Waiting on Wednesday: Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

 

Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #5
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date:  August 20, 2024

Synopsis:  

To save both her town and the woman who loves her against all odds, a witch haunted by loss must reckon with her turbulent past, in the next magical romance in the Witches of Thistle Grove series by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.

Even in a family of chaotic necromancers, Daria “Dasha” Avramov has always been an outlier. An event planner at the Arcane Emporium occult megastore, Dasha is also a devil eater: a rare necromantic witch with a natural affinity for banishing demons and traversing the veil, the filmy boundary between our world and the next.

Still grieving the loss of both beloved parents years ago, and plagued by a dangerous obsession with what lies beyond the other side of the veil, Dasha is both fiery and guarded, an expert at dodging commitment. Her one real regret is a devastating breakup with the wise, empathetic, and deeply sensual Ivy Thorn, her Honeycake Orchards event-planning counterpart and probably the love of Dasha’s life. But Dasha has managed to break Ivy’s heart not once, but twice, so things are more than a little tense between the two of them.

When they are forced to work together to plan the Cavalcade—a month-long festival celebrating Thistle Grove’s ceremonial founding, with dazzling spectacles held by the town’s four magical families—Dasha hopes that the third time might be the charm, while Ivy staunchly refuses to let herself be hurt again. As they confront the fault lines and passion lingering between them, Dasha and Ivy must also stand against an otherworldly threat unlike anything Thistle Grove has faced before.

Why I Am Waiting:

Book 5 in the Witches of Thistle Grove series... and I am just invested now... :)

Waiting on Wednesday: A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

 

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
Publisher: Bloom Books
Publication Date:  September 26, 2023

Synopsis:  

The World Will Burn

Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never guessed a chance encounter with Hades, God of the Underworld, would change her life forever—but he did.

A fight for humanity and battles between gods, it's a world Persephone never thought she would see. To end the chaos, she must draw upon her darkness and embrace who she's become—Goddess, Wife, Queen of the Underworld.

Once, Persephone made bargains to save those she loves, now she will go to war for them.

Why I Am Waiting:

I have really enjoyed this romance series and I am a sucker for retellings... especially Hades and Persephone retellings. I am super excited for this installment.

Waiting on Wednesday: In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

 

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date:  August 22, 2023

Synopsis:  

A witch struggling to regain what she has lost casts a forbidden spell—only to discover much more than she expected, in this enchanting new rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.

Six months after having been hit by a power surge that nearly obliterated her memory, Delilah Harlow is still picking up the pieces. Her once diamond-sharp mind has become shaky and unreliable, and bristly, self-sufficient Delilah is forced to rely on friends, family, and her raven familiar for help. In an effort to reclaim her wits and former independence, she casts a dangerous blood spell meant to harness power with healing capacities.

While the spell does restore clarity, it also unexpectedly turns Delilah into an irresistible beacon for the kind of malevolent supernatural creatures that have never before ventured into Thistle Grove. One night—just as things are about to go terribly sideways with a rogue succubus—a mysterious stranger appears in the nick of time to save Delilah's soul.

Gorgeous, sultry, and as dangerous as the knives she carries, Catriona Quinn is a hunter of monsters—and half-human, half-fae herself, she is the kind of sly and morally gray creature Delilah would normally find horrifying. Though Delilah balks at the idea of a partnership, she has no choice but to roll the dice on their collaboration. As the two delve deeper into the power that underlies Thistle Grove, they uncover not only the town's hidden history but also a risky attraction that could upend Delilah's entire life.

Why I Am Waiting:

This little town and all its magic is such a mood and I love it. I have really enjoyed all the books in this series. They all follow different couples but in the same small magical witchy town and I am here for it.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  August 23, 2023

Synopsis:  

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.  
 
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
 
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
 
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

Why I Am Waiting:

I love the games and puzzles that the Hawthorne's play and love another chance to be in this world. Very excited for this one.

Waiting on Wednesday: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

 

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkeley
Publication Date:  June 13, 2023

Synopsis:  

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

Why I Am Waiting:

These romance books have really been hitting the mark for me and so I am super excited for another STEMinist book from Ali Hazelwood. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

 

 

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

Publisher: Park Row
Publication Date:  March 21, 2023

Synopsis:  

"Sarah Penner brings history to vivid life in this atmospheric and evocative whodunnit steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion." —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid

From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about truth, illusion and the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.

May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium…

1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Why I Am Waiting:

I really enjoyed The Last Apothecary, and this one sounds like a fun mystery!

Waiting on Wednesday: VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

 

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date:  February 7, 2023

Synopsis:  

Lucky St. James, a Métis millennial living with her cantankerous but loving grandmother Stella, is barely hanging on when she discovers she will be evicted from their tiny Toronto apartment. Then, one night, something strange and irresistible calls out to Lucky. Burrowing through a wall, she finds a silver spoon etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word SALEM, humming with otherworldly energy.

Hundreds of miles away in Salem, Myrna Good has been looking for Lucky. Myrna works for VenCo, a front company fueled by vast resources of dark money.

Lucky is familiar with the magic of her indigenous ancestors, but she has no idea that the spoon links her to VenCo’s network of witches throughout North America. Generations of witches have been waiting for centuries for the seven spoons to come together, igniting a new era, and restoring women to their rightful power.

But as reckoning approaches, a very powerful adversary is stalking their every move. He’s Jay Christos, a roguish and deadly witch-hunter as old as witchcraft itself.

To find the last spoon, Lucky and Stella embark on a rollicking and dangerous road trip to the darkly magical city of New Orleans, where the final showdown will determine whether VenCo will usher in a new beginning…or remain underground forever.

Why I Am Waiting:

I have seen this book on a few Anticipated Reads lists for 2023 and I love a witchy feel and magical realism is some of my favorite to read.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

 

No cover at this time!

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

The Atlas #3
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date:  January 9, 2024😭

Synopsis:  

coming soon ?

Why I Am Waiting:

The lead time on books ...wooo... I really hope to grab this one when it comes out NEXT YEAR and remember everything that happened in the first two books... we will see! I enjoyed the other two and the cast of characters is fun to follow. 

Waiting On Wednesday: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Various

 

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Various Authors
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Publication Date:  September 13, 2022

Synopsis:  

A brand-new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Mystery’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors.

This collection of a dozen original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.

Naomi Alderman

Leigh Bardugo

Alyssa Cole

Lucy Foley

Elly Griffiths

Natalie Haynes

Jean Kwok

Val McDermid

Karen M. McManus

Dreda Say Mitchell

Kate Mosse

Ruth Ware

Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Agatha Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.

Why I Am Waiting:

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple ... new short stories.. new great authors writing her in their style... YESSSS 😁😁

Waiting on Wednesday: Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

 

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend By Alys Arden, Illustrated by Jacquelin De Leon
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  July 26, 2022

Synopsis:  

There's more to the mobsters, mystics, and mermaids at the last stop on the D/F/Q trains: Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

Zatanna's not your typical New Yorker. She walks her giant rabbit on a leather leash down the boardwalk, lives in a colossal architectural wonder known as the Golden Elephant, had her first kiss in the Haunted Hell Gate ride--and wouldn't have it any other way.

But the time for having fun in Luna Park comes to an end when a mystic's quest for a powerful jewel unravels everything Zatanna thought she knew about herself and her beloved neighborhood. Mysteries and magic surround her as she reveals the truth about her family's legacy, and confronts the illusion that has been cast over her entire life.

From the bewitching mind behind The Casquette Girls, Alys Arden, and with enchanting artwork by Jacquelin de Leon, comes the story of a girl stuck in the middle of a magical rivalry and forced to choose between love, family, and magic without hurting anyone...or worse.

Why I Am Waiting:

You know I love a good graphic novel and I am very interested in Zatanna's story. Magical, creepy, and a bit quirky. (and the colors of this cover are 💜😍💜)

Waiting on Wednesday: Book of Night by Holly Black

 

Book of Night by Holly Black
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date:  May 3, 2022

Synopsis:  

#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus

In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.

Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.

With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.

Why I Am Waiting:

I love Holly Black. When I was young I fell in love with her Modern Faerie Tales series and this one looks great. Black has a way with the dark and sinister that I really enjoy. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date:  May 3, 2022

Synopsis:  

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Why I Am Waiting:

A book about book lovers, rivals, with romance ... by Emily Henry. I'm in. I enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation and could always use a good cozy romance in the mix of all the dark, mysterious fantasies that I love.

Waiting on Wednesday: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

 

Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Synopsis:  

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Why I Am Waiting:

This cover.... swoon! I have read a few V.E. Schwab books and have many on my TBR, this is certainly one of them. YA fantasy with a mystery and a mom's journal... I am so excited to read this one!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman

 

The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman
Publisher: Penguin Press
Publication Date: February 8, 2022

Synopsis:  

The Nineties: a wise and funny reckoning with the decade that gave us slacker/grunge irony about the sin of trying too hard, during the greatest shift in human consciousness of any decade in American history.

It was long ago, but not as long as it seems: The Berlin Wall fell and the Twin Towers collapsed. In between, one presidential election was allegedly decided by Ross Perot while another was plausibly decided by Ralph Nader. In the beginning, almost every name and address was listed in a phone book, and everyone answered their landlines because you didn't know who it was. By the end, exposing someone's address was an act of emotional violence, and nobody picked up their new cell phone if they didn't know who it was. The 90s brought about a revolution in the human condition we're still groping to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job.

Beyond epiphenomena like Cop Killer and Titanic and Zima, there were wholesale shifts in how society was perceived: the rise of the internet, pre-9/11 politics, and the paradoxical belief that nothing was more humiliating than trying too hard. Pop culture accelerated without the aid of a machine that remembered everything, generating an odd comfort in never being certain about anything. On a 90's Thursday night, more people watched any random episode of Seinfeld than the finale of Game of Thrones. But nobody thought that was important; if you missed it, you simply missed it. It was the last era that held to the idea of a true, hegemonic mainstream before it all began to fracture, whether you found a home in it or defined yourself against it.

In The Nineties, Chuck Klosterman makes a home in all of it: the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan. In perhaps no other book ever written would a sentence like, "The video for 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was not more consequential than the reunification of Germany" make complete sense. Chuck Klosterman has written a multi-dimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian. 

Why I Am Waiting:

Many Many moons ago, I read Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and then proceeded to read a bunch of Klosterman's books. I really enjoy them and the commentary and think that since I lived through the 90s ...as a youngin... it might be a fun one to pick up.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Synopsis:  

A stunning new novel that reimagines the unexplained 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie that captivated the world.

"A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It's a particular feeling, the urge to murder. First comes rage, larger than any you've ever imagined. It takes over your body so completely, it's like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. It conveys a strength you never knew you possessed. Your hands, harmless until now, rise up to squeeze another person's life away. There's a joy to it. In retrospect, it's frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet."

So begins The Christie Affair, told from the point of view of Miss Nan O'Dea, a fictional character but based on someone real. In 1925, she infiltrated the wealthy, rarified world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. A world of London townhomes, country houses, shooting parties, and tennis matches. Nan O'Dea became Archie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife. In every way, she became a part of their world--first, both Christies. Then, just Archie.

The question is, why?

And what did it have to do with the mysterious eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing?

The answer takes you back time, to Ireland, to a young girl in love, to a time before The Great War. To a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together--until war and pandemic and shameful secrets tore them apart.

What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage?
What makes someone vengeful enough to hatch a plot years in the making?
What drives someone to murder?

These questions and more are explored in Nina de Gramont's brilliant, unforgettable, lush, and powerful novel. 

Why I Am Waiting:

Some of the first mysteries that I read were Agatha Christie and for years on every beach vacation I would pick up a bunch of them at used bookstores and read them while on the beach. I saw this in a most anticipated Goodreads list and was like YESSSS! I would love to read this! I love Christie's books and think this will be fun. 

Waiting on Wednesday: We Used To Be Friends by Amy Spalding

We Used to be Friends by Amy Spalding
Publisher: Amulet
Publication Date: January 7, 2020

Synopsis:  

 Two best friends grow up—and grow apart—in this innovative contemporary YA novel

Told in dual timelines—half of the chapters moving forward in time and half moving backward—We Used to Be Friends explores the most traumatic breakup of all: that of childhood besties. At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy’s name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they’re no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love with her first girlfriend and having a future that feels wide open. Over the course of senior year, Kat wants nothing more than James to continue to be her steady rock, as James worries that everything she believes about love and her future is a lie when her high-school sweetheart parents announce they’re getting a divorce. Funny, honest, and full of heart, We Used to Be Friends tells of the pains of growing up and growing apart.

Why I Am Waiting:
This seems like a great way to tell a story - it moved forward AND backward in time... I am very intrigued and would love to read this one!