This cookbook is stunning and would look beautiful on any home cook’s shelf. Gena Hamshaw’s simple formula of grain+green+bean = mouthwatering, healthy meals that I cannot wait to try.
A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw, (List Price: $26, Ten Speed Press, 9781984863201, April 2025)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Lovely illustrations. The premise that the son is visiting his Dad’s homeland and seeing everything by bicycle is a nice way to share the landscape and day-in-the-life culture of the Phillipines.
Riding Through Rice Fields by Michelle Sterling, (List Price: $18.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593623077, March 2025)
Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Once again, another fascinating piece of women’s history details a hidden history of spycraft in World War II. This time, it is the tale of four women who were central to the OSS’s propaganda machine. Women who risked their lives and used their talents to undermine enemy countries. A bonus is seeing more of the history of disinformation. A must for WWII buffs.
Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250275592, March 2025)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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A love letter to cozy mysteries and the Golden Age writers, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. The four women take on a mystery to prove their mettle. The result is a good puzzle and perhaps will lead to a renewed interest in their own novels.
The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli, (List Price: $29.99, Crooked Lane Books, 9798892420600, March 2025)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Gopo weaves themes of family heritage, the joy of anticipation, and the small pain of waiting into a sweet story of purchasing plantains and watching them ripen before the family can fry them up for a delicious treat. Gopo’s poetic talent meets kids and families in a sweet spot that is not heavy-handed, but wonderfully inspiring. I can’t wait to share this with our readers.
Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo, (List Price: $18.99, WorthyKids, 9781546005391, April 2025)
Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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A powerful and empowering collection of poetry. You can feel a sense of urgency as Tony Keith Jr beseeches the next generation to find their voice and speak up.
Knucklehead: Poems by Tony Keith Jr., (List Price: $19.99, Quill Tree Books, 9780063296053, February 2025)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Written from hard experience but filled with compassion and humor, this guide to unbreaking your heart is like having a relationship doula. Both the words and the illustrations evoke real feelings and genuine permission to grieve, grow, hide, play, and move forward at whatever speed works. Don’t wait for a breakup to read this – it speaks to more than lost love.
What to Do When You Get Dumped by Suzy Hopkins, (List Price: $24.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639731893, January 2025)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Night Walk is a beautiful story about a boy and his grandfather who go on a night walk, observing nature and remembering his Grandma and her favorite spots. The artwork is gorgeous, and the story is sure to tug at heartstrings. Highly recommend!
Night Walk by Jason Cockcroft, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick, 9781536239614, February 2025)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Fundamentally is the audacious, hilarious story of Dr. Nadia Amin, a lovesick academic who ends up in Iraq heading up a UN group dedicated to deradicalizing ISIS brides. I laughed out loud, I cringed at her questionable choices, and I fell in love as Nadia becomes attached to and champions the release of one of the brides. Fundamentally is about what we believe in, allowing others to determine their own belief system, and whose job it is to decide who needs saving. Highly recommend!
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis, (List Price: $28, Tiny Reparations Books, 9780593851388, February 2025)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Whole worlds are contained in a few short chapters that recover the names and stories of explorers usually left out of larger histories. Indigenous peoples and non-Western men and women are given credit for their curiosity, bravery, and contributions to exploration and cultural exchanges. Engaging prose and thoughtful reflections make this a must-read.
Explorers by Matthew Lockwood, (List Price: $22, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324073871, October 2024)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Toto is a story about a little girl with a birthmark on her forehead that she has named Toto. She has mixed feelings about her appearance, but she is brave and kind. She decides to hide Toto when she starts school, and immediately meets a best friend. What happens when her new friend sees Toto? A sweet, endearing story that teaches children to celebrate what makes them unique, and also to show compassion to others who look different than us. An important message for readers of all ages!
Toto by Hyewon Yum, (List Price: $18.99, Neal Porter Books, 9780823453894, 2025-01-21)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Stunning, poetic, honest, and celebratory – what an incredible picture book for school-age kids and their families and classrooms. Gordon James captures Baldwin’s dynamic passion for books and words in beautiful, high-energy paintings. Quartez Harris writes about Baldwin’s life with care, lyricism, and honesty.
Go Tell It by Quartez Harris, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316483933, January 2025)
Reviewed by Adah Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Given how full the cozy mystery world is, new series need extra sparks to stand out. This one has puzzles plenty and instead of silly, quirky characters, there’s added maturity and emotional depth. This may be a small town story with a bookstore at its center, but it offers a new and enjoyable touch.
Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson, (List Price: $28, Minotaur Books, 9781250909954, December 2024)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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It’s short, it’s quirky, and absolutely a holiday treat of a read. Fewer pages doesn’t mean fewer complications or changes of missed clues. The trademark wry humor and references to classic mystery tropes still resonate and make this a playful and perfect gift to yourself or others.
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson, (List Price: $19.99, Mariner Books, 9780063412866, October 2024)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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I loved Nichol Chung’s debut memoir, All You Can Ever Know, Know, so I couldn’t wait to read her latest, A Living Remedy. Continuing to explore themes of identity and race, A Living Remedy also delves into themes of grief, class, and our fractured healthcare system up through the days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to spare the reader spoilers because I was riveted by Nicole’s experience of growing up, moving across the country from her adoptive parents, and raising a family of her own. Her exquisite writing and tender vulnerability make this a stand-out memoir for me. Highly recommend!
A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung, (List Price: $19.99, Ecco, 9780063031623, April 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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