Although we’re already a month into quarter three, there’s still lots of time to get excited about the great books coming out soon (and of course the ones that have just been released)! Here are some of the books on my radar! Which ones have you heard of?
Standalones
The Satisfaction Cafe by Kathy Wang
1st July [Literary]
Joan Liang moves from Taiwan to America only for her married life to implode. To her surprise, she falls in love with an older American man and becomes his fourth wife, mother to his youngest children. As she and her children grow older, she opens the Satisfaction Café, a place where people can visit for a bit of conversation and to be heard and understood.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
15th July [Cozy Fantasy]
Sera Swan lost all her magic and was exiled from the Guild after resurrecting her Great-Aunt and now she helps said Great-Aunt run an inn (somewhat begrudgingly). When she discovers a spell that could help her get a powers back and a man who might be able to unlock the spell’s secrets arrives at the inn, she gets a glimpse of the future she thought she’d lost.
The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan
12th August [Mystery]
Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore, now private investigator, finds her way to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one she grew up in on her latest case, investigating the disappearance of three little girls 10 years ago (and the reappearance of one). Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget.
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma
12th August [Literary Sci-Fi]
In a far-off future ruled by the Qin Empire, every citizen is fitted with a Mindbank, an intracranial device capable of recording and transmitting memories between minds. After the sudden passing of his mother, an unnamed narrator inherits a collection of banned memories from her Mindbank – tales of sumo wrestlers and social activists and armless swimmers and watchmakers, struggling amid the backdrop of Qin’s ascent toward global dominance. Determined to release his mother’s memories to the world before they are destroyed forever, the narrator will risk everything—even his own life.
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén (English Translation)
19th August [Contemporary/Literary; Swedish]
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. When his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking his beloved elkhound Sixten away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him, Bo begins to reflect on his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love.
Moonlight Express by Monisha Rajesh
28th August [Nonfiction, Travel]
The wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world – one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions. From Austria’s Nightjet to Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper and Finland’s Santa Claus Express, Rajesh invites us on a multi-year adventure aboard the world’s most wondrous awe-inspiring trains.
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
2nd September [Literary]
Steph Harper is on the run. When she was six, her mother, Hannah, fled an abusive husband—with Steph and her younger sister, Kayla, in tow—to Cherokee Nation, where she hoped they might finally belong. In response, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA, and ultimately, to go to the moon.
The Summer War by Naomi Novik
16th September [Fantasy]
Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother left home. Furious at him, she lashes out with words suddenly embossed with the power of prophecy and dooms him to a life without love. For years she is unable to reverse the curse until she learns key truths about a centuries-old conflict. Now, she must face the Summerlanders: an immortal race of beings devoted to art and chivalry who hold a grudge against their mortal neighbors. Maybe, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia will be able to both undo the curse and heal a land too long riven by war.
Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei
30th September [Science Fiction, Climate Change Fiction]
In Earth’s not too distant future, seas consume coastal cities, highways disintegrate underwater, and mutant fish lurk in pirate-controlled depths. When Skipper’s eldest sister Nora goes missing after a decade of pursing a cure for the failing crops. The sailor must work with her other sister, Carmen, to venture across the sea to save Nora. As they voyage through a dying world, encountering other travellers along the way, they learn more about their sister’s work and the corporations that want what she discovered.
New Series
The next couple books mark the beginning of some new series.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova (The Arcana Academy #1)
22nd July [Fantasy Romance]
Clara Graysword relies on her illegal magic practice to keep herself afloat, but eventually inking tarot cards as a non-Academy practitioner lands her with a life sentence. The headmaster of the Academy, though, has different plans (which include stealing from the King) and thinks she is the key to making them work. Thus begins Clara’s journey at the Academy, as a new student and the headmaster’s “bride-to-be”.
Love’s A Witch by Tricia O’Malley (The Scottish Charms #1)
26th August [Cosy Fantasy Romance]
Soon-to-be-25-year-old Sloane MacGregor is called back to her hometown by her grandmother in order to break the curse on her bloodline after her magic awakens. Knox Douglas, Briarhaven’s grumpy mayor, has worked tirelessly to make his town a haven for magical folk. The last thing he needs is a cursed MacGregor wreaking havoc. It doesn’t matter he once crushed on her. For the sake of Briarhaven, Sloane has to go.
The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino (Heartsworn Cycle #1)
23rd September [Fantasy]
Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to use. When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation’s war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret. For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke – the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.
Sequels (incl. companion novels)
Finally, we have some sequels (which are most relevant if you’ve read the first book(s) already, but could also put you on to some good series.
Most of these are actually sequels for series I haven’t started or caught up on yet, but I usually own at least one of them and are interested in reading them, so I’m going to include them anyway! Additionally a couple of these are more “companion” novels set in the same world than actually direct sequels. These novels can be read as separate standalones.
Summaries given for books that are direct sequels are given from book 1 to avoid spoilers for people who haven’t started the story.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (The Spellshop #2 – companion)
15th July [Fantasy Romance]
Terlu was lonely and broke the law by creating a magically sentient spider plant. She was then turned into a wooden statue as punishment. One day she wakes up on a nearly-deserted island full of magical greenhouses. When she finds out from the grumpy gardener that the magic sustaining the greenhouses is failing, Terlu know she must help even if it means breaking the law again. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.
Murder at the Black Cat Cafe by Seishi Yokomizo (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #2.5 – companion) (English Translation) – first pub 1947
28th August [Modern classic; Mystery/crime]
In post-war Tokyo, still recovering from the devastating wartime bombing raids, a patrolling policeman passing The Black Cat Café makes a gruesome discovery: the body of a woman, lying in a hastily dug hole, with a dead black cat by her side. The woman’s face is disfigured beyond recognition, and the café’s black cat seems alive and well, so where did the two corpses come from, and why were they buried in the café’s garden
We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida (We’ll Prescribe You A Cat #2) (English Translation) – first pub 2023
4th September [Literary, Magical Realism]
Book 1: We’ll Prescribe You A Cat -> On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few – those who feel genuine emotional pain – can find it. The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for its troubled patients: it prescribes cats as medication. As the clinic’s patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them towards healing, self-discovery and newfound hope.
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross (Letters of Enchantment #0 – companion)
11th September [Fantasy Romance]
Born to the firelit domain of the underworld, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods kill each other for magic, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. Ten years ago, mortal boy Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life – begging the goddess he befriended in dreams for aid. But his prayer went unanswered, forever hardening his heart against the gods. That is until the same goddess comes tumbling through his window, bearing a letter to change both their destinies.
Please note that despite the main series being YA, this companion novel is not.
Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon (The Roots of Chaos #0.5 – companion)
11th September [Fantasy]
Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree. It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind. Marose Vetalda, prisoner of her own father-King, and her betrothed-over-the-mountains, Aubrecht Lievelyn (ruler of Mentendon except in name), intend to usher in a better world. A better world seems impossibly distant to Draconic beast-hunter Estina Melaugo. And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will be the first to fall . . .
Dragon Fires Everywhere by Hazel Beck (Witchlore #4)
23rd September [Fantasy Romance]
Book 1: Small Town, Big Magic -> Emerson Wilde has built the life of a dreams: youngest Chamber of Commerce president in St. Cyprian history, successful indie bookstore owner, a found family made up of her best friends. But then she’s attacked by creatures that shouldn’t exist and kills them with what can only be called magic. St. Cyprian is a haven for witches and she’s one too. And so are all her friends. When Emerson failed a power test years ago, she was stripped of her magical memories. But Emerson will need to learn to control her magic – and deal with her complicated feelings towards childhood friend and local farmer Jacob North – to defeat an enemy hiding in the rivers and shadows of everything she loves.
Question Time
What is your most anticipated release for quarter 3 this year? And if you’ve read any already, which did you enjoy the most?
I think I’m most excited about Arcana Academy and The Second Death of Locke!
Keira x
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