I'm a couple days late with this post, but better late than never, right? February whizzed by for me, full as it was with a family vacation, preparation for a genealogy class I'm teaching at a conference next weekend, grandbaby sitting, and more. Phew! I did manage to read three bookish books in February, though:

My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows—I've had so much fun listening to the Lady Janies/Marys series on audio. These YA books mix alternate history with fantasy, humor, romance, and adventure. I've enjoyed all the novels.

My Imaginary Mary stars three teenagers: Mary Wollstonecraft (of Frankenstein fame), Ada Byron (Lord Byron's daughter, who became a well-known scientist, better known by her married name, Ada Lovelace), and the automaton the two bring to life through a combination of science and magic. As the three have adventures together, they interact with several literary giants, including Percy Bysse Shelley and Lord Byron. 

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows—Even though this is the second to last book I've read in the series, My Lady Jane is actually the debut installment. It features another trio of teens: Lady Jane Grey; her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley; and her cousin, Edward Tudor, king of England. The novel is mostly about the three of them working together to keep their thrones secure from usurpers. It's bookish for one reason: the authors' Lady Jane Grey is a bibliophile of the highest order. Although she's breathtakingly beautiful, no one knows it because her face is always hidden in a book! It's another fun entry in an always entertaining series.

Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead—Books aren't the main theme of this dark Southern thriller, but they are the thing that brings the two main characters together. Ruth Cornier, now a librarian, has always used reading as an escape from her strict, smothering life as the daughter of a fanatical preacher. The town bad boy, with whom she falls in love, devours poetry as a way to infuse beauty into his ugly life. They bond over their shared affinity for literature, quoting lines of verse to each other and spending long hours reading together. 

Out of these three books, I enjoyed My Lady Jane the most. My Imaginary Mary was also enjoyable. While I liked aspects of Midnight is the Darkest Hour, others rubbed me the wrong way. The ending made me want to throw the book against the wall in frustration! Gah. It made the whole novel feel dissatisfying.

I've actually already read my first bookish book for this month. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson was my book club's pick for February. It's a cute, clean rom com set in a Nashville publishing house. I read the majority of the novel in February, but I didn't finish it until March 1, so I'm counting it for this month. I'll talk about it more in April.

End of Story by A.J. Finn—Finn's newest thriller has a premise that seems to be popular lately (think The Last One Left by Riley Sager, The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor, and The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James): a dying person who became famous for being accused (but not convicted) of a crime invites a writer to their home in order to finally reveal what really happened. In this case, it's a reclusive mystery novelist whose first wife and youngest child mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago, never to be heard from again. Nicky Hunter, a creative writing teacher, is summoned to the home of Sebastian Trapp to write down his memories for posterity. She doesn't believe he killed his wife and son, but the more he unburdens himself, the more unsure she becomes...

The novel is off to a bit of a slow start, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless. 

This one, which comes out on March 19, looks promising:

The Lost Book of Bonn by Brianna Labuskes—Emmy Clarke is an American librarian who is sent by the Library of Congress to Germany in 1946. Her job is to help the Monuments Men find and catalog books that were stolen by the Nazis. An intriguing message scrawled inside one volume sends Emmy on a quest to return the precious tome to its rightful owner. As she researches the book's provenance, she discovers a remarkable story about a brave group of Jewish women in Berlin who risked their lives to stand up to the Nazis. 

Even though I've already got enough books on my shelves, Kindle, and TBR lists to last me several lifetimes, I just can't seem to stop myself from salivating over all the shiny up-and-comers 2024 has to offer. I look forward to today's TTT topic—Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024—and its counterpart for the second half of the year, all year long. If I were smart, I would skip these topics altogether and save myself from getting excited about a bunch of new books when I already have SOOOO many "old" ones to tackle. But alas, I'm a glutton for punishment. Bring on the new releases! 

Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love. While you're there, link up your list of anticipated new releases so you can get in on the TTT fun. It's a good time, I promise.

To no one's surprise, my list is a mix of mysteries/thrillers and historical fiction, but I did throw in a non-fiction book and a MG fantasy just to keep you guessing :) Here's my list, in order of publication date:

1. Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh (available TODAY)—Violet Jessop is famous for surviving not just the sinking of the Titanic and the Britannic, but also a collision at sea while working on the Olympic. This historical novel tells Violet's story as well as that of a fictional orphan turned secret agent in France during World War II. When the lives of the two women intersect, they form a connection that will change them both forever. 

2. The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green (available January 23)—Green's newest centers around two women from different walks of life who join a motley collection of performers on a USO musical tour performing for American troops stationed in North Africa during World War II. The group is already having difficulty finding unity when the tour manager announces he will recommend just one of them for a lucrative job in Hollywood. As they move closer to the front lines, it's not just their jobs and their friendships that are in jeopardy, but also their very lives.

3. End of Story by A.J. Finn (available February 20)—I've been waiting for a new book from Finn to come out ever since I read—and loved—his debut, The Woman in the Window. His sophomore novel concerns a reclusive mystery writer who invites his longtime pen pal, Nicky Hunter, to come to his mansion in order to write his life story. Nicky's soon embroiled in the novelist's own mystery, the disappearance of his first wife and their son, twenty years earlier. Did the author get away with the perfect crime? When a corpse turns up at the mansion, it soon becomes apparent that the writer's past has come calling.

4. The Hunter by Tana French (available March 5)—I always look forward to a new mystery/thriller from this Irish author. This is the second installment in her Cal Hooper series, which features a retired American cop who is now living in a rural Irish village. When the estranged father of a local teen returns to the village unexpectedly, with an English millionaire in tow no less, Cal's suspicions are immediately raised. He feels protective of the kid and will do whatever he can to keep him safe. Just what will that entail in this sketchy situation?

5. The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans (available March 12)—Did you know that the dead bodies of up to 150,000 Americans go unclaimed every year? What happens to them when there are no friends or family members to make sure they're properly taken care of? In this work of narrative nonfiction, two sociologists tackle that very intriguing question, uncovering a hidden world of abandoned dead people and the strangers who work to ensure that their remains are treated with honor and care. 

6. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (available March 12)—I've already mentioned this historical novel because (1) Ryan is one of my favorite hist fic authors and (2) I love a bookish book. As is clear from its title, the story concerns three women from different backgrounds who come together to save the London library that has become their refuge during World War II.

7. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda (available April 9)—Hazel Sharp is the daughter of Mirror Lake's longtime detective. When he dies, leaving Hazel his home, she reluctantly returns to her hometown. A drought is drying up the lake, uncovering dark secrets from the town's past, including clues to the truth behind the disappearance of Hazel's mother.

8. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (available April 9)—When infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy decides to shun his life of crime, he discovers that's a lot easier said than done. Especially when he meets singer Jane Touissant, who asks him to protect her while she goes on a singing tour across America. Butch fears his reputation will put the songbird and her young son at risk and he's not wrong...

9. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (available April 23)—Lee is one of my favorite YA writers, so I always get excited when she publishes a new book. This one revolves around Lulu Wong, a starlet of the silver screen and the darling of the Chinatown community where she grew up. When three sisters, childhood friends of Lulu, discover her dead body, they vow to find her killer, knowing the local police won't lift a finger to help a Chinese woman, famous or not. With the fate of Chinatown hanging in the balance, it's up to the Chow sisters to solve the case and save their beloved home.

10. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (available May 7)—Without her grandpa around to liven things up, 11-year-old Dally is left to stew in her grief and boredom. When she intercepts a sealed envelope that her grandpa intended to give her, she discovers a map that leads to an incredible library full of books that act as portals to all kinds of different adventures. As she delves into this fantastical world, she is faced with a host of questions and mysteries about her family, its history, and about her own identity.

There you go, ten new releases I'm looking forward to reading. Do any of these appeal to you as well? Which 2024 books are you most excited about? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After a horrific accident, Anna Fox becomes a prisoner in her own home, separated from the two people she loves most.  Crippled by agoraphobia, the 38-year-old can't even step outside her Harlem brownstone without being crushed under the weight of her own panic, fear, and anxiety.  To protect herself, she stays inside 24/7, relying on a delivery service for groceries and old mystery movies for company.  A child psychologist, Anna finds some purpose on the Internet, where she counsels other agoraphobics in an online forum between games of chess.  Although she chats with her husband and daughter daily, she's still heartbroken and lonely.  

When Hitchcock films fail to keep her entertained, Anna indulges in her favorite hobby—watching her neighbors through her camera's telephoto lens.  Although she's ashamed of her tawdry voyeurism, that doesn't stop her from looking in on private arguments, affairs, and other activities.  It's harmless; after all, "Watching is like nature photography: you don't interfere with the wildlife" (4).  And Anna doesn't.  Until she witnesses what looks like a brutal murder-in-the-making.  The victim has become an unlikely friend.  In spite of what it will cost her, Anna must intervene.  When the police come calling, however, they see no evidence of a crime.  With her obsessive viewing of old mystery movies, her habit of mixing prescription pills with alcohol, and the obvious damage to her own sanity, Anna makes for a very unreliable witness.  Try as she might, she can't make the cops understand that she's not crazy, that she's sure of what she saw.  

As Anna tries to make sense of everything, she has to ask herself some terrifying questions—Has she finally lost her mind?  Is she seeing things, assuming things, that aren't real?  Will she ever live a normal life again?  Or has she forfeited forever the right to live the life she wants with the people she loves?  If she really saw a murder taking place, what can she—a woman so broken she can't even leave her home—do about it?  Convinced she must do something, Anna starts digging.  With the safe world she's made for herself crumbling around her, she will risk everything—her home-sanctuary, her last bits of sanity, her very life—to solve a mystery that may only exist inside her own warped and tortured mind.

The book world has been all abuzz about The Woman in the Window, a Hitchcockian debut novel by A.J. Finn.  Rightly so.  With its Rear Window-ish setup, its complex characters, and its tense, suspenseful plot line, the book offers plenty to tickle a thriller lover's fancy.  While the story is less of a white-knuckled, adrenaline-fueled roller coaster ride and more of a slow-burning, carefully-crafted psychological mind twister, it's still a page turner of the highest order.  Even though I saw some of the plot surprises coming, the Big Reveal walloped me good.  All in all, then, I loved this skillful, satisfying debut and will absolutely be looking forward to more from Mr. Finn.  

(Readalikes:  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Woman in the Window from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

I'm a day late with my favorite weekly meme, but that's because I forgot yesterday was Tuesday.  This Christmas-on-a-Monday thing has been throwing me off for weeks! I honestly didn't realize yesterday was Tuesday until about 5:15 p.m. when my phone reminded me of my daughter's gymnastics class, which takes place every week on—you guessed it—Tuesday.  I'm back on track now, but I didn't want to miss Top Ten Tuesday altogether, so I'm doing it anyway, even if it is a Wednesday.  It is Wednesday, right??

In case you don't know, Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish.  After January 16, the meme will be coming at us from That Artsy Reader Girl instead.  In the meantime, you can participate by clicking over to The Broke and the Bookish, reading a few TTT rules, making your own list, and hopping around to other blogs to check out theirs.  It's a great way to find new blogs, new books, and new friends.

Predictably, this week's prompt is:  Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2018.  Here we go:

1.  The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson—Available January 2.  Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner just published a fabulous list of 2018 adult fiction titles she's looking forward to reading.  This dystopian novel was among them and I agree, it sounds compelling.  Billed as The Hunger Games meets Station Eleven, it's sure to be a book I'll love.

2.  The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton—Available (in the U.S.) October 18.  I enjoy Sharon Bolton's crime novels, so I'm excited for her newest.  It's about a woman whose career is made when she apprehends a coffin-maker accused of burying people alive.  After the man's death, much to her horror, events of the past start repeating themselves.  Did she convict the wrong killer?

3.  The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton—Available February 20.  I've been looking forward to this one ever since I first heard about it.  It takes place in an alternate (futuristic?) New Orleans where everyone is born grey and needs the help of a Belle to be made beautiful.  Camellia wants to be the queen's favorite Belle, but fulfilling her dream will not come without a price ...

4.  Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur—Available January 8.  This novel concerns a woman whose estranged mother goes missing after a tropical storm wreaks havoc in Vermont.  It's about her search for her mother and is supposed to be an atmospheric story about coming home.  I'm in!

5.  The Job of the Wasp by Colin Winnette—Available January 9.  I love me a good Gothic ghost story, so this one sounds right up my alley.  It's about a child who arrives at an isolated school for orphaned boys only to find that there's something very strange about his new home ...  

6.  The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn—Available January 2.  This Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who thinks she's witnessed a murder sounds very intriguing.

7.  Force of Nature by Jane Harper—Available February 6.  I enjoyed reading The Dry, an Australian murder mystery, earlier this year.  This is the next book in the series, which I'm definitely looking forward to reading.

8.  Dread Nation by Justina Ireland—Available April 3.  I'm not huge into zombie novels, but I don't mind them if they're done well.  This one, about a zombie invasion that derails the Civil War and changes American history forever, sounds interesting.

9.  The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu—Available February 13.  This novel revolves around a group of women who come together again years after suffering through a traumatic event while at summer camp together.  Sounds good!

10.  Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates—Available January 9.  Similarly, this novel is about three people whose lives are forever changed by a violent BB attack during childhood who come together as adults because the past, of course, can never stay in the past. 

So, what do you think?  Do we have any books in common this week?  What are you looking forward to reading in 2018?  I'd truly like to know.  If you leave a comment on this post, I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!