On My Radar is a list of upcoming publications that look interesting and appeal to me. It’s a way for me to track what is coming out, to figure out what I am most excited about, and to make sure I don’t miss anything!
As it turns out, Grad School was pretty busy last week, so I completely forgot to post On My Radar last Friday, and I didn’t notice until today *crying a little inside.* I thought about just not posting last weeks On My Radar, but there are some awesome books out like A Mad Zombie Party and Six of Crows, so I couldn’t bring myself not to post it!
The fourth book in Gena Showalter’s White Rabbit Chronicles, A Mad Zombie Party, comes out next week! I randomly bought the first book in this series, Alice in Zombieland, from a charity shop in England. I had not heard much about it, but it intrigued me. I wound up liking the series, and have since made my way through the next three books. I really like the protagonist, Ali, and I think the book has an extremely positive relationship between her and her boyfriend.
A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter, Expected Publication Date: September 29
“The battle rages on.
Ali Bell and Cole Holland’s crew of zombie slayers thought they’d won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.
On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat’s spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat’s death.
But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn’t through revenge, but in letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.”
Rachel Vincent’s new book about carnivals and magic sounds really interesting.
Menagerie by Rachel Vincent, Expected Publication Date: September 29
“When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger’s M
enagerie, she is a n ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her huma veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she’s forced to “perform” in town after town.
But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other “attractions”—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she’ll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.
Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale.”
I feel like Six of Crows, the first in a new series, has a lot of hype attached to it. I have not read Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy, but I have seen great reviews for it. I am intrigued that this is heavier on the fantasy elements than the Grisha series.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Expected Publication Date: September 29
“Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be 
had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.”
This next book looks like a fun middle grade read which will be the first in The Curiosity House series. I like stories about people with secret pasts that they don’t know anything about. I have only read Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and it didn’t resonate with me, but I’m willing to give her middle grade books a try.
The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver & H.G. Chester, Expected Publication Date: September 29
“What you will find in this book:
– A rather attractive bearded lady
– Several scandalous murders
– A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head
– Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities
– A quite loquacious talking bird
Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-
thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events. When the museum’s Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.
This sensational new series combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich
knowledge of the notorious relics collector H.C. Chester.
What you will NOT find in this book:
– An accountant named Seymour
– A never-ending line at the post office
– Brussel sprouts (shudder)
– A lecture on finishing all your homework on time
– A sweet, gooey story for nice little girls and boys.”
This next book was released back in May, but I did’ there much from it. It sounds like a great Victorian read full of mystery and romance! Alongside stories about libraries, museums, and people with secret pasts, I also love stories about heiresses and opulence. The author, Sarah Henstra, teaches English Literature at my alma mater, Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, so that gives me a special connection to this book.
Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra, Publication Date: May 5
“London, 1872. Seventeen-year-old heiress Leonora Somerville is preparing to be presented to society — again. She’s strikingly beautiful and going to be very rich, but Leo has a problem money can’t solve. A curious speech disorder causes her to stutter but also allows her to imitate other people’s voices flawlessly. Servants and ladies alike call her “Mad Miss Mimic” behind her back…and watch as Leo unintentionally scares off one potential husband after another.London in 1872 is also a city gripped by opium fever. Leo’s brother-in-law
Dr. Dewhurst and his new business partner Francis Thornfax are frontrunners in the race to patent an injectable formula of the drug. Friendly, forthright, and as a bonus devastatingly handsome, Thornfax seems immune to the gossip about Leo’s “madness.” But their courtship is endangered from the start. The mysterious Black Glove opium gang is setting off explosions across the city. The street urchins Dr. Dewhurst treats are dying of overdose. And then there is Tom Rampling, the working-class boy Leo can’t seem to get off her mind.
As the violence closes in around her Leo must find the links between the Black Glove’s attacks, Tom’s criminal past, the doctor’s dangerous cure, and Thornfax’s political ambitions. But first she must find her voice.”
Rick Riordan has a new series out! I have recently gotten back into Rick Riordan books. I just picked up the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians box set with fabulous new cover designs, and I got the new Kane Chronicles box set for my birthday from a friend! I have only read the first Percy Jackson book, but I’m planning to dive back into his writing. Magnus Chase sounds like it will be so much fun. Riordan’s done Greek and Egyptian mythology, now onto Norse mythology!
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan, Expected Publication Date: October 6
“Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die…”
I was SO excited for this book when I first heard about but, but I have heard some less than stellar reviews for A Thousand Nights. That being said, i am still willing to give this one a chance because of its gorgeous cover! I am also very excited for Johnston’s book, Exit, Pursued by a Bear, out next March.
A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston, Expected Publication Date: October 6
“Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.”
I want this book so badly. An intelligent female protagonist, horrible family secrets, historical mental institutes, and a murderer on the loose? SIGN ME UP!
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis, Expected Publication Date: October 6
“Grace Mae knows madness.
She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.
When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.
In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.”
Finally, I’m trying to find some great, progressive middle grade novels. I have mostly been reading Young Adult books this year, but I love the middle grade genre, and I want to get back into it. This next book was published in the summer, but it sounds like so much fun! It is the first book in the Switched at First Kiss series, and it looks like a second book is in the works, but no publication date for it yet. The authors back list looks like its full of other fun middle grade series, like My Very UnFairy Tale Life, and The Dirt Diary.
I’m with Cupid by Anna Staniszewski, Published: July 7, 2015
“Marcus is a Cupid. Lena is a Reaper. Opposites attract in the exciting new Switched At First Kiss series by the acclaimed author of The Dirt Diary.
When she’s dared to kiss the adorkable Marcus Torelli at a party, Lena thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to cross First Kiss off her list of “Things to Accomplish Before I Turn Fourteen.”
It’s only when she gets sent on an assignment the next day that she realizes something went horribly wrong. That ZING she felt wasn’t the thrill of her first kiss–she and Marcus have swapped powers! Lena is not your average eighth grader; she’s a soul collector with a serious job to do. And Marcus turns out to be a supernatural matchmaker (like Cupid, but without the diaper).
Now logical Lena finds herself with the love touch, and sweet, sentimental Marcus has death at his fingertips. The truth is that Lena should never have taken that dare…because one little kiss has Lena and Marcus in a whole lotta trouble.“
Emma Kristensen 