Book Releases I Am Looking Forward To Reading – March 2019 #bookblogger #reviews #amreading #reading #amwriting #writing #mustread #blog #books #bookblog #wishlist #bookreview #toberead #upcomingreleases #bookmail #bookhaul #booknerd

It’s March 2019 already! Easter is nearly upon us. Not only will I be feasting on chocolate but on an absolute ton of awesome book releases too. March is a strange month for publishing this year as almost every release lands on either the 7th or the 21st of the month. Before you say it, I know there is a Feb release at the start of the list. I know February isn’t March but I missed it off my last list and just look at it, Black Leopard, Red Wolf looks amazing!!!

As usual, please enjoy the list and let me know any of the following: Are any of these books on your radar? Have you been lucky enough to read any of these already? Is there a particular book that you are looking forward to in March? How do you think 2019 is shaping up for books so far?

Book Releases I Am Looking Forward To Reading – March 2019

Published by: Hamish Hamilton

Released: 28/02/19

Synopsis: ‘The child is dead. There is nothing left to know.’

Tracker is a hunter, known throughout the thirteen kingdoms as one who has a nose – and he always works alone. But he breaks his own rule when, hired to find a lost child, he finds himself part of a group of hunters all searching for the same boy. Each of these companions is stranger and more dangerous than the last, from a giant to a witch to a shape-shifting Leopard, and each has secrets of their own.

As the mismatched gang follow the boy’s scent from perfumed citadels to infested rivers to the enchanted darklands and beyond, set upon at every turn by creatures intent on destroying them, Tracker starts to wonder: who really is this mysterious boy? Why do so many people want to stop him being found? And, most important of all, who is telling the truth and who is lying?

Marlon James weaves a tapestry of breathtaking adventure through a world at once ancient and startlingly modern. And, against this exhilarating backdrop of magic and violence, he explores the fundamentals of truth, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf is the first novel in Marlon James’s Dark Star Trilogy.

My Thoughts: How good does this sound! Magic, adventure, ancient, modern, enchanted, violence, lies, power, secrets… Everything you could ever ask for in a dark fantasy series. You know how much I love a good series and I have high hopes for the Dark Star Trilogy.

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Published by: Viking

Released: 07/03/19

Synopsis: How far would you run to escape your life?

Anita lives in Karachi’s biggest slum. Her mother is a maalish wali, paid to massage the tired bones of rich women. But Anita’s life will change forever when she meets her elderly neighbour, a man whose shelves of books promise an escape to a different world.

On the other side of Karachi lives Monty, whose father owns half the city and expects great things of him. But when a beautiful and rebellious girl joins his school, Monty will find his life going in a very different direction.

Sunny’s father left India and went to England to give his son the opportunities he never had. Yet Sunny doesn’t fit in anywhere. It’s only when his charismatic cousin comes back into his life that he realises his life could hold more possibilities than he ever imagined.

These three lives will cross in the desert, a place where life and death walk hand in hand, and where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice.

My Thoughts: This is the kind of story I look for when picking up novels. I love to immerse myself in stories with substance and meaning. Putting myself in other people’s shoes and learning a new perspective in this world. The Runaways seems like it would satisfy this criteria so I am keen to give it a go.

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Published by:  The Borough Press

Released:  07/03/19

Synopsis: What if you had to choose between your family and your freedom?

How could I explain to her that nothing in my life felt real? That in a country like Kuwait, where everyone knew everything about each other, the most monumental thing to ever happen to me was buried and covered over? For the sake of my reputation, my future, my sister’s and cousins; the family honor sat on my little shoulders, so no-one could ever know.’

Dahlia has two lives. In one, she is a young woman with a good job, great friends and a busy social life. In the other, she is an unmarried daughter living at home, struggling with a burgeoning anxiety disorder and a deeply buried secret: a violent betrayal too shameful to speak of.

With her thirtieth birthday fast-approaching, pressure from her mother to accept a marriage proposal begins to strain the family.As her two lives start to collide and fracture, all Dahlia can think of is escape: something that seems impossible when she can’t even leave the country without her father’s consent.

But what if Dahlia does have a choice? What if all she needs is the courage to make it?

Set in contemporary Kuwait, The Pact We Made is a deeply affecting and timely debut about family, secrets and one woman’s search for a different life.

My Thoughts: Another interesting perspective on life. A culture that is so different compared to England and ideals that clash with our own. I am intrigued by this scenario and I am interested in seeing it unravelling in the near future.

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Published by:  Little, Brown

Released:  07/03/19

Synopsis:  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduced us to ‘Scandi noir’. Now, welcome to Alexander McCall Smith’s world of Scandi blanc . . .

Ulf Varg works in Malmo’s Department of Sensitive Crimes. Like all Scandinavian detectives he has his issues. In his case these include his unresolved feelings for his colleague, Anna; his impatience over the seeming incompetence of his irritating colleague Blomquist; and his concerns for the health of his hearing-impaired dog, Marten, the only dog in Sweden (and possibly all Scandinavia) who is able to lip-read (in Swedish).

Along with his colleagues, Ulf is called upon to investigate a bizarre attack on a market trader, the disappearance of a handsome man who may or may not exist, and the affairs of a variety of young female students whose relationships with one another leave a great deal to be desired.

Ulf and his team come to realise that the world is a puzzling place, lycanthropy (were-wolfism) exists and fish might have something to teach us. There is so much to learn if you are a Swedish detective, and in the first book in this new quasi-Scandinavian series, Ulf Varg embarks on these lessons with spirit and good humour.

My Thoughts: You had me intrigued at Scandi-Blanc. And that cover is amazing. And I am looking for a new protagonist to invest in. And this sounds so bizarre it could be amazing. And it has werewolves in it. Enough said.

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Published by:  Hodder & Stoughton

Released:  07/03/19

Synopsis:  

In the secular, sceptical, post-Christian world of the West, continuing faith in angels is both anomaly and comfort. But what exactly are angels, and why have so many in different times and contexts around the globe believed in them? What is their history and role in the great faiths and beyond their walls? Are angels something real, a manifestation of divine concern? Or part of the poetry of religion? And can they continue to illuminate a deeper truth about human existence and the cosmos?

These are not new questions. They have been asked over millennia, right up to the present day, as writer, journalist and broadcaster Peter Stanford explores in Angels, his latest investigation into the history, theology and cultural significance of religious ideas.

My Thoughts: Weeping Angels! They’re everywhere! Growing up in a semi-religious family, I have seen my fair share of churches and religious art. Angels have always fascinated me and I would like to learn more about the history behind Angels and their presence in culture, religion and art. Could be really interesting! Let’s find out.

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Published by:  Titan Books

Released:  19/03/19

Synopsis:  The near future. Following the death of his daughter Martha, Remi flees the north of England for London. Here he tries to rebuild his life as a cycle courier, delivering subversive documents under the nose of an all-seeing state.

But when a driverless car attempts to run him over, Remi soon discovers that his old life will not let him move on so easily. Someone is leaving coded messages for Remi across the city, and they seem to suggest that Martha is not dead at all.

Unsure what to believe, and increasingly unable to trust his memory, Remi is slowly drawn into the web of a dangerous radical whose ‘70s sci-fi novel is now a manifesto for direct action against automation, technology, and England itself.

The deal? Remi can see Martha again – if he joins the cause.

My Thoughts: Zero Bomb is my next read! The synopsis is appealing and it could be amazing. I do enjoy a decent British sci-fi novel with radical themes. Matt Hill has some impressing looking novels under his belt so I am confident that Zero Bomb will satisfying all my SF needs.

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Published by: Sceptre

Released: 21/03/19

Synopsis:  Lea Kirino is a ‘Lifer,’ who has the potential to live forever – if she does everything right. She has lived her life by religiously following the state directives that ensure she remains fit and healthy. She knows she wants to live forever, and she is going to green juice, yoga-cise and meditate her way to immortality.

Yet, when a brush with death brings her face to face with a mysterious group who believe in everything the state has banned, memories of now-forbidden childhood pleasures resurge alongside ghosts of her past. As Lea’s long-held beliefs begin to crack, she is forced to consider: What does it really mean to live?

My Thoughts: I previously requested a copy of Suicide Club back when the hardback was released but I had no luck. I am going to try again with the paperback as I am compelled by the concepts explored in the novel. The meaning of life is an ever-evolving idea and I make time for authors who delve into its rich, complicated fibres and attempt to pull out a solid interpretation.

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Published by: Bloomsbury

Released: 21/03/19

Synopsis: An urgent and unforgettable collection of stories, Show Them a Good Time explores types – men and women, their assigned roles and meanings – in modern society.

A young, broke Irish woman narrates her relationship with a successful comedian in New York; two hapless university students take to the stage in a bid to assert their autonomy; a school teacher makes her way through a series of dead-end dates, gamely searching for love or distraction as the world teeters towards ruin.

The characters in these magnificently accomplished stories are haunted as much by the future as they are by their pasts. Exuberant, irreverent and loaded with dark humour, Show Them a Good Time marks the arrival of a strikingly original new Irish voice in fiction.

My Thoughts: I do admit that it was the sprinkles that caught my attention but it was the gender division themes that kept it in place. This is one of the biggest themes in fiction (and non-fiction) right now and I am keen to stay up to date. I am glad to see that there is multiple story arcs and I am interested to see how they all play out.

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Published by: Sphere (Little, Brown)

Released: 21/03/19

Synopsis:  As the glamour of the Bright Young Things crashes into the world of the Mitford sisters, their maid Louisa Cannon finds herself at the scene of a gripping murder mystery.

Meet the Bright Young Things, the rabble-rousing hedonists of the 1920s whose treasure hunts were a media obsession. One such game takes place at the 18th birthday party of Pamela Mitford, but ends in tragedy as cruel, charismatic Adrian Curtis is pushed to his death from the church neighbouring the Mitford home.

The police quickly identify the killer as a maid, Dulcie. But Louisa Cannon, chaperone to the Mitford girls and a former criminal herself, believes Dulcie to be innocent, and sets out to clear the girl’s name . . . all while the real killer may only be steps away.

My Thoughts: I am on a bit of a Christie fix right now and I couldn’t pass up the chance to read a new murder-mystery series set in the 1920s. Plus Bright Young Dead has very real roots into history which is always an added bonus.

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Published by: Gollancz

Released: 21/03/19

Synopsis: The thrilling conclusion to the brilliant trilogy set on a distant world among the stars.

A MISSING NUCLEAR WARHEAD. AN INTERSTELLAR CONSPIRACY. A DOOMSDAY CULT.

In a remote city, a renowned performance artist commits suicide on video; from a long-abandoned space station comes impossible footage of a dead body; and in an isolated outpost, a secretive cult believes they are communing with the ancient alien Masters.

How are they connected?

Inspector Keon is trying to investigate, but once again his life has been flipped upside down. His wife, Alysha, is alive. His long search is over. Or, so he thinks. But his investigation is leading to a grand conspiracy by a powerful cabal and the forces of distant Earth reaching into every level of Magentan society.

Is she involved?

As he tries to learn the truth, the AI construct of his wife he created searches for her own place in this world and Magenta faces an existential threat. On the run, and with nowhere to turn Keon must decide who to trust:

The wife he loves or the AI who loves him.

My Thoughts: It is that time again. The last book in the series. Keon’s journey has been a hellish one and it will be good to see him get some closure finally. Sam Peters knows how to capture a SF audience with impressive technological and natural scientific wonders. If you haven’t put time into this series yet then you are missing out!

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Published by: Orion

Released: 21/03/19

Synopsis:  Anna Byrne is a jailhouse librarian. Most days, she loves her job and shares the life-affirming power of books to people who would have no hope without them. Often, she can get too close and forget some of these men are dangerous criminals.

But some of them never had a chance. Like Michael Hudson, who’s been locked up awaiting trial before his sudden release. He’s happy and relieved but can’t shake the question preying on his mind: how comes the witness who put him behind bars is suddenly refusing to testify?

There’s a man who might have the answer, but he wants something first. Phil Ornazian is a private investigator who moonlights as a petty criminal. He’s not exactly proud of it, but times are hard in Washington D.C. People have to change to survive, or die trying.

But everything comes at a price and, at some point, everyone has to pay…

My Thoughts: This novel definitely has Grisham and Baldacci  vibes and I am feeling it. I like the way this book is delivered in a sort of chain-reaction style with multiple protagonists, all unknown to each other, that are connected by the lives they have led. This could be awesome. I am eager to find out!

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Published by: Rock The Boat

Released: 26/03/19

Synopsis: A new King Arthur has risen and she’s got a universe to save.

Coming to terms with your identity is always difficult. But for Ari, the 42^nd reincarnation of King Arthur, it just got a whole lot more complicated. Gender-bending royalty, caustic wit and a galaxy-wide fight for peace and equality all collide in this epic adventure.

With an awkward adolescent Merlin and a rusty spaceship, this is the Arthurian legend as you have never before seen it.

My Thoughts: I just received my copy of this today and I am beyond curious to see how the story of King Arthur unravels with a female protagonist. I have read the first few pages and it seems to be quite humorous but I hope it has some deeper moments hidden within. Re-imaginings are a tricky field when reversing gender but I am hoping this one has been done right.

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Thanks for stopping by yet another ‘book releases’ post here in ATIB. I am having an awesome time putting together these lists. Mainly because it’s not a TBR list so the stress of that weight on my shoulders is not there. These are simply amazing books that I hope I might get a chance to read. March is looking to be yet another great 2019 month for books, do you agree? I hope this list is tempting enough for you to pick a few of these up. Are there any books you feel should be on this list that I have left out? Come back again for an list for April very soon!