THE MAD KYOTO SHOE SWAPPER: AND OTHER SHORT STORIES, by Rebecca Otowa, Tuttle Publishing/PGC

From the unique standpoint of an American woman who married into a Japanese family and has lived in Japan for more than thirty years, Rebecca Otowa weaves enchanting tales of her adopted home that portray the perspective of both the Japanese and the foreigner on the universal issues that face us all—love, work, marriage, death, … Continue reading THE MAD KYOTO SHOE SWAPPER: AND OTHER SHORT STORIES, by Rebecca Otowa, Tuttle Publishing/PGC

MURDERS AND METAPHORS, by Amanda Flower, Crooked Lane Books

USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower is back with the third in her more-charming-than-ever Magical Bookshop mystery. Fans of Sofie Kelly and Heather Blake, prepare your bookshelves! Niagara region booksellers Violet Waverly and Grandma Daisy sleuth the slaying of a sommelier whose book signing turned into her sayonara. January means ice wine season in the … Continue reading MURDERS AND METAPHORS, by Amanda Flower, Crooked Lane Books

THE SUPERPOWER FIELD GUIDE: BEAVERS, by Rachel Poliquin & Nicholas John Frith (illus), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company/HMH Books for Young Readers

Beavers, the first book in the new middle-grade nonfiction Superhero Field Guide series by Rachel Poliquin and award-winning illustrator Nicholas John Frith, is a delightfully informative, laugh-out-loud full-color look at the most unsuspecting of animal heroes, perfect for readers who like their facts served with a large dose of humor. Meet Elmer, an ordinary beaver. … Continue reading THE SUPERPOWER FIELD GUIDE: BEAVERS, by Rachel Poliquin & Nicholas John Frith (illus), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company/HMH Books for Young Readers

A LADY’S GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE AND MURDER, by Dianne Freeman, Kensington Books

In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters the pleasures—and scandalous pitfalls—of a London social season . . . Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, … Continue reading A LADY’S GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE AND MURDER, by Dianne Freeman, Kensington Books

MY LIFE IN SMILEY, IT’S ALL GOOD, by Anne Kalicky, Andrews McMeel Publishing

Follow the middle school misadventures of Max, as recorded in his hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid–style journal that is unconventionally illustrated with the internationally recognized emoticons of the SmileyWorld brand. Age Level: 8-12 Grade Level: 3rd and up Warning: Do not read before 2126! My Life in Smiley: It's All Good is meant strictly … Continue reading MY LIFE IN SMILEY, IT’S ALL GOOD, by Anne Kalicky, Andrews McMeel Publishing

MY LADY’S CHOOSING, by Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris, Quirk Books

You are the plucky but penniless heroine in the center of eighteenth-century society, courtship season has begun, and your future is at hand. Will you flip forward fetchingly to find love with the bantering baronet Sir Benedict Granville? Or turn the page to true love with the hardworking, horse-loving highlander Captain Angus McTaggart? Or perhaps … Continue reading MY LADY’S CHOOSING, by Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris, Quirk Books

WISDEN, ELK STOPPED PLAY And Other Tales from Wisden’s Cricket Around The World, Edited by Charlie Connelly, Foreword by Michael Palin/Bloomsbury Academic/FSG

There are few parts of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack that embody the magic and appeal of the game more than Cricket Round the World. Elk Stopped Play is a carefully-chosen selection of stories from twenty years of one of Wisden's most-loved sections. Combining the highlights of two decades of the Almanack's coverage of the game's further … Continue reading WISDEN, ELK STOPPED PLAY And Other Tales from Wisden’s Cricket Around The World, Edited by Charlie Connelly, Foreword by Michael Palin/Bloomsbury Academic/FSG