Believe it or not, we are in back-to-school mode here with area schools starting up in the next week or two. Some kids are back in classes today! It seems too soon! If the calendar says JULY it should still be summer vacation. Fight back with some new “summer reading” books from the ones releasing this week.
Books for Kids
Awesome! (August 1) – Marvin the moose and Woody the beaver are best friends, but when Marvin does something awesome it drives a wedge between the friends. I’ll be reviewing this one next week.
Hello Fall! – Get excited about fall with this new picture book. Looks adorable! I love fall.
Josephine Baker AND Mother Teresa – New picture books from the Little People Big Dreams series. This series is expanding into games and board books, and I am all over all of it!
The Three Little Superpigs – The Superpigs have defeated the Big Bad Wolf, but he breaks out of prison and sets a trap for them. This is a must-read for me!
Rocket the Brave! – Rocket is having fun chasing a butterfly when the butterfly disappears into the woods. Is Rocket brave enough to follow? I love Rocket from his previous books. This Early Reader looks adorable for kids looking for a new Rocket story.
The Haunted Halls – Book 3 in the Peachy and Keen series where the characters try to figure out if there are real ghosts wandering around their school’s Halloween celebration. This transitional chapter book series looks adorable!
Lullaby Lake – Book 4 in the Last Firehawk series from Scholastic Branches. This is a fantasy series complete with a quest for the Ember Stone.
Meet Yasmin (August 1) – First in a new series about a little girl with a big imagination. This looks cute.
Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off – Book 5 in the Press Start science fiction series from Scholastic Branches.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Giganta’s Colossal Double-Cross (August 1) – I love the DC books that come from Capstone – the illustrations are my idea of PERFECT. In this book, Wonder Woman discovers that Giganta may be on her side against Grodd.
The Griffin’s Feather – Dragon Rider book 2. In order to save the race of pegasi, a boy tries find a griffin feather. But griffins are some of the fiercest creatures in the world. This book sounds like something I would love. I will have to add this series to my list.
Making Friends (Graphic Novel) – Middle school raises new challenges for the main character so she creates a perfect best friend using a magical sketchbook.
The Principal Strikes Back – Book 6 in the Jarrett Krosoczka Jedi Academy series (originally written by Jeffrey Brown). Things at the Academy have been weird since last year’s security breech. They now have a droid for a principal and things aren’t as they seem. This is a fantastic series!
The Ultimate Weapon (You Choose Justice League) (August 1) – Another Justice League book from Capstone. This one uses a You Choose format which is so fun for kids!
Greek Mythology (Weird But True Know-It-All) – a nonfiction reference for kids about Greek Mythology
In the French Kitchen with Kids: Easy, Every-day Dishes for the Whole Family to Make and Enjoy – Great for kids who love to cook and teens and adults studying French and looking for some examples of the culture.
The Pacific Islands: A Moana Discovery Book – Kids can join the characters of the movie Moana and explore the Pacific Islands as Disney expands their nonfiction line with tie-ins from favorite movies.
The Cheerleaders – After multiple deaths on the squad, the Sunnybrook High cheer team disbanded. Five years later the town wants to remember the girls, but the sister of the last girl to die isn’t sure revisiting those days is a good idea. I have already requested this one from the library!
The Darkest Legacy – The latest in the Darkest Minds series, from Suzume’s perspective. I’ve only read the first two books (Fantastic!) so I need to get caught up so I can read this one. I’m looking forward to checking out the movie in August with my teen.
Grace and Fury – In a world where women have no rights one sister is selected by the heir to the throne while her sister (who was groomed for that role) is thrown into prison. This sounds twisty and complicated and exactly the sort of story I love. I’ll be reviewing this one in August.
Heart of Thorns – A young woman discovers she possess the very magic she has sworn to eliminate from her world. Yep, this one too.
If Only – A teen finds herself dumped and pregnant, searching for what path she wants to take into her future. Sixteen years later her daughter wonders what happened to the birth mother who placed her for adoption and then disappeared when she was one year old. I have requested this one from the library, too.
The Letting Go – A teen puts up walls to keep others out because anyone who gets close to her is murdered. But death follows her to her boarding school. I SOOOO want to know what happens in this book!
So Glad to Meet You – When two teens commit suicide, their younger siblings are forever linked together by tragedy. When one of the teens finds their siblings’ bucket list, she reconnects with the one person who understands her grief. WOW! What a great week for YA books! I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.
Books for Adults
Against the Claw – Book 2 in the Lobster Shack Mystery series. In this one, a woman finds a body in the bay when she is helping her family on the lobster boat. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Death Over Easy – Book 5 in the Country Store Mystery series. In this one, a musician in a bluegrass festival is killed.(Mass Market Paperback*)
A Dark and Twisting Path – Book 3 in the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series, one of my favorite series! I pre-ordered this book months ago. If you love mysteries, check this series out! (Mass Market Paperback*)
A Duke by Default – Book 2 in the Reluctant Royals series. I read book one, A Princess in Theory, on vacation this summer and it was delightful! I’m looking forward to reading this one and getting more of Portia’s story. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Knot My Sister’s Keeper – Book 6 in the Quilting Mystery series. A woman and her newly-discovered half sister team up to find out what happened to their father. (Mass Market Paperback*)
Midnight Snacks Are Murder – Book 2 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series. I adored book one, Class Reunions Are Murder, so I will absolutely be reading book two! (Mass Market Paperback*)
Murder at Ochre Court – Book 6 in the Gilded Newport Mystery series about a society reporter in 1898. I haven’t read any of these, but I’d like to give the first book a try. (Hardcover*)
Murder on Memory Lake – First in a new series about a woman who inherits a fortune and a secret lake house but finds a dead body when she arrives. I love trying new series, and the cover of this one makes me want to read it on vacation. That looks so restful (well, without the murder part). (Mass Market Paperback*)
Murder, She Reported (ebook) – A socialite tries to break free of expectations by getting a job at a newspaper in 1938 but finds herself in the middle of a scandal. This sounds terrific! (E-book pricing – $5 at the time of this writing)
Poppy Harmon Investigates – First in the Desert Flowers Mystery series. A widowed retiree opens her own private detective business. I am curious about this series, but I tried one of the author’s other books once and did not care for the main character at all. So, I’ll be trying this one from the library to see how this new character and I click. (Hardcover*)
Purrder She Wrote – Book 2 in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. A new cafe where diners can socialize with cats and even adopt one is the scene of drama that may have led to murder. I’d like to try this series out. (Mass Market Paperback*)
S’more Murders – Book 5 in the Five-Ingredient Mystery series. A guest disappears at a murder mystery party on a yacht. I haven’t read any books in this series – yet. (Mass Market Paperback*)
The Biggest Win: Pro Football Players Tackle Faith – Six Christians from the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl team share the stories of their lives and faith. (Trade Paperback*)
The Come Back Effect: How Hospitality Can Compel Your Church’s Guests to Return – For churches, businesses and ministries. This explores the keys to getting first time visitors to return. (Trade Paperback*)
The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture – I’ll be reviewing this one in a few weeks. (Trade Paperback*)
*I’ve noticed that publishers have shifted some of their new mystery series to Trade paperback (full size paperback with a sale price around $15 or $16) or hardcover (with a sale price around $25) instead of Mass Market paperback which runs around $8. When I think of it, I’ll try to note the format so readers can plan their book budgets – and trips to the library – accordingly.