New in the stacks
1853 | J. Purcell | Historical Fiction (N) (I) (F) →($)
In early 1853, New Orleans is the center of the arts, opera, and culture, and the home of a young, respected medical center, and a menagerie of people living with joie de vie. But by the fall, 8,000 New Orleanians—nearly 10% of its residents—would die, swept away by yellow fever, a gruesome disease that killed so many people so quickly, corpses were left rotting in the street—there was simply no one left to bury them. And as the city falls to its knees that summer, four different people face the plague and the city’s prejudices: James, a young doctor from Philadelphia, driven to live up to his family name; Sophie, the spoiled young French girl he grows to love, despite her hostility; Sila, the slave who rises up against her owner, the monstrous Monsieur Dubois, to work side by side with James, nursing the dying and dreaming of freedom; and Victor, a musician and member of a prominent gen de couleur libre family, who having returned home from Paris to take stage at the Orleans Ballroom, is confronted with his growing love of Sila and the deepening, dangerous racism of his homeland.
Because Raisins | Joan Rowell | Comic Book; Humor (CB) (I) (F)
"Because Raisins" is a growing collection of slightly spooky comic strips. The comics are drawn in Procreate by an illustrator who loves the horror genre. They feature ghosts, monsters, witches, and werewolves — but they are intended to be funny rather than scary. (Please note that these comics contain instances of adult language.)
The Coffeehouse | Joan Rowell | Short Fiction Collection; Speculative, Horror (S) (I) (F)
Creepy short fiction inspired by campfire tales, urban legends, and things that go bump in the night. More stories to come!
My Alpha Nerd | Kim Kieu | Romance (N) (I) (F)
A former extrovert falls in love with an introvert. As she slowly rediscovers herself, will her blossoming spirits keep him enrapt, or will it add fuel to his own struggles? An enemies-to-lovers romance series. Ongoing. New chapter every Monday.
Sisterly Love | D.L. Lee | Contemporary (N) (I) (F)
Sisterly Love is the story of two sisters who grow apart. It explores the intertwined issues of sexuality, politics, family and gender through the relationships and career of the protagonist, Summer O'Flynn.
Urban Yogini: A Superhero Who Can't Use Violence. Vol I: The New Face of Terror | Bretigne Shaffer, artists Santi Biondolillo and Elijah Espada | Graphic Novel (GN) (C) (F)
Graphic novel about a young woman who is transformed into a superhero who is bound by the law of Ahimsa, and takes on the police state.
New in Buy Indie
Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption | Bretigne Shaffer | Young Readers; Fantasy (N)
What is the Fantastical Contraption? What secrets does it hold inside? And what about it convinced the Queen to abduct Annabel Pickering’s parents? Thirteen-year-old Annabel Pickering loves her ordinary life riding her pony, reading novels, and riding the trains and flying machines high above the city. And she ALWAYS crosses the street before she gets to the weird old house where the crazy spinster and her niece live. All she has to worry about are the school bullies until she witnesses her parents being abducted from their home. To save them, she will fly with pirates, get into a deadly sky battle with the Queen’s armies, and brave a prison escape…all with the help of the most unlikely allies. Steampunk pirates meet Harry Potter in a middle grade fantasy adventure set in an alternate 19th-century England.
The Book of Answers | Darrow Woods | Mystery & Thriller; Classic Mystery (N)
The Book of Answers is the first in a series of mysteries in the life of Rev. Thomas Book. Tom’s a bit stuck in his life, two years into grieving the death of his wife, Carrie. He's the assistant pastor in the church where he'd once been the student minister. Circumstances serve to get him unstuck, in almost every part of his life, when dead bodies appear in all the wrong places. He gets drawn into the investigation, with help of his snarky best friend, who is also the local funeral director, a mysterious, not-as-retired as he appears former undercover cop, and what could be the church ghost. Along the way he's almost killed, makes friends with a cadaver dog, and takes baby steps towards romance with the dog's handler. The Book of Answers was nominated for a Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence. The author, Darrow Woods, is a member of Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Canada, and writes a substack newsletter called reluctant sleuth. He is also working on the sequel to The Book of Answers, and the another series involving retired journalists who can't stay away from a good, or bad story.
Feast of the Sisters | Alex Scott | Young Adult; Christian, Horror (N)
An ancient evil has set the table in sisters Jo and Vicki’s small Tennessee town. Moths and butterflies stalk the vampires’ would-be victims, while an unseen tempter lures Vicki further toward a feast where she is on the menu. When Vicki disappears, gentle and sensitive Jo vows to do whatever it takes to save her-even tracking Vicki through the haunted lair and secret tunnels of a notorious, immortal killer. Will Jo and her friends stop the feast before it happens, or will they become its guests of honor?
Forever Five - Adventures of The Ladybug Hunter | Patricia Meier | Nonfiction; Grief, Parenting, Spirituality (B)
This is a mother’s journey from the darkness back to the light. The spirit of intent in sharing this story is to provide hope for others who find themselves in similar dire straits, to provide hope during the hard times, and to let you know there is life and joy to be had again at the end of this dark night.
Managed Paranoia | Finlay Beach | Speculative; Thriller (N)
"Managed Paranoia" is a thought-provoking near-future thriller that ventures into speculative fiction. This narrative skillfully intertwines personal struggle with an impending authoritarian regime, prompting readers to reflect on questions of faith, love, and freedom. The well-crafted world-building and insightful exploration of societal overreach underscore the narrative's plausibility and hint at the potential risks of unchecked power. "Managed Paranoia - Book One" unfolds with the steadiness of a sailboat navigating stormy seas, offering a compelling read that sets the stage for the unfolding saga.
Sweet Silius Island Honey | Alex Scott | Speculative; Fantasy (N)
It's the best honey in town! But where does it come from? How does it taste so good? It must be magic. In fact, it is magic. That's why a young man named Owen and a witch named Wanda are setting sail to the perilous Silius Island, searching for the source of this enchanted honey. But will the bee people that inhabit that island consider them friends, or foes?
Thresholds of the Grand Dream | Alex Scott | Middle Grade; Fantasy (N)
Every night, every kid at Sonia Obata's middle school has the same dream. But the Grand Dream isn't quite the paradise it seems—it's about to collapse, destroying the minds of the children within it! To stop it, someone needs to shut the Dream down, and with the power of the Baku's Fang, Sonia sets out on a journey through the dream world to do just that, and rescue her friends.
Urban Yogini: A Superhero Who Can't Use Violence. Vol I: The New Face of Terror | Bretigne Shaffer, artists Santi Biondolillo and Elijah Espada (GN) (C) (F)
Graphic novel about a young woman who is transformed into a superhero who is bound by the law of Ahimsa, and takes on the police state.
When Trees Fall: Book One of the Wood and Water Saga | Dale Mahfood | Literary; Historical (N)
Cailin is a naïve, adventure-seeking girl living in a Jamaican Great House. Archie is a teenage boy with a chip on his shoulder. Sharpe is a young man with divided loyalties, living as an outsider in a poor hillside village. Yet, all three long for the same thing—a father’s approval. But the man who has the power to give it to them won’t…or can’t. Behind his back, his property workers call him a tyrant for allegedly murdering a worker in the past, and his family walks on eggshells when he returns home from his drunken visits with his mistress. All while Cailin, Archie, and Sharp’s unfulfilled desires spiral into rejection, mistaken affections, and murder. Set in a seaside village during the final year of World War II and Jamaica’s first general election, When Trees Fall is the first novel in Dale Mahfood’s Wood and Water series. If you enjoy well-drawn, relatable characters and a compelling story you don’t want to put down, you’ll love this first installment in Dale Mahfood’s series.
From the Archive
Featuring a different, randomly selected book every week
Sandbox Earth | Scoot | Science Fiction (NA) (C) (F)
In a series of interviews, Mr. Broaddus talks about the events of Contact—the time 50 years ago when two alien races arrived in earths orbit, oblivious to our presence—with the people who had the best view of the events that changed humanity forever!