New Releases for February 4, 2020

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New Releases for February 4, 2020.

Happy Tuesday!

Here is a collection of new titles that I have either ordered for the Library, myself, or am just plain excited about. Click on the covers for more information about each title. 


For the younger readers:

For the more mature audience:

As always, purchasing through the links helps support the site as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.


New Releases for January 28, 2020

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Happy Tuesday!

It’s Tuesday which means it’s New Book Day! To celebrate my favorite day of the week, here’s a round-up of my the titles that I have ordered for the Library, bought myself, or am just excited to share with you.

Happy Reading Everyone!

For the younger readers:

For more mature tastes:

As always, purchasing books through the links helps support the site.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

New Releases for January 21, 2020

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Happy Tuesday!

It’s another great week for new releases. Here’s a round-up of books I’ve ordered for the Library, put on hold for myself, or just look really interesting. Click on the cover for more information.

Happy Reading!

New in Children’s


New for Adults:

As always, purchasing books through the links helps support the site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Followers by Megan Angelo

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What starts as a humorous, slightly catty look at social media turns into a chilling and dark commentary on our obsession with likes and followers. I fully expected this to be a light, fluffy read that would keep me entertained for a few hours and instead found myself dropped into a dark and twisted future that seems all to real and likely to happen. 

Told through two timelines, we are introduced to a future where entire towns are filled with reality tv stars and are on camera non-stop.  Marlow, a young starlet who has spent almost her entire life in front of the camera having her everyday life written and directed by the Network, has few memories of her life before.  The face of Hysteryl, a mood stabilizing drug she has been using since puberty, Marlow spends her day in medicated contented bliss.  When the Network decided it's time for her and her husband to have a child, the drug must be stopped during the pregnancy and is slowly weaned off as she prepares for her sowing party, her emotions slowly return and the mental clarity creates her first feelings of dread and uncertainty of spending the rest of her life having her every move dictated by others.  When a lab technician discovers there is a discrepancy in Marlow's DNA, Marlow sets out to discover the truth about her parents and her past. 

As Marlow searches for clues to her past, we learn through flashbacks about the social media rise of the couple that Marlow believes to be her parents.  Floss Natuzzi and Aston Clipp rose to Internet super stardom with the help of blogger Orla Cadden and a series of outrageous stunts.  When their Instagram stardom leads to a reality tv show, the three spend their days pretending to live their real life on camera while a small crew of writers create the scandalous and shocking scripts for them to follow.  After an Instagram message inadvertently causes a horrific event, the three social media stars are cast out as social pariahs.  The fallout of the event helped to spur on the Spill, a tragic and worldwide phenomenon that changed the world forever. 

This book was fascinating! Not only does Megan Angelo give us a world ruled by social media and reality tv, but everyone also has an implanted device that allows them to see their standings and comments from followers.  The devices provide a way for producers to directly influence their stars and direct their behavior.  Living with a complete lack of privacy is second nature to the residents of Constellation, a town completely set up to provide 24 hour access to the followers of the show.  With only one hour a day allowed to themselves off camera, found in the very wee hours of the morning, Marlow and her fellow residents have their every word and movement scrutinized and commented on by their millions of followers. 

How absolutely terrifying!  Even more so when you know someone in our present day has definitely had that idea and there are those out there who would love to watch a group of people live out every moment of their life with no editing or commercial breaks. 

Angelo created a story that deftly combined the two timelines with enough twists and turns that you are always kept guessing as to how the two are truly intertwined.  The Spill, not going to spoil that little nugget, is frightening in it's believability.  To have one event completely change the future of the entire world-terrifying. 

Followers is thought-provoking, chilling, and fascinating. 






More from Megan Angelo:

I have read so many great debut authors this last year, I don’t know how they do it!

More like Followers:

I’m going with the “creepy future I hope never happens” vibe for these.


As always, purchasing books through the links helps support the site.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.




Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.  All opinions, and mistakes, are my own.  

New Releases for January 14, 2020

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Happy Tuesday!

We did it! We survived another week and now it’s time to treat ourselves to a new book. Here is a collection of books that I have either ordered for the Library, ordered for myself, or am just excited to see on the shelf. As always, purchasing through the links helps support site as I am an Amazon Associate. For more information about each title, just click on a cover.

Happy Reading everyone!


For the younger readers:

For the grown-ups:


The Bookwanderers by Anna James

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It’s been a bit since I’ve added in a Chick Pick and this one is absolutely delightful!

What could be a more wonderful ability for a book lover than the ability to actually wander inside books?  Could you imagine getting to talk to your favorite book characters and join them in their adventures?  That's what Tilly Pages learns to do in this delightful and imaginative middle grade novel. 

Growing up in a bookstore, Tilly Pages spends her days surrounded by her favorite books and an endless supply of new possible favorites.  One day, she meets a young girl named Anne with an "e" who is remarkable like Anne from Green Gables.  Turns out-she is that Anne from Anne of Green Gables.  When she meets Alice and joins her for a tea party, she knows she's in over her head.  Turns out, her family comes from a long line of book wanderers, people who have the ability to journey inside books and live alongside the characters. 

But it's not all tea parties and caucus races.  The secret society that oversees the safety of book wanderers and their books has other darker secrets that Tilly will become caught up in when she and her friend Oskar venture into her mother's favorite book to find clues about her mother's disappearance not long after Tilly's birth. 

This is a wonderfully written, imaginative, and fast paced story that will intrigue any young, or not so young, book lover.  Tilly and Oskar are both brave, intelligent, and ready to explore their new abilities.  Their adventures will keep readers enthralled from beginning to end.  And who wouldn't be intrigued about wandering through books?

Interested in a copy for yourself or your favorite young reader? You can get your copy here, and help support the site:





More from Anna James:

This is Anna’s first book but book 2, Pages & Co. The Lost Fairytales comes out in May!

More like The Bookwanderers:

I love books about books!


As always, purchasing books through the links helps support the site.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hollow Kingdom By Kira Jane Buxton

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Available now from Grand Central Publishing

This book is one of the most original and bonkers books I've ever come across.  Told through the eyes of the crow Shit Turd, or S.T. as he's more commonly known, the human race has devolved into nothing more than bloodthirsty zombies and the only unaffected survivors are animals. 

Yep, it's told through the point of view of a highly intelligent pet crow. 

And it's one of the funniest and most wildly entertaining reads I had this year. 

S.T. and his canine brother Dennis set out to find help for their human Big Jim after his behavior turns creepily repetitive and dangerous.  As the two journey through the city seeking information, they encounter other domestic animals trapped in their homes and try to save as many as they can.  When their actions attract the attention of a murder of crows, S.T. must put aside his prejudices and find a way to work with the other animals, and the sketchy birds, to save the domestics and find out what happened to the humans.

It sounds bonkers but this book is truly hilarious.  S.T. uses his unique skills learned from living with Big Jim to both help the trapped domestics and teach the other animals how to help.  Who knew Tinder was so educational?  Turns out, Big Jim taking S.T. around the city with him as he worked or on field trips to the zoo was highly educational for our sharp minded crow.  S.T.'s ability to think like a human, or MoFo as he calls them, is key to his and his friends' survival.  We are also giving short chapters told from the point of view of various animals from around the world- Winnie the Poodle was my favorite. 

This story is truly imaginative and original and it was an absolute delight to read. 

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:



More from Kira Jane Buxton:

Surprise! It’s her debut! What an amazing first book, I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

More like Hollow Kingdom:

I’m going with the plucky/sarcastic/hero for these.


As always, purchasing books through the links helps support the site.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

A Year in Books, sort of.

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Hello Readers! Like many of you, I’m hosting a NYE party at my home tonight which means I’d rather be reading or talking books instead of cleaning and prepping. As I’ve scrolled through Instagram and Twitter this morning, I’ve seen so many bookish folks discussing their year in books and this reminded me that I was going to be better about tracking my reading this year.

I did not do a better job of tracking this year. This should shock no one.

From what I could cobble together between blog posts, review sites, and my own bookshelves, here is my year in books:

Total Books Read (kind of): 142

Adult Titles: 105

Youth Titles: 37

Book of the Month books: 21 Received, 13 Read

Now, the youth titles would only include what I chose to read for fun because I read at least two books a week for the Library just for storytime, not including all the books that I catalog and read during the workday.

So, what does this tell me? I need a new way to track my reading and do a better job of breaking down into genres and authors so I can assure that I’m reading more widely than I currently am. I also need to read all those BOTM titles that I can’t help adding to my box!

What did I really learn about reading this year? I love portal fantasies! I love a doorway that leads to a magical, or non-magical, world and adventure ensue. I love books that take place in elite boarding schools and rich people problems are the most entertaining problems. Middle Grade books are getting longer but the writing is so much better than I was a kid and I’m jealous. Fantasy and sci-fi are still my favorites and probably always will be.

How was your year in books? Do you have an easy way to track your reading that you actually stick with? Has anyone set any reading goals for next year? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe evening. I hope 2020 brings you all health, happiness, and a never ending TBR.

M.