Category: Book News

It’s the final release week of May – let’s take a look at the new books out this week.

Books for Kids

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Memory Jars – While Freda can save her favorite blueberries for later by turning them into jam, she discovers she can’t save all of her favorite things the same way.
Good Dog: Fireworks Night – Book 4 in the Good Dog series. Bo’s friend Scrapper isn’t a fan of summer fireworks.
Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell (Graphic Novel) – First in a new graphic novel series starring the delightful Scaredy Squirrel.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

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Diana and the Underworld Odyssey – Sequel to Diana and the Island of No Return. Diana goes toe-to-toe against Hades and an unexpected villain when Artemis brings word that children are going missing from around the world. I enjoyed the first book, and the two chapter teaser I read for this one was fantastic! This is on my list for this week.
How to Become a Planet – A girl struggling with depression makes a plan to help her get back to “normal” so she doesn’t have to move to the city with her dad.
Marvel-Verse Loki (Older Middle Grade, comics collection) – Part of a collection of books focused on one or two Marvel characters at a time. This book collects pieces of 5 or 6 comics (100+ pages) that focus on Loki. This one is on my list.
Aetherbound – The latest from E. K. Johnston. When her family starts to view her as a waste of food on their long space voyage thanks to a genetic mutation, Pendt sneaks off ship and joins the Brannick twins in a scheme to take over a space station and create their own destiny. I have had this on my list for months.
Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat – An anthology featuring fat main characters.
The Ivies – The Ivies at Claflin Academy are five young women determined to get into an Ivy League university – by any means necessary.
Not My Problem (LGBTQ+) – When Aideen agrees to help a peer who is overwhelmed with her extracurriculars – by pushing her down the stairs so she sprains her ankle – she finds herself getting approached by more kids at school who need her fixing abilities. I am intrigued by this one!
Pumpkin (LGBTQ+) – A companion novel to Dumplin’. Waylon is biding his time until he can leave his small home town. But when he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for a TV drag show, his whole school ends up seeing it and someone nominates him for prom queen. When his twin sister’s girlfriend is also nominated to be prom king, the two decide to team up and throw the prank back in their classmates’ faces. This is on my library list.
Sixteen Scandals – When Prim decides to go rogue on her 16th birthday, her plan almost blows up in her face. But she is rescued by a mysterious stranger – who isn’t who he says he is. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

 

Books for Adults

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The Apocalypse Seven (Trade Paperback) – Seven strangers in a post-apocalyptic Cambridge, Massachusetts, fight for their lives and for answers as to what happened to the world around them.
Beyond a Reasonable Donut (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the Deputy Donut Mystery series. Emily and Nina are working at the Friday the 13th festival when a string of bad luck hits – stolen product, stolen cash, vandalism, and murder.
Chasing Romeo (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. A psychic points Chloe at her soul mate, but there’s one problem. It could be one of seven men, and she only has a week to find him. Chloe hires a private investigator to help her search – and he doesn’t believe in love or soul mates. This sounds fun!
Death in Bloom (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Flower House Mystery series. Sierra is licking her wounds after trying to launch a singing career in Nashville. Working at the Flower House is just a stop-gap measure – until someone drops dead and the shop owner disappears, leaving Sierra to manage the shop and his Corgi pup.
The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit (Hardcover) – Book 14 in the Domestic Diva series. Sophie is working a home decorating festival when her friend Nina calls needing a ride from the airport. When one of Nina’s traveling companions later turns up dead, Sophie is sleuthing again.
The Guncle (Hardcover, LGBTQ+) – “Gay Uncle Patrick” finds himself temporary guardian of his niece and nephew when their mother dies and his brother has a health crisis. While he’s a great uncle on short visits, taking over full-time parenting is a whole new ballgame.
Hang the Moon (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – A dating app creator – and true believer in love and OTPs – reconnects with his childhood crush who has no interest in romance and is just biding her time until she leaves the country.
Heart & Seoul (Trade Paperback) – A random comment at her adoptive father’s funeral sends Hara to Seoul to look for her roots. I have this on my library list already.
How to Find a Princess (Mass Market Paperback, LGBTQ+) – Book 2 in the Runaway Royals series by Alyssa Cole. Makeda has grown up with her grandmother’s stories about a fling with the prince of Ibarania, but now an investigator has shown up looking for the long-lost heir. She plans to take Makeda back to Ibarania, but the situation is more fraught than either of them realize. I adored Cole’s Reluctant Royals series, but I haven’t been able to dig into this series yet.
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island (Trade Paperback) – When her husband’s boat capsized and his body was never found, Piper carried on like nothing happened, like he was still by her side all the time. A journalist on the island for a fluff piece stumbles onto the story of an entire island pretending to interact with an invisible man and thinks it is the career-making story he’s been looking for. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Legacy (Hardcover) – When Adrian was 7, she met her father for the first time, when he tried to kill her. Now, as an adult, she is receiving menacing messages and death threats. Her mother dismisses them, and Adrian starts to think they are nothing – and then the murders start. I already have this one on hold at the library!
Murder at St. Winifred’s Academy (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Ferrera Family Mystery series. When a Hollywood starlet from the 50s is found dead in her dressing room for a production of Arsenic and Old Lace, Alberta is the only one who thinks the death is suspicious.
Murder in a Scottish Garden (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Scottish Shire Mystery series. Paislee is on the case when a man is murdered at an estate while her son’s class is there for a field trip.
Pint of No Return (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Shake Shop Mystery series. Trinidad takes over one of her ex’s business locations to open her shake shop even though she knows it means living in the same town as his other two ex-wives. But when a neighboring business owner is found dead, and one of the other ex’s is the prime suspect, Trinidad starts investigating.
The Preacher’s Daughter (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Infamous Amish series. Planning to leave town to escape her father’s shame, Elizabeth takes a temporary position helping an elderly Amish woman. But when the woman’s grandson returns, with his own difficult history with the law, sparks fly.
Scorpion (Hardcover) – A grieving spy throws herself into her next assignment – tracking a serial killer/assassin who leaves numeric codes on his victims’ bodies.
Star Trek Year Five: Weaker Than Man (Paperback Graphic Novel) – Collects comics 13 through 19 of this series about Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise.
The Stepsisters (Trade Paperback) – The latest from Susan Mallery centers around rival stepsisters who respond to a plea for help from the younger sister they have in common. But while the tensions between them start to thaw, one thoughtless act could undo all the progress they have made. This sounds fascinating!
Talk Bookish to Me (Trade Paperback) – A struggling novelist finds inspiration when her infuriating first love shows up in the wedding party she is in. But if she is going to finish this book, she might have to give into old feelings and take another chance with her heart.
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism (Trade Paperback) – A frank and funny primer on menopause. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

 

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

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Nerdycorn – A STEAM-minded unicorn, tired of being teased for being different, has to decide if she will fix the equipment and save the Sparkle Dance Party for the unicorns who have been so mean to her.
Fox Tails: The Giant Ice Cream Mess – When their mom says the fox siblings can only have one scoop of ice cream each, how will they choose what flavors to get?
Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs After Dark (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel adaptation of the first Magic Tree House book.
Pixie Tricks: The Pet Store Sprite – Violet teams up with her cousin Leon to send a water sprite back to the Otherworld.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

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Bravelands: Shadows on the Mountain – First in the new Bravelands: Curse of the Sandtongue series. While the different animals usually keep to their own kind, all of the animals will need to step up against a terrifying new evil in their home.
Jude Banks, Superhero – Jude feels responsible for the death of his favorite person, his sister Katie. While Jude and his family wrestle with their grief, Jude meets Clementine who also lost a sibling. But while Katie always called Jude a “superhero,” he’s not sure he can help save Clementine. This is on my list for this week.
Just Pretend (Graphic Novel) – A girl going through a lot of changes – friendships, living in two different homes after her parents’ divorce – uses her stories and writing to help her adjust. This looks perfect for fans of Emmie and Friends, Smile (♥♥♥♥), Real Friends (♥♥♥♥), etc.
Kate In Between – Looking for a fresh start, Kate joins a group of popular girls at school, even though they are targeting her childhood friend. Kate manages to stop their latest cruelty, which could have killed Haddie. When video of the incident goes viral, Kate is viewed as a hero. But she knows she was really part of the problem. Does she keep her true involvement a secret and hope no one finds out? Or does she risk it all for the truth?
Not All Heroes – Zinnia’s family have moved to a new community to give them a fresh start after the death of her younger brother. And in this new town Zinnia finds real friends who, like her, want to make a big difference. But when the Reality Shifters start to lose their way, can Zinnia help them find their way again? This sounds awesome!
Ophie’s Ghosts – On that awful night in 1922 when Ophie lost her father and her home, she discovered she can see ghosts. Now her mother has gotten her a job as a maid in an old mansion, and Ophie is privy to the history and secrets of the old manor thanks to the ghosts she encounters there.
Taking Up Space – The author tackles disordered eating in this book about a girl who is struggling at home and on the basketball court when her mother forgets to feed her. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
That Thing About Bollywood – When their parents are struggling and might be breaking up, Sonali’s brother copes by constantly crying, something Sonali would never do. But when Sonali gets upset during a field trip, she breaks into song like she’s in a Bollywood show. Soon everyone in Sonali’s life is breaking into song like that’s completely normal. Somehow Sonali’s mis-managed emotions have caused this shift in her world. And she isn’t sure how to fix it. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Turtle in Paradise (Graphic Novel) – A graphic novel adaptation of the original story.
Don’t Breathe a Word – In 1962, six students at Hardwick went into the bomb shelter, but only five came out. Decades later, outsider Eva is asked to join the elite Fives, a secret society at Hardwick charged with keeping the school’s many secrets. Sounds fascinating!
Enduring Freedom – Two young men – one a studious Afghan teen, the other a young American soldier – meet on the streets of Afghanistan after the events of 9/11 where they find they have more in common than they might have guessed. But can they ever be true friends and allies considering the worlds they come from? From the author of If You’re Reading This (♥♥♥♥).
It Goes Like This (LGBTQ+) – When their hometown is devastated by storms, four ex-best friends and bandmates reunite for one last show. This is on my list for this week.
Last Chance Books – When a chain bookstore moves in across the street from her family’s book shop, Madeline declares war on the shop and the bookseller who is taking all of her customers. This is on my library list.
Made in Korea – She wants to take her halmeoni (grandmother) to Paris. He needs to pay for the music school he knows his parents won’t support. They are each trying to make money from selling Korean cosmetics at school. As they compete to be the best business at school, sparks fly between the two rivals. I have this on my library list, too.
Off the Record – A young journalist finds herself in over her head when she wins the chance to do a celebrity profile which puts her in the position to hear scandalous stories from woman after woman. Now she’ll have to decide what to do with the secrets she has learned. This is another one on my library list.
Shipped – Real life rivals at school are unknown friends in their online fandom. As they get closer to a cosplay meetup at a local con, their rivalry at school heats up with a scholarship at stake and a class project that could show them how much they actually have in common. YES, please! This one I actually have on hold already at the library. It sounds right up my alley.
Tokyo Ever After – First in a new series. Izzy discovers her previously unknown father is the Crown Prince of Japan. But being a princess also means dealing with scheming relatives, the weight of centuries of tradition, and a cranky bodyguard who could be so much more. This sounds fun, too! This is such a great month for readers. TONS of books to enjoy.

 

Books for Adults

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An Amish Surprise (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Berlin Bookmobile series. Miriam is afraid she is losing her husband over her inability to have children. When she discovers she is pregnant, she’s afraid to tell him right away in case she miscarries again, so instead she turns to the librarian who runs the Berlin Bookmobile for pregnancy books. But Calvin, who is not falling for another woman, has a secret of his own. This is a must-read for me.
The Break-Up Book Club (Trade Paperback) – Four women who seem to have little in common on paper bond over the struggles of life through their book club. This is another one for my list.
The Soulmate Equation (Hardcover) – The latest from Christina Lauren. A struggling single mom has sworn off dating until a new DNA-based matchmaking company catches her attention. And they find her a 98% match. Unfortunately it’s to the company’s grouchy co-founder. Jess is NOT interested. But the company offers to pay her to give the match a little more time, and she needs the money. This sounds fun. I’ll definitely be picking this one up at some point.
Star Trek Discovery: Wonderlands (Trade Paperback) – Find out what happened for Michael Burnham in the year she was waiting for Discovery in the future. I cannot WAIT for this one!
The Summer Seekers (Trade Paperback) – An eighty-year-old woman longing for adventure instead of the residential home her daughter wants her in goes on a road trip with a young twenty-something who is struggling to get her own life together.
Star Wars Mandalorian: Guide to Season One (Hardcover) – A behind-the-scenes look at season one of The Mandalorian.

 

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

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Bedtime for Bad Kitty – Bad Kitty is doing everything she can to keep from going to bed.
How to Apologize – Hilarious examples accompany instructions for how to make a sincere apology. This looks adorable!
Oh Look, A Cake! – When they find a cake, Sloth thinks they should tell all their friends, but Lemur wants to keep the cake to themselves.
Turtle in a Tree – Two dogs argue over what is hidden in a tree in this book about listening to other perspectives.
The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken – A mama worm wants to remember her children’s childhood, so she decides they should have their picture taken. But when one of the young worms tries to “fix” her family to make them photo-ready, she discovers how great they are just being themselves.
Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend – First in a new chapter book series starring a young Ojibwe girl working through friend issues.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

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Alice Fleck’s Recipes for Disaster (Older Middle Grade) – When her father’s girlfriend enters Alice and her dad into a cooking competition, Alice isn’t sure she is ready for everyone to know about her hobby of cooking dishes from history. But during the competition, she also stumbles into a mystery. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Dog Squad – First in a new series by Chris Grabenstein. Fred, an “average” dog, gets the chance to be a stand in for Duke, the star of DOG SQUAD. But sometimes the adventures continue off screen. Is Fred brave enough to step up when real life trouble comes his way?
Kate the Chemist: Birthday Blastoff – Book 4 in the Kate the Chemist series. Kate is double booked with a birthday party for her brother and a science club event. And in her effort to do both, she forgets to pick up the cake for the party. Can science help her save the day?
Rule of Threes (Older Middle Grade) – A girl who loves interior design and living life by a plan has her plans up-ended when her family takes in her half-brother whose mother is struggling with addiction. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Shape of Thunder – Two girls, best friends, at least until the shooting. Now they are lost in their own grief. Then Quinn leaves Cora a note that she has decided the only way to move forward is to first go back in time and keep her brother from doing what he did. This is at the top of my list for this week!
Thanks a Lot Universe (Older Middle Grade, LGBTQ+) – Brian is newly placed in foster care with his brother and suffering from panic attacks. Ezra is trying to be a good friend to all the kids on his basketball team, including Brian, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he has a crush on Brian. But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra decides to take a chance and reach out. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Awesome Book of Edible Experiments for Kids – New from Kate the Chemist. Includes 25 recipes/experiments for kids that dig into the ways cooking is like science and the impact of different ingredients on a recipe (like baking powder vs baking soda or brown sugar vs white sugar). Sounds fabulous!
Stamped for Kids: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You – A version of Stamped from the Beginning adapted for kids by authors Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds.
What Is Congress? 
Who Is RuPaul?
Baby & Solo – Joel is hoping to keep his past a secret while following his therapist’s instructions to get a job. He starts working at a video store (the book is set in the 1990s) where he gets a nickname (“Solo”) and connects with his first real friend, “Baby.” But everything is at risk when his secrets are exposed. I am really curious about this one.
From Little Tokyo with Love – Rika, an orphan, believes America’s romcom sweetheart could be her mother. But her search for clues could leave her disappointed. I am looking forward to this new book from Sarah Kuhn, author of the Heroine Complex series (Heroine Complex ♥♥♥♥) as well as Shadow of the Batgirl.
Lucky Girl – When an underage teen buys a winning lottery ticket, she has to figure out how to claim her prize without losing it to her hoarder mother or her scheming ex. And while she works on a solution, neighbor turns against neighbor as the community wonders who the winner is. I love a good lottery story! I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize – After being bullied for ages, Lucy finally pushes back and finds herself kicked out of her boarding school and sent to Manhattan to be a companion to an eccentric woman who believes someone is trying to kill her. Yep, this is on my list.
The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 (Young Readers Edition) – A YA edition of this book that shares the history and impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Books for Adults

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Aftermath (Trade Paperback) – When a former military service member is accused of a terrorist act and insists he is being framed, his childhood best friend agrees to defend him even though it puts her entire career in jeopardy.
Competitive Grieving (Hardcover) – Wren’s closest friend is dead and his mother has put her in charge of disseminating his possessions, which is no small feat. Stewart was a rising TV star and everyone wants a piece of him, even in death.
Deadly Ever After (Hardcover) – Book 8 in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. While Lucy and Connor are celebrating their engagement, Lucy’s ex – and his mother – arrive to convince Lucy to take him back. Lucy agrees to a dinner party with them, counting on their subsequent return to Boston, but a body is discovered at the restaurant.
Hooked on You (Trade Paperback) – First in the Maple Falls Romance series. Riley may be a struggling artist in NYC, but she’s working hard to give the impression of having it all together. When her grandmother breaks her leg in a softball game, Riley agrees to come back to Maple Falls and help out. While Riley is itching to get back to her life in the city, her grandmother is matchmaking.
Peaches and Schemes (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Georgia B&B Mystery series. Nina hopes to expand her business by tapping into the destination wedding market. But when a friend is murdered during a bridal expo, Nina and Harry start investigating.
People We Meet on Vacation (Trade Paperback) – Best friends Poppy and Alex have been inseparable since they met on a ride share in college. In fact, every summer they take a week’s vacation together – until two years ago when they ruined everything. While they haven’t spoken since, Poppy knows that summer was the last time she was truly happy, so she asks Alex to take one more vacation together. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Raiders of the Campsite (e-book, May 13) – Book 3 in the Southwest Exposure Mystery series. Andie is the guide for a spring break camping trip where someone is attacked and a dead body is found.
That Summer (Hardcover) – Daisy knows she should be happy with the life she has, but she is still not sleeping and feels something is just not right. Then she starts receiving emails meant for someone else with a much more glamorous life. When the two women meet, Daisy discovers their connection wasn’t exactly an accident. I am intrigued by this one!
While Justice Sleeps (Hardcover) – A brilliant young law clerk finds herself in dizzying circumstances when the Supreme Court justice she works for slips into a coma and she finds she has been named his guardian and power of attorney. The justice has left behind research into a case that could have far-reaching implications on the world as we know it. As Avery digs into the clues left by the justice, she finds herself in harm’s way. By author and political activist Stacey Abrams. This is also on my list for this week.

Happy May!! There are a TON of new books releasing this week – I couldn’t even fit all of the ones I wanted into this list. My library holds list is maxing out this week! Let’s take a look:

Books for Kids – Board Books and Picture Books

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The Crayons’ Book of Feelings (Board Book) – Board book about feelings starring the delightful characters from The Day the Crayons Quit.
The Bruce Swap – Bruce’s friends start to think he is never any fun, but when Bruce goes fishing without telling anyone and his fun cousin shows up unexpectedly for a visit, they start to think Bruce might have a fun side after all. I can’t wait to read this one!
Hair Twins – A father helps his daughter with her hair every day, but her favorite look is when hers matches his joora which he wears under his turban. Pair this with Hair Love.
I Am the Shark – A group of sharks talk about what makes them all different, but still great. This will be a HUGE hit!
30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag – The story of the restoration of the flag that hung across from Ground Zero in the days following 9/11. This will be a fascinating story!
I Affirm Me: The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids – An alphabet book celebrating and honoring Black children. This looks beautiful!

Books for Kids – Early Readers and Chapter Books

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Sabrina Sue Loves the Sea – A barnyard chicken longs to visit the sea in this new Early Reader.
The Invincible Girls Club: Home Sweet Forever Home AND Art with Heart – The first two books in the new Invincible Girls Club series about a group of girls and their acts of empowerment. In the first book, the girls help senior shelter animals. In the second, they deal with bullying.
Let’s Go Swimming! – Book 4 in the Hello, Hedgehog! series. Hedgehog and Harry head to the pond to cool down on a hot day, but Harry is not yet ready to swim underwater.
Pea, Bee, & Jay: Lift Off – Book 3 in this early graphic novel series. When some super cool birds show up at the farm and invite Jay to join them in their games, he needs to learn to fly as soon as possible.
Unicorn Academy Nature Magic: Lily and Feather AND Phoebe and Shimmer – The first two books in this new chapter book series (a sub-series of Unicorn Academy) about  the environment. In both books, the girls and their unicorns are facing some unusual weather that endangers Unicorn Island.
The Story of Kamala Harris AND The Story of Nelson Mandela – Two new chapter book biographies.
She Persisted: Nellie Bly – A chapter book biography.
Sofia Valdez’s Big Project Book for Awesome Activists – Sofia Valdez, one of the Questioneers, shares a collection of projects with kids centered around activism, government, and politics.  

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens

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The Adventure Is Now – An ostracized kid gets the chance to be the naturalist he always wanted to be (and the one he gets to pretend to be in a video game) when his parents ship him off to an uncle who is a researcher on an island in peril. But if Milton and his new friends can decipher the clues in a field guide, they might be able to make a difference. This sounds terrific!
Bea Is for Blended – A girl negotiates the blending of her family while also fighting for a girls soccer team at school. I’ll be reviewing this one soon. (Sneak Peek – It’s AMAZING!)
Best Nerds Forever – A group of “nerds” band together when one of their own is targeted. This is on my list for this week.
Finding Junie Kim – Junie uses a history assignment where she interviews her grandparents about the Korean War to help her find her voice to fight back against racism at her middle school. I’ve heard rave reviews of this one!
Glitter Gets Everywhere – When Kitty’s mom dies, her dad decides to move their family from London – where all of her memories of her mom are – to New York.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Road Trip – The kids head out on a road trip to a High School Musical convention.
I Speak Boy (Older Middle Grade) – An Emma (Jane Austen) retelling. When Emmy’s matchmaking attempts go awry, a mysterious new app on her phone helps her to understand boys.
The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter: Narwhal I’m Around – Book 2 in this series about a boy who is cursed to be visited by ghostly animals looking for his help. In this book, Rex is trying to solve the death of a narwhal. This series sounds delightfully quirky!
The Last Fallen Star – A new debut from Rick Riordan Presents. When her non-magical adopted sister, Riley, feels like an outsider in their community, Hattie devises a plan to share her magic with her. But when the plan backfires and Hattie’s life is hanging in the balance, Riley is sent on a quest to find the “last fallen star,” whatever that is, to save her sister.
The Last Shadow Warrior – Described as Percy Jackson meets Thor. Abby is a young Aesir who has been training to hunt Grendel when she finds out a Grendel is hunting her instead, but no one believes her. When Abby goes on a quest to discover the truth about what happened to her parents and  what’s after her, she discovers a sinister plot. Yes, please! This is at the very top of my list for the week.
Metropolis Grove (Graphic Novel) – Everyone in Metropolis Grove knows Superman isn’t real. But a new-comer convinces a couple kids to believe when they discover a cave full of memorabilia. But they are in for some surprises about their discovery. This sounds fun!
The Mouse Watch: Underwater – Book 2 in the fun Mouse Watch series. Bernie and Jarvis are now level one agents and are sent on a mission to find a lost spy vessel under the sea.
Truly Tyler – Book 5 in the Emmie & Friends series. Tyler is feeling torn between art and basketball when he teams up on an art assignment with Emmie. You can read my full review here.
Wings of Fire: Forge Your Dragon World – An interactive journal for fans of the Wings of Fire series.
Basher Science: Pandemic – A mini Basher book about Covid-19.
Give This Book a Cover – An interactive book full of writing and drawing prompts by Jarrett Lerner.
A Kid’s Guide to Fandom: Exploring Fan-Fic, Cosplay, Gaming, Podcasting, and More in the Geek World – A celebration and how-to guide for fandom, including history and artist spotlights. This looks awesome!
Star Wars Galactic Baking: The Official Cookbook of Sweet and Savory Treats from Tatooine, Hoth, and Beyond – A Star Wars-themed cookbook releasing on May the Fourth (Be With You)/Star Wars Day? Brilliant marketing plan!
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy (Older Middle Grade) – A frank conversation about race and racism  for kids 10 and up from the creator behind the Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man videos and book. I’ll be reviewing this one soon – it’s exceptionally good!

Books for Teens/Young Adults

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10 Truths and a Dare – A companion novel to 10 Blind Dates. Olivia discovers she is half a credit short for graduation, and she needs to fix things before her family finds out. You can read my full review here.
Better Than the Movies – A girl looking for her romcom moment with the crush who got away starts to fall for the annoying neighbor who is supposed to be helping her get her crush. This sounds fun! I have this one on hold at the library already.
Blade of Secrets – Book 1 in the new Bladesmith series by the author of the fantastic The Shadows Between Us. A young magical blacksmith makes a sword that can steal secrets. But when she discovers what a warlord plans to do with it, she and her sister flee, trying to keep the sword safe until they can find someone worthy to wield it. I have this on hold as well!
Counting Down with You – When her parents return to Bangladesh for a month, Karina agrees to ignore their rules in order to fake-date the “bad boy” she’s been tutoring at school. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Ember of Night – The protagonist is biding her time until she turns 18 and can take her sister and build a better life, but then she’s caught up in a battle between Heaven and Hell. I have this one on my list for the week.
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry – When Quinn’s journal of lists, including all the things that scare her, goes missing, and one of her lists gets posted on IG for the whole school to see, she is blackmailed by the thief to face her greatest fears. I have this one on hold as well.
The Fourth Kinetic: Clairvoyants – Kinetics are Clairvoyants who can move things with their minds, and Rion is one, although he doesn’t know there are others in the world. When Rion is separated from the mother who has protected him, he finds himself on the run from military forces who want to exterminate him. I’m intrigued by this one which is supposed to be more about Rion’s journey to self-discovery than good vs evil.
Hurricane Summer – Tilla’s father regularly leaves their family to return to his home in Jamaica. When Tilla gets a chance to spend the summer there, she hopes to discover what keeps drawing him there, but secrets and a hurricane bring unexpected challenges to her trip.
Meet Cute Diary (LGBTQ+) – Noah is the author of a popular blog of trans happily-ever-after stories, but all of his stories are fake. When a troll tries to expose the truth, Noah finds a friend, Drew, who is willing to fake date him to save these stories which have become important to so many people. I’ve got this one on hold, too.
Realm Breaker – I am a sucker for a book with a sword on the cover! This is the first book in a new series by the author of Red Queen (♥♥♥♥). An unlikely band of heroes go up against an army that wants to burn their world to the ground. I am intrigued by this one, but it’s described as “monster fiction” which isn’t always a good fit for me. I’ll probably wait and see about this one.
Take Me Home Tonight – Two girls plan to spend one glorious night in New York City, but everything that can go wrong with their plan does. Someone at my local library loves me because they already have this one for me to request. *place hold*
They Better Call Me Sugar: My Journey from the Hood to the Hardwood – An autobiography from WNBA star, Sugar Rodgers.

Books for Adults

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Arsenic and Adobo (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. When her ex drops dead right after a confrontation in her family’s restaurant, Lila becomes the prime suspect for his murder. This is on my library wish list – my hold list is full!
The Bookshop of Second Chances (Trade Paperback) – When Thea’s life is falling apart, her inheritance of a cottage and antique book collection in Scotland sounds like a perfect escape. And she loves everything about the cottage and the area – except the cranky bookseller she’s trying to get to buy the book collection. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
For Batter or Worse (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 13 in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Mel, Joe, and their friends have their minds on weddings until a murder interrupts the plans.
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. Pen turns to her ghostly PI friend when an old painting seems cursed.
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes (Trade Paperback) Book 1 in a new series. Toni tries out for an up-and-coming band, The Lillys, but the ex who broke her heart is moonlighting as their manager. This is on my wish list, too.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Illustrated (Hardcover) – An illustrated version of the classic novel.
The Jam and Jelly Nook (Trade Paperback) – The fourth and final book in the Amish Marketplace series. A widow and a widower, each with troubled teens, start to fall for one another.
Just Last Night (Trade Paperback) – The four of them have been best friends since they were teens, but in one moment everything changes and Eve’s world turns upside down.
Let It Be Me (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Misty River Romance series. When Leah gets unexpected results on a DNA scan, she enlists Sebastian to help her dig for answers. But as they grow closer, Sebastian resists because he knows his best friend has his heart set on her.
Like Cats and Dogs (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Whitman Street Cat Café series. A new veterinarian moves in next to Lauren’s Cat Café, and sparks fly.
The Newcomer (Hardcover) – Tonya always told her sister Letty that if anything ever happened to her, it would be because of her ex. So when Letty finds Tonya dead, she grabs the woman’s go-bag and her four-year-old niece and they go on the run, trying to follow fleeting clues to what happened. I have requested this one from the library.
Project Hail Mary (Hardcover) – From the author of The Martian. The lone survivor of a desperate space mission has to puzzle out what he’s mission was and what he can do now to achieve it because he has lost his memories.
The Secret Bridesmaid (Trade Paperback) – Sophie is such a good bridesmaid, she has turned it into her job. She’s hired by a former model to work the woman’s daughter’s wedding, but the bride makes it exceedingly difficult. Sophie’s attraction to the bride’s very much off-limits brother doesn’t help either. This is on my wish list, too.
Star Wars Insider Fiction Collection (Hardcover) – A collection of Star Wars stories.
A Woman of Words (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Jerusalem Road series. Jesus’ mother, Mary, asks Matthew to compile a record of Jesus’ life and teachings.
40 Days on Being a One AND 40 Days on Being a Four (Hardcover) – Two new Enneagram-based devotionals, edited by Suzanne Stabile. The one written for Enneagram 2s (my type) was fantastic. I highly recommend these.
Dogwinks: True Godwink Stories of Dogs and the Blessings They Bring (Hardcover) – The Godwinks series releases a collection of dog-based stories.
Star Trek Shipyards: Borg and the Delta Quadrant (Hardcover) – Explore the ships of the Delta Quadrant.