Clearance

By: Charlie Jane Anders (Author), 2024, Paperback (Unstoppable 3)

Promises Stronger Than Darkness marks the final installment of the international bestselling author Charlie Jane Anders's absolutely heart-pumping YA series, Unstoppable.

They're the galaxy's most wanted―and our only hope.

When Elza became a space princess, she thought she'd be spending her time at the palace, wearing gorgeous couture and soaking up everything there is to know―but instead, she's on the run, with everyone hunting for her and her friends.

Rachael followed her best friend Tina on the adventure of a lifetime―but now Tina's gone, and Rachael's the only one keeping her friends together, as they go on a desperate quest to save everyone from an ancient curse.

Rachael, Elza and their friends have found one clue, one shining mysterious chance to stop the end of the world. And that takes them back to the second-to-last place they'd want to be: enlisting the aid of Captain Thaoh Argentian, the woman who stole Tina's body (and who now seems to be relishing a second chance at teenage chaos and drama, instead of living up to her legacy of an intrepid heroic commander).

With only a ragtag band of misfits, crewmates, earthlings, friends, lovers (and one annoying frenemy), the Unstoppable Crew are up against the universe--and they soon find that in order to survive, they may have to cross a line they vowed never to cross.

In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Felicity Montague must use all her womanly wits and wiles to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor—even if she has to scheme her way across Europe to do it. A must-have for fans of Mackenzi Lee’s extraordinary and Stonewall Honor-winning novel.

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

The Blanchard Witches: House of Duquesne is the mesmerizing fourth installment in the Blanchard Witches series, weaving intrigue, suspense, and supernatural combat into an unforgettable contemporary fantasy. At its heart lies a chilling revelation about the enigmatic D'Angelo family and their centuries-old malevolence.

As the Blanchards recover from the startling events of the previous novel, another tragic loss will prolong their grief.Meanwhile, their world is more upended when Tess, Trix, and Echo, the triplets newly integrated into the Blanchard family, encounter their estranged uncle Thaddeuss D'Angelo. A shadowy and sinister figure, Thaddeuss harbors secrets tied to the mysterious House of Duquesne, a place of dark power that threatens to entangle the triplets and their newfound family.

Blackie D'Angelo, the triplets' mother, must confront her haunting past and strained ties to the D'Angelos as Thaddeuss begins sowing discord, hinting at long buried secrets she does not want her children to know. Amidst this, Seth struggles to find solace following the loss of his wife, Yasmine, while Artemis shoulders the responsibility of leading the Blanchard coven, navigating the delicate balance between unity and the looming threat of Thaddeuss' real agenda.

As alliances are tested and old wounds reopened, the Blanchards must unravel the truths behind the House of Duquesne to protect themselves and the world itself from what lies behind its sinister walls. Culminating in an epic battle unlike any they've fought before, the Blanchards will stake not only their own lives on the outcome, but the safety of the world itself. And it will be fought on enemy territory. Not everyone will survive The House of Duquesne.

Why This Book Will Resonate with Readers

The Blanchard Witches: House of Duquesne combines the charm of Southern Gothic settings with the layered dynamics of a sprawling supernatural family saga. Fans of The Rules of Magic and The Once and Future Witches will be enthralled by the story's blend of rich world-building, nuanced characters, high-stakes drama, and vivid battle scenes.

Micah House's storytelling shines in this installment, skillfully balancing humor, heartache, and suspense. With its exploration of family secrets, intergenerational resilience, and the perils of power, House of Duquesne will leave readers spellbound and eager for more.

By: Micah House (Author), 2024, Paperback

You have known her as the wise and loving mother and grandmother to her family of witches, but what was Olympia Blanchard's life like BEFORE she had children?

She was an eager, and sometimes timid, child who grew into a complicated woman. Fearless, defiant, and determined to hold her own in a dangerous world, this is the Olympia before she had to set an example-before she became the role model of legend to her descendants. Her past wasn't always pretty, but it was never dull.

Follow your favorite grandmother from the beginning, before she gained her wisdom, before she became the matriarch to her illustrious and powerful family. If you think you knew her from the BLANCHARD WITCHES series, you only had half the story! 

Welcome to 1940's Daihmler, Alabama and follow the childhood and young adulthood of Olympia Blanchard, her sister Pastoria, and their dearest friend...that's right!Zelda. Experience for yourself all those adventures she used to tell her grandchildren about. 

It wasn't easy BECOMING OLYMPIA, now discover for yourself how a great witch's journey began.

By: Micah House (Author), 2024, Paperback

The Blanchard family were left devastated by the events they faced in THE HOUSE OF DUQUESNE. The losses the family suffered have taken months to come to terms with, but now they are settling into their new normal. 

In this fifth novel of THE BLANCHARD WITCHES series...the Blanchard family may be absent a few faces, but their indomitable family love is carrying them through. Unfortunately, stretches of peace never last too long for these valiant witches.  A new (and somewhat inexperienced) enemy has plans to wipe out the entire Blanchard clan.  And as if that is not trouble enough, one surviving foe from Duquesne House is still out there, biding his time to seek his revenge.

While Demitra holds down the home front, guiding her grieving family into brighter days, Artemis travels the country on the hunt for Seth and Yasmine, once beloved Blanchards, now turned fiendish vampires. Their daughter Hera has been changed forever by their abandonment, but her stepmother Miranda will do whatever she can to give Hera the stability and love she needs. 

And the Blanchards have lived through too many inexplicable events to continue under the public radar.  A reporter from a major news network is digging into the events of The House of Duquesne, and the mysteries of the Blanchard family.  The walls between the natural and supernatural world is crumbling, and perhaps it is about time, for some of the Blanchard witches are HALF SICK of SHADOWS.

By: Linden A. Lewis (Author), 2022, Paperback (The First Sister trilogy Book 2)

Book 2 of 3: The First Sister Trilogy

Linden A. Lewis returns with this next installment of The First Sister Trilogy, perfect for fans of Red Rising, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Expanse.

Astrid has reclaimed her name and her voice, and now seeks to bring down the Sisterhood from within. Throwing herself into the lioness’ den, Astrid must confront and challenge the Aunts who run the Gean religious institution, but she quickly discovers that the business of politics is far deadlier than she ever expected.

Meanwhile, on an outlaw colony station deep in space, Hiro val Akira seeks to bring a dangerous ally into the rebellion. Whispers of a digital woman fuel Hiro’s search, but they are not the only person looking for this link to the mysterious race of Synthetics.

Lito sol Lucious continues to grow into his role as a lead revolutionary and is tasked with rescuing an Aster operative from deep within an Icarii prison. With danger around every corner, Lito, his partner Ofiera, and the newly freed operative must flee in order to keep dangerous secrets out of enemy hands.

Back on Venus, Lito’s sister Lucinia must carry on after her brother’s disappearance and accusation of treason by Icarii authorities. Despite being under the thumb of Souji val Akira, Lucinia manages to keep her nose clean…that is until an Aster revolutionary shows up with news about her brother’s fate, and an opportunity to join the fight.

This captivating, spellbinding second installment to The First Sister series picks up right where The First Sister left off and is a must-read for science fiction fans everywhere.

Pain Before the Rainbow: a biomythographical anthology by Jack Cooperis a collection of stories anchored by Anthony's Sin. The anthology includes poetry, essays, and eloquent explorations of life and love.

Cooper describes his work as Biomythography, which means weaving together myth, history, and biography in epic narrative form, a style of composition that represents all the ways in which we perceive the truth.

He says that Biomythography is not our truth told simply and in a mundane way, but a writing down of our meanings of identity, with the materials of our lives. He asserts that we are the culmination of it all; experiences are painted with imagery, perception, and mostly emotions. Details that become true in the telling.

This gripping book chronicles the life of a man who was acutely aware of being gay as a boy in an unaccepting world-a time before the rainbow. Cooper presents an eloquent narrative through a series of stories that engage the reader's mind and heart in this skillfully composed exploration of identity and compelling perspective through the lens of a man who lives and loves outside the lines of the oppressive heterosexual boxes that society and religion drew and that condition boys to think and act according to a preset definition of masculinity.

Cooper brilliantly navigates the shame and secrecy, tragedy, and trauma, as well as strength and courage, that grow out of living one's truth in a disapproving and often hurtful world.

"Ring" takes you on an unforgettable odyssey through the depths of human emotion, from the hollows of grief to the heights of newfound hope. In the backdrop of a snow-covered sanctuary designed to aid the dying, Lee, a middle-aged non-binary person from the Midwest, grapples with the unbearable weight of losing their young adult daughter. Abandoning their previous life and even the comfort of a longtime spouse, Lee is driven by a quest for closure―or an end to it all.

Enter Ring, a seemingly ordinary dog with an extraordinary role. Brought by Robert, a terminally ill man preparing to make his final walk through the sanctuary's Seven Pillars, Ring becomes the catalyst for Lee's own rebirth. As Lee befriends other souls at the sanctuary, each embroiled in their own battles―from Catherine and Samu, the spiritual leaders, to Viviana, a war veteran scarred by trauma―they are nudged toward a revelation that challenges their initial reasons for coming to this remote haven.

The novel deftly weaves themes of loss, hope, and healing, set against the spirituality-infused environment of the sanctuary. It presents a compassionate view on suicide, grappling with the complex questions it raises about the value and sanctity of life. As Lee engages with mindfulness practices and meditation, the story emerges as an enlightening guide for anyone walking the fine line between despair and hope.

Don't miss this emotional journey that tackles the raw, intricate facets of grief, and leaves you pondering the restorative powers of companionship and the human spirit. Ideal for readers coping with loss, struggling with suicidal thoughts, or seeking a deeply spiritual narrative, "Ring" promises to resonate long after the last page is turned.

*WINNER OF THE 2024 WRITERS' TRUST ATWOOD GIBSON FICTION PRIZE*

From Governor General's Award-nominated author Sheung-King comes a novel about a millennial living through the Hong Kong protests, as he struggles to make sense of modern life and the parts of himself that just won’t gel.

Glen Wu (aka Glue) couldn’t care less about his job. He’s returned to Hong Kong, the city he grew up in, and he’s teaching ESL, just to placate his parents. But he shows up hungover to class, barely stays awake, and prefers to spend his time smoking up until dawn breaks.
 
As he watches the city he loves fall—the protests, the brutal arrests—life continues around him. So he drinks more, picks more fights with his drug dealer friend, thinks loftier thoughts about the post-colonial condition and Frantz Fanon. The very little he does care about: his sister, who deals with Hong Kong’s demise by getting engaged to a rich immigration consultant; his on-and-off-again relationship with a woman who steals things from him; and memories of someone he once met in Canada....
 
When the government tightens its grip, language starts to lose all meaning for Glue, and he finds himself pulled into an unsettling venture, ultimately culminating in an act of violence.
 
Inventive and utterly irresistible, with QR codes woven throughout, Sheung-King’s ingenious novel encapsulates the anxieties and apathies of the millennial experience. Batshit Seven is an ode to a beloved city, an indictment of the cycles of imperialism, and a reminder of the beautiful things left under the hype of commodified living.

By: Amy Friedl (Author), Drew Clark (Illustrator), 2024, Paperback

Strong Girls Travel is a book series showcasing a young girl's adventures in America's National Parks. Each book finds her learning something new about herself, her world, and her part in it all.

In AJ's Birthday at Congaree, AJ's "Epic Birthday Extravaganza Weekend" turns into a bicker-fest with her best friend and birthday twin, Max. One wants a late-night bonfire; the other wants a movie marathon. And neither of them can agree on a birthday dessert! Shouldn't each girl get what she wants on her own birthday?

Follow AJ and Max as they realize that just like the messy and beautiful floodplain at Congaree National Park, sometimes life has both give and take. And great moments can be found in what we teach and in what we learn.

By: Dale Peck (Author), 2015, Paperback

Dale Peck’s debut is a tour de force in which Martin and John find each other again and again: in a trailer park, a high-end jewelry store, a Kansas barn, and later, in New York City, living under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. Though their names remain the same, their identities are constantly shifting, creating a fractured view of loss and desire in the early years of the AIDS crisis. Vaulting through self and history,

Martin and John is one of the most remarkable novels to emerge from an America ravaged by disease, and one of the finest and most complex love stories of the ’90s. Martin and John is the first volume of Gospel Harmonies, a series of seven stand-alone books (four have been written) which follow the character of John as he attempts to navigate the uneasy relationship between the self and the postmodern world.