Thyme of Death and Witches’ Bane by Susan Wittig Albert I have been a fan of Albert’s Darling Dahlias mystery series which is set during the depression in the 1930’s and focus on a hardworking garden club in Alabama, but only recently picked up the first in her long running contemporary China Bayles series, Thyme of Death. Albert’s novels are always populated by smart and strong heroines. China is a former lawyer who is now running a herb shop in the little town of Pecan Springs Texas. In Thyme of Death, when her friend Jo, who had been struggling with cancer, supposedly commits suicide, China is suspicious and sets out to find out what really happened.
I also enjoyed Witches’ Bane leading up to Halloween which focuses on witchcraft hysteria; China must prove the innocence of her friend Ruby, a new age practitioner, of a brutal murder. China’s background as a lawyer lends an added gritty reality to the series since she has an insider’s perspective on law enforcement.
For those who enjoy audiobooks, you can borrow most of the series from Hoopla including the latest in the series Forget Me Never (book 29) which came out in June. Julia Gibson provides lively narration.
If you are looking for historical mysteries checkout the Victorian Mysteries Albert cowrote with her husband under the pen name, Robin Paige.
Written by: Aimee Harris Information and Digital Services Manager
The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard These unique, black and white line-drawn illustrations from Abby Howard’s The Crossroads at Midnight match-up with the grotesque short stories told alongside them. These stories, I imagine, could only be compared to that of a nightmare, because they’re bizarre yet lifelike. Some of the drawings were so detailed that I found myself getting lost in them. Through depths of trees and oddly angled points-of-view these drawings help deepen the stories.
They’re easy-to-read, fun to re-read, and pretty amazing to look at. One story that really sticks with me is one about a used mattress that gives the new owner a disastrous skin disease. It’s haunting to think about, and to see it drawn out so vividly, I wouldn’t wish a crazy incident like that on my worst enemy. Pretty out-of-this-world, like the other stories in here also, with modern characters and themes. I read this around Halloween, and it definitely satisfied my need for a quick thriller. If you’re still in the mood for a scare, then I think this is a must read.
The Riddler: Year One by Paul Dano and Stevan SUBIC While stuck in the middle of HBO’s new show The Penguin about the legendary Batman villain, and having just finished the recently released Batman movie –I also found myself reading, analyzing, and absolutely awestruck by the illustrations in The Riddler: Year One comic. I simply can’t believe the intense darkness that this was able to display. I read it on my computer through Overdrive, and ended up mirroring it onto my TV screen for others to read along, and we just gasped at the marvelous drawings –that’s just how great it is. It’s turning out to be my favorite read of the year so far.
It’s seemingly rare that we get so much details and information about the inner workings of the mind of the nefarious found taunting Gotham. I never in my life thought I could understand or even sympathize with an outlaw to the degree of Riddler, but this actually made me feel bad for him. The Riddler, real name Edward, works as a very intelligent accountant that is used to being used by his coworkers for his smarts and never gets the credit, and tells us about his sad life as an orphan.
As a young orphan, we learn that Edward meets Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s (Batman’s) dad when doing a routine political press tour visit to the orphanage. Young Edward often found himself jealous toward a young Bruce Wayne at the time, for having an amazing rich life and family. Yet, depressed young Edward begins to see hope for himself after Thomas promises a bright future for him. At the same time, we see older Edward idolizing Batman for his bravery and rebellion in the city. From childhood to now, we see why and how Edward becomes Riddler, inevitably using Batman like he has been.
The way this story wraps up with surprises at every corner made it really fun to learn the deep history of this franchise. I finally understood all the star struck fans of the movie once I heard the lines pulled from this comic. If they make a Riddler show or movie like rumors have been circulating–I’m watching it!
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack Continuing the spooky streak –lovers of the classic Archie comics’ Sabrina the Teenage Witch or the tv show from the 90’s –maybe even the modern Netflix one –will love this new, dark version of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Archie comics used their illusive drawn storytelling to make this comic truly chilling! I love the witchy-background like where some spells come from, what they do to banned witches, and of course, what really happened to Sabrina’s parents and her childhood.
The dark shading on the drawings escalate an eerie feeling that’s intensified from the storyline. It’s actually refreshing to see, since the older comics and shows were so cutesy and family friendly, this runs along the line of proper spookiness with important family lessons still. We learn about her witch and warlock filled family in between each drastic and scary adventure. Each scenario brings us deeper into the world of witchery, ghosts, and monsters along with all of their sins and betrayals. This is a shocking yet fun experience to read and see!
BONUS CLASSIC Snoopy the Fearless Leader by Charles M. Schulz Everyone must love Snoopy, even a little bit, right? If you’re not interested in dark comics or graphic novels, why not start with the funny basics of the Peanuts very beloved Snoopy? These comics are gathered together and focus around a central theme instead of a full story. Most of these comics include Snoopy, Woodstock and other popular Peanuts characters, and in this series, they focus on wilderness or outdoors. They’re so fun and lighthearted, I think everyone should give them a try at any age.
Written by: Samantha Meyers Information and Digital Services Library Assistant
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 