Welcome to Book Beat! Think of Book Beat as Hide Your Wallet, Part Two!
In Hide Your Wallet, we talk about books coming out in a particular month that we really want to read. But there’s more to good books than just new releases!
Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.
This edition of Book Beat is dedicated to some of the cool books I heard about at BEA and BookCon in 2018! If you want to hear more about my experience, check out the podcast episode I did with Sarah.
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Shimmy Bang Sparkle
Author: Nicola Rendell
Released: August 21, 2018 by Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceTo catch a thief…or fall for one?
All Nick Norton wants is to stay on the straight and narrow…and never get caught stealing again. Then he lays eyes on her: Stella Peretti—100 percent sexy and absolutely irresistible. Especially when he sees her smooth moves lifting a two-karat diamond. Nick realizes he’s found the sparkling woman of his dreams—one so perfect for him it’s almost criminal.
The Shimmy Shimmy Bangs are master jewel thieves who are planning the heist of the century. And Shimmy leader, Stella, isn’t about to let anyone—even if he is a hunky, tatted-up studmuffin—get in her way. But when two of her girls are put out of commission, Stella realizes that Nick isn’t just a red-hot distraction. He might be the answer to her pilfering prayers.
Now, Nick and Stella are putting everything on the line for one last job. But when two thieves have this much chemistry, it’s only a matter of time before somebody’s heart gets stolen.
This was described to me as a romance with a heist gone wrong. Sounds amazing! This one isn’t out until August, though we have some suggestions on heist romances to keep you busy before then.
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Happy Doomsday
Author: David Sosnowski
Released: September 1, 2018 by 47North
Genre: Young AdultThe end of the world is the weirdest time to come of age.
Welcome to the end of the world. One minute, people are going about their lives, and the next—not. In the wake of the inexplicable purge, only a handful of young misfits remains.
When it all went down, “Wizard of Odd” Dev Brinkman was seeking shelter from the taunts of his classmates. Goth girl Lucy Abernathy had lost her best friend and had no clue where to turn. And Twinkie-loving quarterback “Marcus” Haddad was learning why you never discuss politics and religion in polite company—or online.
As if life when you’re sixteen isn’t confusing enough, throw in the challenges of postapocalyptic subsistence, a case of survivor’s guilt turned up to seven billion, and the small task of rebuilding humankind…
No one said doomsday would be a breeze. But for Dev, Lucy, and Marcus, the greatest hope—and greatest threat—will come when they find each other.
Content warning. A group of friends decide to go through with suicide, but then the apocalypse happens. I was originally attracted to the cover.
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The Paris Seamstress
Author: Natasha Lester
Released: September 18, 2018 by Forever
Genre: Historical: American, Historical: European, Literary FictionHow much will a young Parisian seamstress sacrifice to make her mark in the male-dominated world of 1940s New York fashion? From the bestselling author of A KISS FROM MR FITZGERALD and HER MOTHER’S SECRET.
1940. Parisian seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee France as the Germans advance. She is bound for Manhattan with a few francs, one suitcase, her sewing machine and a dream: to have her own atelier.
2015. Australian curator Fabienne Bissette journeys to the annual Met Gala for an exhibition of her beloved grandmother’s work – one of the world’s leading designers of ready-to-wear. But as Fabienne learns more about her grandmother’s past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak and secrets – and the sacrifices made for love.
Crossing generations, society’s boundaries and international turmoil, THE PARIS SEAMSTRESS is the beguiling, transporting story of the special relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter as they attempt to heal the heartache of the past.
Out this September, this has a lot of elements that readers will love: fashion, history, and generational family stories. It sounds whimsical in a way that will transport readers.
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Shadow of the Fox
Author: Julie Kagawa
Released: October 2, 2018 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Shadow of the Fox #1Once Every Thousand Years…
Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns…and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near…and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.
Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has…and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.
A wish will be granted and a new age will dawn.
This is a YA fantasy by Julie Kagawa and I was a huge fan of her Iron Fey series. The whole fox element also reminds me of the sweet k-drama My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (Nine-Tailed Fox).
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The Witch of Willow Hall
Author: Hester Fox
Released: October 2, 2018 by Graydon House
Genre: Historical: American, Literary Fiction, Mystery/Thriller“It was the Bishop boy who started it all…”
Boston, 1811: The Salem Witch Trials are over one hundred years in the past, and America is a changed place. Lydia Montrose is a young girl, enraged by the cruel boy who torments her. When she confronts him in the street, she draws a disbelieving crowd, and she cannot quite remember what she’s done.
Ten years later, Lydia finds herself in a carriage bound for the rural New Oldbury, Massachusetts, her family fleeing Boston in the wake of a scandal connected to her older sister, Catherine, her own engagement to a promising young man abruptly broken. The stately Willow Hall, which Mr. Montrose built as a summer retreat for his family, is now the only home the Montroses can have.
Lydia resents that she’s lost everything. But her resentment turns to disquiet when it becomes apparent that Willow Hall hides dark secrets that no one in the Montrose family could have predicted, like the ominous messages Lydia keeps receiving: “You attract them. Prepare.” And Mr. Montrose’s handsome business partner, John Barrett, seems to begrudge that Mr. Montrose has brought his family with him to Willow Hall.
When whatever lurks in the house and its surrounding woods does the unthinkable, Lydia knows she is the only one who can stop it. Summoning powers she barely understands, Lydia must engage the forces around her to keep her family safe, while protecting the blossoming love she has with John—who has secrets of his own.
Calling all Gothic fans! I think you all will be very interested in this one. I was going to try and snag an advanced copy, but the line was incredibly long and I’m very impatient.
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Zero Sum Game
Author: S.L. Huang
Released: October 2, 2018 by Tor Books
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Russell's Attic #1A blockbuster, near-future science fiction thriller, S.L. Huang’s Zero Sum Game introduces a math-genius mercenary who finds herself being manipulated by someone possessing unimaginable power…
Cas Russell is good at math. Scary good. The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight, and she’ll take any job for the right price.
As far as Cas knows, she’s the only person around with a superpower…until she discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people’s minds and twist their brains into Moebius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world’s puppet master.
Cas should run, like she usually does, but for once she’s involved. There’s only one problem…
She doesn’t know which of her thoughts are her own anymore.
The back of this science fiction thriller compares this book to if Trinity from The Matrix had her own story. So yes, please!
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The Similars
Author: Rebecca Hanover
Released: January 1, 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: The Similars #1When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class.
The Similars are all anyone can talk about at the elite Darkwood Academy. Who are these six clones? What are the odds that all of them would be Darkwood students? Who is the madman who broke the law to create them? Emma couldn’t care less. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer and all she can think about is how to get through her junior year without him. Then she comes face-to-heartbreaking-face with Levi—Oliver’s exact DNA replica and one of the Similars.
Emma wants nothing to do with the Similars, but she keeps getting pulled deeper and deeper into their clique, uncovering dark truths about the clones and her prestigious school along the way. But no one can be trusted…not even the boy she is falling for who has Oliver’s face.
I can’t believe we have to wait until January 2019 for this one! I really like the cover of this and the clone element adds a level of creepiness. Really can’t wait to dig into this one.
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I read Zero Sum Game with a book club. It’s a high-action, violent story (cw: child death); in my opinion it was lacking in character interactions and worldbuilding, which made it boring (I was like, okay, they run around, get shot at and shoot at people a lot, run around more, when is something going to happen?) but other people in the club enjoyed it a lot and thought it was a really good action story. And it’s certainly got a diverse cast of characters.
Ears are twitching. Did someone say Gothic?
I will definitely give Happy Doomsday a try, because Sosnowski’s Rapture (a virus is turning people into angels) is one of my favourite satires.
I was going to call out Zero Sum Game for misspelling “möbius,” but I looked it up and “moebius” is the third alternate spelling, so …
I can’t help it! Wordnerd’s gonna wordnerd …
Do jewel thieves usually have names like a motorcycle club? Do they have tshirts? Bedazzled vests?
Also, Shimmy Bang Sparkle is my new band name.
I LOVED Zero Sum Game when it was self published. S.L Huang was an auto buy. I’m a little afraid to read it now since it has gone through major story changes for the traditional publisher. I still remember what happened before. People first reading it will enjoy it though.
I read Zero Sum Game when SL Huang self-published it a few years ago–we were on the same writing forum at the time. The Cas Russell books are definitely action-pakced, violent, but Cas grew on me through the series. She’s a tough woman.