Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay, The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, & The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella

    

 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.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Beast You Are: Stories by Paul Tremblay
Publication: July 11th, 2023
William Morrow
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The fifteen pieces in this brilliant collection, The Beast You Are, are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart.

In "The Dead Thing," a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents' substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with "the dead thing" inside. He won't show it to her and he won't let the box out of his sight.In "The Last Conversation," a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.

The title novella, "The Beast You Are," is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years.

A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense, The Beast You Are is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today."

I've enjoyed a number of Paul Tremblay's books in the past, so I'm intrigued by a short story collection from him! These sound like they'll be quite a ride. 

The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
Publication: July 25th, 2023
Ace
Hardcover. 368 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood."

I adored Gornichec's The Witch's Heart and have no doubt that this is going to be just as beautifully written. I have been a little burnt out on Norse-related stories lately, but I think this one will hit the spot anyway!

The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella
Publication: July 11th, 2023
Flatiron Books
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"For fans of Shuggie Bain and A Burning, a queer coming-of-age novel set in 1990s India, about a young man who joins a traveling theater troupe

Shagun knows he will never be the kind of son his father demands. After the sudden deaths of his beloved twin sisters, Shagun flees his own guilt, his mother’s grief, and his father’s violent disapproval by enrolling at an all-boys boarding school. But he doesn’t find true belonging until he encounters a traveling theater troupe performing the Hindu myths of his childhood.

Welcomed by the other storytellers, Shagun thrives, easily embodying mortals and gods, men and women, and living on the road, where his father can’t catch him. When Shagun meets Marc, a charming photographer, he seems to have found the love he always longed for, too. But not even Marc can save him from his lingering shame, nor his father’s ever-present threat to send him to a conversion center. As Shagun’s past begins to engulf him once again, he must decide if he is strong enough to face what he fears most, and to boldly claim his own happiness.

Utterly immersive and spellbinding, The Sea Elephants is both dark and beautiful, harrowing and triumphant. An ode to the redemptive joys of art, Shastri Akella’s debut novel is a celebration of hard-won love—of others and for ourselves."

This premise sounds like a wonderful mix of all the things I love. I can't wait to have a chance to read it!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia & The Pallbearer's Club by Paul Tremblay

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.

 

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publication: July 19th, 2022
Del Rey
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. 

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman. 

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. 

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities. 

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. 

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite."

The Island of Dr. Moreau is a favorite classic of mine and I love stories that act as retellings or are inspired by them (The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd and Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam, to name a few), plus it's from the incredible Silvia Moreno-Garcia so I truly cannot wait to read this. I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this one and I'm worried I'm too excited, haha. 

and...

The Pallbearer's Club by Paul Tremblay
Publication: July 5th, 2022
William Morrow & Company
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A cleverly voiced psychological thriller about an unforgettable—and unsettling—friendship, with blood-chilling twists, crackling wit, and a thrumming pulse in its veins, from the nationally bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song. 

What if the coolest girl you've ever met decided to be your friend? 

Art Barbara was so not cool. He was a seventeen-year-old high school loner in the late 1980s who listened to hair metal, had to wear a monstrous back-brace at night for his scoliosis, and started an extracurricular club for volunteer pallbearers at poorly attended funerals. But his new friend thought the Pallbearers Club was cool. And she brought along her Polaroid camera to take pictures of the corpses. 

Okay, that part was a little weird. 

So was her obsessive knowledge of a notorious bit of New England folklore that involved digging up the dead. And there were other strange things—terrifying things—that happened when she was around, usually at night. But she was his friend, so it was okay, right? 

Decades later, Art tries to make sense of it all by writing The Pallbearers Club: A Memoir. But somehow this friend got her hands on the manuscript and, well, she has some issues with it. And now she's making cuts. 

Seamlessly blurring the lines between fiction and memory, the supernatural and the mundane, The Pallbearers Club is an immersive, suspenseful portrait of an unusual and disconcerting relationship."

I always enjoy Tremblay's unique and imaginative voice in his horror and am really looking forward to checking this one out!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Mini-Reviews: Devolution by Max Brooks & The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

Del Rey Books
Publication: June 16th, 2020

Hardcover. 286 pages.

About Devolution:

"As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. 

But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing--and too earth-shattering in its implications--to be forgotten. 

In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. 

Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. 

Yet it is also far more than that. 

Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us--and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. 

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it--and like none you've ever read before."

What I liked: This has a really great premise and setting. I appreciated how much Brooks dove into the lore of Sasquatch and clearly took care in developing his own for this story. Those elements and details were clear and really made the story feel as though it had a good amount of background and intrigue to get the plot going. 

What I didn't like: To be honest, almost everything else. The characters and their actions always felt a bit off and unrealistic and I found it hard to follow along with some of their weird conversations or thought processes. Similarly, the plot progression was jilted and jumped in ways that skipped over what I would consider important plot points, as well as minimized issues that should have been a much bigger deal to the people stranded. There are so many things I didn't like about this book that it's hard to narrow it down. The main perspective we follow of Kate was extremely irritating for me and I had a hard time sticking with her throughout the story. 

Overall, I gave Devolution two stars. I thought about going with one star, but it wasn't some unreadable novel and I don't think it deserves only one, so I've ended up on two. I probably wouldn't recommend this one unless you really love anything to do with Sasquatch/Bigfoot/etc. legends. 

Amazon | IndieBound

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
William Morrow
Publication Date: June 26th, 2018

Hardcover. 272 pages.

About Blood of Wonderland:

"Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road. 

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world." 

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay."

What I liked: The suspense in this book was spot-on. This was an anxiety-inducing book because I constantly felt like I had to keep turning the pages to find out if something horrible was going to happen net or if it would be or if everything was going to fall apart because this book was SO weird and therefore exceptionally unpredictable. You sort of guessed at something, but at the same time it just felt so uncertain because this book didn't make sense in ways. I loved that the horror of it wasn't really what you might expect, and about 50% loves me the ending that is very open. 

What I didn't like: It's actually pretty hard for me to decipher what I didn't like about this book, because there aren't a lot of elements that I actively disliked, but at the same time this book definitely made me feel 50/50 loved it and hated it. An obvious answer would be the fact that you don't really have any idea what is really happening the entire time. You know in the immediate what's happening, but there's very little background to go off of, which is frustrating, but also a key part in the anxiety and horror of it all. The ending is also extremely open, as mentioned, and part of me loved it, but part of me is so irritated that I didn't get any answers. The pacing is also a bit slow at times, which occasionally took away from the suspense. 

Overall, four stars! Although there are things that irritated me, I was fully compelled the entire time and could not put this book down. I also really appreciate how Tremblay managed to create such a batshit (for lack of a better word) premise that shouldn't work at all, yet somehow does? I don't know if I recommend this book, but if you like something weird and open and that will make you want ot throw it across the room multiple times, definitely check it out. If not, I'd possible avoid.

I want to add a content warning for things involving children. I won't say anything specific because of spoilers, but if you are sensitive about children in stories, then just be aware that this book does feature a little girl who has a somewhat prominent role (feel free to email/comment/etc. if you want more specific details before going into this!). 

Amazon | IndieBound

Waiting on Wednesday: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay & The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Publication Date: June 26th, 2018

William Morrow
288 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an inventive twist to the home invasion horror story in a heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense that recalls Stephen King’s Misery, Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood, and Jack Ketchum’s cult hit The Girl Next Door. 

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road. 

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world." 

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay."

This week I thought I'd take a step back from the constant WoW epic fantasy picks and go with some other books I've been really looking forward to! My curiosity is certainly piqued by this concept and I can't wait to find out more. I honestly have no idea what to really expect, but I'm really into the dark tone this synopsis provides.

and...

The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen
Publication Date: July 10th, 2018

Doubleday
304 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"From the acclaimed PEN-Faulkner Award-winning author of The Great Man comes a riveting high-seas adventure that combines Christensen’s signature wit, irony, and humanity to create a striking and unforgettable vision of our times. 

The 1950s vintage ocean liner Queen Isabella is making her final voyage before heading to the scrapyard. For the guests on board, among them Christine Thorne, a former journalist turned Maine farmer, it’s a chance to experience the bygone mid-20th century era of decadent luxury cruising, complete with fine dining, classic highballs, string quartets, and sophisticated jazz. Smoking is allowed but not cell phones–or children, for that matter. The Isabella sets sail from Long Beach, CA into calm seas on a two-week retro cruise to Hawaii and back. 

But this is the second decade of an uncertain new millennium, not the sunny, heedless fifties, and certain disquieting signs of strife and malfunction above and below decks intrude on the festivities. Down in the main galley, Mick Szabo, a battle-weary Hungarian executive sous-chef, watches escalating tensions among the crew. Meanwhile, Miriam Koslow, an elderly Israeli violinist with the Sabra Quartet, becomes increasingly aware of the age-related vulnerabilities of the ship herself and the cynical corners cut by the cruise ship company, Cabaret. 

When a time of crisis begins, Christine, Mick, and Miriam find themselves facing the unknown together in an unexpected and startling test of their characters."

This fascinating and also pretty gripping, so I can't wait to dive in and find out more. I actually really like the cover for it, as well.

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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