Category: Book News

BOOK NEWS: November 19, 2024

BOOK NEWS: November 19, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

The Purple One: A Story on Prince – A picture book biography of Prince.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Mallory In Full Color – A kid who tends to keep her true thoughts and feelings to herself and her webcomic finds herself in trouble when her comic goes viral, and her true thoughts are seen by everyone,  putting her one potential friendship in jeopardy.
Take It from the Top – Scenes from six summers of camp explore a friendship – and a fracture – between two girls.
Dead Below Deck – It’s a mystery at sea when an heiress is killed and her friends are suspects.
If You Can Hear This – When the AV Club’s beloved sponsor goes missing, the club members and their newest addition start investigating.
Thanks for Listening – A girl whose advice is never followed creates an anonymous account where she can give advice to her friends that they might actually follow – but it also reveals secrets she didn’t know.

Books for Adults

The Half King (Hardcover) – Cursed nobility includes a king in danger of fading away permanently on his 21st birthday. A “seer” with no gift for seeing and other secrets may be the only one who can save him.
The Serpent and the Wolf (Hardcover) – A woman fighting against the darkness growing inside her is married off to a rival king so when her power leads to her death, her brother can invade the other kingdom. But her new husband offers her both her freedom but also information about her magic. Yes, please!
Shell Games (Trade Paperback) – When her mother makes a wild claim that her new husband confessed to a murder, Julie has to figure out if her mother has become paranoid or if she was conned by her new husband – or if something else is going on.

BOOK NEWS: November 12, 2024

BOOK NEWS: November 12, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Best Wishes: Like a Boss – Book 4 in the Best Wishes series about a wish-granting bracelet and a girl who makes a wish and becomes in charge of EVERYTHING.
The Winterton Deception: Fault Lines – Book 2 in the series. Hope and Gordon are drawn into a hunt for new clues to find people they aren’t sure they even want to see again. I have got to catch up on book one – this sounds exactly like the sorts of books I love.
Games Untold – Book 5 in the Inheritance Games series is a collection of short stories about the characters of this series.
Heist Royale – Book 2 in the Thieves’ Gambit series.
In Want of a Suspect – Lizzie Bennet (from the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series) is back, working at her father’s law firm and hired to investigate a warehouse fire that turns into a murder investigation. I ADORED the first series and have already preordered this.
Our Deadly Designs – Sequel to This Dark Descent. The hunt is on for the lost heir, but the competitors in that hunt are also pursuing their own personal agendas.

Books for Adults

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Lady Petra Inquires series. Lady Petra discovers the death of her fiancé 3 years ago was murder. And the culprit seems to be her secret paramour.
The Courting of Bristol Keats (Hardcover) – Bristol and her sisters think their parents are dead, but then Bristol starts getting letters from a previously unknown aunt. And she finds out her father might have been kidnapped – and taken back to the realm where he was from.
Her Knight at the Museum (Trade Paperback) – An art conservator breaks the magic enchantment on a knight and then becomes a suspect in the disappearance of his “statue” while he adjusts to the modern world.
I’ll Be Home for Mischief (Hardcover) – Book 5 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. As Holly preps for Christmas and her first wedding anniversary, she’s also looking for a killer – again.
Imperfectly Perfect (Trade Paperback) – A jilted-at-the-altar wedding planner teams up with her college ex to fake date their way into something each of them needs.
Servant of Earth (Hardcover) – First in the Shards of Magic series about a servant who is charged with helping her fae mistress survive six deadly trials.
Sons of Star Trek (Graphic Novel) – A collection of four episodes of the comics series starring the sons of Captain Sisko, Rom, and Worf.
Toto (Trade Paperback) – Toto gets to tell the story of The Wizard of Oz.
Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso the Show that Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts (Hardcover) – A behind the scenes look at this fantastic show!
How to Dungeon Master Parenting: A Guidebook for Gamifying the Child Rearing Quest, Leveling Up Your Skills, and Raising Future Adventurers (Trade Paperback) – A parenting book based on D&D.

BOOK NEWS: November 5, 2024

BOOK NEWS: November 5, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week to kick off November.

Books for Kids

Yes, Chef! It’s Snack Time (Board Book) – A darling story about making a fruit salad. The artwork is fantastic!
The Critter Club: Marion’s Warm Welcome – Book 28 in this chapter book series full of fun animals and friendship stories.
Scare School Diaries: Forest Frights – Book 2 in this not-too-scary series by Jarrett Lerner. Bash the ghost has a couple of mischievous vampires in his project group, and he is worried they could ruin his grade.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale – The sixth and final book in the Mr. Lemoncello series.
Where Is Yellowstone?
Who Is Taylor Swift? (Deluxe Edition) – The Deluxe Edition is hardcover with special endpapers and sprayed page edges.
A Diamond Bright & Broken – A girl who has been used for her tears which become diamonds seeks out the Mage Queen to learn more about her gift/curse.
Teen Titans: Starfire (Graphic Novel) – Book 6 in the incredible Teen Titans series. I pre-ordered this a YEAR ago, and I will drop everything to read this when it finally arrives. The author has released the cover for the next book – Teen Titans Together – which will release in 2025, and it looks AMAZING!

Books for Adults

The Author’s Guide to Murder (Hardcover) – Three writers are suspects when their host is killed during a visit to his castle. This sounds amazing!
The Gardener’s Plot (Hardcover) – When her friend goes missing and a body is found in their community garden, Maggie is determined to find the real killer.
Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith (Trade Paperback) – 16 crime authors celebrate the band Aerosmith as the band heads into retirement by turning out stories based on their music. This whole premise is fantastic!
Let It Snow : Cozy Mysteries for Winter (Trade Paperback, November 10) – A collection of mysteries for the season by one author. A great way to check out some of her characters/series.
Mistletoe Mischief (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Falling in Mistletoe series. A tour guide looking to boost business invites a podcaster to Mistletoe, Idaho but he doesn’t realize the public face of the podcast is a different person than the one behind the mic.
Mr. Nice Spy (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the My Spy series. A fireworks designer is on the run from her escaped arms dealer father. Before the CIA can convince her to work with them as bait to catch her father, she and one of the agents are kidnapped. Sounds fantastic!
Pony Confidential (Hardcover) – A woman accused of murder is helped by the pony she had as a child. Sounds fun and quirky!
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum – Pike’s early memories with Una at the Academy become pertinent during their life on the Enterprise when faced with a terrorist attack.
Teller of Small Fortunes (Trade Paperback) – A fortune teller with a past joins up with an unexpected found family as they try to find a missing child. This sounds lovely and cozy for November.
The State of Old Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research (Paperback) – An Old Testament collection like the Pauline collection I reviewed in October. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

BOOK NEWS: October 29, 2024

BOOK NEWS: October 29, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Kamala Raised Her Hand – A picture book about Vice President Kamala Harris and the ways she has “raised her hand” across her life in an effort to make a real difference for people.

 

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Let It Glow – Two adoptees discover they are biological sisters – twins – and plan to swap places for the holidays to learn about each other’s lives.

Books for Adults

A New Lease on Death (Hardcover) – First book in a new mystery series. A ghost and the new tenant of her apartment team up to look into the murder of a neighbor.
Only Cold Depths (ebook) – Book 4 in Jennifer Estep’s Galactic Bonds series about a specially-powered couple on the run.
Perfect Fit (Trade Paperback) – A woman has to work with her ex-best friend’s twin brother to save her company. When they actually start to hit it off, they will have to deal with his sister and the history between the women.
This Will Be Fun (Trade Paperback) – A band of heroes are reunited ten years after their epic victory for a wedding where they have to confront not only new enemies but also their past. Yes, please!
What If? 125 Questions to Discover More About Life and Faith – A small gift book of thought-provoking questions for personal or group use. The author is a personal friend, and she is known for her questions and her approach to life and faith and community.

BOOK NEWS: October 22, 2024

BOOK NEWS: October 22, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess – Book 19 in this long-running series.
Slouch (Graphic Novel) – A very tall 7th grade girl starts to notice the unwanted attention her body attracts.

Books for Adults

The Anti-Social Season (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the First Responders series. A burned out fire fighter needs a crash course in social media from the local librarian who has had a crush on her since high school.
Because Fat Girl (Trade Paperback) – A woman who lost her Hollywood dream gets a second chance.
The Book of Purrs: Everyday Thoughts from  Your Feline Friends (Hardcover gift book) – A collection of art from @purr.in.ink. I love this IG account!
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop (Hardcover) – A collection of Christmas mysteries.
Death Comes at Christmas (Hardcover) – And another collection of Christmas mysteries!
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Ernest Cunningham series. Ernest is at a holiday magic show when someone is murdered. I love this series!!
In Too Deep (Hardcover) – Book 29 in the Jack Reacher series. After catching a ride with a stranger who is later killed, Reacher wakes up handcuffed to a bed with little memory of what happened.
Much Ado About Margaret (Trade Paperback) – A man hopes to save his fledgling publishing business by signing the author of the few pages he found at a wedding – but then he discovers that not only is the author a woman, but he’s already brutally rejected her and her work.
Mystery in the Title (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Miranda Abbott Mystery series. Miranda signs on to a sketchy-sounding movie of the week and then her costar is found dead. This sounds like a fun series!
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way (Trade Paperback) – Choose your own adventure with the crew from Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Sacred Prayer (Hardcover) – A 90-day Guided Journal from Ann Voskamp.

BOOK NEWS: October 15, 2024

BOOK NEWS: October 15, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Disaster Squad: Hurricane Rescue – Book2 in the Disaster Squad series from Branches about a family that responds to natural disasters.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

I Survived: The Black Death, 1348 – Book 24 in this excellent middle grade historical series about kids surviving epic disasters.
Inferno’s Heir – One of the first books published by Bindery Books, a new publisher with a unique model, bringing in influencers to create Patreon-style accounts to publish books from new writers. In this YA release, an orphaned princess, fleeing her half-brother’s assassination attempts, joins the rebels trying to destroy the monarchy for good. This sounds amazing!

Books for Adults

Catch and Keep (Trade Paperback) – The latest from Erin Hahn. A woman walks away from her life, ready to stop letting things happen to her and instead to make her own life – back in northern Wisconsin where an old friend might become more. This sounds lovely.
House of Frank (Trade Paperback) – Another Bindery release. A grieving, powerless witch starts working at Ash Gardens with a mythical beast named Frank, trying to keep her magic-less state a secret from her coworkers. I have heard so many good things about this!
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas (Trade Paperback) – A holiday grump tries to fake some Christmas cheer – along with a fake relationship with his nemesis – in the town holiday contest.
The More the Terrier (Hardcover) – Book 30 in the Andy Carpenter series. Andy takes on the case of a college student accused of murdering his professor.
Rockin’ Around the Chickadee (Hardcover) – Book 36 in the Meg Langslow series. Meg and her friends and family are working on a Presumed Innocent conference during the holidays when someone is killed.
Strange Beasts (Trade Paperback) – Another Bindery release. The daughter of Dracula’s killer teams up with the daughter of Moriarty to investigate a mysterious monster prowling Paris on a killing spree.
Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss (Hardcover) – Jedi Master Mace Windu goes on a quest to fulfill Qui-Gon Jinn’s final request.
The Treasure Hunters Club (Hardcover) – Three strangers are drawn to Maple Bay where a long-unsolved mystery is waiting for them.
We Three Kings (ebook) – The head of an IT department is hanging out with her three close friends for the holidays when her boss tells her that she’s going to have to cut one of them from her team.
God Has a Name: What you believe about God will shape who you become (Hardcover, nonfiction) – An updated hardcover edition of the original book. An exploration of Exodus 34:6-8.
The State of Pauline Studies: A Survey of Recent Research (nonfiction) – A collection of recent research about the parts of the Bible attributed to Paul. This is a follow up to The State of New Testament Studies. There will be an Old Testament version coming out later this year. I’ll be reviewing this later this week.

BOOK NEWS: October 8, 2024

BOOK NEWS: October 8, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

Zoey and Sassafras: Gnomes and Sneezes – Book 10 in the adorable Zoey and Sassafras series. Zoey encounters an illness she might not be able to cure for some new friends.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

The Bletchley Riddle (Older Middle Grade) – Siblings living at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII’s British Codebreakers, try to help the war effort while also looking into the disappearance of their mother.

Books for Adults

 

Bloodguard (Hardcover) – A gladiator plotting revenge meets a princess who says she can give him everything he wants.
Court of Talons (ebook) – (First in a new Fang & Fire series) – The family blacksheep bonds with her beloved younger brother’s monster when her brother is killed before the Tournament of Gold. Since they don’t let women fight, she assumes her brother’s identity and enters the Tournament. Yes, please!
The Holiday Honeymoon Switch (Trade Paperback) – Best friends who even look alike decide to trade holiday plans – Ivy goes on Holly’s ruined nonrefundable honeymoon while Holly goes to Ivy’s rented cabin. Yes, please!
My Kind of Trouble (Hardcover) – A gender-swapped The Music Man. A California con-woman launches her plan to take down the man who ruined her father and her family with a music festival con, but her plans didn’t account for the autistic librarian she has to use for part of the con. Yes, please! So many great stories coming out this week!
The Night Woods (Hardcover) – Book 6 in the fantastic Mercy Carr series. A very pregnant Mercy and her dog Elvis have to prove that a friend is innocent of murder.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – First in a new Royals and Romance series starring Holiday royalty. The heir of Christmas is supposed to be marrying the princess of Easter – his best friend, Iris (his brothers secret crush) – not making out with mysterious men behind seedy bars. But the mysterious man turns out to be the prince of Halloween – and he’s shown up to challenge for Iris’s hand. Yes, please – again!
The Wedding Witch (Trade Paperback) – Graves Glen, book 3. Bowen and Tamsyn are transported 50 years into the past to a holiday party and must find their way back to the present.
I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t: Moving Forward When You’re Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment (Hardcover) – From Lysa TerKeurst. What to do with the lingering distrust that comes after a betrayal.
Not Sure Who Needs to Hear This, But… (Hardcover, Nonfiction) – A beautiful collection from We the Urban.

 

BOOK NEWS: October 1, 2024

BOOK NEWS: October 1, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week to kick off October!

Books for Kids

The Bakery Dragon – A small dragon who fears he may never be fearsome enough to have a good horde of gold discovers a new way of thinking – at the bakery.
Bear in a Bathrobe – Bear’s friends want him to go ice skating with them but he’s far more comfortable at home in his bathrobe. This looks darling!

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

The Evers: Never Thirteen – Book 2 in the Evers series by Stacy McAnulty. The Evers, kids who never age, are trying to help Ivy avoid their fate. I have got to get caught up on this series!
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (Limited Edition) – A new – and gorgeous – cover for the book that started the Wings of Fire series.
The Hunger Games (Illustrated) – An illustrated edition of the book that launched the phenomenon.
Nothing Like the Movies – The sequel to Better Than the Movies. Wes is determined to win Liz back.
Some Like It Cold – Jasper is back in Lake Pristine to say goodbye but a young filmmaker could make her want to stay.

Books for Adults

Death at the Dinner Party (ebook) – Book 3 in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. A murder mystery dinner turns deadly in real life.
A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Trade Paperback) – First in a quirky new mystery series. A woman working for SCYTHE in the Department of Natural Causes runs into trouble with her latest client who insists he was murdered. Yes, please!
Make the Season Bright (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – A pair of exes encounter each other unexpectedly while traveling for Christmas.
Star Trek: Open a Channel – A Woman’s Trek (Hardcover) – Nana Visitor, actor on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, explores how the long-running franchise has included, portrayed, and inspired women.

 

BOOK NEWS: September 24, 2024

BOOK NEWS: September 24, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

The Most Boring Book Ever – From Brandon Sanderson. A boy experiences an “ordinary,” boring day.
The Woofmore Is NOT Haunted – Rufus and his friends need to keep a famous author away from anything spooky at the Woofmore.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess – Book 7 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (book 2 in the new additions to the original 5). Percy is trying to earn recommendation letters from the gods to get into college, but it’s never easy with the gods.
What Do We Know About the Yeti?
The Thirteenth Child – In a world where the 13th child in a family belongs to the gods, Hazel’s future is to become a great healer and see just what cure is needed for any illness. But she is also expected to dole out death to those who are at the end of their lives. What happens if she goes against the wishes of Death?

Books for Adults

 

The Armageddon Protocol (Trade Paperback) – The fourth, and final, book in the Galactic Cold War series – or book 5 if you count the prequel, The Caledonian Gambit, which I absolutely do. (The series didn’t make sense to me until I went back and read that.) Kovalic and the General are arrested for treason and the rest of the team goes on the run to root out a traitor.
The Christmas Inn (Hardcover) – After an unexpected job loss, a woman returns home to the family inn to help her mother who has been injured.
The Christmas You Found Me (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series by Sarah Morgenthaler. A single father committed to do anything to keep his young daughter alive marries a lonely stranger living on an Idaho ranch.
A Killer Clue (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Hunter and Clewe series by Victoria Gilbert. Jane and Cam are asked to help resolve a cold case after a woman dies in prison for a crime her daughter insists she didn’t commit.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year (Hardcover) – An amazing Christmas mystery from the fantastic Ally Carter. Rival mystery writers find themselves stranded in a snowstorm with a locked-room mystery on their hands. I can’t wait to review this one for you – it’s one of my favorites so far in 2024.
The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco (Trade Paperback) – The granddaughter of a serial killer decides to investigate his case when a copycat starts killing and she starts looking like a suspect. Looking forward to reading this!
Star Trek Picard: No Man’s Land (Trade Paperback) – The script of the audio drama that takes place after the first season of Star Trek Picard. Seven and Raffi team up to rescue a professor who is being hunted by a Romulan warlord.
The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Trade Paperback) – A mystery solving librarian starts to get worried about all of the murders around her small village and what might be causing them.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition (Academic Hardcover)

 

BOOK NEWS: September 17, 2024

BOOK NEWS: September 17, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

This week I am celebrating the 8th anniversary of the launch of this website! It’s hard to believe. Thank you for being here and enjoying a lot of book love with me! Here are some of the books releasing this week:

Books for Kids

The Owlympic Games – Book 20 in the sweet Owl Diaries series from Scholastic Branches. The pressure of the Owlympic Games starts to get to Eva when she worries about letting her team down.

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

Banned Books, Crop Tops, and Other Bad Influences – A “good girl” teams up with a  new girl who likes to push boundaries to make a banned book club.
May the Best Player Win – A chess player faces a lot of pressure when some media attention makes her “friends” question if she’s really as good as everyone says.
Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better – Quagmire ends up having to live with an uncle he doesn’t know when his mom’s mental health struggles leave him without a place to land. While sad, I love stories like this where kids find the support they need when they thought they were all alone to carry grown up troubles.
The Lies We Conjure – A standalone story from the author of The Princess Will Save You. Two sisters agree to pretend to be an elderly woman’s long-lost grandchildren but find themselves locked in a mansion with a group of witches, trying to solve a murder while keeping their ruse a secret.

Books for Adults

All Signs Point to Malibu (Trade Paperback) – A woman who gets glimpses of the future sees that her ex and his fiancée are headed toward an unhappy ending. But her efforts to help catch the attention of her nemesis, the best man. This sounds fun!
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Trade Paperback) – A fake engagement could lead to love. Yes, please!
Karaoke Queen (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – Rex tries to help his ex save his karaoke bar by showing up as his drag alter ego – but he feels like he can never let anyone know it’s him.
My Vampire Plus-One (Trade Paperback) – A sequel to My Roommate Is a Vampire. A young woman needs a fake boyfriend to get her family off her case about her dating life, but she has no idea Reggie is a vampire.
Rewitched (Trade Paperback) – A stressed and burned out witch may lose her powers on her 30th birthday if she can’t prove her “worthiness.”
We Solve Murders (Hardcover) – First in a new series. A woman working private security for a famous author reaches out to her retired father-in-law for help when she gets in over her head. This could be fun!
An American Story (Hardcover) – An autobiography from actor Wilmer Valderrama.