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Oh look, another fantasy, but with some romance! Girl, Serpent, Thorn (2020) by Melissa Bashardoust is a dramatic, original fairytale of a princess cursed with a poisonous touch, and locked away in a royal palace. There's a lot to this once you get passed the initial exposition, and it's well worth it.

Written by Justin W, Tech Center

Signe Pike’s third installment of the The Lost Queen Series, The Shadowed Land (2024), is a wonderfully researched story based on the real people from the time of King Arthur.

Magdalena Herrera has a secret. 

Yorick, a struggling bookseller in Paris, receives a mysterious invitation to a Titanic Survivors Club, although he never even set sail on the ship. The motley assortment of members turns out to be those who dodged fate by not boarding the Titanic, the first meeting turns to talk of books and soon The Titanic Survivors Book Club (2024) is formed with Yorick at the helm.

An Orc, once mercenary, decides to settle down and use her spoils to open a coffee shop, a drink the town of Thune hasn't yet tasted.  Legends and Lattes (2022) by Travis Baldree is low-stakes, high-fantasy, wholesome adventure that'll have you feeling like drinking coffee alongside it!

Written by Jason W, Tech Center

The Witchstone (2024) by Henry Neff is a crazy, funny and fabulous horror read that leaves you cheering for...everyone? Laszlo, an eight-hundred-year-old demon and Hell’s laziest Curse Keeper, oversees the miserable Drakeford Curse from his office under Midtown.

Author Stacy Sivinski debuts with a sweet and cozy fantasy with witchy vibes, set in 1870s Chicago. In The Crescent Moon Tearoom (2024) we meet the Quigley triplets, orphaned clairvoyants living a gentle, spice-scented life in their fortune telling tearoom. But it is all about to get turned upside down.

Get ready for an adventure with Amy, Rosie, and Steve as they band together to—you guessed it—solve murders. In this witty mystery, Richard Osman takes this crew across the world, one step ahead of a killer or two. We Solve Murders (2024) starts with bodyguard Amy guarding famous author Rosie who has recently received a death threat.

I really enjoyed listening to Whale Fall (2024) by Elizabeth O’Connor, and at just 4 hours, you can finish it one afternoon or on a weekend road trip!

I really enjoyed reading this Brothers Grimm inspired story and read it in two sittings. The Thirteenth Child (2024) by Erin A. Craig is a dark take on a fairy tale about Hazel, a girl born a thirteenth child.  She is chosen to be adopted by the Dreaded End -the god of Death, and he gifts her the ability to cure sickness.

If you’re in the mood for a feel-good read, check out The Vibrant Years (2022). This upbeat novel alternates between the perspectives of three generations of Indian-American women: Bindu, her daughter-in-law Aly, and her granddaughter Cullie. These endearing characters show the power of familial love and finding yourself at any age, overcoming obstacles to lead more fulfilling lives.

Author Bridget Collins writes highly atmospheric gothic historical fiction with a splash of fantasy. Her books are always unique and otherworldly. The Silence Factory (2024) is no exception.