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Fantasy and Science Fiction December 2025 |
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Gone Before Goodbye
by Reese Witherspoon
This thrilling full-cast recording features Reese Witherspoon as Maggie and Chris Pine as Marc, supported by Saskia Maarleveld, Peter Ganim, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Kiff VandenHeuvel, and James Fouhey. An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben, Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy--where uncovering the truth could cost her everything. Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan...until it wasn't. Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion. Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world's most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself--or she will be the next one who is... Gone Before Goodbye
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Alchemy of Secrets
by Stephanie Garber
It starts with a class in an old movie theater. Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor's stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you'll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart. With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles--and into the path of a magnetic stranger--
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King Sorrow
by Joe Hill
Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll -- and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot -- is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library. Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others -- brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen -- don't hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world. But there's nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year -- or become his next meal.--
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The Wren in the Holly Library
by K. A. Linde
Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?Some things aren't supposed to exist outside of our imagination.Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse's world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce ... of sorts.But tonight, Kierse--a gifted and fearless thief--will break that treaty.She'll enter the Holly Library ... not knowing it's the home of a monster.He's charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it's just a matter of finding her price.Now she's locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She'll sacrifice her freedom. She'll offer her skills. Together, they'll put their own futures at risk.But he's been playing a game across centuries--and once she joins in, there will be no escape ...
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The Mercy of Gods
by James S. A. Corey
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER From the New York Times bestselling author of the Expanse comes a spectacular new space opera that sees humanity fighting for its survival in a war as old as the universe itself. Masterful . . . . This is space opera at its best. - Publishers Weekly (starred review) The start of something truly epic. Fonda Lee, author of Jade City How humanity came to the planet called Anjiin is lost in the fog of history, but that history is about to end. The Carryx - part empire, part hive - have waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy. Now, they are facing a great and deathless enemy. The key to their survival may rest with the humans of Anjiin. Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them. They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure. Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to survive: learning to understand - and manipulate - the Carryx themselves. With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers. Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people. This is where his story begins. Corey is always one of the most engaging voices in the genre. Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time A bang up read. I want more. Paolo Bacigalupi, author of The Water Knife A powerful, provocative masterpiece that I will be thinking about for a very long time. Ryka Aoki, author of Light from Uncommon Stars For More from James S. A. Corey, check out: The Captive's War The Mercy of Gods The Faith of Beasts The Expanse Leviathan Wakes Caliban's War Abaddon's Gate Cibola Burn Nemesis Games Babylon's Ashes Persepolis Rising Tiamat's Wrath Leviathan Falls Memory's Legion The Expanse Short Fiction Drive The Butcher of Anderson Station Gods of Risk The Churn The Vital Abyss Strange Dogs Auberon The Sins of Our Fathers
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Dungeon Crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series--now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition. You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That's what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world--or just get to the next level--in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that's actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain't your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not. Includes part one of the exclusive bonus story Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.
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The Full Moon Coffee Shop
by Mai Mochizuki
In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. If you are feeling lost, and you are kind to the right cat, you may find yourself with an invitation to a mysterious coffee shop run by talking cats who might be able to help you get your life back on track. For fans of: feel-good feline-based magical realism like the manga Cat Massage Therapy by Haru Hisakawa or The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard.
*If you'd like to request this book, please visit your library and ask for assistance!
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| The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie LeongNovice mage Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful to the Guild, but her lack of power hasn't made it easy for her to keep up. When she is assigned to work with chronic overachiever Aurelia, the two of them form an unlikely bond moving magical artifacts -- and may learn that magic is stronger when shared instead of hoarded. For fans of: queer romantic fantasy with charm and whimsy such as Maiga Doocy's Sorcery and Small Magics or Rebecca Thorne's Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. |
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Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
by Travis Baldree
An Instant New York Times BestsellerA Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2022A Library Reads PickAn Indie Next PickA Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee The much-beloved BookTok sensation, Travis Baldree's novel of high fantasy and low stakes. 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. This is my new comfort read.--Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
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The Lost Bookshop
by Evie Woods
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder... where nothing is as it seems.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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