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Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
by Emily Krempholtz
A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance.
Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, and keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check. Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. But when a mysterious blight threatens every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another to save their community.
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Second Chance Romance (Harlot's Bay #2)
by Olivia Dade
Sparks fly in this hilarious grumpy/grumpy romance, packed with Dade’s signature body positivity and a delicious amount of spice.
Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery. Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary. As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection.
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The Lucky Ride
by Yasushi Kitagawa
A heartwarming and inspiring novel about a man on a magical ride who is unexpectedly offered a chance at happiness.
After losing multiple contracts, Shuichi must make restitution to his company. Faced with this large, unanticipated debt, the trip to Paris he and his wife have been planning for a year must be canceled. Traveling to Europe was more than a vacation; it offered the hope of reaching their teenage daughter who has stopped going to school and will not leave her room. Feeling despondent and directionless, Shuichi believes he’s the unluckiest person in Japan. Then a strange taxi mysteriously appears at his door. The driver promises to take Shuichi not to a destination he needs, but to where his next opportunity will be. With nothing to lose, he settles into the backseat and embarks on a series of magical rides that will teach him surprising life lessons.
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The Mating Game
by Lana Ferguson
Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romance.
Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick—she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and her newly emerged wolf in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters. Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts.
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Evensong
by Stewart O'Nan
An intimate, moving novel that follows The Humpty Dumpty Club, a group of women of a certain age who band together to help one another as they face the challenges of their golden years.
The Humpty Dumpty Club is distraught when their powerhouse leader, Joan Hargrove, takes a bad fall down her stairs, knocking her out of commission. Now, as well as running errands and shepherding those less able to their doctors’ appointments, they have to pick up the slack. Between navigating their own relationships, aging bodies, and attending choir practice, these invisible yet indomitable women help where they can. They bake cookies, they care for pets, they pick up prescriptions, they sit vigil by the sick, and most of all, they show up for the people they’ve pledged to help. In the face of death, divorce, and the myriad directions our lives can take, the Humpty Dumpty club represents the power of community and chosen family.
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The Time Hop Coffee Shop
by Phaedra Patrick
Welcome to the Time Hop Coffee Shop, where wishes can come true…
Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, the quintessential TV wife and mom. Now her fame has faded, her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter has become distant. Yet when she stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, Greta wakes in the idyllic make-believe town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial?
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Insomnia
by Robbie Robertson
Building upon the vast and arching scale of Robbie's first autobiography, this book takes a sharply personal turn, exploring the fascinating friendship between an influential rocker and a visionary filmmaker.
Having taken what would turn out to be a permanent break from the Band, guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson's marriage disintegrated. Seeking solace and a safe haven, Robbie moved into Martin Scorsese's home on Mulholland Drive. Scorsese had recently directed the film of the Band's legendary final concert, The Last Waltz, and the two were fast and firm friends. The two years Robbie and Marty lived together entered Hollywood legend, though nobody knows the details of what actually occurred during that time. Scorsese went on to direct Raging Bull, with Robbie writing the soundtrack. Insomnia provides an integral glimpse into both Robertson and Scorsese's lives during an untamed period in American culture.
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Point Blank: Quick Studies
by Bob Dylan
Demonstrating Dylan’s sensibility for storytelling, Point Blank is a notably observant series of works based on “quick studies” of characters, objects, and scenarios created between 2021 and 2022.
Reading like a glimpse into Bob Dylan’s visual journal, this collection is infused with a distinct spontaneity, as if capturing fleeting moments or memories. The choice of subjects adds to the series’ intense emotional resonance. Intriguing object studies such as a mirror which displays a set of lips, a saxophonist looking introspectively at his instrument and a cowboy all provoke our imagination to contemplate the protagonists of his art and the situations they find themselves in. Surreal in its manifestation and automatic in its spontaneity, the interplay of words and visuals enlivens his paintings even further.
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Sharing in the Groove:The Untold Story of the '90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene That Followed
by Mike Ayers
The wild, untold oral history of the unlikely rise of Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler, and numerous other bands that helped define the 1990s jam band scene.
As a veteran music journalist, Mike Ayers has been to more than 120 Phish shows, 20 Grateful Dead shows, and countless other shows by the bands profiled in this book. In the mid-90s, he stumbled upon a freelance job working backstage for Phish as a prep cook in exchange for all-access passes for the night’s show, and ended up doing this for years. Later in the decade, he dabbled in the taping scene and recorded numerous shows that are still circulated online today. Filled with anecdotes and stories directly from the musicians, promoters, managers and groupies that lived this scene, Sharing in the Groove is a fun, fast-paced oral history that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.
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Taylor's Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift
by Stephanie Burt
A preeminent Harvard professor and poetry expert explains the artistry—and the celebrity—of Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift has become a peerless superstar, ceaselessly productive and internationally beloved. From her teen country debut to her world tour as the chair of the tortured poets department, Swift’s career and her creations have captivated and bewitched fans across the globe. In Taylor’s Version, the poet and literary scholar Stephanie Burt offers an insightful and heartfelt critical appreciation of Taylor Swift, her body of work, and the community that her art has fostered. Drawing from her 2024 Harvard course, Taylor Swift and Her World, as well as from her years as a Swiftie, Burt examines the purposes, talents, and energies Swift brings to her music and to her persona. She highlights the ways Swift’s work remains at once intimate and relatable.
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Star of the Show: My Life on Stage
by Dolly Parton
A stunning celebration of Dolly Parton’s iconic career as a performer, featuring entertaining personal stories alongside 350 full-color photographs.
Featuring engaging stories and memories from Parton’s dynamic life behind the microphone, this book spotlights her signature performances and star-making moments, from singing in front of her family to premiering on the Grand Ole Opry stage and beyond. Her formative years performing with country legend Porter Wagoner are chronicled as she learns hard lessons from life on the road. Breaking out on her own at state fairs and critically acclaimed venues, she toured the world performing for millions of fans in arenas, stadiums, and at festivals. Brimming with Parton’s trademark wit and heartfelt sincerity, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is not only an homage to one of history’s most cherished artists, but also a must-read collector’s item for any fan of the one and only Dolly Parton.
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Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run
by Paul McCartney
Told in revelatory first person, this immersive account of Paul McCartney and Wings is the engrossing oral history of a band that came to define a generation.
The book tells the astonishing, almost improbable, story of Paul McCartney and his newly formed band from 1971 through its dissolution barely a decade later. Drawn from over 500,000 words of interviews with McCartney, key players, and family members, Wings poignantly recounts, now with a half-century’s wisdom, the story of a man and musician navigating the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup. Organized around nine Wings albums, the narrative follows the adventurous band as they survive a robbery on the streets of Nigeria, appear unannounced at various university halls, tour in a sheared-off double-decker bus with their children, all while producing some of the most enduring music of the decade. With 150 black-and-white and color photographs, many previously unseen, this is a landmark work of soaring originality.
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