It’s the last release week of August 2020. Watch for some fall and Halloween titles to start releasing this week and in the weeks to come. Let’s see what books we are getting this week!
Books for Kids
How Big is Zagnodd? (Board book) – The newest board book from the brilliant mind and pen of Sandra Boynton!
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice – Picture book biography of Senator and Presidential candidate – and now Vice Presidential candidate – Kamala Harris.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul – Picture book biography of Aretha Franklin. The artwork on that cover is stunning.
Interrupting Cow – First book in a new Early Reader series starring Interrupting Cow.
Little Goddess Girls: Athena and the Island Enchantress – Book 5 in the Little Goddess Girls series. Athena and Hercules encounter Circe on their quest to save a queen.
Tiny Truths: Wonder & Wisdom – A look at Psalms and Proverbs. I love this line of books for little kids. The illustrations are fantastic.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Donut Dreams: A Donut for Your Thoughts – Book 4 in the Donut Dreams series. When Casey gets back from summer camp, everything back home seems different.
Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter – First in a new series. When her archaeologist dad goes missing while on the hunt for a mythical stone that could control the world, Lola goes looking for him.
Marvel Action: Captain Marvel AIM Small – Book 2 in the Captain Marvel series from Marvel Action. As Carol is teaching Nadia Van Dyne to drive (see The Unstoppable Wasp), AIM gets control of some Pym Particles and causes trouble.
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel – JJ convinces his mother to accept the odd invitation for a weekend at the most haunted spot in town. But when the owner is killed and JJ’s mother is blamed, he and his new friends start investigating for themselves.
Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket – Book 5 in the Mr. Lemoncello series by Chris Grabenstein. The hunt is on for one of 4 tickets that will entitle the winners to compete to win Mr. Lemoncello’s whole business.
Once Upon a Unicorn – A scientifically-minded unicorn teams up with a flaming horse to save their home from monsters.
The Places We Sleep – This novel in verse takes place in September of 2001 and focuses on a girl who is adjusting to a new home with her military family when the attacks take place on 9/11. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark – A collection of Star Wars stories that take place during the Clone Wars. NOTE: These are not new, original stories but are adaptations of episodes from The Clone Wars show. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Triple Threat (Older Middle Grade) – A football-loving girl who can throw a perfect spiral has to fight for the opportunity to play on the school football team.
The Assignment – When a favorite teacher gives a class assignment to argue the merits of the Nazi’s “Final Solution,” two students refuse to participate which escalates the issue to the whole school and then the community.
The Con Code – Fiona and her dad have been performing difficult heists to track down the clues her mother left behind before she disappeared. But when her dad is captured by the FBI before their final three heists are completed, Fiona pulls together a crew of kids from school to help her. This is at the top of my list for this week. I love heist books!
Darius the Great Deserves Better (LGBTQ+) – Sequel to Darius the Great Is Not Okay. Just when Darius starts to feel like he has a handle on his life and his relationships with his dad, his best friend, and his boyfriend, everything shifts.
Kind of a Big Deal – The latest for teens from Shannon Hale. A highschooler who hit it big – and then lost her career – is finding books to be a great way to escape all the issues in her life. And they are literally an escape – she goes into each book and becomes a character. But each time she uses this power, it becomes harder to get back out of the book to her real life. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Nemesis – Book 3 in the Diabolic series. Emperor Tyrus killed the woman he loved, but some say Nemesis is not truly gone and that she will return to confront her enemy.
Now That I’ve Found You – A young woman trying to restore her Hollywood career thinks she can turn things around by bringing her famous – and reclusive – grandmother back into the spotlight. But when Gigi goes missing, Evie will have to team up with the last person to see her grandmother – a cute musician – to help her.
Twin Daggers – A new story from Blink YA publishing. A pair of twins posing as normal Technocrats are secretly rebels trying to take their city back. Aissa agrees to take on a mission to find the Heartless heir to the Technocrat throne, but her sister Zandra is captured, changing Aissa’s mission completely.
Where Dreams Descend – First in the new Kingdom of Cards series. The magical feats at the Conquering Circus are more than just dazzling – they’re dangerous. And as more magicians go missing, three members of the circus wrestle with their own secrets as they wonder who might be next.
Books for Adults
15 Minutes of Flame (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. While investigating an old candle-making shop, Stella finds the body of a long-dead Quaker woman. As she looks for answers as to what might have happened to the woman, another murderer strikes.
Boston Scream Murder (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. When Emily goes to deliver her Boston Scream donuts to the birthday party for an eccentric local man, she finds him dead.
Cat Me If You Can (Hardcover) – Book 13 in the Cat in the Stacks Mystery series. I’ll be reviewing this one soon, and I can’t wait. Charlie and Diesel hit the road with Charlie’s significant other, Helen, as well as the Ducote sisters from the Southern Ladies Mystery series, for a mystery readers’ gathering in North Carolina. When an uninvited guest turns up dead, Charlie and his friends start investigating.
Dead End Detective (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series from the folks at Hallmark Publishing, written by prolific mystery author Amanda Flower. When Darby’s business partner is killed and she becomes the prime suspect in the death, Darby will have to trust her partner’s nephew – the man who inherited her half of the business – to help her discover the truth. I can’t wait to read this one! I’ll be reviewing this soon as well.
Digging Up Remains (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 of the Garden Squad Mystery series. The Fall Festival’s 10K fundraiser is only one of the many tasks Lilly is juggling right now. But when an annoying reporter is found dead near the starting line, she’s going to have to add sleuthing to her to do list.
Dough or Die (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Bread Shop Mystery series. As Yeast of Eden is on the brink of Reality TV notoriety, an attempted murder in front of the store means Ivy is sleuthing again.
Eat Drink and Be Wary (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Cook-Off Mystery series. When Sherry’s competition is killed in the cook-off at the Fall Festival, her brother, Pep, who was serving as her sous-chef, is the prime suspect.
Goodnight Moo (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Buttermilk Creek Mystery series. As Brynn plays host to a cheesemaker’s contest, a tractor accident starts to look a lot like murder. When a second death puts her top cheesemaker under suspicion, Brynn starts investigating. I have this series on my wishlist.
Gourd to Death (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Pie Town Mystery series. Val and Charlene are investigating when a pie contest turns deadly. This series sounds so yummy!
Hidden (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Texas Murder Files series. An investigative reporter and a detective team up to track down a murderer that could have ties to a high tech research facility working on something dangerous.
How To Catch a Sinful Marquess (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Disreputable Debutantes series. An orphaned heiress trapped by her position and her guardians volunteers to help her neighbor when a young child is dumped on his doorstep with a note saying she’s his daughter.
Kickbacks, Kayacks, and Kidnapping (e-book) – Book 12 in the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. When an Olympic kayaker dies during a race hosted by Happy Trails Campground, the bad press could undo all the hard work Mae has put into her business. At the time of this writing, this is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Killer Kung Pao (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. Lana is a witness to the car accident and blow up between two local women. But when one of them ends up dead, Lana feels the blame falling on the other woman is a little too easy.
Knit of the Living Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Knit & Nibble Mystery series. A murder during the Halloween Parade pull the Knit and Nibblers into sleuthing again.
The Mother Code (Hardcover) – In a future where a deadly bioweapon threatens human survival, scientists place genetically engineered children into large robots that will gestate, birth and raise the children. But when children like Kai come of age, the robots change as well, making the government consider destroying them. Kai will have to decide if he will allow this destruction to take place or fight for the only parent he has ever known. This sounds fascinating!!
Murder at Kingscote (Hardcover) – Book 8 in the Gilded Newport Mystery series. Emma’s role as the new editor-in-chief for the Newport Messenger puts her in place to witness a drunken accident during the first automobile parade in Newport (1899). Then, at a dinner party, she sees the same drunk driver, but this time he’s nearly killed the family butler. When Emma receives word that the butler in question could have had numerous enemies, she has to wonder if the car accident was a convenient ruse.
Thread and Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Apron Shop Mystery series. During Iris’ visit to a cottage estate to scout vintage fabrics for her shop, she gets drawn into a mystery when the teaching assistant to an environmentalist who is renting the cottage is killed.
Three Treats Too Many (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Sarah Blair Mystery series. Sarah is investigating another murder when a friend is suspected of killing a line cook from a rival restaurant.
To Coach a Killer (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Cat & Gilley Life Coach Mystery series. Cat is sleuthing a client’s “curse” as well as murder when a series of violent deaths strikes the Hamptons.
Wednesday Walks & Wags (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Sunday Potluck Club series. As Bridget juggles her busy schedule and the grief over losing her mother, her new neighbor – and his dogs – might be just the distraction she needs.
Who Wants to Marry a Duke (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Duke Dynasty series. When a female chemist is brought in to determine if Grey’s father was murdered, his half brother, Thorn, can’t stop thinking about how she once blackmailed him – or about the kiss they shared.
You Lucky Dog (Trade Paperback) – When their dog walker mixes up their Basset Hounds, Carly discovers that Max’s dog, Hazel, could be just the thing to help her rescue, Baxter, with his depression. And she certainly doesn’t mind spending more time with Max. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth (Hardcover) – Explores the relationship between the President and Fox News, especially when it comes to lies and disinformation.
The Presidents vs. The Press: The Endless Battles Between the White House and the Media – from the Founding Fathers to Fake News (Hardcover) – A history of the relationship between the Presidents of the United States and the news media.