New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on April 9

Alex Faccibene

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The covers of three new book releases coming out on April 9: Ghost Station, The Age of Magical Overthinking, and The Hemlock Queen.

There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I’ll help you narrow down the week’s new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. I have nine books to share this week, including a few horror novels and one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. Read on!

Blood City Rollers by V.P. Anderson

Ice skater Mina’s Olympic dreams take a detour when she crashes at her competition and is kidnapped by undead roller-skating kids. Recruited by a team of vampires needing a human player, Mina must master derby skills, navigate supernatural rules, and balance her crush on the team captain to save the league from collapse.

Blood City Rollers is a fun middle-grade graphic novel that balances paranormal hijinks with the drama of growing up. Come for the roller derby vampires, stay for V.P. Anderson’s entertaining story and Tatiana Hill’s vibrant art.

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The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

The cover of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo has a pale hand with a red sleeve and ring holding an ornate gold chain. There is a black scorpion crawling from the sleeve.

In Madrid’s new capital, Luzia Cotado, a servant with a talent for magic, must use her abilities to further her mistress’ social standing. When Luzia’s miracles gain attention, she attracts the notice of Antonio Pérez, a disgraced secretary eager to regain favor with Spain’s king.

As Luzia navigates a realm of seers, alchemists, and dangerous secrets, she faces the ever-present threat of the Inquisition. To survive, she must ally with Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar with secrets that could prove deadly for both of them.

Leigh Bardugo’s new standalone novel is a historical fantasy inspired by her own family. If you appreciate rich historical fantasy with gorgeous descriptions and powerful displays of magic, check out The Familiar.

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Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

Dr. Ophelia Bray, a psychologist specializing in the violent, space-induced condition of ERS, joins a small exploration crew on an abandoned planet. As they uncover secrets about the planet’s past, tensions rise within the crew. When a pilot is found murdered, Ophelia fears a recurrence of the violent ERS outbreaks. With trust scarce and secrets abundant, Ophelia and the crew must collaborate to uncover the truth before history repeats itself, even as they face the possibility of something more sinister lurking in the shadows.

S.A. Barnes’ new book release has all of the signature sci-fi horror she’s known for. Ghost Station is claustrophobic and truly engrossing.

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

Thirteen years after the tragic accident that bound them together, bestselling author Helen Zhang and screenwriter Grant Shepard find each other again. They meet in LA, working on the TV adaptation of Helen’s novels. Sparks fly between them as they navigate their complicated history and conflicting emotions. With secrets unraveling and old wounds resurfacing, they must confront the truth about their past and whether there’s a chance for a future together.

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How to End a Love Story is an enemies-to-lovers romance full of secrets and angst. Yulin Kuang’s debut is a story of two people in an impossible situation that readers won’t be able to put down.

Grey Dog by Elliott Gish

The cover of Grey Dog is orange-red with a black and white image of a creature that has the front half of both a deer and a wolf joined at the middle and facing away from each other.

In 1901, Ada Byrd takes a job as a schoolteacher in the isolated town of Lowry Bridge to escape her past. But strange occurrences, including dying crickets and self-mutilating animals, lead her to believe in the existence of a malevolent force known as the Grey Dog. As Ada grapples with reality, trauma and her own inner demons, she questions the true source of horror—is it a monster, the power of female rage or her own unraveling mind?

Elliot Gish’s new book release is an eerie slow-burn work of horror. Grey Dog is a powerful debut written in the form of a journal, resulting in an atmospheric and unsettling experience.

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The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell

Magical thinking is the idea that internal beliefs can shape external events, offering a coping mechanism in chaotic times. With wit and insight, Montell delves into cognitive biases like the “Halo effect” and the “Sunk Cost Fallacy,” shedding light on how they impact our decisions and perceptions. Despite the overwhelming information age, Montell’s message in The Age of Magical Overthinking is one of hope and empathy, urging forgiveness for our irrational human tendencies and offering a window to quiet the mind amidst the chaos.

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

In 1999 Texas, three generations of Evans women run the town’s funeral parlor, and things are business as usual. That is, until Mina Jean Murphy rises from the dead, signaling the return of the Strigoi vampires. Ducey, Lenore and Grace must confront secrets from their past while battling the resurgence of the undead. As the family grapples with dark revelations, they realize that some secrets are best left buried, even as they prepare to fight against the forces threatening their town.

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Bless Your Heart is a light new book release with Southern charm, horror and a little bit of mystery. Lindy Ryan’s witty dialogue and fun characters keep things from getting too scary, but there are still a few creatures that go bump in the night.

Rangikura by Tayi Tibble

The cover of Rangikura has an illustration of a woman with long dark hair and pink sunglasses. She's holding a pink drink with a decorative orange umbrella, and surrounded by pink and orange butterflies.

Former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo calls Tayi Tibble “one of the most startling and original poets of her generation,” and her second poetry collection easily proves it. Rangikura is a poignant exploration of coming-of-age and the enduring traumas of colonization on Indigenous women. Tibble dives into both personal pain and ancestral wounds, imagining both the end of the world and a new dawn.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

In the aftermath of King August’s death, Prince Bastian and his advisor Lore struggle to reform the kingdom of Dellaire. Opposition comes from all sides, from scheming nobles to attacking kingdoms and Bastian’s own transformation. As Lore grapples with unsettling whispers and her own burgeoning power, she must uncover hidden truths that could alter the fate of their realm. With Bastian’s coronation looming and enemies closing in, Lore races to protect her loved ones and prevent the release of a dark force lurking beneath the city’s catacombs.

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In this sequel to Hannah Whitten’s The Foxglove King, danger waits around every corner. The Hemlock Queen has glittering prose and an angsty plot, leaving off on a huge cliffhanger ahead of the trilogy’s finale.

You can check out these new book releases at Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. What April 9 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR.

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Alex Faccibene

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