Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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Must-Read Books February 2026 |
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| The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. BellIn this "stellar debut" (Publishers Weekly), Lilian Delaney is an apprentice bookbinder in 1901 Oxford working at her widowed father's failing bookshop. When she's given a burned book by a customer, she finds a cryptic 50-year-old love letter hidden beneath the binding that speaks of murder. Drawn into the story, Lily looks for other books by the obscure author, discovering she's not the only one after them. Read-alikes: Jess Armstrong's Ruby Vaughn mysteries, starting with The Curse of Penryth Hall. |
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| Murder Your Darlings by Jenna BlumCaught between an impending book deadline and a sudden, intoxicating romance with a famed novelist, Sam Vetiver is pulled into a world where charm masks danger. As a stalker closes in and bodies surface, shifting viewpoints reveal a sharp, darkly funny plot about trust, ambition, and the perils of desire.
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| A Most Worthy Husband by Faye DelacourDetermined to remain a spinster, debutante Hannah Williams concocts a scheme to ruin her reputation by publicly kissing disgraced Silas Corbyn, who's been dishonorably discharged from the navy and disinherited from his family. But Hannah's plan backfires when her mother insists the two marry. This 3rd steamy Lucky Ladies of London Victorian romance will appeal to fans of Evie Dunmore.
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| Dark Sisters by Kristi DemeesterUnfolding across three timelines, Kristi DeMeester's fast-paced latest centers on the "Dark Sisters," a pair of vengeful witches whose hold on the women of small-town Hawthorne Springs spans centuries. For fans of: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth.
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| Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah FoxWith her bestie's help, jobless Emersyn Gray creates a fake detective agency to scare her ex into giving back the money he stole from her, money she needs to care for her orphaned seven-year-old niece. Then her Bronx building superintendent is killed and the other residents find her fake business card. So she teams up with a hunky guy to solve the case. For fans of: Bellamy Rose's Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder; Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series.
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| Simultaneous by Eric HeissererGrant Lukather, agent of the elusive federal department known as Predictive Analytics, teams up with Sarah Newcomb, a past-life hypnosis therapist, to embark on an investigation into a bizarre killer who crosses time, space, and consciousness. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Arrival brings a mind-bending science fiction thriller that will draw in fans of The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy and Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.
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| Snake-Eater by T. KingfisherIn search of a fresh start after leaving her emotionally abusive fiancé, cash-strapped Selena heads to the small desert town of Quartz Creek, Arizona to stay at her late aunt's abandoned home. But not all is as it seems in Quartz Creek, as she soon discovers she's being watched by the same malevolent creature who targeted her aunt. Fans of dark fantasy/horror hybrids will want to check out this suspenseful and atmospheric latest from bestselling author T. Kingfisher.
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| It Should Have Been You by Andrea MaraWhen a new mother mistakenly shares a private complaint with her whole neighborhood, tensions escalate into violence and shocking deaths. What begins as a minor misstep spirals into a web of betrayal and fear, exposing the fragility of trust and showing how quickly social media can upend seemingly ordinary lives. For fans: of Lisa Jewell and B.A. Paris.
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| How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigleyGrowing up in 1980s Wyoming as Reagan rules and the tabloids follow Charles and Diana's engagement, sisters Georgie and Aggie face racism as the only Brown kids around. Then, when their uncle and his family leave India and move in with them, the sexual abuse starts. The girls blame the abuse on various things as they plot to kill their uncle in this inventive short debut novel featuring magazine-style quizzes. Try these next: Essie Chambers' Swift River; Betty by Tiffany McDaniel.
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| The Summer War by Naomi NovikFurious at her beloved brother for leaving home, musically gifted Celia had no way of knowing her childish curses at him would doom him to a life without love. Celia desperately searches for a way to undo her mistake, until she uncovers a centuries-old secret about the immortal beings known as the summerlings. For fans of: magical curses, suspense, and in-depth worldbuilding as found in The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara.
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| The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Rob OslerIn 1898, 21-year-old Prescott Agency junior field operative Harriet Morrow investigates when a journalist who'd found evidence of a corrupt government official is fatally stabbed in a Chicago tenement house. Going undercover, Harriet dons a variety of guises to get to the truth in her richly detailed 2nd outing, which also sees her find a girlfriend. For fans of: Stephen Spotswood, Lev AC Rosen, Cathy Pegau's A Murderous Business.
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| The Great Resistance: The 400-Year Fight to End Slavery in the Americas by Carrie GibsonHistorian Carrie Gibson's (El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America) sweeping history illuminates four centuries of enslaved people's resistance to the Atlantic slave trade and "insists on the primacy of the enslaved themselves as agents of their own liberation" (Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World by Sudhir Hazareesingh. |
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| 24 Hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6th Insurrection by Nora NeusEmmy Award-nominated producer and freelance journalist Nora Neus' compelling follow-up to 24 Hours in Charlottesville is a nail-biting, minute-by-minute oral history of the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack, featuring never-before-heard firsthand accounts from lawmakers, staffers, and police officers who were there. Further reading: Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th by Mary Clare Jalonick. |
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| Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic by Kenneth R. RosenJournalist Kenneth R. Rosen's compelling debut blends science writing, travelogue, and geopolitical analysis to detail how the Arctic could become the site of a new cold war, with Russia, China, and America all vying for control of the complex region. Try this next: So You Want to Own Greenland? Lessons from the Vikings to Trump by Elizabeth Buchanan.
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Clydeo Versus Peanut Butter
by Jennifer Aniston
The first I Can Read in global superstar and everyone's F-R-I-E-N-D Jennifer Aniston's series starring her food-loving dog, Clydeo Clydeo is making peanut butter cookies when his mouth gets stuck shut with peanut butter. He seeks the help of his family, but no one can understand him. What will it take for Clydeo to get unstuck?Find out in this hilarious Level 1 I Can Read book by global superstar Jennifer Aniston. Clydeo versus Peanut Butter is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.For more fun with Jennifer Aniston and Clydeo, check out: Clydeo Takes a Bite Out of LifeCook with Clydeo: A Cookbook for KidsClydeo Makes a Friend, Level 1 I Can Read, coming June 2026
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Fustuk: A Graphic Novel
by Robert Mgrdich Apelian
The odd one out in a family of talented chefs, seventeen-year-old Katah and his siblings strike a deal with a powerful div to save their mother's life in exchange for a dish that rivals their late father's.
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Oddity
by Eli Brown
The daughter of a murdered physician vows to protect the magical Oddity he left behind in an alternate nineteenth century where a failed Louisiana Purchase has locked a young Unified States into conflict with France--Publisher marketing.
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Revenge of the Baskerville Bloodhound, Vol. 1
by Book Author
The children of the Baskerville family are trained as loyal hounds from a young age, knowing nothing apart from a life of death and deception. After faithfully serving his family for forty years, Vikir Von Baskerville was rewarded with betrayal and execution by the hands of the man he called his father. But when he's given a second chance at life by being reborn with his memories of his past life intact, Vikir swears to have his revenge against the family he once served. Once again, he must survive the brutal life that awaits all the hounds of Baskerville, but this time he vows to bite the hand that feeds him.
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Love Me to Death: Volume One
by Toonimated
Whoever said 'til death do us part wasn't trying hard enough. Toonimated's wildy popular Webtoon is now in print with a never-before-seen short story For fans of Anatomy: A Love Story and Lore Olympus comes a graphic novel romantasy about the love triangle between a necromancer, a resurrected bride, and her very-much-alive groom. In the city of San Guadario, necromancy has been banned for one hundred years. Every aspect of life, from buying food to getting married, requires a signature written in one's own blood. If a necromancer were to sign, their identity would be revealed by the magic that courses through their veins. As a necromancer, Victor and his cute one-eyed cat must live a discreet life, constantly on the run. Everything changes when the wealthiest patron in San Guadario hires Victor to resurrect his recently deceased, and impossibly beautiful, bride. The catch? Victor must perform an ancient ritual which eternally binds himself to this bride. After he brings her back to life, Victor finds himself magically entangled with the bride and groom and caught in the middle of more romance than he knows what to do with. Adapted from the wildly popular webtoon series, Love Me to Death is a gorgeously illustrated saga that is bound to stop your heart.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Culpeper County Library271 Southgate Shopping Center, Culpeper, Virginia 22701 | 540-825-8691https://www.cclva.org |
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