sense of identity and growing feelings for Archer; the longer he remains in this realm, the more his own memories slip away.
With darkness closing in and his time running out, Theo must unravel the secrets his companions harbor and confront his own inner demons if he hopes to find a way back to the world he knows before all is lost to the shadows.

Note: OK...a bit of romance here...but I love portal fantasy, and I like to support indie authors...I requested this one on NG, and I was promptly given access to it (in a matter of minutes!).

***

22nd. Richard Chizmar: Memorials (NA)


1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another.
But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can’t help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents…or is something terrifying at work here?

Note: What's with all these books set in the '80s lately? Capitalising on the Stranger Things phenomenon? Regardless, I love this premise! And it has Christopher Pike vibes, which is a plus. My EW request is still in limbo though...

***

NOVEMBER

5th. Charlene Thomas: Streetlight People (YA)


For most, Streetlight is a dot on the map you pass on your way to somewhere else. But if you live there, you’re either a Have-Not, like Kady, or a Have-Lot like her boyfriend, Nik, who also happens to be a member of the exclusive social club, The IV Boys.
Known for their powerful families and the coveted ball they host for a selective guest list, The IV Boys have always refused to accept Kady regardless of how much Nik loves her. All the Boys except for Aaron, who didn’t grow up in Streetlight and is one of the few who knows that life—real life—exists outside of it. But his stepmom has the kind of wealth and power even IV Boys can’t resist.
With Nik at college, Aaron stands by Kady’s side. But all Kady really wants is Nik, and when a chance encounter on Halloween hands her the power to twist and hold time, she doesn’t hesitate. Now she can keep Nik close for as long as she wants. 
While Kady tries to relive her best moments with Nik, the IV Boys have her in their sights. A rumor’s spreading that Kady and Aaron are much more than friends—and not even twisting time is enough to defend against the power that the Boys were born with.
The more Kady changes the clock, the more dizzying reality becomes, until she stumbles upon a truth darker than anything she could have imagined. Streetlight is filled with monsters—and maybe she’s always been one, too.

Note: This one was Read Now on NG, so I snatched a copy. Yep, there's romance, but...you know me and time travel, right? Plus the whole premise is exciting...

***

19th. Melissa Caruso: The Last Hour Between Worlds (Adult)


Kembral Thorne has a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at the year-turning ball. But when guests start dropping dead, she can’t help sniffing out trouble—she’s a Hound, after all. Especially when her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is also on the prowl.
Everyone knows you shouldn’t get involved with Echo games. Let alone one involving ancient Echo lords who can turn layers of reality into a gameboard with human lives for pieces. But as the ballroom grows stranger and more otherworldly with each strike of the hour, it’s clearly too late.
Kem knows the rules: One Echo down is no big deal. Stay alert for trouble. 
Four Echoes down, there are things with eyes in their teeth, and walls that drip blood. Four is the limit. 
As the party plunges through increasingly deadly realities, the rules can’t help Kem anymore. She’ll have to rely on her wits—and Rika—to unravel the most dangerous game of the century before it unleashes catastrophe on their world.

Note: Book 1 in The Echo Archives series. I got an ARC of this one, and even if there are enemies-to lovers undertones, the premise is such a hoot! How could I stay away? ๐Ÿคค

***

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 months of September and October:

  • September 3rd: How do you keep up with your favourite blogs?
  • September 10th: What day in your life would you like to relive?
  • September 17th: Do you have a go-to comfort book/read?
  • September 24th: Do you have a series you've been meaning to finish but haven't? Which one(s) and why?
  • October 1st: What were your favorite surprise books of the year? 
  • October 8th: Tell us about your favorite fall comfort foods
  • October 15th: Who is your ideal book boyfriend/girlfriend?
  • October 22nd: What are the top three items on your bucket list?
  • October 29th: How do you like to be scared? Horror or thriller?

I've already scheduled my post for September 10th, after which I won't be back for the meme until November (that's why I've listed two months' worth of posts)since 1) I'm still tangled in my pile of ARCs (I guess you noticed ๐Ÿ˜…) and 2) I'm planning a new hiatus for October...maybe I'll do a recap post in November where I'll reply to the last batch of questions in brief, but don't hold your breath...

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

18 comments:

  1. Some great looking books here and I have to say, we have quite a few similar reading tastes. I hope to devour all things vampire for September but that still leaves October for spooky reads and some of these will definitely fit the bill. I can't help it, every time I see "Streetlight People" I break into the Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'." I'm such an 80s brat!

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    1. Yep, I saw you decided to commit to vamps next month! I hope some of these books will end up on your TBR list and we can exchange opinions about them. LOL. to think I don't know that Journey song...they were never huge in Italy.

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  2. Very interesting ones and all new to me!

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    1. Shedding light on obscure books is my mission ๐Ÿ˜‚.

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  3. Some dark stuff up there. Hope you love them all!

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    1. I sort of live in the dark, when it comes to books ๐Ÿ˜‚.

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  4. Looks like you have some already read/DNF'd. I have a few that I received for ARC review, but others, I'll have to wait and see. I will probably buy a couple, or use audible credits (already paid for!)

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    1. Do we have time to read non-ARCs these days? ๐Ÿค” ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

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  5. These synopsis sounds interesting but these books aren't for me though my tolerance level for dark and horror is not that great. The midnight club premise sounds like something I had heard many times before but that didn't mean it's bad- depends on how it was written. I hope you get to enjoy all of these, at least, the ones you didn't read.

    Have a lovely day.

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    1. I know, I'm a horror freak...what can I do ๐Ÿ˜….

      Estranged-friends-reunite-to-solve-an-old-mystery is a classic, but personally, I don't know of any other book where they're given the means to actually relive the past! Anyhow, it's a trope I love, so I'm eager to read this story ๐Ÿ™‚.

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  6. All new books to me. I have over 100 ebooks on my Kindle so I'm going going down the list and trying to get through some of them.

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    1. I seem to remember you had the same amount months ago...we're so good at replacing read books, aren't we? ๐Ÿ˜…

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  7. Fall is so over crowded with new releases, lol. There are so many books I want to read, including The Midnight Club and Memorials. Hey if you live in the US I have two copies of Memories, let me know and I'll send you one!

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    1. Fall is a nightmare LOL. It must be the Halloween effect...

      I thought you knew...I'm in Italy! Thank you for your offer though!

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  8. I did see that but you never know๐Ÿ˜

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    1. By the state of things, I'll never see the US if not in pictures...๐Ÿ˜… ๐Ÿ˜ญ

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  9. Ah, so many that look so good here! I look forward to your thoughts on quite a few of these- some because I also read them and am curious (The Ravening!) and some because I am on the fence about and it should help (Memorials) and some I am also hoping to get to soon (Coup de Grace and The Last Hour Between Worlds) and I am excited to see what you thought- though very sad that Coup de Grace was a DNF! I hope you get a chance to read all of these, though luckily it sounds like you do have most of them!

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    1. I don't know when I'll get to Memorials, since I have ARCs to prioritise, but I definitely want to read it! I still have to read Last Hour - I have a couple more books in my queue before I get to it. I love that we often have books in common - then again, you read the world and then some ๐Ÿ˜‚.

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