Fantasy
Stop that yawn!
Caron Levis
jE Levis
Picture Books, Fantasy, Adventure
Gabby convinces Granny to leave Sleepytown and stay up all night in a new place, but before long, a contagious yawn takes control.
Love, Z
Jessie Sima
jE Sima
Picture Books, Fantasy, Travel, Adventure, Philosophy, LGBTQ+
A little robot named Z finds a message in a bottle signed, "Love, Beatrice" and, unable to learn what love is from other robots, sets out on a quest to find the answer.
Z sets out on a quest to find out what "love" is. On the journey Z might just find a place in your heart. -Casey
Imagine!
Raúl Colón
jE Colon
Picture Books, Art / Art History, Fantasy
"When a boy visits an art museum and one of the paintings comes to life, he has an afternoon of adventure and discovery [that] changes how he sees the world ever after"--
Colón’s wordless narrative highlights imaginative play utilizing and in response to art, showcasing the way art can affect our creative processes. -Casey
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
Spinning silver
Naomi Novik
SCIENCE FICTION Novik Naomi
Fantasy
"A fresh and imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale from the bestselling author of Uprooted, called "a very enjoyable fantasy with the air of a modern classic" by The New York Times Book Review. Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is not a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what is owed, and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But when an ill-advised boast brings her to the attention of the cold creatures who haunt the wood, nothing will be the same again. For words have power, and the fate of a kingdom will be forever altered by the challenge she is issued. Channeling the heart of the classic fairy tale, Novik deftly interweaves six distinct narrative voices--each learning valuable lessons about sacrifice, power and love--into a rich, multilayered fantasy that readers will want to return to again and again"--
What a book! I savored this over months. This is a must read for fans of fantasy. -Brian
A big mooncake for little star
Grace Lin
jE Lin
Picture Books, Fantasy, Nature
Reimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cookie and, despite Mama's request to wait, Little Star begins nibbling at it every night.
Grace Lin has created a truly distinguished, female-centric, and empowering original folktale. -Casey
Storm front
Jim Butcher
eAUDIO
Fantasy
My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. I work out of an office in midtown Chicago. As far as I know, I'm the only openly practicing professional wizard in the country. You can find me in the yellow pages, under Wizards. Believe it or not, I'm the only one there. With rent past due and a decent meal becoming an issue of some importance, Harry needs work, and soon. A call from a distraught wife, and another from Lt. Murphy of the Chicago PD Special Investigation Unit makes Harry believe things are looking up, but they are about to get worse, much worse. Someone is harnessing immense supernatural forces to commit a series of grisly murders. Someone has violated the first law of magic: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Tracking that someone takes Harry into the dangerous underbelly of Chicago, from mobsters to vampires, while he himself is under suspicion of the crimes. One thing is certain, if he can't stop whoever is on this killing spree, Harry will be the next victim. Written by New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher. Narrated by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files audiobooks are contemporary classics when it comes to hugely influential works in the Urban Fantasy genre. Every D&D gamer I know who has read this series sings its praises. I love the audiobooks because James Marsters performs them (you may remember him as Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He's so so so so good. I'm completely in love with his narration and dramatic interpretation of these books. A lot of people say to start with the 3rd book in this series (Grave Peril), but I enjoy them all. Ensemble cast of characters (my favorite setup) includes vampires, werewolves, gunslingers, fairies, and of course demons! You can count on the monster encounters in this series to be epic. -Melody
Bloodfever
Karen Marie Moning
SCIENCE FICTION Moning, Karen Marie
Fantasy
In Dublin the walls are coming down between Man and Faery. That means that the Buffy-like services of MacKayla Lane-the 22-year-old Georgia-born sidhe-seer (or one who can see the Fae) and slayer are required. Mac is determined to kick the nasties back to faeryland and to avenge her sister Alina's murder by the Fae's dark Lord Master. She's also seeking the sinister Sinsar Dubh, a book of black magic. Jericho Barrons, Mac's enigmatic protector, is a purveyor of books and antiquities (and of course, is a major hunk). As Mac takes direction from Jericho, she must resist the sexy dangers of V'lane, a death-by-sex Fae, and learn about her true family of Irish sidhe-seers.
I read the Karen Marie Moning's entire Fever series this summer despite having an ache in my heart about the foreshadowing that started happening by book 4. What thrilled me about this series was its fantastic twist on common fantasy themes. What would Buffy the Vampire Slayer look like if she were a fae hunter? What would that look like in a Lovecraftian Arkham Horror world with a supportive ensemble cast? I loved the bulk of the series despite the frequent and overt rape-like threats. -Melody
Pearl
Molly Schaar Idle
jE/Idle
Picture Books, Fantasy
When young Pearl, a mermaid, becomes caretaker of a single grain of sand, she discovers that performing even the smallest task well can transform the world.
Added by Casey
A big mooncake for little star
Grace Lin
jE Lin
Picture Books, Fantasy, Nature
Reimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cookie and, despite Mama's request to wait, Little Star begins nibbling at it every night.
A beautiful original folk tale--be sure to look out for nods to real constellations! -Casey
Added by Casey