In My Bookish Era: Summer Reads

July is over so you know what that means… IT’S SPOOKY SEASON!

For all those that hate premature holiday celebrations, this article is NOT for you! We’re ready to chuck out those cute summer beach reads in favor of spooky stories and cozy romances among the fall foliage. 

To help get you in the mood, here is a preview of some of our most anticipated books coming out in the next few months!

The book that I and my customers are most excited about isn’t spooky, but it does have monsters! Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune is the follow-up to the hugely successful novel The House in the Cerulean Sea, first published in 2020, right at the time whispers of the Corona Virus coming into the U.S. started spreading. At a time when we needed comfort and a sense of belonging in a suddenly isolated world, The House in the Cerulean Sea came in and wrapped us all in a huge hug. The story of a case worker assigned to the Department in Charge of Magical Youth who found a family in the most unexpected place took the world by storm, and now four years later, we get to learn what happened to our favorite band of magical misfits and their foster fathers. Somewhere Beyond the Sea picks up at Marsyas Island where we find Arthur and Linus running the orphanage for magical children and working to make their found family official, but secrets from the past and a new challenging orphan will risk everything they have built, and they will soon find themselves fighting for the life they love. Somewhere Beyond the Sea releases September 10th, 2024, and Blue House Books will be carrying the limited edition first print one with vivid yellow sprayed edges. Pre-order your copy here!

I am constantly constantly shocked at how many people love cozy mysteries! People love curling up with something cute and fun, and yet there is still crime and murder… it’s the perfect combination! And even better than just any old cozy mystery is a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist! In The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C M Waggoner, a librarian with a knack for solving murders soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her little town. It’s a  riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote that will be the perfect read to curl up with on a cool autumn night.The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society releases September 24th. Pre-order your copy here!

Another popular subgenre that has become more popular in the last few years is comedy horror! How can you make serial killers and gorey murder scenes funny? Just ask the likes of Grady Hendrix and David Wong, they have been doing it for years! Another emerging voice in comedy horror is Maureen Kilmer. Her book Suburban Hell has been so incredibly popular at Blue House Books, and we can’t wait for the release of Nightmare of a Trip in September! As an average suburban family attempts The Great American Roadtrip, they are soon plagued by an abandoned, half-burned down farmhouse, creepy indoor waterparks, and paranormally plagued Cracker Barrels. Buckle up for this wild and spooky ride, you won’t want to miss it! Nightmare of a Trip releases September 10th, 2024. Meet the author at the Southport Literary Fair on  October 5th and pre-order your copy here! 

Of course it’s not spooky season without a haunted house novel, and Rivers Solomon is bringing us a horror story for a new generation. In Model Home, Ezri and their siblings know full well that there was something evil in their childhood home, and they high-tailed it out of there as soon as they could for that very reason. But they are forced to confront the horrors again years later when their parents turn up dead under mysterious circumstances. Social issues and diverse characters truly make this a horror novel for a new generation of readers, and I’m so excited to get creeped out! Model Home releases October 1st, 2024. Pre-order your copy here!

What’s better than one haunted house story? Two haunted house stories! But this time, we’re in post-revolutionary Russia! In The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, two formerly aristocratic sisters race to uncover their family’s long-buried secrets in a house haunted by a past dangerous—and deadly—to remember. We have had the pleasure of having Oleysa at Blue House Books before to discuss her debut novel The Witch and the Tsar, and we’re so excited that she will be back to talk about her new novel! The Moscow House releases September 3rd, 2024. Meet the author at the Southport Literary Fair on October 5th and pre-order your copy here!

It’s been a few years since the last wildly successful Jodi Piccoult novel (which many of our customers claimed was her best story yet), and we are ready for more! By Any Other Name is  an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name. Told in intertwining timelines, it’s a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire. This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten. By Any Other Name releases August 20, 2024. Pre-order your copy here!

If you need something charming and cozy to read next to a fire while leaves fall outside your window, this adorable witchy romance is for you! A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna is an enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track. This is like if Practical Magic and Beach Read had a baby, full of magic, strong women, and romance. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping releases December 24th, 2024. Pre-order your copy here!

If you’re excited to learn more about these fantastic books and many more, check out our Fall 2024 Preview list on our website! Happy reading!