The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk

Available October 13, 2020

This is so good! So, so good.

Set in a world where magic is studied and practiced, The Midnight Bargain introduces us to a secret world of women who defy social standards to become powerful sorceresses.

The Bargaining Season is just beginning and instead of focusing on pursuing a powerful marriage, Beatrice Clayborn is on the hunt for grimoires. When her latest find lands in the hands of the wealthy and regal Ysbeta Lavan instead of her own, Beatrice knows that she must use any means to get the book back. When the two women eventually discover they are pursuing the same goals, they work together to increase their magical skills and avoid the marriage mart as much as possible. What Beatrice isn't expecting to find, is an ally in Ysbeta's brother Ianthe. In Llanandari, Ysbeta's and Ianthe's home country, women are trained in sorcery and treated more as equals to men than they are in Beatrice's home of Chasland. As the three become close friends, Beatrice makes her case for equality and Ianthe slowly begins to realize why his sister and Beatrice are so resistant to marriage and the dreaded magic-dampening warding collars they will be forced to wear until they have left their childbearing years. Set amid glittering ballrooms, extravagant picnics, and acres of silken ballgowns, The Midnight Bargain is a gorgeous story of friendship, romance, and bringing the patriarchy to it's knees.

I absolutely loved this book! I read it in a single sitting and was thrilled to discover that it's the first in a new series. Polk has set her characters in a world similar to Regency England but with magic as a known element. It is filled with young women being used as bargaining chips to create powerful alliances through marriage but without any benefits to the women. Beatrice discovers that her father's business losses are far greater than she was led to believe and her marriage is crucial to saving her family's finances. Instead of listening to Beatrice's astute business advice, she is criticized for discussing "men's business" and is reminded repeatedly, that she is a silly woman and no one will ever listen to her. What her family doesn't know is that she has been pursuing sorcery to increase her chances of becoming her father's business partner instead of being forced into a world where she will be forced to wear a warding collar and do nothing but bear children. Beatrice is a really interesting character. She is both a powerful sorceress and intelligent, but so focused on her goals that she doesn't notice much of what goes on around her. She often comes off as naïve, but she is incredibly driven.

Beatrice and Ysbeta develop a close and powerful friendship throughout the book. They both have the same goal-become a sorceress and avoid marriage, but for different reasons. Ysbeta is used to freedom and has seen her own mother become incredibly powerful in society and create the family great wealth. But if she agrees to the marriage of a wealthy Chasland man, she will loose all of her rights, property, and power she has worked so hard to obtain. Beatrice truly loves magic and wants to learn all she can. She truly believes that there must be a way to solve the problem of spirits overtaking the unborn children of a sorceress. Beatrice also really has a head for business and as a wife, no one will ever take her seriously. The way these two take on smashing the patriarchy is a beautiful thing to behold.

As the two friends are working on their schemes, they are forced into following the social calendar of the Bargaining Season. This book is teeming with balls, dinners, charity picnics and dress fittings. Beatrice is constantly reminded how important it is that she move the family up the social ladder and her younger sister is always quick to point out the expense the family has gone to make Beatrice alluring to a wealthy man. Beatrice is constantly reminded what high society thinks of her social climbing family-and she's quick to put some arrogant men in their place. It's great.

I truly loved this book and I am so excited that there will be more books! This book has a great ending and really sets up book two to be really exciting.

If you want to add this book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon Books for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker

Available Now

Around the time that Seanan McGuire won the Locus Award for her amazing novel Middlegame, I was able to scoop it up on a great ebook deal and fell in love with the story of Roger and Dodger. Combining alchemy, secret organizations, and a powerful friendship, Middlegame is a complex and action filled story with an absolutely explosive ending. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading this one, I highly, highly recommend you read it before picking up Over the Woodward Wall.

Now, why all the fuss about Middlegame? The alchemical lore found throughout Middlegame is told through the children's book series about an impossible city in the Up-and-Under found in the book Over the Woodward Wall. We know from Middlegame that A. Deborah Baker was a powerful alchemist who used the books to slowly influence readers into believing the principles required for bringing the Doctrine into the world. Roger and Dodger both grew up reading the books and slowly begin to see the connections between their story and that of Zib and Avery.

Readers-it's the book from the book! I love a book from a book.

In Over the Woodward Wall, we learn the full story of how Avery and Zib meet, through a strange series of events, and discover a large wall that mysteriously appears in their neighborhood. Avery and Zib can't be more different in their views on the wall what course of action they should pursue. As the two children cross the wall and enter the land of the Up-and-Under, they meet unlikely creatures and hear tales of a Queen of Wands who will give the children the ending of their story's adventure and return them home. Finding the Impossible City via the improbable road is far more challenging than the children expect and their very different ways of thinking and solving puzzles often puts them at odds. But the children discover they have a connection and a shared goal and sometimes, that is the most important thing you need in an unlikely adventure.

I loved this story. It's such a fast paced adventure packed with interesting characters. Avery and Zib felt incredibly real and had genuine reactions to every obstacle and puzzle. I'm a big fan of the book within a book and after reading this, went back and reread Middlegame to find all the connections between the two stories. The Up-and-Under felt like a twisted combination of the worlds found in The Wizard of Oz and Wonderland. There were talking owls, a Crow Girl, and a deep understanding that everything made sense to everyone except for Avery and Zib.

Over the Woodward Wall is another excellent book from Seanan McGuire and is a must read for those who enjoyed Middlegame.

Want to add this title to your collection? Click on the cover for ordering information.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

New Releases for October 6, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

Buckle up Reader Friends! Today is a huge release day so here are the titles I am most excited about. I loved Over the Woodward Wall and The Archive of the Forgotten. They’re excellent-definitely check them out. Also, new V.E. Schwab! Click on the covers for more details and ordering information.

For the Kids:

For the Non-Kids:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

Available October 6, 2020

Claire, Hero and Brevity are back with another mystery set in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell. After a mysterious flood of ink threatens the Arcane Wing, Former Librarian Claire must discover it's source and it's possible implications for the rest of the Library. With Brevity as the new Librarian, Claire is struggling to balance their friendship with their new job titles and responsibilities. Probity, another Muse, joins the Library to assist Brevity in the investigation but her appearance sets everyone on edge. Meanwhile, Hero is on his own mission to discover the secrets of the ink and the truth about the characters by traveling to other realms with the help of Rami.

The deeper the unconventional Library staff digs to find the truth behind the ink, the more secrets they discover within the depths of the Library.

I absolutely love this series from A.J. Hackwith and I truly hope there will be more adventures set in the Library of the Unwritten. The world of the Library of the Unwritten is so interesting and unique in the way that it handles it's place in the world. While all the characters seem like genuinely nice people who are loyal to their friends-as loyal as they can be-the small off-hand remarks about it being in Hell makes it that much more enjoyable. It seems to operate exactly like a large Library just with a slightly different collection-if you can call books with characters that wander around and an Interworld Loan program slightly different. The curios are filled with arcane treasures such as finger bones, ruby seeds and magical rings. A little different then the pottery collection at my Library. I just love when an author can casually mention a crown that was part of a deal with a demon.

Claire's interaction with the ink places her life in danger and the race to save her keeps the story moving rather quickly. Hero is on a quest to discover the ink’s ties to characters and their books and with the help of Rami, travels through the realms seeking answers. A new muse has entered the story and is causing strife between Brevity and Claire. Adding to that tension, Claire is no longer Brevity's boss, but instead her colleague and the two struggle to find their place within their new working relationship. Neither Claire nor Brevity were given the amount of training necessary for their positions and the journal entries from former Librarians at the beginning of each chapter really highlight the amount of time each Librarian spent in that role. The relationships between all of the characters are explored far more in depth in this book and the sequel feels more focused on characters than plot. Like in the first novel, I thoroughly enjoyed how we get to see new parts of the Library and how those areas interact with each other.  The Library is full of secrets that I'm hoping will be explored in further novels.

If you like high stakes adventures, found family, magic, and a little dark humor, this is the perfect book for you. I would highly recommend you read book one before jumping into this. While it’s great on it’s own, the first book really explains the relationships between all the characters.

 Want a copy for yourself? You can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Content warning for suicide, partner abuse, pet death and parent death.

Available September 29, 2020

What would you do if you had the opportunity to change your life? If you could go back in time and make different decisions about your life’s choices? Would you do it? When Nora makes the decision that life is too hard to continue living, she ends up in the Midnight Library. With the help of her former childhood librarian Mrs. Elm, Nora is given the opportunity to change the choices she regrets and live out different lives. But is another life worth living? How do simple choices make such drastic changes to our lives? With her time running short, Nora must choose between a life in the real world, or entering the afterlife. 

The Midnight Library is an interesting take on time travel. Nora has many regrets in her life from letting down friends and family, to not standing up for herself as often as she should. It’s through this lens that Nora tries many different takes on her life from living in different parts of the world, drastically different careers, to marrying different people. It is only when she finds true happiness will she stay within one of her new lives and yet, even when she feels happy “enough,” Nora finds herself slipping back to the Library in search of trying a new life. 

Nora is a complicated character written with a lot of depth. Dealing with anxiety has caused her to give up on dreams that seemed too overwhelming, even when she was excelling. Wanting to please others left her unable to see her own unhappiness and left her feeling unfilled. Even when Nora finds herself living a life free of anxiety, she finds herself conflicted about the choices made in that life and unhappy. As Nora travels to more and more of her other lives, she becomes increasingly confused about what she wants instead of more focused. 

I loved the character of Mrs. Elm. She was a wonderfully grumpy librarian who was both a real figure in Nora’s life, and her guide in the Midnight Library. The entire concept of the Library was what drew me to this book. To envision your life as countless different stories all inspired by each individual decision is fascinating. Now a book of regrets, that I can do without. 

The Midnight Library is a unique and intriguing story that captivated me from the very first page. 

If you would like a copy of this for yourself, you can get one here:

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 September 29, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

It’s a great week for fantasy readers! We get Naomi Novik, Matt Haig, and a new Lynsay Sands. Also, Jasper Fforde is not one to be missed-I’ve read several of his and they’re great. Best of all-Animals Brag About Their Bottoms! I love that I have a job where I am getting paid to purchase books about animal bottoms. It’s the absolute best. Click on the covers for more information about each title and for ways to order. This post contains affiliate links.

For the Kids:

For the Adults:

Start Your Library Holds for Spooky Season

If you are the type of Reader who loves to fill the month of October with spooky, magical stories, like I am, you need to start your Library Holds now. Here are six books that I have read recently with elements of horror, magic, all things supernatural, and a book series that takes place in a Library in Hell. Click on the covers for more information about each title and ordering information.

Set in a strict, religious colony led by a feared polygamist patriarch, Immanuelle Moore was born a crime. Her mother was one of the many wives of the leader and her betrayal led to the death of her lover and her banishment from the colony. A dark forest on the edge of the colony is rumored to be inhabited by dark witches and when Immanuelle finds herself drawn to it, she discovers her mother’s ties to the darkness and inadvertently releases a plague upon her colony.

Claire is the Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing of the Library in Hell. Yep, a Library in Hell. Charged to protect the books of the Unwritten, books unfinished by authors and whose characters are always trying to escape the Library, her retrieval of a missing character goes horribly wrong when fallen angels interfere. I loved this book and the second book, The Archive of the Forgotten, comes out on October 6.

This one gave me nightmares! Four high school friends go on a hunt that violates their tribal law. Now, ten years later, something is hunting them. It is bloody, gory, intensely graphic, and absolutely terrifying. It’s so good.

One of the best books I’ve read this year! When her cousin sends her a cryptic letter fearing for her life, Noemí is sent to determine if it’s just new marriage nerves or an actual crisis. Noemí discovers her cousin horribly ill and surrounded by her in-laws that give Noemí the absolute creeps. What the family doesn’t understand, is Noemí is far from a shrinking violet and is more than willing to do whatever it takes to free her cousin. Set in a dark, damp mansion, this is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve ever read.

This is a fabulous collection of short stories that will leave you terrified. I love short stories for when you have limited time but still need to get some reading in. Each story in this collection is unique and chilling and Machado’s writing is so deceptively beautiful. Beautiful words should not terrify you, but she does it.

Told through multiple points of view, this book tells the story of a mother and daughter who have the ability to heal through magic and the lengths they will go to survive through the tumultuous years of the Civil War. This is a heavy one-enslavement, torture, kidnapping, and dark secrets that could tear apart an entire community. At the core, this story is about the secrets women keep to protect those that they love.

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Available September 29, 2020

Content warnings for suicide, child abuse, spousal abuse, animal death

Struggling to recover from a suicide attempt and becoming homeless after a break up with her longtime partner, Lexi Ellis finds herself alone on a train with nowhere to go. Overhearing a group of young women discuss a nanny position for a wealthy family whose children recently lost their mother and will be staying in Norway, Lexi impulsively decides to impersonate one of the young women and apply for the job herself. Shockingly, she lands the job and quickly researches everything she can about vegan cooking and childhood education.

When Lexi and the family arrive at their temporary vacation home in Norway, Lexi finds it isn't quite what she was expecting. The demands of her new position are exhausting and the longtime housekeeper acts suspiciously. Odd occurrences in the home seem tied to one of the little girl's night terrors and Lexi quickly becomes convinced that the mother's death may not have been a suicide.

After the mother's journal lands in Lexi's room, Lexi becomes obsessed with discovering the true cause of her death  and finds herself, and the daughters, in grave danger.

Ok, this is one you have to let a few things slide in the beginning because the ending does make it worth it. How Lexi was hired as "Sophie" without anyone knowing? Not sure. Can't believe a picture ID wasn't required at any point. But, let it go, it'll be fine.

The story is told from multiple points of view and the author does an excellent job staying true to each character's voice. Lexi/Sophie is such a scattered mess of a character. As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about the abuse she suffered as a child and the impact of that abuse on her adult life. She truly grows to be a sympathetic character and I really think she was doing the best she could with what she knew. We learn Aurelia's story, the girls' mother, through flashbacks to her time living in the vacation home. Struggling to raise a toddler and a newborn in the remote wilderness with almost no help from her husband, Aurelia shows classic signs of postpartum depression but it becomes clear that something far more sinister is at work. Tom, the father, is obsessed with the complicated home build he is working on in memory of Aurelia but the build is plagued with disasters and setbacks causing him to act erratically and oftentimes, aggressively.

The story moves along quickly, with frequent flashbacks to Aurelia's time in the house which often raise more questions than answers. I loved how Norse mythology was tied into the story, much of it new to me, and the tension given off by the forest around the house became a character in itself. Every time anyone went outside I was prepared for some disaster to strike them or creature to come from the woods to attack. The forest seemed to affect all of the characters and the stress of that caused serious riffs between everyone living in the house, leaving no one capable of trusting one another. The tension of the build, Aurelia's death, and living so remotely contributed to the "was it suicide or was it magical creature" and the author did it really, really, well. 

When everyone is lying, who can you ever trust?

Want to give this one a try for yourself? You can find ordering information here:

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

New Releases for September 22, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

It’s new book day and we get vampires! Vampires Never Get Old is out today! I love vampires. Also, we get some new Roshani Chokshi and Tessa Bailey. It’s going to be a great reading week. Click on the covers for more information about each title and ways to order. This post does contain affiliate links.

For the Kids:

For the Adults:

An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

Available Now

An Unkindess of Magicians came out a few years ago and I just recently heard of it from one of my many, many bookish podcasts that I listen to. Sorry, I have no idea which one it was. I love magical worlds and bonus points for setting those magicians in the real world where they have to hide their talents. This book combines magic, rich people problems, and a strong female main character who is out to cause some serious hurt. But don’t expect anything light and fluffy. This is a really dark book. 

Those with magical gifts are part of the Unseen World and in New York City, the most powerful magicians are divided into Houses who fight for power every twenty years during the Turning. However, the Turning has been triggered early, only thirteen years since the last, and this will be the battle that brings every dark secret to light. During the Turning, each House appoints a champion who will duel other champions in a deadly competition to gain one House power over all the others. Sydney, raised by the House of Shadows and unknown to the Unseen World,  has been chosen by a candidate House after an incredible display of magic in downtown NYC that went completely unnoticed by the mundane (non-magical) residents. She literally sent cars and buses floating through the air and no one noticed. No one. 

As the champions begin their duels, fought over many nights and with much fanfare, it becomes apparent that something is wrong with Magic itself. Spells go haywire or don’t happen at all, and no one can figure out what is going on. During these duels, already dangerous as many are fought to the death, the wealthy members of the Houses look on while holding champagne and finger foods. As more spells go wrong and champions die, dark secrets begin to surface about the history of the Houses, the sacrifices made to magic, and Sydney’s true ties to the Unseen World come to light. 

This is a gorgeously written story that is chilling in its ability to slowly uncover the horrors of the Unseen World. The ability of the wealthy and powerful to overlook and justify their cruelty was both shocking and yet, unsurprising. The world building is absolutely incredible. I love how less time is spent explaining how a spell is cast and more about the effects of the spells. There are some really wild things these magicians can do. The politics of the Houses and their power structures were really interesting and I loved how some characters were so good at illustrating both the dark and lighter sides of the society.  Sydney is the most powerful magician that has been seen for some time and how and why she is so powerful is a gut punch. But throughout everything she has to go through, she is able to still stay true to herself. Best part-the actual houses that the Head of a House lives in is magically connected to them and will rearrange and redecorate itself to suit the person’s needs and desires. It’s pretty amazing. 

If you love revenge thrillers, this is the perfect book. I love watching the powerful get knocked down and oh boy, do they get knocked down. The book moves pretty quickly and I finished it in one sitting because I just had to know how Sydney was going to bring everyone down. 

Want to give this one a try? You can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi

Available September 22, 2020

Glamorous and lush, The Silvered Serpents returns to the magical world that was created in The Gilded Wolves. If you haven’t had the joy of reading this imaginative and thrilling novel, start with The Gilded Wolves and then meet me back here because there are some serious spoilers that can’t be avoided. 

Serious Spoilers.

I warned you.

Losing Tristan has devastated Séverin and his team but their grief must wait as they are facing another tragedy, Laila is running out of time. Séverin has recalled the group for one last mission: discover the location of the Sleeping Palace, find the lost treasure of the Fallen House, and hopefully find The Divine Lyrics along the way. Lured by the possibility of reclaiming his true inheritance, Séverin has placed his needs and desires above those of his friends, and this time, he may have finally gone too far. Long held secrets come to light as the group forms an unlikely alliance with someone from Séverin’s past, and many players are far from whom they appear. Full of magical adventures, ancient puzzles, and incredible feats of Forging, The Silvered Serpents is an intensely compulsive read that shouldn’t be missed. 

I absolutely loved this book. I curled up in my new reading nook with the pups, brewed a pot of tea, and didn’t get up until the book was finished. Reader friends, there are magical animal ice sculptures that come to life to help serve a fancy dinner. What more do you want? Roshani Chokshi’s ability to give readers an immersive reading experience with her gorgeously imagined and intricately described world, complete with all the glitz, glamour, and magic of Paris. Her characters are rich and full of life and you are immediately invested in their story and I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed that everyone would come out safe and sound. 

I am a sucker for a found family and this book does this trope perfectly. Séverin, Laila, Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos love each other fiercely, are incredibly loyal, and no one is capable of hurting them more than each other. Grieving Tristan in their own ways has led to some fissures in their relationship and the stress over the possibility of losing Laila is almost more than they can bear.  Add to that their own personal struggles and you have a group of people at the end of their rope desperately trying to hold on. 

It’s all so well done. So good. 

Warning:

This book ends on a massive cliff hanger. It’s incredible.

If you would like to grab a copy of this book for yourself or someone you love, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I do earn from qualifying purchases.

New Releases for September 15, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

It’s new book time! There’s pretty exciting titles for the kids this week. The Last Kids on Earth series is very popular at the Library and if you’re starting your holiday shopping, the first books- I think 5- can be bought as a boxed set. There is also another Puppy Place book and if you have a beginning chapter book reader that loves puppies, this series is perfect for them. There is a ton of books in the series and paperbacks are relatively cheap. Click on the covers for more information about each title and ways to order.

For the Kids:

For the Adults:

New Releases for September 8, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

New week, new book releases! Does it get any better than that? Keep an eye out for the new book from Valerie Valdes who wrote the amazing Chilling Effect. As always, click on the covers for more information abut each title and ways to order. This post contains affiliate links.

For the Kids:

For Adults:

Blog Tour Time! Road Out of Winter by Alison Stine

Available Now

Reader Friends, if you want to dive real deep into the dark pandemic feelings, have I got the book for you! I am so excited to be a spot on the blog tour for Alison Stine’s Road Out of Winter. The book seems incredibly relevant, even though it’s disaster is a climate disaster and not a pandemic, with it’s feelings of uncertainty and wariness of strangers, it hits on many of the emotions many of us are feeling.

If you like your books with non-stop action and fast paced, this is the book for you.

When spring fails to arrive for the second year in a row, the never ending winter is threatening food and fuel shortages. As more and more people flee the Appalachian mountains, traveling becomes nearly as dangerous as staying put on land that can longer support you. Wylodine has always known poverty and never having enough. When her mother leaves town with her boyfriend, Wylodine is convinced that they will come back for her. But as time passes, living on their remote farm, known for growing illegal marijuana, becomes increasingly more dangerous. Packing up her truck with grow lights and a single packet of seeds, Wylodine begins the difficult journey to reunite with her mother in California. Dangerous road conditions, winter storms, violent cults, and a lifetime of distrusting strangers combine for an explosive and heart pounding adventure.

Road Out of Winter shows us the darkest parts of humanity and doesn't pull any punches. Wil is a complex character with a single focus-get to California. But what do we owe society? Especially if society, and your own mother, found it so easy to leave you behind. Wil knows she needs to help the people she crosses paths with on her journey, and she wants to, but she's incredibly pragmatic about the increase stress on rations and supplies. Her skill as a gardener is critical in a world without warmth and sunlight and her skills put her in constant danger.

Dark, tense, and fascinating, Road Out of Winter is a thrilling take on nature's effects on humanity.

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Want to read more about Road Out of Winter? Read on for an excerpt:

Chapter One

I used to have dreams that Lobo would be arrested. The sheriff and his deputies would roll up the drive, bouncing on the gravel, but coming fast, too fast to be stopped, too fast for Lobo to get away through the fields. Or maybe Lobo would be asleep, and they would surprise him, his eyes red, slit like taillights. My mama and I would weep with joy as they led him off. The deputies would wrap us in blankets, swept in their blue lights. We were innocent, weren’t we? Just at the wrong place at the wrong time, all the time, involved with the wrong man—and we didn’t know, my mama didn’t know, the extent.

But that wasn’t true, not even close.

I sold the weed at a gas station called Crossroads to a boy who delivered meals for shut-ins. Brown paper bags filled the back of his station wagon, the tops rolled over like his mama made him lunch. I supposed he could keep the bags straight. That was the arrangement Lobo had made years ago, that was the arrangement I kept. I left things uncomplicated. I didn’t know where the drugs went after the boy with the station wagon, where the boy sold them or for how much. I took the money he gave me and buried most of it in the yard.

After his station wagon bumped back onto the rural route, I went inside the store. There was a counter in the back, a row of cracked plastic tables and chairs that smelled like ketchup: a full menu, breakfast through dinner. They sold a lot of egg sandwiches at Crossroads to frackers, men on their way out to work sites. It was a good place to meet; Lisbeth would come this far. I ordered three cheeseburgers and fries, and sat down.

She was on time. She wore gray sweatpants under her long denim skirt, and not just because of the cold. “You reek, Wil,” she said, sliding onto the chair across from me.

“Lobo says that’s the smell of money,” I said.

“My mama says money smells like dirty hands.”

The food arrived, delivered by a waitress I didn’t know. Crinkling red and white paper in baskets. I slid two of the burgers over to Lisbeth. The Church forbade pants on women, and short hair, and alcohol. But meat was okay. Lisbeth hunched over a burger, eating with both hands, her braid slipping over her shoulder.

“Heard from them at all?” she asked.

“Not lately.”

“You think he would let her write you? Call?”

“She doesn’t have her own phone,” I said.

Lisbeth licked ketchup off her thumb. The fries were already getting cold. How about somethin’ home made? read the chalkboard below the menu. I watched the waitress write the dinner specials in handwriting small and careful as my mama’s.

“Hot chocolate?” I read to Lisbeth. “It’s June.”

“It’s freezing,” she said.

And it was, still. Steam webbed the windows. There was no sign of spring in the lung-colored fields, bordered by trees as spindly as men in a bread line. We were past forsythia time, past when the squirrels should have been rooting around in the trees for sap.

“What time is it now?” Lisbeth asked.

I showed her my phone, and she swallowed the last of her burger.

“I’ve got to go.”

“Already?”

“Choir rehearsal.” She took a gulp of Coke. Caffeine was frowned upon by The Church, though not, I thought, exclusively forbidden. “I gave all the seniors solos, and they’re terrified. They need help. Don’t forget. Noon tomorrow.”

The Church was strange—strange enough to whisper about. But The Church had a great choir; she had learned so much. They had helped her get her job at the high school, directing the chorus, not easy for a woman without a degree. Also, her folks loved The Church. She couldn’t leave, she said.

“What’s at noon?” I asked.

She paused long enough to tilt her head at me. “Wylodine, really? Graduation, remember? The kids are singing?”

“I don’t want to go back there.”

“You promised. Take a shower if you been working so my folks don’t lose their

minds.”

“If they haven’t figured it out by now, they’re never going to know,” I said, but Lisbeth

was already shrugging on her coat. Then she was gone, through the jangling door, long braid and layers flapping. In the parking lot, a truck refused to start, balking in the cold.

I ordered hot chocolate. I was careful to take small bills from my wallet when I went up to the counter. Most of the roll of cash from the paper bag boy was stuffed in a Pepsi can back on the floor of the truck. Lobo, who owned the truck, had never been neat, and drink cans, leaves, and empty Copenhagen tins littered the cab. Though the mud on the floor mats had hardened and caked like makeup, though Lobo and Mama had been gone a year now, I hadn’t bothered cleaning out the truck. Not yet.

The top of the Pepsi can was ripped partially off, and it was dry inside: plenty of room for a wad of cash. I had pushed down the top to hide the money, avoiding the razor-sharp edge. Lobo had taught me well.

I took the hot chocolate to go.

In the morning, I rose early and alone, got the stove going, pulled on my boots to hike up the hill to the big house. I swept the basement room. I checked the supplies. I checked the cistern for clogs. The creek rode up the sides of the driveway. Ice floated in the water, brown as tea.

No green leaves had appeared on the trees. No buds. My breath hung in the air, a web I walked through. My boots didn’t sink in the mud back to my own house in the lower field; my footprints were still frozen from a year ago. Last year’s walking had made ridges as stiff as craters on the moon. At the door to my tiny house, I knocked the frost from my boots, and yanked them off, but kept my warm coveralls on. I lit the small stove, listening to the whoosh of the flame. The water for coffee ticked in the pot.

I checked the time on the clock above the sink, a freebie from Radiator Palace.

“Fuck,” I said aloud to no one.

Excerpted from Road Out of Winter by Alison Stine, Copyright © 2020 by Alison Stine.

Published by MIRA Books

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ROAD OUT OF WINTER

Author: Alison Stine

ISBN: 9780778309925

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Publisher: MIRA Books

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ALISON STINE lives in the rural Appalachian foothills. A recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), she was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She has written for The Atlantic, The Nation, The Guardian, and many others. She is a contributing editor with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

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

New Releases for September 1, 2020

Happy Tuesday!

It’s another big week for new books! Most importantly, new Dog Man!!! These books are so popular at my Library and the kids can’t seem to get enough of them. The new Alyssa Cole, No One is Watching, sounds amazing and The Last Story of Mina Lee will break your heart in all the best ways. As always, click on the covers for more information and ways to order.

For the Kids:

For the Adults: