It doesn't seem to matter how many hundreds of unread books are loading down my bookshelves, my head still swivels when I see a shiny, new release! I haunt NetGalley and Edelweiss, always on the lookout for my next great read. If you are like me, then today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one you've been looking forward to as well: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026. (As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) Thanks to the websites mentioned above and generous publicists sending me physical ARCs, I've actually already read a lot of my most anticipated new releases for July-December, including:

Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7) - ***1/2

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (July 21) - ****

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (July 21) - ****

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (August 4) - ***

Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4) - ***1/2

The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (September 15) - ***1/2

A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (September 22) - ****

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 29) - *** 1/2

Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6) - ****

The ones I have not been able to get my hot little hands on yet are on my list today. And because I really can't resist them, I have thirteen new releases instead of ten. #TheStruggleIsReal

1. Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Casey (July 16)—In this standalone mystery/thriller, two friends are enjoying a month-long holiday on the Irish coast. One morning, Ruth wakes up, covered in someone else's blood. Maura is nowhere to be seen. Ruth becomes the number one suspect in her friend's murder, but she's also the only witness. What happened to Maura? Does Ruth know more than she's telling?

2. The Unknown by Riley Sager (August 4)—Actress Marin Keane is stunned when she secures a role in what promises to be a blockbuster movie. The gig requires a month of research on location at New Avalon, Vermont, where five women mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago. As Marin and her castmates settle in on the island, they notice weird noises and strange symbols that seem to confirm rumors that something supernatural took the missing women. When the island's occupants are stranded there, things get even more sinister. What is happening on New Avalon? Is someone trying to sabotage the movie or is something even more nefarious at work?

3. A Thousand Little Goodbyes by Lucy Gilmore (August 11)—Gilmore's newest is receiving mixed reviews, but I'll still give it a go. It's about two lifelong friends who decide to finally take the road trip they've been planning for forever. As the journey goes on, it becomes apparent that it's about more than having fun—it's about saying goodbye.

4. My Killer Family Reunion by Dinesh Thiru (August 11)—Jayshree Devi's family reunions are never without drama. She's still shocked, though, when her wealthy Grand Mom has an accident that looks suspiciously like something much more sinister. With the help of her irritating cousins and their hot friend, Jay launches an investigation, one that will unearth long-buried family secrets on the way to finding out who was behind her grandmother's "accident."

5. My Sister is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon (August 18)—For this year's sisters trip, Liv and Mandy Chisolm have booked a rafting excursion through the Grand Canyon. Although they will be traveling with a group of strangers, they're looking forward to bonding with each other while enjoying an incredible adventure. The two get more than they bargained for when one of their number is found dead and another body is discovered in the water. Trapped on a raging river with a killer and a bunch of people they don't know, all of whom seem to be hiding dangerous secrets, Liv and Mandy have to unmask a murderer before it's too late for all of them.

6. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (August 25)—The much-anticipated sequel to Moriarty's well-loved Big Little Lies, this novel is set ten years after the events of the previous book. The moms are back and all of them are dealing with their own challenges and troubles. When the principal of the high school their children attend receives a severed human finger in the mail and a strange man is spotted lurking around campus, the parents are up-in-arms. Confronting this new problem will mean facing secrets from the past, secrets they hoped their children would never have to know. But now? The stakes are too high to keep hiding...  

7. Find Me by Holly Craig (August 25)—Two years ago, Pete went missing in the Tasmanian wilderness after visiting a mysterious commune whose members enact rituals to appease a malevolent presence they say dwells in the mountains. From her deathbed, Pete's mother begged his estranged sisters to work together to find their brother. This is easier said than done as they navigate the mountain, the issues between them, and another perplexing disappearance.

8. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (September 8)—Inspired by a real Irish sea captain, this historical novel tells the story of Grace O'Malley, the proper daughter of an Irish clan chief who defied all the odds and became a famous pirate.

9. Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult (September 15)—After her mother died in the 9/11 tragedy, Molly Fitzgerald developed a fear of disasters. Now the director of the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, she channels her anxiety into saving others in crisis situations. When an unexpected crisis descends on Molly and her husband, their lives turn upside down. Can she save herself from disintegrating under the pressure of her own disaster?

10. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (September 15)—This book is actually #1 in terms of 2026 releases I've been looking forward to. I adored We Solve Murders, so I'm stoked for this sequel. This time, Amy, Rose, and Steve team up to solve the case of a suspicious death at a private villa in the Italian hills. Everybody is hiding something. Whodunit?

11. The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay (October 6)—Book lover Gemma Brown has just moved to a sleepy village in the Cotswolds, where she runs the town's first-ever bookstore. Finding it difficult to fit in, Gemma is thrilled to make friends with the enigmatic local baker. It's not long, though, before she begins to suspect that her new pal is a spy. It's 1950; anything is possible. Or is Gemma's fiction-fueled imagination running amok? Soon, she finds herself embroiled in an international intrigue the likes of which she's never seen outside of a book.

12. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter (October 13)—The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a super fun read. This companion novel (as far as I can tell, it's not a sequel) sounds equally as entertaining. The story revolves around a billionaire's son and the housekeeper's daughter, who have been rivals since childhood. When the former goes missing, leaving only a pool of blood behind, it's up to the latter to prove he's alive—and find the person who desperately wants him dead. Sounds confusing, but entertaining.

13. A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle (October 26)—When a group of classmates gather for a reunion, talk turns to the school bully who tortured all of them with his cruel taunting. As the drinks flow, the victims joke about ways they could get revenge on the guy who made them all so miserable. The next day, the bully is found dead, killed in a way that is suspiciously similar to the hypothetical plans made by the classmates. When a recording of that conversation is given to the police, the group members become suspects. Desperate to clear their names, they scramble to solve the murder they unknowingly planned.

There you go, thirteen books releasing in the second half of 2026 that I want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which up-and-comers 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.

Even though I rarely stick to them, I love making seasonal TBR lists. I also enjoy hopping around to all of your blogs and seeing what you're planning to read next. So, I'm excited for today's prompt: Top Ten Books On My Summer 2026 To-Read List. I actually started doing this topic last week; if you missed Part One of my list, it's here. Today, we'll be moving onto Part Two, which consists mainly of mysteries, many of which are the first installments in a series because, you know, I'm not stuck in the middle of enough series right now! Ha ha.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke—The good folks at St. Martin's Press have kindly sent me ARCs of all the books in the Ruby and Cordelia paranormal mystery series. Since the third installment will be published in October, I figure it's high time I finally start this series. I began reading A New Lease On Death today and I'm enjoying it so far.

The novel is about a recently-deceased woman who is unable, for some reason, to move on to the afterlife. With nothing else to do, she's been hanging out in her old apartment, even though it is now inhabited by a 20-year-old chatterbox who's too perky for her own good. When their congenial across-the-hall neighbor is murdered, the two form an unlikely partnership in order to solve what the police are dismissing as a mugging gone wrong. 

2. Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake—This historical novel centers around Kerry MacGregor, a young woman who's called home from college in New York City to attend to family matters in her Appalachian hometown. Nearby, the Vanderbilts are constructing a palatial mansion called Biltmore House. The acquisition of the MacGregors' land is required to complete the building project. Caught in a collision between wealth and poverty, progress and stagnation, pride and desperation, Kerry must decide whether to sell out or hold tight to what she has in spite of the consequences.

3. Beach Thriller by Jamie Day—Day's books are hit-and-miss for me, but I'm up for reading their newest effort. It's about a novelist beset by writer's block who returns to her family home on a Massachusetts beach on strict instructions from her agent to write a best-selling novel. Haunted by her sister's death, which occurred years ago at the seaside cottage, the writer feels increasingly like she is being watched. Because she is. As the author starts to write about what really happened to her sister, it becomes crystal clear that someone will do anything to stop her from revealing the truth.

4. Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (available August 4, 2026)—Although I've read a bunch of books by Liane Moriarty, I've never explored those by her novelist sisters. Time Travel for Beginners, Jaclyn's newest, seems like a good place to start. It's about a time travel agency in Sydney, Australia, that seems to attract customers among those who need it most. The lives of three very different people are about to converge as they come together at the mysterious Agency...

5. A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong—In Armstrong's newest YA novel, a teenager is mourning the recent loss of her mother. After the death, Lilianna is "rescued" by the wealthy, estranged grandparents she has never met. They pack her off to an exclusive boarding school which hides some sinister secrets behind its glittering facade.  

6. You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen (available July 7, 2026)—This cozy mystery series opener sounds super fun. It stars a green investigative journalist and a award-winning war photographer who are both covering an important wedding in the Pacific Northwest. When a maid goes missing, the unlikely duo find themselves teaming up to investigate a tantalizing mystery involving a lost treasure, a web of lies, and...Sasquatch?

7. The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee—I've been re-reading Lee's engaging YA Victorian mystery series starring 17-year-old secret agent Mary Quinn. In this second installment, Mary disguises herself as a boy in order to go undercover to investigate a mysterious death at the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. 

8. Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman—The first book in the Mrs. Blossom mystery series, this installment introduces the main character, a retired assistant to a private investigator. Having won the lottery, Mrs. Blossom has embarked on a cruise through France. On the flight to France, she meets Allan, the first man to interest her since the passing of her husband. Twenty-four hours later, Allan is dead in Paris, a city he is not supposed to be in. Mrs. Blossom's detecting skills are clearly needed to find out what happened to the unfortunate man.

9. The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (available September 15, 2026)—Although I've been tempted in the past, I've yet to read anything by Currie, who usually writes children's horror novels. I received an e-ARC of her forthcoming book, the first installment in a new middle grade series. It revolves around four besties who become stranded in a book-themed inn during an ice storm. When a guest is murdered on the premises, they must combine their sleuthing skills to figure out whodunit.

10. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie—As soon as I finish this post, I need to start tidying up my messy kitchen. Good thing I've got a new audiobook to start! This book, published in 1993, is the first installment in the long-running Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. In their first outing, the duo investigate a death at a country house party gone wrong. 

There you go, ten more books I'm hoping to read this summer. Have you read any of them? Which titles are you planning to enjoy in the next few months? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those readers who's always looking ahead to what exciting new books are on the publishing horizon. Of course, I love this week's TTT prompt: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in 2026. I've actually already read several of the 2026 titles I had been most looking forward to, but there are always more I want to get my hot little hands on. I'm going to list the ones I've already read first, with links to my reviews on Goodreads, so you can see my thoughts on them if you're interested. Then, I'll list ten more that I still want to read. I'm sure there are hot new up-and-comers that I'm not even aware of, so I'm looking forward to perusing your lists to see what other books I should be watching for. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

2026 Releases I've Already Read:

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James (available January 20, 2026) **** stars

Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane (available January 20, 2026) ** stars

First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (available February 17, 2026) **** stars

Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson (available March 3, 2026) *** stars

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson (available March 17, 2026) **** stars

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (available April 26, 2026) **** stars

When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore (available May 26, 2026) ***1/2 stars

1. Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum (available January 13, 2026)—Historical fiction author Blum pens her first contemporary novel with this bookish murder mystery featuring two novelists whose relationship becomes very sketchy very fast. 

2. This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (available February 3, 2026)—Another bookish read, this one features a new widow who is shocked when she's informed that her late husband left her a birthday gift at their local indie. The present is twelve books, one for each month of the first year without him, to help comfort and guide her through the grieving process. She vlogs about her reading and reading-inspired adventures, finding a global support system that carries her through a difficult year.

3. The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (available February 17, 2026)—New bookish books for the win! Quinn's latest and greatest centers around a young woman who finds refuge from her struggles in the real world in the reading room at the Boston Library. When she discovers a hidden doorway leading to a secret library where lonely souls can literally disappear inside their favorite books, she's dazzled. Then, she's confronted by a frightening enemy who's a danger to everyone the library has sheltered. As she escapes through various books, she must figure out how to defeat this threatening foe.

4. A Kingdom of Shadows by Emily Bain Murphy (available March 3, 2026)—The first book in a new middle grade fantasy series, this novel introduces a trio of young thieves who live in a world of increasing darkness and despair. When a stranger tells them about a lake of light, they embark on a quest across the kingdom to bring light and life back to their dimming world. Naturally, they get more than they bargain for...

5. The Keeper by Tana French (available March 31, 2026)—This is the final book in French's trilogy starring retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper. Now living in a small Irish village, he's become apart of the tight-knit community's fetes and feuds. When a local young woman is found dead in a river, tearing the townspeople in two over ages-old issues, Cal's fiancèe urges him to stay out of the whole mess. Unfortunately for her, his copper instincts and loyalty to his village mean he has to investigate, even if it makes them a target.

6. Last One Out by Jane Harper (available April 14, 2026)—Even though Harper's newest seems to be getting very mixed reviews, I'm excited to read it. The standalone novel is set in a New South Wales mining town that's been left to rot. Ro's son vanished from the ghost town five years ago while working on an oral history of the place. On the anniversary of his disappearance, the distraught mother returns to the abandoned village determined to figure out what happened to her missing child.

7. Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister (available May 5, 2026)—I always look forward to a new McAllister thriller. This one has an intriguing premise: while staying in a remote Texas cabin with her daughter, Simone wakes up one morning to find the young woman missing. In her place is a phone with a ransom message. When Simone responds, she discovers that her daughter's kidnappers don't want money; instead, they want her to do something unthinkable. How far will she go to save her daughter?

8. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (available May 5, 2026)—From the author of The Help comes a new historical novel set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. When the lives of three females—an 11-year-old orphan, a struggling old maid, and a fiery woman with a past—converge, the trio form an unlikely team that will change all of their lives forever.

9. An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (available May 19, 2026)—Armstrong's A Rip Through Time is one of my very favorite historical mystery series. In this fifth installment, our girl Mallory—a modern-day homicide detective trapped in Victorian Scotland—and her employer, undertaker Duncan Gray, are summoned to the home of a wealthy woman. Assuming she has a dead body for them to take care of, they're stunned to find that she actually has a request from the ghost of her dead maid to investigate the maid's murder. Although they're skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, which does indeed present an intriguing mystery.

10. A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (available June 23, 2026)—This historical novel stars Eunice Carter, Manhattan's first Black prosecutor, who becomes assistant DA for the city of New York. Determined to bring down crime boss Lucky Luciano, she decides to catch him through his hand in prostitution. With the help of Polly Adler, owner of a high-class brothel business, she works day and night to bring Lucky to his knees, no matter the consequences to themselves.

There you go, ten 2026 releases I'm looking forward to reading. How about you? Which up-and-coming titles are you dying to get your hands on? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

I've been MIA for a few weeks and I've missed participating in my favorite meme! I'm a little bit late to the party, but, hey, better late than never, right? This week's prompt is: Top Ten Books Guaranteed to End Your Reading Slump. I've read voraciously since I was a kindergartner without ever experiencing a slump, so this topic isn't really relevant to me. Last week's was a Genre Freebie; I'm going to go that route this week instead. Freebies can be tough sometimes, but I decided to highlight a genre I love—historical mysteries—and chat about some of my favorite mystery series set in the past. This list should give you a good idea of the kind of historical mysteries I love. If you've got any suggestions for similar reads, please hit me with your best recs!

Edited to add: I didn't realize until I'd practically finished writing this post that I'd basically already written the same one two years ago. It did seem a *wee* bit familiar. Ha ha. At least I'm consistent?

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong—While on a visit to Edinburgh, a modern-day homicide detective is flung back in time to 1869, where she wakes up in the body of an uneducated chambermaid. As she tries to figure out what happened to her and how to get home, she subtley tries to help her boss—an undertaker who moonlights as a medical examiner—solve murders while keeping her real identity hidden. 

Setting: Victorian Scotland, mostly Edinburgh

Books in series so far: 4

Books I've read: 4

Series opener: A Rip Through Time

2. Myrtle Hardcastle by Elizabeth C. Bunce—With the aid of her governess, a 12-year-old uses her keen observation skills to solve murders and other mysteries in her small English town. 

Setting: Victorian England, 1890s

Books in series so far: 5 

Books I've read: 5

Series opener: Premeditated Myrtle

3. Gilded Newport Mysteries by Alyssa Maxwell—Emma Cross is the poor relative of a Vanderbilt, which gives the 21-year-old gossip columnist access to both Newport's well-heeled and its downtrodden. Trying to prove herself as a serious journalist, she uses her unique social position to investigate crimes among both the upper and lower classes.

Setting: Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., 1890s

Books in series so far: 13

Books I've read: 5

Series opener: Murder at the Breakers

4. Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn—Veronica, a plucky, independent lepidopterist, is pursuing a scientific inquiry when someone has the audacity to try to abduct her. An enigmatic German baron comes to her rescue and puts her under the protection of a gruff and mysterious gentleman. A natural historian, Stoker becomes her partner in cataloging the baron's massive collection of artifacts. The duo soon become known for their skill in sleuthing.

Setting: Victorian England, 1880s

Books in series so far: 10

Books I've read: 6

Series opener: A Curious Beginning

5. Below Stairs Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley—One of the most sought after cooks in London, Kat Holloway accepts a position at the luxurious Mayfair home of a respected, but eccentric family. Odd things are always happening in and around the household, causing Kat to become not just a chef but also an amateur sleuth.

Setting: Victorian London, England

Books in series so far: 8

Books I've read: 3

Series opener: Death Below Stairs

6. Rose Gallagher by Erin Lindsey—Raised in New York City's gritty Five Points neighborhood, Rose Gallagher is content to spend her days in a fine Fifth Avenue brownstone, even if she's just scrubbing its floors and polishing its mirrors. When her kindly employer goes missing, however, she launches her own investigation into his disappearance. As she sticks her nose in where it definitely doesn't belong, she discovers that her workplace and, indeed, the larger world is inhabited by people Gifted with supernatural powers. Her newfound knowledge earns her an elevated place in the household as an assistant to her employer as he and his colleagues sort mysteries, both earthly and otherworldly.

Setting: Gilded Age America, primarily New York City, New York

Books in series so far: 4 (the newest comes out in December)

Books  I've read: 3

Series opener: Death on Millionaires' Row

7. Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer —Just as smart and observant as her older brother, Sherlock, Enola can't stand to miss out on all the fun of solving mysteries so she, too, uses her particular skills to detect and deduce her way to success.

Setting: Victorian England

Books in series so far: 9

Books I've read: 1

8. Kinship by Jess Montgomery—After her husband is killed in the line of duty, Lily Ross takes his place as sheriff of Kinship, Ohio. The widow has her work cut out for her fighting not just sexism, but also the corruption, greed, and crime that define life in the hardscrabble world of 20th Century Appalachia. 

Setting: Ohio, U.S.A., 1920s

Books in series so far: 4

Books I've read: 4

Series opener: The Widows

9. Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters—A wealthy English spinster, our archaeologist heroine loves spending her time in Egypt, where wonders and mysteries always abound.

Setting: Egypt, 1880s-1920s

Books in series: 20

Books I've read: 2 

Series opener: Crocodile on the Sandbank

10. The Agency by Y.S. Lee—In this YA series, 17-year-old Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison guard. Really, the imposter represents a secret school that trains female private investigators. As an "agent," Mary goes undercover to investigate nefarious activity and help solve crimes.

Setting: Victorian London, England

Books in series: 4

Books I've read: 3

Series opener: A Spy in the House

Wow, I somehow didn't realize that my favorite historical mystery series were so similar in setting and time period. I need to branch out a little bit! If you're familiar with these series, you can see that I like my historical mysteries peppered with strong heroines, humor, and clever writing. Which others would you recommend? Which historical mysteries/series are your favorite? I would truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

The majority of the books I read are not set in the here and now, so today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is right up my alley: Top Ten Books Set in Another Time (can be historical, futuristic, alternate timelines, etc.). Since historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, I'm going to stick with that, but to jive a little more on the time theme, I'm going to focus on historical novels I'm looking forward to reading that are coming out in the (near) future. I'll try to highlight titles I haven't mentioned here before.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. The Artist of Blackberry Grange by Paulette Kennedy (coming May 1, 2025)—Set in 1925 in the Ozarks, this novel concerns Sadie Halloran, a grieving young woman in need of a new start. When she learns that her aunt—an artist who lives in a mansion on an Arkansas bluff—is in need of a live-in companion, she jumps at the opportunity. She's soon ensconced in an eerie, decaying house with her dementia-laden aunt who paints terrifying portraits and hints about dark family secrets. Is there any truth behind her aunt's mutterings? Sadie aims to find out...

2. Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong (coming May 20, 2025)—The Rip Through Time historical mystery series is one of my all-time favorites. It's about a homicide detective who is assaulted while visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland. When Mallory awakens, she discovers she's still in the city, but it's now 1869 and she's inhabiting the body of a saucy young housemaid. Her boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, is a physician who moonlights as a medical examiner. As Mallory tries to figure out how to get herself home, she can't help but try to help Dr. Gray solve the cases of violent death that show up in his morgue, even if it means blowing her cover. Eventually, she tells him the truth and is able to aid him more openly.

In Death at a Highland Wedding, the fourth book in the series, Mallory and Duncan travel to the Highlands to attend an acquaintance's nuptials. While exploring the grounds of the groom's ancestral castle, they come across a wildcat caught in one of the groom's traps. The animal's wounds don't match its apparent cause of death, however, which puzzles Mallory and Duncan. When a murder occurs at the wedding, they find themselves investigating a strange and mysterious case.

3. Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes (coming June 24, 2025)—Also set in the Scottish Highlands, this novel is about two mothers traveling the West Highland Way with their sons, 200+ years apart. When Keaka Denney starts having strange visions of a woman from the past who's in dire need of help, it leads to an odd, logic-defying encounter that just might save both women. 

4. Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs (coming July 15, 2025)—Based on a true story, Wiggs' newest concerns a group of young women who are inmates at a Catholic reform school in 1968. They've been brought there for various reasons—fighting, unwed pregnancy, same-sex attraction, protection, etc—and now must figure out how to survive their sentences without going mad. 

That's all the plot I can find for this one. The story sounds interesting but depressing, although the publisher's blurb promises that it's "life-affirming." I hope so! 

5. The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman (coming July 29, 2025)—I don't always love Wiseman's books, but this one sounds too intriguing to miss. It's set in 1930s rural Virginia, against the backdrop of the eugenics movement in the United States which led to the forced sterilization of thousands of people because of their race, lack of education, poverty, disability, etc. Lena Conti, an unwed mother with a 2-year-old daughter, is left alone at Ellis Island when the rest of her family is sent back to Germany. A relative of the family, a widower with young children, agrees to house Lena in exchange for housework and childminding. As she adjusts to her new life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, she realizes that people in this tight-knit community are deathly afraid of the government, which is trying to paint them all as too backward and ignorant to have children and land. When Lena's worst fears are realized and she finds herself torn away from her daughter, she resolves to do anything she has to to get her back. 

6. Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright (coming August 1, 2025)—When something terrible happens, shattering Kathleen McDaniel's hopes for a privileged, peaceful life in New York, she runs as far and as fast as she can. She finds a home on Galveston Island, Texas, where she works at an orphanage helping the nuns care for the children. When her past comes callling at the same time the infamous 1900 hurricane starts brewing, Kathleen must find some way to survive everyting that is coming for her.

7. The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson (coming August 26, 2025)—Prohibition may be in full force, but in the Missouri Ozarks, the Strong family does what it always has—makes moonshine. With their father drowning his grief over their mother's death in his own product, it's up to the three Strong sisters to keep the business running. That's no easy task with Prohibition agents hiding in every holler. When tragedy strikes, the women will have to fight even harder to keep their business and their family together.

8. The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell (coming September 16, 2025)—Romance really isn't my genre, but this love story just sounds like fun. It's about two actors who are starring together in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. There are plenty of emotions zinging back and forth between them...just not the good kind. When an electrical accident transports the sniping co-stars back to the Regency Era, they have to work together to figure out how to get home, preferably without totally screwing up history. Can they do it?

9. The Night We Became Strangers by Lorena Hughes (coming September 30, 2025)—In 1949, eleven years after a radio station dramatization of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells convinced Americans that Martians were invading the planet, an Eucadorian station decided to broadcast their own version. Appalled listeners, terrified of impending alien gas raids, set fire to the radio station building, killing fifteen people. 

This novel tells this tragic true tale through the eyes of two journalists whose families were profoundly affected by what happened at the radio station. Although they don't trust each other, they decide to work together to find the answers both of them are desperately seeking. 

10. The Last Spirits of Manhattan by John A. McDermott (coming October 14, 2025)—Another novel that is based on a true story, this one takes place at a Manhattan house party thrown by Alfred Hitchcock in 1956. The famous movie director is delighted to announce to his celebrity guests that the venue he's chosen for his gala is known to be haunted. When ghostly happenings start occurring, Carolyn Banks (whose aunt owns the home) must confront some long-held family secrets. 

There you are, ten upcoming historical fiction titles that I can't wait to read. Are you a hist fic fan? Which are your favorites? If you're not into the genre, why not? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.