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The List of Suspicious Things

Jennie Godfrey

"What could be more magical than a writer who can flip from hilarity to darkness and back on the same page? Jennie Godfrey does this and more...in a voice that is as authentic as it is unforgettable." --Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

"We'll make a list. A list of all the people and things we see that are suspicious. And then... we'll investigate them."

Twelve-year-old Miv is panicking. Life has been complicated since her mom got sick, and now her dad is talking about wanting to move their family away from the town Miv has lived in her whole life--because of the murders. Young women are dying, everyone is afraid, and no one knows who the culprit might be.

But as far as Miv is concerned, leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things on their street. People they know. People they don't. But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighborhood, within their families--and between each other--than they ever thought possible. What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

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The Once and Future Queen: Deluxe Limited Edition

Paula Lafferty

Outlander-meets-The Princess Bride plus Camelot in a fresh, big-hearted, feminist, timeslip adventure reimagining the epic saga of King Arthur, as told from the perspective of his spunky and surprising queen, Vera – complete with time travel and good running shoes!

***DELUXE LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER with stenciled edges, a beautiful foil-stamped hardcover, exclusive interior design with full-color illustrated endpapers*** Only while supplies last.

Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend . . .

22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.

After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . . .

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Spasm

Robin Cook

From the "master of the medical thriller" (The New York Times), Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie return in another fast-paced spine chiller about a deadly bioweapon that could disrupt the world order as we know it.

“Masterful . . . Robin Cook is at the top of his game.” –#1 NYT bestselling author FREIDA MCFADDEN

When Laurie Montgomery temporarily steps down from her position as Chief Medical Examiner, she and Jack find themselves uncharacteristically free for a couple of weeks. And the timing couldn't be better when they receive a call from Jack's former medical school classmate, Robert Neilson, who is the sole family practitioner in Essex Falls, an idyllic town tucked away in New York State's Adirondack Mountains. Serving also as the Hamilton County coroner, Dr. Neilson is in over his head trying to explain the sudden death of a young, healthy pest control worker on top of an outbreak of rapidly progressive Alzheimer's-like cases, and he pleads with Jack and Laurie to come lend a professional hand. Unable to resist a good mystery and a vacation in one, Laurie and Jack agree to help and head upstate.

Essex Falls is beautiful enough and their accommodations are even better than they imagined. But they soon learn the town has suffered a major economic and social setback, which has shaken its residents to their cores. When the body of the pest control worker disappears without a trace just prior to an autopsy, Jack's penchant for solving forensic conundrums launches him into a full-scale investigation that uncovers the most frightening modus operandi of his career so far.

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Tailored Realities

Brandon Sanderson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson―creator of the Stormlight Archive, the Mistborn saga, and numerous smash-hit works of science fiction and fantasy―comes Tailored Realities, a new short fiction collection including the never-before-published novella “Moment Zero.”

Spanning the genres of fantasy and science fiction, Tailored Realities includes ten works of short fiction from the ingenious mind of one of the genre’s most beloved bestselling authors.

From futuristic detective thrillers to inventive space opera, superhero action, high-tech fantasy, and beyond, these gripping standalone reads have never before been gathered into one volume, with many available here in print for the first time.

Along with the thrilling new science fiction novella "Moment Zero," this collection includes:
• “Snapshot”
• “Perfect State”
• “Defending Elysium” (from the world of Skyward)
• “Firstborn”
• “Mitosis” (from the world of the Reckoners)
• and four other stories

Also including author’s notes and stunning interior illustrations for each story, this visionary collection is a must-read whether you’re new to Sanderson or a longtime fan.

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The Time Hop Coffee Shop

Phaedra Patrick

"A delightful tale, full of heart." -Evie Woods, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop 



Welcome to the Time Hop Coffee Shop, where wishes can come true...



Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, the quintessential TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter has become distant and Greta's once-glittering career feels like a distant memory.



When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, Greta wakes in the idyllic make-believe town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?

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The Birdwatcher

Jacquelyn Mitchard

A Zibby's Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2025!



From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard comes a page-turning drama that explores the beauty of female friendship; the relationship between money, power, and sex; and the very human desire to protect the ones we love most.



When she is convicted of a double murder, Felicity Wild, a brilliant grad student turned high-priced escort, declares, "I may not be innocent, but I'm innocent of this."



Reenie Bigelow never doubted it. A jury may have given Felicity a life sentence, but Reenie knows that her childhood best friend is not capable of murder. And so Reenie, a journalist, decides to use her deep connections to Felicity's past to unravel the truth.



The more she uncovers, the more Reenie is convinced that the story the prosecution told is wrong, despite the puzzling fact that Felicity said not one single word in her own defense. But there's one thing Reenie knows for certain: Felicity would never lie.

 

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Dark Sisters

Kristi DeMeester

“A BONFIRE, A BEACON, A BALM, A RALLYING CRY... A beautifully written, mesmerizing horror epic... Magnificent.” – Rachel Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of Play Nice

In this fiercely captivating novel, horror meets historical fiction when a curse bridges generations, binding the fates of three women. Anne Bolton, a healer facing persecution for witchcraft, bargains with a dark entity for protection—but the fire she unleashes will reverberate for centuries. Mary Shephard, a picture-perfect wife in a suffocating community, falls for Sharon and begins a forbidden affair that could destroy them both. And Camilla Burson, the rebellious daughter of a preacher, defies conformist expectations to uncover an ancient power as her father’s flock spirals into crisis.

Three women. Three centuries. One legacy of fury, love, and a power that refuses to die.

“A hauntingly beautiful exploration of revenge, feminine rage, and the secrets that bind women across time... Frightening, subversive, and provocative.” – Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author The Lost Apothecary

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White Wolf

Eric Van Lustbader

In this cutting-edge installment of the acclaimed thriller series, New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader thrusts readers into a world where power is being redefined by a revolutionary communication program that renders modern encryption obsolete, one that will topple global power structures and give rise to technology-driven totalitarian states. 

Evan Ryder races against time in a landscape where secrets can no longer hide behind digital walls. Ilona Shokova, the elusive, deadly assassin White Wolf, holds the key to mastering this unhackable method. 

Two powerful, deadly women, one quest. Will either one of them survive?

In this pulse-pounding thriller, the future isn't just written in code - it's locked behind it.

Strap in for Lustbader's next explosive novel in the Evan Ryder series; an action-packed rollercoaster that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

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Dead Ringer

Chris Hauty

Nationally bestselling author Chris Hauty, one of the high-octane writers “to take the thriller world by storm” (The Real Book Spy), returns with a riveting stand-alone novel that explores what might have really happened at the JFK assassination. 

Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service office and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active—and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?

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Television

Lauren Rothery



 

Bojack Horseman meets Joan Didion in this smart, sly, and irresistibly stylish debut novel about a jaded movie star and the two differently conflicted women in his orbit.

Some people you meet them and you imagine this movie together. The two of you make a kind of movie and then it's over. Other people, what you imagine isn't a movie, because it keeps going. It's television . . . If you can't see how romantic television is, you're blind.

An aging, A-list movie star lotteries off the entirety of his mega-million blockbuster salary to a member of the general viewing public before taking up with a much younger model. His non-famous best friend (and often lover) looks on impassively, while recollecting their twenty-odd years of unlikely connection. And an aspiring filmmaker, unknown to them both, labors over a script about best friends and lovers while longing for the financial freedom to make great art.

Told in their alternating, intricately linked perspectives, Television is a funny, philosophically astute novel about phenomenal luck, whether windfall or chance encounter. Like Joan Didion's classic Play It as It Lays, but speaking to a since irrevocably changed Hollywood, it portrays a culture in crisis and the disparities in wealth, beauty, talent, gender, and youth at the heart of contemporary American life. In this glittering but strange new world, lit up by social media and streaming services--what, if not love, can be counted in your favor

With plays in chronology, bright, nimble dialogue, and a profoundly modern style, Lauren Rothery's debut novel is an arresting feat of literary impressionism, and marks the arrival of a significant new talent to the landscape of American fiction.

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Huguette

Cara Black

In the lawlessness of post–World War II France, a resilient young woman fights to survive and make a living, no matter the cost—from the New York Times bestselling author of Three Hours in Paris and the Aimée Leduc series

After Libération, spring 1945: Seventeen-year-old Huguette Faure is a survivor. The war has taken everything from her—both her parents and her sense of safety. Now, pregnant and on the lam, she cannot return to her childhood home in Paris. Forced to reinvent herself, she must outrun her father’s enemies, who want her dead. After narrowly avoiding jail time—thanks to the help of a kindhearted police officer named Claude Leduc—Huguette lands a job assisting a legendary film director. As her role develops from helping him with chores to cooking his books, she sees an opportunity to break free from the ghosts of her past once and for all.

In this big-hearted story of resilience, New York Times bestselling author Cara Black offers a wholly original depiction of postwar France as well as introduces Claude Leduc—the man who decades later inspired his granddaughter, Aimée, to become a private investigator.

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Something Wicked

Falon Ballard

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

To save a world in turmoil, a would-be prince teams up with a magically gifted courtesan—but the most dangerous game may be trusting each other in this spicy, swoony fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart.

The stunning first edition hardcover of Something Wicked features a steamy jacket with glossy effects as well as specially designed sprayed edges!

"Intricate, sensual, and filled with all the best elements romantasy has to offer." —India Holton, author of The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love 

The Uprising has overthrown Avon's monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province. 

Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But coming to terms with patricide will require the help of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club.

Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands or wants.

With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon forever. To stop Avon from falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have . . . even if it requires betraying each other.

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Before I Forget

Tory Henwood Hoen

"A tender, funny portrait of love in its myriad forms." —Mikki Brammer, bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back—and in moving us forward—for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame.

Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

When Cricket’s older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father’s caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises.

As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond—a place she once loved, but hasn’t visited since she was a teenager—she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father’s prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back.

With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most.

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The Gallagher Place

Julie Doar

A LibraryReads Top Pick

"Gothic and twisty! Don't miss it."
--Lisa Unger, author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

"The narrative culminates in a heartbreaking finale that will haunt readers long after the final page is turned. Doar nails it on her first time out."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A layered exploration of family secrets, sibling misconceptions, and an unsolved murder in this chilling debut set in New York's Dutchess County.

When Marlowe Fisher, an illustrator living in New York City, returns to her family's bewitching Hudson Valley home for the holidays, she discovers a body in the woods--a murder that draws her back into the haunting case of her teenage best friend's disappearance two decades earlier. What happened to Nora?

As police descend on the sprawling Fisher property, Marlowe is pulled into an investigation that threatens to unravel the town's fragile loyalties and expose the shadowed legacy of a weekend home steeped in secrets. Marlowe must confront the fallibility of her own memory and the feeling that everyone--including her brothers--is hiding something if she's to uncover the shocking truth about her lost friend. In this gripping debut, Julie Doar delivers a chilling mystery that explores the corrosive power of silence and the tension of family secrets.

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The Burning Library

Gilly Macmillan

From the internationally bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew comes a thrilling dark academic tale of murder, obsession and ruthless ambition, set in remote St Andrews, Scotland.



 

A deadly rivalry.

A chilling secret.

One woman who can decipher the truth.



 

On a frigid, windswept day in Scotland's Western Isles, Eleanor Bruton's body is discovered on the shore. To her family Eleanor was an ordinary middle-aged woman. She did flower arrangements and plumped kneeler cushions at church. Little did they know she was harboring a dark and all-consuming secret. A scrap of fraying embroidery that seems worthless at first glance.

For over a century, two rival organizations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure the valuable artifact in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn. The Order of St. Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows to exercise control. And the Fellowship of the Larks, determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible...so long as their methods of doing so never come to light.

When Dr. Anya Brown garners international attention for her translation of the cryptic Folio 9, she is handpicked by Diana Cornish, a professor and high-ranking member of the Fellowship, to join the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies in St. Andrews. Unbeknownst to Anya she's been recruited at great personal danger to translate ancient texts that the Fellowship believes critical to their mission.

Meanwhile at Scotland Yard, Detective Constable Clio Spicer begins a private investigation into the death of Eleanor Bruton.

As all the women grow further entangled in this ancient web, circumstances spin wildly out of control and their lives may be in grave danger.

Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides and Ruth Ware, The Burning Library is the story of a centuries-old secret set to divide and consume those who seek to unearth it.

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The Breath of the Gods

Simon Winchester

New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester returns with a thought-provoking history of the wind, written in his edifying and entertaining style.

What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires affecting large swaths of America. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by the National Weather Service.

In 2022, a report was released by atmospheric scientists at the University of Northern Illinois, warning that winds--the force at the center of all these dangerous natural events--are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency.

While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind--a vital source of clean and "safe" power.

Between these two poles--wind as a malevolent force, and wind as savior of our planet--lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the "natural disasters" that are becoming more frequent and regular.

The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force--unseen but not unfelt--that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. Wind, the movement of the air, is seen by so many as a heavenly creation and generally a thing of essential goodness. But when it flexes its invisible muscles, all should take care and be very afraid.

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Shadows Upon Time

Christopher Ruocchio

The seventh and final novel of the galaxy-spanning series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe at last lights the greatest fire humanity has ever seen

Ambitious universe-building combines with intimate character portraits for storytelling on a truly epic scale—for fans of Orson Scott Card, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Patrick Rothfuss, and Jack Campbell

The trumpet sounds.

The end has come at last. After his victory at Vorgossos, Hadrian Marlowe finds himself a fugitive, on the run not only from the Extrasolarians, but from his own people, the Sollan Empire he betrayed—and who betrayed him. Hidden safely beyond the borders of human space, Hadrian awaits the arrival of the one ally he has left: the Jaddian Prince Kaim-Olorin du Otranto.

What's more, the inhuman Cielcin have vanished, unseen for more than one hundred years. The armies of men have grown complacent, but Hadrian knows the truth: the Cielcin are gathering their strength, preparing for their final assault against the heart of all mankind.

Only Hadrian possesses the power to stem the tide: an ancient war machine, forged by the daimon machines at the dawn of time. The mighty Demiurge. With it, Hadrian must face not just the Cielcin horde, but their Prophet-King, and the dark gods it serves—the very gods who shaped the universe itself.

This must be.

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A Case of Life and Limb

Sally Smith

AN ELLE BEST MYSTERY OF THE YEAR

"I was immediately besotted . . . Brilliant." -Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal

All is calm, all is bright . . . until reluctant sleuth barrister Gabriel Ward is tasked with finding the culprit of yet another grisly crime in the Inner Temple.

Christmas Eve, 1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London's most famous music hall star, Topsy Tillotson, and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, the Nation's Voice, but the Inner Temple remains as quiet and calm as ever. Quiet, that is, until a severed hand arrives in the post.

While the hand's recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive-one with fatal consequences-Gabriel realizes that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.

Someone is holding a grudge that has already led to at least one death. Now it's up to Gabriel, and Constable Wright of the City of London Police, to find out who, before an old death leads to a new murder.

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The Bookshop Below

Georgia Summers

Below the streets of London, a secret network of magical bookshops has existed for millennia. But they're slowly disappearing, and no one knows why. Only one dishonored bookseller can uncover the truth and rewrite her story--in this spellbinding standalone fantasy novel from the author of The City of Stardust.

If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron's bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it's a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.



For Cassandra Fairfax, it's a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she's used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors. 



Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it's this: the bookshop must always have an owner.



But she's not the only one interested. There's Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can't seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron's murderer, who is still on the loose. 



As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely...



"Georgia Summers's magical bookshop is my new favorite place. The Bookshop Below is a delicious read, I loved every second of it." --Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author



"Steeped in bookish magic and infused with the comfort and terror of a favorite tragic fairytale, The Bookshop Below is darkly whimsical and utterly heart-wrenching." --Tori Bovalino, author of My Throat is An Open Grave

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Midnight Flyboys

Bruce Henderson

The untold history of a top-secret operation in the run-up to D-Day in which American flyers and Allied spies carried out some of the most daring cloak-and-dagger operations of World War II.

In 1943, the OSS—precursor to the CIA—came up with a plan to increase its support to the French resistance forces that were fighting the Nazis. To start, the OSS recruited some of the best American bomber pilots and crews to a secret airfield twenty miles west of London and briefed them on the intended mission. Given a choice to stay or leave, every airman volunteered for what became known as Operation Carpetbagger.

Their dangerous plan called for a new kind of flying: taking their B-24 Liberator bombers in the middle of the night across the English Channel and down to extremely low altitudes in Nazi-occupied France to find drop zones in dark fields. On the ground, resistance members waited to receive steel containers filled with everything from rifles and hand grenades to medicine and bicycle tires. Some nights, the flyers also dropped Allied secret agents by parachute to assist the French partisans.

Though their story remained classified for more than fifty years, the Carpetbaggers ultimately received a Presidential Unit Citation from the US military, which declared: “it is safe to say that no group of this size has made a greater contribution to the war effort.” Along with other members of the wartime OSS, they were also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Based on exclusive research and interviews, the definitive story of these heroic flyers—and of the brave secret agents and resistance leaders they aided—can now be told. Written in Bruce Henderson’s “spellbinding” (USA TODAY) prose, Midnight Flyboys is an astonishing tale of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice.

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Declaring Independence

Edward J. Larson

At the beginning of 1776, virtually no one in the colonies was advocating independence: Americans based their grievances against Parliament on their rights as British subjects. By the end of 1776, independence was on every patriot's lips. The many tyrannies of a king had made an independent republic necessary. In Declaring Independence, Edward J. Larson gives us a compact, insightful history of that pivotal year. He traces a narrative arc that runs from the inspiring appeals of Paine's Common Sense in January; through the soaring ideals of midsummer, when the Continental Congress grounded independence in the self-evident truths of human equality and individual rights, and the states wove revolutionary principles of republican government and the rule of law into their new constitutions; to Paine's urgent pleas of December, when "the times that try men's souls" required Americans not "to shrink from the service of their country." Dramatic military clashes also punctuate the year: the British evacuation of Boston forced by the brilliant maneuvers of Washington's Army; the Battle of Long Island, a costly defeat that opened New York to British occupation; and the desperate year-end victory of a threadbare American army at Trenton.

Combined, these ideals and the sacrifices remind us why, on this anniversary and at this political moment, 1776 matters to all of us.

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My Mother's Money

Beth Pinsker, CFP®

A comprehensive, compassionate guide for navigating end-of-life financial decisions for an aging parent or other loved one—from an award-winning journalist who is also a Certified Financial Planner

Have you just gotten the dreaded phone call—a parent or loved one has taken a turn for the worse and suddenly the burden is on you to manage their affairs? Or are you simply hoping to navigate complex financial conversations with your aging mother or father well in advance so you don't encounter problems later? This is the book for you. 

In this practical handbook, award-winning MarketWatch columnist and financial expert Beth Pinsker walks you through everything you need to know about the complex world of end-of-life financial planning. Weaving personal stories from her experience caring for her elderly mother with best practices gleaned from more than 100 experts and family caregivers, My Mother's Money is a much-needed lifeline to those facing one of life's most challenging transitions. Drawing on the latest legal, financial, and healthcare resources, Beth offers clear, actionable advice on common scenarios millions of people will face:


 

  • How to become a parent’s legally authorized healthcare and financial proxy
  • Budget templates for projecting long-term care costs
  • Easy-to-understand advice on settling an estate or handling insurance
  • Scripts for broaching tricky conversations with aging parents
  • Strategies to avoid potential financial shortfalls
  • Tips for managing the emotional toll of “caregiver burnout”


Watching your parents age can stir up a mix of emotions—nostalgia, concern, and often, a sense of uncertainty about the future. And assuming care for your aging loved ones can be an overwhelming sea of endless checklists, textbook explanations, and mind-numbing paperwork. With this definitive guide to elder financial planning, you can navigate these processes with confidence, saving time, energy, and peace of mind for what really matters.

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Useless Etymology

Jess Zafarris

Did you know that an "astronaut" is literally a "star sailor," that a thesaurus is, in fact, a "treasure

trove" of words, and that someone who is "sinister" is actually just "left-handed"?



Have you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our

words are Latin-derived?



Did Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?



Why is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?



Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words "through," "thorough," and "thought."



Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.



Useless Etymology takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.



Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does.

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Ace Atkins

Elmore Leonard meets Robert Ludlum in a rollicking comedic thriller set in 1985 from acclaimed author Ace Atkins, in which a suburban teen suspects his mom's new boyfriend is the ultimate bad guy--a KGB agent.

It's 1985, what will soon become known as "The Year of the Spy," and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom's new boyfriend is a Russian agent. "Gary" isn't in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He's just a kid into BMX and MTV.

But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies--a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession.

Meanwhile, Sylvia Weaver, a young, Black FBI agent, investigates Scientific Atlanta in the wake of the employee's murder and discovers a nest of Russian spies in the Southern "city too busy to hate." Little does she know her investigation is being thwarted by a seriously compromised colleague in Washington, D.C., who is in league with a lovesick, hypochondriac KGB defector who is playing both sides of the Cold War to his benefit.

As Ronald Reagan and Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev prepare for a historic nuclear summit in Geneva, what happens in Atlanta might change the course of the Cold War, the twentieth century, and Peter Bennett's freshman year of high school.

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Stuart Woods' Blown Away

Brett Battles

Former CIA operative Teddy Fay returns for another thrilling Hollywood adventure in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

Teddy Fay whisks away to join Peter and Hattie Barrington in Palm Springs. But his hope for a relaxing vacation vanishes when he attends a prominent actor’s annual birthday party, where he witnesses a heated squabble between two women, only for one of them to turn up dead the next day.

Teddy investigates who might be lurking in the shadows and uncovers a web of intrigue involving a sinister plan to take over a cutting-edge energy company. If he doesn’t act fast, valuable secrets risk falling into the wrong hands, but more importantly innocent lives could be in jeopardy.

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The House of Quiet

Kiersten White

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide comes a dark fantasy about a girl who will risk everything—posing as a maid, confronting powerful enemies, and unraveling deadly secrets—all to save her missing sister from the enigmatic House of Quiet.

“A brilliant, imaginative fantasy.” —Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Starlight

"A chilling, dystopic world enclosed in a locked-room mystery." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights 

To save her sister, she must enter the House.

In the middle of a deadly bog sits the House of Quiet. It’s a place for children whose Procedure triggered powers too terrible to be lived with—their last hope for treatment. No one knows how they’re healed or where they go afterward.

Birdie has begged, bargained, and blackmailed her way inside as a maid, determined to find her missing sister, Magpie. But what she discovers is more mysteries. Instead of the destitute children who undergo the Procedure in hopes of social advancement, the house brims with aristocratic teens wielding strange powers they never should have been burdened with.

Though Birdie wants to ignore them, she can’t help being drawn to stoic and silent Forest, charmed by clever River, and concerned for the youngest residents. And with fellow maid Minnow keeping tabs on everything Birdie does, danger is everywhere.

In her desperate search for Magpie, Birdie unearths terrifying threats and devastating truths, forcing her to confront just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save her own sister. Because in the House of Quiet, if you find what’s lurking beneath . . . you lose everything.

Unravel the mystery. Ignite the rebellion.

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Keep Your Friends Close

Cynthia Murphy

An explosive dark academia thriller set in the world of the BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die, where secret societies and lethal ambition run the show. 

"A thriller author to watch!"—Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

Chloe Roberts is on top of the world. After a stellar first year at the prestigious Morton Academy, she’s a shoo-in for Head Girl and a coveted position in the school’s secret society, Jewel and Bone. But her dreams are shattered when her best friend, Nikhita Patel, unfairly snatches the top spot—and steals Chloe's boyfriend at the same time. 

Heartbroken and humiliated, Chloe discovers a shocking truth: Jewel and Bone isn’t as secret as she thought. The rest of the school despises the Jewels, and there’s even a “Book of Crime and Punishment” cataloging their misdeeds. Things take a very dark turn when the names in the book start to correlate with murders of Jewel and Bone members on campus. Suddenly, anyone could be a suspect.

And now, Chloe must navigate a web of lies and deceit to get to the bottom of this twisted game before she’s next on the kill list.

Keep Your Friends Close is a gripping thriller that explores the dark side of ambition, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to claim what’s theirs.

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And the River Drags Her Down

Jihyun Yun

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • She has always known the rules: Never resurrect anything larger than the palm of her hand. But that was before her sister died. . . .

The stunning hardcover of And the River Drags Her Down features gorgeous stenciled edges and a matching case stamp!

“Yun beautifully captures the haunting of family myths in this slow-burn horror. Eerie and poignant, And The River Drags Her Down will sweep readers into its relentless current.” —Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

When her older sister is found mysteriously drowned in the river that cuts through their small coastal town, Soojin Han disregards every rule and uses her ancestral magic to bring Mirae back from the dead. At first, the sisters are overjoyed, reveling in late-night escapades and the miracle of being together again, but Mirae grows tired of hiding from the world. She becomes restless and hungry . . .

Driven by an insatiable desire to finish what she started in life, to unravel the truth that crushed her family so many years ago, Mirae is out for revenge.

When their town is engulfed by increasingly destructive rain and a series of harrowing, unusual deaths, Soojin is forced to reckon with the fact that perhaps the sister she brought back isn’t the one she knew.

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Dead Below Deck

Jan Gangsei



 

When an heiress disappears from her superyacht and security footage shows her getting pushed, the main suspect has to prove her innocence in this thrilling mystery at sea told in reverse chronological order, perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Genuine Fraud.

It was supposed to be the best-ever girls' trip: five days, four friends, one luxury yacht, no parents. But on the final night, as the yacht cruised the deep and dark waters between Florida and Grand Cayman, eighteen-year-old heiress Giselle vanished. She's nowhere to be found the next morning even after a frantic search, until security footage surfaces . . . showing Maggie pushing her overboard.

But Maggie has no memory of what happened. All she knows is that she woke up with a throbbing headache, thousands of dollars in cash in her safe, a passport that isn't hers, and Giselle's diary. And while Maggie had her own reasons to want Giselle dead, so did everyone else on board: jealous Viv, calculating Emi, even some members of the staff.

What really went down on the top deck that night Maggie will have to work her way backward to uncover the secrets that everyone--even Giselle--kept below deck or she's dead in the water.

Jan Gangsei crafts a compulsively readable tale of privilege, family, and identity wrapped in a wholly original mystery that will keep readers on the edges of their seats until the final twist.

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A Spell to Wake the Dead

Nicole Lesperance

Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders—and save themselves from the same fate—in this twisty, witchy thriller.

“Steeped in uniquely New England coastal magic, A Spell to Wake the Dead kept me on the edge of my seat as the bodies and mysteries kept washing ashore. Lesperance weaves an enthralling, atmospheric thriller that pulls you in from the first page. Tense, twisty, and deliciously witchy, it was just about impossible to put down.” —Louangie Bou-Montes, author of Till the Last Beat of My Heart

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don’t expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can’t shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years—and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices—Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And the whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection—or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach.

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Fearful

Lauren Roberts

Set during the time of Fearless, a mysterious figure arrives in the kingdom of Ilya to witness the fight for the throne and the price it costs those sworn to defend the land in this beautiful and heart-wrenching story in the #1 New York Times bestselling Powerless trilogy.

Love too grand, it kills.

Mara never intended to set foot in Ilya again. But when the king makes a life-altering decision, her interest is piqued, and Death is determined to understand Kitt Azer’s mind if he is destined to join her in the Mors.

Spending time with the king while observing the castle’s inhabitants reminds Mara that there is more to life than just death. There is love. But even the purest of intentions spur revenge and the pursuit of power. And fate will have its way with all of them—to live, to rule, to love, and most certainly, to die…

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The Book of Dust: The Rose Field (Book of Dust, Volume 3)

Philip Pullman

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The breathtaking conclusion to Philip Pullman’s landmark new trilogy The Book of Dust! Return to the world of His Dark Materials and discover what fate has in store for Lyra, “one of fantasy’s most indelible heroines” (The New York Times Magazine).

“Pullman’s abilities as a storyteller are stupendous, and on full display.”—The Atlantic

“Tremendously entertaining.”—Slate

Lyra Silvertongue is alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn’t far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.

Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars, and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.

The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.

As ever, Philip Pullman is using the language of fantasy to illuminate our world and to explore the deepest questions of what it means to be alive and awake to all the splendors and horrors around us. The extraordinary novels of The Book of Dust speak powerfully to today’s readers and will take their place alongside the forever-favorites of His Dark Materials.

Look for the entire trilogy of THE BOOK OF DUST:
La Belle Sauvage • The Secret Commonwealth • The Rose Field

And Lyra’s adventures begin in HIS DARK MATERIALS:
The Golden Compass • The Subtle Knife • The Amber Spyglass

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Sisters in the Wind

Angeline Boulley

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.

Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend”, a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister, and more siblings, a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of?

When the past comes for revenge, it’s fight or flight.

Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter; Warrior Girl Unearthed; and the soon-to-be-released Sisters of the Wind in any order; but like the world itself, there are echoes within each for the other stories.

Pick this up if you love:
- quiet girls with dark pasts
- explosive opening scenes
- wolves in sheeps’ clothing

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Mistress of Bones

Maria Z. Medina

"Like stepping into one of my favorite RPGs." - Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series

An epic, multi-POV debut fantasy perfect for fans of The Bone Shard Daughter and Six of Crows, where a necromancer trying to resurrect her sister gets embroiled in bigger, world-ending plans instead

Necromancer Azul del Arroyo only wants one thing: to steal her sister back from Death by reclaiming her sister’s bones. But the Emissary of the Lord Death will do anything to stop her, no matter how alluring he finds her . . .

As their paths collide, they’re drawn into a deadly game of pawns and power with a count who begrudgingly works for a child king, a faceless witch who transforms the bones of gods into dreams she can peddle, and a long-lost half-brother with a secret of his own—and soon realize the fate of the lands is hanging in the balance.

For long ago the gods raised the continents, binding them with their own bones to keep humanity alive. But in an era when the gods’ sacrifice has been forgotten, Death might not be the only resentful god Azul must defy.

Swashbuckling, grand, and tragically romantic, Mistress of Bones is a can't-miss start to a duology about love, loss, and, of course, death.

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A Rip Through Time

Kelley Armstrong

In this series debut from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland—in an unfamiliar body—with a killer on the loose.

"A great read." —Charlaine Harris

MAY 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother. While out on a jog one evening, Mallory hears a woman in distress. She’s drawn to an alley, where she is attacked and loses consciousness.

MAY 20, 1869: Housemaid Catriona Mitchell had been enjoying a half day off, only to be discovered that night strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one hundred and fifty years before Mallory is strangled in the same spot.

When Mallory wakes up in Catriona’s body in 1869, she must put aside her shock and adjust quickly to her new reality: life as a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. She soon discovers that her boss, Dr. Gray, also moonlights as a medical examiner and has just taken on an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself. Her only hope is that catching the murderer can lead her back to her modern life . . . before it’s too late.

In A Rip Through Time, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong introduces a brand-new series mixing mystery, romance, and fantasy with thrilling results.

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A Children's Bible

Lydia Millet

Pulitzer Prize finalist Lydia Millet’s sublime new novel—her first since the National Book Award long-listed Sweet Lamb of Heaven—follows a group of twelve eerily mature children on a forced vacation with their families at a sprawling lakeside mansion.

Contemptuous of their parents, who pass their days in a stupor of liquor, drugs, and sex, the children feel neglected and suffocated at the same time. When a destructive storm descends on the summer estate, the group’s ringleaders—including Eve, who narrates the story—decide to run away, leading the younger ones on a dangerous foray into the apocalyptic chaos outside.

As the scenes of devastation begin to mimic events in the dog-eared picture Bible carried around by her beloved little brother, Eve devotes herself to keeping him safe from harm.

A Children’s Bible is a prophetic, heartbreaking story of generational divide—and a haunting vision of what awaits us on the far side of Revelation.

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Miss Lattimore's Letter

Suzanne Allain

The woman who never made a match of her own is making matches for everyone else in this hilarious Regency era comedy of manners.
 
Sophronia Lattimore had her romantic dreams destroyed years ago and is resigned to her role as chaperone for her cousin. Still, she cannot sit idly by when she becomes aware that a gentleman is about to propose to the wrong woman. She sends him an anonymous letter that is soon the talk of the town, particularly when her advice proves to be correct. Her identity is discovered and Sophie, formerly a wallflower, becomes sought after for her “expert” matchmaking skills. 
 
One person who seeks her out is the eligible and attractive Sir Edmund Winslow.  As Sophie assists Sir Edmund in his pursuit of a wife, she wishes she could recommend herself as his bride. However, she vows to remain uninvolved while aiding him in his search (especially since the gentleman surely does not return her affections).
 
But when her long-lost love and Sir Edmund both seem to be interested in courting her, Sophie can’t figure out if she’s headed for another broken heart­­ or for the altar. How can she be expected to help other people sort out their romantic lives when her own is such a disaster?

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The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Megan Bannen

"A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK." --Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It's an unforgiving job, and Hart's got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She's been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to "A Friend". Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.

If only Hart knew he's been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most--Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares--each other?

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.

"Truly outstanding romantic fantasy." --India Holton

"An unabashedly offbeat adventure." --Freya Marske

"I cried twice and smiled plenty." --Olivia Atwater

"A little sweet, a little spicy, a little sharp and entirely moreish!" --Davinia Evans

"I showed up for the fantastic, fun fantasy setting but it was Hart and Mercy that kept me reading." --Ruby Dixon

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North Woods

Daniel Mason

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD

A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries—“a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic” (The Washington Post) from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier.

“With the expansiveness and immersive feeling of two-time Booker Prize nominee David Mitchell’s fiction (Cloud Atlas), the wicked creepiness of Edgar Allan Poe, and Mason’s bone-deep knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world that’s on par with that of Thoreau, North Woods fires on all cylinders.”—San Francisco Chronicle

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Boston Globe, NPR, Chicago Public Library, The Star Tribune, The Economist, The Christian Science Monitor, Real Simple, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Bookreporter

When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave—only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.

This magisterial and highly inventive novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason brims with love and madness, humor and hope. Following the cycles of history, nature, and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we’re connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about secrets and destinies, but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless question: How do we live on, even after we’re gone?

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Strange Pictures

Uketsu

"Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels."--G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle

"Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror."--Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal

"Wonderfully complex and carefully crafted . . . Uketsu keeps readers guessing until the very end." --New York Times Book Review

The spine-tingling "triumphant international debut" (Publishers Weekly starred review) that has taken Japan by storm--an eerie fresh take on mystery-horror in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.

An exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . .

A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.

A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message.

A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality.

Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu--an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.

Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave

Drew Beckmeyer

DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

Time flies for two charming little cave nubs, Stalactite and Stalagmite. Over millions of years, creatures and things pass in and out of their cave, everything from a trilobite, an ichthyostega, and a triceratops, to a ground sloth and a bat.

When you are an ageless rock formation, it's nice to have a friend who's always there. But what will happen when the two nubs grow enough to finally touch?

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Soy Sauce!

Laura G. Lee

A joyful picture book for kids and foodies of all ages (with real soy sauce as paint!) that celebrates the iconic kitchen staple and the magical way food connects family and friends across the world.

Salty, savory, rich, and even sweet, soy sauce is as fascinating to make as it is delicious to eat!

Luan makes a classic Chinese soy sauce. Haru uses his own recipe at his family's traditional Japanese brewery. And Yoo-mi's Korean soy sauce features special ingredients to make it spicy and sweet.

With unique ingredients that reflect different Asian cultures, and a brewing process that can take years, even decades, soy sauce holds deep meaning and flavorful history in every drop.
 

Praise for Soy Sauce!:
 

✭ "Lee's lively watercolor illustrations of the children gleefully celebrating each stage of the long process pair beautifully with the upbeat text for an informative, engaging story.... A joyful ode to soy sauce that's delicious to the last drop." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review



"Soy Sauce! is a charming celebration of one of our favorite condiments. Delicious!" --Grace Lin, author of Chinese Menu and A Big Mooncake for Little Star



"I can't wait for children and families to learn about the colorful history and process of soy sauce." --Kristina Cho, James Beard-winning author of Chinese Enough and Mooncakes and Milk Bread



"A loving ode to the ways we connect at the table through taste and tradition....A perfect read for your budding epicurean." --Cecily Wong, author of Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide

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Otter Carries On

Maya Tatsukawa

In this gentle and encouraging picture book, an independent Otter learns to ask for help after getting lost at sea.

Otter loves floating and collecting pretty, heavy rocks all by themself. When a storm comes, Otter has so many rocks that they can't swim home—and soon, they're lost at sea. But when a few rocks accidentally slip away, Otter feels...lighter. And with the help of a new friend, Otter realizes that maybe they don't need to carry everything alone.

With gorgeous undersea illustrations, cozy storytelling, and a group of lovable characters, this sweet and beautiful picture book shows readers that it's okay to ask for help from a friend.

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Me and Other Bunnies

Mo Willems

Mo Willems, #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author-illustrator creates a hare-larious picture book about bunnies.



There are ME bunnies.

There are YOU bunnies.

There are US bunnies . . . and WE bunnies . . . and THEM bunnies.



There are a lot of bunnies in Me and Other Bunnies.

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Bruce Saves the Planet

Ryan T. Higgins

From unwitting mother to unwitting . . . environmental activist?

Save the planet with #1 New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins's beloved Mother Bruce.

Bruce was a bear who liked to be by himself. But that wasn't easy for him, as mother to four geese and three mice. Luckily, he could enjoy a day of peace and quiet while fishing.

But his quiet haven is full of beetles stealing his lunch. And protestors loudly trying to save the forest from the construction of a factory. Will Bruce and the residents of Soggy Hollow manage to save the planet?

This book is part of the Disney Planet Possible Books program, aiming to inspire and empower young readers to take care of planet Earth through amazing stories and kid-friendly environmental activities. Books are manufactured with care in the United States.

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Papilio

Ben Clanton

A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! She’s an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to join the world and become a butterfly! But growing up is a complicated work in progress, and Papilio encounters some hiccups as she learns to fly, fall, and feed. While avoiding foes and making friends, she transforms from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly...and most importantly, learns to believe in herself along the way.

Told in three parts and complete with backmatter about butterflies, mega-bestselling author-illustrator Ben Clanton (Narwhal and Jelly), Caldecott Honoree Corey R. Tabor (Mel Fell) and rising star Andy Chou Musser (Ploof) have come together to create an expressive character who exudes all of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts and the experiences that help us to discover our inner strength.

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Nellie's Big Splash

Cori Doerrfeld

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rabbit Listened, an unforgettable story of being brave and jumping into new experiences

When Nellie the sea turtle hatched, she was on a beach surrounded by lots of her brothers and sisters. Soon all the other turtles joyfully ran into the ocean and swam away, but Nellie? She was too scared. The ocean was loud, it was deep, and it was unknown. She stayed on the safe, dry sand instead. 

But when night starts to fall and it gets too dark and cold for a tiny little sea turtle on land, Nellie realizes that if she looked past the scary crashing waves, there's actually a whole world out there, just waiting for her to jump in.

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Nearly Exactly Almost Like Me

Jennifer Bradbury

When they hear the singsong tune of an ice cream truck, two brothers race to get in line! Big brother beats little brother and holds their spot. But when little brother catches up, another kid challenges him joining his brother in line: no cutting! Everyone knows that cutting doesn’t count when you’re siblings, but the kid doesn’t believe they can be brothers when they don’t look anything alike. 

The brothers may not be biologically related, but they’re still brothers, and they have so much else in common! They both like candy way too much, love swimming but hate baths, and know their parents love them. Big brother knows that differences on the surface don’t matter when in his heart, his little brother is just like him.

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Mermaids Are the Worst!

Alex Willan

Who doesn’t love a good vacation? Soaking up some sun, floating on the waves and…arm wrestling an octopus? When mermaids show up in the middle of Gilbert’s goblin getaway, their fin-flapping festivities quickly turn rest and relaxation into stress and aggravation. 

This is clearly proof that mermaids are the worst! Can Gilbert find his beachside bliss or will he be caught in the undertow of these seaside shenanigans?

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The Littlest Drop

Sascha Alper

This simple, poignant fable—featuring Caldecott medalist Jerry Pinkney’s final illustrations and completed after his death by his son, Brian Pinkney, also an award-winning illustrator—reminds us that we all have the power to change the world, no matter how little we may be.

When a fire starts near their home, all of the animals—from the largest elephant to the smallest ant—are too scared to do anything but watch. All, that is, except for one tiny hummingbird. She knows she must do something to save her nest. She must do what she can.

This empowering picture book celebrates the idea that every one of us—from the smallest to the largest—has something to offer, and if we all work together, we can make the world a better, greener place.

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Old School

Gordon Korman

Dexter Foreman is twelve going on eighty. He has lived at The Pines retirement village with his grandmother since he was six years old, and as a result he gets along better with senior citizens than kids his own age. He's homeschooled by the residents up until the day the county's truancy officer shows up and announces that Dex has to go to a "real" school, to the local middle school.

At school, Dex sticks out like a sore thumb. He dresses like a grandpa (and can be just as cranky). His taste in movies and music is decades out of date. Only a few students--like Gianna Greco, a reporter at the school's newspaper--find him intriguing. For most, he is either a weirdo or a target.

Dexter would do anything to return to his old life at The Pines. But when his wish finally seems to be coming true, his old and new worlds collide in a way that surprises everyone--Dexter most of all.

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Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

Philippa Leathley

On her tenth birthday, Meticulous Jones--known to her friends as Metty--receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical tattoo on her hand. She hopes that her ink will reveal something exciting: a tattoo that will symbolize travel, or discovery, or adventure. What appears is a skull, balanced in the palm of a violet glove.

Metty's fate is to become a murderer.

Metty is swiftly hidden away by her father, Moral Jones, in a remote Welsh farmhouse, with only a miserable housekeeper (who's terrified she'll become Metty's first victim) for company. But when Moral goes missing, his sister, Aunt Magnificent, arrives to sweep Metty off to the glittering city of New London. Metty is mesmerized by the magic and enchantment she discovers there. But when she starts to hear rumors of a mysterious and dangerous organization known as the Black Moths, she wonders if they might be connected to her father's disappearance--and to her own fate. . . .

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The Secret of Honeycake

Kimberly Newton Fusco

A recipe for The World’s Most Comforting, Twelve-Layer Honeycake:

1 quiet girl named Hurricane, who runs like the wind along the Mighty Atlantic with her old dog Brody-Bear.

1 imperious aunt, who steps up when Hurricane’s world turns upside down.

1 kind-hearted boy, who helps wounded animals (and may smell a little of fish)

1 lonely and flea-bitten cat with a ragged ear and a crooked tail.

1 gentle chauffeur, who knows exactly what to say…and when not to say a thing.

Mix them all together in big, fancy house in the city. What you get might surprise you.

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The Story of Gumluck the Wizard

Adam Rex

Meet Gumluck the Wizard, the star of a chapter book series by Adam Rex!

This is a story about magic, if you like that kind of thing. It is also a story about a ghost with amnesia, an unpopular fairy, an ungrateful little town, and an extremely wise and helpful raven (who happens to be a pretty talented storyteller). But mostly, it is about a friendly little wizard who lives inside a big hill and really, really, really wants to be a hero. His name is Gumluck, and he is a bumbling noodlehead.

In this tall tale about a short wizard, celebrated author Adam Rex proves once and for all that the biggest heroes often come in the smallest nightgowns.

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One Wrong Step

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Twelve-year-old Atlas Wade has been trying to forget the memory of his mother by climbing mountains ever since she died when he was nine years old. When his father signs them up for an expedition group hoping to be the first to ever summit the unconquerable Mount Everest, Atlas can't wait for the chance to prove himself to his father, and maybe finally he can leave his mother behind him on the mountain.

But this time, Atlas is the one left behind, as well as a young American girl named Maddie and their sturdy yet injured Sherpa, Chodak. When news breaks out that war has returned to Europe, and that Nazis are attempting their own summit dangerously nearby, Atlas and Maddie plead with the expedition to come back down.

Their warnings come too late. Atlas looks up that same morning to see an avalanche and when they receive no word from the group, Maddie and Chodak join Atlas as he begins a dangerous journey up the mountain in the hopes of finding survivors.

Atlas, Maddie, and Chodak will have to rely not just on their own wits for survival, but on each other as well, especially as sickness, bad weather, and their fears of a Nazi spy watching them puts their mission -- and lives -- at risk in the brutal terrain. And Atlas will have to learn how to let go if he wants any chance of finding his father and fixing the rift between them caused by his mother's death, before it's too late.

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City Spies

James Ponti

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sara is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

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The Beautiful Game

Yamile Saied Méndez

At thirteen years old, Valeria "Magic" Salomón is already the best soccer player her town has ever seen. She has talent in spades and an abuelo whose tough-love coaching and lessons about "strength and honor" have made her the star of the Overlords, the top boys' team in the state.

But everything changes at the State Cup semi-final when Valeria gets her first period while Wearing. White. Shorts. After her team is unexpectedly eliminated, she goes from their secret weapon to their scapegoat. Soon, she doesn't have a team at all anymore. She's not sure she has a relationship with her grandfather either.

Valeria's a fighter, however. And with the help of her grandmother and support of her cheerleader BFF, she finds herself on a girls' team for the first time. But the Amazons aren't exactly excited to have her there. After all, Valeria's spent years ignoring their existence. With the next tournament looming on the horizon, Valeria has a month to figure out her place on her new team and learn how to play like a girl.

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Murder at the Museum

Alasdair Beckett-King

Bonnie Montgomery is the world's greatest detective. Not that anyone--other than Grampa Banks--has heard of her. But they will have heard of Montgomery Bonbon, the gentleman detective with the bristly mustache, fashionable beret, and accent that's hard to place. Montgomery Bonbon is responsible for solving many high-stakes crimes, including unmasking the Emmental Bandit, restoring the Rusakova diamonds to their rightful owner, and busting an international owl-smuggling ring, resulting in the arrest of over twelve owls.

But now Montgomery Bonbon is needed on a case much closer to home, at the Hornville Museum in Bonnie's hometown of Widdlington, where a mysterious death has occurred. Don't look too carefully, however--from certain angles, Montgomery Bonbon looks suspiciously like a ten-year-old girl . . . 

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Green Jolene: Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap

Wendy Mass

It all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!

Jolene wouldn't have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn't use anymore.

Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood's unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!

Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood's stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way. For fans of Ivy & Bean and Clementine comes Jolene, a can-do new hero who is discovering how to take an Earth-first approach to every problem she encounters.

This book is part of the Disney Planet Possible Books program, aiming to inspire and empower young readers to take care of planet Earth through amazing stories and kid-friendly environmental activities.

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Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies

Megan McDonald

To some, the low door in Eliza's bedroom might look like an ordinary entrance to a crawl space under the stairs. But to a believer like Eliza of the Elves, it's the door to the Land of UnderStair, a secret hideout all her own. In that crawl space, festooned with twinkling lights, Eliza keeps her favorite book, her collections of precious items, her stuffed animals, and her new diary. And in that crawl space is another door, a teeny-tiny one that can transport Eliza to a world of tangerine sun and lemon-pudding sky, a place where flower fairies perch on every bloom and a new flower springs up whenever you pick one. But in a far corner of that world, Eliza tries to pick a strangely beautiful flower--"Nooooo!" cries her friend Poppy--and things soon go terribly awry. Can a brave, wilting Poppy rescue Eliza from beyond the hedgerow before the Demon Wind steals all the flower fairies' scents, leaving the snapdragons with no snap? In this launch of a new series, Megan McDonald brings her well-honed flair for wordplay to delicious villains like the witches Wolfsbane and Belladonna as she follows a child with a big imagination to a different fairy realm in each book.
 

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Steadfast Parenting

Patricia McGann

A practical guide that encourages families to return to the basics of parenting in order to raise happy, respectful, and loving children.
 

"This character-development book will appeal to not only parents and guardians but educators as well." - Library Journal
"Many will feel grounded by this book." - Booklist

The rules and guidelines for raising families in our crisis-oriented, communication overloaded, high-pressure culture are changing by the minute. Yet, the fundamental principles of effective parenting remain. As parents seek to support children who are learning to hold their own in today's divided society, they need reassuring and consistent information on how to keep their family going in the right direction.

In Steadfast Parenting: How to Raise Children of Character, educator, counselor, mother, and grandmother Patricia McGann shares practical advice for parents as they navigate the bumpy, unpredictable road of parenting. With a special focus on building a positive relationship between parents and children, McGann returns to the basics for how to raise happy, healthy, and kind kids. She walks parents through the family, social, and school issues for each stage of development--infants, toddlers, elementary-aged, tweens, and teens--reminding parents throughout that they should trust their instincts and enjoy the small, shiny moments that occur along the way.

Steadfast Parenting encourages parents to abandon the desire to follow society's ridiculous expectations for them and their little ones. Instead, parents and children can and should appreciate the relationship that is uniquely theirs. Referring to this guide time and again, parents can find reassurance and helpful advice as they raise children of integrity who will contribute in a meaningful way to the world in which we live.

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Oh Crap! Potty Training

Jamie Glowacki

From potty-training expert and social worker Jamie Glowacki, who’s already helped over half a million families successfully toilet train their preschoolers, comes a newly revised and updated guide that’s “straight-up, parent-tested, and funny to boot” (Amber Dusick, author of Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures).

Worried about potty training? Let Jamie Glowacki, potty-training expert, show you how it’s done. Her six-step, proven process to get your toddler out of diapers and onto the toilet has already worked for tens of thousands of kids and their parents.

Here’s the good news: your child is probably ready to be potty trained EARLIER than you think (ideally, between 20–30 months), and it can be done FASTER than you expect (most kids get the basics in a few days—but Jamie’s got you covered even if it takes a little longer). If you’ve ever said to yourself:

-How do I know if my kid is ready?
-Why won’t my child poop in the potty?
-How do I avoid “potty power struggles”?
-How can I get their daycare provider on board?
-My kid was doing so well—why is he regressing?
-And what about nighttime?!

Oh Crap! Potty Training can solve all of these (and other) common issues. This isn’t theory, you’re not bribing with candy, and there are no gimmicks. This is real-world, from-the-trenches potty training information—all the questions and all the answers you need to do it once and be done with diapers for good.

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Eat Sleep Tantrum Repeat

Rebekah Diamond

A down-to-earth, actionable guide that culls through the chaos of information and misinformation into digestible, accessible chapters that balances proven science with the demands of being a busy new parent of toddler.

Congratulations! You’ve survived the first twelve months of parenthood, along with all the joys, worry, and sleep deprivation they bring. Welcome to the toddler years—and a whole new set of challenges. From toilet training, picky eating, and naptime to separation anxiety, screen time, and (whisper it) tantrums, toddlerhood brings developmental milestones and decisions that can feel totally daunting, especially in this golden age of mommy bloggers, parenting podcasts, and fear-mongering posts. How can you feel confident and empowered in your choices when there is so much at stake?

As both an experienced pediatrician and a mother, Rebekah Diamond understands the need for a child rearing approach that keeps things simple, without sacrificing science or safety. Just as she did in her first book, Parent Like a Pediatrician, which focused on your baby’s first year, she cuts through the noise to tackle the wonders and hardships of raising a toddler. Instead of strict guidelines and overwhelming commands, Dr. Diamond offers advice that is medically sound, inclusive, and realistic for busy parents. There is no single “right” away to parent, but Eat Sleep Tantrum Repeat will show you how to create a way that is right for you and your child, and make these toddler years safe, science-approved, and joyful.

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Raising Adventurous Eaters

Lara Dato

Help kids develop a positive relationship with food, so they can become healthy and adventurous eaters for life!

Is your child a picky eater? Do they insist on having the same foods served over and over again? Be it chicken nuggets, pizza, pancakes, or French fries--if your child is only eating a few foods regularly, their diet may be seriously lacking in the nutrition and vitamins they need to grow and be healthy. And you may feel stressed out and frustrated at mealtime. For many kids, picky eating is a sensory issue--whether it's the smell, taste, texture, or appearance of food. So, how can you help your child overcome these sensory sensitivities and ensure that they get the nourishment they need?

Written by a pediatric occupational therapist with a specialty certification in feeding, eating, and swallowing, Raising Adventurous Eaters offers eight evidence-based sensory strategies to help kids foster a healthy relationship with food. You'll learn all about how picky eating can be caused by sensory processing differences, and find step-by-step strategies for dealing with each sense. By learning to lean into their senses, children will better understand what's going on in their bodies. This fosters an intuitive eating approach, teaching kids to listen to their body's hunger and fullness cues and respect and respond to those cues appropriately.

Whether or not your child has a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder (SPD), or simply has sensory sensitivities when it comes to food, this book will help you set your child up for successful mealtimes, turning the most stressful time of the day into a time that your family can spend relaxing and bonding together around the table.

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How to Dungeon Master Parenting

Shelly Mazzanoble

2024 Zibby Awards, Best Book for Parents selection

2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist, Family & Relationship

2024 American Book Fest Best Book Award Finalist, Parenting

Gather your party, it’s time to level up your parenting game!

For years, millions of fans have looked to the beloved roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons for fun, friendship, and entertainment. And now parents and parents-to-be can use D&D to gain inspiration and how-to when it comes to their most challenging and rewarding role yet. Dungeon Masters are not just expert storytellers and arbiters of the rules, they’re compassionate, creative, quick-thinking leaders who embody the same traits that make a great parent.

Where do you find an adventuring party who will have your back? What must-have starting equipment should you own before venturing into babyland? How does your gaming style reflect your parenting style? You don’t have to know how to be a Dungeon Master to master parenting—just think like one. Kids may not come with rulebooks, but now their parents do.


 

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What Time Is Noon?

Chip Leighton

Chip Leighton started performing online as a lark, and not because he "craved validation through TikTok" as his daughter claimed (with snark). When sharing the funny, weird, crazy things his kids said and texted, he quickly learned he was not alone. Since launching, his channel has become the go-to support group for adults who have teenagers in their lives--wholly confirming that teens everywhere say the darndest things. Parents worldwide use Leighton's posts to laugh, commiserate, and share their own kids' classics, like "what time is noon" or "do I have medicare?" What a relief to learn that it's perfectly normal for teens to roast their parents mercilessly ("Don't wear mom jeans to my school again") or ask wild questions ("where do I buy pasta water"). In this debut collection, Leighton showcases these gems, along with tongue-in-cheek advice, charts and graphs, and silly quizzes. For readers who appreciate the real-life humor of books like Sh*t My Dad Says or the standup of family-friendly comedians like Jim Gaffigan or Nate Bargatze, this book is the ultimate gift for parents, kids, or anyone who likes to laugh.

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The Disengaged Teen

Jenny Anderson

“Our education systems are shortchanging far too many teenagers. This book is brimming with insights on how to change that. It’s an engaging, evidence-based, and practical read about how to develop a generation of lifelong learners.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking

A powerful toolkit for parents of both checked-out and stressed-out teens that shows exactly what to do (and stop doing) to support their academic and emotional flourishing.
 
Adolescents are hardwired to explore and grow, and learning is mainly how they do this. But a shocking majority of teens are disengaged from school, simultaneously bored and overwhelmed. This is feeding an alarming teen mental health crisis. As kids get older and more independent, parents often feel powerless to help. But fear not, there are evidence-backed strategies to guide them from disengagement to drive, in and out of school.

For the past five years, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson and the Brookings Institution’s global education expert Rebecca Winthrop have been investigating why so many children lose their love of learning in adolescence. Now, weaving extensive original research with real-world stories of kids who transformed their relationships with learning, they identify four modes of learning that students use to navigate through the shifting academic demands and social dynamics of middle and high school, shaping the internal narratives about their skills, potential, and identity:

• Resister. When kids resist, they struggle silently with profound feelings of inadequacy or invisibility, which they communicate by ignoring homework, playing sick, skipping class, or acting out.

• Passenger. When kids coast along, consistently doing the bare minimum and complaining that classes are pointless. They need help connecting school to their skills, interests, or learning needs.

• Achiever. When kids show up, do the work, and get consistently high grades, their self-worth can become tied to high performance. Their disengagement is invisible, fueling a fear of failure and putting them at risk for mental health challenges.

• Explorer. When kids are driven by internal curiosity rather than just external expectations, they investigate the questions they care about and persist to achieve their goals.
 
Understanding your child’s learning modes is vital for nurturing their ability to become Explorers. Anderson and Winthrop outline simple yet counterintuitive parenting strategies for connecting with your child, tailoring your listening and communication styles to their needs, igniting their curiosity, and building self-awareness and emotional regulation.

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Co-Parenting by Design

Annette Burns

"The truth is, the way we choose to co-parent will shape our children's healing and their ability to navigate relationships in the future. For any parent facing this journey, this book is a powerful reminder that our children's hearts deserve the greatest care, even when our own are breaking."--JAIME KING, mother, filmmaker, activist

"I will be recommending this book to many of my consultation clients."--BILL EDDY,LCSW, JD, family therapist, lawyer, mediator, and co-author of BIFF for CoParent Communication, developer of the New Ways for Families® parent skillstraining method, and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute.

In Co-parenting by Design, family law experts Annette Burns and Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner help divorced or separated parents agree on a plan that reduces conflict over the parenting schedule, holidays, vacations, medical decisions, education, and safety, and equips readers to deal with special situations like parental alienation and substance abuse.

It's stressful to be a divorced or separated parent. You may feel that you're constantly being scrutinized by your co-parent and by the court system. You are expected to be superhuman: to forgive and forget, to be endlessly patient, to be a perfect parent, and to be calm and gracious no matter what. If you feel overwhelmed, you're not alone.

In Co-parenting by Design, Annette Burns and Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner offer their combined sixty-plus years of experience in family law to help you let go of these unrealistic expectations and successfully navigate the challenges of parenting after divorce or separation. With customizable sample language you can incorporate in your own document, this book makes it easy to draw up a thorough and effective parenting plan or evaluate a plan provided by a parenting coordinator or other court official.

You'll learn how to:

  • come to an agreement about the parenting schedule, holidays, and vacations
  • address medical decisions, education, safety, your child's possessions, and more
  • deal with challenging situations like parental alienation, domestic violence, or your co-parent's substance abuse
  • disengage from conflict
  • communicate effectively
  • reduce stress
  • increase your child's sense of security by conveying solidarity
  • protect your child's well-being

With a complete parenting plan in place, you'll be prepared manage everyday routines and handle the unexpected. Co-parenting by Design helps you overcome conflict and get back to what matters most: enjoying stress-free time with your child.

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Parent Yourself First

Bryana Kappadakunnel

A fresh, no-nonsense parenting guide that shows you how to become a great parent (even if you didn’t have one yourself).

Many of us didn’t have a perfect childhood. But it’s never too late (or too early!) to transform into the parent you were always meant to be—grounded, present, intentional, compassionate, and confident. In Parent Yourself First, licensed marriage and family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel argues that the secret to successful parenting is to UN-learn the wounded patterns you grew up with and create new ways to connect with your child. Parenting from a place of connection may feel unlike anything you experienced as a child or what you thought parenting was meant to be. But the results can be remarkable—and transformative.

As the founder of the popular Conscious Mommy community on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, Kappadakunnel explains that your upbringing is probably impacting your parenting style in ways you don’t even fully recognize, from how you manage your own emotions to how you connect with your kids in their vulnerable moments. In Parent Yourself First, she shares powerful stories from the families she’s counseled and practical tools for managing common parenting woes like tantrums and defiance. Her promise: You can break free of past patterns that no longer serve you and liberate your soul from old traumas and wounds.

Everyone has baggage. But it’s your responsibility to make sure your baggage doesn’t become your child’s problem. Healing yourself allows you to truly connect with your child; understand their needs; and guide them to live the happy, authentic life that they deserve.

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Unfit Parent

Jessica Slice

“A glorious, revelatory book.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of An Immense World

“A beautiful, transformative book about being a parent in a world that rejects frailty and weakness.”—Rachel Aviv, staff writer at the New Yorker

A paradigm shifting look at the landscape of disabled parenting—the joys, stigma, and discrimination—and how disability culture holds the key to transforming the way we all raise our kids.

Jessica Slice’s disability is exactly what her child needed as a newborn. After becoming disabled a handful of years prior from a shift in her autonomic nervous system, Jessica had done the hard work of disentangling her worth from productivity and learning how to prepare for an unpredictable and fragile world. Despite evidence to the contrary, nondisabled people and systems often worry that disabled people cannot keep kids safe and cared for, labeling disabled parents “unfit,” but disabled parents and culture provide valuable lessons for rejecting societal rules that encourage perfectionism and lead to isolation.

Blending her experience of becoming disabled in adulthood and later becoming a parent with interviews, social research, and disability studies, Slice describes what the landscape is like for disabled parents. From expensive or non-existent adaptive equipment to inaccessible healthcare and schools to the terror of parenting while disabled in public and threat of child protective services, Slice uncovers how disabled parents, out of necessity, must reject the rules and unrealistic expectations that all parents face. She writes about how disabled parents are often more prepared than nondisabled parents to navigate the uncertainty of losing control over bodily autonomy. In doing so, she highlights the joy, creativity, and radical acceptance that comes with being a disabled parent.

While disabled parents have been omitted from mainstream parenting conversations, Slice argues that disabled bodies and minds give us the hopeful perspectives and solutions we need for transforming a societal system that has left parents exhausted, stuck, and alone.

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Nine Minds

Daniel Tammet

Exploding the tired stereotypes of autism, Daniel Tammet--acclaimed author and an autistic savant himself--draws out the inner worlds of nine extraordinary, neurodivergent lives from around the globe. A nonverbal man from Boston explores body language, gesture by eloquent gesture, in his mother's yoga classes. A Japanese researcher in psychology sets out to measure loneliness while drawing on her own experience of autism. From a Fields Medal?winning mathematician to a murder detective, a pioneering surgeon to a bestselling novelist, each is remarkable in their field, and each is changing how the world sees those on the spectrum.

Telling stories as richly diverse as the spectrum itself, this perspective-altering, life-affirming work of narrative nonfiction celebrates the power and beauty of the neurodivergent mind--and the daring freedom with which these individuals have built their lives.

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I'm That Girl

Jordan Chiles

The sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat, and the love and support of her devoted family and teammates that helps her stay strong.

It was a rare and stunning reversal: after the judges at the 2024 Paris Olympics determined that Jordan had rightfully scored third place for her performance--following a successful challenge by her coach--she earned the bronze medal. Later, Jordan's euphoria turned to devastation when the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped her of that medal based on nothing but semantics. Jordan called the ruling, "One of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many."

In her powerful, eye-opening memoir, Jordan digs deep, sharing the story of her life's challenges--the racism she encountered as a gifted Black girl in a predominantly white elite sport, the battles with body image and subsequent unhealthy relationship with food, the grueling practices, the injuries, the moments of nearly calling it quits. Through it all, Jordan refused to give up. Through sheer grit--and the love of her family--she kept working and winning. When Simone Biles stepped away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a case of the "twisties," Jordan stepped in to play a key role in securing silver for Team USA. And in Paris, Jordan made history as part of the first all-Black podium in all of men's and women's gymnastics.

Told with refreshing candor and Jordan's irrepressible spirit, I'm That Girl is a glimpse of life in the psychologically and physically demanding upper echelons of women's elite gymnastics. Exploring the deep bonds so often forged in pressure cookers, Jordan speaks openly about her relationships with her teammates, including her best friend and "big sister" Simone Biles, and how their support for one another has proved invaluable on and off the mat.

With the highs, lows, twists, and turns characteristic of the sport, and featuring a 16-page color photo insert, I'm That Girl reveals how one extraordinary young woman keeps her balance in a uniquely dizzying life. By way of her unwavering tenacity, Jordan has changed the culture of gymnastics, fighting every day to ensure that the girls she inspires are not pre-judged for their hair, their bodies, or their skin color. Insightful and deeply moving, I'm That Girl is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative joy of doing what you love, told by a fierce and unique individual who has been and will always be That Girl--the ultimate hype woman who shows up and gives it her all.

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People Pleaser

Jinger Vuolo

Are you a people pleaser? Can you even begin to measure how the approval of others has shaped your heart and mind? Your faith and relationships? Your habits and identity? In People Pleaser, New York Times bestselling author Jinger Vuolo shares her personal journey of constantly seeking approval from others and how she found her true identity.

From childhood to early adulthood, Jinger Duggar Vuolo followed the expectations of others, never taking the time to discover who she truly was. It wasn't until she asked herself the question, "Who am I?" that she realized she was a people pleaser. This realization led her on a journey of self-discovery and ultimately, to rely on God for her approval and sense of self-worth.

Through her faith and reliance on God, Jinger began to break free from the need for approval and discover true freedom. This book is a guide for anyone struggling with people-pleasing tendencies and seeking to find their true identity and purpose in life. Learn how to:

  • discover the beauty of community and how we were made to enjoy others,
  • identify sin and how it can hinder your ability to be in community with one another,
  • diagnose yourself with ruthless honesty but without judgement, and
  • understand who you are in God's eyes.

Jinger hopes this book will inspire others to embark on a similar journey towards freedom.
 

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You Didn't Hear This from Me

Kelsey McKinney

From the host of the Normal Gossip podcast, a delightfully insightful exploration of our obsession with gossip that weaves together journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir.

As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, Kelsey McKinney was mourning the juicy updates and jaw-dropping stories she'd typically collect over drinks with friends--and from her hunger, the blockbuster Normal Gossip podcast was born. With listenership in the millions, Kelsey found herself thinking more critically about gossip as a form, and wanting to better understand the role it plays in our culture.

In You Didn't Hear This From Me, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin, and how can we better recognize when it's being weaponized? Why do we think we're entitled to every detail of a celebrity's personal life? And how do we define "gossip," anyway? As much as the book aims to treat gossip as a subject worthy of rigor, it also hopes to capture the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend's ear.

With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth--and how much the truth really matters in the first place.

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This Beautiful Day

Fred Rogers

"This Beautiful Day gathers the most beloved advice and insight from Mister Roger's work into a collection of 365 daily reflections. Every page is an invitation to generosity, compassion, and joy-all in the warm voice of Mister Rogers, whose dearly-loved work and timeless insight has shaped the lives of countless children and adults. With advice on everything from navigating transitions to nurturing community, Mister Rogers's words of wisdom are a gentle reminder to move through the world with wonder, embrace what makes us unique, and show up for our neighbors. Our days are filled with ups and downs, unexpected challenges and beautiful moments, but regardless of what each day may hold This Beautiful Day is a kind reminder from a beloved neighbor that, "you don't have to be anything more than who you are right now." This Beautiful Day is part of The Day by Day series, a collection of books designed to help readers infuse the rhythms of their lives with meaning and intention. Our lives are built by small choices, tiny moments, and quiet thoughts-the Day by Day series is a gentle way to choose those moments and begin to build a life you love"--

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Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)

Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for. 

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

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Cat's People

Tanya Guerrero

“An uplifting tale of friendship, kindness, and connection . . . This joyful story of the unlikely friendship between five strangers and one remarkable cat is a must-read for cat lovers.”—Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a little resentment for the “crazy cat lady” label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood’s stray cats. On her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-it notes left by a secret admirer in an area where her feeds her favorite stray—a black cat named Cat. Like most felines, he is both curious and observant, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless.

Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early midlife crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria’s favorite bodega? 

When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves bonding together in their desire to care for him, and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they’ve all been searching for.

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Heartwood

Amity Gaige

“A riveting wilderness suspense novel by a novelist at the height of her powers” (Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Candy House), Heartwood takes you on a gripping journey as a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. 

At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.

Heartwood is a “gem of a thousand facets—suspenseful, transporting, tender, and ultimately soul-mending,” (Megan Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A Burning) that tells the story of a lost hiker’s odyssey and is a moving rendering of each character’s interior journey. The mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. At its core, Heartwood is a redemptive novel, written with both enormous literary ambition and love.

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The Last Session

Julia Bartz

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat, a white-knuckled locked-room thriller about a social worker who, after coming face-to-face with her dark past, must infiltrate a mysterious wellness center in the deserts of New Mexico.

When a catatonic woman shows up at the psychiatric unit, social worker Thea swears she knows her from somewhere. She’s shocked to discover the patient holds a link to a traumatic time in her past. Upon regaining lucidity, the patient claims she can’t remember the horrific recent events that caused her brain to shut down. Thea’s at a loss—especially when the patient is ripped away from her as suddenly as she appeared.

Determined to find her, Thea follows a trail of clues to a remote center in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charismatic couple holds a controversial monthly retreat to uncover attendees’ romantic and sexual issues. Forced to participate in increasingly intimate exercises, Thea finds herself inching closer not only to her missing patient, but also to tantalizing answers about her harrowing past. However, time is running out, and if she stays for the last session, she too might lose her mind…or worse.

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Say You'll Remember Me

Abby Jimenez

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a playful yet deeply emotional romance where one date is all it takes for two people to know they're perfect for each other . . . until one of them moves 2,000 miles away the next day.

There's no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes--all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there's nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong . . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake.

But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what's between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life--and even a love--worth remembering.

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The City of Ember

Jeanne DuPrau

A modern-day classic. This highly acclaimed adventure series about two friends desperate to save their doomed city has captivated kids and teachers alike for almost fifteen years and has sold over 3.5 MILLION copies!
 
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must race to figure out the clues before the lights go out on Ember forever!
 
Nominated to 28 State Award Lists!
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book
A Mark Twain Award Winner
A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner
 
“A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.” —USA Today
 
“An electric debut.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred 
 
“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.” —VOYA, Starred
 
“A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

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The Mysterious Benedict Society

Trenton Lee Stewart

When an advert appears in the newspaper for children to take part in a secret mission, children everywhere sit a series of odd tests. In the end, just Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance succeed. They have three things in common: they are honest, talented and orphans. They must go undercover and work as a team to save themselves, but also the world.

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The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

Beth Lincoln

On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match.

Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker.

Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile’s long-lost treasure. She’s excited to finally meet her arriving relatives—until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs.

So what if everyone thinks she’ll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she’s determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer.

Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it’s packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important.

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The Whole Brain Child

Daniel Siegel

Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures. Complete with clear explanations, age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles, and illustrations that will help parents explain these concepts to their children.

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Sunny Side Upbringing

Maria Dismondy

Parent educator Maria Dismondy took her greatest advice, research, ideas, activities, and educational resources from over the last 20 years and put them down on paper for us all to benefit from. The result is a month-by-month parenting resource (kind of like “a parent's best friend”) that is loaded with enriching content that fosters creative parent-child interactions rooted in the values that matter most to you.

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Retro Toddler

Anne H. Zachary

More than 100 old-school activities to boost development

Research shows that the best way for toddlers to learn is through daily, active play and Retro Toddler includes more than 100 fun, "old-school" toddler activities that promote the development of language, motor and social skills. The book includes detailed instructions for developmentally stimulating, screen-free toys that parents and toddlers can make together out of everyday household items.

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The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers

Anthony Porto

All Your Questions about Feeding, Answered. This first-of-its-kind guide provides practical, easy-to-follow advice to help you navigate the nutrition issues, medical conditions, and parenting concerns that accompany feeding. With recipes, parenting stories, and recommendations based on the latest pediatric guidelines, this book will allow you to approach mealtime with confidence so you can spend more time enjoying your new family.

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Parenting with Love and Logic

Foster Cline

If you want to raise kids that who are self-confident, motivated, and ready for the real world, take advantage of the win-win approach to parenting. Your kids will win because they'll learn responsibility and the logic of life by solving their own problems. And you'll win because you'll establish healthy control -- without resorting to anger, threats, nagging, or exhausting power struggles.

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Montessori Toddler

Simone Davies

Using the principles developed by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, Simone Davies shows how to turn life with a “terrible two” into a mutually rich and rewarding time of curiosity, learning, respect, and discovery. With hundreds of practical ideas for every aspect of living with a toddler, here are five principles for feeding your child’s natural curiosity, from “Trust in the child” to “Fostering a sense of wonder.” 

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Mama You are Enough

Claire Nicogossian

Mothers are struggling with the challenging and unexpected emotions that surface during their journey through motherhood. In the confines of a safe, judgment-free space, they share about the heavy guilt they carry from losing control and yelling at their children; the crippling fear that they are failing their families; and the exhaustion of juggling work, home, and family. In this breakthrough book, Dr. Claire sheds light on these shadow emotions and provides a path to thriving joy, inner calm, and radiant confidence. Drawing upon her own experiences of raising four children and many years of counseling mothers as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Claire shares practical tips, strategies, and encouragement to help women in all stages of motherhood. 

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Helping Your Anxious Teen

Sheila Achar Joseph

Written by a psychologist and expert on adolescent anxiety, this book is an essential how-to guide for parents, showing how their own behavior can either help or exacerbate their teen's symptoms, and outlining specific skills parents can use to support their child. Readers will learn that when it comes to anxiety, simple interventions can make a big difference in how teens manage their feelings.

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Bringing Up Bebe

Pamela Druckerman

After moving to Paris and having a baby, former Wall Street Journal reporter Druckerman noticed that French women just weren't that uptight about child-rearing issues. Meanwhile, French children turned out to be well behaved but hardly repressed. Druckerman investigated and discovered that French parents are in some ways deeply strict and in some ways surprisingly permissive-no beat-the-odds enrichment classes at age three.

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Bedtime, the Ultimate Battle

Melissa Guida-Richards

Sleep is something all humans need, but at a point in every baby's life, they will refuse to sleep like it's their job. That leads to very exhausted parents and caregivers. Bedtime, the Ultimate Battle is written from the realistic perspective of a mom in the trenches just like you. (And you, too, Dad.) It will provide you with dozens of easy, budget-friendly ways to help get your baby to sleep, gathered from the most recommended parenting books, blogs, and viral posts.

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TEST 1984

George Orwell

In George Orwell's dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the reader is plunged into a chilling totalitarian regime where surveillance, language manipulation, and psychological control dominate the human experience. Written in 1949, the novel employs a stark and unembellished prose style that mirrors the grim reality of its oppressive setting, with a narrative that intricately explores themes of individuality, truth, and resistance. Orwell's portrayal of the omnipresent Party, embodied in the chilling figure of Big Brother, serves as a profound commentary on the dangers of unchecked governmental power and the erosion of personal freedoms in the modern age. George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903, had firsthand experience with authoritarianism and social injustice, which deeply influenced his writing. His earlier works, including Animal Farm, reflect his commitment to political commentary and critique of totalitarian regimes. Orwell's experiences as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War and his observations of propaganda during World War II galvanized his vision for Nineteen Eighty-Four—a prescient warning of the deleterious effects of oppressive state control on the human spirit and democratic principles. Highly regarded for its moral urgency and intellectual depth, Nineteen Eighty-Four is an essential read for anyone interested in the interplay between power and individual freedom. This classic resonates today, urging contemporary readers to remain vigilant in the face of authoritarian tendencies and to cherish the fragile nature of truth and autonomy.

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TEST Onyx Storm

Rebecca Yarros

Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.

Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR "Books We Love" 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award Winner • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023 • TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland Book of the Year (International) 2024

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath. 

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm

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TEST Funny Story

Emily Henry

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A shimmering, joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024

Named a Must-Read Book of 2024 by TIME ∙ NPR ∙ ELLE ∙ Parade ∙ Woman’s World and more!

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

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TEST Book Lovers

Emily Henry

An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Funny Story

“One of my favorite authors.”—Colleen Hoover

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...

Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

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TEST Holly

Stephen King

Stephen King's Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly's gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges's partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King's new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries. When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down. Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability - married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harbouring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie's disappearance.

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