New Releases to add to your TBR (10th November)

There are five fiction titles that I'm particularly excited about this week! We have Orlando from Harry Whittaker (Lucinda Riley's son) which is a new story set in the world of The Seven Sisters but with a returning character from The Shadow Sister. This one has everyone so excited as I think we all thought the last book written by Lucinda Riley and her son was the end of The Seven Sisters. I'm still working my way through he series, but looking forward to an the extra book! 

Shirl read an early copy of Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson and I've been waiting to grab my copy. It sounds like my ideal literary romance - one that's set in the book world and sounds complicated and thought provoking. It's also a debut which is so exciting as this could be the first book of a new favourite author?? Meanwhile I read an early copy of The Centre by Kiwi author Hannah Tunnicliffe and have been excited for its release ever since so that everyone else can enjoy its page-turning story about two sisters and a wellness cult that is pulling them apart. 

The other new fiction title that I've been waiting for is Yiyun Li's latest masterpiece, Music Against the Night. A historical epic about two talented musicians, this is the kind of book that intimidates me but I know will be worth the extra effort. It's another recent release that blends real characters (like Chopin and John Field) and events with an exquisite ability to craft language and storytelling. Also, Ann Patchett loved it (enough said).

Lastly, my wildcard choice this week that I didn't know was coming but fell immediately in love with as I was pulling out the new releases for the shop yesterday - Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham. Some of the descriptions of this book include "if Stephen King wrote Winnie the Pooh"  and "The Chronicles of Narnia cross with Lucy Foley". Consider me intrigued! This is a folk horror that starts as a whimsical animal story about a beloved book, Winterset Hollow, but turns into something quite deadly. 

Of course, those are just the five at the top of my own radar. There are many more exciting new fiction releases that may be more your vibe - especially for romance readers!

For the lovers of dark academia romance, Deveney Perry has a brand new book - The Secrets of Clarence Manor. My TBR list is growing wildly out of control because this sounds excellent with a prestigious university, wealthy families, and a currency of secrets and skeletons, plus I loved her slow burn romance in Shield of Sparrows.

Romantasy readers like Amelia will be happy to have the finale to Abigail Owen's Crucible Trilogy, The Wrath Gods Reap (I may need to start this one after seeing Amelia rave about the series and this book!). There's also the conclusion to The Witches of Halstett with Katherine J. Adams releasing Tonight, I Blaze which has a stunning cover and sounds devastating in the best ways.

And for dark, mafia romance fans - Rina Kent has you covered with the first brook in the brand new Monster Trilogy, Blood of My Monster. I have read one Rina Kent romance and she goes DARK so I'm a little scared of this, but I know many of you are die hard fans and I can definitely see myself giving this one a try.

As well as ALL that, we have a Christmas romance from Lucy Score (delightful), Captive Traitor King from Brigid Kemmerer, the Greco-Roman inspired Chosen Son from Adrienne Young, and so much more.

We've got a stack of memoirs on our New Release table but the one we have towering over the others, and all signed, is Bare Margins by Kane Williamson. It was a delight to have him visit Hero HQ and his autobiography is flying out the door.

We've also got another Kiwi memoir about the courageous Kahurangi Rangimārie Nadia Glavish, The Kia Ora Lady, and the 50th Anniversary celebration of the iconic Footrot Flats: Here's to the Good Times! This beautiful big hardback would make such a lovely gift for anyone who grew up with these characters.

Internationally there's Dustin Hoffman's Look At Me which is an intimate account of his work across the last 6 decades and a contemplation of a life in retrospect (it also has such a wonderful cover that I would buy it purely because of the black and white photo of Dustin on the front).

But, of all the celebrity and sportspeople and other non-fiction memoirs this week - the one I am most likely to bring home one day soon is Daddy Issues by Sofia Franklyn. I love a little bit of messy celebrity gossip, and I already know this is one of those books I will devour in a couple of days and then want to talk to everyone about. 

If you loved Careless People, like I did, then you'll need to pick up The Power of One by Frances Haugen. This is another true story of a Facebook employee who was the whistle blower for some of their deepest secrets, and it's going to arrive as a film soon too so no better time than to get in early and read the book first!

Robert Greene is one of those authors that everyone except me seems to have read (one day I will!) and he's got yet another visually striking book, The Law of the Sublime. Of all his books, this one looks like the one I would want to read the most because it's all about the way we find meaning by becoming more connected with the awe inspiring nature of the world around us and the miracle of existing alongside each other.

There's also an excellent new self-help book from the author of Dopamine Nation, Radical Surrender by Anna Lembke. This one again seems absolutely relevent right now as it's all about tackling mental health struggles through letting go of control and connecting to spirituality and purpose.