Release Week: 3 February 2026

Release Week: 3 February 2026

Posted on 2026-02-03 at 12:00 by Samuel Montgomery-Blinn

Too many to include in much detail I'm afraid :( but...

My PREORDERS this week are:

* The People's Library by Veronica G. Henry, read by Robin Miles for Brilliance -- "A thought-provoking science fiction fantasy set in near-future Cleveland that follows a reluctant curator of digital human consciousness who must uncover twisted secrets and navigate ethical quandaries and dangers when anti-technology rebels attack the futuristic library."

* The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison (2025), read by Zehra Jane Naqvi for Tantor -- A tie-in short novel (long novella?) in Addison's "Goblin Emperor" / "Cemeteries of Amalo" universe that I was so happy to see come to audio: "Five years ago, historian Ulcetha Zhorvena was studying at the University of Cairado, working his way toward becoming a scholar first-class in the Department of History. Then a prize artifact disappeared and Ulcetha, deftly framed, was kicked out. Now he works for a crooked importer, using his knowledge of elven history to write provenances for the fake artifacts Salathgarad sells. When the airship Wisdom of Choharo explodes, killing the emperor and three of his four sons, it takes with it Ulcetha's best friend, Mara Lilana. But Mara leaves behind a puzzle—the one thing Ulcetha can't resist. And the puzzle leads Ulcetha back to the Department of History...and maybe the chance to clear his name."

Another massive FICTION release this week is:

* Tom's Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski (2025), read by Susan Dalian for Random House -- Weighing in at just over 58 hours: "From the bestselling author of House of Leaves comes a magisterial novel about two friends determined to rescue a pair of horses set for slaughter."

I'm looking forward to digging into this SCIENCE FICTION MASTER'S NEW COLLECTION:

* The Universe Box by Michael Swanwick, read by Luis Moreno for Recorded Books -- "Discover the vast worlds and pocket universes of the only author to win science fiction’s most prestigious award five times in six years. In his dazzling new collection, the master of speculative short stories returns with tales in which magic and science improbably coexist with myth and legend. With two stories original to this collection, Swanwick aptly demonstrates with poignant humor why he is widely respected as a master of imaginative storytelling."

And speaking of masters, one of my favorite NARRATORS is back with a familiar author in his wheelhouse:

* While the City Never Sleeps by Alex Bledsoe, read by Stefan Rudnicki for Blackstone -- "When a notorious crime lord’s lawyer is beheaded by hired killers, it’s clear someone’s sending a message. But Stavros Kefali didn’t get to be top dog by scaring easily, so he sends his go-to guy, Darren Flaxstone, to learn who’s behind it. A pair of gritty detectives, Slade and Slaughter, are also on the case, and one of them has a secret source for street info: the Lightning Girl, a vigilante fighting crime her way in the city’s poorest neighborhood. Meanwhile, reporter Rebecca Hutchcraft is determined to unmask the Lightning Girl, while rival gangster Harrison Marley thinks this might be the time to take on Kefali’s organization. Hovering over all this is the upcoming Festival, Kefali’s super-secret once-in-a-lifetime event for the city’s elite, where all questions may be answered…if anyone survives to ask them."

Finally a DEBUT I have been looking forward to:

* The Hospital at the End of the World: A Novel by Justin C. Key, read by James Fouhey for Harper -- "From the author of the acclaimed The World Wasn’t Ready for You comes a thrilling first novel, set in a near future where artificial intelligence runs the world, involving a young medical student who must unravel family secrets to uncover the truth of his father’s mysterious death."

Other titles on my too-long watch list for this week:

* Land of Dreams Gian Sardar Brilliance Audio

* Deus Irae Philip K. Dick Recorded Books

* Seven Heavens Away Ashraf Zaghal Tantor Media

* Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon Mike Chen Random House Audio

* Hey Yang, Where's My Thousand Bucks? Andrew Yang Random House Audio

* Good People Patmeena Sabit Random House Audio

* Super Nintendo Keza MacDonald Random House Audio

* Push Jordan D. Metzl MD Random House Audio

* Empire of Madness Khameer Kidia Random House Audio

* Mating Norman Rush Random House Audio

* Songbird of the Sorrows Braidee Otto Random House Audio

* The Lies that Summon the Night Tessonja Odette Random House Audio

* The Wall Dancers Yi-Ling Liu Random House Audio

* Salvation C. William Langsfeld Random House Audio

* Greedy Callie Kazumi Random House Audio

* The Johnson Four Christina Hammonds Reed Random House Audio

* Subtle Bodies Norman Rush Random House Audio

* Nightshade and Oak Molly O'Neill Orbit

* The Bone Queen Will Shindler Macmillan Audio

* Superfan Jenny Tinghui Zhang Macmillan Audio

* The Forest on the Edge of Time Jasmin Kirkbride Macmillan Audio

* Dirty Metal Allison LaMothe Macmillan Audio

* Little One Olivia Muenter Little, Brown & Company

* The People Can Fly Joshua Bennett Little, Brown & Company

* Superhero Tim Blake Nelson Brilliance Audio

* Meat Bruce Friedrich Brilliance Audio

* Chronicles Bob Dylan Simon & Schuster Audio

* Rage and the Republic Jonathan Turley Simon & Schuster Audio

* The Aftermyth Tracy Wolff Simon & Schuster Audio

* To Catch a Fascist Christopher Mathias Simon & Schuster Audio

* The Great Resistance Carrie Gibson Simon & Schuster Audio

* The Copywriter Daniel Poppick Simon & Schuster Audio

* Living Buddha, Living Christ Thich Nhat Hanh Penguin Audio

* Liturgies of the Wild Martin Shaw Penguin Audio

* The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram Ethelene Whitmire Penguin Audio

A couple to at least single out a little:

* Wolf Hour: A Novel by Jo Nesbo, read by Robert Ferguson -- "An immersive, propulsive novel in which a detective and a crime writer conduct parallel investigations, six years apart, into a series of puzzling murders."

* Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean, read by Sarah Skaer -- "An endearing, lightly magical romantic comedy about a girl who starts receiving letters from the love of her life—writing to her from years in the future."

A few I didn't have on my watch list:

* Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya, read by Elena Rey -- "An unputdownable romantasy following a young woman posing as fortune-teller at a magical traveling carnival, where the handsome boy who once broke her heart resurfaces and warns her that the carnival is more sinister than it appears."

* Queen of Faces by Petra Lord, read by a full cast -- "A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, Lev Grossman, and R.F. Kuang."

* Good People: A Novel by Patmeena Sabit, read by a full cast -- "The Sharaf family is the picture of success. Prosperous, rich, happy. They came to this country as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighborhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father’s eye. When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, everyone is left reeling and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that behind closed doors the Sharafs’ happy household was anything but. Did the Sharaf family achieve the American dream? Or was the image of the model immigrant family just a façade?"

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