A small town that is never open past sundown, a mysterious car crash resulting in the deaths of three locals, more disappearances spilling over into the next town, and a reporter trying to get to the bottom of everything. What could possibly go wrong?

“Over fifteen years, Supernatural has shown it is far more than your average genre show about handsome dudes who fight monsters.”

Freedom and the search for truth are the underlying themes in this sequel to Margaret Atwood’s book, The Handmaid’s Tale, and the show on Hulu.  A driving force in many people’s lives and aspirations, this story takes us deep into what it means personally for three women whose lives intertwine in unsuspecting ways.

Veda Adeline thinks she understands her world quite well.  As a Basso, her role is keeping her head down to avoid unwanted Dogio attention, carefully following societal rules, and, above all else, never being out before sunrise or after sundown.  Her best friend Nico may be a Dogio, but as they’ve grown up, it’s become clear that they live in different worlds.  A chance mistake throws Veda’s whole world into chaos, and she quickly learns that the night may not be her biggest fear; the harsh rays of the sun can kill as well as nurture.

We're back one last time with the Young Adventurer's Guide series of Dungeons & Dragons books. At least for now, Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards & Spells will be the last in a series that captured my heart back in July of 2019. If you haven’t been following the series, it began with Warriors & Weapons, followed by Monsters & Creatures, and then Dungeons & Tombs. Now, Wizards & Spells wraps up the ensemble by diving into the magic at the heart of D&D.

Jane Stitch doesn’t know who she is. This isn’t the result of some variety of amnesia or a run-of-the-mill case of existential angst. No, Jane is having an issue with her identity because she is a monster of the “made by Frankenstein” variety. She is literally made up of half a dozen different women, and these women are starting to encroach on what peace of mind Jane has been able to find.

Tales of the Lost: Volume 1 – We all Lose Something! is a themed-anthology from Things in the Well publishing which has established itself as a publisher of such focused short story collections. As the name implies, the theme from Tales of the Lost is the concept of lost things, interpreted by the anthology’s sixteen contributors in a variety of ways. This also means that the majority of stories in Tales of the Lost will lean toward the tragic and solemn side. As with watching Requiem for a Dream or Grave of the Fireflies, the craftsmanship and narratives of the stories within are well executed, but the subject matter can be quite difficult to negotiate emotionally. Sometimes, characters in the stories are seemingly punished for having lost something in their lives, even when circumstances are outside their control.

Wardens of Eternity is a new Young Adult novel by Courtney Moulton that released this week from HarperCollins.  Moulton is an author of fantasy novels beginning with Angelfire in 2011 and followed up with three sequels.  

Over the past four decades, there have been hundreds of non-fiction books written about all aspects of Star Wars: making-of stories, behind-the-scenes accounts, scholarly analyses, picture books, encyclopedias, biographies, and so on. While this gives the impression that everything that could possibly be said about Star Wars has been said, there’s always a new text that shines a new light or perspective on the beloved franchise.

Stan Lee worked in the comic book industry since the late 1930s and was integral to the evolution of Marvel Comics and the “Marvel Style.”  For seventy years, he was a writer and editor who co-created the Mighty Marvel Universe, including fan favorites Spider-Man, The Avengers, and the Incredible Hulk.  Lee worked with many rising stars and established creators over the decades, endowing him with invaluable knowledge about the industry.  As a veteran and legend, Lee shared his experience in a series of books that includes Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics, Stan Lee’s How to Write Comics, and Stan Lee’s How to Draw Superheroes.  And, last month, the fourth book of the series, Stan Lee’s Master Class, was released by Watson-Guptill (Penguin Random House).