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?

Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing by Nicholas Meyer, 264 pages

 London, 189–: In the dead of winter, the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards and Sherlock Holmes is bored to distraction. It would take a miracle to bring a case to the detective’s door. . .

What arrives is not a landlady who complains to Holmes that her artist tenant is behind on his rent. Not exactly the miracle for which Holmes was hoping. But, next thing you know, there are several corpses and Sherlock Holmes and his amanuensis, Dr. Watson, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery, mendacity (and cut throats), proliferate.

What makes a work of art valuable? Worth killing for? Dying for? Is it the painter, his mistress, his dealer, or his blackmailer?

The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices, or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?

Oh, and there’s one other Is this a genuine Holmes case or a clever forgery? Is this the real thing?

If you can’t tell the difference, what is the difference?

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.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi, 264 pages

 Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.

A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman, 264 pages

 In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters the pleasures—and scandalous pitfalls—of a London social season . . .

Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.

No sooner has Frances begun her new life than the ghosts of her old one make an unwelcome appearance. The Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.

While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances learns of mysterious burglaries plaguing London’s elite. The investigation brings death to her doorstep, and Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst, perhaps even among her sister’s suitors. And Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end . . .

A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey, 264 pages

 From Anna Loan-Wilsey comes the first installment of a new historical mystery series featuring Hattie Davish, a traveling secretary who arrives in a small Ozark town only to discover her new employer has disappeared. . .

On the eve of the heated presidential election of 1892, Miss Hattie Davish arrives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a scenic resort town where those without the scent of whiskey on their breath have the plight of temperance on their tongues. Summoned for her services as a private secretary, Hattie is looking forward to exploring the hills, indulging her penchant for botany--and getting to know the town's handsome doctor. But it's hard to get her job done with her employer nowhere to be found. . .

An army of unassuming women wielding hatchets have descended on the quiet Ozark village, destroying every saloon in their path--and leaving more than a few enemies in their wake. So when their beloved leader, Mother Trevelyan, is murdered, it's easy to point fingers. Now that she's working for a dead woman, Hattie turns to her trusty typewriter to get to the truth. And as she follows a trail of cryptic death threats, she'll come face to face with a killer far more dangerous than the Demon Rum. . .

Vampires Never Get Old: Tales With Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker, 264 pages

 In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page.

Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley.

Mythology Abroad by JodyLynn Nye,264 pages

Keith Doyle, business major at Midwestern University, with an unofficial minor in mystical studies and magic overseen by his Little Folk friends, flies off to spend the summer on an educational tour of archaeological sites of the British Isles and Ireland with his best friend, Holl. They hope to locate signs of Holl’s long-lost relations as well as to help fulfill a traditional rite that will permit Holl to marry his beloved Maura. Keith’s reckless exploits attract the attention of not only magical folk who are far less friendly than the Little Folk back home, but human smugglers. The Master and Keith’s girlfriend Diane are forced to come to their aid. Can Keith keep from losing his college credits and Holl his one chance at happiness?

Mythology 101 by Jody Lynn Nye, 264 pages

Keith Doyle, believer in myths, goodhearted nerd, general busybody, and business major at Midwestern University, discovers to his joy—and horror—that a secret village of pointy-eared, magical little elves are occupying a vacant level of the library building. Their leader, The Master, tutors students to pass difficult courses. Marcy, the girl of Keith’s dreams, is already a member of the class. But the library is in danger of being torn down, thanks to a modernization campaign led by Keith himself. The students of the secret class hate him. Marcy is devastated. It looks as though the elves’ home will be destroyed. Keith and the Little Folk need one another. The only thing that can save Keith’s social life is elven magic. And the only thing that can save the elves is the magic of … free enterprise.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, 264 pages

First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins, 264 pages

Just as Harper Price starts to come to terms with her role as David Stark's battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend, her world goes crazy all over again. Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenage girls into Paladins-and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from. Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town...which means her life is on the line yet again.
This is the finale to this trilogy. It's been a fun, light read.

When Churchill Slaughtered SHeep and Stalin Robbed A Bank by Giles Milton, 264 pages

A look at little known tidbits of history that are really interesting. This book is exactly up my alley and I really enjoyed it.

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

My youngest got into The Christmas Story-The Musical, and since I've never seen the movie I figured I better read the book it was based on first. It wasn't too bad but it's no White Christmas.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl & the Great Lakes Avengers, 264 pages

A collection of some of squirrel girl's previous adventures, especially with the Great Lakes Avengers, no, the Great Lakes X-men, no, make that the Great Lakes Champions. Darker and a little more twisted, especially with Deadpool. It includes the death of Monkey Joe.

Silent Witnesses by Negel McCrery, 264 pages

This was a well-done look at the history of forensic science. It was a nice balance of not being so scientific as to be dry and not so dumbed down as to be condescending. It was a great mix of historical cases with scientific advances and it was particularly fascinating to see the first time each advance was used to solve a crime or win a case. Well worth the read for anyone who enjoys murder mysteries and wants a deeper appreciation of the forensic science behind them.

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales by Franz Xaver Von Schonwerth, 264 pages

This is a collection of fairy tales collected in 1850s Bavarian, similar to the Grimm fairy tales collection. These are pretty dark, and it's interesting to see how they served as entertainment and as morality warnings.

Death of a Policeman by M.C. Beaton, 264 pages

M.C. Beaton is one of my favorite mystery writers. I really appreciate the fact that she writes fast and puts out a new book every year at least. The Hamish series is fun, quirky and filled with wonderful descriptions of Scotland. I am so going to go to England, Scotland and Ireland some day. I wholeheartedly recommend this series, but it's best enjoyed from the beginning.

The Boleyn Bride by Brandy Purdy, 264 pages

I'm a huge fan of anything Tudor based in historical fiction, but I've never read anything from the viewpoint of Anne Boleyn's mother. This was one of the best historical fiction books I've read. It had me captivated from almost the very first page, outraged and heartbroken, and the author really brought the time period alive. I put the book down exhausted and sorrowful for the cruel fate suffered by Anne Boleyn and her brother George.