Sunday, February 1, 2026

Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow, 217 pages

 Once, Kate Shugak was the star investigator of the Anchorage D.A.'s office. Now she's gone back to her Aleut roots in the far Alaska north- where her talent for detection makes her the toughest crime-tracker in that stark and mysterious land.

Two crewmen of the crab vessel Avilda are missing—presumed dead—under very suspicious circumstances. The Bering Sea offers ample means and opportunity, but without bodies, a motive, or evidence of foul play, the DA doesn’t have a case. And so, freelancing again for her former employer, Kate Shugak finds herself working undercover in one of Alaska’s most dangerous professions: crab fisherman. It’s an assignment that will take her from the debauchery of Dutch Harbor to the most isolated of the Aleutians, and if the job itself doesn’t kill her, her unsavory crewmates just might.



The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog and Other Serious Discoveries of Silly Science by Carly Anne York, 274 pages

 Why would anyone research how elephants pee? Or study worms who tie themselves into a communal knot? Or quantify the squishability of a cockroach? It all sounds pointless, silly, or even disgusting.

Maybe it is. But in The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog, Carly Anne York shows how unappreciated, overlooked, and simply curiosity-driven science has led to breakthroughs big and small. Got wind power? You might have humpback whales to thank. Know anything about particle physics? Turns out there is a ferret close to the heart of it all. And if you want to keep salmon around, be thankful for that cannon! The research itself can seem bizarre. But it drives our economy. And what's more, this stuff is simply cool.

York invites readers to appreciate the often unpredictable journey of scientific exploration, highlighting that the heart of science lies in the relentless pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Emphasizing the hard work of the people behind the discoveries, this is an accessible, story-driven book that shows how important and exciting it is to simply let curiosity run wild.



Archie Jumbo Comics #8: Anniversary Celebration, 256 pages

 This 75th Anniversary issue includes The Contract from April 1967 and Words of Wisdom from April 1979




Archie Showcase Digest #17: Archie's Valentine's Special, 256 pages

 Love is in the air for Archie and friends! Celebrate the most romantic day of the year with these stories about dating dilemmas and cupid’s catastrophes!




Archie Comics Double Digest #277, 125 pages

 It's STORYBOOK MONTH for the Archie digest line! In "PinARCHIo," Mr. Lodge creates a puppet, PinARCHIo, that comes to life. But the new boy is so girl crazy and so disobedient, he tries to get him back into puppet form!