You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky, 322 pages

 Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He's on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents' charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?

It's bad enough he's stuck in some festive winter wonderland—it's even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who's unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.

Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior...with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can't resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince's heart grow three sizes this year.

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie, 246 pages

 First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond... then came the “suicide” that was murder... the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat...a suspicious death in a locked gun room... a million dollar bond robbery... the curse of a pharaoh’s tomb... a jewel robbery by the sea... the abduction of a prime minister... the disappearance of a banker... a phone call from a dying man... and, finally, the mystery of the missing will.

What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!

The short stories are: 1. The Adventure of 'The Western Star', 2. The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor, 3. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat, 4. The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge, 5. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery, 6. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb, 7. The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan, 8. The Kidnapped Prime Minister, 9. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, 10. The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, and 11. The Case of the Missing Will.

Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide by Michele Sponagle, 211 pages

 With an average audience of 1.6 million fans nationwide viewing each episode, CTV's Corner Gas is, without a doubt, the most watched TV comedy in Canada. Now, for the first time, fans of this true Canadian success story can meet the cast and crew responsible for their favourite show, peek behind the scenes as filming takes place, go on a guided tour of Rouleau (the real-life Dog River), and relive their favourite moments with a complete episode guide to the first three seasons. Packed with information even the most ardent fan doesn't know, Tales from Dog River also reveals secrets about the making of the show, including filming flubs, inside jokes, memorable quotes, cast bios, trivia, and much more. Ever wondered what Hank does for a living, why we've never seen Wanda's son, which Corner Gas star is superstitious, or how to make your own chili cheese dogs at home? The answers are all here…

Archie's Double Digest #172, 225 pages

 

Archie's Double Digest #167, 225 pages

 

Archie's Double Digest #141, 225 pages

 

Archie's Double Digest #131, 225 pages

 

The Cat and the Curmudgeon by Cleveland Amory, 295 pages

 In this heartwarming, uproarious sequel to Amory's bestselling "The Cat Who Came for Christmas", the cat named Polar Bear finds that being rich and famous is not all it's cracked up to be.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand, 389 pages

 On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . . .

Rest You Merry by Charlotte Macleod, 222 pages

 Professor Peter Shandy finally succumbs to Jemima Ames, Chairperson for Balaclava Agricultural College's major fundraiser, the Grand Illumination. He buries his small brick house under an avalanche of tawdry plastic and escapes on a sea cruise. But he returns to find Jemima dead on his living room floor and a murder to solve.

Sloths: A Celebration of the World's Most Misunderstood Mammal by Willaim Hartston, 198 pages

 In public estimation, sloths have undergone an astonishing transformation in the course of the past few years. Thanks largely to YouTube clips posted by the sloth orphanage in Costa Rica, sloths have attracted a vast audience of admirers. Instead of seeing them as ridiculous anachronisms of which we know little, they have turned into creatures considered by many to be the most endearing on earth. Over much the same period, scientific investigations have also changed our view of sloths. No longer are they seen as total misfits in the modern world but, in the words of one specialist sloth investigator, they are "masters of an alternative lifestyle." This wonderfully entertaining book reveals the fascinating history of the sloth, from the prehistoric ground sloth to modern pygmy sloths in Panama, explores the current state of the science of sloths, and reveals the truth behind sloth behavior.

In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd, 264 pages

 A collection of humorous and nostalgic Americana stories—the beloved, bestselling classics that inspired the movie A Christmas Story.

Before Garrison Keillor and Spalding Gray there was Jean a master monologist and writer who spun the materials of his all-American childhood into immensely resonant—and utterly hilarious—works of comic art. In God We All Others Pay Cash represents one of the peaks of his achievement, a compound of irony, affection, and perfect detail that speaks across generations.

In God We Trust , Shepherd's wildly witty reunion with his Indiana hometown, disproves the adage “You can never go back.” Bending the ear of Flick, his childhood-buddy-turned-bartender, Shepherd recalls passionately his genuine Red Ryder BB gun, confesses adolescent failure in the arms of Junie Jo Prewitt, and relives a story of man against fish that not even Hemingway could rival. From pop art to the World's Fair, Shepherd's subjects speak with a universal irony and are deeply and unabashedly grounded in American Midwestern life, together rendering a wonderfully nostalgic impression of a more innocent era when life was good, fun was clean, and station wagons roamed the earth.

A comic genius who bridged the gap between James Thurber and David Sedaris, Shepherd may have accomplished for Holden, Indiana, what Mark Twain did for Hannibal, Missouri.

Archie's Double Digest #72, 125 pages

 

Archie's Double Digest #78, 125 pages

 

Fen Country Christmas by Edward Storey, 159 pages

 Fen Country Christmas is a collection of original stories, essays and poems by one of East Anglia's most popular writers. All the stories are based on legends or customs associated with some aspect of fenland life, past and present- skating, farming, superstitions, deserted villages, haunted houses, schools' nativity plays and Christmas at an early Benedictine monastery. Fact is mixed with fiction to present a colourful spectrum of local history against a universal celebration of the season itself. 

After the Forest by Kell Woods, 373 pages

 Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour. A drop of blood to bind its power.

1650: The Black Forest, Wurttemberg.

Fifteen years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people recovering in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, the witch's grimoire, secreted away and whispering in her ear, and the recipe inside that makes the most sinfully delicious - and addictive - gingerbread.

As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her intoxicating gingerbread is a source of ever-growing suspicion and vicious gossip.

And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta's own powers - magic she is still trying to understand - may be the only thing that can save her ... If it doesn't kill her first.

Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics #311, 181 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, Little Betty and Veronica are touring the Montgomery Military Academy, at Veronica’s uncle’s suggestion. The school’s Commandant assigns the Boy Buddies to escort the girls. But Betty and Veronica notice someone that catches their eye… and it’s not a cute boy! The two are on the case to track down someone they think might be up to no good, with the Boy Buddies by their sides! Finally, in “Ransomware Beware,” Lodge Industries was hit with a ransomware attack. If Mr. Lodge doesn’t pay $100 million, all of the company’s computers could be wiped. This looks like a job for Detective Fu Chang! Fu Chang believes the hackers have been posing as high school students. With his guidance and mentoring, Archie volunteers to go undercover and pretend to be a master hacker with the hopes of being recruited by them so he can expose their operation! But can Archie pull of this hi-tech heist?

World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics #20, 181 pages

 BRAND NEW STORY! “Merry JINXmas!“ – The holiday season has everyone in the festive spirit—that is, until human bad luck charm Jinx Molloy comes to town! Can everyone manage to avoid Jinx’s wave of unfortunate events, or will they all end up on the naughty list?

Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics #308, 181 pages

 BRAND NEW STORY! “ALL WRAPPED UP” – Up to her eyes in credit card bills, Veronica is forced to take on a department store job wrapping gifts. She’s so bad at it that she recruits Betty to help her. But when Betty can’t make it, she receives some magical help in the form of Jingles, the Elf. But when Sugarplum and Noelle from the North Pole join in to help, it becomes a calamity of TOO MUCH holiday help!

Archie's Pals 'n Gals Double Digest #11, 180 pages

 

World of Archie Jumbo Comics #127, 181 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, in “Commando & Conquer,” Archie’s signed up the guys for a “boot camp” exercise program to prep for beach season. Unfortunately, he missed that it’s run by Cpt. Commando, who promises to make them into the next generation of Boy Buddies. Can the guys keep up with the Captain’s military-grade workouts?

Finally, in “Snap(shot) Decision,” Jughead is taking a photo-journalism class from Paul Patton when they’re ambushed by a super-villain who’s mad that Paul did an unflattering expose about them. It’s time for Paul Patton to don his costume as The Fox and save the day—but will this change Jughead’s mind about his passion for photo-journalism, or will it make him want to spring into action?

World of Archie Jumbo Comics #114, 181 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW First, in “O Christmas Tree,” the Andrews’ put up a beautiful Christmas tree, and all Archie has to do is water and take care of it while his parents are away for a few days. Unfortunately, Archie forgot about his one responsibility! What will Christmas be like without a tree? Hopefully, they won’t have to find out, because Archie is on the search for a quick replacement!

World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics #22, 181 pages

 THREE BRAND NEW STORIES! First, in “Be Your Valentine!” Veronica keeps getting valentines dropped into her locker from a secret admirer. They seem very romantic, and she’s intrigued. Then when she hides out to sneak a look at her admirer, she notices it’s someone she’d never expect! Who is it, and what does he really want? Then, in “The Ultimate Test,” superhero MR. JUSTICE touches down in Pembrooke. And he’s tasked with something of supreme being Cheryl Blossom’s life coach! But will the job of making sure Cheryl Blossom treats others with kindness be the toughest mission Mr. Justice has ever been on? Finally, Betty and Veronica stumble upon a super-battle between Steel Sterling and the Blue Bison, a hulking brute who possesses even greater strength than Steel. Noting that Archie is a big fan of Steel, the girls compete with each other to get an autograph during the super-battle, causing even more visual chaos. Will they get in Steel’s way of victory?

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan, 334 pages

 Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance.

Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she's pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.

Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.

Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.

Double Decker Dreams by Lindsay Macmillan, 328 pages

 Perfect for fans of Josie Silver and Sophie Cousens, bestselling author Lindsay MacMillan gives us a refreshing take on love at first sight.

American consultant Kat is staffed on a six-month project in London and has two very small, very reasonable ambitions before returning home: get promoted to partner and fall in love with a handsome English aristocrat. No problem, right?

But work is a grind, and the British men she meets are a far cry from her royal ideal. Then one morning, she sees a man on a double-decker bus and just knows that he’s her person. But when Kat finally musters the courage to board the bus and introduce herself, he turns out to be very different from the Prince Charming she expected.

Can Kat open herself up to a love that’s not like the movies, or is she too imprisoned by her rom-com expectations? And just as importantly, will she be able to see that success isn’t about landing a C-suite job, but rather living a life that’s aligned with her soul?

Readers looking for a charming modern love story will be smitten with this sharp, emotionally resonant rollercoaster ride through the heart of London.

Born To Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston, 358 pages

 In the Honey Badger Chronicles, nothing gets between a honey badger and her prey. And no one spins a bolder, snarkier shape-shifter love story than New York Times bestselling author Shelly Laurenston . . .

Emily “Tock” Meyerson-Jackson is on a mission to rid the world of shifters trafficking humans for hunting and cash. And now that she’s narrowed down her suspects to a brutal coalition of male lions, nothing will get between this honey badger and her prey—not even a dog-loving Tiger with absolutely no time management skills. Doesn’t matter that Shay Malone is ferociously adorable. With a war brewing between cat families, Tock doesn’t have time to lounge around with a football-playing tiger shifter. But when she realizes the coalition is also responsible for the death of Shay’s father, she’s forced to partner up with the flirtatious feline. . . .

Revenge is most definitely on the menu for Shay and his tiger shifter brothers. But when it comes to Shay’s alluring partner in crime-solving, so is seduction. Tock might be a bad-ass of a honey badger, but she’s awfully cute when she’s flashing her fangs, which she’s pretty much doing all the time these days. Good thing revenge is a dish best served hot. Because when it comes to Tock, Shay knows just how to turn up the heat. . . .

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews, 298 pages

 'Tis the season for sleuthing in Donna Andrews' cheery new addition to the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series.

Meg has been roped into participating in a weaponsmithing competition, a Forged in Fire wannabe organized by a blacksmith friend. Meg originally turned down an invitation to participate, but the night before the filming starts, someone attacks Faulk, her blacksmithing mentor, breaking his arm and eliminating him from the contest before it begins. Meg agrees to step in as his replacement to keep the project from failing. She's not thrilled that the filming will take place during December – Christmas is already a crazy time for her. Since the competition is taking place on Ragnarshjem, the picturesque estate that her friend Ragnar, the retired heavy metal drummer, is turning into a Goth castle, Meg won’t have to spend Christmas alone and gets to bring Michael and her twin sons with her.

So Meg joins the cast, to the dismay of several old-school blacksmiths who think women have no place in the profession anyway. And if the show's producers were hoping for drama, they're in luck. The blacksmithing world is a small one, and some of the contestants arrived already laden with grudges and feuds.

It's a high-stakes, cutthroat competition between people who wield large hammers and make swords and have forges full of fire at their disposal. What could possibly go wrong?

The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird, 345 pages

 Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family's winery, Katie leaps at the chance… that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the "news."

Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there's Juan's brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right—and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.

Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan's plan to "rebrand and expand" Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she's still committed to Juan… even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead.

With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?