Can't Wait to Read!
Welcome to today's guest author Kris Waldherr (The Lost History of Dreams, Bad Princess, Doomed Queens, The Book of Goddesses), who is highlighting recently or soon to be released books. If you're an author, and would like to curate a future Can't Wait to Read, contact susanna@spinemagazine.co. Readers, we encourage you to visit your local library or bookstore and take a look at these new titles.
The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell
Penguin Books, June 18, 2019. A Victorian gothic horror tale about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill. The structure of The Poison Thread reminds me of Affinity by Sarah Waters, one of the most haunting novels I’ve ever read.
The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess
Henry Holt and Co., July 9, 2019. A coming-of-age story set in the literary scene of ‘80s New York and Cape Cod about the sustaining power of books. Having worked in publishing myself way back when (though not quite that way back when), this debut novel sounds like a lot of fun and has garnered some stellar reviews.
We Love Anderson Cooper by R. L. Maizes
Celadon Books, July 23, 2019. This quirky, humorous, and deeply human debut short story collection by a Pushcart Prize-nominated author reminds us that even in our most isolated moments, we are never truly alone. I’ve really enjoyed the witty originality of Maizes’ essays, and suspect her short stories will share a similar sensibility.
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss
Gallery / Saga Press, October 1, 2019. Mary Jekyll and the Athena Club race to save one of their members—and foil a plot to unseat Queen Victoria. The conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, which was one of my favorite books of 2017.
Ribbons of Scarlet by Kate Quinn, E. Knight, Heather Webb, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, and Stephanie Dray
William Morrow, October 1, 2019. Epic in structure and ambition, Ribbons of Scarlet elegantly unfolds the complex history of the French Revolution through the eyes of seven real-life women, each representing a different stratum of society. If you’re as fascinated with the French Revolution as I am, this one sounds like a must read.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Doubleday, November 5, 2019. This second novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus is, unsurprisingly, generating tons of buzz; those fortunate enough to have scored an advance reader copy report it’s a stunner. A book within a book involving a timeless love story set in a secret underground world — a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.
Kris Waldherr is an award-winning author, illustrator and designer. Her books include Bad Princess, Doomed Queens, The Book of Goddesses, and the debut novel The Lost History of Dreams, which received a Kirkus-starred review. Her fiction has been awarded with fellowships by the Virginia Center of the Creative Arts and a reading grant by Poets & Writers. She works and lives in Brooklyn. You can find her online at www.kriswaldherrbooks.com or on Twitter @kriswaldherr.