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!

The Best of Archie Comics Starring Betty & Veronica, 416 pages

 In the tradition of the smash hit Best of Archie Comics series comes another great full-color $9.99 volume jam-packed with over 400 pages of the funniest and most iconic stories of the past 70 years featuring Archie's girl friends Betty and Veronica, hand-selected by Archie creators, editors, fans and historians from 200,000 pages of material. A must-have edition for anyone who has ever enjoyed the Betty and Veronica comics as well as a great introduction to the history of Archie and the girls!

The Best of Archie Comics Starring Betty & Veronica, Book Two, 416 pages

 The celebration of over 75 years of Archie Comics fun continues in this full-color collection, featuring over 400 pages of classic and modern Betty and Veronica stories!

The gals are back and better than ever on this second volume of THE BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS STARRING BETTY AND VERONICA!

This compilation features some of the most entertaining and well-loved Betty and Veronica stories from the past seven decades, starting in the '40s and continuing to present day. Also included in this volume are exclusive anecdotes and personal statements from comic writers, artists and editors about the impact of the two BFFs on their lives and work. This is a must-have edition for anyone who has enjoyed the Betty and Veronica comics as well as a great introduction to the history of the iconic duo!

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page, 416 pages

 When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…

The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia, 416 pages

 All's fair in love and lore.

Joonie is living in a fantasy—at least that’s what people tell her. Men in the real world have done nothing but disappoint her time and time again, so she keeps her heart reserved for Ryke, the fictional male lead of her favorite romance series, who just happens to be a merman. And so far, her book boyfriend is meeting her needs more than any other “real” man ever has.

But when she learns that Ryke's character is based on a friend of the author, Joonie is determined to track him down and take her shot at a happily ever after.

She’ll need to borrow her brother’s car for the road trip, with the one condition that his annoying (but also hot) best friend can catch a ride to New York with her. But as she makes her way to her male lead, she’ll learn that once you wish fantasy into reality, you have to take all the tropes that come with it—not just the fun ones.

As unhinged as it is brilliant, Female Fantasy is both a self-aware dive into the concept of genre and a wild, steamy romp. Most of all, though, it’s a heartfelt love letter to romance readers everywhere.

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston, 416 pages

 She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly . . .

 
Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has.
 
But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome jaguar shifter into her world and show him everything he’s been missing out on. A move that might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done once she realizes how far her enemies will go to wipe her out. Too bad for them Zé is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive . . . and honey badgers are just so damn hard to kill!

Crap: A History of Cheap Stuff in America by Wendy Woloson, 416 pages

 Crap. We all have it. Filling drawers. Overflowing bins and baskets. Proudly displayed or stuffed in boxes in basements and garages. Big and small. Metal, fabric, and a whole lot of plastic. So much crap. Abundant cheap stuff is about as American as it gets. And it turns out these seemingly unimportant consumer goods offer unique insights into ourselves—our values and our desires.

In A History of Cheap Stuff in America , Wendy A. Woloson takes seriously the history of objects that are often cynically-made and easy to  things not made to last; things we don't really need; things we often don't even really want. Woloson does not mock these ordinary, everyday possessions but seeks to understand them as a way to understand aspects of ourselves, socially, culturally, and Why do we—as individuals and as a culture—possess these things? Where do they come from? Why do we want them? And what is the true cost of owning them?

Woloson tells the history of crap from the late eighteenth century up through today, exploring its many gadgets, knickknacks, novelty goods, mass-produced collectibles, giftware, variety store merchandise. As Woloson shows, not all crap is crappy in the same way—bric-a-brac is crappy in a different way from, say, advertising giveaways, which are differently crappy from commemorative plates. Taking on the full brilliant and depressing array of crappy material goods, the book explores the overlooked corners of the American market and mindset, revealing the complexity of our relationship with commodity culture over time.
By studying crap rather than finely made material objects, Woloson shows us a new way to truly understand ourselves, our national character, and our collective psyche. For all its problems, and despite its disposability, our crap is us.

Unto a Good Land by Vilhelm Moberg, 416 pages

 Considered one of Sweden's greatest 20th-century writers, Vilhelm Moberg created the characters Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson to portray the joys and tragedies of daily life for early Swedish immigrants in America. His consistently faithful depiction of these humble people's lives is a major strength of the Emigrant Novels.

Moberg's extensive research in the papers of Swedish emigrants in archival collections enabled him to incorporate many details of pioneer life. First published between 1949 and 1959 in Swedish, these four books were considered a single work by Moberg, who intended that they be read as documentary novels. These reprint editions contain introductions written by Roger McKnight of Gustavus Adolphus College, and they restore Moberg's bibliography not included in earlier English editions.

The second book in the series, Unto a Good Land opens in the summer of 1850 as the emigrants disembark in New York City. Their journey to a new home in Minnesota Territory takes them by riverboat, steam wagon, Great Lakes steamship, and oxcart to Chisago County.

Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs, 416 pages

 Honey Bee Tea was an elegant affair set in Charleston’s new Petigru Park amid newly planted native grasses and a community beekeeping project. But when a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests, the party erupts in chaos. Worse yet, a shot rings out and Osgood Claxton III, candidate for state legislature, falls to the ground—dead.Holly Burns, the gallery owner who asked Theodosia to cater the tea, is understandably heartbroken. A man is dead, her guests are angry and injured, and the paintings that were on display are left in tatters. When the police don’t seem to have a clue, when old-line politicos don’t want questions asked, Holly begs Theodosia to run a shadow investigation and help restore her gallery’s good name.Between hosting a Wind in the Willows Tea and a Glam Girl Tea, Theodosia questions everyone that had a bone to pick with Claxton. This includes Booker, an angry outsider artist; Lamar Lucket, Claxton’s political opponent; and Mignon Merriweather, the dead man’s soon-to-be ex-wife. But the investigation becomes a political hot potato following a second murder, the revelation of a messy affair, a chase through a swamp, and a vandalized shop.

The Best of Archie Comics Deluxe Edition Book 3, 416 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!

Marvelous by Molly Greeley, 416 pages

 1547: Pedro Gonzales, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the hair covering his body from head to toe. When he is kidnapped off the beach near his home, he finds himself delivered by a slave broker into the dangerous and glamorous world of France’s royal court. There “Monsieur Sauvage,” as he is known, learns French, literature, and sword fighting, becoming an attendant to the French King Henri II and a particular favorite of his queen, the formidable Catherine de’ Medici. Queen Catherine considers herself a collector of unusual people and is fascinated by Pedro… and determined to find him a bride.

Catherine Raffelin is a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl whose merchant father has fallen on hard times and offers up his daughter to Queen Catherine. The queen will pay his debts, and his daughter will marry Monsieur Sauvage.

Catherine meets Pedro for the first time on their wedding day. Barely recovered from the shock of her father’s betrayal, she soon finds herself christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, and must learn to navigate this strange new world, and the unusual man who is now her husband.

A mesmerizing novel set in the French royal court of Catherine de’ Medici during the Renaissance, which recreates the touching and surprising true story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend, from the acclaimed author of The Clergyman’s Wife and The Heiress. Gorgeously written, heartbreaking and hopeful, Marvelous is the portrait of a marriage, the story of a remarkable, resilient family, and an unforgettable reimagining of one of the world’s most beloved fairy tales.

Archie's Favorite High School Comics, 416 pages

 Celebrate 75 years of Archie Comics with this fun-filled collection packed with over 400 pages of hilarious high school stories!

 
The ARCHIE’S FAVORITE COMICS series gathers some of the best and most-loved stories ever for fans of all ages!
 
ARCHIE’S FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL COMICS collects dozens of excellent, full-color stories featuring Archie and the gang in all kinds of high school hi-jinx! These hand-selected stories feature special behind-the-scenes anecdotes, making this a must-have for all Archie and comic book fans everywhere!

Archie's Favorite Comics From the Vault, 416 pages

 Celebrate 75 years of Archie Comics with this treasure trove of great RARE stories! Features over 400 pages of VINTAGE comics from Archie’s VAULT!

The ARCHIE’S FAVORITE COMICS series gathers some of the most beloved COMIC BOOK stories ever for fans of all ages!

ARCHIE’S FAVORITE COMICS FROM THE VAULT collects excellent, RARE full-color Archie stories! The stories included in this volume were hand-selected from a VAST ARCHIVE of VINTAGE comics and feature special behind-the-scenes anecdotes. This is a must-have for all Archie and comic book fans everywhere!

Sign Here by Claudia Lux, 416 pages

 Peyote Trip has a pretty good gig in the deals department on the fifth floor of Hell. Sure, none of the pens work, the coffee machine has been out of order for a century, and the only drink on offer is Jägermeister, but Pey has a plan—and all he needs is one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.

When the Harrisons retreat to the family lake house for the summer, with their daughter Mickey’s precocious new friend, Ruth, in tow, the opportunity Pey has waited a millennium for might finally be in his grasp. And with the help of his charismatic coworker Calamity, he sets a plan in motion.

But things aren’t always as they seem, on Earth or in Hell. And as old secrets and new dangers scrape away at the Harrisons’ shiny surface, revealing the darkness beneath, everyone must face the consequences of their choices.

Strange History: Mysterious Artifacts, Macabre Legends, Bonehead Blunders & Mind-Blowing Facts by the Bathroom Readers' Institute, 416 pages

 The fifth book in the popular Uncle John’s Briefs series contains the strangest short history articles from over 30 Bathroom Readers—along with 50 all-new pages. From the 20th century to the Old West, from the Age of Enlightenment to the Dark Ages, from ancient cultures all the way back to the dawn of time, Strange History is overflowing with mysterious artifacts, macabre legends, kooky inventions, reality-challenged rulers, boneheaded blunders, and mind-blowing facts. Read about…

*The curse of Macbeth
*Stupid history: Hollywood style
*The secret LSD experiments of the 1960s
*In search of the lost “Cloud People” of Peru
*The Swedish queen who declared war on fleas
*Unearthing the past with the Outhouse Detectives
*The Apollo astronaut who swears he saw a UFO
*How to brew a batch of 5,000-year-old beer
*The brutal bloodbaths at Rome’s Coliseum
*Ghostly soup from ancient China
*The bathroom of the 1970s

And much, much more!

Archie Giant Comics Gala, 416 pages

This volume collects 480 pages of iconic Archie comic stories, featuring the same mix of wild humor, awkward charm and genuine relatability that has kept Archie and the gang popular with kids and families for 75+ years

The Best of Archie Americana Bronze Age 1980s-1990s, 416 pages

The Awesome Eighties: Experience the punk movement as it shakes up Riverdale! Behold the rise of MTV! The Nifty Nineties: Rock out to the sensational sounds of boy bands, and hook up your satellite dish so you can enjoy teens from Beverly Hills and more! It's all here and then some in this edition chock-full of comedy classics from the Bronze Age of Archie!

Archie Giant Comics Hop, 416 pages

This volume collects 480 pages of iconic Archie comic stories, featuring the same mix of wild humor, awkward charm and genuine relatability that has kept Archie and the gang popular with kids and families for 75+ years

Death in the City of Light by David King, 416 pages

Death in the City of Light is the gripping, true story of a brutal serial killer who unleashed his own reign of terror in Nazi-Occupied Paris. As decapitated heads and dismembered body parts surfaced in the Seine, Commissaire Georges-Victor Massu, head of the Brigade Criminelle, was tasked with tracking down the elusive murderer in a twilight world of Gestapo, gangsters, resistance fighters, pimps, prostitutes, spies, and other shadowy figures of the Parisian underworld.

The main suspect was Dr. Marcel Petiot, a handsome, charming physician with remarkable charisma. He was the “People’s Doctor,” known for his many acts of kindness and generosity, not least in providing free medical care for the poor. Petiot, however, would soon be charged with twenty-seven murders, though authorities suspected the total was considerably higher, perhaps even as many as 150.

Who was being slaughtered, and why? Was Petiot a sexual sadist, as the press suggested, killing for thrills? Was he allied with the Gestapo, or, on the contrary, the French Resistance? Or did he work for no one other than himself? Trying to solve the many mysteries of the case, Massu would unravel a plot of unspeakable deviousness. When Petiot was finally arrested, the French police hoped for answers. 

But the trial soon became a circus. Attempting to try all twenty-seven cases at once, the prosecution stumbled in its marathon cross-examinations, and Petiot, enjoying the spotlight, responded with astonishing ease. His attorney, René Floriot, a rising star in the world of criminal defense, also effectively, if aggressively, countered the charges.  Soon, despite a team of prosecuting attorneys, dozens of witnesses, and over one ton of evidence, Petiot’s brilliance and wit threatened to win the day.

Drawing extensively on many new sources, including the massive, classified French police file on Dr. Petiot, Death in the City of Light is a brilliant evocation of Nazi-Occupied Paris and a harrowing exploration of murder, betrayal, and evil of staggering proportions.

The Best of Archie Comics Starring Betty and Veronica, 416 pages

Another great way to relax in the evening.