Category: Book News

BOOK NEWS: April 12, 2022

BOOK NEWS: April 12, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Easter is just around the corner. Maybe one of this week’s new releases should be in your Easter basket this year! And if you don’t celebrate Easter, mid-spring is a great excuse for picking up a new book.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

This May End Badly – In her efforts to win a long-standing prank war between Weston girls and Winfield boys, Doe arranges to fake date the cousin of her nemesis. But as senior year progresses, she’ll have to decide if winning the prank war is truly the most important task she has before graduation. This sounds SO amazing. It’s on my review list for later this month.
You Should Have Seen This Coming – Hayden uses her ability to see the past for her blackmail schemes. Cassie can see the future, so she knows that Hayden’s latest scheme is actually a trap. And when a future kidnapping is all Cassie can see, and nothing she does seems to change the trajectory, both girls are in trouble. This sounds amazing, too.

Books for Adults

Funny You Should Ask (Trade Paperback) – A  fledgling writer who does an interview with the new James Bond leading to a long weekend of tabloid fodder has the chance to interview the actor again 10 years later. This sounds fascinating! I have this on my library wishlist.
I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop Working (Hardcover) – The latest from Shauna Niequist. In a season of chaos, when her usual patterns of processing and coping were no longer working, Niequist had some unlearning and relearning to do.
Still Just a Geek: An Annotated Memoir (Hardcover) – Writer and actor Wil Wheaton revisits his 2004 collection of essays and blog posts with new annotations as well as all-new material. I read Just a Geek back in the day, and I am looking forward to revisiting that content and seeing what new things Wil has to add. We pre-ordered this months ago. The challenge will be who gets to read it first, me or my husband.
What Is My Calling? (Trade Paperback Textbook) – A textbook from Baker Academic that looks a the Christian concept of calling through contemporary, historical, biblical, and theological lenses. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

BOOK NEWS: April 5, 2022

BOOK NEWS: April 5, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Wings of Fire: The Flames of Hope – Book 15 in the series, and the final book in the Lost Continent Prophecy arc. Luna is flying home with new friends in the hope that they can save the day. I am a book behind and need to get caught up asap! I should have this book in hand tomorrow.
What Is Juneteeth? – I am excited for kids to learn the history of Juneteenth through the latest book from Who HQ.
Sense and Second-Degree Murder – Book 2 in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series. When Elinor Dashwood finds her father dead, it signals a change of fortune for the Dashwood women, including the transfer of ownership of her father’s investigation firm to her half-brother and his haughty wife. And the substance Elinor finds in her father’s tea cup signals something else – murder. I *adored* the first book in the series, Pride and Premeditation. I can’t wait to read the new book, especially since it stars the Dashwoods. I’ve already pre-ordered this one.
Star Wars: Queen’s Hope – Book 3 in this series staring Padmé Amidala, following Queen’s Shadow (♥♥♥♥) and Queen’s Peril. This story takes place during the Clone Wars and after Padmé’s secret marriage to Anakin. This is on my review list; I can’t wait to read it!

Books for Adults

The Blood Trials (Hardcover) – When Ikenna’s beloved grandfather is assassinated, she takes all he taught her, both the fighting skills and the secrets to harnessing her blood gift, to the Praetorian Trials where she intends to find – and kill – the assassin.
The Dale from Hell (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Match Made in Hell series after Not Your Average Hot Guy. Callie and Luke have the chance to make some changes around Hell when Lucifer tasks them with tracking and redeeming a wayward soul. I have book 1 on my TBR – I can’t wait to catch up with this duology.
Knit or Dye Trying (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Riverbank Knitting Mystery series. When the special guest for Libby’s yarn event is killed, Libby starts tracking a killer. The full premise of this one really grabbed my attention.
Lost and Found in Paris (Hardcover) – From the author of The Sweeney Sisters. When her marriage implodes, Joan sees it as an opportunity to make dramatic changes in her life. She takes on a job as an art courier, and on a trip to Paris she starts a fling with an interesting man. Then the art she is transporting is stolen. In its place is a piece of her famous father’s art journal – something presumed lost when he died on 9/11 – and a poem that reads like a scavenger hunt clue. I can’t wait to try this one!
To Marry and to Meddle (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Regency Vows series after To Have and to Hoax and To Love and to Loathe. Lady Emily fears her father’s debts will keep her single – or tie her to a terrible husband – no matter how pristine she has been able to keep her reputation. So when Lord Belfry suggests they marry, it seems like a great solution for Emily. He will take care of her father’s problems and rescue her from a dismal future. In turn, the theatre owner hopes Emily’s class and reputation will help him establish a more suitable clientele for his business. I so enjoyed the last book, I quickly requested a review copy of this one. I’ll be reviewing this soon.
The Wedding Crasher (Trade Paperback) – When a hopeless romantic crashes his wedding to keep him from making a huge mistake, Dean is spared the marriage, but finds himself in a new quandary when the perfect job requires him to have a significant other. So he has to beg his wedding crasher to be his fake girlfriend. You all know how much I love a fake relationship story! This one is on my list for this week.

BOOK NEWS: March 29, 2022

BOOK NEWS: March 29, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the last release week of March, and April is right around the corner. Let’s see what new books are on my radar this week!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

A Darkening of Dragons (April 1) – A disgraced boy, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and a dracogriff team up against the Piper of Hamelyn.
Always Jane – The latest from Jenn Bennett. A young woman begins a relationship with the son of her record producer boss, but when she returns to the family’s resort and connects with the family black sheep, her feelings start to change. Jenn Bennett is my go-to author for YA romance, so of course this was on my list for this week.
So This is Ever After – A sword-wielding hero assumes the throne while his team works to save the true heir. But when they determine she is already dead, he’s stuck on the throne – and therefore stuck with the laws that say he has to wed by his 18th birthday. I’m loving the quest/D&D vibe of this, so it’s on my list this week as well.

Books for Adults

Cheddar Off Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Cheese Shop Mystery series. As Willa works to launch her new business, everything goes awry, starting with the murder of the local food critic.
Four Aunties and a Wedding (Trade Paperback) – The follow up to the terrific Dial A for Aunties. Meddy is ready to marry her college sweetheart when she realizes the Mob is using her wedding to take out a target. I got such a kick out of book one, I can’t wait to check out this sequel!
Lost Coast Literary (Trade Paperback) – Something new from author Ellie Alexander. A book editor discovers she must edit manuscripts in order to inherit a Victorian mansion. But any edits she makes to the manuscripts happens in real life – and cause chaos she isn’t sure how to fix. This is fascinating – I definitely need to check this one out!
The Temps (Hardcover) – On his first day, a temp is stranded in an office complex when a toxic gas kills all the regular employees while they are in a meeting in the outdoor pavilion. Yes, please! I can’t WAIT to see what this is all about!
The Enneagram for Black Liberation (Hardcover) – The Enneagram as a tool for Black women to find wholeness. I am the wrong audience for this, but I am intrigued by it nonetheless.

BOOK NEWS: March 22, 2022

BOOK NEWS: March 22, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

New week means new books! Here are some of the titles I am excited about this week.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

Okoye to the People – As a young Okoye tries to discover her place in the Dora Milaje, she goes on her first mission – to New York.

Books for Adults

The City of Dusk (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Dark Gods series. The four realms converge on the City of Dusk but the corresponding gods have withdrawn their favor. Four heirs work to save their city. I’m curious about this one, so it’s on my library wishlist.
The Impossible Us (Trade Paperback) – Two people fall for one another thanks to an errant email, but when they try to meet in person they realize they live in parallel universes. Yes, please!
Lifeless in the Library (e-book, March 24) – Book 4 in the Moorecliff Manor Cat Cozy Mystery series. A charity cat show turns deadly. I recently picked up the first book in this series to check this out – sounds fun!
The Recovery Agent (Hardcover) – First in a new series. A recovery agent has to team up with her ex in order to track down a missing treasure. This sounds so fun!
Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell (Trade Paperback) – As Savvy works to renovate the kitchen she inherited, she also starts renovating the rest of her life. This is the one book I have pre-ordered for the week.

BOOK NEWS: March 15, 2022

BOOK NEWS: March 15, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Some fun new releases out this week – let’s take a look!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer – Four kids spend their summer looking for aliens escaped from Area 51. I’ve requested this one from the library – sounds so fun!
Worser – An introverted word-lover finds his world turned upside down when his mom has a stroke and his aunt moves it. But he finds a sanctuary with some like-minded kids. Yes, please! This is already on pre-order.

Books for Adults

Citizen K-9 (Hardcover)- Book 3 in the excellent K Team series by David Rosenfelt. Laurie and the K Team take on cold cases for the Patterson PD – and their first is the case of two missing persons from Laurie’s 10th high school reunion ten years ago. I have already requested our library pick this one up – I can’t wait to read it!
Dating Dr. Dil (Trade Paperback) – A reimagined Taming of the Shrew starring a woman with her mother’s legacy on the line and a cardiologist who raises her hackles. This sounds fun!
The Do-Over (Trade Paperback) – The latest novel from Bethany Turner. Why is it you always run into your high school rival – who now looks amazing and has had every success imaginable – when your life has completely fallen apart?
Eve of Destruction (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new series. When members of a League of Assassins start falling, Jinx suspects an insider, so he needs an outsider to help him find the traitor. I’ve already got this pre-ordered!
The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Trade Paperback) – Sequel to the delightful and quirky The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. The future leader of the League of Gentlewomen Witches has to team up with a pirate to steal a powerful talisman. I am SO excited to read this! This is on my review list for this month.
Under Lock and Skeleton Key (Hardcover) – First in a new series. Tempest heads home to lick her wounds, hoping she can find something else to do so she doesn’t have to join her father’s business – Secret Staircase Construction. (They build secret rooms and sliding bookcases into their clients’ homes.) But when her former stage double is found dead inside a wall that was supposed to be sealed for more than 100 years, Tempest has to wonder if she was the intended victim. Eeek! That sounds so amazing! This one is also on my review list.

BOOK NEWS: March 8, 2022

BOOK NEWS: March 8, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

More new books out this week – some fun ones to add to my list!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Green Arrow: Stranded (Graphic Novel) – Teen Oliver Queen is alone and stranded on a desert island.
Those Kids from Fawn Creek – A new girl in a small town shakes things up at the middle school
Great or Nothing – A reimagined Little Women where each sister, including the late Beth, tells her own story.
One for All – A re-imagined Three Musketeers. After her father’s death, Tania goes to finishing school only to discover it is a secret training school for female Musketeers. This is on my review list!

Books for Adults

If You Ask Me (Trade Paperback) – When a sweet advice columnist discovers her husband’s cheating, she takes her frustration to her column in a brutally honest way that leads her to go viral. I’ve pre-ordered this one!
The Suite Spot (Trade Paperback) – When a single mom is fired for something she didn’t do, she takes the first opportunity she finds – helping a grouch build a hotel while she rebuilds her life.

BOOK NEWS: March 1, 2022

BOOK NEWS: March 1, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Tomorrow begins the month of March! There are, of course, tons of books releasing this week. Here are the ones that really grabbed my attention.

Books for Kids

Owl Diaries: Get Well, Eva – Book 19 in this darling series. When Eva’s wing is in a sling and she can’t write in her diary, her friends and family help out.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Anne of West Philly – A graphic novel adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, set in contemporary Philadelphia. I love the idea of a fresh take on a classic.
Drew LeClair Gets a Clue – When a cyberbully starts posting people’s secrets online, Drew uses her detective skills to try and track the bully – before they expose Drew’s own secret. I am a sucker for a middle grade detective.
Max & the Midknights: The Tower of Time – Book 3 in this delightful series. I can’t wait to see what happens now with Max’s twin! I already have this one on hold at the library.
The School for Whatnots – The summer after 5th grade, Max’s best friend, Josie, disappeared. So when he finds a note from her, Max is determined to find out the truth. This is my first March pre-order. Cannot wait to read this one!

Books for Adults

All the Queen’s Men (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. In the midst of all that 2016 holds for the world, a death in the palace and missing painting have the Queen detecting again. I am giddy at the idea of this series. I have both books on my wish list with the library.
By Any Other Name (Trade Paperback) – A successful romance editor gets the chance to work with her biggest inspiration, but she’s in for a huge surprise. This is on my library list, too.
Hook, Line, and Sinker (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the It Happened One Summer series. It’s friends to lovers as best friends become roommates and then potentially more.
Mr. Wrong Number (Trade Paperback) – There are hints of You’ve Got Mail in this new book where a sexy text from a wrong number turns into something more. This is on my review list.

BOOK NEWS: February 22, 2022

BOOK NEWS: February 22, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing during this last week of February 2022.

 

Books for Kids

That’s Betty! The Story of Betty White – A picture book biography of Betty White.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Forgotten Five: Map of Flames – First in a new series from the author of The Unwanteds, described as “X-Men meets Oceans 11.” Eight supernatural criminals fled to an island where, over time, seven of them disappeared. The eighth has recently died. Now the criminals’ children, each with powers of their own, have been left to fend for themselves. But when one of them finds a map and a note to find her mother, they’ll venture out into a world where, thanks to their parents, being supernatural is a crime. I couldn’t hit the pre-order button on this one fast enough!
Lunch Lady 2-for-1 Special: The First Helping AND Second Helpings – This stellar graphic novel series is getting a full color re-release as well as audio books. This is great news for series fans as well as new readers who get to discover it now for the first time!
Full Flight – New from the author of the amazing Amelia Unabridged. A young couple begin to fall for each other while their families want to keep them apart. This is on my review list for this month.

Books for Adults

Antique Auctions Are Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series. Poppy and Aunt Ginny are caught up in another murder when a dead man falls out of an item they are bidding on at an auction. I’m a book behind in this fun series, and I’m eager to get caught up.
A Deadly Bone to Pick (Hardcover) – A former cop and PI becomes a murder suspect when the dog she is training digs up a severed hand.
Death of a Knit Wit (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 8 in the Knit & Nibble Mystery series. Pamela and the Knit and Nibble ladies are investigating again when someone is murdered during a fiber arts and crafts conference.
Murder Faux Paws (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the Nick and Nora Mystery series. Nick and Nora are sleuthing again when first one and then a second PI are murdered.

BOOK NEWS: February 15, 2022

BOOK NEWS: February 15, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Valentine’s Day for those who care – Happy Monday for the rest! Here are some great books to check out this week.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Dear Student (Older Middle Grade, 10+) – A girl is caught in the middle as the advice columnist of her school paper when her two new friends are on different sides of an issue.
Hilo: Gina and the Big Secret – Book 8 in the Hilo series, and a follow up to the outstanding Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World. Gina has a huge problem on her hands when she finds herself on a world filled with monsters. I pre-ordered this one, so I should be able to read it soon!
All the Right Reasons – Cara and her single mom become contestants on a new reality show where her mom gets to meet a lot of single dads while she looks for love.
Bright Ruined Things – A young woman hopes that the celebration of First Night will help her best friend and her crush – both members of the powerful Prosper family – truly see her, but instead the island’s spirits start dying and the Prosper heir might hold the answers to why. It’s a hard, twisty plot to summarize when I haven’t read the book, but I am intrigued by the whole thing and have this on my list of books to check out.
The Chandler Legacies – Five teens at an elite boarding school come together in the Circle, a coveted writing group at the school. They are supposed to write their truths, but the truth might not be enough to change the culture at Chandler. I have this one on my review list for this month.

Books for Adults

#FollowMe for Murder (e-book) – First in a new Trending Topic Mystery series. When Coco launches her social media consulting firm, she had no idea her first clients would lead her into investigating a murder. I pre-ordered this one the first moment I read about it. Sounds amazing!
An Impossible Impostor (Hardcover) – Book 7 in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series. A man with amnesia arrives at Hathaway Hall, appearing to be the heir, thought to be deceased. So Veronica and her boyfriend agree to investigate the man to see if he is an imposter. I haven’t read this series before, but the story in this one really grabs my attention. I have it on my library list.
Meet Me in the Margins (Trade Paperback) – A woman secretly writing a romance novel at a publishing house that looks down on the genre has to hide her manuscript before she is found out. When she goes to retrieve it from her hiding place, she finds that someone has been reading it – and giving her editing notes. I saw a meme recently about pre-ordering books so you have these delightful surprises in the mail as the books release. I totally took that advice this month, and this is one of the books that will be showing up in my mailbox any day now.

BOOK NEWS: February 8, 2022

BOOK NEWS: February 8, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books releasing this week that I can’t wait to check out!

Books for Kids

The Story of Lin-Manuel Miranda – A chapter book biography of the creator behind Hamilton and Encanto.

 

Books for Teens/Young Adults

Mirror Girls – Charlie is a Black organizer for the Civil Rights movement. White-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation. Neither knows they are twins, separated and raised apart after the lynching of their parents, an interracial couple. When the truth comes out, Magnolia suffers from a curse where her reflection disappears from mirrors, and the two girls must overcome their upbringing to break the curse and put the horrors of the past to rest.
You Truly Assumed – Sabriya finds an outlet in her blog You Truly Assumed where she writes about being Muslim in a world where “Muslim” seems to only be associated with “terrorist.” As the blog goes viral and she finds a couple friends to help her with the upkeep, the push back grows and one of the teens is threatened. As they try to find the culprit they have to wonder if it’s a sign they should quit or stand firm.

 

Books for Adults

Dark Horse (Hardcover) – Book 7 in the Orphan X series. The Nowhere Man is back, called to help find a kidnapped girl, but the person asking for help is usually the type of guy Evan works AGAINST rather than for. I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.
A Dash of Death (Hardcover) – First in a new Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. Samantha agrees to fill in as a bartender on a home tour to distract herself from her cancelled wedding, but instead the event leaves her a suspect in a murder. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Live, Local, and Dead (Hardcover) – First in a new Vermont Radio Mystery series. Jaye thought life as a small town radio DJ would be quieter than her life in New York. But instead she’s had to fire a raving talk show host who is now dead – and everyone is convinced she killed him. This one is on my review list, too.
Not the Witch You Wed (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. A magic-less witch and a wolf shifter agree to fake date when both are pressured by Supernatural Law to find their mates. Magic plus fake dating equals I pre-ordered this one awhile ago. I should have this in hand soon!
Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life (Hardcover) – Since I seem to always be on the quest to declutter and downside, this book’s title appeals to me.