Life, and Death, and Giants

 

Life, and Death, and Giants is a thoughtful philosophical fable by Ron Rindo. Released 9th Sept 2025 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in 4th quarter 2026. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a warm and moving tale, full of Americana and a Norman Rockwell vibe, with an often darker undertone. The titular central character, a child/man born very large who grows to a huge size is always the hub around which the characters' points of view revolve. It's told in alternating first person point of view, without ever giving Gabriel (the giant) a voice. It's an effective mechanic and the author uses it fully. 

The community into which giant Gabriel is born straddles old-sect Amish and "English" (non-Amish). The contrast and culture clashes, and uneasy alliances between Gabriel's family and his found family are moving and often tragic. The depictions of Amish life and culture are probably not very accurate. The story often flirts with magical realism, and the second half of the book deals with it more directly. 

It's an odd, off-kilter book in more ways than one, but well crafted, if slow-paced.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 29 minutes and is read by an ensemble cast. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read. 

Four stars. It will undoubtedly hit the bookclub circuit heavily in 2026. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, and is widely available. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes 
 

God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone

 

God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone is an inclusive and illustrated Easter story for young readers (~5-7 years) by Dr. Esau McCaulley. Released 3rd Feb 2026 by Tyndale on their kids' imprint, it's 32 pages and is available in hardcover format. 

The story is simply and directly told in age appropriate text and illustrations. The pictures, by Rogério Coelho are colorful and beautifully intricate with many small details, such as animals and facial expressions and body language which invite contemplation and a closer look. 

In addition to the redemption story, the illustrations also specifically show that the message of love and inclusivity being for people (and kids) of all ethnicities and abilities. 

It's a positive and uplifting book. There are no graphic representations of violence in the book, although the text does refer to Simon helping Jesus when he is unable to carry the cross. 

The author/publisher have also included short biographical info, but no further reading links, bibliography, or resources. There are some links for further reading and other resources available on the publisher's website.  

Four stars. It's would possibly be a good choice for public or school library acquisition (with the understanding that it's directly religious and tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection).   

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

The Baby Dragon Bookshop - The Baby Dragon #3

 

The Baby Dragon Bookshop is a cute sweetly fluffy lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantasy by A.T. Qureshi, and the third book in the loosely connected series. Released 10th Feb 2026 by HarperCollins on their Avon imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

Very cute, very fluffy, with a very YA vibe. Lots of heartfelt drama and a nice (fluffy) ending. This volume is back to being absolutely stuffed full of adorable baby dragons compared to the relative  dearth in the second book. This book has some returning cast, but the plot centers around a different couple and different setting. 

Three and a half stars. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, or a short binge/buddy/beach read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Murder on a Scottish Island - Lady Poppy Proudfoot #2

 

Murder on a Scottish Island is the second light historical cozy featuring Lady Poppy by Lydia Travers. Released 8th Sept 2025, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, alongside the other book in the series (as well as much of the author's oeuvre and other series).

This is a fun and well written historical cozy with an appealing cast set during the early 1920s in Scotland. The plot is well organized and the characters are rendered (mostly) believably. It's a historical cozy, so there are some period appropriate bits of dialogue and commentary which give the book a historical feel, but not so much as to be awkward or yank readers out of their suspension of disbelief. It's a light read; there's no graphic violence or rough language. Well written and civilized, readers who enjoy early golden age mysteries will likely find it, and the first book in the series, appealing.

Four stars. It works perfectly well as a standalone read, but readers who enjoy series cozies will enjoy the first, and it would make a nice short binge/buddy read. Book 3 is due out in March 2026.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

Murder at Somerset House - Wrexford & Sloane #9

 

Murder at Somerset House is the 9th Wrexford & Sloane regency mystery by Andrea Penrose. Released 30th Sept 2025 by Kensington, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in Aug 2026 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.The earlier books in the series are currently available on KU as well.

This is an engaging and well written series. It's an ensemble character driven cozy(ish) historical murder mystery with a strong element of romance. The author has written the story around a framework of fictionalized historical characters and she does a good job of interweaving the real historical facts with the fictional narrative allowing for some minor poetic license regarding names, dates, and times. This installment, as most of them, contain a fair bit of science/technology/engineering of the period, and feature some cameos from well known names in the scientific world of the time.

Although self-contained in the narrative arc, the cast of characters have a long history together, so it works well enough as a standalone, but it's strongly recommend to read the series in order because of  character development spoilers (in fact the titular series characters have progressed from near-enemies in book one to stably married and with a settled situation and dependents). The language is very clean, there's some violence used in context, and very little sexual content. 

The author does take some thinly veiled pokes at colonialism, racism (one of the wards of the family is dark skinned), slavery, unscrupulous profiteers, and the military industrial complex in this book which have distinct takeaways for our modern world.  The narrative arc and denouement and resolution are satisfying for the genre (a little swoony and overwrought, but not egregiously so). This is the ninth book, and it's a continuing series holding to a roughly yearly release schedule; the 10th book is due out in Sept 2026.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours, 31 minutes, and is expertly read by series narrator James Cameron Stewart. He has a well modulated light baritone voice and a surprisingly masterful control with regional UK accents of the period as well as a few non-local-accents (including southern German) without a hitch.  Happily, his Scottish accent isn't painful to listen to (it's his native dialect), nor is his upper class Regency English RP type accent (which presumably isn't).  Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Enjoyable cozy murder / romance. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

A Quilted Christmas: 16 Projects to Bring the Warmth of the Season Home

 

A Quilted Christmas is a nice tutorial collection with 16 projects included collected by Deb Grogan. Released 9th Sept 2025 by Fox Chapel, it's 80 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

The projects cover a nice range of traditional, modern, whimsical, and cute. There are table runners, placemats, decor/door hangers, and hangings (See cover). The graphics a clear, high contrast, and in color throughout. There's a combination of photos and drawn graphics. Everything is easy to understand and in color. 

Each project includes a finish photo, materials list with measurements in imperial (American) measurements and metric in parentheses (yay!), and step by step instructions. Process photos and drawings are clear and easy to follow. Templates are included for each project.

Four stars. There are some cute, relatively quick projects here which would be good for gifts and bazaars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

What Stalks the Deep

 

What Stalks the Deep is a very well written trippy fantasy historical-horror lite, the third adventure for these characters, by T. Kingfisher. Released 30th Sept 2025 by Macmillan on their Tor Nightfire imprint, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in Sept 2026. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This time Alex & co. wind up on a missing person case with decidedly abnormal things-that-go-bump-in-the-night aspects. Dismemberment and disappearances, cagey locals (it's set deep in remote Appalachia), and a claustrophobic and mysterious cave system attached to a mine. Although it's the third book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone, and readers won't have any trouble staying with the story.

The author is exceedingly talented and this story is engaging, atmospherically creepy in places, with some jump scares and some body horror including animals (bear, dog, etc) but overall nothing really horrible (probably not enough actual horror for die-hard horror fans).

Four stars. It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or a great weekend or buddy/binge read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.   

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang

 

 

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is a semi-cozy fantasy debut by pseudonymous Lee Onhwa. Originally published in Korean in 2024, this English language translation was published  13th Jan 2026 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint. It's 240 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

There's a vibrant sub-genre in Asian food related cozy fantasy (Kamogawa Food Detectives, Tales from the Cafe, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Dallergut Department Store (which is also Korean, but same basic genre), etc), and this one fits right in with the others. There's definitely a dreamlike, slightly trippy, aspect (the cafe is ephemeral and serves both the living and departed customers depending on circumstances dictated by the patrons' needs, always at night, and there are priests/monks who pay for the objects the ghost patrons pay for their pastries with).  

The book has a dreamlike quality, and the stories told to shop owner Yeon-Hwa traverse time and space, and philosophy, and music. It contains a fair bit of "woo-woo" pop psychology, but overall it's entertaining, full of whimsy, and fun with a serious bent. The patrons themselves are a mixed lot, but the story is written around their lives and fates and how they passed, and how their stories relate to the larger world.

The prose is oddly wrought and full of odd whimsy and although slightly discursive and meandering, manages to make some good points about the meaning and trajectory of life, choices (and how they can affect our entire lives), acceptance, and being truthful (and kind) to ourselves. Although the translation work seems well done, it absolutely reads like literature in translation and there's often (often!) a choppy discontinuity to the writing. It's not annoying, but it is noticeable. 

Three and a half stars. Well written, professionally translated, and full of whimsy, it would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and a challenging and enjoyable book club selection/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat

 

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat is the second collection of interconnected vignettes by Syou Ishida. Originally released in Japanese in 2023, this English language translation was released 2nd Sept 2025 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint. It's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a relaxingly cozy, warmly written book with several mini-stories around people whose lives are touched by feline interactions. The "patients" run the gamut from a young relationship-shy woman to a widowed grandfather whose grandson is hikikomori, and it's a redemptive and sentimental read (in a good way). 

The translation work by E. Madison Shimoda is completely seamless and unobtrusive. It doesn't read like literature in translation and although set in Japan with Japanese names and settings, the scansion and prose flow very well in English. 

Four stars. Well written. There are a fair number of cozy Japanese "lifestyle" stories, it's become a popular genre. It's not derivative at all, but fans of The Full Moon Coffee Shop, the Morisaki Bookshop books, and the Kamogawa Food Detectives, will likely enjoy this one as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Christmas with a Chimera - Claw Haven #2

 

Christmas with a Chimera is a sweet fantasy second chance romance and the second book in the series by Isabelle Taylor. Released 7th Oct 2025 by Harlequin, it's 167 pages and is available in audio and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. 

Although it's the second book in the series, it's a standalone, and the continuity comes from the setting, a town which is full of both humans and nonhuman characters. It's full of the interpersonal drama and enemies to lovers tropes that keep fans of the genre turning pages. It's an easy, fun, safe, quick read.

The content is quite spicy in places, with some explicit on-page descriptions. It's a very short read, more of a longish novella than a full novel, so the pacing is speedy and the denouement and resolution are complete and satisfying.

Four stars. Sweetly cheesy, and well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Smallest Day - Micky Knight #12

 

The Smallest Day is the 12th Micky Knight standalone PI mystery by J.M. Redmann. Released 13th May 2025 by Bold Strokes Books, it's 264 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. 

Solid PI standalone with a relatable, jaded, competent female protagonist who has seen it all and is pretty fed up. This time Micky is tasked with protecting a female rabbi from NYC who was the target of an assassination attempt and has flown to New Orleans to try to throw off any further attempts. 

There are a couple of subplots which entwine into a satisfying denouement and resolution. Mostly, the setting, characterizations, and plotting meld well into an entertaining whole. Although it works fine as a standalone, it's the 12th book, and the returning ensemble cast of characters have back history which is mentioned in passing and if read out of order, there will be some minor spoilers for earlier books. 

Four and a half stars. Readable and enjoyable for fans of gritty PI mysteries. In the same vein as Marcia Muller and Sara Paretsky and compares favorably with both. It would make a nice binge or buddy series read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Sleepover Sneak Attack (Adventures of the Powerpuff Girls #1)

 

Sleepover Sneak Attack is the first book in a new series for beginning readers featuring the Powerpuff Girls by Kiara Valdez. Due out 1st Aug 2026 from Capstone, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover and paperback formats. 

This is such a fun and cute illustrated book with some good messages about teamwork, forgiveness, and boundaries. The text is easy to understand and the illustrations by Patricio Oliver are colorful and full of action and support the story well. They're full of small details which invite readers to stop and take a closer look. 

It's only 32 pages, so a good length for a story circle or bedtime read. It would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home library or gifting. 

Five stars. Adorable.  

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.