Can't-Wait Wednesday: She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, & The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang

  

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Publication: February 28th, 2023
Bloomsbury YA
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic. 

When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised.

But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all."

I love a house that's alive, and the comparison to Mexican Gothic has me knowing I shouldn't get my hopes up.. but the hopes are already up. Really excited for the Vietnam setting as well! I think this cover is incredible as well. 

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Publication: February 21st, 2023
Atria
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself."

I'm such a sucker for a locked room mystery at any level, and this sounds like it will be quite a ride. 

The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang
Publication: February 21st, 2023
HarperCollins US
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"France, 1918. In the final days of the First World War, a young Chinese woman, Pauline Deng, runs away from her uncle’s home in Paris to evade a marriage being arranged for her in Shanghai. To prevent the union, she needs the help of her cousin Theo, who is working as a translator for the Chinese Labour Corps in the French countryside. In the town of Noyelles-sur-Mer, Camille Roussel is planning her escape from an abusive marriage, and to end a love affair that can no longer continue. When Camille offers Pauline a room for her stay, the two women become friends. But it’s not long before Pauline uncovers a perilous secret that Camille has been hiding from her. As their dangerous situation escalates, the two women are forced to make a terrible decision that will bind them together for the rest of their lives.

Set against the little-known history of the 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as non-combatant labor during WWI, The Porcelain Moon is a tale of forbidden love, identity and belonging, and what we are willing to risk for freedom."

I've really enjoyed Janie Chang's historical fiction in the past and I'm so glad to see a new release from her coming up. I'm really curious about the premise for The Porcelain Moon. 

Review: The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

William Morrow

Publication Date: May 12th, 2020

Paperback. 400 pages

About The Library of Legends:

"“Myths are the darkest and brightest incarnations of who we are . . .”

China, 1937. When Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, nineteen-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University are ordered to flee. Lian and a convoy of students, faculty and staff must walk 1,000 miles to the safety of China’s western provinces, a journey marred by the constant threat of aerial attack. And it is not just the refugees who are at risk; Lian and her classmates have been entrusted with a priceless treasure: a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends. 

The students’ common duty to safeguard the Library of Legends creates unexpected bonds. Lian becomes friends and forms a cautious romance with the handsome and wealthy Liu Shaoming. But after one classmate is arrested and another one is murdered, Lian realizes she must escape before a family secret puts her in danger too. Accompanied by Shao and his enigmatic maidservant, Sparrow, Lian makes her way to Shanghai in the hopes of reuniting with her mother. 

During the journey, Lian learns of the connection between her two companions and a tale from the Library of Legends, The Willow Star and the Prince. This revelation comes with profound consequences, for as the ancient books travel across China, they awaken immortals and guardian spirits who embark on an exodus of their own, one that will change the country’s fate forever."

The Library of Legends is a beautifully written story about the evacuation of students from Minghua University in Nanking in 1937 China with the threat of Japanese invasion on the horizon. This book combines stories of myth and folklore with the harsh reality of living in an era of potential war and uncertainty.

I have some mixed feelings around this book overall. It has a really great concept overall and I liked all of the different elements that Chang combined, from the fascinating collection of Library of Legends books to the incredible journey the students take to flee to safety. However, I also found myself struggling to connect with any of the four main POVs that we follow, and I felt that this book dragged quite a bit in different places.

Starting with the characters, we get POV chapters from Lian, Shao, Sparrow, and Professor Kang. Lian seems to be the overall main protagonist, though Shao and Sparrow also have particularly prominent roles. Lian is not only part of the evacuation of students from Minghua, but she is also anxiously awaiting the time when she will be able to try to find and meet up with her mother in Shanghai. I found Lian to be a very thoughtful character who handles the uncertainties around her with a maturity that is admirable, and I felt similarly about Shao as he also navigated this new journey. My main issue with Lian and Shao is that I never really felt that connected to either one and therefore I was never overly invested in her journey.  Neither one had an overly strong sense of personality or character, which is what I struggled with the most, and which is what made their character growth feel fairly nonexistent. Professor Kang was actually slightly more compelling to me and although we get a decent bit of time with him, I almost wish we had more time following him on this journey and maybe learn more about him and his life. Lastly is Sparrow who is probably the most interesting character overall and seemed to have the most personality.

The pacing of The Library of Legends is slow, and I didn't really find myself invested in the story until I was probably about halfway through, with the exception of a few select moments. It was sort of stop and go for me, because there were scenes and moments where I was connecting well with the story, and then something would happen to the pacing and I would lost interest for a while. The pacing never really speeds up, so if you like slow paced stories then you'll probably enjoy this one, though the slowness does occasionally (not too often, though!) turn into a dragging situation.

If you're coming into this book for the historical fiction aspect, then there aren't any problems, but if you are hoping for some great fantasy elements, you'll probably be disappointed. The fantasy aspects are largely contained within the folklore elements and although I can't really tell you exactly how they are incorporated, it really isn't overly prominent. I actually found that aspect of the book didn't mesh as well with the rest of the plot as it could have. I can see how they were supposed to fit and related with the entire Library of Legends, but the two storylines just felt a bit too separate at times.

Lastly, I want to give a quick note on Chang's prose, which is simply that it's beautiful. Chang has a very quiet and simple yet meaningful way of telling this story, and because of this I will absolutely be checking out some of Chang's backlist titles, which I've been meaning to for a while--though now I'm even more motivated to do so.

Overall, I've given The Library of Legends 3.75 stars, but rounded up to a four on places like Goodreads/Amazon/NetGalley. I would definitely recommend this one if the premise sounds interesting and you enjoy historical fiction and/or folklore elements! It's very much a slow paced story, though, so keep that in mind if that's not your really your thing.

Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Goldilocks by Laura Lam & The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Goldilocks by Laura Lam
Publication: May 5th, 2020

Orbit

Hardcover. 352 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"A gripping science fiction thriller where five women task themselves with ensuring the survival of the human race; perfect for readers of The Martian, The Power, and Station Eleven. 

Despite increasing restrictions on the freedoms of women on Earth, Valerie Black is spearheading the first all-female mission to a planet in the Goldilocks Zone, where conditions are just right for human habitation. 

It's humanity's last hope for survival, and Naomi, Valerie's surrogate daughter and the ship's botanist, has been waiting her whole life for an opportunity like this - to step out of Valerie's shadow and really make a difference. 

But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi begins to suspect that someone on board is concealing a terrible secret - and realizes time for life on Earth may be running out faster than they feared . . ."

This sounds like the perfect sci-fi thriller to keep my attention right now! I love space exploration so much and this just sounds like it hits a lot of my favorite marks, so I can't wait to check it out!

and...

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

Publication: May 12th, 2020

William Morrow

Paperback. 400 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"“Myths are the darkest and brightest incarnations of who we are . . .” 

China, 1937. When Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, nineteen-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University are ordered to flee. Lian and a convoy of students, faculty and staff must walk 1,000 miles to the safety of China’s western provinces, a journey marred by the constant threat of aerial attack. And it is not just the refugees who are at risk; Lian and her classmates have been entrusted with a priceless treasure: a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore known as the Library of Legends. 

The students’ common duty to safeguard the Library of Legends creates unexpected bonds. Lian becomes friends and forms a cautious romance with the handsome and wealthy Liu Shaoming. But after one classmate is arrested and another one is murdered, Lian realizes she must escape before a family secret puts her in danger too. Accompanied by Shao and his enigmatic maidservant, Sparrow, Lian makes her way to Shanghai in the hopes of reuniting with her mother. 

During the journey, Lian learns of the connection between her two companions and a tale from the Library of Legends, The Willow Star and the Prince. This revelation comes with profound consequences, for as the ancient books travel across China, they awaken immortals and guardian spirits who embark on an exodus of their own, one that will change the country’s fate forever."

I've been meaning to read Janie Chang's books for so long now--maybe I'll finally get around to doing that with this book! This sounds beautiful and so interesting, hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out sooner rather than later. :)

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?