Monthly Staff Pick | January, 2026

To kick things off this January, our selection for adults is the fan-favorite and addictive ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ (now in paperback!); join Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive an intergalactic game show in this wildly fun adventure full of humor and heart.

For YA readers this month we are featuring ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’. The romance novel from Ali Novak that inspired the hit series, sees teenager Jackie move across the country following a tragic accident to live with the Walters… and their eleven sons and daughter.

We’ve got a Classic retold for Middle & Chapter Book Readers with ‘A Winter’s Tale (Peter Rabbit)’, this retelling of Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale of Mr. Tod’ follows beloved characters through the snowy woods in a perfect wintry read for all ages.

And speaking of wintry reads, ‘Frostfire’ is our Picture Book selection this month. This playful adventure from writer and illustrator Elly MacKay follows two fox sisters on a winter walk as they discover the magic in nature after hearing, what could only be, the roar of a snow dragon.

Visit us this January for 20% off all of this month’s selections, while supplies last, and start your year off with a great read!

Monthly Staff Pick | November, 2025

We’ve got a unique selection of Monthly Staff Picks for November that are perfect for those looking for something a little different or make a great gift no matter the season.

Our Adult Monthly Staff Pick is ‘Polostan’ from acclaimed Science Fiction author Neal Stephenson and the opening entry in his Bomb Light series. While bite-sized in comparison with his usual tomes, this historical epic is just as full of big ideas as we follow a young woman, Dawn Rae Bjornberg, born in America and raised in Russia, amid the intrigue and espionage of a world racing towards the Atomic Age.

The classic ‘D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths’ is our selection for Middle Readers. Greek Mythology takes on new life in the words and illustrations of Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire in this timeless take that also makes a great read aloud tale for adventurous younger book lovers.

‘Gilbert the Moose Learns to Ski’ is our Picture Book selection this November. Written by Heidi Shadix-Pieros with photography by Rick Pieros and illustrations by Corbet Curfman, this delightful tale follows the young moose as he takes to the slopes and finds that friends make learning something new much easier.

And, for the Young Adult reader this month we have E. Lockhart’s ‘We Were Liars’. This modern YA classic is a New England set family drama and psychological thriller. Whether you’ve seen the recent television series based on the book or are just looking for a clever read, ‘We Were Liars’ is the first entry in this twist filled series with the latest entry hitting shelves this month!

Visit us in-store for 20% off all four of our selections this November, while supplies last!

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The harmful practice of deceptive marketing in today's online world

Are you a fan of Smiski, Pokemon or Jellycat? If so, you've likely noticed it's getting more difficult to track 'em down. Why is that? There are many factors such as increasing demand, resellers and distributors cracking down and limiting supply to shops not to mention the looming tariffs and how those may or may not affect the market.

As a small biz, we feel you. We're doing what we can to keep these items well stocked and at or below MSRP. We refuse to boost our prices to make a quick buck. Other companies (we won't name names) lure you in with buzzwords and "sales", but are you truly getting a good deal? We'll use Smiski as an example here. MSRP is $11.99. Another retailer has them "on sale" for $15.99 from $17-$20. They were never $20. It's a marketing tactic but really it's just pure deception. We will not raise our prices unless absolutely necessary, which sometimes means we make a little less on the back end but your trust is worth more than $$$.

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#shoplocal #littlevillage #smallbiz #smallbizlife #smallbizchallenges #indiebookshop #indiebookstore #toystore #smiski #smiskis

New Releases | January 21st, 2025

• New Release List (Click to Expand)

  Adult Fiction

  • Nobody's Empire - Murdoch, Stuart (Author)

  • The Band - Ma-Kellams, Christine (Author)

  • A Gorgeous Excitement - Weiner, Cynthia (Author)

  • Family Family - Frankel, Laurie (Author)

  • Let's Call Her Barbie - Rosen, Renée (Author)

  • We Do Not Part - Kang, Han (Author) , Yaewon, E (Translator) , Morris, Paige Aniyah (Translator)

  Arts & Entertainment

  • I Dream of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots - Alford, Henry (Author)

  Biography

  • Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth): A Memoir - Zusak, Markus (Author)

  • The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky - Shuster, Simon (Author)

  Chapter Books

  • Bulldozer's Big Rescue (Bulldozer and Friends #1) - Broach, Elise (Author) , Murphy, Kelly (Illustrator)

  Graphic Novels

  • Mixed-Up - Garcia, Kami (Author) , Williams, Brittney (Illustrator)

  History

  • The Holocaust: An Unfinished History - Stone, Dan (Author)

  • The World That Wasn't: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century - Steil, Benn (Author)

  Homestead

  • Learn to Timber Frame: Craftsmanship, Simplicity, Timeless Beauty - Beemer, Will (Author) , Sobon, Jack A (Foreword by)

  Horror

  • Thinner - King, Stephen (Author)

  Humor

  • The Modern Bathroom Reader: Fascinating Information for the Perpetually Curious - Wexler, David (Author) , Williams, Emily (Author)

  Manga & Adult Graphic Novels

  • Doctor Doom: Books of Doom - Brubaker, Ed (Author) , Raimondi, Pablo (Illustrator) , Ross, Alex (Not Available)

  Middle Readers

  • Three Tasks for a Dragon - Colfer, Eoin (Author) , Lynch, P J (Illustrator)

  Personal Growth

  • Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There - Sharot, Tali (Author) , Sunstein, Cass R (Author)

  Romance

  • Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Empyrean #3) - Yarros, Rebecca (Author)

  • Brewing Up a Bad Boy: A Spicy Small Town Second Chance Romance (Original) (Wicked Sisters #3) - Garbera, Katherine (Author)

  • Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1) - Meadows, Jillian (Author)

  Science Fiction & Fantasy

  • The Rainfall Market - Yeong-Gwang, You (Author) , Jung, Slin (Translator)

  Social Sciences

  • Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known about Menopause - Watts, Naomi (Author) , Haver, Mary Claire (Foreword by)

  Travel

  • Lonely Planet New England (Travel Guide) (11TH ed.) - St Louis, Regis (Author) , Clark, Gregor (Author) , Gibb, David (Author) , Robinson, Britany (Author) , Vorhees, Mara (Author)

Our Top 5 Picks

• Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Empyrean #3)

  After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

  Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust.

  Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves--her dragons, her family, her home, andhim.

  Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

  They need an army. They need power. They needmagic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find--the truth.

  But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

  The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
  Reading Order:
  Book #1 Fourth Wing
  Book #2 Iron Flame
  Book #3 Onyx Storm

• Let's Call Her Barbie

  "A fresh and fun take on Barbie lore...clever and satisfying." - Shelby Van Pelt, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
  

  She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.

  When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she's setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.

  In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth's vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.

  As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels--head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie's fashion--she knows they're working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.

  In the decades to come--through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions-- each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll--she's a legacy.

  Includes a Readers Guide and Exclusive Vintage Barbie Photos!
  

• Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known about Menopause

  A frank, funny and informative guide to menopause and aging by beloved actress Naomi Watts, one of the leading voices in menopause awareness--with a foreword by Mary Claire Haver, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause

  At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word "menopause" continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.

  This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What's hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now? Naomi Watts shares the most up-to-date research on how to manage menopause symptoms and tackle the physical and emotional challenges we encounter as we age.

  Irreverent, bold, and reassuring, Dare I Say It is the companion every woman needs to embrace the best version of herself as she moves into what can be the most powerful and satisfying period of her life.

• The Holocaust: An Unfinished History

  A revelatory new history that reexamines the brutal reality of the Holocaust-and reinterprets the events as a living trauma from which modern society has not yet recovered

  One of the most acclaimed books of the year: "Outstanding" (Times Literary Supplement); "Remarkable" (Guardian); "Important and challenging" (Jewish Chronicle); "Deeply haunting" (Telegraph)

  The Holocaust is much discussed, much memorialized, and much portrayed. But there are major aspects of its history that have been overlooked.

  Spanning the entirety of the Holocaust, this sweeping history deepens our understanding. Dan Stone--Director of the Holocaust Research Institute at Royal Holloway, University of London--reveals how the idea of "industrial murder" is incomplete: many were killed where they lived in the most brutal of ways. He outlines the depth of collaboration across Europe, arguing persuasively that we need to stop thinking of the Holocaust as an exclusively German project. He also considers the nature of trauma the Holocaust engendered, and why Jewish suffering has yet to be fully reckoned with. And he makes clear that the kernel to understanding Nazi thinking and action is genocidal ideology, providing a deep analysis of its origins.

  Drawing on decades of research, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History upends much of what we think we know about the Holocaust. Stone draws on Nazi documents, but also on diaries, post-war testimonies, and even fiction, urging that, in our age of increasing nationalism and xenophobia, it is vital that we understand the true history of the Holocaust.

• Nobody's Empire

  One of the great lyricists of our time, the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic Glasgow-based band Belle and Sebastian, pens a sensitive and intimate account--his debut novel based on his own youthful experiences--of dark days leading to light and a coming of age through music.

  It's the early 1990s in Glasgow, Scotland, and Stephen has emerged from a lengthy hospital stay. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, a little-understood disease which has robbed him of any prospects of work, friends, or independent living, he moves slowly toward new goals and meets others like him, including Richard, a friend from school, and Carrie, a young woman bedridden for five years. Feeling isolated and alone, they form their own support group, and try to get by with as little money and pain as possible. Since he's been ill, Stephen never feels warm, inspiring Carrie to affectionately call him "The World's Coldest Boy." As the world seems to care less for them, the trio start to care less about fitting in with the world.

  Stephen soon discovers he has a talent for writing songs. He awakens to the possibility of a spiritual life that transcends the everyday, and feels a calling for a place that might as well be on the other end of the universe let alone the world. Buoyed by tentative hope, he and Richard leave Glasgow in search of a cure in the mythic warmth and sun of California. As they float between hostels, sofas, and park benches, they discover the trip is life-changing in ways neither expected, and Stephen embraces a new-world reinvention that will change his life forever.

  Melodic and captivating, filled with graceful notes, melancholic chords, and witty, thoughtful riffs on life's infinite possibilities and curiosities, Nobody's Empire is a warm and wonderful coming-of-age novel, imbued with Stuart Murdoch's magical lyricism.

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New Dopeslime Styles @Little Village!

New Dopeslimes have arrived! You know them as the colorful, wonderful, smelly-in-a-good-way slimes that paved their way to fame on TikTok. They've stepped up their game by adding stuff to their slime! What exactly do we mean by "stuff"? Butterflies, Axolotls, Dinosaurs, Sunshine and more! Each of these new slimes come with charms and sprinkles for you to add to your slime for an enhanced sensory experience.

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New Releases | January 14th, 2025

• New Release List (Click to Expand)

  Adult Fiction

  • What Happened to the McCrays? - Lange, Tracey (Author)

  • This Love - Jeffs, Lotte (Author)

  • Behind You Is the Sea - Muaddi Darraj, Susan (Author)

  • Confessions - Airey, Catherine (Author)

  • More or Less Maddy - Genova, Lisa (Author)

  • The In-Between Bookstore - Underhill, Edward (Author)

  Board Books

  • The Welcome Book - Smith, Danna (Author) , Perdomo, Juliana (Illustrator)

  • Wow! It's Snowing: A First Book of Weather - Hopgood, Tim (Author)

  Body, Mind & Spirit

  • Intention Obsession: Rituals and Witchcraft for Every Season - Feldmann, Erica (Author)

  • Hope: The Autobiography - Pope Francis (Author) , Bergoglio, Jorge Mario (Author) , Musso, Carlo (With) , Dixon, Richard (Translator)

  Business

  • Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom /]Cby Grace Blakeley - Blakeley, Grace (Author)

  Children’s Reference

  • Our Differences Make Us Stronger: How We Heal Together - Montgomery Tabron, La June (Author) , Grooms, Temika (Illustrator)

  Current Events & Politics

  • Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning - Biggar, Nigel (Author)

  Graphic Novels

  • Chickenpox - Lai, Remy (Author)

  • Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers - Dominguez, Angela (Author) , Dominguez, Angela (Illustrator)

  • Paws: Hazel Has Her Hands Full: A Graphic Novel - Fairbairn, Nathan (Author) , Assarasakorn, Michele (Illustrator)

  History

  • Save Our Souls: The True Story of a Castaway Family, Treachery, and Murder - Pearl, Matthew (Author)

  • The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy--And Why It Failed - Meltzer, Brad (Author) , Mensch, Josh (Author)

  • A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins - Harney, Gareth (Author)

  • An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence - Badawi, Zeinab (Author)

  Homestead

  • The Money-Saving Garden Year: A Month-By-Month Guide to a Great Garden That Costs Less - Lautenbach, Anya (Author)

  Horror

  • Witchcraft for Wayward Girls - Hendrix, Grady (Author)

  • Strange Pictures - Uketsu (Author) , Rion, Jim (Translator)

  Just the Facts

  • A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools - Levy, Debbie (Author)

  Middle Readers

  • Minecraft: The Dragon - Drayden, Nicky (Author)

  Mystery & Thriller

  • End of Story - Finn, A J (Author)

  • Beautiful Ugly - Feeney, Alice (Author)

  • The Texas Murders: Everything Is Bigger in Texas--Especially the Murder Cases (A Texas Ranger Thriller #3) - Patterson, James (Author) , Bourelle, Andrew (Author)

  • Clever Little Thing - Echlin, Helena (Author)

  Personal Growth

  • Bibliotherapy: Books to Guide You Through Every Chapter of Life - Masters, Molly (Author)

  Picture Books

  • How Sweet the Sound - Alexander, Kwame (Author) , Palmer, Charly (Illustrator)

  • Groundhug Day - Pace, Anne Marie (Author) , Denise, Christopher (Illustrator)

  • Ice Is Nice! All about the North and South Poles (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) - Worth, Bonnie (Author) , Ruiz, Aristides (Illustrator) , Mathieu, Joe (Illustrator)

  Puzzle Books

  • Armchair Puzzlers: Large Print Word Search - Games, University (Author)

  • New York Times Games Essential Easy Crosswords Volume 3: 200 Simple Puzzles - New York Times (Author) , Shortz, Will (Editor)

  Romance

  • Accidentally Amy - Painter, Lynn (Author)

  • The Hemlock Queen (The Nightshade Crown #2) - Whitten, Hannah (Author)

  • Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds Duology #1) - Sbrana, Analeigh (Author)

  • King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde #1) - St Clair, Scarlett (Author)

  • Queen of Myth and Monsters (Adrian X Isolde #2) - St Clair, Scarlett (Author)

  • Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake #1) - McIntire, Emily (Author)

  Social Sciences

  • Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America - Reid, Joy-Ann (Author)

  • The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story - Kennedy, Pagan (Author)

  • Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents--And What They Mean for America's Future - Twenge, Jean M (Author)

  • Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery - Liontas, Annie (Author)

  • I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free - Hawkins, Lee (Author)

Our Top 5 Picks

• Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents--And What They Mean for America's Future

  A groundbreaking, "lavishly informative" (The New York Times) portrait of the six generations that currently live in the United States and how they connect, conflict, and compete with one another--from the acclaimed author of Generation Me and iGen.

  Upending the conventional theory that generational differences are caused by major events, Dr. Jean Twenge analyzes data on 39 million people from robust national surveys--some going back nearly a century--to show that changes in technology are the underlying driver of each generation's unique makeup. In this revelatory work, Twenge outlines key shifts in attitudes and lifestyle choices that define each generation regarding gender, income, politics, race, sexuality, marriage, mental health, and much more.

  Surprising, engaging, and informative, Generations "gets you thinking about how appreciating generational differences can, ironically, bring us together" (Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author). It will forever change the way you view your parents, peers, coworkers, and children, no matter which generation you call your own.

• The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy--And Why It Failed

  From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Nazi Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy comes a true, little-known story about the first assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy, right before his inauguration.

  Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, is often ranked among Americans' most well-liked presidents. Yet what most Americans don't know is that JFK's historic presidency almost ended before it began--at the hands of a disgruntled sociopathic loner armed with dynamite.

  On December 11, 1960, shortly after Kennedy's election and before his inauguration, a retired postal worker named Richard Pavlick waited in his car--a parked Buick--on a quiet street in Palm Beach, Florida. Pavlick knew the president-elect's schedule. He knew when Kennedy would leave his house. He knew where Kennedy was going. From there, Pavlick had a simple plan--one that could've changed the course of history.

  Written in the gripping, page-turning style that is the hallmark of Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's bestselling series, this is a slice of history vividly brought to life. Meltzer and Mensch are at the top of their game with this brilliant exploration of what could've been for one of the most compelling leaders of the 20th century.

• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

  There's power in a book...

  They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they're sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

  Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There's Rose, a hippie who insists she's going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby's father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

  Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they're allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what's best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it's never given freely. There's always a price to be paid...and it's usually paid in blood.

  In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a "horror master" ( NPR).

• The Texas Murders: Everything Is Bigger in Texas--Especially the Murder Cases (A Texas Ranger Thriller #3)

  In this thrilling novel from a #1 New York Times bestselling author, the great Texas Rangers go on a no-holds-barred pursuit of the most dangerous killer ever to terrorize Texas.

  Texas Ranger Rory Yates protects his home state wearing a five-pointed silver badge and carrying a Sig Sauer.

  When a native woman disappears on the summer solstice, clues point to a cold case.

  Yates, a quick-draw champion, partners with expert archer Ava Cruz of the Tigua Tribal police.

  The investigation leads to the edges of Texas's most unforgiving landscape, where the officers take dead aim with every shot in their arsenals.

• Beautiful Ugly

  "Her best book yet." --Harlan Coben
  The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . .
  . . . and revenge.

  Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

  Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

  A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can't sleep, and he can't write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible - a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

  Wives think their husbands will change but they don't.
  Husbands think their wives won't change but they do.

  "Magnetic and jaw-dropping." --Mary Kubica, bestselling author
  "Unforgettable." --Chris Whitaker, bestselling author

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