Release Week: 25 November 2025
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Release Week: 25 November 2025
Posted on 2025-11-25 at 12:00 by Samuel Montgomery-Blinn
PICKS:
The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo, read by Joel de la Fuente and Jensen Olaya for Recorded Books -- "Villa Sepulveda is a storied relic of the Philippines’ past: a Spanish colonial manor, its moldering stonework filled with centuries-old heirlooms, nestled in a remote coconut plantation. When their patriarch dies mysteriously, his far-flung family returns to their ancestral home. Filipino-American student Adrian Sepulveda invites his college girlfriend, Sophie, a transracial adoptee who knows little about her own Filipino heritage, to the funeral of a man who was entwined with the history of the country itself. Sophie soon learns that there is more to the Sepulvedas than a grand tradition of political and entrepreneurial success. Adrian’s relatives clash viciously amid grief, confusion, and questions about the family curse that their matriarch refuses to answer. When a landslide traps them all in the villa, secrets begin to emerge, revealing sins both intimately personal and unthinkably public."
Muscle Man: A Novel by Jordan Castro, read by Vikas Adam for Brilliance -- "Harold, a middling literature professor at a liberal arts college, lives in a state of dissatisfaction and fear. His colleagues and students evoke nothing but disgust and disdain. None of them understand strength, power, and spiritual actualization like he does. His university’s campus—seemingly picturesque—constantly threatens to reveal something sinister. Over the course of a single afternoon, he wanders the halls, sits in meetings, steals from a student, and goes to the gym—all while reflecting on his professional and existential situation. With every line of Harold’s frenetic consciousness, his mundane routine transforms into something more foreboding, culminating in an ingenious twist."
Supersaurio: A Novel by Meryem El Mehdati, read by Sarah Agha for Harlequin -- "An uproarious debut novel about a young woman from the Canary Islands whose internship with a supermarket chain reveals the soul-crushing vagaries of modern life."
Futility By: Nuzo Onoh, read by Délé Ogundiran for Tantor -- "A monstrous, gleeful, bitingly funny tale of murder, body-swapping, and bloody vengeance. Betrayed by the men in their lives, two women seethe with rage and bitterness. When a trickster spirit offers them the gift of revenge, they cannot resist."
The Door on the Sea: Raven and Eagle by Caskey Russell, read by Jason Grasl for Tantor -- "When Elān trapped a salmon-stealing raven in his cupboard, he never expected it would hold the key to saving his people from the shapeshifting Koosh invaders plaguing their shores. In exchange for its freedom, the raven offers a secret that can save Elān's home: the Koosh have lost one of their most powerful weapons, and only the raven knows where it is."
MORE FICTION:
Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald, read by Emily Norman for Dreamscape -- "Seventeen-year-old Billie feels like she is on top of the world. She gets to spend the summer with her best friend, sparks are flying with her crush, and she has received a promotion to ride operator for one of the most buzzworthy new attractions in the theme park she works at. But the first night on the new job takes a dark turn when her creepy coworker mysteriously dies. . . on her ride, when she isn't authorized to be running it."
Best Offer Wins: A Novel by Marisa Kashino, read by Cia Court for Macmillan -- "How far would you go for the house of your dreams?"
MORE SCI-FI and FANTASY:
As Many Souls as Stars: A Novel by Natasha Siegel, read by Kristin Atherton for Harper -- "An inventive and romantic speculative novel about two women—a witch and an immortal demon—who make a Faustian bargain and are drawn into a cat-and-mouse chase across multiple lifetimes."
Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill, read by Imani Jade Powers for Penguin -- "A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who has dangerous secrets to keep) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue."
Queen of the Dead by Sarah Broadway, read by Cat Protano for Dreamscape -- "Speaking with the dead is nothing new for Lou. It’s a curse she’s learned to hide from everyone—sometimes even herself. After running away from a past that took advantage of those abilities, Lou finally carves out a normal life for herself. That is, until she receives a mysterious message from a ghost—the Veil is thinning—and a cult of necromancers infiltrates her small town."
BACKLIST WATCH:
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (2024), read by Shiromi Arserio for Tantor -- "At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic. Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past. One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything."
The Taking: A Novel By: Dean Koontz (2004), read by Amy Landon for Brilliance -- "The story of a community cut off from a world under siege, and the terrifying battle for survival waged by a young couple and their neighbors as familiar streets become fog-shrouded death traps."
NEW EDITION WATCH:
- Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein (1948), read by Ari Fliakos for Blackstone -- "Matt Dodson reports to the Colorado base of the Interplanetary Patrol, a new cadet with a fierce desire to become a member of the Patrol, which for over a century has kept the peace throughout the Solar System. Matt and fellow cadets soon leave the Earth base for training on Terra Station, where they learn, among other things, astrogation, survival skills, alien languages and how to maneuver in outer space. When a call for help comes from a ship stranded on Venus, Matt is among the cadets chosen to accompany the Patrol Captain on this rescue mission. What they discover after they land on Venus is not what they expected." On a personal note, this was my first scifi book back when I was a kid.
SERIES WATCH:
Fallen Stars: Heavenly Bodies, Book 2 by Imani Erriu, read by Jane Collingwood for Random House -- "Never make a bargain with a god."
Heartsworn: The Forsworn Saga, Book 2 by David Estes, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds for Audible
Heart of the Mountain: Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, Book 6 by Larry Correia, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds for Audible
Lady of Fire: The Wandering Inn, Book 17 by pirateaba, read by Erin Bennett for Podium