Anticipated April 2024 Releases

 

April is absolutely packed with new releases! I am really excited for so many of these and am fortunate enough to have had a chance to read some already as well, and I have to say it's shaping up to be a strong month for amazing books. Which April releases are you most looking forward to!? (And be sure to let me know if I've missed any that you're looking forward to!)

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina || April 16th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho || April 23rd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Limits by Nell Freudenberger || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvia Cathrall || April 23rd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Vanishing Station by Ana Ellickson || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbons || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Book that Broke the World by Mark Lawrence || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

In Universes by Emet North || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Relics of Ruin by Erin M. Evans || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro || April 16th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu || April 23rd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Sanctuary by Valentina Cano Repetti || April 16th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Geneva Rose || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Real Americans by Rachel Kong || April 9th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Clear by Carys Davies || April 2nd -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Silk: A World History by Aarathi Prasad || April 30th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated April releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton, The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim, & A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

    

 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.

Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton
Publication: April 9th, 2024
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The humans are fighting again. Go figure.

As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human."

I've been fortunate enough to already have listened to an early audiobook copy of this and it was quite a delight. Looking forward to its official release!

The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim
Publication: April 2nd, 2024 (US)
William Morrow
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center—a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me.

In 2011, Eunju Oh opens her door to greet a stranger: a young Korean American woman holding a familiar-looking knife—a knife Eunju hasn’t seen in more than thirty years, and that connects her to a place she’d desperately hoped to leave behind forever.

In South Korea in the 1980s, young Eunju and her mother are homeless on the street. After being captured by the police, they’re sent to live within the walls of a state-sanctioned reformatory center that claims to rehabilitate the nation’s citizens but hides a darker, more violent reality. While Eunju and her mother form a tight-knit community with the other women in the kitchen, two teenage brothers, Sangchul and Youngchul, are compelled to labor in the workshops and make increasingly desperate decisions—and all are forced down a path of survival, the repercussions of which will echo for decades to come.

Inspired by real events, told through alternating timelines and two intimate perspectives, The Stone Home is a deeply affecting story of a mother and daughter’s love and a pair of brothers whose bond is put to an unfathomably difficult test. Capturing a shameful period of history with breathtaking restraint and tenderness, Crystal Hana Kim weaves a lyrical exploration of the legacy of violence and the complicated psychology of power, while showcasing the extraordinary acts of devotion and friendship that can arise in the darkness."

I love historical fiction and think this sounds like it will cover some really interesting historical events and topics that I'm looking forward to learning more about. 

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
Publication: April 25th, 2024
Orbit
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings' disappearances with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance - and what it could mean for life as they know it."

I'm reading this one right now and I'm enjoying it so much! It reminds me of some other delightful epistolary formatted novels I've read and it's been such an enjoyable journey so far. I can't wait to see the final copy since it has such gorgeous artwork!

Review: Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

 

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

Dutton

Publication Date: March 26th, 2024

Hardcover. 400 pages.

About Nuclear War:

"There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Nuclear War: A Scenario examines the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch. It is essential reading, and unlike any other book in its depth and urgency."

Nuclear War is a harrowing nonfiction book that walks readers through what a hypothetical nuclear war scenario could look like. As you might expect, it's not pretty. 

I was immediately drawn into Jacobsen's step by step, minute by minute detailing of what may happen immediately after an ICBM is launched from North Korea and targeted towards the United States. She goes in-depth into each person's role, but the president as Commander in Chief to the Secretary of Defense to those stationed at various military bases and nuclear power plants around the country. Because nuclear war is an international event, she also introduces us to the key players, namely Russia and North Korea, though others are also mentioned, and go in-depth into what we know of their own nuclear abilities, stockpiles, and diplomatic relations. She also goes into plenty of minute by minute detail of what exactly happens when a nuclear bomb is detonated and the science behind how the work, as well as how humans, infrastructure, and plant life in the initial radius are instantly destroyed, while longer term effects such as radiation poisoning continue to wreak havoc long after an initial explosion. 

This books is absolutely packed with information on every page, including an abundance of quotes and interviews with prominent figures involved in areas associated with defense, war, and diplomatic relations. Information is also presented in short chapters that discuss both the present hypothetical situation and also dive deeper into the history of nuclear weapons, the current big players involved in the development of nuclear weapons, and a huge variety of other minutiae associated with nuclear weapons including how ICBMs and SLBMs work. Within these chapters, Jacobsen even adds on small targeted history lessons on topics like the Presidential Football here and there to make sure every aspect is covered. Even if you already know a lot about nuclear weapons and war, I'm sure there's still plenty of extra information to come away with. 

The only real complaint I have for this book is Annie Jacobsen's somewhat melodramatic way of writing. I'll allow that this is a very dramatic topic so it was fitting and definitely helped hammer home the severity of what she's talking about, but it just felt overdone at times. It was almost to the point that it lost intensity though because I just wanted her to move on rather than continue to reiterate the point. An example (and this is even a smaller one): "Which leaves the boomers. The nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. The handmaidens of the apocalypse. The vessels of death. Unlocatable by Russian missiles and therefore unstoppable. Nuclear-armed to the teeth." (It reminded me a bit of why V.E. Schwab's writing starts to get a bit tiresome for me, as she does something very similar with the short sentences, though of course Nuclear War is nonfiction). There's a definitely a sense that Jacobsen is trying to scare people into understanding the reality of nuclear weapons, which isn't something that I have a problem with, but that may leave you–like me–feeling a bit helpless since there's not much that we can do (at least, as an average citizen, I'm not sure what I could do). 

Nuclear War is a terrifying read, and probably the most intense horror book you'll read all year–and it's all based in reality, which makes it even worse. Of course, Jacobsen's scenario is only that, a scenario, but the potential behind it is enough to make anyone feel a bit of a shiver to imagine how easy it would actually be for our world to be destroyed by nuclear weapons in less than 24 hours. This is an anxiety-inducing read, but also a fascinating one, and I guarantee you'll come out of it with a better sense of what's at stake. Overall, I've given Nuclear War four stars!

*I received a copy of Nuclear War in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #26

                   

 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 #26

I've been wanting to read The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi for many, many years now and I've actually started it a couple times over the years, but never finished it because I knew it was one I wanted to really have time to focus on and was never in the mood for it... but I'm finally jumping in and committing to it. 

2009 US Hardcover | 2014 Italian | 2012 Russian

2013 French | 2011 Czech | 2013 Polish

2013 Romanian | 2018 Indonesian | 2012 Chinese

I also couldn't find this one in a larger file size so I apologize for how small this is, but how could I not include this 2010 Serbian edition??

My choice(s):

These are so varied! My favorite is definitely the first US edition cover, which is the one I'm also reading. I think it sets the tone for the novel perfectly and is exactly how I picture the book and feel about it. I also think the Indonesian edition is beautiful, and the French and Czech covers also really grab my eye. The Serbian edition looks absurdly 90s to me, which is funny since it's not from the 90s. Which cover(s) do you like best!?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina, A Short Walk Through the Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke, Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrews

    

 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.

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
Publication: April 16th, 2024
Berkley
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"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 her. 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 something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands.

After more than a decade away, Uncle Louie has returned to the reservation, bringing with him a past full of secrets and 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 question whether it might be best for some secrets to remain buried."

I've enjoyed some of Medina's previous work and I'm excited to check out this new book from him! I have an ARC I'm hoping to get to soon, so I can't wait to get into it. 

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
Publication: April 2nd, 2024 
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi in this dazzlingly epic debut that charts the incredible, adventurous life of one woman as she journeys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving.

Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.

When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been. From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s..."

This just sounds so fun!? This sounds like quite an adventure and I can't wait to check it out. 

Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew
Publication: April 2nd, 2024
Scholastic Press
Hardcover. 368 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Wyatt Westlock has one plan for the farmhouse she's just inherited -- to burn it to the ground. But during her final walkthrough of her childhood home, she makes a shocking discovery in the basement -- Peter, the boy she once considered her best friend, strung up in chains and left for dead.

Unbeknownst to Wyatt, Peter has suffered hundreds of ritualistic deaths on her family's property. Semi-immortal, Peter never remains dead for long, but he can't really live, either. Not while he's bound to the farm, locked in a cycle of grisly deaths and painful rebirths. There's only one way for him to break free. He needs to end the Westlock line.

He needs to kill Wyatt.

With Wyatt's parents gone, the spells protecting the property have begun to unravel, and dark, ancient forces gather in the nearby forest. The only way for Wyatt to repair the wards is to work with Peter -- the one person who knows how to harness her volatile magic. But how can she trust a boy who's sworn an oath to destroy her? When the past turns up to haunt them in the most unexpected way, they are forced to rely on one another to survive, or else tear each other apart."

Well this sounds weird and dark and I'm super intrigued.