Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Archie Andrews...Where Are You? #32, 128 pages

 


Archie Andrews...Where Are You? #42, 128 pages

 







Archie Andrews...Where Are You? #43, 128 pages

 


Archie Andrews...Where Are You? #45, 128 pages

 






Archie Andrews...Where Are You? #61, 128 pages

 


The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood by Kristen Martin, 352 pages

 The orphan story has been: Step One: While a child is still too young to form distinct memories of them, their parents die in an untimely fashion. Step Two: Orphan acquires caretakers who amplify the world’s cruelty. Step Three: Orphan escapes and goes on an adventure, encountering the world’s vast possibilities.  


The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow upends this. Pairing powerful critiques of popular orphan narratives, from Annie to the Boxcar Children to Party of Five,  journalist Kristen Martin explores the real history of orphan-hood in the United States, from the 1800s to the present. Martin reveals the religious charity and mission that was the core of the first orphanages (one that soon changed to profit), the orphan trains that took parentless children out West (often without a choice), and  the inherent racism that still underlies the United States' approach to child welfare. 

Through a combination of in-depth archival research, memoir (Martin herself lost both her parents when she was quite young), and cultural analysis, The Sun Won't Come out Tomorrow is a compellingly-argued, compassionate book that forces us to reconsider autonomy, family, and community. Kristen Martin delivers a searing indictment of America's consistent inability to care for those who most need it.



Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish by Dorothy Gilman, 211 pages

 All Mrs. Pollifax has to do is to masquerade as the aunt of an inept CIA representative while he confirms the identities of seven undercover agents in Morocco—and keep him from making an unpleasant ass of himself. Immediately, things go horribly wrong. The first informant is murdered minutes after Mrs. Pollifax and her companion identify him in his brassware stall in Fez. Worse, she senses that her colleague is not who—or what—he says he is.

With no one to bail her out, Mrs. Pollifax determines to outfox the enemy and check out the remaining informants on her own. Only Mrs. Pollifax would expose herself to the dangers of being an American and a woman alone in Morocco. And only she would forge ahead, knowing as she does that one of the original informants has been replaced by a deadly imposter...






Thursday, April 17, 2025

High Tea and Misdemeanors by Laura Childs, 312 pages

 Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping the bride and groom. He will pull through, but his beloved is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder.




Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Archie Comics Digest #96, 128 pages

 








Archie Comics Digest #97, 128 pages

 






Archie Comics Digest #98, 128 pages

 


Archie Comics Digest #101, 128 pages

 Stories featuring Archie and his pals, their relatives, school faculty, and other characters from the Archie comics publishing world such as Sabrina, L'il Jinks and more.




Memoirs of an Eighteenth-Century Footman: John MacDonald Travels 1745-79, 256 pages

 First published in 1927. John Macdonald (1741-96) was born, and died, a Scottish Highlander. First published at the time of the French Revolution, these memoirs of his days in service provide a rich panorama of life in the company of blind fiddlers, maid-servants, the Scottish aristocracy, soldiers, historians, Oriental Princes, servants of the East India Company and men of great wealth, including James Coutts the banker. In 1768 - as the result of an errand - it fell to Macdonald to witness the death of Laurence Sterne.




Friday, April 11, 2025

World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #38, 225 pages

 BRAND NEW STORY! It’s Friday the 13th and everyone in Riverdale is feeling a little superstitious! Betty, Veronica, Cheryl, Stacy, Nancy, and Harper are staying at the Lodges’ winter cabin. But when mysterious attacks start happening in the dark, they start to suspect each other. Who—or what—is really after them?












Archie Jumbo Comics #358, 225 pages

 BRAND NEW The MLJ Museum is proud to welcome the New Crusaders for an event that’s sure to be magical, except they’re nowhere to be found! That’s not the only weird thing going on. Does anyone else think that those toys look a little TOO lifelike? If only there was a teenage witch around to help spell out what’s really going on.




Archie Comics Digest #81, 128 pages

 Stories featuring Archie and his pals, and other characters from the Archie comics publishing world such as Sabrina, L'il Jinks and more.






Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman, 306 pages

 From one of the most beloved comedic writers of our time comes a charming, laugh-out-loud tale of love and criminality, a pitch-perfect romantic comedy from the author of Ms. Demeanor.


Taking over her parents’ estate sale business is more than Emma Lewis bargained for. Coming from a long line of estate liquidators has its challenges but Emma was completely unprepared for the people she would meet. Pimps, prostitutes, crooked cops, art thieves? Should she turn down potential clients in need of decluttering just because they are shady and proud of it?

No.

A girl must make a living—and it could be more fortuitous than she ever imagined . . . 



The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal, 376 pages

 A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer.


Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.

With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.

Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?

Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.



A Short History of the World in 50 Failures by Ben Gazur, 288 pages

 From the botched attempt to create a life-extending elixir that produced gunpowder, to the unsuccessful stint in medical school which led to a career in naturalism for Charles Darwin, to the missile detection system malfunction that almost sparked a nuclear war, the course of human history has so often been shaped by failures of all magnitudes.


In fifty bite-sized chapters spanning thousands of yearsA Short History of the World in 50 Failures details how the world as we know it has been defined by plans gone awry, opportunities not seized upon and schemes that were always fated to end in catastrophe.

Whether it’s the pharaoh Akhenaten’s misplaced attempt to found a new religion or Napoleon’s doomed invasion of Russia, discover a fascinating collection of outsized tales and historical snafus that created the world as we know it today.



Sunday, April 6, 2025

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, 895 pages

 Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.





Life with Archie: Book Two, 224 pages

 LIFE WITH ARCHIE VOL. 2 is the second of a chronological collection of titles featuring the classic series. This is presented in the new higher-end format of Archie Comics Presents, which offers 200+ pages at a value while taking a design cue from successful all-ages graphic novels.


The original Life with Archie series was home to the wildest alternate reality takes on the Riverdale gang. From spies to superheroes, this comic showcased stories readers never dreamed of! Relive those far-out tales in the first volume of this collection.



Archie Milestones #26: Jughead Winter Wonderland, 225 pages

 Sip some cocoa, throw some snowballs, and creates some special snowy memories with Jughead, Hot Dog, and all his friends in Riverdale!




Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The Invisible Intruder by Carolyn Keene, 175 pages

 “Nancy Drew, forget the ghost hunt!” a male voice rasps on the telephone. Despite the mysterious warning, the teenage detective and a group of friends start out on a ghost-hunting expedition to investigate five places reputed to be haunted. Danger strikes at once when Nancy tries to overtake the canoe that paddles itself on Lake Sevanee. Thrills and chills mount as the ghost hunters pursue a phantom horse and ghost rider racing across the field that surrounds the Red Barn Guesthouse. During these happenings and other weird events Nancy finds herself pitted against a dangerous adversary, clever enough to operate invisibly.




Archie Decades: The 1960s, 224 pages

 Journey back to the Silver Age with the Mirth of a Nation himself, Archie Andrews!


Continue the 80th anniversary celebration of Archie Comics with this special retrospective collection! Archie shined bright in the 1960s when his standalone title proved to be interesting, hilarious and unforgettable -- and the dates were always double-booked! "Decades" features some of the iconic stories that cemented his lasting imprint on the world.



Saturday, March 29, 2025

The Cat Who Wasn't There by Lilian Jacksoh Braun, 238 pages

 Qwill's on his way to Scotland - and on his way to solving another purr-plexing mystery. But this time Koko's nowhere the scene of the crime. He and Yum Yum are back in Pickax being coddled by a catsitter...but Koko won't sit still once Qwill's traveling party returns--minus one member. He's behaving oddly, and Qwill knows what that means: Koko may have been miles away from the murder scene, but he's just a whisker away from cracking the case!







A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, 757 pages

 Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.



World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics, 224 pages

 BRAND NEW STORY! When Betty and Veronica attend a magic show by the mysterious Kardak, he brings them on stage for a disappearing act. But when their disappearance sends them back in time, will they be able to make it back to the present?




Archie Presents Laugh, 224 pages


 LAUGH COMICS is the latest cornerstone title to join the Archie Comics Presents line. Originally running from 1946 all the way into the '90s, this title captured the lives of Riverdale citizens with the same humor and heart seen over the last 80 years of Archie. 



Tuesday, March 25, 2025

World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #27, 225 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, in “No Time for Justice,” SUPERTEEN, Betty’s superhero alias, stops two robbers in their tracks—which catches the eye of fellow superhero MR. JUSTICE! But how will Betty like having a brand-new superhero identity? Then, in “M1N3RVA 2.0,” Little Dilton uses AI technology to help Evelyn Evernever bring her beloved Minerva doll to life. But when Minerva has a mind of her own, she wreaks havoc on Riverdale! The BOY BUDDIES are on the case to stop the doll’s reign of terror in this riff on the popular movie M3GAN.







World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #30, 225 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! First, a week before Christmas, Pow-Girl and Pureheart the powerful discover a band of super-villains are gathering supplies for a major caper and race to uncover the sinister scheme before it can threaten the good people of Riverdale. Then, a mystery game taking place at the holiday party at the Lodge Mansion gives Penny Parker some real suspicions. High society will be reeling after this party!




World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #29, 225 pages

 TWO BRAND NEW STORIES! The Ghost Fox puts the “Ghost” part of his alias to good use when he agrees to host a Halloween party with Veronica. And he’ll have to be sly like a fox to move quickly between there and the haunted house he also agreed to run with Betty! Then, while shopping at the thrift store for vintage Halloween costumes, Betty finds the perfect vintage denim jacket—but it comes with a price, and that’s not what’s on the tag! The Mighty Crusaders are on the scene to save Betty from a literal fashion disaster!




A Very Archie Christmas, 120 pages

 It's the most wonderful time of the year once again! Archie and the gang are doing the last of their Christmas shopping and decking the halls in this special collection. Can Archie get his Christmas decorating done in time for the big day? Will Reggie get his name taken off Santa's Naughty List? Get ready for the gift of festively fun tales from Riverdale!




The Beautiful Cigar Girl: Mary Rogers, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Invention of Murder by Daniel Stashower, 326 pages

 On July 28, 1841, the body of Mary Rogers, a twenty-year-old cigar girl, was found floating in the Hudson-and New York's unregulated police force proved incapable of solving the crime. One year later, a struggling writer named Edgar Allan Poe decided to take on the case-and sent his fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin, to solve the baffling murder of Mary Rogers in "The Mystery of Marie Rog�t."




A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, 232 pages

 Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.


Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.



Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, 637 pages

 NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. ―Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?



Monday, March 17, 2025

The Cat Who Moved a Mountain by Lilian Jackson Braun, 261 pages

 Qwill’s on top of the world when he rents a house on Big Potato Mountain. The owner, J.J. Hawkinfield, brought real estate development to the once-peaceful Potatoes. But Hawkinfield paid a steep price for his enterprise: He was pushed off a cliff by an angry mountain dweller. Qwilleran, however, suspects the man is innocent—and Koko’s antics have him convinced something’s wrong. He may be making a mountain out of a molehill...but he’s determined to find the truth. Even if it means jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!




Archie: Love Showdown 30th Anniversary Special Edition, 144 pages

 Before The Married Life , before Archie asked, "Will You Marry Me?" , there was Love Showdown - the first event in Archie Comics history. A standard-bearer for Archie's modern long-form storytelling, this 30th anniversary edition collects every piece of the ultimate battle for love.


Archie decides he is finally going to make up his mind and choose his true love. On hearing this, Betty and Veronica fight for his affections tooth and nail with wits and wiles... who will come out the winner? Fan-favorite "bad girl" Cheryl Blossom returns to the mix as well, ensuring that the romantic hijinx are at an all-time high... and that Archie's decision is harder than ever!

Love Showdown is in the Archie record books as its most popular comic book story of the 90s and a perennial title. This anniversary edition includes the complete, original Love Showdown four-part event plus the follow-up Love Showdown Special sequel and all-new content celebrating its legacy.

This is a must-have milestone edition for comic book fans of all ages.



Saturday, March 15, 2025

I'm Getting Married to Mothman by Paige Lavoie, 240 pages

 When Heather moved out to the woods, she never expected she’d fall in love with Mothman—much less get married to him.


Bachelorette parties are supposed to be fun, right? That is, until her night of fun in the faerie realm ends with Heather getting pulled through a portal—kidnapped by an impossible vampire king who swears to make her his bride. Determined not to be a damsel, Heather hatches her escape plan using her greatest her charm and her cell phone. But with a vampire determined to make her his bride, she may be in over her head.

After years alone, Moth can’t believe that soon he’ll be married to his flame. But with Heather missing and his memories of Eclipsica foggy, his world is shaken. The cryptid will not only need to sheath his claws and work with his friends to find his bride, but he will have to contend with something even more his future mother-in-law.

Like a moth to a flame, Moth and Heather will always find each other… but will it be in time for the wedding?



I'm Engaged to Mothman by Paige Lavoie, 282 pages

 Heather's cozy life with her cryptid boyfriend just got a little more complicated. When 23-year-old Heather started dating Mothman, she anticipated a few surprises. Getting transported to the faerie realm he was banished from? Yeah, that was a surprise. Heather was sure dating a forest monster meant she wouldn't have to impress his family, but faced with the royal court of Eclipsica, she realizes things might not be so simple. The former influencer must trade her quiet #cottagecore aesthetic for a lavish #royalcore week in a new world filled with creatures, ballgowns, and secrets. With Moth's family to impress, old friends resurfacing, and his memories returning, Heather begins to question their future. As the grand ball gets closer and Moth creeps out of bed in the middle of the night, Heather can't help but can their cozy cottage in the woods compete with a castle?






Creepy Cat, Volume 1 by Cotton Valent, 128 pages

 My life with...Creepy Cat


Flora moves into a mysterious mansion and finds it inhabited by a strange creature—Creepy Cat! Thus begins her strange and sometimes dangerous life with a feline roommate. This Gothic comedy brings the chuckles...and the chills!












Archie Showcase Digest #21, Archie's Christmas Stocking, 225 pages

 

Archie Comics is the Official Comic Book of Christmas, and this special, snowy SHOWCASE DIGEST is here to provide you with all sorts of holiday hjiinks featuring Archie and his friends!