Welcome to Over-Booked, where I share my latest and greatest book acquisitions! There is a new blog hosting Stacking the Shelves, so do check out Reading Reality for more information!
Apologies for the long post, but my April book haul is a little out of control. Let’s get right to it!
Books in the mail for review:
The Night Pool by Lauren Lee Smith. The Night Pool is a blood-soaked, page-turning horror set in the Gold Rush West, where three women must battle monsters both human and inhuman to survive—perfect for fans of Alma Katsu’s The Hunger and Victor LaValle’s Lone Women. This is being compared to Lone Women, and for me that sealed the deal (I loved that book to pieces!). Huge thanks to Blackstone Publishing for sending a copy. This book releases in August, so it will be part of my Summer of Horror TBR!
The Farewitch of Foxe Holler by Ellen Pauley Goff. Steel Magnolias meets Practical Magic in this charming contemporary fantasy debut in which a thirty-something kitchen witch whose recipes have the power to heal is recruited to help a reclusive warlock and discovers love on the other side of the next bake. I’m enjoying so many cozy fantasies this year, and I love the comps in the description. Many thanks to Del Rey for the review copy:-)
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan. Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin. This just came out this week, so obviously I’m behind since I haven’t read it yet. But it’s coming up soon in the pile, and I’m looking forward to it. With thanks to Berkley for the review copy!
Teddy Bears Never Die by Cho Yeeun. A young woman and a possessed teddy bear and set out on a revenge quest unlike any other in this stylish slasher from Cho Yeeun, a rising star in Korean horror. I can’t say I’ve ever read Korean horror before, so this should be fun! Thank you Orbit/Run For It!
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews. I’ve been seeing so many rave reviews for this book, so I was excited to be offered a finished copy. I just dove into it last night, and so far it’s a lot of fun! Big thanks to Tor Books for this lovely finished copy:-)
Sea of Charms by Sarah Best Durst. From the acclaimed author of The Spellshop, Sea of Charms is a delightful cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune. I love this series and have read the first two books, so I’m ready for more! I believe the MC Marin showed up in The Spellshop. Huge thanks to Bramble!
Headlights by C.J. Leede. Perfect for fans of The Shining and Longlegs, bestselling author CJ Leede’s Headlights is a pulse-pounding hunt across the frozen wilderness of Colorado. This is one of my most highly anticipated 2026 releases, so I’m so grateful to have a review copy. Big thanks to Tor Nightfire!
Abyss by Nicholas Binge. Severance meets Lovecraft in this surreal tale of corporate horror and existential dread. Also with thanks to Tor Nightfire, I’m really looking forward to another Nicholas Binge story, this time horror!
Parallax by Jeremy Robinson. New York Times-bestselling author Jeremy Robinson cements his reputation as a master of high-concept thrillers with Parallax, a harrowing chronicle that will plunge listeners into a mind-bending puzzle of distorted time, perception, and identity. Big thanks to Podium Publishing for this book, which comes out next week. I’m behind with April review books, so I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but I’m excited:-)
Defrosted by Cristina LePort. Dr. Cristina LePort raises the bar with Defrosted, a captivating fusion of science, medicine, and political intrigue that redefines the boundaries of the thriller genre. New to me author and new to me publisher, I’m taking a chance on this one! But it definitely has potential. With thanks to Bancroft Press for the review copy.
Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton. From the critically-acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate, comes a sweeping, deeply resonant novel about an archeologist in search of an ancient artifact that could not only change her life, but upend the story of civilization itself. I am seeing mixed reviews for this, which is sad because The Light Pirate was one of my favorite books of 2022. But I’m still curious, and very grateful for this lovely finished copy from Grand Central Publishing.
The Cafe of Infinite Doors by Zara Marielle. In a mythical Scotland of long ago, a goddess’s mortal surrogate dies in childbirth and leaves behind a vindictive firstborn daughter who seethes in the shadow of her new divine sister, leading to a violent clash that leaves both sisters imprisoned in separate worlds. I have already dipped into this magical story, and I hope to have a review up soon. Many thanks to Books Forward for the review copy.
The Hive by Ronald Malfi. An epic, Lovecraftian horror novel in the vein of Black River Orchard and American Elsewhere about a small town that becomes obsessed with a series of random objects left strewn across their town in the aftermath of a storm. From the Bram Stoker award-nominated and bestselling author of Come with Me. This is a big book at almost 800 pages, but I couldn’t resist reading the latest from one of my favorite authors! Huge thanks to Titan Books for this finished copy:-)
Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis. A hilarious contemporary fantasy about a junior sales witch stuck in corporate hell, who has to evade devilish pacts and her kickass, world-saving, demon-slaying mum to save a (surprisingly hot) demon, and work out how to hit her quarterly target. From the New York Times-bestselling author of Dreadful and The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association. I had so much fun with Rozakis’ last book, and this one also sounds great! Thank you Titan for this very cool finished copy!
Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman. A chilling supernatural revenge novella from the acclaimed author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes. Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and Delilah S. Dawson. I am currently reading this and will have a review up this coming week, stay tuned! Again, Titan has been so generous with these finished copies, which are simply lovely:-)
Model Actress Whatever by Kim Newman. From the acclaimed critic and award-winning author of Anno Dracula comes a bitingly satirical story of superheroism, soap opera and alternative reality — for readers of Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible and George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards. This is getting mediocre reviews, and now I’m regretting taking it on. Plus it’s really long! This is what happens when you don’t do enough research before accepting a book for review.
Digital books for review:
The Killing of a Chestnut Tree by Oliver K. Langmead. Be gay, solve crimes! The Killing of a Chestnut Tree introduces Havelock Harper, an all-new queer gentleman detective in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, with a cozy, fantastical mystery. I adore Oliver’s books, and I’m happy to see his new one coming out from Tordotcom, and the start of a series no less!
Trad Wife by Sarah Langan. From the three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Good Neighbors comes a chilling tale of a journalist’s descent into horror as she uncovers the dark secrets behind a trad wife influencer, blending suspense with a critique of modern femininity and the manipulative forces of social media. I’m jumping on the trad wife bandwagon, lol. This sounds so good.
All Her Beautiful Deaths by A. Rushby. A gothic tale in two timelines in which the lives of two women intersect through a series of mysterious, eerily beautiful photographs of the dead. I am so excited to read another book from this author! Last year’s Slashed Beauties was so unique!
Portrait of a Haunting by Madison Tyler Nelson. After fearing it all her life, a young woman embraces her ability to see ghosts after a murder occurs that appears dangerously linked to her past. Ghosts and witches, do I need to say more?
Big thanks to Oliver K. Langmead, Tordotcom, Berkley, and Atria Books:-D
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