I am shameless when it comes to populating my to read list (TRL). From lists in magazines to snippets of conversation overheard at work (yes, I eavesdrop….when it comes to books!), my TRL is an eclectic mix I consider quite excellent! Most of my TRL, however, comes from haunting the websites of some of my favorite publishers. And, of course, Publisher’s Weekly. My list grew so long that I decided to break it up by season. So far, so good. So good, that I thought I would share the fall book releases I can’t wait to get my hands on.
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Below, in order of publication date, are my top 15 fall book releases I am breathlessly waiting for. There are fantasy novels, re-imagined fiction, mysteries, and young adult. All of them have some element of romance, whether it’s romance or Romance. Some feature both! Even better, all of them promise to be a temporary escape into the pages of an excellent story. Some are sequels to books I read and reviewed here on The Silver Petticoat Review. So, spoilers! Also, I’m sorry. Your TRL is about to get longer by 15 more books!
P.S. While these are in order of publication date, I put a star next to the fall book releases I’m most excited for!
15 Exciting Fall Book Releases You’ll Want to Snatch Up
(In Order of Publication Date)
#1 Escaping from Houdini* by Kerri Maniscalco (Young Adult Horror/Thriller)
Official Synopsis: Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.
But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?
Why You Should Read It: Of all the fall book releases, I think Escaping from Houdini (and one other) is at the top of my list. This is the third installment to the insanely popular Stalking Jack the Ripper Series. This series is amazing (um, I gushed here and here) so I have no doubt that the adventures of Wadsworth and Cresswell will continue to delight! Plus, it’s a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and amidst the horror, there’s bound to be some star-gazing between Audrey Rose and Thomas…..le sigh!
Release Date: September 18, 2018
#2 Pride* by Ibi Zoboi (Young Adult)
Official Synopsis: Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.
In a timely update of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.
Why You Should Read It: I love a good, reimagining of a classic. Consequently, when I saw this listed among fall book releases, I immediately added it to my TRL. I’m completely here for an exciting and fresh remix of Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen’s exploration of status, rank, and class are as relevant today as then. This transformative retelling is a must for your read list. I, for one, can’t wait to read Pride!
Release Date: September 18, 2018
#3 The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester (Historical Romance)
Official Synopsis: 1940 – As the Germans advance upon Paris, young seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee everything she’s ever known. She’s bound for New York City with her signature gold dress, a few francs, and a dream: to make her mark on the world of fashion.
Present day – Fabienne Bissette journeys to the Met’s annual gala for an exhibit featuring the work of her ailing grandmother – a legend of women’s fashion design. But as Fabienne begins to learn more about her beloved grandmother’s past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak and family secrets that will dramatically change her own life.
Why You Should Read It: I love stories told in flashbacks! Especially when history weaves into the present, changing a character’s journey (ahem – Next Year in Havana). I also cheated a little on this one….it’s already an international hit. In fact, many fall book releases (including a few on this list) are already available in international markets. We just have a wee bit longer to wait for the U.S. release!
Release Date: September 18, 2018
#4 The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein* by Kiersten White (Young Adult, Suspense, Fantasy)
Official Synopsis: Elizabeth Lavenza hasn’t had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her “caregiver,” and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything–except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable–and it works. The Frankenstein family takes her in and rewards her with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth’s survival depends on managing Victor’s dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.
Why You Should Read It: This imaginative retelling of Frankenstein sounds absolutely chilling. I love spine-tingling tales! The creepier the better and Kiersten White’s story sounds absolutely creepy!
Release Date: September 25, 2018
#5 The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner (Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
Official Synopsis: In a remote village surrounded by vast forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami’s babka and the low rumble of their Tati’s prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother’s warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods.
As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realize the old fairy tales are true…and could save them all.
Why You Should Read It: Not many of the scheduled fall book releases have a fairy tale element. Thus, a book featuring secrets, magic, and fairy tales is a must-read for me!
Release Date: September 25, 2018
#6 The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Meher (Historical Fiction, Historical Romance)
Official Synopsis: London, 1938. The effervescent “It girl” of London society since her father was named the ambassador, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy moves in rarified circles, rubbing satin-covered elbows with some of the 20th century’s most powerful figures. Eager to escape the watchful eye of her strict mother, Rose, the antics of her older brothers, Jack and Joe, and the erratic behavior of her sister Rosemary, Kick is ready to strike out on her own and is soon swept off her feet by Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire.
But their love is forbidden, as Kick’s devout Catholic family and Billy’s staunchly Protestant one would never approve their match. When war breaks like a tidal wave across her world, Billy is ripped from her arms as the Kennedys are forced to return to the States. Kick gets work as a journalist and joins the Red Cross to get back to England, where she will have to decide where her true loyalties lie–with family or with love . . .
Why You Should Read It: America’s Royalty! I confess I love reading about the Kennedy family – whether a biography or historical fiction. While perusing the most anticipated fall book releases on Publisher’s Weekly, this one captured my interest!
Release Date: October 02, 2018
#7 Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa (Young Adult Fantasy)
Official Synopsis: One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.
Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.
There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.
With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.
Why You Should Read It: Fans of Kagawa’s Iron Fey series are sure to love her next novel. For me, the synopsis alone captured my attention. Kudos to whoever wrote this because I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
#8 Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks (Contemporary Fiction, Romance)
Official Synopsis: Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she’s been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future.
Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother’s early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways.
Why You Should Read It: It’s safe to say that you will laugh, sigh, and most definitely cry. It’s what Nicholas Sparks specializes in. And let’s face it, sometimes you just need a good book to cry over (uh, The Notebook anyone???). Besides, Nicholas Sparks gives good romance.
Release Date: October 16, 2018
