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Shari - Youth/Teen Services Associate (Bowman)
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"I have been reading this fun mystery/suspense series for years, and I still love it! There are currently 31 books in the series, with several more to come. While it makes more sense to read the books in order, starting with One for the Money, you could actually pick up any of them to read without having read them all; the author provides plenty of background information in each volume to get you up-to-speed. These cozy, fireside reads are the laugh-out-loud adventures and misadventures of an unlikely bonds person, her sidekick, and her love interests. " ~Shari
Meet Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie's opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She's a product of the burg, a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six. Out of work and out of money, Stephanie blackmails her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, el-primo bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli's the inamorato who charmed Stephanie out of her virginity at age sixteen. There's still powerful chemistry between them, so the chase should be interesting...and could also be extremely dangerous.
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Julie - Information Services Assistant (Bowman)
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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather FawcettCambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people. So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart. |
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Mindy - Circulation Aide (Handley)
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"I've seen this called the origin of the cozy fantasy genre. Imitated but not matched!" ~Mindy
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success -- not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. Legends & Lattes is a low-stakes fantasy that delivers exactly what's advertised: a wholesome, cozy novel that feels like a warm hug.
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Donna - Youth Services Division Head (Bowman)
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Random Acts of Crochet Kindness: Little Projects to Share the Love by Olivia DieterichCreate 25 sweet and simple crocheted items to label with love and place in your local community, ready to brighten someone else's day. Random Acts of Crochet Kindness (RAOCK) has a simple purpose: create something special and then leave it out in the world for someone else to pick up and enjoy tiny acts of everyday magic have captivated fans worldwide - the #RandomActsOfCrochetKindness hashtag has been used by countless people sharing their testimonies of being touched by the thoughtfulness of strangers. After a personal tragedy, author and founder Olivia Dieterich started the movement to channel her sadness into creativity. She found that in addition to the boost to her own mental health, each small act of kindness had a profound effect on someone else's day as well.
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Orphan Elizabeth Somers's malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms--most notably its massive library. It's not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel's secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel's curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself? Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets. |
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Cheryl - Information Services Coordinator (Bowman)
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Nettle & Bone by T. KingfisherThis isn't a fairytale where the princess marries a prince. It's one where she kills him. After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince-if she can complete three impossible tasks. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last. |
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Sarah - Youth Services Assistant (Handley)
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The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamilloAt the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly--like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel's wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story--in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father's disappearance lie in the countess's tales? Book two in a trio of novellas bound by place and mood, The Hotel Balzaar masterfully juggles yearning and belief, shining light into every dark corner. |
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Kathy - Circulation Assistant (Bowman)
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A Stitch in Time by Kelley ArmstrongThorne Manor has always been haunted...and it has always haunted Bronwyn Dale. As a young girl, Bronwyn could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt's house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. After a family tragedy, the house was shuttered and Bronwyn was convinced that William existed only in her imagination. Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting. William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He's a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He's also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago. As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past. Available as an eBook on Hoopla |
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Nova - Archives Assistant (Handley)
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"I'm not sure my idea of "cozy" is the same as everyone else's, but I found it comforting to be in the mind of the main character. " ~Nova Indelicacy introduces us to a cleaning woman at an art museum who nurtures aspirations to do more than simply dust the paintings around her. She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing, and so must find a way to win herself the time and security to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man, but having gained a husband, a house, high society, and a maid, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labor--social and erotic--she is now, however passively, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another, more drastic solution is necessary. Reminiscent of a lost Victorian classic in miniature, yet taking equal inspiration from such modern authors as Jean Rhys, Octavia Butler, Clarice Lispector, and Jean Genet, Amina Cain's Indelicacy is at once a ghost story without a ghost, a fable without a moral, and a down-to-earth investigation of the barriers faced by women in both life and literature. It is a novel about seeing, class, desire, anxiety, pleasure, friendship, and the battle to find one's true calling. |
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Alison - Clarke County Library Branch Manager
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"This is definitely an unconventional love story, but the beautiful, lyrical writing shows us that love transcends all. It is a book you will want to curl up with all winter long!" ~Alison
For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams. At first, Wren resists her husband's fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis's developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.
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Mackenzie - Branch Assistant (Clarke)
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The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna JohnstonFrederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he'd return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is, at age eighty-two, there's nobody left in Fred's life to borrow from, and he's broke and on the brink of eviction. But Fred's luck changes when he's mistaken for Bernard Greer, a missing resident at the local nursing home, and takes his place. Now Fred has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head--as long as his look-alike Bernard never turns up. Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man betray her again. As Fred walks in Bernard's shoes and learns about his past, Denise uncovers clues that threaten to reveal his identity. Will she expose the truth before Fred can return a broken life to mint condition? Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about forgiveness, redemption, second chances and finding family. |
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Alyssa - Information Services Coordinator (Handley)
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"This is another great cozy fantasy. Both this, and the first book in the series, "The Spellshop" were such wonderful cozy reads. The Enchanted Greenhouse begins with our protagonist waking up in the snow and being taken in by a grumpy gardener. I love the descriptions of the foods the gardener makes in this book; they really evoke a sense of warmth and coziness, especially the honey cakes!" ~Alyssa
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and hidden away. This should have been the end of her story... but one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She's starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To Terlu's surprise, he offers her a warm refuge--until she's ready to sail home. But Terlu doesn't want to leave, and as she grows closer with the unwittingly charming gardener, Yarrow, she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing. Terlu knows she must help, even if that means breaking the law again. This time, though, she isn't alone. Assisted by Yarrow and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer to save the island--and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.
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