On just-released books that are worth a look

Thanks in part to Avalinah's Books' State of the ARC meme, I've been slowly working through my Netgalley backlist and have been uncovering some interesting (and bizarre) books. With that in mind, here are some of the books I've recently been blessed to read that I recommend you take a look at:

• Stranger No More: A Muslim Refugee’s Story of Harrowing Escape, Miraculous Rescue, and the Quiet Call of Jesus by Annahita Parsan (November 14, 2017)- Tell-all biographies aren't always my cup of tea, but this one was refreshing and intriguing as it exposed me to a lot of aspects of Middle Eastern culture that I had not previously been aware of. It's fairly well written and is pretty incredible. 

• Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang (November 14, 2017)- A tale of magical realism, this book follows the adventures of Weylyn Grey as he discovers his powers and comes to terms with what it means to be true to them. Told from the perspectives of the people who love and receive assistance from Weylyn, this is a powerful story for fantasy readers.
  
  
  
  
  
• Queen of the Struggle by Nik Korpon (March 1, 2018) - Book #2 in the Memory Thief series doesn't quite live up to the wonder of the first, but it still wonderful as it continues the story of the revolution and shows the potential problems with starting a new regime.

What books have you read recently? What just-released or upcoming releases are you most excited about? Have you read any of these recently-released books?

On upcoming and just-released books that I approve of

I read an interesting mix of new books this month - a drama, a sci-fi thriller, and a Christian romance. Overall, I read some interesting stuff and I’m excited for these books to come out so you can enjoy them too!

• Woman No. 17 by Eden Lepucki - May 9th - A dark story about two women, motherhood, and art, this book explores the complex relationships in two families and the changes that occur in women’s lives as a result of their meeting. I liked this book quite a bit. It was quite dark and kind of slow, but in a dramatic way, not in a dull way. There was always something happening, so I never got bored. If you like books about family drama and artists, you’ll like this book.

• The Rebellion’s Last Traitor by Nik Korpon - June 6th  - Two men struggle to decide if it’s worth it to rejoin the rebellion they led years ago. But things are far more complicated now. I really liked this book. It was a fun and interesting take on the aftermath of a rebellion and what might cause a new one to rise up. It also is a lot about relationships between people, which I really enjoyed. At times, it was a little confusing to read - the world was so different from ours while still being similar at its core. Interesting book. I recommend it for sci-fi readers.

• My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels - July 1st - In this Christian romance set in the last 1800’s, two individuals must sort through all the secrets and lies to find each other and see if they can make a life together on Mackinac Island. This was a cute book. I typically don’t enjoy romances, but this one was fun to read. It’s also very very chaste. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good love story.

What new or upcoming releases are you excited about?