Category: Book News

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Midnight Children – The latest from Dan Gemeinhart (The Honest Truth – ♥♥♥♥♥, Scar Island – ♥♥♥♥, Good Dog – ♥♥♥♥). When Ravani witnesses a group of kids arrive in town and move into an abandoned home across the street, he has tons of questions including “Where are their adults?” I’ll be reviewing this soon.
A Taste of Magic – Before Kyana can really enjoy the news that she is a witch who gets to learn to use magic, her magical school loses funding and is in danger of closing. Kyana is certain she can save it if she can win a big baking competition, but soon the pressure of regular school, magic school, the competition, and keeping her secrets becomes too much. This sounds awesome!
The Final Gambit – The third and final book in the Inheritance Games series by my all time favorite, Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Weeks before Avery is scheduled to inherit billions, an unexpected visitor arrives setting Avery and the Hawthorne brothers on a dangerous path. I have had this pre-ordered for most of this year – my wait is almost over!
The Liar’s Crown – A secret, hidden twin gets kidnapped when she steps in – as she is supposed to – for her sister, the queen. EEK! This sounds so amazing! I’ve already pre-ordered this one.
Nothing More to Tell – The latest from the author of One of Us Is Lying (♥♥♥♥), Karen McManus. Brynn left St Ambrose four years ago after the death of her favorite teacher, but now that she has an internship with a true crime show, she’s going back to find out the truth of what happened. I have this one on hold at the library!

Books for Adults

Holiday Heroine (Trade Paperback) – Book 6 in the Heroine Complex series (Heroine Complex – ♥♥♥♥). During a fight with other-worldly forces, Bea is transported to a romcom-version of her holiday and she’ll have to figure out what happened – and fight the temptation to go to the dark side – so she can get back to her real life. I’d love to get caught up on this series – it’s quirky and sassy and fun!
Two Parks Sugar, One Part Murder (Trade Paperback) – When Maddy’s fiancé leaves her at the altar, an inheritance and the chance to start over is too tempting to refuse. But when Maddy is accused of murder in her new town, she’s going to have to figure out who really did it to save her future. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!
The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library (September 1) – Colby Sharp and Donalyn Miller team up to help teachers build a classroom library. I can’t wait to read this one!

Books for Kids

My Pet Feet – When the letter R goes missing, a town gets turned upside down. This looks hilarious! I can’t wait to read it.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Enola Holmes: Mycroft’s Dangerous Game (Graphic Novel) – First in a new graphic novel series based on the Netflix series (which is based on a book series) starring Enola Holmes. This is an original story which is said to “bridge” the gap from the first movie to the next. When Mycroft goes missing, Enola teams up with Lord Tewkesbury to find him.
Homebound – A sequel to Stowaway by John David Anderson. Separated from his brother, Leo considers how he can fulfill his father’s mission as he travels with space pirates.
Four for the Road – A teen in a grief group invites some of the other group members to join him on a road trip where he’s secretly hoping to get revenge on the drunk driver who killed his mother and got off on a technicality. I’ve asked my local library to pick this one up.

Books for Adults

Heartbreaker (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Hell’s Belles series. A wallflower who is secretly a Matchbreaker and a Duke with secrets to hide team up to break up a wedding. I’ve already got this one on hold at the library.
Kit McBride Gets a Wife (Trade Paperback) – A young woman puts out an ad for mail-order brides for her older brothers. As an employee for an eccentric widow, Maddy is along for the ride when her employer decides to answer the ad, but when her employer disappears, Maddy is left to assume the woman’s name and circumstances. This could be fun!
Love on the Brain (Trade Paperback) – A scientist is forced to work with her nemesis which is only the first problem to befall her in the lab. This looks cute!
Not Your Basic Love Story (e-book) – Opposites attract when a couple hit it off on vacation, but when they return to their real lives, they aren’t sure how to make the differences work.
Six Feet Deep Dish (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Deep Dish mystery series. On the verge of the life she dreamed of, Delilah loses her fiancé (and his trust fund) and then her grandmother is accused of murder. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

What Do We Know About Bigfoot? – The folks who launched the Who Was series kick off a new branch of their hugely popular nonfiction line – the What Do We Know About line. Early titles include this one about Bigfoot as well as crop circles (also releasing this week), Atlantis and the Loch Ness Monster (November 2022), and Roswell (March 2023).
Ashfall Prophecy – From the author of I Am Number Four. Syd barely remembers his alien father, but as a child of both a human and a Denzan, he has been prophesied to be a “world killer.” But when Syd discovers the secrets his father died to protect, he is determined to create his own destiny in the universe-impacting events to come. This sounds fantastic. I already have this one on hold at the library.
The Year Without a Summer – When a volcanic eruption leads to snow in June, one teen thinks it’s amazing and wonders what it would have been like to live through the “year without a summer” in 1815 when something similar occurred. Another teen sees it, and other evidence of climate change, as a crisis for the planet leading to frequent clashes between the two.

Books for Adults

Love in the Time of Serial Killers (Trade Paperback) – A PhD candidate obsessed with serial killers is trying to finish her dissertation while dealing with the fallout of the death of her father. But she starts to wonder what her new neighbor his up to. Is he a serial killer like the others she’s read about, or is he just a genuinely nice guy – and which of those options scares her more? This one is on my library wish list.

Books for Older Kids/Teens

The Daredevils – A stand-alone book from the author of the Mr. Terupt series and the Perfect Score series. During the last summer before middle school, twins Loretta and Waylon and a new friend make a discovery in the woods near their houses.

Books for Adults

A Killing in Costumes (Hardcover) – First in a new Hollywood Treasures Mystery series. Former soap opera stars who once were married to keep their sexual orientations a secret are now friends and business partners when they open a movie memorabilia shop. In an effort to keep their shop afloat, they go head to head with the owner of an auction house over an immense collection. But when he’s later murdered, Jay and Cindy are the prime suspects.

Books for Kids

The Baby-Changing Station – A magical changing station gives an older brother the chance to trade in the new baby for something cool.
Star Trek: The Girl Who Made The Stars – A pictures book licensed by Star Trek Discovery starring a girl based on the character of Michael Burnham.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Invisible (Graphic Novel) – Five Spanish-speaking kids, lumped together to complete their school’s community service, have to decide if it’s more important to help someone in need or to stay invisible. I’ve heard rave reviews of this one!
Hello, Goodbye – It feels like Hailey’s summer is ruined when her parents tell her she has to spend it helping the grandmother she hardly knows. But when tragedy strikes, Hailey  will take what she learned from Gigi and head out on a road trip to solve a family mystery. I’ve requested this one from the library!
How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) – When Astrid discovers her boyfriend is a superhero, it upends her life in ways she couldn’t have imagined. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The King Will Kill You – Book 3 in the Kingdom of Sand and Sky series about a princess in love with a stable boy. I have this series on my wish list!

Books for Adults

Bookish People (Trade Paperback) – A scandal-ridden poet is counting on the one bookstore still willing to host his signing as a way to salvage his career. The shop owner had asked her events coordinator to cancel the signing too, but the coordinator believes the poet could be her biological father, and she’d like to see how things play out when he comes to town. This sounds fantastic!
The Hookup Plan  (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Boyfriend Project series. Dr. London Kelly hooks up with her high school nemesis – just a one time thing – after their reunion with no idea he will be working with her hospital over the next several weeks. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie (Trade Paperback) – A young woman who gave up her dreams to care for her family has the chance to re-live three moments from the road not taken. This is on my library wishlist.
Round Up the Usual Peacocks (Hardcover) – Book 31 in the delightful Meg Langslow series. Kevin, Meg’s nephew, asks her to look into some cold cases when some friends who have a podcast seem to be the target for a murderer connected to one of the cases they have been discussing. I never miss a new Meg Langslow book – I am number 35 on the hold list at the library!
Star Trek: The Genesis Trilogy (Hardcover) – An in-depth look at these well-loved Star Trek movies.