New Releases – November 2, 2021

New month, new releases! Let’s see what is coming to the shelves of The Haunted Book Shop this week!

Poetry

Dearly: New Poems is Margaret Atwood’s first poetry collection in over a decade. While most associate Atwood with her fiction writing, with novels like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, among others, she is also an accomplished poet. This wide-ranging collection addresses themes of love, loss, the passage of time, the nature of nature, and – zombies. Atwood fans will enjoy this introspective, observant collection

Mystery/Thriller

Now available in paperback, Tana French’s bestseller The Searcher follows Cal Hooper, a newly divorced and retired Chicago police officer looking to “build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens.” But when a kid looking for his missing brother enlists Cal in the investigation, Cal uncovers dark shadows hiding in the town and learns that even small towns can hide dangerous secrets.

Another bestseller now available in paperback, The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a southern Gothic twist on the classic novel Jane Eyre. Newly arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker with a past working in the ritzy Thornfield Estates gated community. The recently widowed Edward is Thornfield’s most mysterious resident. As the two meet and begin to fall for each other, Jane finds herself haunted by the legend of Bea, Edward’s wife who drowned in a boating accident. Can Jane win Edward’s heart before their respective pasts catch up with them?

Fantasy

The God of Lost Words is the latest in A.J. Hackwith’s Novels from Hell’s Library series. Every book that isn’t finished resides in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell and it is up to the Librarian and her crew to protect it. In this installment, former librarian and Hero, Claire, must team up with Rami, the angel, and muse-turned-librarian Brevity to protect the unwritten wing and stave off the insidious reach of Hell’s most bloodthirsty generals, the evil Malphas. The group faces perilous odds – succeed and rewrite the nature of the library or lose and face obliteration.

Described as “Red White and Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvelous Light takes place in an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies. Robin Blythe already has enough on his plate when an administrative error sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society. The position sees Robin struggling with the beauty and danger of magic, a deadly curse, and alarming visions of the future, all alongside Edwin, his cold and prickly counterpart who clearly wishes he didn’t have to deal with Robin. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Romance

A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King is a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. With her interior design career derailed, Liz Bennet found a new start in New York City as an executive assistant by day and a stage kitten by night, dancing at Meryton, one of the city’s top burlesque venues. Sparks fly when she catches the eye of Will Darcy at the club – sparks that quickly fade when she overhears him call her “merely tolerable.” Bennet hopes to write him off, but when their respective best friends fall for each other, she and Will find themselves together again and again. On top of that, when a charming newcomer arrives on the scene with accusations against Darcy, and a sudden development leaves Meryton’s fate in jeopardy. Who will Bennet trust to save her dreams and her found family?

Horror

The perfect gift for the horror lover in your life, The Necronomicon 5 Volume Box Set features more than 70 short stories from the masters of cosmic horror, including H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Arthur Machen, and more. With graphic cover designs, this gorgeous set is sure to scare and delight diehard horror readers!

Kids

Aaron Slater, Illustrator is the latest in The Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts! Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and wants to write his own one day. But Aaron struggles when it comes to reading, with the letters just looking like squiggles. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down, and he is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach. But when Aaron finds his inspiration, he learns he is able to write a story that is uniquely his. Written in dyslexia-friendly font, readers will find in Aaron the story of a boy with dyslexia who discovers that his learning disability may inform who he is, but it does not define him.

Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life is a collection of amazing dinosaurs, plants, and other prehistoric life that will wow readers of all ages. Showcasing more than 90 remarkable fossils, such as a fearsome Tyrannosaurus skull, delicate fern leaf, and perfectly preserved woolly mammoth, the gorgeous illustrations and storybook descriptions of the myths and legends surrounding these creatures will both inform and captivate readers.

Manu: A Graphic Novel by Kelly Fernández is a funny and heartwarming tale about friendship, defying expectations, and finding your place. Manu and her best friend Josefina live at a magical school for girls. Manu is always getting into trouble and one day when a prank goes wrong, Josefina gets angry and wishes Manu’s magic would go away – and it does. Manu tries a dangerous spell to restore it but now her magic is too powerful to control. How will Manu and Josefina cope? Read along and find out!

Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds is a story about love, tradition, and connection. Violet longs for the time when her family was more connected to one another, a time before life, technology, and other distractions got in the way. They used to gather at the table, sharing food, love, and memories, reveling in each others’ stories. With no one to gather around it, the table grows smaller and smaller. Can Violet bring her family back together around the table?

Since its first publication in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams’s much-loved, timeless tale of a toy rabbit’s fervent wish to become real has captured the hearts of millions of adults and children alike. This heritage edition of The Velveteen Rabbit features the original cover art and illustrations by William Nicholson.

Wednesday – The Forest of Secrets is the third book in Ralph Lazar’s Total Mayhem series. Dash Candoo is used to strange, mysterious things happening at school. But what has been happing recently is more strange and mysterious than usual. He really starts to wonder when weird tire marks and strange sounds start coming from Moremi Forest, next to Swedhump Elementary. When Dash and his friend Rob investigate, they can’t work out what is going on – but they know they’re being watched. Soon the eerieness finds its way into the elementary school halls. What is causing all this? Dash and Rob will try to find out!

Young Adult

Fantasy

Described as “Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid,” Skin of the Sea is the debut novel by Natasha Bowen. Simi serves the gods as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. But when she breaks a crucial rule – saving the life of a boy thrown overboard – Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends and protect the other Mami Wata. But the boy seems to know more than he should and something mysterious is shadowing Simi, something that wants to see her fail. With danger lurking around every turn, Simi risks the fate of all the Mami Wata and her world.

Horror

In this eleventh volume, Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon spins three sinister novella-length stories from different corners of his series’ canon. Prankster includes terrifying tales featuring Jeremiah, Joel, and Aimee as they stand up for themselves and face terrible consequences. Readers beware: This collection of terrifying tales is enough to unsettle even the most hardened Five Nights at Freddy’s fans.

Graphic Novels

The Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus: Volume 1. Featuring scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love, follow the propulsive, classic love story, told through lavish illustrations and contemporary sensibilities. This edition also includes a brand-new, exclusive short story!

Food & Drink

Bring the literary world to your kitchen with Once Upon a Kitchen: 101 Magical Recipes by Leslie Bilderback! Featuring recipes inspired by Tolkien, Star Wars, fairy tales, and more, readers and chefs will enjoy making delicious treats like Mrs. Potts’s Tea Poached Salmon and Jedi Ration Bars to share with friends and family.

Mind & Body

The Tarot of Curious Creatures is an eccentric and playful deck of magical guides. With their illuminating conversations and grounded wisdom, the curious and quirky characters in this 78 (+1) card deck and accompanying guidebook are a strangely familiar twist on the traditional tarot.

Visit our website for information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you, or you can visit our Bookshop page!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases – October 26, 2021

It’s the last Tuesday of the month and we’re sending October off with some great books at The Haunted Book Shop!

Kids

We know a lot of Wimpy Kid fans will be excited about this! Jeff Kinney is back with Diary of a Wimpy Kid #16: Big Shot! After a disastrous performance at field day, Greg decides it’s time to retire from sports. But when his mom convinces him to try out for basketball, Greg finds himself with a spot on the worst team. Will they even win a game? Will Greg make a shot?

Bestselling author Rick Riordan brings readers on an adventure in Daughter of the Deep, his modern take on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. When high school freshman Ana and her classmates witness a terrible accident on their way to their big trial at sea, Ana has no idea that they found their way into fighting a war with a rival school that threatens to turn them into fish food. Riordan fans will enjoy this tale full of adventure, intrigue, and a little humor.

Dinosaur Ultimate Handbook is THE guide for the dinosaur-loving curious kid in your life! Containing a complete list of all dinosaur species found to date, this guide includes statistics, illustrations, information on habitats and diet, and comparison charts to help determine your Stegosaurus from your Spinosaurus, Jurassic from Triassic, and carnivores from herbivores!

“While kids write notes to Santa Claus, Sharks line up for Santa Jaws. They tell him all their Christmas wishes. Santa thinks they sound delicious!”

So begins Santa Jaws by Bridget Heos and Galia Bernstein! Santa Jaws celebrates Christmas under the sea, delivering presents and spreading cheer to all his fellow sharks. Kids will enjoy this new twist on classic holiday traditions!

Horror

I know we just talked about a Christmas book but it IS still Halloween season and we have some spooky stuff coming out this week, starting with Vampire Hunter D Omnibus: Book 1! It is 12,090 A.D. and the aristocratic vampire lords known as Nobles have inherited the world. The Nobles are hunted by the one who is half them—a dhampir, the unearthly beautiful wanderer known as D. This collection brings together the first three volumes in author Hideyuki Kikuchi’s adventure horror series: Vampire Hunter DRaiser of Gales, and Demon Deathchase. Illustrated by Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano, this book will bring you into the story from the beginning!

Travel

Atlas of Dark Destinations by Peter Hohenhaus is perfect for those travel enthusiasts who like to add a little fright to their adventures! Hohenhaus visited and photographed all 300 places featured in the book and brings his knowledge and expertise to every page. From nuclear bunkers to eerie catacombs and more, those interested in dark tourism will be packing up the suitcase and setting off on their next eerie adventure soon after reading this book!

Fun & Games

If you want something a little calmer to do this Halloween, maybe staying home with this World of Dracula Puzzle is for you! This 1000 piece puzzle features gorgeous illustrations by Adam Simpson of all your favorite characters and key scenes from the story. Put a Dracula audiobook on your headphones and eat your Halloween candy as you put the pieces of this puzzle together!

Fantasy

Rhythm of War is the latest book in bestselling author Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive Series! Book 4 picks up with Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant having spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. With neither side gaining any advantage, new technological discoveries by Kholin’s scholars could change the face of the war. But the enemy may have other plans in the form of a bold and dangerous operation. That’s not all the action – the Windrunners are facing their own problems. As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants.

Science Fiction

The Wandering Earth brings together ten of Cixin Liu’s short stories into this collection that together are a “blazingly original ode to planet Earth, its pasts, and its futures.” Liu’s stories take readers to the edge of the universe and to the end of time with characters who attempt to reason, navigate, and survive in an unknown, punishing world. This collection includes the title story, which is the basis for a movie now streaming on Netflix.

Mystery

Award-winning journalist Tamron Hall kicks off a thrilling new mystery series with As the Wicked Watch. Jordan Manning is a crime reporter who leaves her Texas hometown to take a job at a Chicago TV station. Known for being first on the scene, Jordan tries to do two things in her work – break the big stories and give voice to the voiceless. As she is trying to establish herself (and navigate a tumultuous personal life) Jordan finds herself covering the murders of two assaulted young girls. Suspecting the murders are connected, Jordan must unravel the disturbing mysteries surrounding the deaths, deemed the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.

Humor

Need a break from the kiddos? Horizontal Parenting: How to Entertain Your Kid While Lying Down is the laugh-out-loud book from Michelle Woo that features” 50 hilarious and effective activities designed to entertain kids while you lie down.” With games like “What’s on my Butt? and “Railroad to Relaxation,” parents everywhere will get a laugh out of Woo’s ideas and Dasha Tolstikova’s hilarious illustrations. And who knows, maybe the kids will be entertained after all!

Mind & Body

Now available in paperback, Juliet Diaz’s Plant Witchery “initiates readers following the current witchy trends of herbal medicine and magic into a deeper, wilder connection with the ancient healing power of over 200 plants.” Readers will learn about the essential, magical, and medicinal properties of herbs, flowers, trees, and fruits along with rituals, spells, potions and more.

Visit our website for information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you, or you can visit our Bookshop page!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases – October 5, 2021

We have so many new releases coming to The Haunted Book Shop this week that I hope our new releases window display can handle them all!

Local Interest

History buffs and foodies alike are sure to enjoy A Culinary Tour Through Alabama History! Author Monica Tapper “serves up a stick-to-your-ribs trek through Alabama history, providing classic recipes modified for the modern kitchen along the way.”

In April 1861, President Lincoln declared a blockade on Southern ports. Engineers built elaborate obstructions and batteries, and three rows of torpedoes were laid from Fort Morgan to Fort Gaines. Then, in August 1864, the inevitable came. A navy fleet of fourteen wooden ships lashed two by two and four iron monitors entered the lower bay, with the USS Tecumseh in the lead. A torpedo, poised to strike for two years, found the Tecumseh and sank it in minutes, taking ninety-three crewmen with it. In The USS Tecumseh in Mobile Bay, David Smithweck takes readers on an exploration of the ship that still lies upside down at the bottom of Mobile Bay.

Fiction

Crossroads is the first book in the highly anticipated A Key to All Mythologies trilogy, Jonathan Franzen’s “magnum opus” that will follow three generations of a Midwestern family from the Vietnam War to the 2020s. In this first volume, readers are introduced to the Hildebrand family of New Prospect, Illinois, outside Chicago – Russ, a pastor and former youth director, his wife Marion, and their four children. All are facing the challenges of life as they approach Christmas 1971.

Dave Eggers’ latest The Every is a “blend [of] satire and terror, while keeping the reader in breathless suspense.” Somehow, Delaney Wells finds herself working for the Every – the combination of the world’s largest search engine/social media site and the largest e-commerce site. And she wants to take it down. But of course, there is more than she bargained for under the surface. This title is available exclusively through independent bookstores and the book’s independent, nonprofit publisher, McSweeney’s produced multiple dust jacket color schemes, many of which we have available!

Being re-released in paperback The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers is a double love story of two couples separated by 25 years. When promising microbiologist Stuart Ressler sets out in 1957 to crack the genetic code, he becomes tangled in other codes – social, moral, spiritual, musical – as he falls in love with a member of his research team. Years later, another young couple tries to unravel another mystery: Why did Ressler seemingly just disappear from the science world?

Kids

Robie Rogge and Rachel Isadora created a fun way to learn manners with I Say Please and Thank You: Lift-the-Flap Manners! Join along as the children say hello to a unicorn, share pizza with a gorilla, apologize to an ostrich ballerina, welcome a bear at the door, and wave goodbye to a friend in a hot air balloon! Along the way, each page has a lift-the-flap surprise awaiting readers!

The Secret Lives of Dragons by Prof. Zoya Agnis and Alexander Utkin takes readers into the world of dragons, the scaliest of magical creatures! Explore the details of their wings and the history of their treasure as you learn about famous dragons from around the world. Dragon researchers will introduce dragons from tiny to huge, from sweet to ferocious. If you ever wanted to become a dragon expert, this is the book for you!

Tristan Strong Destroys the World is the second book in Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong trilogy. Now available in paperback, Book 2 picks up with Tristan returning from Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, to the Strong family farm, where Tristan learns his Nana has been abducted. Tristan must return to Alke and reunite with his sidekick Gum Baby to save his grandmother and stop her captor from creating further devastation.

If Book 2 got you excited, lucky for you Book 3 is also available today! Tristan Strong Keeps Punching sees Tristan reunited with Ayanna and traveling up the Mississippi to face off with his archenemy King Cotton once and for all. But along the way, they encounter new haints who are determined to keep Tristan from returning to his hometown of Chicago.

Comics

Keanu Reeves makes his comic book debut with BRZRKR Vol. 1. Written alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt and featuring illustrations by Ron Garney, BRZRKR follows B., the mysterious half-mortal, half-God cursed to live a life of violence. He finally finds a refuge working for the U.S. Government doing jobs too dangerous and violent for anyone else. In exchange, B. will learn the truth behind his mysterious existence – and maybe even how to end it.

The Snifter of Terror returns with Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood, an all-new “snark-fest” that combines six issues’ worth of anthologies. Stories include an update of “The Tell-Tale Heart” and a take by Tom Peyer and Allan Robinson on “Masque of the Red Death.”

Horror

Jane Shoringfield is looking for a marriage of convenience, someone who will allow her to maintain her independence and continue pursuing work she enjoys. When the handsome but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence agrees to the proposal, he puts forward one requirement of his own: Jane must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town. Of course, when an accident places Jane there at night, she sees Augustine transformed into a fearful man who believes Jane is a spirit come to haunt him. By morning, he is back to himself. Caitlin Starling’s The Death of Jane Lawrence will keep readers turning page after page in this haunting tale!

Originally written as an online serial that reached over 70,000 downloads, John Dies at the End by Jason Pargin has been described as “Horrortacular, an epic of spectacular horror that combines the laugh out loud humor of the best R-rated comedy, with the darkest terror of H.P. Lovecraft.” Follow along as John and David, a pair of slackers suddenly tasked with saving humanity from a drug-induced apocalypse. This updated special edition features additional material and “an even more ‘epic’ epic of slackers versus the occult!”

Sci-Fi

This edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s classic I Will Fear No Evil is published as part of the Science Fiction Classics collection. Follow the story of a supremely talented but immensely old man who, after undergoing the ultimate transplant, discovers his new life comes at a cost.

Another Robert A. Heinlein classic published as part of the Science Fiction Classics collection, Time Enough for Love “follows Lazarus Long through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds. Heinlein’s longest and most ambitious work, it is the story of a man so in love with Life that he refused to stop living it, and so in love with Time that he became his own ancestor.”

Fantasy

Fans of V.E. Schwab’s bestselling The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue will love this special collector’s edition! This gorgeous edition features six new pieces of art from Addie’s story new to North American readers, a designed alternate debossed stamp under the cover, a ribbon bookmark, and an exclusive note from Schwab!

Alix E. Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered is a new version of the classic Sleeping Beauty story. Zinnia Gray is turning 21, and it’s a special birthday – it’s the last one she will ever have. Her best friend is determined to make this a birthday to remember with a full sleeping beauty experience. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, she is suddenly transported to another world, with another sleeping beauty desperate to escape her fate.

Young Adult

Fantasy

When the Pirate King dies without an heir, a competition to determine who will take the Bone Crown ensues in Kimberly Vale’s Crossbones. Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei each have their own reasons for wanting to win this deadly treasure hunt and take the crown. But of course, the sea won’t make it easy for anyone to prevail victorious.

Mystery/Thriller

When they meet on a dating app, she thought it might just be a hookup. But then she fell for him, and fell hard. Right when things seem to be going right, he disappears – profiles deleted, phone disconnected, leaving her ghosted. What happened? Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger follows her as she uncovers that there were other girls like her, and girls like her that went missing. Chasing down dark pasts, will she become the predator in this game – or the prey?

Romance

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond is “a paranormal romantic comedy at the (possible) end of the world.” Callie promised her mother she could handle managing the family’s escape room business for the weekend alone. But she didn’t think a Satanic cult would show up claiming one of the prop spell books in one of rooms is real and they need it to summon the right hand of the devil. As Callie and her best friend Meg get swept up in the adventure, they meet Luke, a hot guy who offers to help them keep the group from at bay. But Luke is actually Luke Morningstar, Prince of Hell and son of the Devil himself. Can Callie, Luke, and Meg keep the group from inciting a global apocalypse?

Historical Fiction

In The Lincoln Highway, eighteen-year-old Emmett, recently released from a juvenile work farm, has one plan – pick up his little brother Billy from the foreclosed family farm and head to California to start anew. But two friends from the work farm have a different idea that will take Emmett in the opposite direction to New York City. Told from multiple perspectives, readers will enjoy seeing how this adventure unfolds from A Gentleman in Moscow‘s Amor Towles.

Classics

The Classic Jane Austen Collection is a must for any Austen fan! This gorgeous boxed set features six collectable paperbacks of Austen’s best-known works, including Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice. Even if you have read these front to back before, readers will enjoy the new introductions and contemporary cover designs!

Published in English for the first time, The Marquise de Gange is “a neglected Gothic classic by one of the most notorious authors in the literary canon.” Inspired by one of the most shocking crimes of the 17th century, the story follows Euphrasie, a beautiful and virtuous woman admired by the King who falls in love with the young and handsome Alphonse, Marquis de Gange. But inside the castle, sinister forces are conspiring against the young couple. Alphonse’s brothers, the Abbé and the Chevalier, want Euphrasie for themselves.

Biography

Dave Grohl has had a prolific music career, from drumming for Nirvana to forming the Foo Fighters, from jamming with Iggy Pop to drumming for Tom Petty, and everything in between. In The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, Grohl brings those stories to the page, giving him a chance to shed a little light on what it was like being a musician and living out his dreams and “focusing the lens through which [he] see[s] these memories a little sharper” for fans and readers alike.

Essays

David Sedaris returns with his latest collection of diary entries in A Carnival of Snackery. Spanning from 2003 to 2020, journey along with Sedaris as he records his observations and adventures with his signature wit and humor.

Humor

Hobbies

Looking for a new coloring book that will make you laugh while also acknowledging troublesome double standards and frustratingly familiar acts of sexism? The How to Talk So Men Will Listen: A Coloring Book by Caitlin Peterson is the answer!

Visit our website for information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you, or you can visit our Bookshop page!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases – September 28, 2021

It’s a Tuesday New Releases Round-Up coming to you on a Wednesday! Check out what we have coming to The Haunted Book Shop this week!

Kids

When Beatryce appears at the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrow monastery barn, Gentle Brother Edik nurses her back to health and uncovers her secret – she is the girl full of stories that the king wishes dead. As Beatryce ventures into the forest in search of the king’s castle, she knows that she has the support of others should something happen to her. The Beatryce Prophecy is a lyrical tale by Kate DiCamillo with gorgeous illustrations by Sophie Blackall that explores themes of love, fate, and the power of words.

Perfect for budding chefs and scientists alike, The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists from America’s Test Kitchen combines recipes for skillet pizza, galactic mirror cake, and more with scientific inquiry. Like, why do some cheeses melt better than others? Read the book to find out, and make some delicious treats along the way!

Garlic feels like she can’t do anything right. All she wants to do is tend to her own little garden, where everything is nice and safe. But when her little village is faced with a new neighborhood vampire, the citizens deem Garlic the right choice to confront him. In this delightful debut graphic novel from Bree Paulsen, Garlic & the Vampire gives readers a precocious heroine to root for who shows us to believe in ourselves – and that people aren’t always as scary as they seem!

The latest book in John Patrick Green’s InvestiGators series, Ants in Our P.A.N.T.S. finds Mango and Brash trying to solve their latest mystery! With Brash in a mysterious coma, the technicians at S.U.I.T. have developed RoboBrash – he has hall the crime-fighting know-how as the original Brash, but has a few bugs to work out of his system. Can he team up with Mango to fight the giant ants overtaking the city? Readers will enjoy finding out!

The People Remember is the debut picture book from bestselling author Ibi Zoboi! With beautiful illustrations by Loveis Wise, Zoboi uses the seven principles of Kwanzaa to talk about the history of African Americans. Young readers enjoy learning something new on each reading of this “lyrical narrative that tells the story of survival as well as the many moments of joy, celebration, and innovation of Black people in America.”

After his father is taken away in the dead of night by three horsemen, twelve-year-old Silas is left scared and alone. Well, not really alone, as he still has his loyal companion ghost, Mittenwool. When a pony mysteriously shows up at his door, Silas decides to embark on a dangerous journey to find his father, an adventure that will force him to face his past and his fears. Pony by R.J. Palacio is a story of courage wrapped up in daring action!

Sparkleton #5: The Haunted Woods by Calliope Glass finds Sparkleton having to pass a wilderness skills test in order to go on the big class camping trip – but he’s too distracted to study! When he learns he can get wish-granting magic by spending a night in the haunted woods, Sparkleton thinks he has found the perfect solution. But how will he fare among the ghosts, glowing rocks, and the spooky Whirlwind Unicorn?! Young readers will enjoy going with Sparkleton on his latest adventure!

What Does the Constitution Say? A Kid’s Guide to How Our Democracy Works features fun facts, cool illustrations, and even the occasional joke to introduce young readers to the Constitution! Writer Ben Sheehan and illustrator Mary Kate McDevitt introduce the big concepts and “fancy words” in the Constitution through “bite-sized” information, historic quotes, and graphics. Curious kids and even adults will enjoy this look at American history!

Young Adult

Fantasy

The first book in a planned trilogy, Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray introduces readers to Koffi and Ekon, two Black teenagers living in the broken city of Lkossa. Koffi, indentured to the notorious Night Zoo where she cares for mysterious creatures, holds a power that she does not understand, a power that upends her life when unleashed. Ekon is destined to become an elite warrior and uphold his family legacy. But when he faces the Shetani, a monster that stalks the city, he meets Koffi, whose powers seem to keep the beast at bay. Koffi saves his life, but the fact that Ekon let her go means he won’t become a warrior. As the two team up to enter the Greater Jungle, one for revenge, one for answers, they begin to wonder if they are the hunters – or the hunted.

Violeta and her younger brother Arien expect to find a monster when they arrive at the haunted Lakesedge estate, thanks to the terrifying rumors that inhabitant Rowan Sylvanan drowned his entire family as a boy. But Violeta learns not all is as it seems and Rowan is bound to the Lord Under, a death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. As Violeta tries to save Rowan – and herself – she realizes she must decipher the mystery of the Lord Under. The Haunted Book Shop’s Candice described Lakesedge, the debut fantasy from Lyndall Clipstone, as a “lush, atmospheric Gothic novel” with “gorgeous prose.”

Sci-Fi

Steelstriker is the exciting conclusion to Marie Lu’s Skyhunter duet! The fall of her homeland has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmares. Faced with ever-daunting challenges, Talin must become a Steelstriker to save everything that matters to her, including Mara, her adopted homeland. Book one just came out a few weeks ago, so it won’t take long to catch up with Talin and her quest before embarking on Steelstriker!

Biography

Anthony Bourdain’s longtime assistant and confidante Laurie Woolever conducted nearly 100 interviews with people in Bourdain’s world for Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography. From his kitchen crews, to his television crews, to his daughter and closest friends, readers will get an in-depth look into the world of Anthony Bourdain, through the words and photos of those who knew him best.

Fiction

Cloud Cukoo Land is the highly-anticipated latest novel from Anthony Doerr, the author of All the Light We Cannot See. Told in three different timelines – 15th century Constantinople, present-day Idaho, and an interstellar ship decades into the future – through the eyes of five different characters, Doerr shows the connections, resilience, and hope that endures between people, places, and time.

Now available in paperback, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke explores a new world by turns enchanting and haunting. Piranesi lives in a house with infinite rooms and endless corridors; he lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house, The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and helps research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But the more Piranesi explores, the more secrets and terrible truths begin to unravel.

Fantasy

It’s the year 2022 in England and there are 1.2 million human-sized rabbits living in the U.K. in The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde. When a family of rabbits decides to move into the cozy Much Hemlock village, it causes humans and rabbits alike to question everything they previously thought in this blend of satire, fantasy, and thriller.

The Last Graduate is the sequel to Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education. El, Orion, and their schoolmates are facing their final year at the Scholomance and the deadly graduation ritual that barely half of students survive. El is determined that her group will make it out alive, but a series of obstacles stands in the way. The Haunted Book Shop’s Angela loved seeing how these obstacles forced El to open up more to friendship, love, and embrace her heroism!

Alix E. Harrow weaves together a story of sisterhood, magic, and the suffragette movement in The Once and Future Witches! It’s 1893 and there are no such things as witches; if a woman wants power, she must find it at the ballot box. When the Eastwood sisters – James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna – join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the old tricks that could turn the women’s movement into a witches movement. The sisters will have to rely on one another to survive, drawing new alliances and healing old grievances along the way.

Romance

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling is the perfect rom-com to take you into October! When Vivienne Jones and Rhys Penhallow broke up nine years ago, Vivienne responded as any young witch would: by putting a curse on him. But Vivienne didn’t expect the hex to have the repercussions it did. As Rhys comes back into town for the annual fall festival, he and Vivienne find the town plagued with murderous toys, a talking cat, and an angry ghost. Can Vivienne and Rhys work together to end the curse?

Mystery

From a Halloween rom-com to a Christmas mystery! A Garland of Bones is the latest Sarah Booth mystery from Carolyn Haines. Sarah is ready for Christmas and looking forward to a trip with Tinkie to a B&B in Columbus, Mississippi and take in all the Christmas activities happening around the state. But when one event after another is marred by calamity and injury. Enlisting the help of Tinkie and Sheriff Coleman Peters, Sarah is determined to figure out who is causing all the chaos.

Horror

Legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow brought together some of the leading writers in the genre for When Things Get Dark, an anthology in tribute to a titan of horror, Shirley Jackson. This collection of short stories by writers like Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Trembley, Carmen Maria Machado, and more were inspired by, and in tribute to, Jackson. Fans of Shirley Jackson, not to mention the writers featured here, will surely enjoy this haunting collection!

Manga

Hello World: The Manga introduces Naomi, a shy teenage boy who is visited by a mysterious stranger – himself, ten years into the future. Future Naomi comes with a warning that Ruri, Naomi’s soon-to-be girlfriend, will be in a tragic accident not long after they start dating. As the two try to change the future, Naomi starts to wonder if there is more to this mission than just saving Ruri’s life.

Essays

Allie Brosh is back with Solutions and Other Problems, a follow-up to her hit Hyperbole and a Half. This series of autobiographical and illustrated essays employ Brosh’s trademark humor to tell stories of her childhood, misbehaving animals, and musings on the absurdity of life alongside poignant pieces on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness. Fans new and old alike will enjoy hearing from Brosh again!

Science

Nature

Biologist Thor Hansen describes the amazing ways plants and animals are responding to climate change in Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change. Hanson combines scientific inquiry with clarity to tell the stories of, for instance, Anole lizards growing larger toe pads in order to to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes, and the changing appearance of Humboldt squids. Readers will enjoy how Hanson’s book demonstrates the hope and resilience of the natural world.

Social Science

In Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, Malcolm Gladwell explores our interactions with strangers – and why they often go terribly wrong. Using contemporary examples, Gladwell explores history, psychology, and scandal to demonstrate how the strategies we use to make sense of other people actually results in conflict and misunderstanding.

Mind & Body

Rachel Lang’s Modern-Day Magic: 8 Simple Rules to Realize Your Power and Shape Your Life provides exercises, meditations, rituals, and journal prompts to facilitate weaving a magical practice into your busy daily life. The book also acts as a primer to introduce fundamental magic rules and practices to unlock your magical power and reshape your life for the better.

Visit our website for information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you, or you can visit our Bookshop page!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases – September 14, 2021

It’s New Release Day and we have some great reads coming into The Haunted Bookshop!

Young Adult

Fantasy

In this gothic fantasy debut from Cyla Panin, Stalking Shadows follows two sisters, Marie and Ama. Marie mixes and sells perfumes; she hopes it will be enough to establish a dowry for Ama to marry well. Some of her potions are more than just pretty scents in bottles, though, and when things go awry Marie must venture to the mansion where Ama was cursed all those years ago. Come for the mystery, stay for the sisterly bonds!

Mystery/Suspense

Described as “The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out,” White Smoke is psychological YA thriller from best-selling author Tiffany D. Jackson. Mari doesn’t want to move with her blended family to a new house in Cedarville, and it seems the house doesn’t want her there either. Creepy things begin happening in the house upon arrival. When Mari’s brother almost dies in a fire, she takes it upon herself to investigate the home and the town.

Fiction

Apples Never Fall is the latest from Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty! The Delaneys are a picture-perfect family, staples in their community. After selling their famed tennis academy, parents Stan and Joy are looking towards retirement and future grandchildren. But underneath the sunny exterior, the two are miserable. When Joy disappears, the four Delaney siblings are split. Two believe Stan had something to do with it, two aren’t so sure. See what happens as the sides square off to solve the mystery.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead is back with Harlem Shuffle, a novel full of heists and shakedowns in 1960s Harlem. To most, Ray Carney is an upstanding citizen, a salesman making a nice life for himself and his family. But there are hidden secrets and the cracks begin to show Ray’s more shady past. As money gets tight, Ray finds himself in over his head. Fans new and old will surely enjoy Whitehead’s blend of family saga and crime novel!

Fantasy

Empire of the Vampire is the first volume in Jay Kristoff’s newest dark fantasy saga. Featuring pages of amazing illustrations, the story follows Gabriel de Leon, the last remaining silversaint, a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending their realm and church from creatures of the night. When Gabriel is imprisoned by these monsters, he realizes he must tell his story of battles, forbidden love, and faith and friendships lost.

Already popular in the U.K., Mordew is the first book in a new inventive and epic fantasy series from Alex Pheby. Nathan is a young boy of lowly station scraping together survival when his mother sells him to the Master of Mordew, a mysterious creature who derives his powers from the corpse of God buried in the catacombs beneath the town. But Nathan has his own strength, a strength greater than the Master’s and a threat to all he has built. As the Mordew begins to scheme against him, Nate must navigate betrayals, secrets, and more in this twisting adventure.

Published for the first time in hardcover, When Sorrows Come is the 15th novel in the award-winning October Daye urban fantasy series. October, better known as “Toby,” is supposed to get married. But the occasion keeps getting delayed as Toby finds herself needing to solve all the kingdom’s problems. When it eventually looks like the wedding will happen, Toby instead must help thwart a plot to overthrow the High Court. This version features an all-new novella from Seanan McGuire that fans are sure to enjoy!

Sci-Fi

Cixin Liu’s To Hold Up the Sky is a short-story collection that takes readers “from the coal mines of China to the final frontier.” The stories will transport readers through time, space, and imagination.

Mystery

Sophie Hannah continues the story of Agatha Christie’s famed detective Hercule Poirot in The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. Poirot receives a call from Richard Devonport, asking him to prove his wife, Helen, is innocent in the murder of his brother, Frank. As Poirot travels to the Kingfisher estate, he faces not only to save Helen from the gallows in a matter of days, but the mystery of another murder that followed a strange incident on the passenger coach. Will Poirot uncover all the secrets? Read to find out!

Romance

A Lot Like Adios is the latest romance from best-selling author Alexis Daria. Michelle may be a talented graphic designer but as a single girl, she’s the black sheep in her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. When her former best friend and crush Gabe reluctantly comes back to town to open a New York City branch of his popular celebrity gym, Michelle is asked to work on the project. As she tries to keep Gabe at arms length, old feelings resurface. What happens next? Pick up the book and find out!

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood brings together science and romance! Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith doesn’t believe in love but is desperate to get her best friend Anh off her back. In a panic, she kisses the first guy she sees. That guy happens to be Adam Carlsen, a young, hot-shot professor with an arrogant reputation. Olive is amazed when Adam agrees to keep up the dating charade. But of course, nothing goes to plan, even for a team of scientists.

Kids

Grumpy Monkey is bringing us a dose of Christmas in September with Grumpy Monkey: Oh No! Christmas! It’s Christmas time in the jungle but Jim Panzee just can’t get in the holiday spirit. So what is a Grumpy Monkey to do? With the help of his friend Norman, Jim tries to find a way to join the jungle in their joy.

Pete the Cat: Making New Friends by Kimberly and James Dean introduces early readers to the world of graphic novel storytelling and visual literacy! Secret Agent Meow, also known as Pete the Cat, meets a lonely squirrel looking for new friends. The two team up to solve the case in this fun adventure!

Ever wondered what to call a group of elephants or skunks? You’ll learn all that and more in A Troop of Kangaroos: A Book of Animal Group Names, written and illustrated by Lisa Mundorff! Curious kids will love learning fun animal facts accompanied by eye-catching illustrations. And in case you were wondering, it is a parade of elephants and a stench of skunks!

The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs takes place in 1913 during the Mexican Revolution. Twelve-year-old Petra is dealing with the death of her mother when her papa is dragged away by soldiers. Petra vows to care for her siblings, little sister Amelia and baby brother Luisito, and her abuelita until they can be reunited. As the family flees north, Petra holds onto her “barefoot dreams” – those dreams her abuelita says aren’t meant to go far. But Petra refuses to give up.

Last Kids on Earth and the Doomsday Race is the seventh book of the bestselling series from Max Brallier! Jack Sullivan and his gang are headed towards the Tower, a mysterious place where they must finally stop Rezzoch the Ancient, Destructor of Worlds, before he descends upon their dimension. First, though, they are sidetracked by the Mallusk, an enormous centipede monster who carries not only the world’s largest shopping mall on his back – he also carries Mallusk City, where old friends and foes await the gang. Action and adventure will surely abound!

Bear is a Bear by Jonathan Stutzman is a touching tale about the friendship between a young girl and Bear, a protector, dreamer, and fellow mischief-maker. With gorgeous illustrations by Dan Santat, readers will enjoy this tribute to all of our beloved childhood companions.

What’s in Your Pocket: Collecting Nature’s Treasures by Heather L. Montgomery introduces young readers to nine scientists who got their start as kids exploring the outdoors and collected “treasures” like fossils and seedpods in their pockets. Alongside illustrations by Maribel Lechuga, readers will love seeing how pockets full of treasures led to big dreams and big discoveries!

Non-Fiction

Science

Famed science writer Mary Roach is back with Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, examining how wildlife and humans collide in a myriad of ways. Combining forensic science and conservation genetics, Roach uses research and observation to teach readers about human interaction with nature’s lawbreakers. Readers are sure to enjoy Roach’s signature humor while learning about the illegal, unethical, and sometimes murderous ways humans and wildlife collide.

History

When George Washington became president in 1789 he embarked on a journey across the thirteen original colonies to talk with citizens about the newly-formed government and to create the sense that everyone was, first and foremost, Americans. Nathaniel Philbrick took a similar journey in 2018 and documented it all in Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy. Through dual perspectives, readers learn about Washington’s 18th century journey alongside Philbrick’s 21st century one in this insightful chronicle of an adventure.

Essays

The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems, William Evans and Omar Holmon, bring their insights to the page in Black Nerd Problems: Essays! In this collection of essays, Evans and Holmon take on a number of topics, from pop culture touchstones like Mario Kart and The Wire, to more serious topics like representation and police brutality. This collection will surely enthrall anyone who loves a blend of social commentary and all things nerdy.

Visit our website for information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you, or you can visit our Bookshop page!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases – August 31, 2021

Let’s close out August with another batch of new releases coming to The Haunted Bookshop!

Kids

Superspy-in-training Ben Ripley returns in Spy School Revolution, the eighth book in the Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs. When the CIA conference room next door is bombed, Ben is surprised to learn Erica Hale, a well-respected fellow spy-in-training, is the prime suspect. To prove Erica is not a double-agent, Ben must face the Croatoan – an evil organization so mysterious, the only proof it exists dates back to the American Revolution. How will Ben solve the mystery? Pick up this book to find out!

Two Spy School books in one week?! How lucky are we! In Spy School at Sea, the action picks up with Ben finding his nemesis Murray Hill in Central America getting ready to board the world’s biggest cruise ship, The Emperor of the Seas, as it heads out on its maiden voyage around the world. Ben poses as part of a family with Erica and his best friend Mike to board the ship and track Murray. But of course, nothing goes to plan. Enjoy this ninth book in the Spy School series!

Check out Big Nate: Aloha! the latest book in the Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce! Because Aloha can mean both hello and goodbye, it is the perfect word to describe Nate’s current state – he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. All of your favorite characters return for new adventures with Nate, including Nate needing to tap into his superhero side to solve a crime he witnessed at Klassic Komix.

The Table 5 gang try to find a way to keep Molly’s family from moving away in Trouble at Table 5: Countdown to Disaster, the sixth book in this series by Tom Watson. Readers will enjoy this illustrated chapter book as they watch Molly, Rosie, and Simon create a scavenger hunt to show Molly’s family how much they love their neighborhood – all before the moving trucks are set to arrive.

Friends Forever is a follow-up to Real Friends and Best Friends, the previous best-selling graphic memoirs from Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. Shannon is in eighth grade and everything is changing. In the midst of all the chaos, Shannon struggles with insecurities, the fear of disappointing everyone, and her undiagnosed depression. Using humor, warmth, and insight, Hale and Pham give readers a reminder that we are all enough and need to love ourselves as we are.

Young Adult

In an extension of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters novels, Chain of Gold is the first in a new triology that follows Shadowhunter Cordelia Carstairs. When Cordelia’s father is accused of a terrible crime, she travels with her brother to London in hopes of saving the family from impending ruin. While her mother wants to marry her off, Cordelia aspires to be a hero, not a bride. When she meets up with childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale, Cordelia creates a new life for herself while in search of answers. But when a series of demon attacks shock and devastate London, Cordelia and her friends are faced with a series of challenges they have never encountered before.

Bestselling author Marie Lu returns with Skyhunter, a new YA sci-fi novel about a world broken by war and inhabited by danger around every corner. Mara is the only free nation left after the Karensa Foundation conquered twelve other kingdoms. Talin and her mother escaped the Federation and sought asylum in Mara, where they are not necessarily welcomed with open arms. Even as Mara looks like it too may fall to the Federation, Talin is not ready to give up. Check out Book One before the sequel comes out in September!

Enola Holmes is back with the latest book in the series, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer! In this latest installment, the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes steps in to help Letitia Glover, a distraught woman who showed up on Sherlock’s doorstep desperate for answers about her sister, Felicity. Armed with a vague note from her sister’s husband, the Earl of Dunhench, and a suspicious death certificate, Enola decides to go undercover to solve the mystery. Felicity may not be the first of the Earl’s wives to die under mysterious circumstances, and Enola feels the secret to unlocking the mystery lies with a black barouche that arrived at the Earl’s house in the middle of the night. As she digs deeper into the mystery, Enola enlists the help of a cast of characters, including her famous brother, to solve the case.

Fiction

Sci-Fi

Released in conjunction with the Apple TV+ series premiere, check out Foundation by Issac Asimov, the classic sci-fi epic that started it all. Hari Seldon is the creator of psychohistory, a revolutionary science that allows him to see into the future. As the Galactic Empire around him is dying, Hari must use his skills and gather the best minds in the Empire to preserve knowledge and save humankind. He calls this collective the Foundation. But as corrupt warlords encroach closer, the Foundation must figure out how to fight back, lest they be destroyed.

Fantasy

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston is an epic fantasy that brings together Hairston’s masterful prose with folklore and storytelling traditions. Djola, a spymaster of the Arkhysian Empire, is desperately trying to save his adopted homeland even though he is stuck in exile. Awa is a young woman in training to become a powerful grigot, is meanwhile discovering her powers and pushing the limits of what she can accomplish. New to this edition is a conversation between Hairston and fellow author Daniel Jose Older.

Literary

The latest from author Richard Powers, Operation Wandering Soul takes place in the pediatrics ward of a Los Angeles hospital. Resident doctor Richard Kraft and therapist Linda Espera act as surrogate parents to the young patients, tasked with keeping them alive through stories of imagination and hope, even in a place where hope is in short supply. The two spin stories of restoration and escape, but as the inevitable ends draw near, Richard and Linda must face forgotten chapters of their own lives to brace themselves for what comes next.

Horror

Why is it so fun to scare ourselves? Darryl Jones explores this phenomenon alongside classic horror stories in Horror: A Very Short Introduction. Through his exploration of genre tropes like monsters, vampires, and ghosts, Jones address why the psychological thrills and macabre scenes disturb us and how society responds to the shock. This latest installment of the Very Short Introduction series would make a great accompaniment to any scary story as we head into the season of ghost stories and campfires!

Mystery/Thriller

Described as “Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th,” My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones follows Jade Daniels, a young girl with an abusive father, an absent mother trying to manage life in her small town. Jade loves horror movies and uses her knowledge of the genre to make sense of Proofrock’s history. But when the blood really starts running through the Indian River, Jade uses her wealth of knowledge to predict how the plot will unfold in town. And in the process lets readers into the world of a young woman angry and desperate for a home.

The latest book from The Girl on the Train‘s Paula Hawkins, A Slow Fire Burning is an equally twisting tale of murder and revenge. When the body of a young man is discovered on a London houseboat, the lives of three women are turned upside down in the search for answers. Each has a different connection to the victim and tensions simmer below the surface as the women seek answers and revenge.

Revisit Hercule Poirot with The Big Four by Agatha Christie. In this new edition that features exclusive content from Christie, Hercule Poirot finds himself embroiled in a global conspiracy as he tries to solve the mystery of the shadowy figure who appeared at his bedroom door one night.

Romance

The Heart Principle, the latest book by Helen Hoang, introduces readers to Anna Sun, a violinist who first went viral in a YouTube video who is now struggling to recapture the magic of that first hit. In the midst of struggling with burnout, her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment. Fed up and angry, Anna decides to embark on a string of one-night stands. Enter Quan Diep, a motorcycle riding tattooed guy who upends Anna’s pursuit of reckless romantic abandon. When tragedy strikes Anna’s family, the expectations and stress threaten Anna’s and Quan’s budding relationship.

Body, Mind, and Spirit

Featuring recipes, spells, and guides for herbs and candle crafting, those interested in “the Lexicon of Witchcraft” will find Candlelight Spells by Gerina Dunwich their go-to source.

Visit our website for more information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you!

We hope to see you soon!

New Releases for August 24

Check out the new releases we have this week at The Haunted Bookshop!

Fantasy

HBS’s own Alex was so excited for this release he circled the date on our shop calendar and wrote an excellent blog post all about it! In A Heart Divided, the fourth and final installment of the Legends of the Condor Heroes series, Guo Jing must make a pivotal decision – remain loyal to his homeland or keep faith with surrogate father figure Genghis Khan? Affairs of the heart abound as well as Guo Jing grapples with the chance that his love’s father murdered someone close to him. What happens next? How will the series conclude? Read to find out! (P.S. you can find Books 1-3 here, here, and here)

Attention Game of Thrones fans! Fire & Blood tells the history of House Targaryen, set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Fire & Blood begins with Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, as House Targaryen establishes themselves on Dragonstone and Westeros. Get caught up before the prequel series House of the Dragons airs on HBO next year!

Kids

When main character JJ Jacobson convinced his mom to take an all-expenses-paid weekend at the Barclay Hotel, he expected a low-key weekend of ghost hunting at the legendarily haunted hotel. But when his mother is accused of the hotel owner’s death, JJ and new friends Penny and Emma must solve the mystery – and maybe encounter a ghost or two- in Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley.

Great for early readers who love the My Little Pony movie, Ponies Unite will introduce new characters while providing an opportunity to improve reading and vocabulary skills.

Fiction – Short Stories

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman brings together some of the famed author’s short stories with beautiful watercolors by artist Henry Sene Yee to create this beautiful collection. Readers will enjoy ghost stories, fairy tales, and fables full of miracles, terror, and amusement in this celebration of Gaiman’s work.

Fiction – Romance

The first book in Sarah MacLean’s Hell’s Belles series, Bombshell introduces Lady Sesily Talbot, a woman choosing to embrace her scandal-prone reputation. Caleb Calhoun, her brother’s best friend, wishes he could get Sesily out of his head. Caleb tasks himself with keeping Sesily out of trouble during her late night escapades, but he realizes he may be in over his head. Read on to see how this series develops!

Fiction – Mystery

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache returns in Louise Penny’s latest mystery. The Madness of Crowds find Gamache trying to enjoy the winter season in Three Pines when he is asked to provide security for a visiting professor giving a lecture at a nearby university. But when Gamache learns about the professor, he implores the university to cancel. When they do not, citing academic freedom, Gamache finds himself fighting for truth and facts against delusion, alongside trying to solve a murder with his second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir.

History

If you wanted to learn more about the man Hamilton called “America’s Favorite Fighting Frenchman,” this is the book for you. In Hero of Two Worlds, Mike Duncan takes readers through Marquis de Lafayette’s revolutionary career fighting on both sides of the Atlantic as a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist. From his teenage years, when he ran away from France to join the American Revolution, to helping launch the French Revolution and sparring with Napoleon, readers will enjoy learning more about the life and times of Lafayette.

Visit our website for more information on these titles and more! And don’t forget – if we don’t have a book in stock we are more than happy to order it for you!

We hope to see you soon!

Local Authors Book Review: ALABAMA NOIR

A heart-felt goal of the Haunted Bookshop is to be a place that brings together literary Mobile. One casualty of COVID19 is our book signing with local authors for the new anthology, Alabama Noir, out this past week. Since we can’t be together to celebrate this collection’s release, we’re coming together here instead.

Alabama Noir will appeal to fans of mystery and detective stories, as well as Southern gothic. As editor Don Noble says in the book’s introduction:

In Alabama Noir, we encounter “troubles and foibles” galore, darkness in many forms. The stories range from the deadly grim to some that are actually mildly humorous. We see desperate behavior on the banks of the Tennessee River, in the neighborhoods of Birmingham, in the affluent suburbs of Mobile, in a cemetery in Montgomery, and even on the deceptively pleasant beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.

The collection is divided into “our troubled troubadour” Hank Williams’ songs as title sections—Cold, Cold Heart; Your Cheatin’ Heart; I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry; and The Angel of Death. Each section has short stories with the location the story and author represents.

From our part of the state along the Gulf coast, we have Carolyn Haines’s story set in Downtown Mobile. “The Price of Indulgence” follows a Mobile Register reporter with a moonshine business on the side. The reporter is given a crime story to cover but as she chases the smoke, realizes, like all things in the South, this one twines deep into her own past as well. It has a shady pastor, a dug-up grave, a ghostly Angel in White, and a junkie-dancer past redemption but out to set the truth free. Everything you expect in a Carolyn Haines story that drips Spanish moss and justice.

In West Mobile, Michelle Richmond’s “What Brings You Back Home” is a beautifully written, gut-wrenching story about a mother out to avenge her family, coming back to Mobile to do so. To a “hot, humid slice of the Southern dream” which differs from the American dream as it’s “friendlier, and with more mayonnaise.” The sweet, sickly scent of gardenias, pecan pie, gun rights, and pompous senators permeates this story.

Across the bay, Winston Groom infuses humor in his story “Murder at the Grand Hotel” set in Point Clear. Things go awry when a disgruntled river delta guide boat captain, hit by unknown-to-him entertainment taxes that will bankrupt his business, goes after the head of the Alabama Department of Revenue. With his quail dog, he digs a punji pit, filled with heat-tempered bamboo stakes, at the eleventh hole of the Lakewood golf course. The story is filled with his trials and errors, and of all things, a lady dwarf, to create a story of comical Southern grotesque the way only Winston Groom can write it.

In Gulf Shores, Brad Watson’s story, “Laughing Boy, Crooked Girl” opens up in a memorable way as the main character feeds an ancient alligator whole chickens stuffed with her aunt’s possessions. No coastal story would be complete without an approaching hurricane and this Southern gothic is seasoned nicely with poisoned eggs, a Creek Indian mummy, and a bent and forgotten protagonist.

With sixteen stories representing all parts of Alabama, readers of noir and Southern gothic will be sure to find something to entertain and chill their spine. And perhaps be secretly glad this social distancing thing is keeping the neighbors away and in their own homes.

Pick up your copy of Alabama Noir from our no-contact curb. Or have it delivered, porch-side in select neighborhoods or shipped.