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Audiobook

As Good As Dead

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As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

The finale in the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series was nothing short of amazing. The third and final book takes on a much darker tone than the first two books of the series, it is definitely for more mature readers of Young Adult books. The story follows Pip, our main character months after the events of the previous book Good Girl, Bad Blood, and let’s be honest, Pip is not okay. She feels as though something, or someone is watching her and this puts her on edge. However, solving problems is her thing, whether it is for her small town or for herself, Pip will figure it out. The twists and turns of this finale makes it the favorite of my series. I cannot wait to see what Holly Jackson comes up with next.

Find As Good as Dead in our catalog.

Bigfoot and the Librarian

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Bigfoot and the Librarian by Linda Winstead Jones
Format: Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

Marnie Somerset needs a fresh start; a new beginning, away from her dysfunctional family, and a worrying string of unsuitable ex-lovers. She accepts the position of Librarian for a charming little town she’s never heard of before: Mystic Springs, Alabama. Upon arriving, she finds the long-time citizens, who call themselves “Springers,” are a bit… stand-off-ish. Well, she supposes that’s to be expected. After all, Mystic Springs is a very small town, with a very insular community. At least the local author, Clint Maxwell, is helpful, and not hard on the eyes!

Clint knows the truth: Mystic Springs isn’t an ordinary town, and the people who’ve lived there for generations aren’t ordinary people. There is magic in Mystic Springs; witches, werewolves, fairies, fortune-tellers, and more. Clint himself is a shape-shifter who turns into Bigfoot whenever the mood strikes him! And Springers don’t take kindly to strangers. This Librarian is an outsider! It could be dangerous for her to stay, and much better for everyone if she left… too bad he can’t stop thinking about her!

This cute paranormal romance about a small southern town is the first in the Mystic Springs series by Linda Winstead Jones, and is available to listen to via Hoopla.

In Cold Blood

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In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Format: Digital Audio and CD
Who’s it for: Adults

In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel detailing the four 1959 murders of the Clutter family in their home. The tragic event took place in Holcomb, Kansas in the early morning hours of November 15, 1959.

It took authorities six weeks find and arrest the felons.

Capote and his good friend and writer Harper Lee traveled to Holcomb to interview the town, residents and investigators of the case.

It took Capote six years of detailed, extensive research to write the book describing the lives of the murderers and the victim’s.

The murderers were two ex-convicts who had been recently paroled from the Kansas State Penitentiary. Richard Eugene “Dick” Hickock and Perry Edward Smith. They robbed and murdered Herb, his wife Bonnie, his son Keyon and daughter Nancy.

The novel chronicles the lives of the murderers, family and surrounding community members, providing an in depth look at what they were thinking and feeling.

Hickcock and Smith spent five years on death row and were finally executed by hanging on April 14, 1965. The jury only deliberated for 45 minutes before finding them both guilty.

Find In Cold Blood in the catalog.

Blackout

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Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

*Sighs* New York City in the summer. The birds are chirping, music is playing, kids running around and all is well in the world, then a blackout happens. “Blackout” is a book that proves the city of New York is smaller than we think. Each character in the series of short stories within the book interconnect throughout and it exudes the story of young Black teens in love. I saw this book last year in an article and was SO excited about its release. It gives the book world something it desperately needs – Black teens in love and living life. The inclusiveness of the characters is something that makes this book a great read. All six authors are powerhouses and I hope to see more collaborative stories from them in the future.

Find Blackout in the catalog.

Good Girl, Bad Blood

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Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens

The sequel to “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” begins with Pip, our main character from the first book and the beginning of her podcast that has gone viral. Pip has insisted that her detective and investigating days are behind her due to all of the chaos and hurt she caused in the first novel. That is until her friend begs for her help. Connors brother Jamie Reynolds has disappeared and the police are not making it a priority to try to find him. And so the investigation begins! Pip takes her investigation digitally and encourages her listeners to help find Jamie.

I am loving this series so far! Listening to it on audiobook captivated me and left me wanting more of the story. The new-age media tie-in of podcasting was awesome and I felt that it made the story more relatable. There is a third and final book set to be released in September 2021 and I cannot wait!

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The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains

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The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman
Format: Book, Audiobook, Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

“The truth is a cave in the black mountains. There is one way there, and one only, and that way is treacherous and hard, and if you choose the wrong path you will die alone, on the mountainside.”
– A quote from this “tale of travel and darkness” by master storyteller Neil Gaiman

The unnamed narrator of our story is seeking a mythical cave, on a mythical island, that’s purportedly filled to the brim with mythical gold, ripe for the taking, for any adventurer that should be brave (or foolhardy) enough seek it. He’s hired a guide, Callum McInnes, who claims he’s been there before, and certainly possesses riches well above his station as an average border reaver for us to take his word for it. McInnes also claims the cave, and its gold, is cursed, but our narrator is undeterred, and so they begin their journey, and oh, what a journey it is, filled with many unexpected twists and turns.

You can enjoy the story in a print edition, which is complimented by “pictures of all kinds” illustrated by Eddie Campbell, or an audio version, complimented by original music from the FourPlay String Quartet.

Find it in the catalog

or on Hoopla