The author seems to believe America is currently in the ascendency but with China gaining with great strides in education and tech innovation. America has been the place the most talented want to come but with our administration threatening the H1B visas, will that remain the case? Will Europe start financially supporting its own tech? Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher. Release date January 20. Prepare yourself.

So slow, so boring, and with such a pompous narrator. The indiscriminate killing of animals was too much.

This is an important story which will demonstrate to kids the way depression feels and that there is still hope. That said, it felt like an energy depleting not energy giving story.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl. A fire that destroyed the city‘s oldest Negro church has led to the discovery of a wild slave narrative that highlights a little-known era of American history.

While “Automatic Noodle” is short in length, it is long in wisdom and a sense of fun.

Kelly always writes a show stopper of a book. She combines science and heart. It is an animal book but also a coming of age novel in which Max learns how to stand up for himself and how to stand by his friends. This is a favorite.

The plot is convoluted and the ending felt unsatisfying. There was an interesting look at missing girls and women and the publicity and support available depending on race. There were many characters and issues that were glossed over.

Light pick. During Covid, while trying to home school kids and dealing with lock down, four women team up to solve the mysterious deaths of a couple. The detailed way they set about gathering information as amateur sleuths with no access to police files was eye-opening. Parts of the narrative were repetitive. There were two short bits of imaginative reconstruction that did not belong in a nonfiction book.

This is a short, inspiring collection of essays by a great historian. I wonder what he would have to say about our current state of affairs.

The cruelty and inhumanity shown by people to their neighbors and enemies alike is astounding. This was an event not taught in history class but with far reaching consequences.

This was a splendidly illustrated book with a science tie in to space and sea. Fun and lovely. Thanks to the publisher and edelweiss for an advance review copy. Release date 3/3/26. Unfortunate author but great illustrator.

There comes a point when the twists and turns become a tangled mess instead of an intricately plotted story. The shifting points of view and timelines and the soapy drama were just too much. The ending was not a surprise at all. Due to be released 1/6/26. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy.

Considering the topic, this was very short. It had some fascinating trails to follow up on. As a way to pique interest in the topic, it was fantastic. The end bit about people trying to outrun mortality by freezing their heads or bodies, meh. Apparently they think they will get resurrected into a grand life instead as enslaved zombies.

Light pick. It was cute but glossed over some pretty big plot points. Made it onto NPR‘s Books We Loved list. Preferred Dream on.

Bullying, changing friendships, and feeling lost in a big family are all pretty relatable. This graphic novel deals with sensitive issues in a great way. The illustrations aren't overdone. Instead, they are simple, colorful, and add to the narrative instead of distracting the reader.

This was packed with so much information that at times it felt more like a recitation of names and dates. With all of the smuggling and secret police, it should have been more engaging.

The sardonic lead investigator‘s dry wit, his second‘s gentle nature, and the uniqueness of their compatriots adds some lightness to a dark tale of revenge and murder. I need to go back to read the first one.

The narrative structure detracted from the information presented. The story line jumped from place to place and to varying groups of people in a very helter skelter way. The actual information about the volcanic eruption was magnificent.

This was very interesting. At times the author treated the uneducated people who strived to raise their social status through communism with condescension. Saying that some people were promoted past their knowledge and talents was redundant. Monied people are also promoted in error😳.The bits about the Polish Home Army and the clergy were packed with insight. Communism in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslavakia, and Poland is described in depth.

This zombie apocalypse was intense, grim, and without hope. This was well written. Fast paced. Not for me. Release date in January 2026. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy.

The strength of this story was the complexity of the characters. The mystery wasn‘t all that shocking and was well signposted. This is a light pick.

Jackson knows how to write a deceptively simple murder mystery and then embellish it with twists and turns and amazing characters.

This was a very angsty and drama filled graphic novel for teens. The theater aspect was great. I felt like the one instance of mature language could have been skipped. It felt stuck in to the story to make it feel older as did an earlier comment about smut. There were a few plot points that didn‘t go anywhere. Otherwise, the relationships and illustrations were lovely.

Scorch and Ciara make a great pair of adventurers. The action was well paced and the characters were fun. Lots of snarky humor and no violence. Also, no ending. This will be a great series for the young fantasy enthusiast.

This was a character study set in a space adventure. At times it was almost boring. The pacing felt very erratic.

Bad badger or something else? This is a story of discovering oneself and friendship. It is a slow, sweet story. Reminiscent to “Wind in the Willows” in regards to pacing and characters.

This is a beautifully written inditement of a society and individuals willing to support a genocide. As someone who felt like the little I did made no difference, this was an inspiring read.

Palestinian poet Rasha Abdulhadi: “Wherever you are, whatever sand you can throw on the gears of genocide, do it now. If it‘s a handful, throw it. If it‘s a fingernail full, scrape it out and throw. Get in the way however you can”.

This felt like a time capsule. I respect the author‘s decision not to make his younger self seem more enlightened or worldly. That said, it did feel like a pretty shallow observation of very complex civilizations. However, it did seem like a pretty quick trip. I do get twitchy when people romanticize poverty and the author brushed up against it several times.

Dolly Parton has made a success out of being herself. She is audacious, intelligent, savvy, and sweet. This book also demonstrates her ambition and determination. Her luminous voice has been inspirational to many people who live on the outskirts of society. She not only makes the money, she shares it. This book brings to light so many of her philanthropic endeavors. Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advance digital copy. 12/30 release.

Indiscriminate killing and junior-high boy humor can not be offset by the presence of a cat. The frantic pace and lack of character made this the only book I will be reading by this author. It is the first in a series so don‘t expect a resolution.

Mr. Friss has written a love story to the radical and revolutionary ties bookshops have to the communities which host them. He imparts American history as much as he details the trajectory of bookselling. This is a definite recommendation.

Informative and quite interesting. It is rather melancholy that many of the exiles believed Navalny was their best hope for an opponent to Putin. Navalny died in prison after this was published.

Packed with the sweet and spicy, this sets the reader up for many more happy returns in Darling Springs. Thanks to the Publisher and Edelweiss for a review copy. Planned release date 3/3/26.

Two beautiful souls found each other and survived many a danger and toils. This was an interesting tale told slowly and surely and with much description. The pacing lagged at times. This isn‘t my typical fare but it was enjoyable.

Is it lyrical or narcissistic? Is the author a brave explorer or a refugee from Darwin‘s law? It feels like he is in love with listening to himself ramble his nihilistic monologue. However, not all readers have partaken of the substances that make philosophers and poets out of every fool.

Chilling information that every social media user should know.

The Veronica Speedwell series is a cozy but of mystery and romance. The characters of Veronica and Stoker are quite unique and there are more interesting side characters in addition to Mornaday, the hapless policeman, and J.J., unemployed tabloid reporter. At times, it felt there were a few too many threads to the tale but it was still good fun. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy. Release date March 3.

The importance of this work is extolled in The Bookshop by Evan Friss. It is interesting but it is hard from this time to understand how someone feeling it ridiculous to be governed by a king far away could not acknowledge how the Native Americans might feel being under the power of people who were new to the land. The author yells for freedom while many colonists were enslaving people. Also, the usual antisemitism.

Are the “Wards of the State” any better off than those remaining in the neglectful care of their parents? Rowe posits they are much worse off than their compatriots. This was a heart-wrenching and informative look at the failures of foster care.

The first half of this book was infuriating as the author and his partner in this adventure displayed an immense amount of arrogance, entitlement, and stupidity. The theme could easily have been “God watches over fools”. Fedarko and McBride were assisted by more experienced hikers to attain their goal. They came to respect the deep relationship between the canyonlands and the tribes who live and have lived there while traversing the canyon.

Action-packed fun with the socially awkward murderbot and his quirky companions. Lots of plot and a more consistwntly serious plot. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance copy. Due out 5/5/26.

While escaping into books isn‘t a new trope, this was a sharper, darker version. It was even a bit meta as the author introduced herself into the adventure. Most readers will be in agreement with the anti- book burning sentiments. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy. Release date 2/17/26.

The so so rating is due to the loopy timeline of the story. Grandma Gatewood is 5 stars all the way. She had grit. Her family believed in her strength and determination. She lived through extreme domestic abuse, raised 11 kids, and hiked thousands of miles. She is an inspiration to many.

This contains the information necessary to a nonfiction book but the writing prowess of the latest award winning fiction novel. The frustration and fear of the families involved is almost palpable while the political games and ineptitude is infuriating.

This was funny, emotionally intelligent, and wonderful. I hope it is the first of many. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance digital copy.

This was sweet and fun with the potential for great characters and more complex relationships. The ending felt incredibly rushed and ynsatisfying. The Autumn vibes were great. Check out The cozy corner bookstore by Nova Walsh.

Moloka‘i started out as a place of isolation and punishment but came to represent family and home. The descriptions of this lonely place were wonderful. The history was finely woven into the story. The characters were beautifully wrought.

While this was a cute start to this rom com/cozy mystery, it was way too long.