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Book Review: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the…
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Book Review: The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
If there's one thing that this festive season brings out in me, it's the need to read cozy books. Whether they are Romance, Mystery or Fantasy, I want something that's going to make me want to settle in with a warm cup of tea and just relax. Friends, I can confidently say that The Pumpkin Spice Café is that kind of story. If you're a fan of Hallmark movies, welcome to your new favorite book. Jeanie has arrived in Dream Harbor (adorable, I KNOW) determined to turn her life around. After realizing that her life in the city was not…
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Book Review: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Okay so once again it has been entirely too long since I've written a real review, and so we're going to our best with this one. I picked up The Bodyguard on a whim, since it was featured on the library's first page and oh man am I glad that I did. What caught my eye was the fact that Hannah, our MC was a female bodyguard. That had me right away. Then you add in a potential romance with a Hollywood heartthrob? Well, there was no way that I wasn't going to read this book.
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Book Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
A haunted and grim gothic narrative, "Starling House" by Alix E. Harrow explores a dying town, Eden, Kentucky. Opal, aiming to aid her brother, accepts a job tied to the sinister Starling House. As eerie events unfold, she and the house's heir, Arthur, must unearth hidden secrets or face nightmares overtaking Eden.
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Book Review: The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander
When bookseller Annie Murray organizes a mystery-themed book festival to save her bookstore, she discovers a body behind the shelves. With the help of friends and her criminology professor-turned-detective, Annie unravels clues amidst growing suspects. Full of quirky characters and small-town charm, this cozy crime novel keeps readers guessing.
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Book Review: The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall
Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love. Hollis Beckwith isn’t trying to get a girl—she’s just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a Chris. Their relationship isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she’s a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn…
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Book Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson
In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible. Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and…
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Book Review: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
"Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose." Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it,…
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Book Review: Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
Seven students are avoiding going to school, hiding in their darkened bedrooms, unable to face their family and friends, until the moment they discover a portal into another world that offers temporary escape from their stressful lives. Passing through a glowing mirror, they gather in a magnificent castle which becomes their playground and refuge during school hours. The students are tasked with locating a key, hidden somewhere in the castle, that will allow whoever finds it to be granted one wish. At this moment, the castle will vanish, along with all memories they may have of their adventure. If they…
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Book Review: Zora Books Her Happily Ever After by Taj McCoy
Title: Zora Books Her Happy Ever AfterAuthor: Taj McCoyPublication date: April 25th 2023Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance “Doesn’t miss a romantic beat . . . McCoy expertly crafts a well-balanced love triangle between empathetic and passionate characters—and delivers plenty of comic relief in the form of Zora’s lovable matchmaking grandmother.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review A heart-pounding, curvy romance about an indie bookstore owner who finds herself in a love triangle when she meets the author she’s had a crush on for years…and his best friend. Zora has committed every inch of her life to establishing her thriving DC bookstore, making…
