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Michelle Carroll: Neck the Halls: 19 Holiday Romances, Both Naughty and Spice (0 comment)

Every December, when the Portland sun disappears, my mental health depends on a steady stream of sugary-sweet holiday rom-coms. While I love the low-budget movies (unlicensed new pop songs with auto-tuned jingle bells! Every scene obviously filmed in the same McMansion, even the ones that take place at "work"! Chemistry...

Kelsey Ford: Twelve Days of Horror (0 comment)
Keith Mosman: Best Books of 2023: Audiobooks (0 comment)

Early Riser

Jasper Fforde

Sometimes when you wait for a new book from a favorite author and it takes years... the built-up expectations can leave you a little let down. But in this case, Early Riser by Jasper Fforde did not disappoint! Like his previous work, Fforde creates a strange and wonderful cast of characters and builds a unique and fascinating world around them. This amazing standalone novel was worth the wait and I'm excited for whatever Fforde dreams up... (read more)
Recommended by Janelle M.

Spinning Silver

Naomi Novik

This beautiful book is so much more than a simple reimagining of a well-known fairy tale. The plot is driven forward by a cast of strong, intelligent women who, while trying to simply survive themselves, also end up saving their loved ones and at least two nations. As with any good fairy tale, the treacherous and beautiful faerie elements live just at the periphery of the mundane, and slip into the lives of the characters in frightening and... (read more)
Recommended by Janelle M.

The Dark Days Club

Alison Goodman

Goodman really did her research! This YA Urban Fantasy title is strongly rooted in Regency-era London, from the bigger happenings in the world to the details of a Lady's preparations for a ball. This is the first book in a while that has kept me awake well into the night, unwilling to put it down. But don't take my word for it!
Recommended by Janelle M.

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

Shauna Niequist

In today's instant culture of beautifying and perfecting filters we hide behind, of hustle and strain and anxiety, this book is a breath of fresh air. Told in mini-essays, Niequist's very personal story — about her own awakening to a more present, thoughtful, love-filled way of life — is a suggestion that contentment doesn't come from running ourselves ragged.
Recommended by Janelle M.

Invisible Library Book 1

Genevieve Cogman

I really enjoyed this book. It was like a tasty chocolate fondue fountain. There's mystery, there's fantasy, there's sci-fi. From librarians to fae, dragons, detectives, and dirigibles, multi-dimensions/multi-worlds, it's got a bit of everything. It is very much for those of us who are readers and who have always wanted to be able to step into our favorite stories. If you enjoy Jasper Fforde, Neil Gaiman, or Ben Aaronovitch, you should give this... (read more)
Recommended by Janelle M.

Girl Waits with Gun

Amy Stewart

I was excited to read a story about one of America's first females in law enforcement, and I was expecting more of a tale, or collection of tales, from her career as a sheriff. Instead, the story follows Constance Kopp, and her sisters, through the harrowing events that led her to that vocation. Girl Waits with Gun is not what I was expecting, but it was fantastic!
Recommended by Janelle M.