Welcome to Future Fiction, my reimagining of the Waiting on Wednesday meme! There are so many amazing new books coming out, that I can no longer pick just one. My goal with Future Fiction is to share at least three new books each week, a combination of recent cover reveals and books that I’ve recently added to my TBR pile. I’m still going to be linking up with Wishful Endings/Can’t Wait Wednesday, and I also want to give a shout out to Jill at Breaking the Spine for starting the original Waiting on Wednesday meme. I hope you’ll find some new books to add to your TBR piles, and as always, I look forward to hearing what YOU’RE looking forward to:-D
Today I have mystery, fantasy and literary magical realism picks for you, take a look:
Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret – but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept – his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.
Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn’t extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy—and Irene’s death is only the beginning.
When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. Releases in October 2022 from Forge. A queer, historical mystery? Yes I would like to try this! Plus check out the cover, it’s got a nice Gothic vibe to it. Oh, and rabbits on the cover. I’m adding this to my list of books with rabbits on the cover:-D
Andrea Hairston’s historical fantasy Will Do Magic for Small Change presents a tale of alien science and earthbound magic and the secrets families keep from each other.
Cinnamon Jones dreams of stepping on stage and acting her heart out like her famous grandparents, Redwood and Wildfire. But she’s always been theatrically challenged. That won’t necessarily stop her! But her family life is a tangle of mysteries and secrets, and nobody is telling her the whole truth.
Before her brother died, he gave Cinnamon The Chronicles of the Great Wanderer—a tale of a Dahomean warrior woman and an alien from another dimension who perform at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. They are a story of magic or alien science, but the connection to Cinnamon’s past is unmistakable.
When an act of violence wounds her family, Cinnamon and her theatre squad determine to solve the mysteries and bring her worlds crashing together.
Will Do Magic For Small Change by Andrea Hairston. Releases in October 2022 from Tordotcom. This looks like it’s set in the same world as Hairston’s Redwood and Wildfire, which I’m hoping to read soon. This is such a gorgeous cover!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go.
Between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.
Right off the coast of South Carolina, on Mallow Island, The Dellawisp sits—a stunning old cobblestone building shaped like a horseshoe, and named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.
When Zoey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment on an island outside of Charleston she meets her quirky and secretive neighbors, including a girl on the run, two estranged middle-aged sisters, a lonely chef, a legendary writer, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. Releases in September 2022 from St. Martin’s Press. Thanks to Bonnie for putting this on my radar! I have never read Sarah Addison Allen but I know she’s very popular. I’m definitely going to read this!
Lavender House looks more than intriguing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I agree, I can’t remember where I saw it, but I’m glad I did:-)
Isn’t Will Do Magic for Small Change such a cool title? Effective, too…makes me want to read the book!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…Goodbye, Virginia
Yes, it’s an excellent title!
I had to laugh at the title, Will Do Magic for Small Change. I agree with Priscilla, it’s a very cool title. 🙂
Ha ha yes, great title!
Lavender House sounds fabulous. I have never read a novel where the main characters owned a soap empire and it is intriguing.
Laura@Reading Books Again recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday #8
Me either! I hope we both get the chance to read it.
Lavender House for sure!! I really like the author (his first book All Men of Genius remains one of my favorite little known books). I guess this explains why I’ve been running across mentions of Redwood and Wildfire lately. I’ll have to check that one out, and then this new book too!
It’s good to know you’ve read the author of Lavender House before:-)
Lavender House is the most intriguing to me, but all these books sound interesting and have amazing covers!!
I can’t wait to try Lavender House!
I love the sound of Lavender House! Other Birds has also already been on my radar, is sounds beautiful!
I’m very excited for Other Birds, I need to read the author at some point:-)
Will Do Magic for Small Change sounds really cool! Thanks for sharing!
It does sound good, plus it’s such a cool cover:-)
Everything about Lavender House just speaks to me. I think I would really enjoy this book.
Will Do Magic For Small Change sounds like another amazing one. Where do you keep finding these? And I agree, the cover is gorgeous!
I love how the synopsis of Other Birds included “and three ghosts.” Gotta say I’m intrigued by it. I usually enjoy stories with magical realism so gonna keep an eye out for this one.
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Can’t-Wait Wednesday: The War That Made the Roman Empire by Barry Strauss
Lavender House isn’t my normal go to genre, but I love the cover and the blurb so much, I’m excited to read it:-)
You always manage to feature unique books with stunning covers! 2nd and 3rd are very tempting!
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Book review: Agatha Christie Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World
I agree, these covers are all pretty epic, and also colorful:-)
Oooh this is an interesting bunch for me, because I have never heard of any of them, and I am on the fence about ALL of them. None are my exact usual fare for one reason or another ( old-timey rich families, magic, sure, but most of all, birds) but they all have some elements that really pull me in (and extra points for the covers for the first two especially! I am officially in love with them both!) Thanks for putting these on my radar!!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…February 2022 Discussion Challenge Link Up & Giveaway
It was an interesting bunch for me too! Once in a while I see books from publishers I don’t usually follow, so it’s nice to feature books that aren’t always the same publishers.
I love Sarah Addison Allen’s work too. I’d love to try Other Birds when it comes out.
I own a couple of her older books but for whatever reason haven’t read them. I’m excited to try her books:-)
Oooou these are all new-to-me authors and they all sound great! Lavender House sounds most like my cup of tea so I’ll have to check that one out. Thanks for putting these books on my radar. I hope you enjoy them!
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Thank for visiting, Jae!
Lavender House- love that! And the cover! I didn’t even notice the rabbits til you mentioned them. 🙂
I do remember seeing Sarah Addison Allen’s books around too and thinking they sounded good.
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I actually own one of Allen’s books, and I haven’t read it yet!
I love the title and premise behind Will Do Magic for Small Change, though I’ll need to read Redwood and Wildfire first before deciding to pick it up. I also love the gothic vibes of Lavender House, and yes, what is up with all the rabbits on covers this year 😀
Ha ha yes rabbits are everywhere:-)
Lavender House is my favorite! And that cover!!
I love the cover too:-)
I love these posts because I know I’ll always find something that is a welcome surprise – Other Birds.
Lynn 😀
Doesn’t it sound good?
All three of these sound amazing. I am adding them all to my wish list right now!
They do, I can’t wait to read them:-)
Lavender House sounds so good and the cover is beautiful!
I am completely in for Lavender House – this is the first I’d heard of it, and now October seems like an awfully long way away!
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