Off the Books

This is the episode where we read 3 horror books and ask Bethann if she finished any of them! Come and be shocked and frightened with these fast paced killer thrillers; let's fall into horror.

Today Bethann and Samantha will be reviewing a fan recommendation of the horror kind, "After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank. But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night. Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man. And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window..."

On this special episode, Bethann and Samantha will be interviewing Misty Zaugg author of the Aftermath series! We excited to sit down and chat with this author and talk about her bestseller Deadly Lockdown. Tune-in to hear Zaugg's interview and our chat about all things writing!

Special guest Teen Librarian Brittany Vanzo joins us to discuss The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.

HCR Reads Top Pick: Flygirl by Sherri Smith - Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy’s gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.

When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won’t accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one’s racial heritage, denying one’s family, denying one’s self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be."

"A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?"

A strange darkness is growing in the Ward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

Fate knocks on her door, in the form of a mythical immortal and a lethal assassin, who tell Corayne that she is the last of an ancient lineage - with the power to save the world from destruction.

B&S are back with another crime thriller! There’s a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. How many lives must be taken before the killer is brought to justice?

In this episode, Brittany, our Teen Librarian chooses what we read! This will be our Teen Librarian's first cameo with B&S! Join us as our special guest talks about her recent favorite all while trying to convince Bethann that she actually does like romance. You won't want to miss this episode!

Summer Reading Program is here and the theme for this year is Ocean's of Possibilities! This episode of Off the Books will explain everything that you need to know about this summer and how to participate in all the challenges to get prizes. Bethann and Samantha will also be going through their anticipated TBR (To Be Read) Pile for this summer because they will be reading with you. Don't miss this episode!