August 2024

Laura’s Picks:

Can’t spell treason without tea: a cozy fantasy steeped with love by Rebecca Thorne (2024) 

For readers of Legends and lattes, a slightly higher-stakes tale of an arch-mage and her girlfriend, the private guard to a murderous queen, who decide to run away together to open a combination teashop and bookstore. Complications ensue, setting up a sequel involving dragons.

The ex talk by Rachel Lynne Solomon (2021)

In order to tell the truth, they’ll have to lie: Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun pretend to be exes in order to lead a public radio talk show about dating and modern love. Their witty banter and obvious chemistry make them the perfect match—but how can they fall in love when they’re meant to be apart? Readers who like Emily Henry will find a lot to love.

John’s Picks:

Forever by Bon Jovi (2024)

The sixteenth studio album by the aforementioned band and the first since frontman and namesake Jon Bon Jovi’s recovery from vocal surgery in 2022.   Lead singles include “Legendary” and “Living Proof,” while the album track, “Living in Paradise,” was co-written by Ed Sheeran.  Another interesting song is the penultimate track, “My First Guitar;” written and performed on Jon Bon Jovi’s first ever guitar.  He had sold it nearly fifty years ago, but managed to buy it back for the album.

Monkey Man (2024)

An action thriller co-written, directed by and starring Dev Patel.  In the film, Patel plays Kid, a young man bent on revenge against the governmental corruption that destroyed his village and killed his family.  A slick action film with potent cultural beats, it is a strong directorial debut from an actor with a bright future ahead.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One (2023)  

The seventh entry in the Mission Impossible film series, intending to lead into the perceived final installment, which will release in 2025.  Tom Cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt as well as regulars, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Ving Rhames.  They are joined by newcomers Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, among others.  In the film, Ethan and his team seek to destroy a powerful artificial intelligence known as the “Entity.”  Filled with plenty of incredible stunts, including one where Cruise motorcycles off a mountaintop, the film is the beginning of the end of one of the greatest action franchises in cinema history.

Lauren’s Picks:

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (2024)

A civil servant joins a project with the British government to determine the effects of time travel on the human body. The ministry has transported people from various points in the past to the present to test their theories, assigning each a “bridge” to help them adapt to modern life. The narrator is assigned to Commander Graham Gore, who died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition to the Arctic in 1847. The awkward dynamic between the bridge and Gore quickly shifts, forcing the bridge to reckon with how the choices she makes now impact the future. Eclectic and humorous, this book will have you falling in love with its charming yet complex characters.\