By: Manuela Soares
Hello, and happy Tuesday, all! Welcome back to another seasonal TBR list. Spring is officially upon us, and that means a slew of books are being released and making it the perfect time to clean up and dust off some of those books on our never-ending TBR lists. So here are a handful of books that I’m hoping to read this season.
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
This is one of the buddy-reads for April in a book club I’m in, and I’ve heard good things about this one. The synopsis sounds intriguing, and the cover has that mystery feel to it that always seems to draw me in (I’m a bit of a sucker for forests).
“When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.
Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren’t really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?”
The Lake and the Library by S.M. Beiko
This has been on my TBR since spring of 2013, and to be honest, I have absolutely no recollection of adding this to my want-to-read shelf on Goodreads, but it does sound promising. The reviews that I saw make it out to be a solid 3/4 star read, and it shockingly has no 1-star ratings/reviews; I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that didn’t have that before.
“Wishing for something more than her adventureless life, 16-year-old Ash eagerly awaits the move she and her mother are taking from their dull, drab life in the prairie town of Treade. But as Ash counts the days, she finds her way into a mysterious, condemned building on the outskirts of town—one that has haunted her entire childhood with secrets and questions. What she finds inside is an untouched library, inhabited by an enchanting mute named Li. Brightened by Li’s charm and his indulgence in her dreams, Ash becomes locked in a world of dusty books and dying memories, with Li becoming the attachment to Treade she never wanted. This haunting and romantic debut novel explores the blurry boundary between the real and imagined with a narrative that illustrates the power and potency of literacy.”
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
I came across this one on Goodreads Giveaways, and it sounds really good and has decent reviews, so I’m looking forward to reading this.
“In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?”
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
This is another buddy-read for the book club. I don’t know much about this one, but the synopsis sounds good and the ladies in the club have had good things to say about it so far.
“She thought she was alone…
True-crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.”
Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead. by Chris Pauls & Matt Solomon
This has been on my TBR since January of 2013, according to Goodreads, so in the spirit of spring and clearing things out, I’m rounding out this list with another horror, because apparently, I am not in the mood for happy and uplifting stories at the moment.
“Imagine being trapped aboard the doomed Titanic on an icy Atlantic. . . with the walking dead. This fast-paced thriller reimagines the historical events of the fateful Titanic voyage through the lens of zombie mayhem. Captain Edward Smith and his inner circle desperately try to contain a weaponized zombie virus smuggled on board with the 2,200 passengers sailing to New York. Faced with an exploding population of lumbering, flesh-hungry undead, Smith’s team is forced into bloody hand-to-hand combat down the narrow halls of the huge steamer. In its few short days at sea, the majestic Titanic turns into a Victorian bloodbath, steaming at top speed toward a cold, blue iceberg. A creepy, tense page-turner, Deck Z will thrill zombie fans and Titanic buffs alike.”
Functionally Fictional 
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