BOOK NEWS: December 12, 2023

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


Hippos Remain Calm – A follow up to the classic Hippos Go Berserk.

Books for Adults


Death in the Dark Woods (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Monster Hunter Mystery series. Morgan is called in when a man is found dead in the same area where there have recently been sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature.
Housebroke (Trade Paperback) – A wealthy property developer and a homeless dog foster mom share a house while he flips it. This sounds so fun!
Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ (Nonfiction) – A colleague is part of the team who put this resource together for churches looking to grow in their theology and practice around disability and the Church.

BOOK NEWS: December 5, 2023

Happy December! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


Mercy Watson Is Missing! – Book 7 in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series. Mercy Watson has gone missing and her whole community is trying to find her. These books – a follow up to the Mercy Watson series – are great fun. I can’t wait to read this one! I already have this on hold at the library.

Books for Adults


The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale (Trade Paperback) – When Dee’s life implodes, she heads to Dublin to participate in a writing program and find a new life. I am looking forward to reading this one!
The Fake Mate (Trade Paperback) – A paranormal romance about two wolf shifters fake dating? Yes, please.
Raiders of the Lost Heart (Trade Paperback) – Rival archaeologists head to Mexico for a dig where thieves are prowling around their dig site. This sounds fun!
A River of Golden Bones (Hardcover) – Book one in the Golden Court series. A secret twin must protect their sister and kingdom when an evil sorceress returns with a sleeping curse. This sounds fascinating!
The Second Chance Year (Trade Paperback) – After her life implodes (it’s a trend this week), a woman gets a do-over of the last year where she sees the red flags – and potential love interest – she missed the first time around. Fun!
Sniffing Out Murder (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. A children’s book author – and her bloodhound – are murder suspects.
This Spells Love (Trade Paperback) – When a spell to forget her ex goes awry, Gemma has to convince her former best friend – who doesn’t remember her – to kiss her in order to set things right.

BOOK NEWS: November 28, 2023

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Teens/Young Adults


Betting on You – A YA release from Lynn Painter. Two teens who are convinced they have nothing in common start betting on a budding relationship between their coworkers as well as fake dating to disrupt things with her mom’s new boyfriend. But when the two start moving toward more-than-friends status, a secret can destroy what is growing between them. Yes please!
Didn’t See That Coming – A YA release from Jesse Q. Sutanto. A girl gamer who hides behind a male persona online transfers to a school where her online best friend goes – but she doesn’t know who he is. I am looking forward to reading and reviewing this one soon!

Books for Adults


The Twelve Kittens of Christmas (LGBTQ+ Trade Paperback) – Killian is just being a nice guy when he tells a friend’s brother that he can sleep on his couch until he gets back on his feet. And it was a fluke that they rescued those two kittens, but as two kittens becomes more, the relationship between the two unexpected roommates might become more as well. This sounds adorable, so of course I put it on my Christmas list!
Road Queens (Trade Paperback) – When tragedy strikes, a group of bikers that were helping victims of domestic violence disbands. But several years later they reconnect when one is accused of murdering someone from their past. This sounds AMAZING! So it’s also on my Christmas list.

BOOK NEWS: November 21, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving Week! There’s just two books on my release calendar this week, but that only means you have some extra time to explore this year’s Holiday Hint List – or the Padlet that allows you to check out all of the covers. Enjoy!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


The Nightcrawlers (Graphic Novel) – When a kid at school believes his parents have been replaced by werewolves, the Nightcrawlers promise to look into the claim. The author of this one reached out and asked if I would consider adding this to Book News. I got a kick out of the premise with the mystery/fantasy mash up. I’ll be looking for this one at the bookstore to check it out in person. 
Ink Girls
 (Graphic Novel) – A printer’s apprentice goes into hiding when her master is arrested for speaking truth to power. This was fantastic! It’s on this year’s Holiday Hint List, and I’ll be posting a full review soon.

BOOK NEWS: November 14, 2023

Happy almost-Thanksgiving! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


Mothman’s Merry Cryptid Christmas – Mothman gets a special request for Christmas. This book is so fun! It’s on my 2023 Holiday Hint List this year. You can check out this year’s list as well as past ones here.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Punycorn (Graphic Novel) – The smallest unicorn in Carbuncle is the only one who can fight for the city when an ogre attacks. This was a hoot! I’ll post a review soon, but this one also made this year’s Holiday Hint List.
Above the Trenches (Graphic Novel) – Book 12 in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous tales nonfiction graphic novel series. Read about the squadron of American fighter pilots in France’s Lafayette Escadrille.
Artifacts of an Ex – After getting dumped, a girl turns her break up box – and those of her peers – into art. This sounds fantastic!

Books for Adults


Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord (Hardcover) – First in the new Lady Petra Inquires series.  After losing her fiancé, Lady Petra has declared that she will never marry. When she discovers an asylum where men are leaving their inconvenient wives and daughters, she decides to use her wealth and her access to do something about it. SO excited to read this one!
Mom Com (Trade Paperback) – Maddi is headed home after a very public breakdown, but instead of going to a place of comfort and safety, she’s sure it will be filled with her mother’s criticism and painful decisions about her late father’s beloved bakery. What she isn’t expecting is to run into her ex.

BOOK NEWS: November 7, 2023

Happy November! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


The Big Cheese – Book 7 in the Food Group series. The Big Cheese is used to always coming out on top – and bragging to everyone about his wins. But what happens when someone else takes first place?
Lila Greer, Teacher of the Year – Lily’s teacher helps her deal with her worries when she moves to a new town. I have already preordered this one!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


All Is Found – A collection of original Frozen stories.
Duel (Graphic Novel) – Battling sisters face off in a duel when they struggle with being at middle school together. This looks great!
Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library (Graphic Novel) – The first Mr. Lemoncello book gets the graphic novel treatment – and it is not to be missed! I’ll be posting a review soon, but this one is already on my 2023 Holiday Hint List which released last week.
Just Lizzie (Older Middle Grade – LGBTQ+) – A class on asexual reproduction in plants leads a teen to consider questions about her own sexual identity.
Keeper of the Lost Cities (Graphic Novel) – The first book in the series by the same name gets the graphic novel treatment. This is the *first half* of the prose novel – so readers should be aware the story is split into two volumes. This is a series I always meant to try but never got around to. Maybe the GN is the way to dive in.
Check & Mate – Blockbuster romance author Ali Hazelwood ventures into YA this week! A girl who insists she has left chess behind agrees to do one last charity tournament and then wipes the floor with the reigning world champ.
Wish of the Wicked – A cursed fairy godmother uses a girl and a ball as her way to get back at the queen who destroyed her family in this reimagined Cinderella. Yes, please!
With or Without You – A new book from Eric Smith. Two teens from rival families have played up the rivalry for tourists, never letting on that they are really in love. But then they end up on reality TV.
Wren Martin Ruins It All (LGBTQ+) – An asexual teen who wants to abolish his school’s annual Valentine’s dance instead finds himself in charge of the biggest dance the school has ever seen.

Books for Adults


Bookshops & Bonedust (Trade Paperback) – Sequel to Legends & Lattes. After Viv is injured, she is sent to recuperate in a sleepy beach town where she spends too much time in a quiet bookshop. I’ve had Legends & Lattes on my TBR for ages – can’t wait to dig into it so I can pick this up.
Chaos Terminal (Trade Paperback) – Sequel to the quirky Station Eternity. Mallory may have caught the serial killer that tracked her to the space station before, but murder still seems to follow her, and she still seems to be the only person who can solve the case when a new arrival from Earth is killed.
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders (e-book, November 9) – A puzzler receives a package 6 days before Christmas containing puzzle pieces that together show a murder scene along with a note that says more people will die unless she can find the killer. This sounds AMAZING!
Enchanted Hill (Trade Paperback) – An aspiring PI posing as a maid searches a sprawling estate for evidence for a client. This sounds fascinating.
Fake Famous (Trade Paperback) – A farm girl agrees to step into a pop-star’s life for a week, but the “simple” swap starts to unravel.  I already pre-ordered this one.
The Good Part (Trade Paperback) – A young woman uses a wishing machine to skip ahead to “the good part” of her life.
Iron Flame (Hardcover) – The hotly awaited sequel to Fourth Wing, which is still sitting on my TBR. I have to get caught up – soon! If you have managed to miss the internet buzz about this dragon rider series, be sure to check out both books.
Never Wager with a Wallflower (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Merriwell Sisters series. Youngest sister, Venus, finds herself thawing toward her old nemesis, Galahad, until she discovers he’s been keeping secrets from her. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
A Power Unbound (Hardcover, LGBTQ+) – Book 3 in the Last Binding series about magical secrets and dangerous threats. I have the first two books on my TBR (Are you detecting a theme?), so I am not letting myself get this one until I catch up. So many books, so little time.
The Rom Con (Trade Paperback) – After a break up, a writer decides to use a 50’s article about tips to “hook a husband” as fodder for a satirical column AND a way to skewer a rival writer. Then those wacky tips actually start to work. This sounds fun!
Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank (e-book, short story) – A short story connected to the delightful Finlay Donovan series. See how Vero and Finlay first met. I am ecstatic about this!

BOOK NEWS: October 31, 2023

Happy almost-Halloween! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


I Am Mister Rogers – The latest in the Ordinary People Change the World series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Hidden Truths (Older Middle Grade) – Something new from Elly Swartz.  A best friendship is in jeopardy when Eric can’t be sure Dani’s accident isn’t his fault.
The Lotus Flower Champion – Instead of being able to focus on her mother’s final days, a young woman is stranded on an island with strangers as Thai mythology comes to life around them. This one is on my list!
People to Follow – A group of social media influencers are invited to an island for a 3-week reality show “off the grid.” But when none of the crew arrives, and one of the influencers is killed, it becomes obvious that something more menacing is going on. Yes, please!!
The Rosewood Hunt – Four teens are on an unexpected treasure hunt when Lily’s grandmother dies and her fortune goes missing. Fascinating!

Books for Adults


A Dish Best Served Hot (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Vega Family Love Stories series. High school sweethearts reconnect years later when she discovers his family is what has put the LGBTQ+ youth shelter at risk. This series is new to me, but I have both books in my cart right now!
Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond (Hardcover) – A memoir.

BOOK NEWS: October 24, 2023

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Older Kids/Teens


Final Word – A charity spelling bee turns into a hunt for clues through a family chalet for a set of twins. This sounds fun!
Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity – Book 5 in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series. Myrtle and her governess are stranded on an island with a thief if not a killer. I really enjoyed the first book in this series! Can’t wait to get caught up to this one.
Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica (Older Middle Grade) – I love infographics!!

Books for Adults


 

Emergency Contact (Trade Paperback) – Something new from Lauren Layne.  A woman with a concussion ends up stuck on an out-of-town trip with her ex as her “emergency contact” to monitor her. Yes, please!
Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date (Trade Paperback – LGBTQ+) – Book 3 in the Bright Falls series. A romance writer on deadline with no ideas agrees to fake date her last (disastrous) one night stand. I’m intrigued by this one.
It’s a Date (Again) (Trade Paperback) – A woman with amnesia finds three men at her bedside, each claiming to be her boyfriend. She just can’t remember which of them she was going to say yes to marrying. So her friends suggest she date them all again. I pre-ordered this weeks ago!
Murder in Drury Lane (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Lady Worthing Mystery series. Lady Worthing is drawn into a murder at the Drury Lane Theatre
The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline (Hardcover) – Movie stills and plot descriptions lay out the MCU in timeline order. This looks gorgeous, but it’s on the pricey side, along the lines of the Art of books for various Marvel movies.

BOOK NEWS: October 17, 2023

I’m not quite sure how we have gotten halfway through October already, but here we are. Let’s see some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash – Detective Duck works with her friends on environmental problems that crop up at their pond.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Lost Legends: The Fixer Upper – Book 3 in Disney’s Lost Legends series (after books about Flynn Rider and Aladdin). In an effort to get Kristoff to relate to other children, his adoptive troll family sends him to school. But it’s not a great fit for Kristoff, especially with his childhood bully there. He hopes he can win the ice harvester competition and that will help him to fit in.
The Queen’s Crown (e-book, October 19) – Book 1 in the League of Rulers series from the author of the Knights of the Realm series. Sabine seeks to avenge her sister’s murder by trying to take her place in the kingdom where she was about to wed, but the king is distractingly appealing even while she tries to dodge a killer in the court. I cannot wait to read this!!!
Thin Air – A teen invited to compete in a contest that could pull her and her family out of poverty forever boards a plane to Europe with the other contestants who then start to die on the plane. A locked-room mystery on an airplane? Stunning!

Books for Adults


10 Things That Never Happened (Trade Paperback) – Jonathan has determined it’s time to let Sam go from his job, but when Sam bumps his head and accidentally implies he has amnesia, Jonathan feels like he can’t fire him. But as the two spend time together, Sam still faking amnesia, the feelings between them become more and more complicated. Yeah, this one is on the list!
Dragged to the Wedding (Trade Paperback) – A closeted gay man needs a date to a family wedding, so a drag queen agrees to help him out. Yes, please!
Friends Don’t Fall in Love (Trade Paperback) – The latest from Erin Hahn. A former country star reaches out to her ex’s  best friend to help her reclaim her lost career. This is a book for *adults* so readers should remember this will be spicier than her YA stories.
Home at Night (Hardcover) – Book 5 in the awesome Mercy Carr Mystery series. A supposedly haunted manor becomes a site for a murder. I love this series and can’t wait to read this new book.
Let’s Get Quizzical (Trade Paperback) – High school exes have a second chance at love when they are paired up on a televised quiz show. This sounds fun!
One Christmas Morning (Trade Paperback) – A woman hiding from past heartbreak during Christmas inhabits the lives of several of her friends in a Christmas miracle designed to help her face her past. Yes!!
Stalking Around the Christmas Tree (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Holly is sleuthing again when a visiting dancer is killed right before Christmas.

BOOK NEWS: October 10, 2023

Let’s take a look at some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids


Frankie and Friends: Breaking News – When Frankie’s mom leaves on an assignment to cover a news event, Frankie and her friends decide to host their own news show. This new chapter book series looks fantastic!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Curlfriends: New in Town (Graphic Novel) – Charlie is used to being the new kid thanks to her military family’s frequent moves, but this looks like a place they could stay awhile, so she’s determined to make a good impression. But nothing goes like she planned. This sounds amazing!
Diana and the Hero’s Journey – The girl who will some day become Wonder Woman discovers the story of the first Greek hero, Hero.
Trouble Finds Plum! – Book 3 in a series about a young peacock named Plum. When the Athensville Zoo is overrun by raccoons, Plum has a plan to save the day.
Huda F Cares? (Graphic Novel) – Book 2 in this YA graphic novel series about Huda. This time Huda and her family are going to Disney World, but the forced togetherness with her sisters and the ways her family stands out in Florida are challenging.

Books for Adults


Better Hate Than Never (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Wilmot Sisters series after Two Wrongs Make a Right. Childhood enemies discover an unexpected spark in this modern take on Taming of the Shrew. I have book 1, based on Much Ado About Nothing, on my TBR, and now I think I need to bump it up the list because those two Shakespeare plays are my favorites!
The Holiday Mix-Up (Trade Paperback) – Basically While You Were Sleeping with fake dating – and I am HERE FOR IT!
Let It Crow Let It Crow Let It Crow (Hardcover) – Book 34 in the Meg Langslow series. To help out a friend, Meg gets pulled into a televised blacksmithing competition at Christmas time. Yes, please!
Love Interest (Trade Paperback) – After Casey is passed over for a job, she has to work with the person who got it instead of her – the son of the board chairman.
The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed (Trade Paperback) – Sana’s mother won’t let her be named guardian of her autistic younger brother unless she is married, so she agrees to an arranged marriage, despite her feelings for an old friend (and family enemy) who has resurfaced in her life.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Illyrian Enigma (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel bridging season one and two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Sword Catcher (Hardcover) – The prince’s body double and a magic-wielding physician get drawn into the criminal underworld of their kingdom where each is offered what they truly want most. But they uncover a conspiracy that leads them to question everything. This sounds amazing!
‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas (Hardcover) – Book 28 in the delightful  Andy Carpenter series. Andy defends a man who adopted his dogs from the Tara Foundation when he’s accused of murder. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!