Aardvark Book Club is a monthly book subscription box in which members choose up to 3 hardcover books each month from a selection of new releases or previous selections. Aardvark Book Club ships to both the U.S. and Canada and provides a platform to discuss books. To get your first book for $4, use the promo code READBETWEENTHESPINES.
Hints
Book #1
Hint 1.1: Folic acid, Arrector pili, Copper, Sourdough starter, Shoemaker
Hint 2.1: This book (1) spends hours looking at trees, (2) only buys beige children’s toys, (3) Make better sourdourgh than TS, and (4) signed copies available first come, first serve.
Hint 4.1: #domesticgoddess, #raisingasweatheart❤️, #makingahappyhome, #paidpartnership
Trad Wife
Saratoga Schaefer
A “traditional wife” influencer allows a demonic creature to impregnate her in this unnerving horror novel, perfect for fans of Nightbitch and Mary, from the author of Serial Killer Support Group.
Every #tradwife needs a baby. She’ll get one at any cost.
When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. She takes inspiration from other tradwives on social media, aspiring to be like them, but Camille’s missing a key component: a baby. And contrary to what she posts online, things with her husband, Graham, have been strained. Pressured by her eager followers, Camille fears that without a baby, her relationship will suffer and her social media will never grow out of its infancy.
When Camille discovers a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby. Afterward, she has unsettling experiences that she convinces herself are angelic in nature, and when she’s visited one night by a strange creature, her wish comes true.
Camille’s pregnancy announcement gets more engagement than anything she’s ever posted—so what if Graham’s reaction is lukewarm? Camille’s life is finally falling into place. Never mind that her pregnancy is developing freakishly rapidly and she’s suddenly craving raw meat. Being a traditional wife is worth it.
Rosemary’s Baby for the digital age, this disturbing horror novel is one you’ll want to devour in just one bite.
Genre: Horror
Publication Date: February 10, 2026
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Book #2
Hint 1.2: Banned books
Hint 2.6: This book (1) exclusively uses Irish Spring soap, (2) thinks Hemingway can do no wrong, (3) is OBSESSED with shaving, (4) can only write while fully nude, and (5) doesn’t believe in Ketchup.
Hint 4.6: 3themiddleagedmanandthehouseboat, #cultofhemingway, #offgrid, #dysfunctionalfamilydynamics
Adrift
Will Dean
The author of the “master class in suspense” (Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author) The Chamber returns with a high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.
Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.
With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.
With Will Dean’s signature “well-drawn characters and excellent prose” (Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author), Adrift is gripping exploration of the ties that bind when everything spirals out of control.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books
Book #3
Hint 2.5: This book (1) includes footnotes for helpful historical context, (2) know how to fuel a revolution, and (3) is a legendary blacksmith.
Hint 4.5: #revengeisbestservedhot, #debunkingthelostcausenarrative, #burningitdown🔥, #howtoforgetarebellion
Burn Down Master’s House
Clay Cane
Inspired by long-buried true stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, this powerful novel offers a searing portrayal of resistance. From Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Grift, it’s a must-read for fans of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett.
As turmoil simmers within a divided nation, smoke from another blaze begins to rise. Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others. As these flames rise, so will they.
Luke, quick-witted and perceptive, and Henri, a man of strong and defiant spirit, forge an unbreakable bond at a Virginia plantation called Magnolia Row. Both seek escape from unimaginable cruelty. And sure as the fires of hell, Luke and Henri will leave their mark among the lives they touch…
Like Josephine, a young and observant girl who wields silence as her greatest weapon. A witness to Luke and Henri’s resilience, she listens, watches, and waits.
Then there’s Charity Butler, inspired by a formerly enslaved man who found his freedom fighting alongside Josephine. At his encouragement, Charity rises up for her life and family—only to face a deeply unjust system.
And finally, there is Nathaniel, who ruthlessly exploits other Black people and mirrors the cruelty of the white men who, like him, are enslavers. A perversion of the system of slavery, his rule is both fragile and contradictory.
Burn Down Master’s House is a singular tour de force of a novel—breathtaking in scope, compassion, and timeliness that speaks powerfully to our present era.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Publisher: Dafina
Book #4
Hint 1.4: British snacks & candy (popular in the 1970s & 80s)
Hint 2.4: This book (1) pathologically lies in front of their ex, (2) will hold a stranger’s hand during flight turbulence, and (3) knows how to cite their sources.
Hint 4.3: #seductionviaslidedecks, #sawyers2026, #acceptedwithoutrevisions, #wrapyourbrainaround🧠
Love and Other Brain Experiments
Hannah Brohm
An academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com set at a New York conference about two neuroscientists who are forced to pretend they’re dating, leading to unexpected chemistry and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.
Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Silberstein has success on the brain. As a grad student, she was offered a job by her brilliant boyfriend, but determined to make it on her own, she turned it—and him—down. Now, stuck in postdoc purgatory with no job security and no personal life to speak of, Frances is desperate to make a breakthrough. Her best shot is a summer conference packed with her field’s leading scientists. The only problem? It’s organized by her ex, who has found the success that’s eluded her. But backing out is not an option, because Frances desperately needs to network to save her career.
Enter Dr. Lewis North: her perceptive, meticulous, and inconveniently attractive rival. When their academic sniping gets mistaken for flirtatious chemistry, Frances doesn’t deny it—putting her integrity and career on the line. As soon as her prefrontal cortex is operational again, Frances realizes she needs to keep up the charade, or risk everything she’s worked for. Faking data is out of the question, but fake dating? That might just be the solution she needs.
But as Lewis starts to make her reward centers spark and a major setback has Frances questioning everything, she must confront what she’s willing to chase—for love, for science, and for the future she thought she wanted.
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Atria Books
Book #5
Hint 1.5: Texting acronyms
Hint 2.2: This book (1) arguably is a little too into poetry, (2) is paranoid of food being poisoned, and (3) is a quick learner of court politics.
Hint 4.2: #lifeintheinnercourt, #poemoftheday, #definitelynotaromantasy!!!!, #justpeachy🍑
The Poet Empress
Shen Tao
Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.
Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.
Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House―where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read.
But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center… with a violent prince.
To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love… and death.
The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Publisher: Bramble
Book #6:
Hint 1.6: Legal Terms
Hint 2.3: This book (1) procrastinates their contribution to the zine, (2) has a parasocial relationship with idols, and (3) is willing to interrupt high-powered execs.
Hint 4.4: #btsarmy, #collegeisthebestimeofyourlifepropaganda, #datingasupersenior, #lookingfortickets🎟️
Superfan
Jenny Tinghui Zhang
From National Book Foundation 5 UNDER 35 HONOREE Jenny Tinghui Zhang, a novel about a pop idol and his superfan, whose stories shockingly collide.
Freshman Minnie is adrift at college in Austin, Texas, when she discovers a boy band called HOURglass and the online forums that worship them. She especially loves Halo, whose sharp edges feel somehow familiar. After a brief romance goes painfully awry, Minnie pours everything into her new fandom, clinging to each livestream and bonding with other fans online. But when a scandal threatens to expose Halo to harm, Minnie decides that she is the only one who can save him.
Except Halo’s secret is darker than anything the tabloids could imagine. Before he was a superstar heartthrob, he was Eason: a high school dropout haunted by a tragic accident. When he is recruited for HOURglass, it feels like a chance to become someone else. And when he is onstage in front of his fans, he can almost forget the horrors of his past–until one of those very fans threatens to destroy everything.
Dazzling, entrancing, and deeply heartfelt, Superfan is about fandom in all its magic and its terror, and the extreme lengths to which we go to rid ourselves of loneliness.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Flatiron Books
