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. This week, I have six titles to share with you, including a middle-grade comedy, a family saga and even a Buffy the Vampire Slayer prequel. Read on!
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Flore has a unique ability; she can predict the exact day of someone’s death. So when Flor requests a living wake, her sisters and nieces gather. But has Flor seen her own death or someone else’s? As her sisters, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila, wonder about her motives and potential premonitions, they, too, harbor hidden secrets. In the three days leading up to the wake, the past and present weave together to tell the story of each of the Marte women.
Award-winning YA author Elizabeth Acevedo’s new book release is also her adult fiction debut. Family Lore follows a Dominican-American family through the voices of its women, told with Acevedo’s signature, inimitable voice.
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The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow
12-year-old Al Schneider has two major secrets: her unexplained, near-constant stomach pain and the fact that she likes girls. After a colonoscopy confirms she has Crohn’s disease, her life becomes even more challenging as everyone urges her to discuss her condition, attend a support group and confront her fears and embarrassment. Al must navigate her emotions and open up about her struggles, even if it means discussing uncomfortable topics.
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet is a hilarious and honest book about surviving middle school with a chronic illness. Jake Maia Arlow balances humor with hard topics in a book that’s perfect for kids — and adults — searching for community.
Damned If You Do by Alex Brown
Cordelia’s life has been fairly normal since her abusive father vanished. She’s managing the school play and falling for her best friend, all typical high school things. But everything takes a dark turn when her school guidance counselor, Fred, reveals himself to be a demon and informs her that she unknowingly made a deal with him to make her father disappear. Now, Cordelia must help Fred with a demonic problem to avoid spending eternity in Hell with her father.
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This new book release combines Buffy-style supernatural antics with Filipino folklore in a totally unique way. Damned If You Do is a fast-paced reach with a rich atmosphere, and I can’t wait to check out more from debut author Alex Brown.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Nena, the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, is familiar with the threat of monsters. Something more sinister than the Anglo settlers from the north lurks in the night, something that attacked Nena nine years ago. After the attack, her best friend Néstor fled, thinking her dead. Nena survived, believing Néstor abandoned her, and became a healer to help her father’s people. When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, they are unexpectedly reunited, forced to confront their past and face a terrifying nightmare that threatens everyone’s survival.
Vampires of El Norte is a slow-burn historical horror novel. Isabel Cañas’ depiction of vampires is unique, terrifying and compelling, fitting nicely into the Weird Western genre.
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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
In the spring of 2020, Lara and her daughters return to their family’s orchard in Michigan. While picking cherries in lockdown, the girls beg their mother to share the story of her past romance with actor Peter Duke while in the theater company, Tom Lake. As Lara reflects on her past, her daughters reassess their lives and their relationship with their mother, leading to reflections on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents led before their children were born.
Ann Patchett is a masterful writer, and her new book is no exception. Tom Lake is a poignant and insightful family narrative you won’t want to miss.
The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston
When Tara Maclay starts her senior year in a new town, she’s hoping to just keep her head down and make it out the other side. But when dead students appear in Hellborne, Vermont, she quickly becomes the prime suspect. Maybe worst of all, the girl she has a crush on turns out to be a witch hunter. As she discovers her magical abilities are failing, she must confront her fears, rekindle her magic, and take a leading role to save her new town.
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The Bewitching Hour is Ashley Poston’s second new book of the summer. Best of all, it’s a Buffy prequel focused on everyone’s favorite shy witch, Tara. As a result, there are plenty of Buffy references, but the book can easily be read as a standalone story. Fans and newcomers alike should definitely check this one out.
You can check out these new book releases at Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. What August 1 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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