Showing posts with label Nicholas George. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicholas George. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2026

Tuesday Tomorrow

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn - only to discover that the fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret - in this cozy and irresistible new young adult fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt's B and B in rural Vermont for the summer, she's shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn... even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper's (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there's something strange about the B and B - and its guests. Something almost... otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret - but to protect the place she's come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth before it's too late."

I know I can read this book, but can I ACTUALLY check into the inn? I need the escape.

A Widow's Charm by Caitlyn Paxson
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this witty fantasy romance, a widow attempts to resurrect her dead husband by blackmailing her rakish necromancer neighbor - only to find herself falling for him instead.

Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he dies unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde die along with him. What's a widow to do?

Potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead. Now he's injured, destitute, and hiding out at the neighboring estate.

For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again."

I'm sure they can come to some arrangement that doesn't involve necromancy. Also, I think I need to make my book club read this, we kind of have a history with necromancers...

A Spell for Saints and Sinners by Emily Carpenter
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Like a gender-flipped Saltburn set amidst the moss-draped, haunted beauty of Savannah, this intoxicating blend of Southern suspense and modern witchcraft from bestselling author Emily Carpenter casts a spell of class, power, and possession.

In a city where ghosts linger in the moss and money buys salvation, a struggling psychic is drawn into Savannah's glittering elite, as obsession and need curdle the lines between magic and madness, seduction and salvation, pirates and protectors...

In front of an elegantly shabby townhouse on a Savannah side street sits a hand-painted sign: Miss Edie, Psychic. Ingrid White inherited the house and business from her beloved grandmother, a local celebrity in town. But unless Ingrid can find a way to pay for crushing property taxes and mounting repairs, she's going to lose them both.

Ingrid has faith in the homespun witchcraft Edie passed down to her, yet hope and clients are dwindling.... Until Sailor Loeffler's bachelorette party changes everything. Sailor is local royalty - part of the vast "Savannah Sauce" empire, beautiful and wealthy beyond imagining - and Ingrid's reading is so accurate that she becomes the bride-to-be's confidante. To keep that access and all the privileges it brings, Ingrid relies more and more on hexes and dark spells - using the baneful magic Edie always warned her against.

As Ingrid works even riskier spells, she is drawn further into the Loefflers' inner circle and the obstacles in her path melt away. But is it witchcraft or other, more earthbound forces? Ingrid can feel the lines blurring even as her powers seem to grow, until she must confront the truth about just how far some people, including herself, will go to keep the life they've always wanted..."

Powers can curdle. 

Wicked Wicche" The Sea Wicche Chronicles by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Kindle, 369 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Arwyn, our favorite artist and Sea Wicche, is trying unsuccessfully to deal with two new descriptors: murderer and mother.

The gallery is open, and the sorcerer is gone. Arwyn and the whole Corey clan should be celebrating. Instead, they're mourning a huge loss and now dealing with the Council of Wicches over a poisoning.

Lessons have begun with Dad. All the things a little faeling should have already learned, Arwyn is now being taught. And just in time, as the queen - cryptically and rather terrifyingly - told Arwyn that she has plans for her.

While trying to juggle all of that, and work on a huge order of glass octopuses, Arwyn is also drawn into another deadly police investigation. Send Arwyn your good thoughts because she really needs a nap."

I love Seana Kelly's books. I love how it's like life and limb but then, glass octopuses! 

The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Philip A. Suggars
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enter a London like no other in this fast-paced, captivating fantasy novel filled with warring gods, alternate realities and a working class kid caught in the middle of it all, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Genevieve Cogman.

Oyster McLellen has spent his life causing mischief. Running with a small-time gang and fleecing money from tourists in Hyde Park to support his struggling family in the absence of his father, who abandoned them years ago.

When a simple money drop for his boss, Big Mickey, goes wrong, Oyster's future looks bleak. His only chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Mickey is to get the money back, but as he pursues the thieves across South London he suddenly finds himself washed up on a beach, surrounded by broken phones and shattered office furniture.

His new world: Greater London. A city built on the detritus of our own, where leviathans crafted from broken skyscrapers roam the seas, where ink beetles nestle beneath the skin of its residents and where Oyster's father, Lucas, may well have escaped to all those years ago.

But there are bigger things at stake. Oyster's allegiances are torn between the enigmatic Nonesuch, the eccentric escapist Marya Petrovna, and the terrifying Mr Primrose - and he will have to choose who to align himself with quickly. Because plans are afoot: something ancient is brewing, and a choice needs to be made, the consequences of which will determine the fate of Londons, and life, everywhere."

I can hear London Calling!

Storm Over Camelot by Sophie Keetch
Published by: Random House Canada
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 552 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of Morgan Is My Name and Le Fay comes the stunning conclusion to the Morgan le Fay trilogy, a feminist retelling of the story of the formidable and misunderstood villainess of Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay.

Grieving over a devastating loss, Morgan has retreated to the sanctuary of Belle Garde behind a veil of fairy magic, after swearing vengeance upon King Arthur and Camelot.

Steeped in her rage, she becomes a storm of retribution, battling to avenge her brother's wrongs while trying to undo the tragedy of her lover's death. But with her resurrection skills elusive and Camelot growing in glory and strength, Morgan is failing, and her treasonous reputation puts her freedom at risk.

All appears futile until her efforts bring news of scandal in the Royal Court, and Morgan is once again drawn inside Camelot's golden walls. When an encounter with Arthur's trusted knight, Sir Lancelot, sparks suspicions of Queen Guinevere's adultery, Morgan falls deeper into obsession, the need to punish those who betrayed her driving her further away from her loved ones - and the woman she once wished to be.

As the Age of Camelot darkens, and the forces of love, fate and truth collide, Morgan must choose between her thirst for vengeance and the power to heal what is broken. She must decide who Morgan le Fay truly is, for the sake of her own future and for all time."

Everyone tends to forget that Camelot didn't have the best of endings...

The Governess's Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mary Poppins meets My Fair Lady in a feel-good blend of cozy fantasy magic, historical romance, humor, and Victorian era charm, as a recent graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses finds herself at sea on a ship commanded by a captivating Irishman.

For readers of India Holton, Heather Fawcett, Allison Saft, Katherine Arden, Freya Marske, and Olivia Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales series.

Hermina Davenport can hardly believe the audacious exploit she is about to attempt. To protect an orphaned young viscount, the prim and proper governess feels she has no choice but to break the rules of the Parasol Academy Handbook! When the lad's guardian, a ruthlessly ambitious explorer, ensorcelled by the evil Fae Queen, spirits him away on a dangerous North Pole expedition, Mina employs an invisibility spell to snatch him from the ship. But a magical misfire whisks Mina and her charge onto a different vessel, that of a ruggedly handsome Irishman - a strapping prizefighter from Dublin's backstreets - and Mina finds she's at sea in more ways than one...

Phineas O'Connell, Lord Kinsale, can no more explain the arrival of this English Rose than he can adapt to his newly-inherited title - though his disgruntled pet pug clearly has "thoughts" about the fair stowaway. But their enchanted encounter sparks an irresistible offer: Phinn enlists the polished Miss Davenport to transform this misfit marquess into a mannered gentleman ready for his seat in Parliament. No magic required, just enticingly intimate lessons in etiquette and elocution to smooth all his rough edges including a stammer...

But when enemies - both earthly and supernatural, past and present - threaten, a confrontation begins, where Mina's nondescript umbrella is just one of her powerful weapons..."

For those who liked Nautilus but hoped it would go a little cozier and more Bridgerton

In My Tudor Era by Kate Bromley
Published by: Avon a
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lily's life is turned upside down when she suddenly finds herself trapped in the body of Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife. Can she make it out of Tudor England with her head and her heart intact? Slip into this raunchy, irreverent time travel romance!

Lily's trip to England with her best friend was meant to be a reset after a stressful year of grad school and disastrous dates. But when a visit to Hampton Court Palace ends with the full Tudor experience, Lily needs a plan to make it back to the 21st century stat.

Everyone is calling her Catherine, and to her dismay, Lily learns that she's caught the eye of the King - none other than Henry VIII. Lily's PhD is in psychology, not history, but even she knows that being married to Henry does not bode well for her life expectancy.

As she navigates her precarious position, Lily can't seem to stay away from Simon Gainsford, the king's champion jouster. A jock with a heart of gold, Simon understands Lily better than any guy she's met, and every dark corridor presents a new opportunity to continue their dangerous, white-hot affair.

Meanwhile, smoldering courtier Francis Dereham (who seems to think they are secretly married?!) won't stay away, and the king's sinfully handsome groom, Thomas Culpeper, is also quite...persistent.

In the Tudor era, rumors can get you killed. Lily is determined to change her fate, but everyone knows how this story ends...right?"

Of all the wives of Henry VIII to jump into Catherine Howard would be my last choice. If you were wondering Anne of Cleves would be my first choice. 

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The page-turning politics of Game of Thrones meets the worlds-spanning romance of Outlander in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love - a motley band that includes a former lady's maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes - and attentions - of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews."

Also for disgruntled fans of Patrick Rothfuss and George R.R. Martin...

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him, with the help of a fellow scholar - her former fiancé - in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy.

Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician - a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic - but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she's stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. Then an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a lovable baby pterodactyl that Mary names Ajax, and she knows that this is a scientific find that could make her career - if she's strategic.

But when Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar...and the man who once broke Mary's heart. She knows she can't trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own, but Henry insists he believes in the brilliant Mary and only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves.

Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that's buried deeper than any dinosaur skeleton: She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she's willing to go to finally belong - and what her heart really wants.

Book One of The Geomagician Duology."

Personally I'm choosing the dinosaur over the colleagues any day.

We Are All Monsters Here by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From cabins in the woods to post-apocalyptic cities, monsters lurk everywhere. Discover the sinister secret of a traveling carnival, spend a holiday with masked mummers, and visit a small town with unusual traditions and a penchant for gargoyles.

We Are All Monsters Here collects nineteen of Kelley Armstrong's eeriest short stories published over the past two decades. Each tale features a cast of colorful - if at times unsettling - characters, including a physics student haunted by their past, an elderly author plotting a murder mystery, a young boy troubled by the screams of dragons, a reluctant preacher challenged by a stranger who can resurrect the dead, and survivors of the apocalypse searching for a safe place to call home.

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other classic creatures are portrayed in refreshingly unique ways. A master of paranormal mystery, Armstrong subverts reader expectations with clever twists and turns; for while a monster is at the heart of every story, not all have claws or fangs or a thirst for blood - the most terrifying are the seemingly average people driven to monstrous acts."

I'm always here for Kelley and her monsters.

The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets "Sister Wives" in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a young Mormon woman is haunted by a malevolent presence in the decrepit Salt Lake City mansion she shares with her new husband and his other wives...

Hazel Russon's life in 1882 Utah territory is defined by three things: the Mormon church, polygamy, and the men who control both. She knows she's supposed to suppress her sinful dreams of a monogamous life with her sweetheart, and her desire for the freedom to play her beloved piano. Every Mormon woman's duty is to live obediently and meekly, devoted to her husband and her calling as a sister wife. Her eternal salvation depends upon it.

Commanded to become the fourth wife of a man she's never met, Hazel is relieved that Jacob Manwaring is attentive and handsome. However, she is shocked to discover that instead of living separately as is custom, all of Jacob's wives and children live in the same house - a large, dilapidated manor that inexplicably fills Hazel with dread.

Despite Jacob's tenderness, Hazel senses dark secrets and resentments among her sister wives. She hears strange music, sees blood oozing from the very walls, and glimpses apparitions that grow more terrifying every day. And as her nightmares worsen, Hazel can't be sure if she has more to fear from the living - including her mysterious husband - or from a sinister presence that seems to animate the house itself...

Drawing on little-known Mormon folklore and the author's own polygamous ancestors, this fascinating, suspense-filled historical novel debut is by turns darkly romantic, spine-tingling, and wholly unforgettable."

Deal with sinister forces before sister wives.

The Lacemaker's Fortune by Andrea Catalano
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 381 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the 1870s, the fate of an immigrant desperate to escape the factories of New York City collides with the ambitions and passion of two men in an enthralling and darkly sensual novel by the author of The First Witch of Boston.

New York City, 1879. Eileen Maguire is a factory lacemaker limited by her humble circumstances and dreaming of a better life. Lawrence Barnard is the sole heir of one of Manhattan's wealthiest families, but his means keep him confined by the expectations of society. When their paths cross one fateful winter night, Eileen and Lawrence become caught under the spell of the charismatic and enterprising Stanley Jones, who extolls the boundless opportunities awaiting in the West. The millinery shop Eileen dreams of owning with her sister is possible, as is the freedom to make his own choices that Lawrence so craves.

What begins as an idealistic journey westward quickly becomes something unexpected and sinister once the group lands in Leadville, Colorado, a wild silver mining boomtown high in the Rocky Mountains. A love triangle emerges, pitting promises and passion against betrayals and lies. With their starry-eyed intentions gone terribly awry and forbidden desires threatening to undo them, it will take heartbreak and a shocking secret to shake Eileen and Lawrence out of their blinded stupors and remind them that their fortunes are entirely in their own hands. Set against the backdrop of the Gilded Age, this is a dark tale of dangerous, suspenseful seduction."

Once you hit Colorado, it's Deadwood time.

The Dreadfuls by A. Rae Dunlap
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The darkly atmospheric and gruesome tale of Jack the Ripper unfolds against the backdrop of a Victorian London reform school, as a young inmate sets out to find the identity of the elusive serial killer in a riveting new book perfect for fans of The Square of Sevens and Enola Holmes.

London, 1888. Committed to the Whitechapel Hall Reform School for "incurable delinquency," Adelaide "Dell" Morton is a precocious, defiant misfit. She's also a voracious reader of the sordid, sensationally popular Penny dreadful stories. In a stroke of luck, she's found a kindred spirit in her poised roommate, Pippa. Their obsession is only further fueled by the Jack the Ripper murders blazing a trail of terror throughout London's seediest streets... right outside Whitechapel Hall's front door.

Desperate for adventure, they embark on their own investigation - and discover an ally in Noah, son of the local butcher. The trio's budding spywork soon yields shocking results: Why was straightlaced Whitechapel teacher Miss Kaye escaping the school the night of the latest crime? Could Jack the Ripper be a she? Delving into Miss Kaye's background, Dell is both horrified and thrilled to find that within Miss Kaye's past lies a chapter dark enough to rival any Penny dreadful...

Dell's fixation with Miss Kaye reaches dangerous heights while a series of suspicious events leaves Miss Kaye in sole command of Whitechapel Hall. Trapped in their teacher's ever-tightening web of control, the young detectives devise a risky plan to track her. But what ensues may only propel them into secrets, lies, ruthless acts, and betrayals that go back decades - and a confrontation that will irrevocably change the fates of all involved... if they survive."

Ripperologist here in love with this book.

Murder at Big Ben by Michelle Salter
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 274 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You won't be able to put down this latest instalment in the Fairbanks and Flynn Mysteries, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Benedict Brown and T. E. Kinsey.

Three women hide in Big Ben, only two come out alive...

2 April 1911 is census night, when suffragettes hide overnight in parliament to force census takers to record it as their address - the only way women can have a place in government.

Coral Fairbanks, suffragette, actress, and artist's muse, is among the women who break into parliament. What she doesn't know is that Guy Flynn, artist and Scotland Yard detective, has been ordered to guard it that night.

When a suffragette hiding in Big Ben is poisoned, suspicion falls on the residents of two grand houses in Mayfair. The Kesbys are avant-garde artists, the Ashcourts are aristocrats fallen on hard times.

Once again, Fairbanks and Flynn put aside their differences to investigate an astonishing case of deception and murder.

A new historical mystery set in Edwardian London featuring the iconic detective duo Fairbanks and Flynn."

I try to overlook the use of suffragette for suffragist, but sometimes I just can't.

Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"At long last, Jane and Redvers have arrived in Venice, the famed city of love, for their honeymoon. But behind a mask at a costume ball on the Grand Canal hides the gaze of a heartless killer...

Venice, 1927: As romantic as it is mysterious, the Floating City is a dream destination for the newlyweds, but they'll soon discover the twisting canals hide more mystery than they expected. It begins when they are invited to an elaborate party at Clara Morton's stunning palazzo on the Grand Canal. The affair is as eccentric as the hostess, who is dressed as Medusa, and features everything from snakes to her pet cheetah to tarot card readings.

The fete also features a fresh corpse - Clara's ex-husband, found dead in the garden with marks around his neck. The hostess accuses the tarot card reader, who happens to be an acquaintance of Jane, claiming the woman foretold the death of someone close to her. Jane and Redvers come to the young woman's aid as they learn she was far from the only partygoer with a motive. As the couple follows a labyrinthine trail of scandalous affairs, brazen blackmail, and people who are not who they say they are, they hope that Venice will disclose her secrets before they both end up in over their heads..."

There is nowhere that works so well for mysteries as Venice. NOWHERE!

Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The story of two people, both as magnetic as they are dangerous, who get caught in an electric game of cat and mouse.

The question is, Who is the predator and who is the prey?

Meet Iris: a dark soul with a propensity for obsession, still reeling from a recent loss, who relies on a local grief group to keep her grounded and out of trouble. And now meet Jack: a cagey widower who shows up at a meeting one night and jolts both of them back to life.

From the moment Jack first takes a shabby plastic chair in the circle, he is positively dashing. And Iris can't help but feel that fate has brought them together.

But their chance encounter sends them racing through a series of hairpin twists where nothing is as it seems and no one plays by the rules. As Iris is drawn deeper into Jack's world, she begins to realize that her own deceptions may be no match - or maybe they're the perfect match? - for all the dirty secrets Jack has been hiding.

Edgy, intricately plotted, and totally chilling, Sorry for Your Loss is a blistering psychological thriller for fans of Ashley Elston, Ana Reyes, and Ashley Audrain."

Never get involved with anyone you meet in any kind of support group. That's a hard and fast rule.

No Good Deed by Katherine Kovacic
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rena and Tom have been planning this trip for years: just the two of them, retired, setting out into remote bush country to enjoy nature's dramatic beauty - and each other's company. When Tom dies unexpectedly just before they are to depart, Rena almost cancels, but there's nothing left at home but painful memories. She hits the road in her kitted-out truck, vowing to follow the itinerary she and Tom had mapped, hoping the trip will at least distract her from her devastating loss.

Not far from her first planned stop, Rena notices a fire burning some distance off the highway. Being a good citizen, she ventures off road, and is horrified to find a vehicle consumed by flames, with what's left of the driver still inside. When she learns that the victim is a fellow geologist - a less-than-reputable character whom she hadn't seen in 20 years - Rena begins an unofficial and unwelcome investigation fraught with deceit, diamond theft, and murder. Had her old colleague found a new pipeline for the rare and valuable pink diamond, and been killed for it? And if Rena doesn't mind her own business, will she be next?"

I love that this is like, retiree ends up embroiled with diamond smuggling. 

The Keeper by Tana French
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the iconic crime writer who "inspires cultic devotion in readers" (The New Yorker) and has been called "incandescent" by Stephen King, "absolutely mesmerizing" by Gillian Flynn, and "unputdownable" (People), comes the third and final book in the million-copy-bestselling Cal Hooper trilogy.

On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she's dead in the river.

In a close-knit small town, a death like this isn't simple. It comes wrapped in generations-old grudges and power struggles, and it splits the townland in two. Retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper has friends here now, and he owes them loyalty, but his fiancée Lena wants nothing to do with Ardnakelty's tangles. As the feud becomes more vicious, their settled peace starts to crack apart. And when they uncover a scheme that casts a new light on Rachel's death and threatens the whole village, they find themselves in the firing line.

"One of the greatest crime novelists writing today" (Vox) crafts a masterwork of atmospheric suspense that brings the story of one of her most beloved characters to a spellbinding conclusion."

A new Tana French book means it's time for a celebration. 

A Crushing Walk in Cornwall by Nicholas George
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For retired San Diego detective Rick "Chase" Chasen, week-long walks in the English countryside are an enjoyable new pastime. But sometimes these outings take deadly detours...

Chase is disappointed that his partner Mike won't be joining him on his tour of the rocky Cornish coast - but like long-distance walks, long-distance relationships can require an occasional break. He still has his friend Billie for company, though, and a few more fellow Americans, from a New Orleans restaurateur to a New York travel writer, joining them on their jaunt.

When the group hears before their departure that local landowners have been sabotaging the trail with booby-traps, their walk leader dismisses it as rumor - but some in the group are worried, especially after a terrifying incident on a bridge the very next morning. As they bravely continue their expedition, twelve-year-old chatterbox Ivy, who's already spilled some of her mother's secrets, continues gossiping to Chase about the group members. She's been researching online and thinks they're not all as they seem. When one of them nearly plunges to her death during a visit to a 16th-century castle, Ivy's sure a killer walks among them.

That turns out to be a real possibility when the near miss is followed by a suspicious death during a meal break. Did a Cornish property owner take a prank too far? And is Ivy just a drama-obsessed internet addict, or is ignoring her warnings a fatal misstep? If murder is truly afoot, Chase will have to rely on his investigative wits to trip the killer up."

Or is Ivy a killer in the making who is testing out methodologies? 

Let Nothing Astonish You by Lauren Opper
Published by: Lauren Opper
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A diabolical whodunnit for fans of Knives Out, Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series and Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries.

Lieutenant Carl Sarabia, a newly retired homicide detective, moves with his wife Greta from Houston, Texas to Glamis, Connecticut to be closer to their daughter Sarah and her family. The idyllic river town is upended when Merlin Glenmore is found murdered on April Fools' Day, midway through his seance-themed birthday party at the place he despised the most, The Glenmore-Pace Castle, a gothic mansion built by his great-great grandfather, and now a museum run by his sister Jade. Merlin is notorious in Glamis for his abrupt second marriage to a much younger woman only a month after his first wife's tragic death.

There is no shortage of suspects present at the party who wanted Merlin dead. Only two of the guests do not have alibis - and one of them is Carl's son-in-law. Carl swore to Greta he wouldn't involve himself in any more homicide cases, but will he be able to stay out of this one? Meanwhile, Greta conspires with her daughter and in-laws to involve Carl in solving the murder without his knowledge."

I think that Carl can go back on his word just this once...

The Adjunct by Maria Adelmann
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of How to Be Eaten, a fresh take on the campus novel that follows an adjunct professor gigging her way through academia's poor job market when she crosses paths with her old PhD adviser whose new novel might be about her - for readers of Worry, Vladimir, and Less.

Meet Sam, an adjunct professor at a public university in Baltimore who takes a last-minute gig at the private liberal arts college down the road. Overworked and underpaid, her life is a blur of back-to-back classes, side hustles, and job applications as she attempts to claw her way toward a full-time position. But her already precarious existence is thrown into disarray when she runs into her former grad school adviser, Dr. Tom Sternberg, on campus.

Tom and Sam have a complicated history, the lasting impact of which has haunted her academic career, and it's the last thing she wants to think about as she navigates academic politics, institutional hurdles, and romantic entanglements with men and women that further complicate a sexuality not even she can define. Then she learns that Tom left his old job for undisclosed reasons - and his long-awaited second novel is about a professor's reckoning with his checkered past. As whispers spread that Sam is the inspiration behind a central character, she fights to regain control of the story while questioning everything she thought she knew about her future - and herself.

With biting humor and a keen eye for detail, Maria Adelmann offers a fresh twist on a tangled #MeToo story and turns Sam's downward spiral into a searing critique of class and the hollow promises of the American dream. A hilarious yet sobering look at how hustle culture has come to define modern academia, The Adjunct asks: Who really controls the narratives of success, identity, and power?"

You have to take back your own narrative. No matter what.

Love Is an Algorithm by Laura Brooke Robson
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Take the uncertainty out of love with Pattern, it's more than just a dating app!

Eve wants to make music that's fueled by love, passion, and rage (feelings!). She trusts her gut and her friends and in no way wants to rely on technology, let alone AI, to tell her how she feels. Danny is anxious - about his dad, his dating life, his coffee order (why is it twelve dollars?), and about the dating app he helped create, which seems determined to serve him terrible matches.

When Eve and Danny start dating, it feels like the solution to all of Danny's worries - except when it doesn't. Is she happy? Should he be doing more? Or less? This becomes the catalyst for a revolutionary new version of Danny's app that promises to quantify relationship health and potential, helping users understand what's really going on. Problem solved!

As Pattern and Bug, the ever-so-friendly AI assistant, catch fire, users everywhere begin outsourcing major life decisions to Danny's algorithms. But as Danny reckons with his newfound success, Eve - whose career relies on her ability to write her emotions into song - grows increasingly skeptical of the app's impact on genuine connection. Their relationship becomes the ultimate modern experiment: How do you fall and stay in love in the digital age?"

Well, step one, step away from AI.

Where No Shadow Stays by Sara Hashem
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A homecoming queen and a bad-boy loner team up to break a generational curse in this YA supernatural horror from a talented American Egyptian voice.

Seventeen-year-old Mina is always focused on what comes next: exams, school dances, opportunities for a picnic by the lake. Filling up the future keeps her from lingering over how little she knows about her history or where she comes from. Anytime she asks her father questions about Egypt - or about her mother's mysterious death - he struggles to open up.

When Mina receives an invitation from an aunt she's never met to visit the Haikal mansion, her mother's childhood home in El Agamy, Mina accepts. She can't resist the chance to learn more about her roots or what happened to her mother, even if it means lying to her loves ones for the first time in her life.

But when Mina returns from El Agamy, she doesn't come back alone.

A sinister entity follows Mina from the Haikal mansion to her tiny California town. Mina is forced to abandon her friends, her father, and everything she loves in order to prevent the entity from violently possessing them. Isolated and fighting for her life, Mina must seek help from an unlikely ally: Jesse Talbot, the mortician's hostile son and the only person who proves immune to possession. Jesse would rather floss with barbed wire than team up with social butterfly Mina, but he doesn't exactly have a choice - after all, he's running from family secrets of his own.

As Mina and Jesse dig deeper into Mina's family lore, they uncover a bloody debt that must be satisfied if Mina wants to finish senior year alive."

Egypt! Evil Entities! YAS!

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson
Published by: Penguin Life
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson - aka the Bloggess.

Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She's a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She's an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, "How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?" This book is her answer.

In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn't working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

With chapters like "Wash Your Brain More Than You Wash Your Bra" (sleep, you beautiful human), "Working on Easy Mode Is Still Working" (asking for accommodations is okay!), "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" (make it a habit to celebrate the good things), and many more, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is a balm and companion, reminding us all that we are not alone. It's for anyone who struggles with self-doubt, guilt, motivation, and mental blocks and wants to rekindle their passion for creating. Funny, simple, empathetic, and full of hope, it will encourage you not to just survive but to find and curate joy in the face of difficult times."

Jenny Lawson is a gift to all of us who struggle daily.

News from the Fallout by Chris Condon and Jeffrey Alan Love
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: March 31st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Interrupting your regularly scheduled broadcast to deliver a terrifying sci-fi story that takes place in Nevada in 1962 after a nuclear bomb test goes horribly awry.

In 1962 Nevada's "Atomic Alley," a nuclear bomb test goes horribly awry at the secretive Gaines Army Base and unleashes a contaminate into the atmosphere that turns people rotten. Otis Fallows, a private in the U.S. Army who is present for the test and is the only known survivor, flees the secret army base in search of a safe haven - but does such a place exist?

Written by Chris Condon, (That Texas Blood, Ultimate Wolverine), and drawn by the visionary artist Jeffrey Alan Love (The Last Battle at the End of the World, The Thousand Demon Tree), fans of 60s sci-fi films and TV shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits and the works of authors Stephen King and Richard Matheson will love this eery graphic novel.

Collects all 6 issues."

Atomic testing has always fascinated me, as have graphic novels. This is a wonderful combination of the two.

Monday, January 5, 2026

Tuesday Tomorrow

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo - an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian - hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ross Montgomery.

Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley's Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom - every window, chimney, and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within... By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.

All eyes turn to Steven Pike, Tithe Hall's newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn't commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, eighty-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she's been waiting for.

Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges, and rising terror to unmask the killer before it's too late..."

I mean, technically it is still the season for murder... Well, every season is the season for murder for me...

A Party to Murder by Diana Harper
Published by: Diana Harper
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 314Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Romance, intrigue, family quarrels, secrets, murder: the party at Cheveley Manor has it all. And everyone but the butler is a suspect.

It's the summer of 1922, and preparations for an extravagant party are underway at the Marchmont's stately country pile. Patriarch Richard Marchmont is fabulously wealthy, moderately eccentric, and very fond of getting his own way. With the family gathered to celebrate his 85th birthday, the scene is set for a memorable weekend...in more ways than one, because Richard has quarreled with his heirs and is set upon changing his Will to teach them all a lesson. The arrival of unexpected guests, return of a long-lost relative, and sundry romantic entanglements only make matters more complicated.

When Richard is found dead in his study, a glass of poisoned wine by his side, there is a surfeit of suspects on hand. Clever Inspector Hawthorne has his work cut out for him; everyone at Cheveley Manor is hiding something - and for the murderer, the party isn't over yet.

A classic English country-house whodunit garnished with a dash of fizzy romance, A Party to Murder will delight fans of Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, and Golden Era murder mysteries."

Here for every single family dispute and every single country pile!

Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London...so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn't going to stop them!

Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town...

London, 1947.
After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she's looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris's former boss enlists their help for a secret mission.

Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn't seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service.

Tony's suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he's innocent, she'll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy...

Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!"

Cambridge spies time!

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense set in a Gulf Coast beach motel where hurricane season can be murder.

St. Medard's Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that's survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard's Bay on the map, she's less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn's bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn't come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she's returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard's Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive - and as deadly - as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping..."

A Lo pressure system is moving in!

Wildwood by Amy Pease
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of the "riveting debut" (People) Northwoods, a mother-son law enforcement team confront buried secrets in their small town as they work to expose a conspiracy that goes far beyond the tight-knit community.

Deputy Sheriff Eli North has spent the last year getting his life back together. He hasn't touched a drop of alcohol, he's working through his PTSD from his military deployment, and he's repairing his most important relationships. When an undercover informant disappears and all signs point to murder, Eli must expose the dark underbelly of his idyllic Wisconsin small town while safeguarding his newfound stability.

Then, with the unexpected arrival of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason, Eli and his mother, the sheriff, are pulled deeper into a violent criminal network built on the backs of the lost and forgotten.

As the case deepens, loyalties fracture and the line between justice and survival begins to blur. In a town where everyone has something to hide, exposing the truth may cost them everything."

Always here for Wisconsin and its murderous rep.

The Wind Witch Murders by Casey Dunn
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Her mother took secrets to the grave. They didn't stay buried.

1999, Arkansas.
Being the daughter of a witch and alleged murderer isn't easy. Yet Raven has carried that burden for the twelve years since her mother, Deanne, was locked away for the apparent ritualized murder of two boys. Murders she never admitted to.

Now Deanne is dead, the truth buried with her. When a stranger appears at her funeral to place a feather on her casket, Raven realizes the mystery of her mother is still alive and well. But as she looks harder into Deanne's past, more lies about her own life surface. Lies that drag her to the infamous cult at the edge of town that Deanne once belonged to. As Raven connects the secrets surrounding the cult, the infamous Wind Witch murders, and her mother's death, she finds herself in incredible danger.

A mesmerizing dark treat of a novel, full of twists and suspense, perfect for fans of Rebecca James and Tana French."

Dood, how often do protagonists have to be told to stay away from cults!?!

You've Lost That Livin' Feelin' by Nicholas George
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Introducing Adam Parrall - retired drummer, vinyl record store owner...and amateur sleuth!

Adam Parrall's wild days as a drummer in a rock band are far behind him. Now semi-retired and running a record store in the sleepy town of Cordoba on the mid-California coast, life is considerably calmer, with pleasant surprises such as winning a lifetime achievement award (which Adam learns, depressingly, is intended for deceased artists).

There's plenty of life left in Adam yet, though sadly the same can't be said of Righteous Brother tribute artist Barry Haddon, whose dead body is discovered by Adam outside a nightclub. Suddenly Adam discovers an exciting new hobby - sleuthing! Is a knife-wielding robber terrorizing the locals responsible for Barry's murder? As panic and confusion sweep through the town, Adam can't rule anything - or anyone - out. Unfortunately, his meddling may mean that he'll qualify for that lifetime achievement award sooner than he thought!

The first in an irresistibly charming cozy mystery series featuring a retired drummer seeking to recapture the excitement of his rock band heyday by solving crime. A page-turning must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman and J.M. Hall!"

I have a feeling Adam Parrall won't be collecting that lifetime achievement award anytime soon!

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
Published by: Sarah Barley Books / Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beth March's sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer - until they begin to suspect each other - in this "brilliantly snappy…electrifying" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut thriller that's also a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved classic Little Women.

When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year's Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.

Suspects abound. There's the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg's manipulative best friend. Amy's flirtatious mentor. And Beth's lionhearted first love. But it doesn't take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she'll need money from her aunt - money that's always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn't dream of hurting her sister...but her boyfriend might have, and she'll protect him at all costs.

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it's hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.

Beth's perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy's increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart."

Amy did it right? I mean, it has to be Amy.

Brunner in the Black by Will Nichols
Published by: Close To The Bone Publishing
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 316 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lenya Fisher is the private eye equivalent of a pirate.

She was in Stasi in the Eighties and never unlearned their ruthless ways.

Now she's 63 and hired to dig up dirt on Peter Brunner's Austrian lumber company Brunner Group. The client is his jealous cousin Ilsa.

Lenya needs her lover Orell Schneider's network since opaque Liechtenstein foundations own Brunner Group and hide its blackest secrets. Orell used to head up Liechtenstein's financial intelligence unit and did the same for Vatican City until he fled the Pope's trumped up charges against him. She brings him in, a car bomb kills him, and she comes home to find her house trashed and her cat hanging from a noose of piano wire. Everything is connected.

Now it's only justice for Orell or death as Lenya chases dirty drug and gun money into Brunner Group, the Vatican Bank, and the pockets of a corrupt European establishment cornered like rats by the millions of protestors filling the streets. Globalization's upperworld criminals may just have picked the wrong fräulein to fool with."

If someone kills a cat that someone HAS to pay.

We're Taking Everyone Down With Us by Matthew Rosenberg, Stefano Landini, and Jason Wordie
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"James Bond meets The Island of Doctor Moreau in this graphic novel about a young girl who discovers her father isn't the hero she believed, but one of the most dangerous super-spy villains on the planet.

After her mad-scientist father is killed by the world's greatest spy, 13-year-old Annalise is left all alone in the world. Sort of. Her dead dad's robot bodyguard won't stop following her around for some reason. Now Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever…or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process.

Embark on a journey of regret and retribution, super spies and pseudoscience, growing up and global domination from brilliant artist Stefano Landini (Prodigy, Hellblazer) and okay writer Matthew Rosenberg (What's the Furthest Place From Here?, Uncanny X-Men.)"

Only an okay writer? Hmm...

The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic...if not murder.

In the 1960s, the world was caught up in reaching beyond our planet and into the cosmos. It felt impossible - but there was nothing science, math…and magic couldn't make possible. The race to space was on, and the Moon was what everyone had their eyes on.

Including Cynthia Rhodes, a brilliant arcane engineer at NASA's Ainsworth Research Labs. Talented in math and magic, she hosts a magical educational show...a job she took mostly for a chance to regularly see the dashing Theodore Danner, a professor of arcane archeology.

She is also an amateur sleuth - something that has run in her family for generations.

When a cursed museum curator nearly interrupts a broadcast of their show, Cynthia finds an eager sleuthing partner in Theo. Pairing up, they begin investigating the strange behavior of the curator and a mysterious theft at the arcane history museum - until one of Cynthia's own coworkers perishes right in front of her in a major lab accident that endangers Ainsworth's role in the space race.

Certain it was murder instead of an accident, Cynthia sees this as a separate case at first. However the more she and Theo investigate, Cynthia uncovers a surprising link between the two incidents. The museum theft and murder are part of a larger equation - one that includes deadly enchantments, rumored pirate treasure, a peculiar plant, and a dire threat to the space program as well as everything she holds dear.

The Starseekers is another rip-roaring adventure for the Rhodes family, who have been using magic to aid their community and solve mysteries since before the Civil War. The times may have changed, but a Rhodes once again finds themselves thrust into a world of murders, theft, sabotage, and curses, and this time the stakes extend to the stars themselves."

Cursed museum curator!?! Oh hell yes.

The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman
Published by: Harper Muse
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With her signature blend of magical and heartfelt storytelling, USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Moorman returns with The Charmed Library, a love letter to libraries, favorite childhood stories, and readers who have fallen for fictional heroes.

Like many other public libraries, the one in Blue Sky Valley, North Carolina, is a haven for readers. But it's also unlike any other. In this library, fictional characters step off the page into real life. Assistant librarian Stella Parker has no idea. Still reeling from her father's death and - more recently - a breakup, she hasn't noticed. All she knows is she's stuck in a job she's overqualified for and stumped about what to do with her life.

Everything changes when she burns her beloved journal.

Words matter to Stella. For as long as she can remember, she's seen them. Words appear - in varying colors and fonts - rising from surfaces, bouncing over objects, and even wiggling out of people. Words give her insight into emotions and untold stories. But the words change for Stella after she burns her journal. Suddenly they're demanding, urgent - and painful.

Then Stella stumbles upon strange characters in the library after hours. One is an oddly familiar World War II soldier who introduces himself as Jack - Jack Mathis, the main character from her favorite book. A fictional hero and Stella's first crush. Standing in front of her in the flesh.

Jack tells Stella about the magic hidden in the library. Skeptical, Stella rashly invites a villain to visit, and chaos ensues. As she discovers the importance of protecting the library's secret and gets to know the real Jack, words continue to appear. What are they trying to tell her?

Much too quickly, Stella is faced with the reality that all stories must end, and magic comes at a price. The characters who visit the library can only stay for fourteen days. And Jack's time is almost up.

A cozy, Hallmark-esque rom-com, The Charmed Library invites readers to escape to a world where words come alive and book boyfriends leap off the page."

Knowing my luck if I could see fonts rising from surfaces it would be all Papyrus and Comic Sans. 

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed installment of the Hugo Award-winning Wayward Children series.

After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return.

Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely?

And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?"

It's the first book release day of the year so OF COURSE Seanan McGuire has a new release.

Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second book in Jude Deveraux's spellbinding and unforgettable Blue Swan series weaves an intricate tapestry of fantasy and intrigue on the enigmatic planet of Bellis.

Princess Aradella is trapped in the iron grip of her evil and powerful aunt, Queen Olina. Navigating the treacherous waters of political machinations and familial duties, Aradella discovers allies in unexpected places, including Tanek, a swansman with his own mysterious connections. Set in a world where royalty, magic, and mythical beings coexist, Aradella's path is intertwined with that of Kaley Arens, an Earthling who becomes deeply entangled in the planet's intricate social hierarchy, as she is faced with a choice between her homeland and newfound love. As Aradella and her companions uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas, they embark on an adventure filled with loyalty, romance, and courage, where the lines between magic and reality blur, but where love has the power to transform destinies.

Aradella's heart finds a beacon in Mekos, the son of Tanek, whose distinct heritage and protective nature captivate her. As their bond deepens amidst political intricacies, their love story unfolds through secret plans and whispered promises. But in this world, nothing is as it seems and destiny can't be denied..."

I can't express how much I love the cover of this book.

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