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I know it’s still early in the year, but Rainbow Black is going to be on my Top Ten of 2024! Lacey is only thirteen when the Satanic Panic sweeps through her life, leaving her family in shambles. Despite the legal firestorms, the conniving therapists, and the loss of her entire support system, Lacey finds a way to survive, and years later, she’s living in Canada as Jo, a smart, capable lawyer with more secrets than she can stand. But America hasn’t forgotten her, and soon she’s the target of another witch hunt, but this time for a crime she did commit. This book will leave you outraged and weary of a legal system that abuses its power for nothing more than public appeasement. Five rainbow-colored stars for this one!

Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash, (List Price: $18.99, Harper Perennial, 9780063286870, 2024-03-19)

Reviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Between the ephemeral sense of dread that vanishes as quickly as it appears and the all too well-known terror of family vacation, Diavola kept me both frightened and intrigued! It’s a great read for anyone who loves haunted houses, with a dash of family drama!

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne, (List Price: $27.99, Tor Nightfire, 9781250826121, March 2024)

Reviewed by Courtney Ulrich Smith, Underbrush Books in Rogers, Arkansas

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Goodness, was this good! Where to start? The power politics and marriage of convenience love story put me in mind (in a good way) of Winter’s Orbit, but there’s also talking mammoths, climate crisis commentary, twists, tidbits for language nerds, and delightfully fleshed-out characters! Highly recommend!

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley, (List Price: $32.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732333, March 2024)

Reviewed by Angela Trigg, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

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Well! I was so excited to be asked to be a part of this book! I wasn’t sure what to expect but it exceeded expectations! I am humbled to be in such great company. One of the best things about my job is the people. Book people are the actual best! This book proves it. Fierce, intelligent people across the country were interviewed about their jobs in the book world. We may live far apart, but the message is the same. We care about people reading. We will move heaven and earth to get children to read. We are compassionate and empathetic people who take the time to listen to customers’ stories. I love this world and am so excited to get people to understand how important books and their book pimps are.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and LibrariansThe Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson, (List Price: $30, Little Brown and Company, 9780316567534, April 2024)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Powerful and devastating. The language is so concise and brilliantly moving. Every word makes a massive impact in this slim, arresting poem.

The BrushThe Brush by Eliana Hernández-Pachón, (List Price: $17, Archipelago, 9781953861863, March 2024)

Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama

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I am a devoted follower of the cult of Amanda Montell, and The Age of Magical Overthinking is the psychological balm I didn’t know I needed right now. Amanda Montell has the unique ability to give us perspective on the current cultural zeitgeist that we are too close to to see wholly and to equip us with the tools and language to have important conversations about them. The Age of Magical Overthinking is an astute examination of the cultural moment of now and how we as individuals exist within it…all told with her signature wit and enthusiasm that makes Amanda Montell one of my perennially favorite authors to hand-sell at our bookstore.

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell, (List Price: $28.99, Atria/One Signal Publishers, 9781668007976, April 2024)

Reviewed by Caroline Barbee, Friendly City Books in Columbus, Mississippi

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I loved Once Upon A Broken Heart and was very excited to receive a review copy of The Ballad of Never After. Stephanie Garber has done an amazing job of bringing fairy tales to life along with the curses intertwined within them. Garber didn’t just bring one story to life but a story within a story, within another story. Fairy tales are not all gold and glitter, and you see this more so in The Ballad of Never After. You fall in love with all the characters, whether they are “good” or “bad.” I really hope there is a third book in this series, and I am impatiently waiting for it.

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber, (List Price: $13.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250268433, March 2024)

Reviewed by Mandy Harris, Angel Wings Bookstore in Summerville, North Carolina

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This definitely crosses over to adult readers who grew up on Patricia Wrede and loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted. Extremely well-written and smart fantasy.

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold, (List Price: $17.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780062742322, October 2018)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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This silly sing-songy book will have your child bubbling over with laughter. The pictures are funny colorful animals outfitted in diapers and are sure to make your little one cover their mouths trying to keep from giggling. It is the perfect book to help encourage potty training.

Would You Dare Put a Diaper on a Bear? by Lillias Kinsman-Chauvet, (List Price: $18.99, Boxer Books, 9781915801654, April 2024)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina