EarlyWord GalleyChat, #ewgc, February, 2022 -- Titles discussed, by pub. date

Link below to the Edelweiss catalog of these titles

https://bit.ly/3B4yN6w

To download a copy of this spreadsheet, go to "File" and select "Download"

To read the full chat, search Twitter, using #ewgc

PUB DATES are as of Feb, 8, 2022, according to Edelweiss. Some may change.

DRC = Digital review copies, also called "digital ARCs". Unless otherwise noted in comments, all titles are available from Edelweiss and may also be on NetGalley

Diversity = by or about people from under-represented communities

HEATING UP = growing enthusiasm

HOT = has come up many times. Multiple chatters have read and loved.

Interest = One or more GalleyChatters are interested in reading

LMR = Library Marketing Rep recommendation

LR Deadline = LibraryReads voting deadline, http://libraryreads.org/participate/

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss = Titles that are getting a significant number of "Much Love" designations on Edelweiss, even though they are not yet "HOT" or "Heating up" among GalleyChatters

NO DRC = Digital Review Copy not yet listed

New = first time title has been mentioned on GalleyChat

PAST DUE = Library Reads voting deadline has passed

Bisac Category Description

Title:Subtitle

Publisher Name

Format Description

LR Votes Due

Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ+ / Gay

Janovsky, Timothy

You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Trade Paperback

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- DEBUT, Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "Also up next for me: NEVER BEEN KISSED by Timothy Janovsky. Bonus: We get a 2nd book in October- Christmas themed! (You all know how much I love a Christmas romance) YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MATTHEW PRINCE."-- Buzzfeed, "26 Highly Anticipated LGBTQ+ Romance Novels Releasing In 2022" -- "What it's about: Yes, you're reading that right ?Janovsky's debuting this year with not one but two gay romance novels, and this one's perfect for the holiday season, especially all the grinches out there. When privileged Matthew Prince lands himself in hot water and gets shipped off to his grandparents' small town while his parents fix their new PR nightmare, he's less than thrilled with his festive new surroundings. Eager to get out faster, he takes on the task of helming a charity gala, along with the maddeningly sexy and unflappable Hector Martinez. Faced with small-town cheer, party planning, and all that hotness, even grinchy Matthew just might be powerless to resist..."

Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera

Nona the Ninth

Hardcover with dust jacket

No DRC as of Feb. 8, Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Joe_Jones @Joe_Jones, "I am still checking every day for egalleys of NONA THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir. I desperately need to know what happens next in this series! This is number 1 on my wish list!"

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy

Steeped to Death

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "Do you ever read a book description and think, "was this written for me?" Rachel felt that reading about STEEPED TO DEATH, a new cozy by @sierradean. 'Magical tea...Victorian mansion, her bookshop/tea store...and one very chubby orange cat named Bob.' " -- Strong interest.

Fiction / Literary

Robin B @robinsbooks, "New book by Oregon author, @caiemmons is very intriguing, UNLEASHED. Loved her earlier book, HIS MOTHER'S SON."

Fiction / Thrillers / Crime

Hardcover with dust jacket

Annette Jones @ZenLibrarian, "Love the twisty turns and shocking conclusion in the claustrophobic DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney! Give me a desolate mansion on a Cornwall island with no escape and I am totally in." -- Multiple "MuchLove" on Edelweiss

Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

McKenzie, Catherine

Please Join Us

Fiction / Action & Adventure

Donoghue, Emma

Little, Brown and Company

Janet Lockhart @HartGami, "Three Irish monks journey to a remote island where their survival skills & faith are put to the test. This book packed a real emotional wallop for me."

Fiction / Asian American

Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club

Trade Paperback

Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "I've been a fan of Roselle Lim since I read the galley of her first book. And now with her 3rd, SOPHIE GO'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB, she's officially on my all-time-favorites/ I'll-read-anything-she-writes list "

Fiction / Women

Mika in Real Life

William Morrow

Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "I recently adored Emiko Jean's YA book TOKYO EVER AFTER, so I'm really excited for her upcoming adult title MIKA IN REAL LIFE."

Fiction / Political

Last White Man

Riverhead Books

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Janet Lockhart @HartGami, "Can love overcome fear? Mohsin Hamid considers this question in the beautifully written THE LAST WHITE MAN."

Fiction / Indigenous

Emerson, Ramona

PRH/Random House

DEBUT, Jessica T. @JessLibrarian, "Another one near the top of my TBR that I caught my is SHUTTER by Ramona Emerson (8/9/22) sounds like a blend of crime thriller and supernatural horror, featuring a forensic photographer in New Mexico." -- From the publisher, "DEBUT NATIVE AMERICAN STORY: This debut novel is an important addition to the all too rare stories that get published about the Native American experience, especially in crime fiction …A polished supernatural thriller from a Native American filmaker "

Self-Help / Emotions

Life of School The

Varieties of Melancholy

Ingram Publisher Services

The School of Life

Hardcover Paper over boards

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

Cannon, Joanna

Fiction / Women

Thank You for Listening

Interest -- A Paperback Original-Also Available as a Hardcover Library Edition, 9780063243156

Biography & Autobiography / Literary Figures

Hallett, Hilary A.

Inventing the It Girl

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- Nanette Donohue @surferrosa, "Looking forward to INVENTING THE IT GIRL by Hilary A. Hallett--a biography of novelist Elinor Glyn, who wrote racy romances in the 1910s and 1920s."

Fiction / Thrillers / Historical

Pulley, Natasha

Half Life of Valery K

Bloomsbury Publishing

Hardcover with dust jacket

Vicki Nesting @VNesting, "Natasha Pulley has a new book coming out-THE HALF LIFE OF VALERY K! Not sure if this historical fiction set in a mysterious town in Soviet Russia (based on real events) will include her usual touch of fantasy, but I'm excited to find out."

Fiction / Fantasy / Historical

Meadows, Foz

Strange and Stubborn Endurance

Hardcover with dust jacket

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Jessica T. @JessLibrarian, "I haven't read Foz Meadows yet but the cover (and then description) caught me on this one: A STRANGE AND STUBBOURN ENDURANCE." -- From Publisher, "Foz Meadows is a queer Australian author, essayist, reviewer and poet."

Fiction / Fantasy / Historical

McMyne, Mary

Book of Gothel

DEBUT, Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "Rapunzel is my favorite fairy tale (pretty much because of the movie Tangled which is perfection) so I'm really excited for THE BOOK OF GOTHEL by Mary McMyne." -- Several love the cover.

Fiction / Women

Center, Katherine

St. Martin's Press

Hardcover with dust jacket

Heating up, Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "THE BODYGUARD by @katherinecenter comes out in July and our Laura loves the idea of a female bodyguard for a male celebrity instead of the typical dynamic. Should make for a great romance." -- JAN, Tracy Babiasz @tracymine, "I'm huge @katherinecenter fan & wasted no time in starting her upcoming THE BODYGUARD. And guess what? It's the female protagonist who's The Bodyguard! It's about time! Love a woman who can take care of herself. So what about this new hot actor client?" -- Jane Jorgenson @madpoptart, "On the contemporary lighter side, enjoyed THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center." -- on several TBR's

True Crime / Murder / Serial Killers

Killers Amidst Killers

William Morrow

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "Murderinos who loved Billy Jensen's CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME will be thrilled to learn he has a new book coming out in July: KILLERS AMIDST KILLERS. Billy posits there are serial killers at work in Ohio preying on women with opioid addictions."

Fiction / Historical

Moreno-Garcia, Silvia

Daughter of Doctor Moreau

PRH/Random House

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Joe_Jones @Joe_Jones, "I'm loving THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! She has such a gift in her writing to bring you into her world and give us a glimpse of life in Mexico we never see otherwise."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths

Minotaur Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

Beth Mills @BethMills2, "Downloaded and read Paula Munier's WEDDING PLOT yesterday; delighted to get back together with Mercy Carr and Elvis!"

Fiction / Women

William Morrow

Fiction / Science Fiction / Action & Adventure

Chambers, Becky

Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Hardcover with dust jacket

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- DRC on NetGalley. Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "Read it NOW! It'll fill your heart.."

Fiction / Thrillers / Technological

PRH/Random House

Ballantine Books

Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "I geeked out when I got the e-ARC of UPGRADE by Blake Crouch. DARK MATTER and RECURSION are two of my favorites and I have no doubt I'll love this one, too."

Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

Gallery/Scout Press

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "I'm amazing that I haven't started THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware yet. She's another all-time-favorite author for me." -- Stephanie Klose @sklose, "It's SO GOOD, Jenna. I'm almost done." -- ED. Note, Coincidentally, also coming in July is the NF title, INVENTING THE IT GIRL : How Elinor Glyn Created the Modern Romance and Conquered Early Hollywood, by Hilary A. Hallett, but the books have nothing in common beyond the titles.

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical

Huang, Christopher

Unnatural Ends

Ingram Publisher Services

Trade Paperback

Moved to July from May -- LesaHolstine @LesaHolstine, "UNNATURAL ENDS by Christopher Huang - England, 1921. 3 adopted possible heirs & a trap for them set years earlier by their father. Unusual twists & a really twisted father" -- Contributor Bio, "Christopher Huang grew up in Singapore, an only child in a family tree that expands dramatically sideways at his parents' generation. He moved to Canada after his National Service,"

Fiction / Women

Montimore, Margarita

Hardcover with dust jacket

Jill Minor @JillRhudy, "An ambivalent relationship between sisters. A cult of personality surrounding a vanished female magician in the internet age. Does anyone know where (or even who) Violet Volk is or was? ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore. " -- JAN, Cynthia Baskin @cabster19, "…it was great."

Fiction / African American & Black / Women

Sister Mother Warrior

William Morrow

Interest. -- Publishers Summary, "Acclaimed author of ISLAND QUEEN Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti."

Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

Tremblay, Paul

Pallbearers Club

William Morrow

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- RedheadFangirl @RedheadFangirl, "THE PALLBEARERS CLUB by @paulGtremblay. Coming of age splashed w punk, Polaroids & unsettling events in a memoir. Huge fan of his writing, and this one hits the awkward, tender with horror elements."

Fiction / Gothic

Wynne, Phoebe

St. Martin's Press

Hardcover with dust jacket

Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "A Gothic novel with nods to Patricia Highsmith and Atonement? YES PLEASE! Our Ann is very much looking forward to THE RUINS."

Political Science / Commentary & Opinion

Rothman, Noah

Rise of the New Puritans

Broadside Books

Biography & Autobiography / Rich & Famous

Reginato, James

Growing Up Getty

Fiction / Literary

Dele Weds Destiny

PRH/Random House

DEBUT, Michelle M @blkMYmorris, "DELE WEDS DESTINY by Tomi Obaro is a sweeping relationship novel of friendship of three Nigerian women and their reunion at Funmi's daughter wedding. It's sweeping and I love the characters."-- From publishers Summary, "A novel about race, sex, class, and love-from an author at the beginning of a major career-Tomi Obaro's sparkling debut tells the story of three once-inseparable college friends in Nigeria who reunite for the first time in thirty years at a lavish wedding in Lagos for one of their daughters."

Fiction / Women

Patrick, Phaedra

Messy Lives of Book People

Trade Paperback

Fiction / Magical Realism

William Morrow

DEBUT, Janet Lockhart @HartGami, "Would you want to know exactly how long you have to live? That's the question faced by the world in THE MEASURE by @nikkierlick. Still not sure what my answer would be. "

Fiction / Friendship

Beth Mills @BethMills2, "Enjoyed Jane Rosen's A SHOE STORY: young woman who put her ire on hold to care for ailing father has a chance to pick up where she left off, but does she still want the same things?"<br>~<br>

Fiction / Literary

Straton, Wesley

Bartender's Cure

Hardcover with dust jacket

DRC, NetGalley -- DEBUT, Robin B @robinsbooks, "Very much looking forward to THE BARTENDER'S CURE by Wesley Straton. Set in a bar and featuring cocktail recipes, this appears to be a book for those who love restaurant and food settings."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth

Burton, Jeffrey B.

Minotaur Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

LesaHolstine @LesaHolstine, "Fan of Mace Reid's cadaver dogs, especially Vira? They're back in Jeffrey B. Burton's THE LOST. An unusual villain."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths

Knecht, Rosalie

Tin House Books

DRC added since Jan chat -- Janet Lockhart @HartGami, "If I'm ever in trouble I want PI Vera Kelly on my side. LOVE this series & want everyone to read it! VERA KELLY LOST AND FOUND." -- LMR, Norton Library Mktg @WWNortonLibrary, "it's the last book in the series VERA KELLY: LOST AND FOUND - Vera's girlfriend goes missing. Could it have been her father??? " -- AN LGBTQ AND MYSTERY AWARD-WINNING SERIES: Vera Kelly is Not a Mystery, book 2 of the series, won a 2021 Edgar Award and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

Sourcebooks Landmark

Interest, JAN&lt; LMR, Sourcebooks Library @SBKSLibrary, "Starting out our first #EWGC of 2022 with THE LIES I TELL by @jclarkab, a riveting thriller about a con artist and an investigative reporter who are set on a collision course. But the question is...who is hunting who??" -- Robin B @robinsbooks, "For thrillers,…I can't wait to read: Julie Clark, LIES I TELL (author of LAST FLIGHT)"

Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy

Fake It Till You Bake It

St. Martin's Griffin

Trade Paperback

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "Our Ann isn't usually a romance reader, but she's always game for a cooking romance. FAKE IT TILL YOU BAKE IT by @Jamie_Wesley is the latest to catch her eye."

Fiction / Fantasy / Epic

Rowland, Alexandra

Taste of Gold and Iron

Hardcover with dust jacket

DRC on NetGalley -- Jane Jorgenson @madpoptart, "Another lovely fantasy/romance read, A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON by Alexandra Rowland - read for the cover and mention of the GOBLIN EMPEROR."

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

House Across the Lake

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- Interest

Fiction / Family Life

Moore, Meg Mitchell

William Morrow

Continued interest from JAN chat.

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Traditional

Local Gone Missing

Robin B @robinsbooks, "More breaking book news: Next Fiona Barton title just appeared on @NetGalley, LOCAL GONE MISSING. Sigh... another addition to my very high TBR list!"

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

Moehling, Joshua

And There He Kept Her

Poisoned Pen Press

DEBUT, Mara @mrlzbth, "Fans of really dark thrillers will love Joshua Moehling's AND THERE HE KEPT HER, in which a pair of teenagers definitely pick the wrong house to break into in search of drugs...Yikes.' -- JAN, RedheadFangirl @RedheadFangirl, "Teens break in for drugs but the old man has a few things he wants to keep hidden. Small Minnesota lake town crime ."

Humor / Form / Essays

Brunson, Quinta

She Memes Well

Trade Paperback

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- Stephen Sposato @stephensposato, "Any other fans of TV's Abbott Elementary? After I got hooked I was excited to learn that the show's star and creator Quinta Brunson is the author of this book."

Fiction / Literary

Newman, Sandra

Ingram Publisher Services

Anbolyn Potter @anbolynp, "I am reading THE MEN by Sandra Newman and it is riveting. All men disappear from the world at the same time. Can't wait to see where it goes.'

Fiction / Women

PRH/Random House

Ballantine Books

Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_. "As a longtime listener of @pchh, Ann squealed when she saw that FLYING SOLO by @lindaholmes was available on Edelweiss. We need more charming capers featuring women finding themselves in the world!" -- Vicki Nesting @VNesting, "Looking forward to FLYING SOLO by Linda Holmes. Loved her debut EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER and this one looks just as good."

Fiction / Historical

Algonquin Books

DRC, NetGalley -- LMR, WorkmanLibrary @workmanupdate. "well-loved author… getting rave reviews."

Fiction / Historical / Civil War Era

Brooks, Geraldine

Antiquarian Librarian @kellywellread, "I am looking forward to diving into HORSE, the next book by Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks (June, Viking/PRH), about the famous historical racehorse Lexington and the black enslaved groom who formed an amazing bond. Set in multiple timelines: 1850, 1954, and 2019." -- several others also anticipating

Fiction / African American & Black / Women

By Her Own Design

William Morrow Paperbacks

DRC added since Jan chat -- Nanette Donohue @surferrosa, "From my 'highly anticipating' shelf on Edelweiss." -- Publishers Summary, "The incredible untold story of Ann Lowe, Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress designer, a Black woman who made some of the most famous dresses of all time, only to be forgotten by history."

Fiction / Literary

Fajardo-Anstine, Kali

Woman of Light

PRH/Random House

Continued interest from Jan chat -- JAN, Mara @mrlzbth, "loved Kali Fajardo-Anstine's WOMAN OF LIGHT, historical fiction primarily set in 1930s Denver about a tea leaf reader named Luz Lopez and the stories of five generations of her Indigenous Chicano family. Vivid characters and a really moving plot. " -- Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss.

Fiction / Women

Monaghan, Annabel

Nora Goes Off Script

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Leslie DeLooze @readerleslie, "Book #1 I loved this month: NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT by Annabel Monaghan. Sweet, clever, very funny. Lots of great dialogue with kids who steal the show." -- Jane Jorgenson @madpoptart, "I really enjoyed this one too (even with a too abrupt ending). If you enjoyed EVVIE DRAKE, you'll love this one."-- JAN, The Anglophile Librarian @anglophilelibr, "…the second chance, romance we all need to read right now. Extremely smile inducing. …extra good if you like a little Hollywood with your romances."

Fiction / Occult & Supernatural

O'Donnell, Paraic

Maker of Swans

Tin House Books

Vicki Nesting @VNesting, "So looking forward to THE MAKER OF SWANS by Paraic O'Donnell after last year's superb historical mystery, THE HOUSE ON VESPER SANDS. With a bit of magic added? Oh yes, please." -- JAN, LMR, Norton Library Mktg @WWNortonLibrary, "LibraryReads suggestion for Summer 2022"

Fiction / African American & Black / Women

Last Summer on State Street

William Morrow

DEBUT, LMR, librarylovefest @librarylovefest, "Really excited about LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET by debut author Toya Wolfe! I'm not sure anyone could put together-and then pull apart-a trio of young girls growing up in Chicago quite like Toya can. Definitely pulls on the heart strings!"

Fiction / Mystery & Detective

Griffith, Cary J.

Ingram Publisher Services

Adventure Publications

Trade Paperback

First Clue @1stClueReviews, "Starting Cary Griffiths' COUGAR CLAW this evening. I'm imagining it's an Emily Littlejohn readalike, but we'll see!"

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical

Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

Multiple "Much Love" on Edelweiss -- DEBUT, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "One of the most anticipated debuts of 2022! A BOTANIST GUIDE TO PARTIES AND POISONS by @authorkkhavari is a pulse-pounding STEMinist mystery."

Fiction / City Life

Crosley, Sloane

Hardcover with dust jacket

Ingram Library Services @TheLibraryLife_, "Rachel loved I WAS TOLD THERE'D BE CAKE, humorous essays by @askanyone, so I'm super excited to read her upcoming novel CULT CLASSIC (and that cover!)"

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

DEBUT, DRC, NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "In HER DYING DAY by @MindyRCarlson, a mystery writer's sudden disappearance leads a budding filmmaker down a dark road to treachery, murder, and secrets. Perfect for fans of Shari LaPena!"

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths

Schellman, Katharine

Last Call at the Nightingale

Minotaur Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

LesaHolstine @LesaHolstine, "Katharine Schellman moves from Napoleonic-era London to Jazz Age/Prohibition NYC with LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE. Love the cover & working class heroine, a Irish-American seamstress.Fascinating characters." -- Multiple likes.

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy

Gardner, Tracy

Peril at Pennington Manor

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

DRC on NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "The 2nd Avery Ayers Antique Mystery by @TracyGardner_! PERIL AT PENNINGTON MANOR finds appraiser Avery Ayers sleuthing a murder in a castle. Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth

Blackburn, Scott

It Dies with You

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

DEBUT, DRC on NetGalley, LMR, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "IT DIES WITH YOU by @ScottMBlackburn, a searing literary debut, explores the dangerous world of secrets threatening to upend a rural Southern town. Perfect for fans of David Joy & Brian Panowich."

True Crime / Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions

PRH/Random House

BenBella Books

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Cats & Dogs

Death By Beach Read

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

DRC, NetGalley -- LMR, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "Lucy, our librarian sleuth is back in the 9th installment of @evagatesauthor Lighthouse Library series! In DEATH BY BEACH READ Lucy's new historic home comes with baggage and family secrets."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy

Gilbert, Victoria

PRH/Random House

Crooked Lane Books

DRC on NetGalley, LMR, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "@VGilbertauthor's A FATAL BOOKING, the 3rd in the Booklover's B&B series, is a treat for fans of Mary Daheim and Kate Carlisle!"

Fiction / Coming Of Age

MacMillan, Lindsay

Heart of the Deal

PRH/Random House

Trade Paperback

LMR, Crooked Lane Books @crookedlanebks, "THE HEART OF THE DEAL by @LindsayKat11 is perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, This debut has poignant commentary on female friendships, mental health, and what happiness really looks like."

Fiction / Literary

Hardcover with dust jacket

HOT, ADULT DEBUT, Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "A for-sure-will-be-on-my-2022-favorites title got pushed till May, so more time for you all to read it in advance! YERBA BUENA by Nina LaCour" -- DEC., Carol Ann Tack @Carolanntack, "I read YERBA BUENA in two days and wished I hadn't rushed through this remarkable story of love and family...it made my heart sing." -- OCT, Jenna Friebel @jenna_friebel, "If I could rave about only one novel right now, it'd be YERBA BUENA by Nina LaCour- her adult debut is like Sally Rooney in terms of character study/ relationships focus, but with the sparse yet poetic prose LaCour is known for from her YA books. And it's queer"! -- LJ Prepub Alert, "Sara Foster flees home at age 16 and eventually ends up as a popular (if slightly mysterious) bartender at the Los Angeles restaurant Yerba Buena. When directionless undergraduate Emilie Dubois takes a job arranging flowers at the restaurant, the connection between her and Sara sizzles. But can love conquer all, including the troublesome past? A first adult novel from Printz Award-winning YA author LaCour; with a 150,000-copy first printing."

Fiction / Friendship

Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

PRH/Random House

A John Scognamiglio Book

Trade Paperback

DEBUT, JenniferSchultz @Jennsreads, " charming, heartbreaking, funny, and hopeful." -- JAN, LMR, Michelle Lauren Addo @MichelleAddo, "THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE by Matt Cain, The retirement of a shy, closeted postman creates an opportunity to find a lost love, embrace his true self, connect with his community, & experience life's adventure." -- From the publishers summary, "•AN LGBTQ+ "MAN CALLED OVE": Like the works of Fredrik Backman, Albert Entwistle is a story about finding human connection amid loneliness, as an older, somewhat isolated character receives a second chance to put the past behind him and create a new life for himself. The novel also highlights the importance of the gay scene to the gay community in how different Albert's life could have been if he'd had access to an active, thriving gay scene when he was younger."

Fiction / Coming Of Age

Korelitz, Jean Hanff

Celadon Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

Continued interest -- JAN, Vicki Rock @VickiRock11, "Fingers crossed! Request pending on @NetGalley for THE LATECOMER by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Loved THE PLOT." -- NOV, Robin B @robinsbooks, "…can't wait to read Jane Korelitz's next book"

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical

Armstrong, Kelley

Rip Through Time

Minotaur Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

LesaHolstine @LesaHolstine, "You know Kelley Armstrong from her Rockton series. Kicking off a time travel one with A RIP THROUGH TIME. Cop ends up in 1869 Edinburgh as maid in a doctor's household. Terrific." -- NOV, Jane Jorgenson @madpoptart, "Kelley Armstrong has started a new series with A RIP THROUGH TIME, 21st century woman is attacked in Edinburgh and when she wakes finds herself in the 19th century inhabiting the life of a maid. Murder and mystery abound. Took a bit to get going, but when it did..." -- Andreen @deienara, "I agree, it was slow at first...but I love time travel anything!" -- Jane Jorgenson @madpoptart, "I always feel like I don't like time travel but weirdly end up reading a lot of it and loving it?"

Fiction / Literary

Adelmann, Maria

How to Be Eaten

Little, Brown and Company

DEBUT, LMR, Hachette Library @HachetteLib, "Smart, exciting, original, clever fiction with provocative ideas and spirit." -- DEC., Andrienne @deienara, "read a few pages -- for sure be talking about in the next GalleyChat." -- Jll Minor @JillRhudy, "Beginning to think Red Riding Hood is a total trend. I can't get enough of it myself."

Fiction / Historical

McPhail, Diane C.

Seamstress of New Orleans

PRH/Random House

A John Scognamiglio Book

JenniferSchultz @Jennsreads, "I am so excited for THE SEAMSTRESS OF NEW ORLEANS that I'm almost afraid to read it. A historical fiction book about the first all women Mardi Gras krewe? I'm from Louisiana and cannot wait to start it.." -- JAN, LMR, vida @BookOfVida, "ARCs are in for THE SEAMSTRESS OF NEW ORLEANS by Diane C. McPhail, an engrossing 1900-set novel that weaves Mardi Gras & women's history w/ the unlikely kinship between 2 women riding the brink of societal change. eARCs: bit.ly/3zAWFOu or email me for print!"

Fiction / Romance / Historical / Victorian

Herrera, Adriana

Caribbean Heiress in Paris

Trade Paperback

Mara @mrlzbth, "A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera was a fun romance about a woman from Santo Domingo who travels to Paris in 1889 looking for lucrative connections for her family's rum business...but who of course finds love as well. The first in a planned series!" -- HARDCOVER LIBRARY EDITION, 9781335427519

Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay

Boys Come First

Ingram Publisher Services

Belt Publishing

Jessica T. @JessLibrarian, "I grabbed BOYS COME FIRST by Aaron Foley from @NetGalley for several reasons-notable blurbs, comparisons to Terry McMillan and E. Lynn Harris, and described as 'a love letter to gay Michigan.' …started it last night, definitely worth checking out!'

Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

Minotaur Books

Hardcover with dust jacket

Performing Arts / Television / History & Criticism

Phasers on Stun!

Joe_Jones @Joe_Jones, "Working my way through PHASERS ON STUN! by Ryan Britt. A must read for any Star Trek fan filled with behind the scenes stories I never heard before! I didn't think I could be a bigger fan but now I am!" -- Janet Lockhart, "I had so much fun with this book! Spent part of my last FT with my twenty something daughter discussing it -- she<br>~will definitely read it when it pubishes."

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / International Crime & Mystery

Kershaw, Scott

No DRC as of Feb. 8 -- Leslie Stokes @lesliestokes1, "THE GAME (Kershaw) kept me fully engaged wondering who would win the deadly competition."