News - Book Launches

News - Book Launches

WILLIAM by Mason Coile has received fantastic press in the weeks leading up to its publication. For The Minnesota Star Tribune, Maren Longbella raves: “[M]emorable…The alternating short and shorter chapters keep the action tearing along, rather like cuts in a movie, as the temerity to meddle with existence undoes most of the characters...Is it the absence of something that creates the dissonance or is it the presence of something evil? By the end of WILLIAM you will have the answer. And then you'll want to read it again.” The book was featured on Reader’s Digest’s “61 Best Horror Books to Read in 2024,” Book Riot’s “10 Chilling New Horror Books Out September 2024,” and other must-read round-ups from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Gizmodo. G.P. Putnam’s Sons will publish the novel on September 10, 2024.

SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS by Kailee Pedersen published to fantastic reviews this week. From Los Angeles Times, Heather Scott Partington writes: “Pedersen’s grisly tale joins many distinct threads together into a terrifying end. SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS is remarkable in its keen barbarism, the author’s blending of the ordinary violence of rural life with the gravity of a Chinese myth. Her characters live ‘only for the ferocious hunt, the glorious betrayal. The suffering of others is its own delicacy,’ she writes — ‘more pleasurable than that of even raw flesh.’” Meanwhile, a review in Paste Magazine calls SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS “a masterclass in measured horror storytelling” and an “astonishing feat, a horror debut that announces Pedersen as a major new talent in the genre and in fiction at large.” St. Martin’s Press and Titan Books (U.K.) published SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS on August 20, 2024.

PEARL by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie enjoyed a very successful release this week. Parade featured the graphic novel on its list of “22 Best New Book Releases This Week: August 20-26, 2024,” along with the following praise: “Anyone who thinks comic books are just for kids can start right here.” More noteworthy features include Book Riot’s “New Releases and More,” WGBH’s “The big list of summer 2024 book recommendations from your local librarians,” Ebony’s round up of August books by Black authors, SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox’s list of new titles, and Comic Crusader’s “What’s on the Shelf, August 21st—Independent Publishers” round up. Graphix published the book on August 20, 2024.

FIGHT ME by Austin Grossman

Cory Doctorow says, “In Fight Me, the novelist and game developer Austin Grossman uses aging ex-teen superheroes to weigh the legacy of Generation X, in a work that enrobes its savage critique with sweet melancholia, all under a coating of delicious snark…it’s a great novel.”
Michael Joseph published FIGHT ME on May 23, 2024 it was released in the US market July 2nd, 2024.

THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES by Julie Leong

Julie Leong’s forthcoming debut THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES was a Spotlight Pick in Publishers Weekly’s e-blast featuring Berkley’s “Cozy Fall Reads.” It was also included on PW’s Fall 2024 Adult Preview: SF, Fantasy & Horror. Ace will publish the novel on November 5, 2024.

CHASING HOPE by Nicholas Kristof has received incredible praise surrounding its publication this month. A review from Publisher’s Weekly calls it an “impassioned memoir,” adding: “Kristof’s powerful reportage makes for a gripping look at both the craft of journalism and the humanitarian disasters he’s witnessed.” The book has been lauded in blurbs by various writers, including journalist Ann Curry, who praises as “delightful,” “inspiring,” “illuminating,” and “at times, hilarious.” Meanwhile, Katie Couric says that Kristof is “a journalistic exemplar, practicing the art of storytelling in its purest form,” and that CHASING HOPE “should be required reading for anyone interested in journalism, or for those who need to be reminded that, in the right hands, it can be a truly noble profession." Knopf published the book on May 14, 2024.

Bestselling author Austin Grossman’s new novel, FIGHT ME, received a fantastic review from Michael Joseph of the Bookbeard, who writes: “Whoever blurbed this book THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets the X-MEN nailed it. As Gen-X a book as they come, it’s an angst ridden, coming-of-age sci-fi, superhero mash up that’s as meandering as it is captivating. Smart, funny and heartfelt, FIGHT ME is an intriguing read… Fantastically crafted, capturing the spirit and mentality of Gen X with all the sarcasm and angst it brings, FIGHT ME is a wonderful, action packed superhero sci-fi adventure. Funny, fierce and engaging, it’s an amazing journey through a strange world full of very real humans (who are also super human). Truly exceptional.” Grossman will participate in the #YeahYouWrite Reading Series on June 3 at the Someday Bar in Brooklyn, alongside writers Abraham Chang, P. Djèlí Clark, and Carol LaHines. Michael Joseph published FIGHT ME on May 23, 2024.

WESTPORT by James Comey received 5 stars on the Daily Telegraph’s list of “The 20 best new crime thrillers to read this summer.” Terry Ramsey writes: “[WESTPORT] drips with authenticity (which you might expect) and quality writing (which you might not). A gripping read.” Mysterious Press published WESTPORT on May 21, 2024.

ROAD TO RUIN by Hana Lee is having a celebratory launch this month. Described as an “electrifying tale that proves impossible to put down” by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon, the novel is on readers’ radars for the summer. Paste Magazine has included the book on their list of “9 Must Read New Books by AANHPI Women to Add to Your Summer Reading List,” citing it a “perfect read to celebrate the [AANHPI] month.” Saga Press published ROAD TO RUIN on May 14, 2024.

The New York Times bestselling author Plum Sykes’ WIVES LIKE US is receiving fantastic press in the lead up to its publication next week. The Daily Mail writes: “Author and Vogue writer Plum Sykes is reportedly causing a major stir with her new novel set in the Cotswolds, as locals try to guess who the main characters are based on… According [the Time], the Cotswolds' setting of the novel is 'certainly of the moment', as fascination with the area has increased in recent years.” Sykes appeared on The Run-Through with Vogue Podcast to talk about the book, as well as “her most hilarious Met Gala memories, beginning in the ‘90s when she first arrived on the scene at American Vogue.” Lastly, Tatler published a piece by Sykes about the book, with the headline: “As Plum Sykes’ new novel sets tongues wagging, she exposes the trials and tribulations of the super-rich country set in Tatler.” Harper will publish WIVES LIKE US on May 14, 2024.