The Art of Awkward Affection by Alina Jacobs, 625 pages

 I admit it was me who shouted, “Looking good, hot stuff!” at Mr. Richmond this morning, but I didn’t mean it like that.

Honest, I was paying him a compliment! That’s kind of what I do: I’m a proud, small-town Floridian, and Manhattan is craving some Florida sunshine—nothing like a sincere compliment to turn those New York frowns upside down!

Grayson Richmond needs some positivity.
Have you seen how grumpy he is?
Disgustingly wealthy and unfairly hot, the man wears an arrogant snarl almost as well as he wears a suit.
Drool!

The word tyrant doesn’t do him justice, though, when he has me dragged into his office to be reprimanded.
Just FYI, the exact wrong thing to do in that situation is to tell him you’re the one who’s been leaving notes of positive affirmation in his underwear drawer.
As the lowly assistant of the assistant to the secretary of Mr. Grumpy Pants himself, what else do you expect me to do while I’m in his swanky penthouse dropping off the dry cleaning and rehoming Grayson’s food?

No, I am not making a mockery of this company or of him. Believe me, my credit card debt and I are very happy to have this job.
And to have a chance to sprinkle a little joy in Grayson’s life.
I am a kindness fairy on a mission!
Cupcakes, corgi stickers, and surprise visit from my emotional support iguana? Only scowls.

But when he catches me in his penthouse with my blouse undone?
That earns me a genuine, panty-dropping smile.

However, as the cracks form in his carefully controlled life I realize…
Grayson has a dark secret.
And I don’t know if there’s enough sunshine in the world to save him.

Your Choice, Snoopy by Charles M. Schulz, 128 pages

 This book comprises the first half of You're Something Else, Charlie Brown, volume 1.

Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, 352 pages

 HR Update: The position of “adversary to the villain” has been filled. Evie Sage does not recall applying.

Evie has always tried to be helpful, loyal, and only mildly involved in treason. But with a dangerous prophecy threatening the very magic of Rennedawn—not to mention the race to claim its necessary artifacts before King Benedict does—things are starting to feel…less like a career path and more like a serious problem.

The prophecy won’t stop pointing in Evie’s direction. The Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. And honestly, if you’re going to be accused of evil anyway, you might as well commit.

Unfortunately, the more Evie leans into her alleged villain era, the more her boss starts acting like the hero of a completely different story. Trystan is getting closer—closer than is wise, advisable, or even remotely professional—and looking at her like she’s already chosen a side. His.

Which is deeply inconvenient, because if Evie can’t save the kingdom’s magic, she might just become its greatest threat.

Who Was That Dog I Saw You With, Charlie Brown? by Charles M. Schulz, 128 pages

 

Let's Hear It for Dinner, Snoopy by Charles M. Schulz, 128 pages

 Selected cartoons from Don't hassle me with your sighs, Chuck, vol. 3.

Homebodies by Charles Addams, 128 pages

 

Penguin Special: The Story of Allen Lane, the Founder of Penguin Books and the Man Who Changed Publishing Forever, 448 pages

 The founding of Penguin Books in 1935 revolutionized the publishing industry with the idea that great writing ought to be made available for the price of a pack of cigarettes. In telling the story of Penguin and its founder, Allen Lane, Jeremy Lewis traces the changes the company wrought in cultural and political life in England and in the publishing industry worldwide, from the publication of Ulysses , with its attendant obscenity trial, to the Penguin Specials that alerted prewar Britain to the Nazi threat. Rich with anecdote and suffused with LaneÂ's larger-than-life personality, Penguin Special touches on the entire twentieth century in its portrait of a man and a company that have changed the way the English- speaking world reads.

Fire Breathing Beast by Candace Ayers, 130 pages

 Sky Broussard has spent the last nine years of her life fighting for custody and raising her nephews. Between trying to make ends meet as a waitress at the Bon Temps Café, and keeping an eye on two troublesome teens, she’s had zero time for indulgences like romance. 

No worries, she hasn’t been interested in the opposite sex for a long time. Not until she meets the snarling, growling, hotter-that-an-inferno hunk who caught her nephews trespassing on his swampland deep in the Louisiana bayou.

Too bad he’s off his rocker. Seriously. He thinks he’s a dragon, calls her his mate, follows her home, and refuses to leave her side. She really should put a stop to the insanity. She really should. Except, her libido is running on overdrive and, who knows, he might be her chance to finally lose her V-card.

Our Nanny is a Vampire by Lindsey Devin & Roxie Ray, 567 pages

 

The Best of Josie and the Pussycats, 400 pages

 This is Archie's new sister volume to our all-time fastest-selling graphic novel series, featuring the lovable girl band JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS. Archie expects this to do very well, with mass-market potential as a full-color 416-page $9.99 volume. We expect it to become the first of many off-shoot "Best Of" titles, and have plans to continue releasing further volumes in this series as well.

The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon, 212 pages

"Drop case or else danger for you and your family."This warning addressed to Denton Hardy not only alarms the famous investigator and his detective sons, but also puzzles them, because Mr. Hardy is working on more than one case. Which one prompted the threat?When more ominous warnings follow, Frank and Joe suspect there is a link between the counterfeiting case they are investigating and a secret case their father cannot discuss because it involves national security.The key to the solution of both cases appears o be hidden in the old Turner Mill, constructed in frontier days but now a gatehouse for Elekton Controls Limited engaged in manufacturing top-secret electronic parts for space missiles. But the millhouse is occupied by two Elekton employees who are hostile to Frank and Joe and refuse to allow the young detectives to question the companies’ fourteen-year-old messenger boy who may unknowingly be in possession of some vital clues.

The Journey of the Penguin by Emiliano Ponzi, 96 pages

 To celebrate 80 years of Penguin Books, a charming picture book that tells the imagined story of the penguin who waddled his way into history as the symbol of a beloved publisher.

A lonely Antarctic penguin, dreaming of adventure, sets off on a long swim north. Arriving at last in London in 1935, he encounters the chance of a lifetime: auditions are on to find the face of a brand new publishing house. The penguin wins, of course, and so begins an adventure that takes him on to New York and into the hearts of readers around the world.

In 'The Journey of the Penguin', award-winning graphic artist Emiliano Ponzi delivers a boldly illustrated, wildly imaginative, and terrifically fun story — told entirely through image — that brings to life the “dignified yet flippant” bird chosen eighty years ago by Allen Lane as the name and icon of his revolutionary publishing business.

With cameo appearances by legendary Penguin authors including Jack Kerouac, Arthur Miller, and Dorothy Parker, this exquisite, one-of-a-kind book celebrates the enduring appeal of storytelling.

The Book of Penguin by Duncan Campbell-Smith, 95 pages

A look at the history of Penguin Publishing. 

 

The Tiger in the Sack by Amy Award, 362 pages

 There's freedom behind a motorcycle helmet.

Nobody knows who you are.

No name. No jersey number. No six brothers who'd been famous longer than I could legally drive, and no one stopping me on the sidewalk to ask if I was actually related to the Chris Kingman.

So when I find Clover stuck in a tree with her cat, I keep the helmet on.

I crack Mandalorian jokes, rescue her and her cat, and feel like an absolute genius when I ask for her number and she gives it to me.

I am, in fact, an idiot. She's the new Dance and Cheer coach for the Cincinnati Tigers. The team where I happen to be the starting quarterback.

I can't keep this secret from her. That's a douchepotato move.

She figures it out before I can tell her. Which somehow manages to be worse.

And just to throw a monkey in our wrench the boss has assigned us to work together on a super-secret project to unmask whoever is sabotaging the team, and our cover? Of course, it's fake dating.

We’ll do it because Clover moved to Cincinnati to do the impossible: build a body-diverse professional cheer squad in a league that's never had one, for a team that everyone says is going nowhere.

Someone powerful is betting she'll fail. She's taking that bet, and I'm going to be there to make sure nobody hurts her.

Cursed Princess Club, Volume 3 by LambCat, 288 pages

 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 a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, 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 into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.

In this third book of the series, collecting episodes 62-77 of the hit WEBTOON series, Gwen sits for her portrait painting, we realize Frederick is more complicated than we thought as his feelings for Gwen evolve, and we meet the mysterious Whitney of the Monochrome Kingdom, who is more than meets the eye!.

This volume includes 4 bonus shorts with irreverent retellings of classic fairytales!

Bonus 1 - Maria and Blaine in . . . Little Red Riding Hood
Bonus 2 - Lorena and Lance in . . . Jack and the Beanstalk
Bonus 3 - Gwendolyn and Frederick in . . . Hansel and Gretel
Bonus 4 - Frederick’s Favorite Story (The Man in the Hole and the Angel)

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst, 369 pages

 Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.

One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

The Cat Who Smelled A Rat by Lilian Jackson Braun, 229 pages

 Philanthropist James Quilleran and his crime-solving cats investigate the murders of a volunteer fire-watcher and a local curling champ as a mysterious crime wave engulfs the town of Pickax. 200,000 first printing.

The Best of Archie Comics, Book Three, 415 pages

 It's Archie's third volume in our all-time bestselling The Best of Archie Comics graphic novel series, featuring even more great stories from Archie's eight decades of excellence! This fun full-color collection of more of Archie's all-time favorite stories, lovingly hand-selected and introduced by Archie creators, editors, and historians from 200,000 pages of material, is a must-have for any Archie fan and fans of comics in general, as well as a great introduction to the comics medium!

The House on the Cliff by F. W. Nixon, 212 pages

 Frank and Joe Hardy are investigating a mysterious old house high on the cliffs above Barmet Bay when they are frightened off by a scream. The boys return to the apparently haunted house when they make a connection between the place and a smuggling case their father is working on. When their father goes missing, they have to investigate the caves beneath the house and confront the smugglers.

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast, 450 pages

 Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks. In this updated edition of the classic work, Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous “Coffee Crisis” that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the “third-wave” of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs. As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds remains more than ever a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world’s favorite beverages.

The Tower Treasure by Frankin W. Dixon, 180 pages

 It all starts with the boys, Frank and Joe, on their motorcycles delivering important papers to a lawyer in Willowville for their father, Fenton Hardy. He's the well-known private investigator who lives with his family in Bayport. A reckless driver almost forces them over the embankment. It is not long before they find that their friend Chet's yellow jalopy has been stolen, possibly by the same red-haired driver! Stolen loot may be the issue. Later a dying criminal confesses that the loot has been stashed "in the tower" and the Hardy Boys make an astonishing discovery.

The Best of Archie Comics, Book Two, 416 pages

 The celebration of 70 years of Archie Comics fun continues with this full-color collection with over 400 pages of classic and much-loved comic book stories featuring America’s favorite teenagers.

Following up on the success of the top-selling The Best of Arche Comics, this second volume brings together another must-have collection for Archie fans young and old!

The Best of Arche Comics Book Two collects some of the best-known and beloved Archie stories, hand-picked from the company’s rich, 70-year history. Included in this volume are exclusive behindthe- scenes anecdotes from the creators who brought the stories to life!

An essential addition to anyone’s library!

Barbarian's Heart by Ruby Dixon, 264 pages

 I’ve never spent a day without my mate since arriving on the ice planet. I’m happy and in love, and we have a beautiful child together. All that changed when the world shook.

My mate nearly died.

He wakes up from his coma…and he can’t remember me. Or our son. Every memory of the past two years is gone. And that changes everything between us. How can I love someone that doesn’t remember me?

How can I not, when I know he’s still my mate underneath it all?

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman, 432 pages

 Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist who knows only sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is being replaced by an AI meteorologist, which the youthful station manager reasons "will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract." The only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is one in a famously nontropical place—her northern Michigan hometown.

Unearthing her carefully laid California roots, Sonny returns home and reacclimates to the painfully long, dark winters dominated by a Michigan phenomenon known as lake-effect snow. But beyond the complete physical shock to her system, she's also forced to confront her past: her new boss, a former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy; more keenly, the death of a younger sister who loved the snow; and the mother who caused Sonny to leave.

To distract herself from the unwelcome memories, Sonny decides to throw herself headfirst into all things winter to woo viewers and reclaim her success. From sledding and ice fishing to skiing and winter festivals, the merrymaking culminates with the town’s famed Winter Ice Sculpture Contest. Running the events is a widowed father and chamber of commerce director, whose genuine love of Michigan, winter and Sonny just might thaw her heart and restart her life in a way she never could have predicted.

Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi, 356 pages

 In this cosy and spicy paranormal romance, a successful horror author whose novel is being adapted into a movie clashes with the actor cast as the male lead, all in a spooky mansion filled with ghosts, from the author of Best Hex Ever.

Rosemary is a successful horror author with a secret: she can see ghosts. So when the set of her hit novel’s film adaptation turns out to be a haunted countryside manor, she’s unfazed. What she’s less prepared for is the maddeningly handsome, completely miscast actor playing her leading man.

Ellis is a Hollywood heartthrob tired of his action-hero persona. Instead, he dreams of being a serious actor, and having free time to spend gardening with his dog. Landing the lead in a historical horror movie is his chance to start fresh… until he discovers the author tried to have him replaced.

But as filming progresses, and the manor's ghosts make their presence known, the chemistry between Rosemary and Ellis becomes undeniable. With secrets being spilled, sparks flying, and spirits stirring up trouble, can they face their demons and write themselves a happily-ever-after before it's a wrap?

Supersized by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman, 262 pages

 Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Duncan is bored with school. His mom talks his ear off. His dad's jokes are lame on a world-class level. But while Jeremy may believe much of his life is a big yawn, parent and teen readers of the comic eagerly embrace the real-life humor and clever stories of Zits.

A compilation of Zits Unzipped and Busted!, Super-Sized marks the third anxiously awaited treasury of the hilarious trials and tribulations of Jeremy and a dynamic cast of characters that includes girlfriend Sara, best-friends Hector and Pierce, and parents Connie and Walt.

Fresh From the Country by Miss Read, 219 pages

 Miss Read in this humorous and charming story draws us magically into the world of the primary school. Anna Lacey, a young country girl, is given her first job in Greater London, and as she learns to cope with the challenges of her new life, we share with her the delights and pleasures of teaching "those dear, devilish, delicious, disarming, infuriating and exhausting creatures" who are her young pupils.

Diary of a Village Library by Caroline Lord, 269 pages

 This is the story of Lord's experiences as the librarian of the George Holmes Bixby Memorial Library, where she served the small community of Francestown, New Hampshire from 1943 to 1960. New to the profession, she made up a lot of the protocol herself and kept a journal, noting her encounters with people and books, and reacting to current events as they affected the library and her town. The result is a unique book that recounts not only the culture of a possibly simpler time in small-town New England, but also the day-to-day operations of the pre-automated library.

Common Goal by Rachel Reid, 316 pages

 Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.

Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

Tough Guy by Rachel Reid, 303 pages

 Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.

Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.

Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.

Understanding the "Why" Chromosome by Cathy Guisewite, 128 pages

 "My job isn't to revolutionize anything. My job is to give women a sense of relief, to acknowledge what they're struggling with." -Cathy Guisewite Like women around the globe, Cathy has been constantly puzzled by her romantic relationships. From Irving to Simon to Alex, the men in Cathy's life have provided a never-ending source of confusion and amusement ever since the strip began in 1976. "If men's hair falls out," our weary heroine laments, "it's because there's nothing in there for it to hold onto." It's no wonder, then, that cartoonist Cathy Guisewite's Cathy collection should be called Understanding the "Why" Chromosome . In this hilarious book, Cathy outdoes herself in witty revelations about men, food, Mom, and Cathy's four basic guilt groups. Cathy epitomizes the highs and lows felt by distaff women throughout the world. In Understanding the "Why" Chromosome , Cathy's found a new a boyfriend who's a decade younger than she. Fitness fanatic Alex, who's sensitive and not particularly ambitious, introduces Cathy to an entirely new relationship angst, then introduces her to his hip, young mother. Cathy's baffled by the age difference, but is just as stumped when he proposes. "What's wrong with our relationship the way it is now? "she wails when Alex finally pops the question. Throughout her trials and tribulations, Cathy's friends keep her sane. There's happily married Charlene, the office loudspeaker; exhausted Andrea, mother of Zenith and Gus; her well-meaning mom and dad; Cathy's unrealistic boss, Mr. Pinkley; and bouncy little Electra, Cathy's canine alter ego. Her frequent and frustrating shopping excursions also give rise to an enormous wave of female recognition "Skip the clothes and just shove a Stairmaster through the curtain," Cathy deadpans. Cathy Guisewite is an enormously talented cartoonist who has won numerous awards for her strip and animated television shows. Her countless fans trust Cathy to constantly express the right blend of humor and observation almost as if she had x-ray vision into the human condition.

The Cat Who Robbed a Bank by Lilian Jackson Braun, 242 pages

 As the Highland Games approach, Jim Qwilleran and the citizens of Pickax prepare to celebrate their Scottish heritage with such events as bagpipe skirling and tossing the caber. But the traditional revelry is marred by troublesome rumors when a visiting jewelry dealer, renowned for his romantic streak (and his mysterious cash-only policy), is found dead in his hotel room. His assistant is missing—and soon, the winner of the caber-tossing contest disappears as well. Quill has a lot of mysteries to sort out- not the least of which is Koko's sudden interest in photographs, pennies, and paper towels..

Cursed Princess Club #2 by LambCat, 352 pages

 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 a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, 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. So 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 into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.

In this second book of the series, we learn low self esteem isn’t just for girls! Meet the Princels―princes who have shunned society not because of curses (although one has to wonder…) but because of their own insecurities about their physical appearance and their inability to find romantic partners. And then we have Prince Frederick, who starts to worry if he even deserves Gwen. Plus, you too can learn to be as pretty as a Cursed Princess!

Revelations From a 45-Pound Purse by Cathy Guisewite, 128 pages

 Cathy is an American icon. She represents Everywoman for millions of women around the world. The noseless character has earned a place in the pantheon of America's most beloved cartoon characters. Of course, Cathy is oblivious to all that. Her relationship with Irving and her new diet are distracting her.

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade, 395 pages

 Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery.

The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away.

Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary.

As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.