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Stars, Hide Your Fires

A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer loose on the station. Knives Out goes sci-fi in this gripping YA mystery set in space, perfect for fans of The Darkness Outside Us and Iron Widow.

As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors.

Her plan is simple:

  1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire.
  2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball.
  3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable.

But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely ally: a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.

Posted by Christina Schillaci

The United States of Cryptids

Meet the monsters in our midst, from bigfoot to Mothman and beyond!

Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates the ways in which communities embrace and celebrate their local cryptids. Readers will learn about:

• Batsquatch of Washington, a winged bigfoot that is said to have emerged from the eruption of Mount Saint Helens
• Nain Rouge of Michigan, a fierce red goblin that has been spotted before every major city disaster in Detroit
 Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia, a robotic extraterrestrial that crash-landed in rural Appalachia
• Lizard Man of South Carolina, a reptilian mutant that attacked a teenager in the summer of 1988
• Glocester Ghoul of Rhode Island, a fire-breathing dragon that guards a hoard of pirate treasure
• And many more!

Whether you believe in bigfoot or not, this fully illustrated compendium is a fun, frightening, fascinating tour through American folklore and history, exploring the stories we tell about monsters and what those stories say about us.

Posted by Christina Schillaci

Toil and Trouble

This celebration of forgotten magical women, from Salem to WitchTok, is a fascinating and empowering read for anyone interested in occultism or feminist history.

Meet the mystical women and nonbinary people from US history who found strength through the supernatural—and those who are still forging the way today. From the celebrity spirit mediums of the nineteenth century to contemporary activist witches hexing the patriarchy, women have long used magic and mysticism to seize the power they’re so often denied.

Organized around different approaches women have taken to the occult over the decades—using the supernatural for political gain, seeking fame and fortune as spiritual practitioners, embracing their witchy identities, and more—this book shines a light on underappreciated magical pioneers, including:

• Dion Fortune, who tried to marshal a magical army against Hitler
• Bri Luna, the Hoodwitch, social media star and serious magical practitioner
• Joan Quigley, personal psychic to Nancy Reagan
• Marie Laveau, voodoo queen of New Orleans
• Elvira, queer goth sex symbol who defied the Satanic Panic
• And many more!

Posted by Christina Schillaci

A Rugrats Chanukah

In time for the Rugrats' 30th anniversary, the beloved Chanukah Special is now a delightful picture book for readers of all ages!
 
On the eighth night of Chanukah, Grandma Minka reads aloud a story about the meaning of the holiday to Tommy, Chuckie, Lil, Phil, and Angelica. The babies imagine themselves as the characters in the story, but then Grandma stops reading to make latkes, and the ending is left unknown. 
 
Soon they’re all off to the synagogue, where Grandpa Boris is acting in the Chanukah play. The children, misunderstanding the phrase “the meaning of Chanukah,” believe that an actor in the play is the “meanie of Chanukah” and storm the stage to save Grandpa. How will the Rugrats get out of trouble this time? And will they ever learn the true meaning of Chanukah?
 
This storybook is a perfect blend of silly, sweet, and educational and will make a cherished gift for children, nostalgic millennials, and anyone who’s ever wondered about the true meaning of the holiday.

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Dare to Know

“A razor-smart sci-fi corporate noir nightmare. Dare to Know is what happens when Willy Loman sees through the Matrix. A heartbreaking, time-bending, galactic mindbender delivered in the mordantly funny clip of a doomed antihero.”—Daniel Kraus, co-author of The Shape of Water

Dark Matter meets Annihilation in this mind-bending and emotional speculative thriller set in a world where the exact moment of your death can be predicted—for a price.

Our narrator is the most talented salesperson at Dare to Know, an enigmatic company that has developed the technology to predict anyone’s death down to the second. Divorced, estranged from his sons, and broke, he’s driven to violate the cardinal rule of the business by forecasting his own death day. The problem: his prediction says he died twenty-three minutes ago.

The only person who can confirm its accuracy is Julia, the woman he loved and lost during his rise up the ranks of Dare to Know. As he travels across the country to see her, he’s forced to confront his past, the choices he’s made, and the terrifying truth about the company he works for.

Wildly ambitious and highly immersive, this mind-bending thriller explores the destructive power of knowledge and collapses the boundaries between reality, myth, and conspiracy as it races toward its shocking conclusion.

Posted by impart

Elf

Rediscover the laughter and cheer of Buddy the Elf in this adorable picture book for readers of all ages!

Upon its release in 2003, Elf was an instant hit. Since then it has become one of the few films of the new millennium to earn a place in the pantheon of classic Christmas cinema. And now fans can enjoy the hilarious and heartwarming story in a whole new way!

Buddy the Elf has more Christmas spirit than anyone, but he’s never quite fit in with the other elves at the North Pole. That’s because he’s not an elf at all—he was mistakenly brought to Santa’s workshop as a baby. And the worst news is that his human father is on the Naughty List! Determined to bring his dad some holiday cheer, Buddy sets out for New York City, where he discovers the magic of revolving doors, unmasks a fake department store Santa, and works in a shiny mailroom. But when Santa encounters disaster delivering toys on Christmas Eve, can Buddy count on his new family to help him save the day?

Kim Smith’s adorable illustrations give a nostalgic feel to this modern holiday tale. Featuring all the iconic moments and laugh-out-loud lines from the film, this story of infectious joy in the face of cynicism is a must-have for all ages.

Posted by impart