Release Week: 8 March 2022
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Release Week: 8 March 2022
Posted on 2022-03-08 at 12:00 by Samuel Montgomery-Blinn
PICKS:
Booth By: Karen Joy Fowler, read by January LaVoy for Penguin -- "In 1822, a secret family moves into a secret cabin some 30 miles northeast of Baltimore, to farm, to hide, and to bear 10 children over the course of the next 16 years. Junius Booth - breadwinner, celebrated Shakespearean actor and master of the house in more ways than one - is at once a mesmerizing talent and a man of terrifying instability. One by one the children arrive, as year by year, the country draws frighteningly closer to the boiling point of secession and civil war. As the tenor of the world shifts, the Booths emerge from their hidden lives to cement their place as one of the country’s leading theatrical families. But behind the curtains of the many stages they have graced, multiple scandals, family triumphs, and criminal disasters begin to take their toll, and the solemn siblings of John Wilkes Booth are left to reckon with the truth behind the destructively specious promise of an early prophecy."
Last Exit By: Max Gladstone, read by Natalie Naudus for Recorded Books -- "American Gods meets The Dark Tower in a dark, contemporary fantasy of the open road, alternate realities, and self-discovery, from a Locus-nominated and Hugo and Nebula Award-winning writer."
Quantum Girl Theory: A Novel By: Erin Kate Ryan, read by Saskia Maarleveld, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, and P.J. Ochlan for Random House -- "Mary Garrett has a gift for finding missing girls, a special kind of clairvoyance she calls “the sight”. Lured by a poster and the promise of a reward, she arrives at a small town in the Jim Crow South to discover that not one but three girls have vanished - two of whom are Black and whose disappearances have gone uninvestigated outside their own community. She sets out to find them."
The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: A Collection of Chinese Science Fiction and Fantasy in Translation from a Visionary Team of Female and Nonbinary Creators edited by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang, read by Katharine Chin for Macmillan -- "From an award-winning team of authors, editors, and translators comes a groundbreaking short story collection that explores the expanse of Chinese science fiction and fantasy."
Finding Tamika By: Erika Alexander, Kevin Hart, Charlamagne Tha God, Ben Arnon, Rebkah Howard, David Person, James T. Green, SBH Productions, and Color Farm Media, read by Erika Alexander for Audible Originals -- "Black girls and women disappear every day, but not without a trace. Join actress and activist Erika Alexander in a neo-noir, true crime drama as she searches for Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old Black woman from Spartanburg, SC who went missing in 2004. Her case became a rallying cry for other missing Black women in America and led to a growing demand to expose a system that ignores missing girls and women of color."
Run, Rose, Run: A Novel By: James Patterson and Dolly Parton, read by Dolly Parton, Kelsea Ballerini, James Fouhey, Kevin T. Collins, Peter Ganim, Luis Moreno, Soneela Nankani, Ronald Peet, Robert Petkoff, Ella Turenne, and Emily Woo Zeller for Little, Brown and Company -- "From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller - a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive."
One for All By: Lillie Lainoff, read by Mara Wilson for Recorded Books -- "One for All is an OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love."
The Ogress and the Orphans By: Kelly Barnhill, read by Suzanne Toren for Workman -- "Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused the people to lose their library, their school, their park, and even their neighborliness. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever children of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town’s problems are. Then one day a child goes missing from the Orphan House. At the Mayor’s suggestion, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The Orphans know this can’t be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen. But how can the Orphans tell the story of the Ogress’ goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbors see the real villain in their midst?"
The Damage Done By: Michael Landweber, read by Anna Caputo, Gary Bennett, Senn Annis, Raymond J. Lee, Cary Hite, J. D. Jackson, Dominique Franceschi-Cybulski, and Zac Aleman for Dreamscape -- "Imagine a world devoid of violence - a world where fists can’t hit, guns don’t kill, and bombs can’t destroy. In this tantalizing novel of possibility, this has - suddenly and inexplicably - become our new reality. The US president must find a new way to wage war. The pope ponders whether the Commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill” is still relevant."
Sam Gunn Jr. By: Ben Bova, read by Stefan Rudnicki for Blackstone -- "The final completed novel by Ben Bova. Intergalactic explorer, venture capitalist, and Casanova Sam Gunn may be gone, but his legacy lives on in his son, Sam Gunn Jr. In his first-ever adventure, Sam Gunn Jr. sets off to fulfill his father’s left-behind mission of interplanetary enterprising. He soon learns his father’s shoes are tough to fill, but he is up for the task. Junior takes a journey through the stars, falling in love with beautiful women and leaving his unique mark everywhere he ventures. Soon, however, this trip through the universe takes a dangerous turn when Junior lands on Saturn and learns about a recent scientific discovery that will change everything, possibly forever."
A Far Wilder Magic By: Allison Saft, read by Jesse Vilinsky for Macmillan Young Listeners -- "When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist. Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist - yet. He's been fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, and his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret. She begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: He must join the hunt with her. Although they make an unlikely team, they soon find themselves drawn to each other. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long."
BACKLIST WATCH:
- Litany of the Long Sun: Book of the Long Sun, Books 1 and 2, and Epiphany of the Long Sun: Book of the Long Sun, Books 3 and 4 By: Gene Wolfe, read by Jason Culp for Audible -- "Litany of the Long Sun contains the full texts of Nightside the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun that together make up the first half of The Book of the Long Sun. The two novels combined in the Epiphany of the Long Sun oomnibus (Caldé of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun) comprise the second half of Gene Wolfe's series The Book of the Long Sun. This great work is set on a huge generation starship in the same future as the classic Book of the New Sun."
SERIES WATCH:
Crowbones: The World of the Others, Book 3 By: Anne Bishop, read by Alexandra Harris for Penguin
Constance Verity Destroys the Universe: Constance Verity, Book 3 By: A. Lee Martinez, read by Cynthia Farrell for Recorded Books
Star Father: Star Mother, Book 2 By: Charlie N. Holmberg, read by Karen Chilton for Brilliance
Nightwatch on the Hinterlands: Arithmancy and Anarchy: The Weep Series, Book 1 By: K. Eason, read by Nicole Poole for Tantor
INDIE WATCH:
Eye of the Wolf: The Lords of Alekka, Book 1 By: A.E. Rayne, read by Kate Reading for Podium -- "A lord forsaken by the gods. A mysterious woman with many secrets. A kingdom on the brink of war...."
Biomancer: Biomancer, Book 1 By: Shemer Kuznits, read by Luke Daniels for Podium -- "John Slater never had any interest in video games. Now he’s got to beat one to save his brother."
The Primal Hunter: A LitRPG Adventure By: Zogarth, read by Travis Baldree for Aethon -- "On just another average day, Jake finds himself in a forest filled with monsters, dangers, and opportunity...."
MOST MISSING:
Hex: Darkland Tales by Jenni Fagan (Polygon) -- "IT’S THE 4TH OF DECEMBER 1591. On this, the last night of her life, in a prison cell several floors below Edinburgh’s High Street, convicted witch Geillis Duncan receives a mysterious visitor – Iris, who says she comes from a future where women are still persecuted for who they are and what they believe. As the hours pass and dawn approaches, Geillis recounts the circumstances of her arrest, brutal torture, confession and trial, while Iris offers support, solace – and the tantalising prospect of escape."
Lost Worlds & Mythological Kingdoms edited by John Joseph Adams (Grim Oak Press) -- "The need to seek and discover the unknown is embedded in who we are, no matter the culture or era. To celebrate this sense of wonder, award-winning editor John Joseph Adams has gathered together some of the best SF&F writers working today, collecting adventure and mystery in this spectacular anthology. With original contributions from Kate Elliott, Tobias S. Buckell, Dexter Palmer, E. Lily Yu, Jonathan Maberry, and a dozen more, there are short stories sure to enthrall every reader."