Well, dear friends, we are past the midpoint of the year. Not by a whole lot, but enough that we're no longer chug-chug-chugging our way to the summit. That means we're getting closer to the fall publishing list when ALL THE BOOKS show up. There's a bit of a trickle this week. Let's see what we've got.
First up is a new book from perennial favorite, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This is Silver Nitrate, a book about an obscure film director and a case of film stock that was imbued with dark magic by a Nazi occultist, back in the day. Naturally, this cult director thinks he is stuck under a curse because he never finished the film he was supposed to direct with this special film stock, and he wants our young protagonists to help. They agree, mostly to move the plot along, of course, and then things start to get weird.
Moreno-Garcia has a fantastic track record of turning conventions on their heads, and we expect Silver Nitrate to be absolutely absorbing and constantly nerve-wracking. Highly recommended.
And speaking of nighttime terrors, here is Camp Damascus, Chuck Tingle's first novel, which is quite a coup for Tor Nightfire. Chuck is—well, that's a long story, but we're of the opinion that the man is a national treasure when it comes writing and promoting inclusivity. Camp Damascus is a book about a quaint little town that hosts the "most effective" gay conversion camp in the country. Naturally, the secret behind this camp's success is absolutely terrifying. And then things get worse, because that's what writers do, you know?
The thing about Chuck—and again, it's a Wikipedia read if you want to dive into the details—is that he is all heart. And even when he's scaring the crap out of you, you know he's right there to give you a hug when you need it, because, yes, love really does matter.
Also out this week is Chloe Gong's Immortal Longings, a start of a new fantasy story about failed monarchies, body-jumping, and fights to the death. Every year, contestants in Talin enter a series of games that test their ability to jump between bodies. At the end of the games are unimaginable riches. For one person. Everyone else dies. Naturally, a member of the royal family (most of whom were killed a few years ago) is hiding in plain sight, as she attempts to finish a long-simmering mission of vengeance. Along the way, she meets an exiled aristocrat, who has entered the games in an effort to earn enough coin to keep his childhood love alive (she's in a coma). Naturally, things get complicated between these two. Immortal Longings's premise is an interesting mashup of a lot of recent tropes, but we suspect Gong might knock this one out of the park.
Meanwhile, Daniel Silva is back with The Collector, in which "legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world's most valuable missing painting but soon finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia . . . " The preview of the marketing copy stops there, but it may as well be the copy from any of the last dozen of Silva's books, which hasn't stopped us from enjoying every one of them.
And speaking of heists, cons, and the long game, here is Colson Whitehead's Crook Manifesto, which takes us through a certain neighborhood in three different years (1971, 1973, and 1976). Whitehead's portrait of Harlem during a time of unrest and change is gleeful, entertaining, and a masterpiece of noir and social satire. Highly recommended.
And (still) speaking of heists, here is Sara Desai's To Have and to Heist, a rom-com about jewelry theft, wedding planning, and a rag-tag group of misfits who band together to steal everyone's heart. Aww. Adorable and probably exactly what we need this week.
And speaking of complicated motivations, here is the next book in Daniel Abraham's new epic fantasy. Blade of Dreams is the second book in the The Kithamar Trilogy, and this volume focuses on Garreth, the heir to one of the most prominent merchant families. Garreth, however, has other plans. After a chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger, Garreth becomes obsessed with finding a woman he doesn't really know, and his search will have ramifications for everyone who lives within the walls of Kithamar.
Abraham, as you may recall, is one half of James S. A. Corey, who gave us The Expanse. He's also written a few other fantasy trilogies. This one is well worth your time.
And here is They Lurk, a collection of five novellas from Ronald Malfi. Much like Stephen King has done previously, this collection of longer stories is a pleasure to dig into. They're long enough to sink their claws into you, but not so long that you pass out from forgetting to breathe. Pace yourselves.
And speaking of pacing ourselves, here is Be Sure, a nice bindup of the first three novellas in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. Children have a tendency to slip through the cracks in the world, and sometimes they end up in marvelous places. But what happens to them after their marvelous adventures? Where do they go when they can't go back? Well, they end up at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children . . .
And finally, here is A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan. It's about a bookstore owner who has a penchant for monster hunting. Well, it's more than a hobby, because monsters ate her parents, but that's all speculation, of course. And when bodies start turning up on the shores of Lake Michigan with mysterious bite marks, our intrepid bookseller with a haunted backstory has to find out the truth. Good thing she has a dog named Newt for a companion. We're definitely down for this.
And those are the highlights this week, dear readers. Keep some cold lemonade handy. Read aloud to a friend who looks like they could use some cheering up. Watch how the light changes at the end of the day, and don't forget to hug a book. Or someone close to you. Whichever is less awkward.
