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 nine great books to share, including the return of a YA favorite and a few very scary stories. Read on.
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Three timelines intertwine around the Bridegroom’s Oak, a fabled tree that people say can reveal the love of your life. In 1940s Germany, Sophie and Hanna use the tree for secret messages: one for love, the other for resistance. In 1980s West Germany, American teen Jenny falls for rebellious Lena who is bent on tearing down the Berlin wall. Then, in 2020 New York, Miles and Chloe, stuck in lockdown, uncover a decades-old mystery linked to the Oak and two missing teens.
Under the Same Stars features a family’s search for answers to a generation-spanning mystery. Libba Bray’s new book release proves everything is connected, and we are always in conversation with history.
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The Black Fantastic, edited by andré m. carrington
The Black Fantastic celebrates a new renaissance in Black speculative fiction, featuring award-winning and emerging voices curated by speculative fiction expert andré carrington. These 20 genre-defying stories blend horror, Afrofuturism and surrealism, reclaiming histories and forging bold new visions of Black identity and imaginative freedom.
Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya
Bibliophobia is Sarah Chihaya’s searing yet darkly humorous exploration of the power books have to shape, seduce and unsettle. Through works like The Bluest Eye and A Tale for the Time Being, she examines her Japanese American identity, literary obsessions and struggles with depression. She asks whether we can truly rewrite the stories that define us. As she navigates a breakdown and its aftermath, Chihaya reflects on how books both sustain and challenge us, blurring the line between escape and self-confrontation.
Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours
Sariyah Lee Bryant has a secret gift: she can sense people’s needs. But when her friend Deja disappears after Sariyah helps her, she questions whether her ability is more a curse than a blessing. Determined to find Deja and not let her become another forgotten Black girl, Sariyah and her friends search for answers. Balancing family, friendship, and survival, Sariyah must decide how far she’ll go to protect those she loves.
Perfect for fans of Ace of Spades, Needy Little Things is a fascinating, speculative YA mystery. Channelle Desamours fills the narrative with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
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Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the role of the perfect governess. Enduring the lecherous Mr. Pounds, the cruel Mrs. Pounds and their insufferable children, Winifred masks her violent impulses beneath needlework and moonlit walks. But patience is key: Christmas is coming, and with it, Winifred’s own macabre holiday surprises.
Full of sardonic wit and a shocking conclusion, Victorian Psycho is a chilling tale of an unforgettable new literary psychopath. Virginia Feito’s new book release also has an upcoming adaptation from A24 set to star Margaret Qualley and Thomasin McKenzie.
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Scarlett Vandermeer is focused on two things: getting into med school and recovering from the injury that nearly ended her diving career. As a result, she has no time for — or interest in — relationships. That is until swim captain Lukas Blomqvist enters her life. A disciplined, driven world champion, Lukas seems like her opposite. But when a well-kept secret forces them together, they strike an arrangement: a temporary, no-strings fling. As Olympic pressures mount and emotions deepen, Scarlett finds herself in dangerous waters, and staying away from Lukas might no longer be an option.
Ali Hazelwood’s newest romance dips its toes into the increasingly popular sports romance pool. Deep End follows a competitive diver and an ace swimmer, and it’s steamy, complicated and intense.
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The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune
By the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents, career, and relationship with his older brother. Seeking solace, he retreats to his family’s remote cabin in Roseland, Oregon, only to find it occupied by a mysterious man named Alex and an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. But Artemis isn’t just a child, and powerful forces are closing in to claim her. Nate must decide whether to be consumed by his past or fight for a future he never imagined — one that just might include Alex and Artemis.
TJ Klune’s new book release is a spine-tingling thriller perfect for fans of the spookier side of Stranger Things. The Bones Beneath My Skin leans more into the action than the humor and heart of Klune’s previous work, resulting in a strong science-fiction read for fans and newcomers alike.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
Margot and Mama have always lived by the forest, spending their days in quiet routine, waiting for lost travelers to knock on their door. Mama calls them “strays,” welcoming them in with warmth and wine before picking apart their bodies for the next meal. But when a strikingly beautiful stray named Eden arrives in a snowstorm, Margot begins questioning everything she knows. As desire and survival collide, she must navigate the shifting power between herself, Mama and the stranger who might change everything.
The Lamb is a gothic coming-of-age tale with truly dark undertones. Lucy Rose’s debut explores how women swallow their instincts and anger until they can’t anymore and the dangerous consequences of that suppression.
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Grave Empire by Richard Swan
As the Empire of the Wolf rises in power, dark omens threaten its future. A deadly plague spreads in the north, a war in the south teeters on collapse and two heretic monks bring a chilling prophecy: the spirits of the afterlife have gone silent, signaling the Great Silence and the end of days. Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to a brutal race of mermen, is tasked with uncovering the truth. But with war closing in and arcane forces stirring, she must navigate a collapsing world where survival may be the only victory left.
Set 200 years after the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, Grave Empire is an epic tale of an empire on the verge of an industrial revolution. While the story starts slow, Richard Swan’s new book release quickly gains momentum and expands on an already intriguing world.
You can check out these new book releases at Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. What February 4 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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