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Josh and Hazel's guide to not dating

Christina Lauren

FICTION Lauren Christin
Romance

With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor Hazel Camille Bradford intimidates her dates, who can't recognize her heart of gold. Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved incompatible with his mellow restraint. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air. They set each other up on double blind dates-- but keep falling in bed with each other. They're just friends. Just friends. And if they repeat it enough, it'll be true, right? -- adapted from publisher info and back cover

This book was utterly adorable and I will forever picture Hazel as Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds. -Meredith

Firelight

Kristen Callihan

FICTION Callihan Kristen
Fantasy

Once the flames are ignited...they will burn for eternity.

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

This is one of those slow burns. I was not at all attracted by the cover but I'm glad I gave this a chance. Hidden secrets! Hidden identities! The whole package really worked for me. The storytelling is very visual and Callihan knows how to paint a lovely picture. Definitely going to keep reading this series. -Melody

The cuckoo's calling

Robert Galbraith

MYSTERY Galbrait Robert
Fiction, Mystery

This was the perfect read for me on my trip to England, an engrossing mystery with vibrant characters and a window into contemporary London life. Cormoran Strike is a down on his luck detective, with plenty of scars, both physical and mental, from his past. With the arrival of an efficient secretary he can't afford, his rich new client could be just what he needs to get his business back on track. With the death of a model ruled a suicide by the police and media, the case seems impossible from the start, but Strike pursues the truth, even as the danger rises. -Morgan

Free-motion meandering : a beginners guide to machine quilting

Angela Walters

746.46 /Walters
Crafts

"Turn the corner to free-motion success with a meandering makeover! Best-selling author Angela Walters shows you that free-motion machine quilting doesn't have to be scary - with a couple designs in your pocket, you can finish almost any quilt on your home machine and enjoy the process. Practice 8 meandering stitches for beginners plus unique modifications for each, with step-by-step visuals and quilted samples. Improve your free-motion quilting, disguise mistakes, and transition between designs with ease."--Publisher's description.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to machine quilt with your home sewing machine, I highly recommend Angela Walters and either her YouTube show The Midnight Quilt Show or this book Free-Motion Meandering. She makes it seem so simple. Meandering is a simple designed that is repeated to fill in an area on a quilt, and once you learn one or two designs you're on your way! -Beth

Dinosaurs don't have bedtimes!

Timothy Knapman

jE Knapman
Picture Books

A mom indulges her exuberant dinosaur son's fantasy play while gently steering him toward bedtime.

My favorite part of the book is the smirk on the mom's face in each stage of the bedtime routine. Calm and collected throughout each and every one of the shenanigans. Talk about suspending my disbelief! -Melody

Insulate and weatherize : for energy efficiency at home

Bruce Harley

693.832 /Harley
Home

Let an expert show you how to: choose the best insulation materials; seal air leaks in an attic; weatherstrip doors and hatches; improve window performance; upgrade heating and cooling equipment; plan a deep energy retrofit.

I spent some time weatherizing my house a few years ago and was amazed at the difference it made keeping the chill out. I have a couple doors that need to be re-weatherized. This book is helpful. -Kara