Category: Book News

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Very Bad at Math (Graphic Novel) – A capable and super involved teen struggling in math discovers she has dyscalculia.
Love on Paper – Two teen writers with parents in the publishing business – who happen to be long-term rivals – attend a writing retreat.
The Rival – A new romance from Emma Lord. High school rivals become college rivals when Seb gets pulled off the waitlist and he and Sadie start vying for a spot writing for the school zine. Lord’s books are must reads for me.
The Wilde Trials – Exes participating in a set of dangerous pre-graduation trials at their school team up to help her find her blackmailer and find out why his brother died in the last Trials.

Books for Adults

Earl Crush (Trade Paperback) – An heiress corresponding with a single earl in financial trouble travels to him to offer up a marriage of convenience. Except the earl has no idea who she is, because his brother has been impersonating him to the woman.
Loose Lips (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Ghostwriter Mystery series after The Busy Body. The ghostwriter attends a writing conference aboard a cruise ship. When one of the guests dies under mysterious circumstances, it’s investigation time again. Book 1 was excellent, so this is a must read for me!
Onyx Storm (Hardcover) – Book three in the Empyrean series after Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. I haven’t gotten to Fourth Wing yet – I need to catch up!
She Doesn’t Have a Clue (Trade Paperback) – A murder at a destination wedding draws a mystery writer into investigating. I can’t wait to read this one!

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

Make Your Mark: The Empowering True Story of the First Known Black Female Tattoo Artists – Picture book biography of Jacci Gresham.
Bad Kitty: Party Animal – It’s Puppy’s birthday, but Kitty keeps causing trouble.
Lila Greer and the Shrieking Shadow – Book 7 in the Questioneers series of chapter books based on the picture book series.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner (Older Middle Grade) – A grieving girl receives a pencil she uses to write stories that then come true.
Old School – A kid homeschooled at a retirement community is forced to go to a regular middle school. I adore Korman’s books and can’t wait to read this one!
PAWS: Hazel Has Her Hands Full (Graphic Novel) – Book 4 in the PAWS series. Hazel takes on a new summer pet sitting job – and the home is even wheelchair acceptable! But when her friends’ busy schedules mean she would be doing the job alone, she’s afraid her overprotective mom will balk.
Same Page (Older Middle Grade) – Something new from Elly Swartz. Two girls launch a project to get a book vending machine for their school, but one of their mom’s objects to some of the books that are supposed to be in the machine. I’m looking forward to this one!
Liar’s Kingdom – Tired of life with her step-family, Ell takes her shot at a different life by lying to a prince, saying she danced with him at a ball she never attended. What a fun twist on a familiar story!
The Queen’s Spade – Queen Victoria’s goddaughter, kidnapped from her African home and family, plots revenge. Inspired by a true story.

Books for Adults

Death in the Downline (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Multi-level Marketing Murder Mystery series. A reporter starting her life over and living at home gets pulled into the LuminUS MLM. When a LuminUS distributer is found dead, she starts investigating.
Extreme Romancing in Idaho (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Clear Springs Romance series. A woman hoping to connect with a new guy lies and tells him she’s into extreme sports.
The In-Between Bookstore (Hardcover) – Darby finds himself in the bookstore he worked in as a teen when he moves back to his hometown. But he doesn’t expect to walk in and find himself back in 2009, face to face with his teenaged self.
Let’s Call a Truce (Trade Paperback) – Two work rivals are forced to work on a project together and find potential for a different kind of relationship.
Murder in the Dressing Room (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – First in the Misty Divine Mystery series. When a drag queen is poisoned by a box of chocolates, the other drag performers are the top suspects. Crushed by the death of their “drag mother” and frustrated by police bias, Misty decides to solve the mystery.
Once Smitten Twice Shy (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Wilmot Sisters series. Based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Two people who feel like they will never find love decide to help each other “practice” romance.
Playing Flirty (Trade Paperback) – A woman and her gaming rival work together to launch her new board game design.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage (Hardcover) – Two married killers walked away from the life when they had a baby. But Hazel is finding the mom life dull – so she kills someone and doesn’t tell her husband. Then the police show up at their door. Quirky!
The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds (Trade Paperback) – A new widow buys her family home to fix up. When she finds and replaces the original door, she is transported  100 years into the past. Her experiences there put her at risk of slipping out of existance.
Work in Progress (Trade Paperback) – A woman who lost both her career and her fiancé impulsively signs on for a UK literary bus tour that doesn’t go at all like she imagined.
Write Your Own Cake (e-book – essay) – “Book” 2 in this writing series by Jennifer Estep. This one is focused on writing a long series.
Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman (Hardcover) – A memoir from actress and model Brooke Shields about women enjoying the prime of their lives.
In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some (Hardcover) – A memoir from actor Josh Gad.
This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith and Other Things We Don’t Talk About (Hardcover) – A new memoir from the author of I Take My Coffee Black (♥♥♥♥).

Happy 2025! Here’s to another great year of reading. Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Library Card and Helped Change History – The story of Congressman John Lewis in his quest for racial equality, starting with access to the library.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Mack Moon and the P.E.T.S. (Graphic Novel) – Mack discovers his pets are from space and here on Earth to stop a ferret named Barbara from trying to take over the world.
The Princess Swap: Cinderella and the Beast – Ella and Belle find themselves in each other’s stories!
Stories of the Spirit of Justice – By Jamar Tisby. Short biographies of Civil Rights leaders.
Where Is Tornado Alley?
After Life – Seven years after her death, Amber appears to her family, alive once again but unchanged from the day she died. Now her family and friends have to figure out what her return means for each of them.
The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting (LGBTQ+) – An orphan raised to be an assassin, Tru has hidden her abilities and her training from everyone. But on what is supposed to be a normal babysitting gig she finds herself hunted and on the run – with her one-year-old charge in tow. I cannot WAIT to read this!!
Bemused – From author Farrah Rochon. The Muses from the Disney movie about Hercules get to tell their own story. This sounds fun!
A Language of Dragons – Alternate history where a girl puts the tenuous peace between humans and dragons at risk.
The Last Bookstore on Earth (LGBTQ+) – Two girls taking shelter in a bookstore after an apocalyptic Storm start to fall for one another – and then they find out another Storm is on the way.
Mystery Royale – Mullory takes a chance at a game of Mystery Royale for an inheritance despite her mother’s last words warning her away from “the strange.”
Royal Heirs Academy – Four teens compete for the chance to inherit a kingdom.

Books for Adults

Beg, Borrow, or Steal (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the When in Rome series. Two feuding colleagues – and side-hustling writers – have to team up when Emily accidentally sends her latest manuscript to their principal and she needs help getting it back.
Four Ruined Realms (Hardcover) – The sequel to Five Broken Blades.
Holmes Is Missing (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Homes, Margaret & Poe series. by James Patterson. The PIs are working on a series of child abductions, but Holmes goes missing.
Into the Woods (Trade Paperback) – Two camp counselors consider taking a chance on love.
The Lodge (Trade Paperback) – A writer gets the chance to work on a story about the band True North and their mysterious break up while enjoying time at a resort.
The Starlight Heir (Trade Paperback) – A bladesmith with magic finds herself on the run with a prince when rebels attack the palace.
Temple of Swoon (Trade Paperback) – An archaeologist trying to prove herself and a journalist trying to keep her from her goal find themselves in a spot of trouble when they realize they aren’t the only people trying to find the lost city.