Hi hello and welcome to F is for Friday, hosted by Nomadic Worlds. With F is for Friday, you answer a few prompts that relate to your reading for the past week and even share some things that made you happy! I like the idea of having a day to talk about my favorite book related things of the week and also trying to focus on some positive things. Let's get started!
___________________________________________________________________________

I – Indicate which book/s you are looking forward to reading this weekend

After I finish Lavender House, I want to pick up A Song of Sin and Salvation by L.H. Blake because I was kindly sent an ARC recently and I'd like to get to it! If your first thought was Eddie from Stranger Things, that was mine as well. But read this little bit from the synopsis:

"A Song of Sin and Salvation is a steamy, slow burn romance that will mercilessly pull on your heartstrings. It’s a story about freedom, choice and first love, all set to a raucous 80s soundtrack. It features two lonely teens who despite their differences, represent each other’s chance at salvation."

So like yes, Eddie, but also doesn't it just sound so good?! I'm so excited and honored to have been chosen to receive an ARC so I really can't wait to pick it up this weekend.

And finally, I'm considering picking up Godkiller by Hannah Kaner this weekend if all goes well! I've seen this quite a lot recently and I watched a video from AModelWho'sRead and she gave it an absolutely glowing review, so I was inspired to bump this up on my TBR. I'm hesitant because it is YA and I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I might have to make an exception for this one because not only is the cover stunning, it sounds super creepy and fantastical.

F – Favorite quote of the week/day

I just finished Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward recently and, to no ones surprise, I loved it. There were so many quotes in this book that just hit me in the feels and made me audibly oof so of course, I saved them. I am going to cheat and use more than one quote because there really were so many that I loved but I'll narrow it down to three.

"In the night, a certain kind of whisper sounds louder than yelling."

"It's strange being so close to someone; they stop being a person and become a series of impressions."

"It's not an easy thing, being rewritten. But you can always play around with a first draft."

F – Five Things You’re Happy Or Grateful For This Week

1. It's finally May! I know that sounds silly but I'm really excited that the date for my surgery later this month is getting closer. I'm so ready to have some measure of relief finally! Even though I know the road to recovery won't be quick, I'm just ready to get started. 

2. MomoCon is also at the end of this month! It's a convention in Atlanta, GA that I volunteer at with my husband and our friends and it's a lot of fun. If you enjoy gaming and anime, then it's a great event to come check out! 

3. I'm still having great success with my reading and this week is no exception. I've just been on a roll with picking up fantastic books and I hope that I can continue that streak with this upcoming week! My TBR has some great books on it so I have a good feeling that I'll have some amazing books to talk about next week.

4. I've been working on a wall-hanging for several weeks at this point for my husband and I finally finished it! I make friendship bracelets, keychains, and wall-hangings and I love to make presents for people. This one is special because it's inspired by the art for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and she is so ingrained into our relationship that it's insane. But, sadly, we were unable to attend her tour so I wanted to do something for him to kind of ease the sads, you know? So I made him a wall-hanging! I'm pretty proud of it because it's over 3,000 knots and took me forever and he really likes it so yay!

Hi hello and welcome to a very very late wrap-up! I'll be combining both August and September in this post because I'm so behind on these wrap-ups but I still want to share all of the awesome books that I've read over the past two months. As always, the books will be linked if you'd like to add them to your Goodreads TBR and I will be including a mini-review of each book. Let's get started with August's wrap-up!
___________________________________________________________________________

Title: Raven's Song

Author: Charlie Nottingham

Pages: 528

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Release Date: 16 August 2022

From Amazon: "A morally gray necromancer, a playful fae, and a kindhearted vampire: all bound by one witch.

When a vengeful demon burned her house down, Rain Carter had no choice but to move into the haven of Copperfield House with her boyfriend, Graham, her other boyfriend, Ezra, and his partner, Warren. She wants to believe she's safe here but considering Warren's a murderer for hire... Well, forgive her for being wary. But the deeper she falls into Warren's demons and desires, struggling to interpret visions from the mysterious woman in black, Rain fights a war within herself. Is blood sacrifice black and white, or could it be a million hues of gray?

Mini-Review:  Thank you a million and one times to Charlie for providing me with an ARC of Raven’s Song!

This was 110% Warren’s book, oh my god. And also The Woman in Black! Not only did we get to learn more about the mysterious Warren, Ezra’s partner whom we briefly met in book one, we got to see the relationship dynamics evolve. I love the exploration of polyamory in this series and the healthy conversations that all four of the characters have. Things like boundaries and expectations are laid out and spoken about and I so appreciated the normalization of it all. It’s not an uncommon thing to read about in romance books, but more often than not, you don’t get the discussions that the characters had in this book. Usually, it’s just like “oh here’s four guys and one girl and they’re all together and it’s cool” which is fine, don’t get me wrong! But I really loved how Warren and Ezra were so helpful with helping Rain and Graham to understand the relationship dynamic and making sure everyone was comfortable. And getting to see the ups and downs of it made things feel even more realistic because let’s face it, no relationship is perfect. I’m just having a fantastic time seeing these four evolve in this series!

I also was so excited to see that we got a ton of backstory on The Woman in Black with this book, oh my gosh. She was such a mystery in book one but so much was revealed about her and it made me love her and appreciate her so much more. She’s a wholesome little bean and I will protect her with my life, okay?

I’m so excited for book three and I know that we’re going to get a crossover with Arcane Gods with that one and I just want to warn you that I will be absolutely feral when that happens. I’m ready and prepared to wait as long as it takes for the next installment!

Title: Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

Author: Ashley Herring Blake

Pages: 400

Genre: LGBT Romance

Release Date: 22 November 2022

From Goodreads: "For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiance a year ago, she's been focused on her career--her friends might say she's obsessed, but she knows she's just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn's renovation, which will be featured on a popular HGTV show, Innside America, Astrid is thrilled. Not only will the project distract her from her failed engagement and help her struggling business, but her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her a nod of approval.

However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru's granddaughter and the lead carpenter for the renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her family's inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into some light sabotage to ruffle Astrid's perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other evolves into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that she's expected to lead or the one that she wants?

Mini-Review:  I recently read Delilah Green Doesn't Care and absolutely loved it. Like, one of my new favorite books ever and one of my favorite books of 2022, loved it. So when I was scrolling on Netgalley and saw that there was not only an ARC but a sequel to one of my favorite books?! I took my chances and luckily, the Netgalley gods smiled upon me. I didn't think I'd love it as much as I loved Delilah Green because it's going to be incredibly difficult to top that book for me, but I honestly didn't expect to love it as much as I did!

Astrid wasn't a super likable character in the first book but oh my gosh this book made me adore her. I got to see why she was the way she was and it was heartbreaking. And watching her journey towards accepting herself and discovering who she really is outside of everyone else's influence made me cry! And I loved the rivalry/friendship/relationship with Jordan, holy crap. Jordan was also a wonderful character and I feel like her story was also wonderful to read. I was shook about a topic involving her previous partner because I feel like it's one we don't see often, but then I just straight up did not like the partner once I realized how things ended. Both characters were lovely and I am a simp for this series and the characters and their stories and I am so ready for Iris Kelly Doesn't Date!!!!!

Title: Motherthing

Author: Ainslie Hogarth

Pages: 288

Genre: Horror/Contemporary

Release Date: 27 September 2022

From Goodreads: "A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.

When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish. When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king."

Mini-Review:  I don't think this book was for me. And I don't think it's because the book was necessarily bad, but rather a case of mismarketing. This isn't horror, at least not in my opinion. It's a book about trauma and craving a mother figure in your life and how the main character deals with that as an adult. She forms attachments to people (her husband and a lady she cares for at her job) thinking that they can save her, while desperately looking for approval and care that she never got from her mother when she was younger. It's clear that her mother was awful and that it's stuck with Abby for her whole life, and that's really sad to read about for sure. Her mother-in-law was also awful which gave her basically a double whammy on sucky mother figures. Bummer, huh? But...this wasn't horror. Maybe the last 8-10%? And maybe this is just a different style of horror that I'm unfamiliar with and I'm completely reading it wrong and just "didn't get it" or whatever. Maybe it's "elevated horror" and I'm not elevated enough to understand it? But it wasn't for me. Now I will say that there were several times I did laugh out loud while reading and think "Man, this is just like my experience with my MiL!" so that's what made me give this at least 2 stars because those were good experiences I had while reading. But the rest of the book just didn't do it for me, sadly. I can see where this would probably be a good book for someone else, though, and based on the reviews that I've seen, it's a pretty well-liked book! Hopefully, it finds its audience.

Title: Gone to See the River Man

Author: Kristopher Triana

Pages: 182

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 12 March 2020

From Goodreads: "Super fans. Groupies. Stalkers. These people will give anything for the idols they worship, be they rock stars, actors or authors. Or even serial killers.

Lori is just such a fanatic. Her obsession is with Edmund Cox, a man of sadistic cruelty who butchered more than twenty women. She’s gone so far as to forge a relationship with him, visiting him in prison and sending him letters on a regular basis. She will do anything to get close to him, so when he gives her a task, she eagerly accepts it. She has no idea of the horror that awaits her.

Edmund tells her she must go to his cabin in the woods of Killen and retrieve a key to deliver to a mysterious figure known only as The River Man. In her quest, she brings along her handicapped sister, and they journey through the deep, dark valley, beginning their trip upriver. The trip quickly becomes a surreal nightmare, one that digs up Lori’s personal demons, the ones she feels bonds her to Edmund. The river runs with flesh, the cabin is a vault of horrors, and ghostly blues music echoes through the mountains. Soon they will learn that The River Man is not quite fact or folklore, and definitely not human -- at least, not anymore. And the key is just the beginning of what is required of Lori to prove she’s worthy of a madman’s love."

Mini-Review:  I took a break from this for a bit because something just wasn’t clicking, I think. I really enjoyed the writing and the imagery was fantastic. The whole book had such a creepy atmosphere surrounding it and it definitely added to my enjoyment! But even picking it back up, I just wasn’t clicking with it for some reason. I don’t think this was a bad book, but I never really found myself falling super in love with it, unfortunately. I enjoyed it but it was just kind of an okay book for me. I am happy I read it, tho!

Title: Spoiler Alert

Author: Olivia Dade

Pages: 416

Genre: Romance

Release Date: 06 October 2020

From Goodreads: "Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. While the world knows him as Aeneas, the star of the biggest show on TV, Gods of the Gates, he's known to fanfiction readers as Book!AeneasWouldNever, an anonymous and popular poster.  Marcus is able to get out his own frustrations with his character through his stories, especially the ones that feature the internet’s favorite couple to ship, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone ever found out about his online persona, he’d be fired. Immediately.

April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she’s hidden her fanfiction and cosplay hobby from her “real life” for years—but not anymore. When she decides to post her latest Lavinia creation on Twitter, her photo goes viral. Trolls and supporters alike are commenting on her plus-size take, but when Marcus, one-half of her OTP, sees her pic and asks her out on a date to spite her critics, she realizes life is really stranger than fanfiction. Even though their first date is a disaster, Marcus quickly realizes that he wants much more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. And when he discovers she’s actually Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to hide from her.

With love and Marcus’s career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely canceled?"

Mini-Review:  This was so good. It filled my heart with joy to see a plus-sized main character find love and be accepted exactly the way she is. And, I mean, who wouldn’t want to date their famous crush, right?! This book just had such a good message and overall feeling for me. I also struggle with my weight and body image and seeing how April acted about herself made me feel like maybe I’m not as ugly and unloveable as I feel. She dealt with horrible parents and online bullies but she was still an absolute delight and managed to keep me smiling while I was reading this book! I loved her, I loved the dynamic between her and Marcus, and I was obsessed with the fanfic excepts and random cheesy scripts are thrown in every so often. Those really did make me laugh so much. I loved this book if you couldn’t tell, and I can’t wait to read the next one!"

___________________________________________________________________________

Title: All the Feels

Author: Olivia Dade

Pages: 385

Genre: Romance

Release Date: 16 November 2021

From Goodreads: "Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all."

Mini-Review: I somehow think I loved this one even more than Spoiler Alert?! I didn't think that was possible after how much I adored that book but something about All the Feels just hit me in all of my feels. It was sweet and cute and funny and the relationship between Alex and Nanny Clegg just killed me oh my gosh. I love slow burn romance, apparently, and this was perfection.

Title: Sinners & Saints

Author: Lana Sky & Molly Doyle

Pages: 264

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: 12 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Traumatized by a family tragedy, Frances “Frey” Heywood resorts to committing the unthinkable—only to be saved at the eleventh hour by a man more troubled than even she can comprehend. Daze Keaton is bad news. A criminal and a drug dealer, he’s a far cry from the safe harbor Frey craves, but all her doubts pale in the face of the way he numbs that cold, broken place inside her. If only for a little while. Though Daze’s comfort is a welcome gift, his true motives are far darker than she can ever fathom. While he might have saved her life, her future is in far more danger with him in it. Not that her head will listen. Or her heart."

Mini-Review:  Bless me Father for I have sinned or something like that. I somehow had no idea Molly Doyle had released a new book, shame on me! This was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, and not because of anything negative. I went into this blind, no synopsis read or anything like that. I just knew Molly’s name was on it so I was sold. I loved this writing duo and got hooked almost immediately! I’m absolutely ready to wait for the rest of the books to come out because I am happily addicted to the writing, the world, and the characters.

Title: The Four Leaf

Author: Lee Jacquot

Pages: 106

Genre: Romance Novella

Release Date: 17 March 2022

From Goodreads: "Two best friends grow up together, fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. But what about the one where the girl gets friend-zoned after an awkward attempt at making a move on her best friend? That’s my story. More than a decade has passed, and while our platonic relationship somehow survived, I still cringe when I think about it. Like now.

I’m supposed to be getting my hotel ready for all the guests from the St.Patrick's Day parades, but instead, I’m staring at my best friend while he repairs one of my sinks. The memory and sting of his polite rejection years ago usually helps get my head on straight, but it’s not working this time. Not when there’s been an obvious shift in the air. And definitely not when he just grabbed onto my hips, growled in my ear, and told me to run."

Mini-Review: First off, thank you BookTok for not letting me down with this recommendation! It was exactly what I was hoping for and then some. And now I need a full-length novel with Sam and Adrian because I loved them! The writing was so easy to just get lost in and I really felt like this was one of the most satisfying novellas I’ve ever read. Did I just find a new go-to author?! I think so!

Title: Carnage

Author: Sarah Bailey

Pages: 394

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: 16 July 2021

From Goodreads: "They call us The Four Horsemen. Four friends forged in fire and blood. No one knows where we came from nor how we got our name. Drake, Francis, West and I rule the financial industry like kings. Gods in our own right.

We grew up with a fifth. A girl. Scarlett. She was one of us until she was ripped away from her life. The only trace of her was dust in the wind. One day she returned to the city and sought us out. Scarlett couldn’t remember who we’d been to her, but we recalled her all too well. If she knew what was good for her, she would have never come back. The moment she stepped through the doors of Fortuity, it was the beginning of her end. And the start of our reign over the girl who wanted us dead."

Mini-Review: I had read this previously but apparently never logged it? But it was just as good the second time around! I’m a sucker for this kind of story, I guess. But I really do enjoy Sarah Bailey’s writing, oh my gosh. It’s honestly addictive and I am so excited to continue the series!

Title: Chaos

Author: Sarah Bailey

Pages: 424

Genre: Dark Romance

Release Date: 27 August 2021

From Goodreads: "West Greer - War 
They say violence is never the answer. I beg to differ. There’s no peace without a little pain. Drake, Prescott, Francis and I are monsters who live up to their name. The Four Horsemen. Gods reincarnated as men.

Scarlett returned to the fold, but not as the girl we once knew. The girl I’d been obsessed with my whole life. The one I’d have given everything for. It all changed when she walked into Fortuity and gave us a run for our money. Battle lines were drawn. Flags erected. And we were at a stalemate. If she thought we were backing down, she was in for a wake-up call. It was time Scarlett learnt who she really was. And why we would never let her go again."

Mini-Review: I’m so glad I restarted this series because it just keeps getting better with every book! I love that we’re seeing the characters develop and that little bits and pieces of their past are being revealed. The writing is addictive and so easy to get lost in, and I keep reading huge chunks of these books without even realizing it!

Title: Tastes Like Candy

Author: Ivy Tholen

Pages: 264

Genre: YA Horror

Release Date: 19 October 2020

From Goodreads: "Everyone at Pritchett High wants an invitation to the Senior Scavenge. In 2020, Violet Warren and her friends are the lucky ones. Eight girls will break into the Poison Apple Carnival after hours for a scavenger hunt, then at sunrise, they’ll gather for a celebration in honor of their upcoming senior year. But someone else has another game planned. Minutes after the girls sneak into the carnival, a madman in a rubber mask begins slashing his way through the group and Violet quickly realizes his motives are personal. As she watches her friends die in a series of increasingly bizarre attacks, she must fight to survive while trying to answer the question: What could she have done to earn a fast pass for a roller coaster ride straight to hell?"

Mini-Review: I’m a little torn on how I feel about this. It was an overall fun read and actually reminded me of Scream in a lot of ways! I love Scream (the original, obviously) so this is definitely a positive comparison. I did feel like a big chunk of the beginning was unnecessary and I did find myself getting bored at one point, to be completely honest. But it ended up being a cheesy fun time and again, reminded me of Scream, so I kinda saw why there was that seemingly unnecessary beginning. It was like a throwback to 90’s horror in general (which was a great era for horror) so I did have a good time once things got going. Even the motive was very cheesy teen slasher! I’ll probably read more from this author because I did actually enjoy the writing a lot so I can’t wait to see what else she’s released! Overall, I’d say this is a 3.5-3.75 for me.

___________________________________________________________________________

And that about does it for my August and September wrap-up! I read 12 books total over the past two months and while not every book was a new favorite, I definitely read some amazing books. I hope to try and keep up better with my wrap-up posts for the rest of the year, so keep an eye out for those! Next month is October which means spooky books and (hopefully) Blogtober! I hope you'll be here to see all of the fun and spooky posts that I have planned for next month. Let me know in the comments what your favorite books that you read in August and September were. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Hi hello and welcome to another 2022 anticipated releases post! I knew back when I posted my original 2022 Most Anticipated Releases list that I would be missing some and eventually make another list to share. Well, here's that list! I have so many great books on this list that I'm so excited about and cannot wait to read. Hopefully, this can introduce you to some books that you didn't know about and can add to your TBR! Let's get started!

___________________________________________________________________________

Title: Mary: An Awakening of Terror

Author: Nat Cassidy

Pages: 416

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 19 July 2022

From Goodreads: "Mary is a quiet, middle-aged woman doing her best to blend into the background. Unremarkable. Invisible. Unknown even to herself. But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things. Fired from her job in New York, she moves back to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her past and inner self. Instead, visions of terrifying, mutilated specters overwhelm her with increasing regularity and she begins auto-writing strange thoughts and phrases. Mary discovers that these experiences are echoes of an infamous serial killer. Then the killings begin again. Mary’s definitely going to find herself."

Title: Youngblood

Author: Sasha Laurens

Pages: 416

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 19 July 2022

From Goodreads: "Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink Hema, an expensive synthetic blood substitute, to survive, as nearly all of humanity has been infected by a virus that’s fatal to vampires. Kat isn’t looking forward to an immortal life of barely scraping by, but when she learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School, a prestigious prep school that’s secretly vampires-only, she knows her fortune is about to change. Taylor Sanger has grown up in the wealthy vampire world, but she’s tired of its backward, conservative values—especially when it comes to sexuality since she’s an out-and-proud lesbian. She only has to suffer through two more years of Harcote before she’s free. But when she discovers her new roommate is Kat Finn, she’s horrified. Because she and Kat used to be best friends, a long time ago, and it didn’t end well. When Taylor stumbles upon the dead body of a vampire, and Kat makes a shocking discovery in the school’s archives, the two realize that there are deep secrets at Harcote—secrets that link them to the most powerful figures in Vampirdom and to the synthetic blood they all rely on."

Title: The Book Eaters

Author: Sunyi Dean

Pages: 304

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: 02 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories. But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds." 

Title: Lightlark

Author: Alex Aster

Pages: 416

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: 23 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die. Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial. To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything." 

Title: Nightstrider

Author: Sophia Slade

Pages: 492

Genre: LGBT Fantasy

Release Date: 30 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Wren has spent her life doing the bidding of her cruel creator Para Warwick in the dream world known as the Reverie. When she learns of a weapon with the power to destroy him, she jumps at the chance to steal it. Her plan goes awry and she finds herself in the clutches of the rebellion and the rogue Alaric, a nightmare himself with twisted horns and dark magic. When a plea from a strange being known as a dreambreaker reaches them, the two ’mares find themselves thrown together in a desperate mission to save her before time runs out. Meanwhile, in the waking world, Caine Fallon, son of King Warwick and Prince of Wolfhelm, prepares to wed Ila Enevoldson, the young queen from the wild kingdom of Galesborough. But Ila is more than a queen. She is a weaver, a protector of the ancient Boundary that separates the Reverie and the Wake. Three nights before their wedding, Caine catches Ila in the act of opening a portal to the dream world and follows her, landing himself in a universe stranger than he could have imagined—a realm where his father is more monstrous than he ever could have fathomed. Now, the fates of four strangers will become intricately entwined, and the fate of their worlds will be sewn by their choices."

Title: Suburban Hell

Author: Maureen Kilmer

Pages: 336

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 30 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and went full minivan, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, together snarking the “Mom Mafia” from the outskirts of the PTA mom crowd. So, one night during their monthly wine get-together, the newfound crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz’s backyard – the perfect space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed. But the night after they christen the space with a ceremonial drink, things start to feel…off. What they didn’t expect was for Liz’s little home improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet suburban enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that’s before the Homeowners’ Association gets wind of it. Just as Liz is turned into a creepy doll face overnight, cases of haunting activity around the neighborhood intensify, and even the calmest moms can’t justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight back the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood…before the suburbs go completely to hell. But at least they don’t have to deal with the PTA, right?"

Title: Mindwalker

Author: Kate Dylan

Pages: 320

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 01 September 2022

From Goodreads: "Eighteen-year-old Sil Sarrah is determined to die a legend. In the ten years she's been rescuing imperiled field agents for the Syntex Corporation—by commandeering their minds from afar and leading them to safety—Sil hasn't lost a single life. And she's not about to start now. She's got twelve months left on the clock before the supercomputer grafted to her brain kills her, and she's hell-bent on using that time to cement her legacy. Sil's going to be the only Mindwalker to ever pitch a perfect game—even despite the debilitating glitches she's experiencing. But when a critical mission goes south, Sil is forced to flee the very company she once called home. Desperate to prove she's no traitor, Sil infiltrates the Analog Army, an activist faction working to bring Syntex down. Her plan is to win back her employer's trust by destroying the group from within. Instead, she and the Army's reckless leader, Ryder, uncover a horrifying truth that threatens to undo all the good Sil's ever done. With her tech rapidly degrading and her new ally keeping dangerous secrets of his own, Sil must find a way to stop Syntex in order to save her friends, her reputation—and maybe even herself."

Title: The Weight of Blood

Author: Tiffany D. Jackson

Pages: 416

Genre: YA Horror

Release Date: 06 September 2022

From Goodreads: "When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it. An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington. After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life. But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives."

Title: Motherthing

Author: Ainslie Hogarth

Pages: 288

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 27 September 2022

From Goodreads: "When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish. When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king."

Title: Lute
Author: Jennifer Thorne

Pages: 288

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 04 October 2022

From Goodreads: "On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less. Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored. Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line. Then The Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina―and Lute―will never be the same."

Title: Little Eve

Author: Catriona Ward

Pages: 288

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 11 October 2022

From Goodreads: "On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth. The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction. A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong. And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered."

___________________________________________________________________________

And that does it for more 2022 anticipated releases! Of course this list isn't every book coming out for the remainder of 2022, just a handful that I'm really excited about. A lot of these are horror and LGBT and honestly, that's right up my alley for this year. I think the book that I'm most excited about from this list is Little Eve by Catriona Ward! Sundial is one of my favorite books from this year, so I'm really interested in reading more books by her. I'd love to know what your most anticipated release for the remainder of 2022 is in the comments down below, and bonus points if it's one of the books on this list! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!