Some Books to Look Forward to in 2024
One of my favorite perks of this job is that I not only get to learn and grow as a writer and editor, but I also get to satisfy myself as a reader! With the help of platforms like NetGalley, I get to review ARCs of novels that aren’t being released for months.
Unfortunately, we’re not able to feature every book that we read and love in the magazine. But since the first three months of 2024 are almost behind us, I wanted to share some of the books I’ve read so far this year that I’ve loved, and let you know when you can get your hands on them too.
Note: WD uses affiliate links.
Horror/Thriller
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Publishes: April 2
Back of book Description: Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she’s fallen in love.
Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.
However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don’t think about love that way.
Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she’s about to confess, Homily reveals why she’s in the area: she’s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?
Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option. Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.
And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.
What I loved about it: The body horror. If you’ve read our blog before, you’ll know that I’m very picky about the body horror that I read! (What Is Body Horror in Fiction?) But this story uses the body horror in a very purposeful way; not only is it integral to Shesheshen’s character and the world-building, but it’s used in a way that has an emotional impact on the reader (other than just being grossed out). The romance is also a delightful slow burn, and there’s a lovely twist near the end of the novel!
Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
Publishes: April 16
Back of book Description: All Noemi Broussard wanted was a fresh start. With a new boyfriend who actually treats her right and a plan to move from the reservation she grew up on—just like her beloved Uncle Louie before her—things are finally looking up for her. Until the news of her boyfriend’s apparent suicide brings her world crumbling down. But the facts about Roddy’s death just don’t add up, and Noemi isn’t the only one who suspects something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands.
After more than a decade away, Uncle Louie has returned to the reservation, bringing with him a past full of secrets and horror and what might be the key to determining Roddy’s true cause of death. Together, Noemi and Louie set out to find answers…but as they get closer to the truth, Noemi begins to question whether it might be best for some secrets to remain buried.
What I loved about it: The way that the novel is structured, moving between past and present, adds a really wonderful tension that makes the novel’s climax feel thunderous! Louie’s voice is rich, and the unraveling of the mystery keeps readers on the edge of their seat page after page, never really able to relax.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
Publishes:
Back of book description: To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every “Can I go inside your heart?”
When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay.
Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents’ marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling.
But Other Mommy needs an answer.
Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home.
What I loved about it: I won’t lie: I literally wept from fear while reading this book! There was something about the innocence of Bela’s perspective coupled with the rising tension in the novel that made the danger feel so close and immediate. I was reading it while rocking my baby in the nursery, and I felt like Other Mommy was looking over my shoulder! I could totally envision a movie in the style of Hardcore Henry, where the entire movie is viewed through Bela’s eyes directly.
Burnt Ends by Laura Wetsel
Publishes: September 24
Back of book description: Private Investigator Tori Swenson gets a strange accidental death case that looks like murder at one of her uncle’s drive-ins and decides it’s time to get revenge on her estranged family. Pretending to want a reunion, she appears at her uncle’s party to secretly investigate them. When her uncle suddenly dies, Tori’s case takes a sinister turn that makes her a suspect in her uncle’s death and the killer’s next target. To uncover who dethroned the barbecue king, Tori will have to face her own fiery demons while pursuing a killer who wants to make dead meat out of her.
What I loved about it: Tori isn’t always the most reliable narrator, which makes the mystery even more exciting. Can we trust that she’s processing the information correctly? Are these deaths really murders, or just terrible accidents? And what happened all those years ago to estrange Tori from her family? The more questions the reader has, the deeper they’re drawn into the story.
Romance
My Fair Brady by Brian D. Kennedy
Published: January 23
Back of book description: Wade Westmore is used to being in the spotlight. So when he’s passed over for the lead in the spring musical, it comes as a major blow—especially when the role goes to his ex-boyfriend, Reese, who dumped him for being too self-involved.
Shy sophomore Elijah Brady is used to being overlooked. Forget not knowing his name—most of his classmates don’t even know he exists. So when he joins the stage crew for the musical, he seems destined to blend into the scenery.
When the two have a disastrous backstage run-in, Elijah proposes an arrangement that could solve both boys’ problems: If Wade teaches Elijah how to be popular, Wade can prove that he cares about more than just himself. Seeing a chance to win Reese back, Wade dives headfirst into helping Elijah become the new and improved “Brady.”
Soon their plan puts Brady center stage—and he’s a surprising smash hit. So why is Wade suddenly less worried about winning over his ex and more worried about losing Elijah?
What I loved about it: This book may have released already, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to share it with you! A wonderful retelling of My Fair Lady, this novel delves into subjects of popularity, romance, and the evolving relationship that we have with ourselves at this pivotal time in our lives. Kennedy’s power is that he can write teens as they are rather than how adults see them, making the stories rich with life and more believable than some other YA novels out there.
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Publishes: April 16
Back of book description: Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin’s life. After quitting her dead-end job where she’d earned minimum wage and even less respect, she’s bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can’t seem to stop saying yes.
With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business.
But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper states she’s the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms and isn’t moving out. The unlikely pair strike up an agreement of co-habitation, and butt-heads at every turn. Can these opposites both live out their dreams and plant roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down?
What I loved about it: While the premise might seem far-fetched, it’s perfectly believable when you get to know these characters! And while the story moves back and forth between Opal’s and Pepper’s perspectives, each feels different and unique, immersing the reader into their worlds and making the story feel that much more believable.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Publishes: October 8
Back of book description: Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.
What I loved about it: A fun premise, this story has some interesting world-building, and is definitely made for anyone who has fallen in love with Jack Skellington! For a fantasy setting with romance at the forefront, there’s a nice balance that readers of speculative fiction and romance will appreciate.
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