Blogs

It’s been cold and wet here in Houston, and all we want to do about it is curl up with a good book and a fire. We guess that makes us creatures of comfort… so it makes sense that we’re featuring books this week with a whole cast of critters — foxes and bears, chickens and hares — including a gang of woodland characters that kick off a kooky new mystery series. Plus, we have new books from heavy hitters including the late, great Gary Paulsen, Jason Reynolds, and Isabel Allende, and other novels to fit whatever literary mood may strike you. Cozy up and read on!

Houston’s own YA superstar J. Elle returns to the shelves this month with Ashes of Gold, the epic finale of her bestelling Wings of Ebony duology. Friends, the book is going to knock your socks off, and we can’t wait to share it with you soon — in fact, we’re lucky enough to be hosting a virtual event with the author on January 12 to help celebrate its publication. J. Elle appear in conversation with fellow YA author Brigid Kemmerer, and we’ve been looking forward to it for months. There’s more exciting news, too: If you buy your copy of Ashes of Gold with us before January 7, it will be signed and personalized by the author — who’s also kicking in an exclusive bookmark! 

We had the chance to catch up with J. Elle before our event and ask her a few questions about the new book, writing Houston, and what’s next. Check out our conversation below — and we’ll see you on the 12th!

The holidays have come and gone, our events calendar is filling back up, and the shop is humming along with happy browsers and boxes of new releases. It’s already shaping up to be a good year for reading — whether you’re the type of reader who sets specific reading goals or the sort who prefers to let the shelves show the way, you’re sure to find something to enjoy among our latest list of staff favorites below. No matter whether you start off your year of reading with a sweet picture book, a romance, a mystery, or something else entirely, here’s to good health, good cheer, and good books in 2022.

Here at the shop, we’ve wrapped up our year of reading and have switched to wrapping up your holiday gifts. But even with our merry band of booksellers in full-on elf mode, we still wanted to highlight a few upcoming releases that we just know you’re going to love. This week, we have a list of books to look for in the first few months of 2022 — and one more 2021 release from two of our favorite picture book creators that’s sneaking in just under the wire. We’ll have plenty more winter and spring recommendations to share in the weeks ahead. Until then, read on!

The year’s winding down and the holidays are picking up. What does that mean? More time to read! This week, we’re featuring new books for all ages, including two that are perfect for the holidays: A sweet picture book about community bonds and a tender novella that screams “future Christmas classic.” Break out the blankets, cozy up to some cocoa, and read on.

The year in publishing is winding down, the holidays are creeping up, and we’ve been busy at the shop ordering books for next spring. But good books can come along at any time, evidenced by our latest roundup of staff picks. Don’t let these titles get lost in the end-of-year shuffle — there are great options below for just about every type of reader. So clear some space on your TBR and plan to come see us sometime soon!

If you’ve been following the store for a while, you know that we love to share our favorite recent releases with you here on the blog. Some weeks, we’re especially excited about a group of new novels. Other times, we’re all about middle grade or YA. But on occasion, the stars align and we can deliver a classic all-ages, all-genres bookish lovefest. This is one such occasion! Enjoy, friends.

Here we are again. It may seem hard to believe, but the year is winding down and it's time to share our favorite books from an exciting year in publishing. To that end, we're very proud to introduce you to our annual "Best Books" list—we loved each and every one of these books, and we think you will, too.

You can scroll through all 30 titles, from Picture Books down to Cookbooks. Alternatively, use the anchor links below to jump straight to the section of your choice. As a fun bonus, we've shared a few author Q&As with some of the creators below—we always love hearing more from the people behind these special books.

Happy reading, friends.

Good news, YA readers: Our teen section is overflowing with amazing new books for you to read. Here, we’ve collected some of our favorite new YA picks across a variety of genres—including a heartrending memoir that’s one of our favorite books of the year. 

Many of the reviews below come from members of our Teen Advisory Board, a great group of dedicated Houston-area readers. If you like what you see below, consider checking out our YA First Editions Club subscription — each title for the subscription is hand selected by the board. And with subscriptions starting at just three months, it’s a perfect gift for the YA reader in your life — or for yourself! 

As we turn the calendar to October, new books continue to fall onto our shelves fast and thick. Here, we highlight some of the new releases we’re most excited to share with you — from picture books by staff favorites Kevin Henkes and Bob Shea, to new middle grade novels from Kate diCamillo and RJ Palacio, to Anthony Doerr and the latest exploits of the Thursday Murder Club. Grab your favorite comfy chair and settle in — there’s great reading ahead.