Happy Labor Day for those of you in the United States. I hope you are finding some rest from your labors today, even if you had to go in to work. To help with that rest, check out the books releasing this week. Maybe you’ll find just the thing for your next long weekend.
Books for Kids
But Not the Armadillo – The long-awaited board book sequel to Sandra Boynton’s classic But Not the Hippopotamus. I am entirely too excited about this book for a person who does not have board book readers in the house!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Part of the Pop Classics series of picture books, perfect for fans of the TV show.
Cookiesaurus Christmas – September kicks off the season of Christmas books and there are two Christmas picture books on the list today. This first one features the star of Cookiesaurus Rex who wants to be the only cookie on Santa’s plate this year, but he may not make the cut. This looks darling! I’m looking forward to reading both the original and the sequel.
Lyric McKerrigan, Secret Librarian – A librarian superhero story? YES, PLEASE! This has been in my Amazon cart for months. Can’t wait to read this one!
Me, Myselfie, & I: A Cautionary Tale – The family gets Mom a new cell phone and pretty soon she’s obsessed with self-documentation. I’ve enjoyed Jamie Lee Curtis’ previous picture books.
No Peacocks! – Inspired by the real-life birds at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine, this story is about a of a trio of peacocks who want a chance to try a famous mac and cheese recipe. This looks adorable and I love peacocks, so this is on my list!
Professor Astro Cat’s Space Rockets – A nonfiction picture book about rockets. This looks fantastic!
Santa Bruce – Santa Bruce, book 4 in the Bruce series by Ryan T. Higgins is at the top of my wish list for this week!
T. Rex Time Machine – Two T. Rexs come to the future and find so many treats, they’ll never want to leave. Adorable!
Eliza Hamilton, Founding Mother – Ever since I first heard the soundtrack for Hamilton, I have been intrigued by the story of Eliza Hamilton and the things she did after her husband died. I am looking forward to reading this Early Reader to see how they cover her story.
The Missing Donut (Big Words, Small Stories) – A collection of stories about a boy and his cat with a side plot about a fairy who sprinkles one big word into each story. This is a fun idea; I’m looking forward to seeing how it works in person.
A Fall for Friendship – The third Orchard Novel by Megan Atwood about four friends and a New England apple orchard. In this book, one of the kids is out to prove that ghosts don’t exist. This looks like a cute transitional chapter book series.
The Race to Chimney Rock – Book one in a new choose-your-own-adventure chapter book series focused on history.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
12 Before 13 – Book 2 in the Friendship List series. Two middle school girls have a list of 12 goals to reach before they turn 13.
24 Hours In Nowhere – Four kids hunt for treasure in the desert to pay off a bully. The latest book from the author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, a book that has received rave reviews. I have both books on my library wish list.
After Zero – A girl tracks the number of words she says each day. A zero word day is the best because that means she didn’t say something silly in class or something embarrassing to another student. I’ll be reviewing this one next week.
The Bands of Bravery – Book 1 in the Knights Club choose-your-own-adventure graphic novel series. This is a clever idea but the execution has received mixed reviews. I’ll be reviewing this one later this fall.
Cats vs. Robots: This Is War – Book 1 in a new series about two warring planets that bring their disagreement to Earth. I’m reading this one now and will be reviewing it later this fall.
The Hotel Between – A couple of kids and a magic hotel with doors that lead all over the world are at the center of this new novel.
Isle of the Lost Graphic Novel – A graphic novel adaptation of the book by the same name starring the characters from the Disney movie Descendants about the kids of famous Disney villains.
Planet Grief – A moving story about a group of kids at a weekend grief workshop. I’ll be reviewing this one tomorrow.
Sabotage Stage Left – Book 3 in the Howard Wallace PI series. I loved book one and book 2 just came out in paperback, so I scooped that one up for my TBR shelves. In book 3, Howard and Ivy work a case at the school theater.
The Third Mushroom – Sequel to the fantastic The Fourteenth Goldfish about a science-minded girl and her grandfather who has made himself a teenager again through a science experiment. This time they are testing the influence of a special axolotl on other organisms with surprising results. I’ll be reviewing this later this fall, but I’ll tell you now that I loved it just as much as the first one!
Unbelievably Boring Bart – The latest from James Patterson stars a kid who secretly created an amazing new app. Now, he can either use it against the bullies or tell everyone he’s the creator and be super popular.
Wedgie and Gizmo vs the Great Outdoors – Book three in the excellent Wedgie and Gizmo series. I thoroughly enjoy the humor in this series, and I think it works for both a transitional chapter book AND a middle grade book depending on the reader. In book 3, the family is going on a camping trip and Wedgie and Gizmo get to go along. If this lives up to the first two books in the series, this will be fantastic! This is on my wish list for this week.
First Generation – Middle grade nonfiction focused on trailblazing immigrants and refugees.
Lego Star Wars Ideas Book – Lego is publishing a lot of idea books this fall. These are terrific if you have a Lego lover in your home who has a large collection of bricks that can be used for any sort of building project.
Start with a Dot – September 15th is International Dot day, inspired by the book by Peter H. Reynolds. It’s one of my favorites about creativity. In this guided journal for kids, teens and adults, users are invited to “make their mark and see where it takes them.” I am excited about this one! This could make a great Christmas gift.
Ignite the Stars – A notorious outlaw is actually a 17 year old girl. When she is captured by the Commonwealth, they force her to work for them to show that no one can resist them. I’m looking forward to this one!
Part of Your World – The latest Twisted Tale from Liz Braswell focuses on the story of the Little Mermaid and asks the question what if Ursula had won? Yep, this is absolutely on my list!
People Kill People – One gun, six teenagers. Who will be the one to pull the trigger? This is the second book in as many weeks (last week’s That’s Not What Happened) to look at mass shootings and our gun culture. This is on my library list.
Ten After Closing – Two teens stuck at a cafe after closing find themselves taken hostage. This sounds fascinating. Definitely on my list for this week.
Two Dark Reigns – Book three in the stunning Three Dark Crowns series about triplet queens who compete to see who can survive long enough to be crowned. The first two books, and the two novellas, have been terrific. And I got to read the prologue for this book online last week and it was amazing. I requested the book from the library months ago and I am first on the hold list for tomorrow. I skimmed back through all the previous books from the library last week so I am completely ready for whatever Two Dark Reigns holds!
Uncharted – A teen who feels responsible for her mother’s death travels with her father to a mysterious estate where he goes missing. Yep, this is on the library list for this week. Sounds good and suspenseful.
Steal this Country: A Handbook for Resistance, Persistence, and Fixing Almost Everything – The latest in a collection of activism books for teens.
Books for Adults
An Act of Villainy (Hardcover) – Book 5 in the Amory Ames mystery series about an actress who receives death threats and a cast full of people who despise her. I’ve never read any of the books in this series, but I’m eager to give them a try.
The Cats Came Back (Hardcover) – Book 10 in the Magical Cats series about a crime solving librarian and her cats, this time involving a murder around a music festival. I have several of these on my TBR shelves. I love librarian stories.
Die Me a River (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series starring school psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd who is wrapping up her maternity leave after the birth of her twins when an explosion rocks Scumble River and a body is found. I read several of the books in the original series, but I haven’t picked up the new one yet.
Light of Kahless (Star Trek Discovery)(Paperback graphic novel) – Based on Star Trek Discovery, part of CBS’s streaming service, set a decade before the original series. This graphic novel focuses on the Klingon Empire, one of my favorite races in the Star Trek Universe.
Wuthering Kites (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Kite Shop Mystery series about a kite shop owner who investigates a murder in Rock Point. This is another series I have on my TBR shelves.
Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life (Trade paperback) – The first of two books about reading on this week’s list. This one advocates the development of a reading lifestyle and includes book lists. I will be looking for this one in person.
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (Hardcover) – College campuses are experiencing a more volatile tone and higher levels of mental health needs. The authors focus on three ideas they feel have led to this problem we are seeing in our young adults. I will absolutely be reading this one!
Copycat Cooking with Six Sisters’ Stuff: 100+ Popular Restaurant Meals You Can Make at Home (Large format Paperback) – I love the whole idea of this, but I’m curious to see how fussy the recipes are. If they are too intricate, I’d rather just let the experts make them. Includes appetizers, main dishes, desserts and drinks.
Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences (Hardcover) – Tackle the issues of cynicism, compromise, irrelevance, pride, burnout and two other challenges with help from this Christian self-help book.
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life (Hardcover) – This second book about reading is by Anne Bogel, Christian author and podcaster (What Should I Read Next?), and includes thoughts for book lovers. This one is high on my list!
Keep Christianity Weird: Embracing the Disciple of Being Different (Paperback) – Encourages Christians to become more comfortable with the idea of standing out rather than being shaped by the culture around us.
Live Long and …: What I Learned Along the Way (Hardcover) – The latest memoir from William Shatner inspired by a health scare he had in 2016.
The Man I Never Met – A memoir from ESPN personality Adam Schefter about marrying a woman who lost her husband on 9/11 and how they live life day after day and year after year. My husband was the first one to tell me about this one. I know we will be buying this book this week.
The Message Devotional Bible (Hardcover and Paperback) – Includes commentary, reflection questions and 52 meditations.
Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free (Hardcover) – I was in college and newly married when the purity culture took root, so I missed a lot of this, but I’m familiar with it from the outside. I am curious about this one and would like to read it and hear for myself what the author took away from this time in her life.
Slave Stealers: True Accounts of Slave Rescues Then and Now (Hardcover) – Two stories of rescued slaves – one from the 1800s and one from 2009. This will be fascinating and hopefully inspiring!