After an unsuccessful London season—complete with all the humiliations that implies—Miss Mary Mifford has returned to the Cotswolds village of Plumpton with her head held high and her future planned out. She’s determined to be the most upstanding spinster the countryside has ever seen. No more foolish hopes of marriage, no more disappointment, just quiet respectability and dignity. It’s a perfectly sensible plan, really 💐

Then the elusive Duke of Northcott arrives in the village, and Mary barely notices. She’s committed to her spinster path, after all, and not even an eligible duke will distract her from—wait, is that the local rector lying dead in the churchyard? Bludgeoned to death? And are the villagers seriously naming her as the prime suspect? Well, this is inconvenient 💀

Henry William Lockheart, Sixth Duke of Northcott, has returned to his ducal seat determined to finally attend to the estate he’s been neglecting since his father’s death. No distractions, no complications, just responsible estate management and perhaps some peace and quiet. That plan lasts approximately five minutes after meeting Miss Mary Mifford—the intelligent, sharp-tongued woman who is, rather problematically, the prime suspect in a murder investigation 🔍

Mary is hardly the ideal candidate to be a duchess. She lacks wealth, lacks connections, and—this is rather important—is suspected of bashing in the rector’s skull with a blunt object. But Henry finds himself absolutely smitten anyway. Logic and propriety suggest he should stay far away from Miss Mifford. Instead, he throws himself into investigating Mr. Parsims’ death, determined to clear her name so he can properly court her without the pesky complication of her being a potential murderess 👑

As Mary and Henry work together to unmask the real killer, the list of suspects grows longer and more bizarre. The rector, it turns out, had more enemies than anyone suspected. Meanwhile, Mary begins to wonder if she’s not quite as committed to spinsterhood as she thought—especially when a certain duke keeps looking at her like she’s the answer to questions he didn’t know he was asking. But can they solve the mystery before scandal destroys both their reputations? ⚡

Why this grips from page one: Claudia Stone delivers a delightful Regency rom-com that balances genuine mystery with sparkling romance. Mary is wonderfully practical and self-aware, while Henry subverts the brooding duke trope by being earnest and slightly awkward in his determination to help. The murder investigation has real stakes and clever plotting, while the romance develops naturally through partnership rather than manufactured obstacles. Perfect for fans of Regency mysteries with humor, amateur sleuths who accidentally charm dukes, and stories where being suspected of murder is the beginning of a love story, not the end 💕

Hannah Hickok is having the kind of year that makes you question your life choices. She’s single, unemployed, and living in a Detroit suburb apartment she absolutely despises. Her life has all the excitement of watching paint dry, with none of the satisfaction. Then a registered letter arrives that changes everything: she’s inherited a performance town. Wait, what? 📬

Casper Creek is perched on top of a small Kentucky mountain and fashioned after notorious towns from the Old West. Workers dress in period costume, run the saloon, and put on gunfights and variety performances several times daily for tourists. It’s part theme park, part historical reenactment, part theatrical production. For Hannah—a city girl through and through—it’s completely bizarre. But she’s determined to give it a shot. What does she have to lose? 🤠

Cooper Wyatt is head of security at Casper Creek, and the absolute last thing he wants is to break in a new owner, especially one who has zero clue about the paranormal world she’s about to be immersed in. Because here’s what Hannah doesn’t know yet: Casper Creek isn’t just a quirky tourist attraction. It’s home to a variety of supernatural individuals, including two covens of witches who enjoy doing battle with each other on a regular basis. Cooper’s job is about to get a lot more complicated ✨

Hannah is barely in town—hasn’t even unpacked her bags properly—when a body drops and a mystery unfolds. The workers at Casper Creek have far more on their minds than putting on performances for tourists, and all their supernatural secrets are about to become Hannah’s problem. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Hannah is about to discover her own big secret: she comes from a long line of witches, magic runs in her genes, and whether she likes it or not, she’s now part of the paranormal world she never knew existed 🔮

Why I’m including this: Lily Harper Hart delivers a fresh take on the witchy cozy mystery by setting it in a Wild West theme park—immediately more fun than another quaint bakery or bookshop. Hannah is a relatable fish-out-of-water protagonist discovering both her powers and her purpose simultaneously, while Cooper provides grumpy-protective-love-interest energy. The dueling covens add ongoing conflict and humor, and the performance town setting allows for creative supernatural hijinks. Perfect for readers who love their paranormal cozies with personality, heroines discovering hidden powers, and mysteries where the murder weapon might be magical. First in the Hannah Hickok series 🌙

Hadley is thrilled to be serving as a judge in the annual Grande Bake Off while her Pretty Jam Good kitchen undergoes renovation. It’s a welcome distraction, a chance to taste incredible baked goods, and an opportunity to support local talent in the charming town of Stoneybrook. Friendly competition, delicious food, community spirit—what could possibly go wrong? 🧁

Everything, as it turns out. The front-runner—the contestant everyone expected to take home the trophy—is murdered. Suddenly the baking competition becomes a crime scene, and Hadley’s friend Mickie becomes the main suspect. The evidence looks damning, the police are convinced they’ve got their culprit, and Mickie’s reputation in the close-knit Stoneybrook community is on the line. Hadley knows her friend couldn’t have done this, and she’s positive she can help clear Mickie’s name. Time to start sifting through the clues 🔍

Snow blankets the ground and fear settles over Stoneybrook like a winter chill. What should have been a celebration of baking talent has turned deadly, and nobody feels safe. The contestants eye each other with suspicion, judges wonder if they’re next, and the whole town is on edge. As tension rises and paranoia spreads, Hadley teams up with Luke—because apparently amateur sleuthing is better done in pairs—to solve this case before the competition ends in another murder 💀

The deeper Hadley digs, the more she realizes that everyone had secrets, grudges, and motives they’d prefer to keep buried. The murdered front-runner wasn’t quite as beloved as everyone thought, and the friendly competition had some seriously unfriendly undercurrents. Can Hadley and Luke unmask the killer before someone else gets hurt? And more importantly, can they do it while the mini jam tarts and almond honey challah recipes included in the book tempt them at every turn? ⚡

What drew me in: Eryn Scott delivers a cozy mystery collection set in the appealingly named Stoneybrook, where baking competitions turn lethal and friendship matters more than solving crimes alone. Hadley is an engaging amateur sleuth whose jam-making business ties naturally into the food-centric mystery, while the winter setting adds atmospheric charm. The bonus recipes let readers actually make the treats mentioned in the story—always a cozy mystery plus. Perfect for fans of culinary cozies with genuine warmth, small-town settings with big secrets, and mysteries where the stakes are personal 🥐

You’ve seen the photos: climbers standing in line like they’re waiting for a ride at Disneyland, except they’re at 29,000 feet in the death zone. You’ve read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and heard about the rich clients who exploit Sherpas while padding their social media feeds. You think you understand what Everest has become—an overcrowded, trashed-out recreation destination where bad weather and incredible altitude can kill. And you’re not entirely wrong 🏔️

But those clichés, while containing kernels of truth, are just a sliver of the story. Until the late 1980s, the idea of guiding paying clients up Everest was considered not just difficult or dangerous—it was considered impossible. The mountain was the domain of elite climbers, national expeditions, and those willing to risk everything for glory. The notion that ordinary people with enough money could summit the world’s highest peak? Absurd. Career-ending. Laughable ⛰️

Then a few daring entrepreneurs—renegades and rogues willing to risk their reputations and their lives—decided to prove everyone wrong. They paired raw courage with naked ambition, developing systems and strategies to get paying clients safely up and down the mountain. Within just a few years, what had been impossible became reality, and Everest guiding transformed into a burgeoning industry. These pioneers figured out how to manage logistics at extreme altitude, navigate the politics of permits and access, and most incredibly, keep clients alive in the most hostile environment on Earth 🎯

Today, ninety percent of the people on Everest are clients or employees of guided expeditions. The mountain has been fundamentally transformed, and unlike any book to date, Everest, Inc. tells the definitive story of how that happened. Will Cockrell chronicles the birth and evolution of an industry built at the top of the world, introducing us to the larger-than-life personalities who made it possible—and examining the costs, both human and environmental, of turning the ultimate mountaineering challenge into a business 📚

Why this deserves your attention: Cockrell delivers an authoritative, deeply reported account of how Everest became Everest, Inc.—complete with all the triumph, tragedy, and moral complexity that transformation entailed. This isn’t another disaster narrative or summit memoir; it’s the origin story of an industry that changed mountaineering forever. Perfect for readers fascinated by extreme adventure, entrepreneurial risk-taking, and the complicated intersection of commerce and wilderness. The untold story of how the impossible became routine 🌟

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery, where most people lived without electricity or running water—luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy. It was also a land withered by drought and ravaged by hunger, where survival itself was an uncertain prospect and dreams felt like dangerous indulgences 🌍

But William had read about windmills in a tattered science textbook, and he couldn’t stop thinking about them. He dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and running water to his small village, transforming lives in ways that seemed impossible. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—for believing he could create something so far beyond their world. But William refused to let go of his dreams, no matter how impossible they seemed or how much people doubted him 💡

With nothing but a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, some scrap metal, tractor parts, bicycle halves, and an armory of curiosity and determination, William embarked on a daring plan. He would forge an unlikely contraption from literal garbage—a windmill that everyone said couldn’t work, built by a boy with no formal training and no resources. It was audacious. It was improbable. And somehow, against all odds, he did it ⚡

The windmill William built became a small miracle that changed the lives of everyone around him. What started as one boy’s impossible dream became proof of human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. William’s story spread from his small village to TED Talks to the world, inspiring millions with its message: that one individual, armed with knowledge, determination, and courage, can change their community and better the lives of those around them 🌟

What makes this essential reading: This is a remarkable true story that will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one person to make a difference. Kamkwamba and co-author Bryan Mealer deliver an unforgettable testament to ingenuity, persistence, and the transformative power of education. Perfect for readers who love stories of innovation against impossible odds, tales of human resilience, and proof that hope and knowledge can quite literally change the world. A modern classic of inspiration 📚

Are we living in the end times? It’s a question that has captivated believers for centuries, and in today’s turbulent world, it feels more pressing than ever. Is it possible that the players depicted in the book of Revelation—those mysterious figures who will usher in Earth’s final days—are already out in force? And if they are, would you even know how to recognize them? 📖

In Agents of the Apocalypse, noted prophecy expert Dr. David Jeremiah takes an entirely fresh approach to one of Scripture’s most challenging books. Rather than focusing solely on events or timelines, he explores the book of Revelation through the lens of its major players: the exiled apostle John, the martyrs who gave their lives for faith, the elders surrounding God’s throne, the victor Jesus Christ, the king, the judge, the 144,000 sealed servants, the two witnesses, the false prophet, and the beast himself ⚡

One by one, Dr. Jeremiah delves into the individual personalities, motives, and prophetic roles of each figure. He provides readers with critical clues and essential information needed to recognize their presence and power in the world today. This approach transforms Revelation from an abstract prophecy into a cast of characters whose influence may already be shaping current events. Each section is divided into two parts: a fictional narrative that brings the end times vividly to life, followed by detailed scriptural explanation that grounds the story in biblical truth 🌟

Through this innovative structure, readers gain profound understanding of some of Revelation’s most cryptic verses, insight into the signs and events surrounding Christ’s Second Coming, clear explanation of what to expect during the Millennium, and practical wisdom for recognizing apocalyptic influences in today’s world. Dr. Jeremiah’s accessible teaching style makes complex prophecy understandable without sacrificing theological depth or biblical accuracy 🎯

Here’s what you’re getting: Dr. David Jeremiah delivers an innovative and accessible exploration of biblical prophecy, combining fictional storytelling with rigorous scriptural analysis. Perfect for readers seeking to understand Revelation’s mysterious figures, recognize end-times signs, and prepare spiritually for what may come. Whether you’re a prophecy student or simply curious about what the Bible says about the future, this provides both entertainment and enlightenment. The stage is set, the curtain is rising—will you be ready? 📚