Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: The Library of the Dead / Dead Dead Girls / The Brief History of the Dead


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


The Library of the Dead
(Edinburgh Nights #1) by T.L. Huchu

Release Date: June 1, 2021 by Tor Books
Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh's darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She'll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

When ghosts talk, she will listen...

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh's dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl's gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children--leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It's on Ropa's patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She'll dice with death (not part of her life plan...), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She'll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa's gonna hunt them all down.
[Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: Everything about this novel screams, "Read me!" 


Dead Dead Girls
by Nekesa Afia

Release Date: June 1, 2021 by Berkley
The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home...

Harlem, 1926. Young black girls like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead.

Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She's succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie's Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Manhattan's hottest speakeasy. Louise's friends might say she's running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don't tell her that.

When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she's been trying to ignore--several local black girls have been murdered over the past few weeks. After an altercation with a local police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or let a judge make an example of her.

Louise has no choice but to take the case and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind. She'll have to tackle her own fears and the prejudices of New York City society if she wants to catch a killer and save her own life in the process.
[Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love a good historical mystery and put it on my wish list as soon as I heard about this one. 


Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?
 

The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!


The Brief History of the Dead
by Kevin Brockmeier
(Vintage, 2003)
From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation's most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between.

The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end.

Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out.

Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.
[Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this:  I first heard about this through a fellow blogger (who is no longer blogging) in 2006 and added it to my TBR stack. I'm dying to know how these two storylines will come together. 


Have you read The Brief History of the Dead?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 


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44 comments:

  1. Wow I love the sound of these. :)

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    1. Greg - Me too! I can't wait to read them. Thank you for visiting!

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  2. I hope you'll be enjoying all three, new and old!

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    1. Stephanie - I hope so too! Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. Dead Dead Girls is one I'm excited for too. Love the time period the story is set in.

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    1. Suzanne - Me too! I hope we both enjoy it when we read it. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  4. I love the "dead" theme you have going on:-) I hope to read Library of the Dead very soon:-)

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    1. Tammy - You noticed! Haha! I hope we both will enjoy Library of the Dead. It sounds great, doesn't it? Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. All three books sound good, Wendy. Adding them to my TBR. Hope you enjoy them!

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    1. Laura - I hope we both get a chance to read them and enjoy them. :-) Thank you for visiting!

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  6. These sound awesome! I love mysteries set during the 20's, so Dead Dead Girls is going on my wishlist. And with a description of "Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things", I can't resist The Library of the Dead. Thanks for sharing! Hope you enjoy all of these! :)

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    1. Ashley - I do too! I can't wait to read Dead Dead Girls and The Library of the Dead. :-) I hope you get a chance to read them as well. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. Dead Dead Girls sounds fantastic - nice pick!

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    1. Bob/Sally - Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading it. :-)

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  8. The Library of the Dead sounds like it would be really good.

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  9. The Library of the Dead sounds so cool. I totally want to read that one.

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    1. Lark - I hope it will be as good as it sounds! Thank you for visiting.

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  10. Ooh these are all new to me but they sound fantastic! I hope you love them when you get to them!

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  11. The Library of the Dead definitely intrigues me.

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    1. Carla - It sounds good, doesn't it? Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. I'm also super excited for the Library of the Dead! Hope you enjoy it!!

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  13. I'm really looking forward to Library of the Dead as well. It sound so good. I hope we both love it!

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    1. Barb - I hope we both love it too! Thank you for visiting!

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  14. I am loving the cover of The Brief History of the Dead (and the book also sounds good!). It sounds like I need to add The Library of the Dead to my tbr as well.

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    1. Carole - I hope you enjoy both if you read them! Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. Library of the Dead sounds really good! And it's out soon - I hope I don't forget to look for it!

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    1. Eustacia - If you do pick up a copy, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for visiting!

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  16. I agree; everything about The Library of the Dead does screams ‘read me’ !!

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    1. Verushka - Yes, I am so excited about that one! Thank you for stopping by!

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  17. love the dead theme. they all look good to me
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Sherry - I couldn't resist the theme. Thank you for visiting!

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  18. I've got Dead Dead Girls on my reading list and Brief History of the Dead has me curious.

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    1. Sophia Rose - I hope we both enjoy Dead Dead Girls! Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. These all sound great! I'll add them to my TBR. I hope you enjoy them when you get to read them!

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    1. Taylor - I hope you enjoy them if you do read them! Thank you for visiting!

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  20. All 3 of these books look like like great reads and unique ones! I would definitely want to give all 3 a read!

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  21. All these books sound intriguing, especially The Brief History of the Dead. That cover is eye-catching, too.

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  22. A Brief History of the Dead sounds very familiar but have not read it. All sound good but Dead Dead Girls looks like it could be the start of a great mystery series. Hope you get a chance to read these!

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