More Debuts 3/27/24

Today we are spotlighting upcoming debuts, from a magical fairytale retelling and a tense horror based on Chinese mythologies, to some lighter romantic comedies and women’s fiction fables. 

MASQUERADE BY O.O. SANGOYOMI

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by June 1st.

“Richly detailed worldbuilding and inspiration from the Persephone myth all lend to a layered, immersive storyline in Sangoyomi’s debut.”—Library Journal (starred review)

LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER BY KERRYN MAYNE

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by June 1st.

An endearing but deeply introverted woman’s carefully constructed routine starts to crumble when a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail, bringing the past she’s long buried back to life. Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who’s simply unforgettable.

THE SINGER SISTERS BY SARAH SELTZER

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by July 1st.

It’s 1996, and alt-rocker Emma Cantor is on tour, with her sights trained on a record deal. Emma’s got no lack of inspiration for her music—chiefly her mother Judie, a 1960s folk legend whose confessional songs made her an icon before her mysterious withdrawal from the public eye. Emma is baffled by Judie’s coldness, and is deeply shaken when she learns a long-kept secret about their family. When Emma uncovers more about her mother’s past, she is vaulted to new heights as a performer. But the knowledge she gains also propels her toward a musical betrayal that further fractures her relationship with Judie. Increasingly famous, but fragile and isolated, Emma grapples with her mother’s legacy and what it means for her own future.

SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS BY KAILEE PEDERSEN

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by July 1st.

Inspired by Kailee Pedersen’s own journey being adopted from Nanning, China in 1996 and growing up on a farm in Nebraska, this rich and atmospheric supernatural horror debut explores an ancient Chinese mythology. The last thing Nick expected to receive was an invitation from his father to return home. When he left rural Nebraska behind, he believed he was leaving everything there, including his abusive father and the farm that loomed so large in memory, forever. Punctuated by scenes from Nick’s adolescent years, when memories of a queer awakening and a shadowy presence stalking the farm altered the trajectory of his life forever, SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS explores the violent legacy of inherited trauma and the total collapse of a family in its wake.

RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES BY MAGGIE NORTH

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by May 1st.

Liz has tried everything to be what people want. But she’s always been labeled different from everyone else in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions—that is, if anyone notices her at all. When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party and her last line of communication with her popular adventure guide husband finally snaps, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence . . . via improv comedy class. The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage one bonkers improv scenario at a time.

JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY BY KATELYN DOYLE

Available for download on Edelweiss. LibraryReads votes due by May 1st.

“Doyle…pens her first contemporary, a unique, sizzling second-chance rom-com with an HEA that will leave readers cheering.”—Library Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

MASQUERADE by O.O Sangoyomi; 9781250904294; 7/2/24
LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerry Mayne; 9781250340108; 7/9/24
THE SINGER SISTERS by Sarah Seltzer; 9781250907646; 8/6/24
SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS by Kailee Pederson; 9781250328243; 8/20/24 
RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES by Maggie North; 9781250910127; 6/25/24
JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY by Katelyn Doyle; 9781250328090; 6/4/24