Wednesday, September 2, 2026

The Art of Almost Losing It by Alina Jacobs, 623 pages

 There comes a time in every almost-thirty-year-old woman’s life when getting kidnapped off the street is preferable to admitting that the hot, rich boyfriend you’ve been bragging about for months does not, in fact, exist.

Yes, it’s terrifying being stuffed in the trunk of a Mercedes, but I would rather be locked in a stranger’s penthouse than sleeping on the floor of my parents’ apartment like the loser daughter I am.

Honestly?
It’s nice to get some alone time. And my own bathroom.
He bribes me with money not to call the police.
I scream at him for forcing me to go to brunch as his prisoner at the hottest restaurant in New York.
Now everyone in my parents’ aggressively posh Manhattan neighborhood thinks we’re dating.
Buckle up, buddy.
I have a full wedding itinerary to attend, and congratulations—you’re my fake boyfriend.
Unfortunately, my kidnapper is the worst fake boyfriend in the history of fake boyfriends.
He’s mean.
Aloof.
Emotionally unavailable.
And deeply offended by how much time I spend on my phone.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to ignore how yummy he smells, all muscular and tall as he fumes next to me in bed, furious because I asked him when the sexy portion of the kidnapping is going to happen.
It’s a fair question, though, right?!? I thought kidnapping came with benefits!
Guess my kidnapper didn’t want me that much after all.
Men lying about their desire for a relationship. Story of my life.
Now I’m trapped.
He’s miserable.
And somehow, this is starting to feel dangerously like a relationship.




Doctor in the House by Richard Gordon, 187 pages

 "One of the tests for prospective obstetricians was provided by a life-size papier maché model of half the female trunk, into which a straw-stuffed baby was slilpped through a trapdoor. The candidate was then provided with a pair of obstetrical forceps and required to deliver it.

Benskin solemnly applied the two blades to the head and gave a strong pull. Nothing happened. He pulled harder, his feet slilpped on the polished floor, and over his head flew mother, baby, forceps and all.
The examiner picked up one blade of the forceps and handed it to him. "Now hit the father with that," he said sourly, "and you'll have killed the whole bloody family.""



Monday, August 31, 2026

Hunting for Hidden Gold by Franklin W. Dixon, 177 pages

 Timber wolves, a Rocky Mountain blizzard, and a mine cave-in are only a few of the perils Frank and Joe Hardy encounter during their search for the members of a notorious gang responsible for a payroll robbery.

In the old Montana mining camp of Lucky Lode, the young detectives puzzle over a series of mysterious events. A piano-playing ghost haunts the long-abandoned dance hall; eerie blue lights flash from the hilltop cemetery in the dark of night; strange men arrange a meeting at Shadow the Bear, and a suspect disappears through a curtain of frozen ice.

Are these events related to the men who kidnapped the boys in Chicago on their way to Montana? Who booby-trapped the helicopter which flew the young detectives to the ghost town? And what ever happened to Bart Dawson who seemingly deserted his gold-mining partners twenty-five years ago? Frank and Joe cleverly fit the scattered pieces of this dangerous puzzle into place, and come up with an astonishing solution.



Sunday, August 30, 2026

Cursed Princess Club, Volume 4 by LambCat, 320 pages

 For fans of Disney princesses and Sailor Moon–style girl power, Cursed Princess Club is a lighthearted story of a young royal who finds her place in a world obsessed with princes, beauty, and happily-ever-afters.


Just because you’re cursed doesn’t mean you’re not special.

Gwendolyn, the youngest of the king’s three daughters, is living proof that princesses don’t always have it all. She isn’t like the other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. In spite of her big heart and love of baking, Gwendolyn isn’t particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit . . . different.

When her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn’s heart to hear that Prince Frederick thinks she’s “really ugly.” Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away to the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

In this fourth book of the series, Gwen plans a dinner party with Frederick’s help; Frederick spends an afternoon with the Cursed Princesses (without realizing it); and we learn about Prince Whitney . . . all the while Nell’s premonition hangs over their heads. The question remains. . . if Nell really is clairvoyant, then who will end up dead?

This volume collects episodes 78-93 of the hit WEBTOON series. A special epilogue features a day with Prince Jamie.



Betty and Veronica in The Last Word, 80 pages

 The beloved Archie comics are making their debut as reinforced library bound graphic digests! This collection of Betty and Veronica adventures includes THE BIG COUNTDOWN, FILING A COMPLIMENT, and CUSTOMER DIS-SERVICE. Readers can't get enough of the jokes, rivalries, and mix-ups of the Archie characters.




Saturday, August 29, 2026

The Art of Marrying Your Enemy by Alina Jacobs, 454 pages

 Forget the summer I turned pretty…that was the summer I got hips, acne, and utterly humiliated by Aaron Richmond.

This summer? This was the summer I was forced to marry the bastard.



Archie Comics Digest, #5, Summer Fun, 96 pages