An image with a photo of 5 women looking at the camera and smiling at the bookstore. Then it says- Looking for a good gift for book lovers? Read the caption! --- If you have a book lover in your life, gift them a BHB membership and help us reach our 200-member goal! This is one of those gifts that really hits because it’s not just a “thing,” it’s something they get to keep enjoying all year! A Blue House Books membership means: – discounts on books and little surprises throughout the year – access to exclusive events and member-only moments – being part of a community that actually cares about indie bookstores - and SO much more! We’re getting closer to our goal with 93 more members to go. If you’ve been thinking about joining or gifting, now’s the time! Sign up and see the full list of perks and tiers here: https://withfriends.co/Blue_House_Books/join

If you have a book lover in your life, gift them a BHB membership and help us reach our 200-member goal! This is one of those gifts that really hits because it’s not just a “thing,” it’s something they get to keep enjoying all year!

#booksky💙📚 #booklovers

A graphic with a purple background, the author photos of Brighton Walsh and Ren Browne and the book, "The Roommate Rules". It also says- BLUE HOUSE BOOKS PRESENTS: THE ROOMMATE RULES- Brighton Walsh in conversation with Ren Browne. Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m. Blue House Books. RSVP Required. --- Hate to love. Grumpy x sunshine. Roommates with benefits. Forced proximity. Yeah… "The Roommate Rules" understood the assignment! Join us at Blue House Books on May 14th at 6:30 PM for a night with Brighton Walsh in conversation with Ren Browne as they talk all things romance, writing, and the chaos of Declan (our favorite grumpy tattoo artist) and Penelope (his very put-together opposite). There’ll be a conversation, audience Q&A, and a book signing! $5 reserves your seat (and can be used in-store the night of the event)! Save your seat here: https://withfriends.co/event/27776025/the_roommate_rules_brighton_walsh_in_conversation_with_ren_browne Can't make the event? You can still get a signed and personalized copy, and extra swag here: https://blue-house-books.com/preorders-exclusives/the-roommate-rules

Join us at Blue House Books on May 14th at 6:30 PM for a night with Brighton Walsh in conversation with Ren Browne as they talk all things romance, writing, and the chaos of Declan (our favorite grumpy tattoo artist) and Penelope (his very put-together opposite).

#romance #booksky💙📚

A graphic with a colorful background and a white bubble in the middle. It says- SATURDAY, APRIL 25 Find the Golden Ticket in our bookshop and you'll win 12 free audiobook credits! It also has white headphones with a golden ticket in the middle. --- You know how much we love to celebrate Indie Bookstore Day. (Check out our events page if you don't believe us!) This year, in addition to our other events, we're celebrating with a @librofm Golden Ticket worth 12 audiobooks! 🎧 Find the Golden Ticket in Blue House Books on April 25th and win 12 free audiobooks from Libro.fm, the audiobook company that shares profits with independent bookshops, like ours! Mark your calendars and tag a friend to come look with you! ⬇️

You know how much we love to celebrate Indie Bookstore Day. (Check out our events page if you don't believe us!) This year, in addition to our other events, we're celebrating with a @libro.fm Golden Ticket worth 12 audiobooks! 🎧

#indiebookstore #booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Japanese Gothic" by Kylie Lee Baker in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/44euZQqJnHKqqd5RH8S3cA New York Times Most Anticipated Book for 2026 USA TODAY Most Anticipated Books of 2026 Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2026 Book Riot "Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026" In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds. October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls. October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window. One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie. Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it. For readers who love: Grady Hendrix and Stephen King Japanese mythology Friendship and family themes Terrifying, gory stories Horror with heart A new take on the classic haunted house trope

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Go Gentle" by Maria Semple in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/uFul1NHY3vCa_gi8i5jSog The New York Times bestselling author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in. Adora Hazzard has it all figured out. A Stoic philosopher and divorcée, she lives a contented life on New York City’s Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have, she’s applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter, the freedom of being solo, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She’s even assembled a "coven"—like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia—and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora’s carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. Soon, her ordered world is upended by black-market art deals, secret rendezvous, and international intrigue . . . and her past—which she has worked so hard to bury—lands like a bomb in her present. Inflamed by unquenchable desire, Adora finds herself a woman wanting more: and she’ll risk everything to get it. Adora Hazzard’s journey of self-discovery will grip you from the start. Romantic, hilarious, intelligent, and bursting with the stuff of life, Go Gentle is a thrilling story of one woman’s mid-life transformation, cementing Maria Semple in the pantheon of our most exciting and important contemporary writers.

#NewReleaseTuesday finishes up with these two

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Hook, Line, and Sinker" by Tessa Bailey in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/1sM1NJwkMQd4H5aaHqS05Q AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER Now available in a gorgeous hardcover Deluxe Collector’s Edition, "Hook, Line, and Sinker", featuring sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, full-color designed endpapers, and a foil stamped case. In this fan favorite follow-up to "It Happened One Summer", Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man. King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time—in bed and out—and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is. Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner …

A photo of a hand holding the book, "A Short, Strange Trip" by John O'Connor in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/-Az7-_ID4T81wikhizIvSA Tag along with clever guide John O'Connor as he leads us on a gonzo journey through the history of psychedelics, the Amazon rainforest, and into the cosmic dimensions of our own minds. This will be the trip of a lifetime. March 4th, 1971: Deep in the Colombian rainforest, a motley crew of "psychonauts" prepared for what they believed would be the ultimate experiment. Convinced that a mixture of powerful hallucinogenic plants held the key to unlocking human consciousness, they soon found themselves entering hyperspace. The return journey was... complicated. Present day: Acclaimed journalist John O'Connor is fascinated by this forgotten expedition. What really happened in those jungle depths? Armed with decades-old field notes, new interviews, and a healthy dose of curiosity, O'Connor ventures into the same Amazon territory, retracing the psychonauts' steps through the remote Putumayo in search of a legendary hallucinogen called ukuè —and the truth about an "experiment" that's been quietly gathering dust. Working alongside indigenous Uitoto people who bore witness to it all, O'Connor explores how humanity's relationship with psychedelics has shaped everything from ancient religion to modern medicine. But as he journeys deeper into both the rainforest and the cosmic dimensions these substances reveal, one question keeps nagging at him: Were the psychonauts onto something truly profound—or just profoundly stoned? Some stories are worth the trip.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Morsel" by Carter Keane in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1zhZIl2ZTHTQg Carter Keane's "Morsel" is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive. Lou did what the children of parents with backbreaking, poorly paying jobs are supposed to do: pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office gig with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multilevel marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment. When Lou accepts a property appraisal assignment in the rural hills of Ohio, she knows it's her last chance to save her job and keep making rent. But she quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, her dog, and someone--or something--stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods. If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll see firsthand that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive. "Morsel" is "The Blair Witch Project" meets "The Ritual", with a generous helping of "The Menu", perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/hB2UM6Mk2YGRjO1ELMArWA A deluxe hardcover edition of the year’s breakout novel, The Correspondent, featuring: • Printed case wrap with textured debossing • Deckled edges • Full-color designed endpapers • Bookmark ribbon • Exclusive letter from author “Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding. Virginia Evans shows how one woman changes at a point when change had seemed impossible. That change, like this novel, turns out to be a cause for celebration.”—Ann Patchett “Dear Ms. Van Antwerp, There is a movie coming out this month and I saw the trailer and it made me think of you. It’s about an old woman who lives alone like a hermit. She is eccentric and rude….” Sybil Van Antwerp is a mother and grandmother, divorced, retired from a distinguished career in law, an avid gardener, and a writer of letters. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books. Because at seventy-three, Sybil has used her letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. But as Sybil expects her life to go on as it always has, letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life. Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel that is a testament to the power of the written word.

#NewReleaseTuesday continues with more great reads

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "The Patchwork Players" by Jennifer Chiaverini in front of a book wall. --- Come to the event: https://withfriends.co/event/27639663 The cast of a smash TV show arrives at a quilter’s retreat for a week of camaraderie and creativity that takes some surprising twists in this heartwarming new installment of Jennifer Chiaverini’s much-beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. Acclaimed TV actress Julia Merchaud almost can’t believe her good fortune. Her beloved historical drama, A Patchwork Life, revived her career and made stars of several younger actors. But Julia’s happiness turns to dismay when she learns that the hit show will have only one more season. Can she convince everyone to stay just a little longer? Inspiration comes after a conversation with Summer Sullivan, one of the expert quilters who helped Julia prepare for her role. When Summer confides that Elm Creek Quilt Camp is in financial trouble, Julia concocts a brilliant plan that will help the Elm Creek Quilters and herself. Julia sets about persuading the cast and crew to join her for what she promises will be a marvelous week at a luxurious nineteenth-century mansion amid the autumnal splendor of central Pennsylvania, a creative and dynamic working vacation they’ll never forget. Secretly, she hopes the bonding experience will convince them to abandon their other plans and sign on for another few seasons. But after several joyful days of quilting and camaraderie, Julia’s scheme takes an unexpected turn. Soon she’ll have to make hard choices about which matters more—career or friendship. https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/UhelvOrckPndBuLR8fiFRQ

A photo of a hand holding the book, "The Auction" by Sadie Kincaid in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/b_uk_a4uVkt1dEMq2Su03A The queen of dark mafia romance, Sadie Kincaid, begins her new explosively sexy Wages of Sin series with The Auction. Order your deluxe hardcover limited edition with stunning cover effects, stamped foil case, lush matching endpapers, and decked-out floral edges today. Beauty and the Beast meets organized crime in this tense slow-burn romance with scorching spice, thrilling suspense, and life-altering secrets. I was trained to be a pawn, but I will rise as a queen. My life has never been my own. After the death of my parents, I was saved by my grandfather, with the promise that he would turn me over to the Brotherhood on my twenty-first birthday. I was kept away from the outside world so I could one day be sold to the highest bidder—pure and unsullied. Penance for my parents’ alleged crimes. That’s how I come to be sold at an auction. And who buys me but the reclusive billionaire, Lincoln Knight? Some say that he’s a monster, more dangerous than any of the evil men from the Brotherhood. That he wears a mask to cover his scars. But I believe he’s hiding more than just his face behind his mask. My fate is sealed when he takes me to his crumbling mansion deep in the woods. I’m trapped. Entirely at his mercy. I have to escape. But something here isn’t what it seems. Lincoln isn’t what he seems. Maybe he’s not a monster at all. I’m drawn to him in a way that I can’t explain. Until I discover that his secrets go far beyond his mask. He’s everything I’ve been taught to fear, but what if everything I’ve ever known has been a lie? Perfect for readers who love: Scorching hot spice Masked men Morally grey alpha heroes Determined heroines Gothic vibes Fiery slow burns Beauty and the Beast, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights inspo God of Malice, Ruthless Creatures, and The Kiss Thief possessive romance jealous po…

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Last One Out" by Jane Harper in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/pAG4rDFNcoySwk94ZMoa4g From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town. Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains. After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn't long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too. But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Cherry Baby" by Rainbow Rowell in front of a book wall. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/UhelvOrckPnMzW9ZDyGIeg #1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn't sure she wants it back. Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie . . . Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon. Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry . . . "Baby." Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Baby. Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry that strangers recognize her at the grocery store. While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in . . . and wondering who she's supposed to be without him. Cherry had promised to love Tom through thick and thin. She'd meant it. One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom's overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album . . . and someone recognizes her from across the room. Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Before Tom. Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry. And best of all . . . he's never heard of Thursday. Tender, funny, and utterly human, "Cherry Baby" is Rainbow Rowell's richest, most surprising—sexiest—novel yet.

Happy #NewReleaseTuesday everyone! We have some super fun ones that you simply must take a look at!

Shop any of these titles in store until 6 today, or online anytime at ShopAtBHB.com!

A graphic with a purple background, the book, "The Redwood Bargain" and the author photo of Markelle Grabo. It also says- Meet the Author! MARKELLE GRABO. Saturday, May 16th. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Blue House Books. --- Meet & Greet with Markelle Grabo! Join us on Saturday, May 16, from 11AM–2PM at Blue House Books! This is your chance to chat with Markelle, get your books signed, and hear about her sapphic fairy tale that fans of historical fiction and retellings are raving about. No registration is required, but RSVP to get event updates and reminders! Don’t miss this cozy, magical author visit! See more info here: https://withfriends.co/event/27754123

Meet & Greet with Markelle Grabo! Join us on Saturday, May 16, from 11AM–2PM at Blue House Books! This is your chance to chat with Markelle, get your books signed, and hear about her sapphic fairy tale that fans of historical fiction and retellings are raving about.

A graphic with a pale blue background, the book, "Uh-Oh Hugo" and the photos of Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck. It also says- BHB Presents: JONATHAN STUTZMAN AND JAY FLECK IN KENOSHA! Saturday, May 9th at 3:30 p.m. Blue House Books. RSVP Required. --- Join us at Blue House Books on Saturday, May 9 at 3:30 PM for a fun afternoon with New York Times bestselling duo Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck, creators of the beloved "Tiny T. Rex" series! They’ll be celebrating their newest book, "Uh-Oh, Hugo!" with a live read-aloud, a drawing demonstration, audience Q&A, and a book signing. It’s the perfect event for kids and families! This event is free, but RSVP is required. We hope to see you there! Save your seat here: https://withfriends.co/event/27775288

Join us at Blue House Books on Saturday, May 9 at 3:30 PM for a fun afternoon with New York Times bestselling duo Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck, creators of the beloved "Tiny T. Rex" series!

They’ll be celebrating their newest book, "Uh-Oh, Hugo!"

#booksky💙📚

A photo of the book, "The Alchemary" by Rachel Vincent sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/k9JCycuDevoKics96p9SQQ Naked, knowing little more than her name, Amber Fallbrook does not recognize the stone tower she’s awoken in, or the vast, glittering ocean beyond its window. Turning, she finds a very a different view: a beautiful, nearly nude man stirring in her bed. He is a stranger, as is the man who barges into the room seconds later, clearly expecting to find Amber alone. Who are they? Who is she? Why can’t she remember? Shocked to discover that she’s in her dormitory room at the Alchemary—the realm’s prestigious university dedicated to the study of alchemy—Amber has no recollection of having been one of the school’s top students for the past two years. The two men—brothers—are her childhood friends, even if “friends” is not exactly the energy in the room. One brother claims he wants to protect her, and the other to help her recover her memory. But nothing is at it seems at the Alchemary. Not the intentions of her classmates and faculty, not the stunning, labyrinthine campus, not the two brothers she’s increasingly attracted to—maybe not even Amber herself. Despite her memory loss, Amber rejoins her classes and prepares for the deadly Alchemary Trials alongside the other Mastery-level students. But as invigorating as the flowing language and symbology of alchemy is, she can’t help but notice that for an institution shining light on the quest for human perfection there are a lot of dark shadows in its winding corridors.

A photo of the book, "The Escape Game" by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/Y10lLSQ5wzMKaEVvjo-YhA This gorgeous first edition hardcover features stunning stenciled edges and specially crafted endpapers! It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead. Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set. Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master; and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes. But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice. When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high just in this competition—they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of all: who killed Alicia Angelos? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride that will take readers on an exhilarating hunt to uncover secrets, conspiracy, and cold-blooded murder.

Last, but not least, our final #NewReleaseTuesday picks from April 7th

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "The Ending Writes Itself" by Evelyn Clarke in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/1sM1NJwkMQeDMWQkZXWXkw Arthur Fletch, one of the world’s bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead . . . and his last book is unfinished. Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch’s agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter––for a mind-boggling sum––they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch’s magnum opus. It’s the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "The Book Witch" by Meg Shaffer in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/BQmk5nUNoKEDsI142rLwuQ Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew. Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it. Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name. But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

A photo of the book, "Year of the Mer" by L.D. Lewis sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/gQpiPqSJBXik22J4ujNGvw The fairy tale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they’ve sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury...most of the time. When the kingdom’s discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi’s throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla. Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own—and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again.

A photo of the book, "Bloodsinger" by Juliette Cross sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1wJmhJVRWlYGg New York Times bestselling author Juliette Cross returns with a new scorching dark romantasy in her The Fire That Binds trilogy. The fate of a powerful witch who can control men with one taste of their blood and a fierce dragon collide. A spellbinding gift... A plea answered by the gods... An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome. Lela Bihari’s village was invaded on her wedding night, her betrothed murdered right in front of her. While her sisters were either dragged away or escaped, Lela was sold to Valerius, a consul of Rome. When she tried to kill Valerius her first night as his slave, her bloodsinger gift manifested… and she was punished for it. Now she’s paraded in front of the other senators for their amusement. But Trajan Tiberius, the newly elected tribune to the senate, is different. He has no love for the brutality around him. When he frees Lela from enslavement and hides her, Lela is set on a path of vengeance, and using her gift puts her in more danger than ever before. Now trapped inside the walls of Rome while deathriders circle the skies, how can she possibly trust a Roman dragon? Especially when it is clear Trajan has ulterior schemes of his own? As her powers grow stronger, danger draws closer, and Lela realizes it isn't just her life at stake, but also her heart. Bloodsinger is an adult romantasy novel that contains dark themes, including slavery in Ancient Rome and self-injury, which may be uncomfortable for some readers.

#NewReleaseTuesday from April 7th continues with these great picks-

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "American Fantasy" by Emma Straub in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/Y10lLSQ5wzPVNfxij0m8eg When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous, nineties-era boy band and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them since childhood. Feeling slightly out of place amid this crowd is Annie, here on a lark to appease her sister. Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing, something is unlocked. Call it memory. Call it nostalgia. Call it the chemical reaction of hormones, hope, and sexual reawakening. Between the slushy alcoholic drinks, the familiar music, and the throngs of middle-aged women acting like lovesick teenagers, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she meets one of the band members—not just a celebrity but someone in need of a friend—she has accessed a new sense of possibility. In a smart and incisive book packed with laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, aging, and marriage, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured story that shows us real passion is never truly lost, that what we love makes us who we are, and that deep meaning can sometimes be found in a sea of screaming fans.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Meet Me in Italy" by Brenda Novak in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/b_uk_a4uVkslFOFYIedqow A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel. In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn't as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who's been orphaned in Italy. Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn't—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

A photo of the book, "Pieces of the Night" by Jennifer Hartmann sitting on the floor of the bookstore with a copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/-Az7-_ID4T8z0DOpKlAHxg I already had a life. A future. A man I'd promised forever to. But the night I found Chase Rhodes—bleeding, broken, and more lost than I was—everything changed. I wasn't supposed to let him in. Wasn't supposed to write music with him in secret beneath the moon. What started as a quiet escape became something unstoppable. Our songs caught fire, and now the whole world knows our names. Music has a way of pulling the broken together, even when the timing is impossible and the fallout inevitable. But some hearts don't settle. Some songs were never meant to stay quiet. Because the night I saved him was only the beginning. And loving me might be the last risk he'll ever take. From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Hartmann comes a new angsty, standalone contemporary romance.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "London Falling" by Patrick Radden Keefe in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/Tjsi1wmychOa7X_t-VTibg From the bestselling, prize-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface In the early morning of November 29th, 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain’s spy agency, captured video of a young man pacing back and forth on a high balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury tower on the bank of the river Thames. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped into the river. In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried about her son. Zac had told her that he had gone to stay with a friend, but then he did not come home. Days later, a police car pulled up and two officers relayed the dreadful news: her son was dead. In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband, Matthew, struggled to understand what had happened to Zac. He had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. As they would soon discover, however, there was a lot they did not know about their son. Only after his death did they learn that he had adopted a fictitious alter-ego: Zac Ismailov, son of a Russian oligarch and heir to a great fortune. Under this guise, Zac had become entangled with a slippery London businessman named Akbar Shamji, and a murderous gangster known as “Indian Dave.” As the Brettlers set about investigating their son’s death, they were pulled into a different and more dangerous London than the one they’d always known, and came to believe that something much more nefarious than a suicide had claimed Zac’s life. But to their immense frustration, Scotland Yard seemed unable—or unwilling—to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a bravura feat of r…

#NewReleaseTuesday from April 7th are:

(our bsky girl was out sick, sorry for the late post) Stay tuned for today's new releases next!

#booksky💙📚

A photo of author Hannah Morrissey holding up two of her books- "Hello, Transcriber" and "The Unlucky Ones" in front of a bookshelf.

A close up photo of Hannah holding her book, "The Unlucky Ones" with the bracelet that says Hazel on it. --- Celebrate the paperback release of “The Unlucky Ones” by Hannah Morrissey! 🖤 (We have tons of signed copies, by the way!) This April, grab any Black Harbor novel at Blue House Books and snag the exclusive Hazel bracelet! Black Harbor welcomes you… About “The Unlucky Ones”: A police transcriber-turned-novelist returns to Black Harbor to help solve the case of her ex-husband’s murder in the next riveting Black Harbor, featuring the return of characters from Hannah Morrissey's breakout debut, “Hello, Transcriber”. Black Harbor is a tinderbox. Temperatures and violent crime have both risen to all-time highs, a new drug razes the city, and the scene to which Sergeant Nikolai Kole responds is anything but a rote homicide. In the back of a clubhouse lies a body wrapped in garbage bags and doused in bleach. It isn’t just any body. Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former lover, Hazel, has been shot several times and left for dead. What’s more…the killer left what appears to be a calling card. Elsewhere, Hazel is haunted by her memories of Black Harbor. Lured there after eight years, she returns to find out who killed Tommy and why. Now back in Kole’s orbit, their love affair can hardly pick up where it left off. They both used each other to their own ends before, which begs the question: would they do it again? With the atmosphere growing more volatile by the second, Hazel and Kole call a truce, and as they work together to solve this murder, they will not only unearth Black Harbor’s deepest, darkest secrets—they’ll each have to face their own.

Celebrate the paperback release of “The Unlucky Ones” by Hannah Morrissey! 🖤 (We have tons of signed copies, by the way!)

This April, grab any Black Harbor novel at Blue House Books and snag the exclusive Hazel bracelet! Black Harbor welcomes you…

#bhbexclusive #booksky💙📚

A graphic with two blue squares and two photos. The top left is Sam, the owner of BHB holding the new tote bag and showing off some goodies. The bottom photo is an example of all the fun things that come in the swag bag. The blue squares say- Kick off Indie Bookstore Day with great food and even better company! Join us for good eats, an exclusive author experience, used book exchange, and swag bag with free books and goodies included! In the center it has the BHB logo and says- Join us for breakfast with the authors! --- Here is a little taste of what our Breakfast with the Authors attendees will be getting on April 25th at 10 a.m.! --FREE 2026 Indie Bookstore Day tote bag and matching vinyl sticker --BHB keychain --one book and one advanced copy (and we're including some amazing titles you will be dying to get your hands on) --Varied annotation supplies --Other goodies which may include a candle, coffee, tea, a bookmark, and more surprises! Each bag will be unique, so actual items may vary, but it's all included with your ticket to the Breakfast with the Authors event! For $60, you're getting a breakfast buffet, the swag bag valued at $80+, participating in the used book exchange, and exclusive access to these four amazing authors (Molly Harper, Alka Joshi, Amy Pease, and Claire Swinarski)! Breakfast with the Authors will take place at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom on April 25th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Be sure to grab your ticket as seats are limited. https://withfriends.co/event/27664789

Here is a little taste of what our Breakfast with the Authors attendees will be getting on April 25th at 10 a.m.!
--FREE 2026 Indie Bookstore Day tote bag and matching vinyl sticker
--BHB keychain
--one book and .... even more!

#indiebookstoreday #booksky

A graphic with teacher themed background, and it says- Thank you, Educators! in the center. It also says- Blue House Books' Annual Teacher Appreciation Promotion! --- It's time for our annual TEACHER APPRECIATION PROMOTION! It's time for our community to support local educators and show them how much we appreciate them! Teachers, counselors, daycare workers, and other molders of young minds will create gift registries on the Blue House Books website, and community members purchase books, toys, and supplies to be donated to their classrooms, offices, and libraries. Educators: sign up at the form below by April 19th to participate! Anyone who is willing and able to come pick up their donations, and directly works with kids in a classroom or office setting are eligible to participate. Please share so we can support as many educators as possible! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMv_PL7wy_CMIG0g7SHIo76Z28TcP6XkLS2GEuPzCjsum81w/viewform

It's time for our community to support local educators & show them how much we appreciate them! Teachers, counselors, daycare workers, & other molders of young minds will create gift registries on the BHB website, & community members purchase books, toys, & supplies to be donated to their classrooms

A graphic with a patchwork style background, the author photo of Jennifer Chiaverini, the book, "The Patchwork Players", and then it says- THE PATCHWORK PLAYERS: Jennifer Chiaverini Reading and Quilt Fair! Thursday, April 16th. Quilt Fair at 4:30 p.m., Reading at 6 p.m., Northside Library. RSVP Required. --- Join us Thursday, April 16, for a FREE special evening with Jennifer Chiaverini at the Northside Neighborhood Library as we celebrate her newest Elm Creek Quilts novel, "The Patchwork Players"! Start the night at 4:30 PM with our Quilt Fair, where local quilters will share their beautiful handmade pieces, then join Jennifer at 6 PM to hear about the inspiration behind the new book, followed by audience Q&A and a signing. If you love quilts, books, or both, this is a night you won’t want to miss! Submit your RSVP here: https://withfriends.co/event/27639663

Join us Thursday, April 16, for a FREE special evening with Jennifer Chiaverini at the Northside Neighborhood Library as we celebrate her newest Elm Creek Quilts novel, "The Patchwork Players"!

#booksky💙📚

A graphic with a colorful underwater looking background, the paperback edition of "Guess Again" by Charlie Donlea in the middle, the sticker sheet to the left, and the temporary tattoo sheet to the right. --- Preorder the Deluxe Stenciled Edges paperback of "Guess Again" by Charlie Donlea from Blue House Books and you’ll receive: - A hand-signed & personalized copy - A sticker sheet - A temporary tattoo sheet Order by May 23 to guarantee personalization (name only). Orders after will still be signed, but personalization isn’t guaranteed! While you’re at it… you might want to grab signed & personalized copies of Charlie Donlea’s backlist too 👀 See the full list of his books at ShopAtBHB.com! How to order: - Click “Preorder Here!” - Make sure it says "Guess Again" Preorder Campaign - Add your name for personalization in the comments Available for pickup, free local delivery, or shipping across the U.S. & Canada (note: shipped orders won’t arrive by release day). Order yours here: https://blue-house-books.com/preorders-exclusives/guess-again

Preorder the Deluxe Stenciled Edges paperback of "Guess Again" by Charlie Donlea from Blue House Books and you’ll receive:
- A hand-signed & personalized copy
- A sticker sheet
- A temporary tattoo sheet

#booksky💙📚

A graphic with easter eggs sitting in grass outside and it says- WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR EASTER.

Hi, book lovers! We wanted to let you all know that we will be closed on Easter Day, Sunday, April 5th. We will be back to our regularly scheduled hours on the 6th!

See you soon!

A graphic with a light blue background, a banner of flags at the top, and it says- Southeast Wisconsin & Northeast Illinois Indie Bookstore Passport Program. 17 Indie Bookstores, Four Weeks, Two States, Multiple Chances at Prizes, and One FUN Adventure. April 1st through 30th. --- The Regional Indie Bookstore Passport Program runs April 1 – April 30, and we’re so excited to be part of it along with 16 other amazing indie bookstores across Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois! Pick up a passport at any participating store and start your bookstore road trip! Visit at least 5 stores to earn an exclusive "I Support Indie Bookstores" sticker and raffle entries for gift cards, book prizes, and more. The more stores you visit, the more raffle entries you earn, and if you make it to all 17, you’ll score a free tote bag and a total of 4 raffle entries! Spend at least $15 at each store to qualify, and don’t forget to turn in your completed passport by April 30! Follow along on each store’s social media to see grand prize reveals and tote bag designs. Let the bookstore adventure begin! See more information at shopatbhb.com! List of participating stores alphabetically: >Abalabix Books, 30 N Williams St., Unit A, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 >About Time, 528 N. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048 >Arnett & Son Books, 3314 Washington Ave, Racine, WI 53405 >Blue House Books, 5915 6th Ave A, Kenosha, WI 53140 >Books & Company, 1039 Summit Ave, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 >Boswell Book Company, 2559 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211 >Lakeside Books, 830 W Main St., Lake Geneva, WI 53147 >Lion’s Tooth, 2421 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207 >Little Bean Books, 875 Main St, Antioch, IL 60002 >Reads by the River, 102 E. Main St, Waterford, WI 53185 >Read Between the Lynes, 111 E Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098 >Studio Moonfall, 5031 7th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140 >The Nerdy Word, 1106 Main Street, Union Grove, WI 53182 >The Well Red Damsel, 6429 W North Ave, Wauwatosa…

Our regional passport program has begun, pick up your passport today and kick off that road trip. 😍

#indiebookstores #southeastwisconsin #northeastillinois #booksky💙📚

A photo of the book, "This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me" by Ilona Andrews sitting on the floor of bookstore with a copy facing you so you can see the blue sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1xjesSJydlw8w DELUXE EDITION—featuring gorgeous sky blue sprayed edges! When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war. For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.

A photo of the book, "Starside" by Alex Aster sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- We have signed copies! https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/1sM1NJwkMQcl6m2wYi_JIQ Stunning limited deluxe edition— only available on the first printing while supplies last! The collector’s hardcover features stenciled edges, illustrated endpapers, a special hardcover case design, and jacket effects. From Alex Aster, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark series, comes her first adult romantasy. Enter the world of Starside, where swords wield magic and power is not inherited...but claimed. Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic. Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only one: vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them. First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target. Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim,…

A photo of the book, "The Green Kingdom" by Cornelia Funke sitting on the floor of the bookstore with one copy facing you to see the green sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/uFul1NHY3vDF7FfutZkRVQ “Enchanting, joyful, full of light and warmth, and glittering with real-world magic.” – Sophie Anderson From the New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke, known for the INKHEART series, comes this new adventure book. Enter the story of Caspia, who sets out to solve a series of riddles, and as she does, she meets friends she could have never imagined. Anywhere can feel like home if you are brave enough to put down new roots… Caspia’s summer is transformed when she discovers a bundle of letters containing ten botanical riddles in this enchanting adventure. Twelve-year-old Caspia hates big cities, especially one as busy as New York. So she isn’t thrilled by the news that her parents are taking her to stay in Brooklyn. But everything changes when Caspia discovers a bundle of letters, hidden in an old dresser. Each letter contains a ‘green’ riddle, with clues leading to a different plant. The newest adventure from the award-winning author of Inkheart and Dragon Rider, Cornelia Funke weaves magic into every sentence of this new and exciting mystery set in the heart of New York City. The Green Kingdom is perfect for fans of the Greenwild series. Three things you’ll find in this book: Solving riddles Mystery New friendships

A photo of a hand holding the book, "It's My Bird-Day" by Mo Willems in front of the children's section. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/_J1fXCQ7UnRKZDDbwEfeUw From #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems, comes the highly anticipated annual event, The Pigeon’s BIRD-DAY! The Pigeon has the hat. And the hot dog cake! He is ready for the presents! But ... do YOU think The Pigeon can handle his BIG bird-day surprise!?! Get ready for a very special birthday celebration from three-time Caldecott honoree Mo Willems.

#NewReleaseTuesday part one continues with these great picks!

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Game On" by Navessa Allen in front of a bookshelf. --- We have signed copies! https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/vZsE44oxTHOuaB3uet_2kA Book three in the #1 New York Times bestselling Into Darkness Series, following the dark rom-com sensations Lights Out and Caught Up. The game is on for these enemies-to-lovers with laugh-out-loud banter and scorching-hot brat play. I hate that woman. Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he’ll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge. Including Stella McCormick. She’s everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it's time she finally paid the price. Whether she’s ready to or not. I hate that man. Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight—no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he’s the devil planning to make her life hell. Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family’s glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler’s ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn’t know which is worse: being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. This is an enemies-to-lovers dark romance with morally grey characters. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book.

A photo of the book, "Just This Once" by Lena Hendrix sitting on the floor of the bookstore with two copies facing you so you can see the sprayed edges. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/N72jacmRMGCbok5T_bwseQ In a rugged small town on the coast of Michigan where heartbreak lingers but love always finds a way, sparks fly between a fireman and the daughter of the fire chief after an unforgettable one night stand. Fans of Lucy Score’s Knockmeout Series, Elsie Silver, Carley Fortune, and B.K. Borison will swoon over book 1 in Lena Hendrix’s bestselling Kings Series! *DELUXE LIMITED EDITION PAPERBACK featuring stenciled edges, holographic foil, designed interior covers, chapter headers, and full color special character art!* Cocky, pierced firefighters are perfect for late-night rom-coms, but in real life they’re nothing but trouble. Especially when you find out they work for your dad—after you’ve already slept with them. Moving to my parents’ small town was supposed to be the fresh start I was looking for. When a disastrous Valentine’s Day leads to an unexpected encounter with a sexy stranger, it ended with the hottest night of my life. I didn’t think I would ever see Whip again. Imagine my surprise when one of my sixth-grade students has a medical emergency and it’s Whip who shows up, looking hot as hell, to save the day. I should be embarrassed at how we left things, but instead I’m furious he doesn’t seem to remember me. So I scrape my pride off the floor, lift my chin, and pretend there’s nothing between us. But that can last only so long. Stolen glances melt into forbidden touches, and once we give in to temptation, we can’t keep our hands off each other. Nothing has ever felt so right, but my guarded heart won’t let me believe in happily ever after with a man like him. Opening up to Whip may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and every time we agree to one last time, we both know it’s a lie. How many times can we keep telling ourselves just thi…

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Ruins" by Lily Brooks-Dalton in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/1iqMaW6srnOVM_jd4G_3Fw Professor Ember Agni is a rising star in archeology, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true passion: unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. Just as she’s about to give up on the ambitious expedition she spent a decade trying to fund, a message arrives from overseas. A former student claims to have found something extraordinary—an artifact that hints at the forgotten world lying beneath history’s tidy surface. With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her. Driven by unwavering faith in her vision of the past, she challenges the limits of her nation, her colleagues, and herself in order to exhume the missing pieces of how humanity began. But as she journeys deep into an untouched wilderness, in dogged pursuit of a dead civilization, she collides with the wreckage of her own life. On the brink of either discovery or destruction, Ember must choose who she wants to be, and to what kind of world she wants to belong.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Mothers and Other Strangers" by Corey Ann Haydu in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/2-gUryvjjJ8HI60oQEmdqA Two estranged childhood best friends reunite as expectant mothers, after a mysterious falling-out between their own mothers keeps them apart for years​. Perfect for readers of Claire Lombardo and J. Courtney Sullivan. When Sydney and Mae meet on the playground as toddlers, it seems like kismet. Even their very different mothers—the Type-A Beth Ann and the free-spirited Joni—agree the girls are made for each other, and it's not long before even the mothers become inseparable. Then a falling out draws them apart, and decades later, the loneliness still lingers for the newly pregnant Sydney. Adrift in the absence of her closest friend, Sydney has been drawn into a Multi-Level Marketing scheme, exacerbated by the demands of her inflexible mother, Beth Ann, whose constant scrutiny seems reserved only for her daughter. Across the city, Mae is stunned to find herself single, pregnant, and still haunted by the loss of her mercurial late mother, Joni, whose mysterious death holds as many unanswered questions as Mae does herself. Mae is an artist who has lived under the shadow of the one painting (of two girls) that made her famous years ago, the success of which confines as much as it defines her. When Sydney and Mae find themselves back in one another’s lives, each with a baby girl on the horizon, it once again seems like destiny. Each begins to pull the other away from the coercive influence of outsiders—mommy groups, marketing schemes, artistic pressures, and ex-boyfriends. But the two women will soon discover that it’s not destiny that has drawn them together this time, but a devastating secret at the center of their orbits—a truth that finally will bind them or shatter them, for good. An intimate and searing novel about mothers and daughters, and destiny and desire, Mothers and Other Stranger…

Happy #NewReleaseTuesday everyone! And this is only part 1!😎
Check out any of these new titles until 6 in person, or online anytime at ShopAtBHB.com!

#booksky💙📚

A photo of Sam, the owner of Blue House Books, standing in front of the bookstore, holding up a chalkboard that says- HELP US REACH OUR GOAL! --- We’re hosting a Membership Drive at Blue House Books! Help us reach our goal of 200 members by May 6th! Blue House Books has always been more than just a place to buy books. It’s where readers discover new stories, meet authors, attend events, and connect with a community that loves books as much as they do! Our membership program helps to support all of the events, author visits, and bookish experiences that make this place feel like home. When you become a member, you’ll get access to perks like: - A Blue House Books member sticker - Early access to RSVP for special events - $10 store credit during your birthday month - Seasonal member gatherings - Members-only online conversation space - An exclusive holiday sip & shop with 20% off + free gift wrapping - Optional recognition on our website (And more! 👀) You can also gift a membership to a friend! Join today and be part of the community you’re helping grow. We can't wait to get to know you even better! Join here: https://withfriends.co/Blue_House_Books/join

We’re hosting a Membership Drive at Blue House Books! Help us reach our goal of 200 members by May 6th!

#booksky💙📚 #indiebookstore

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Voidverse" by Damien Ober in fron of a book framed wall. It has a call out to the top right that says, "Dune" meets "Wool" in this high-octane quest through the void, where two eternal forces are about to collide in an epic showdown. --- When the Sinker was a child, all she knew was violence. To survive, she fled into the Void—a seemingly infinite nothingness where people live on “rocks,” individual lands spread out in all directions, floating in the vast empty space. Some rocks are giant magnets, others burn with eternal flame, and some are influenced by seemingly magical anomalies with such great powers that evil forces would stop at nothing to possess them. And while most are afraid of traveling through the Void, the Sinker is not. With a sword on her back, she speeds through the darkness, running from a past that is quickly gaining on her. Emery only knows the comfort of Fairviel, but when her son falls ill and the Sinker arrives on her doorstep, she ventures into the Void in search of a cure. When she returns, Fairviel is destroyed. With no home, Emery begins to sink, chasing a recurring dream that feels bigger than a dream, that feels like the key to everything. But they are not alone in the Void. Mercenaries rise and fall around them, princes and kings guard their kingdoms, and a great machine fuels its ascent by consuming all in its path. With the Void destabilizing, Emery and the Sinker find themselves at a turning point in history, a moment when everything could collapse or realign, and the only thing that may save them exists at the bottom of it all. Or so legend says… Get your copy from Blue House Books in person or online at https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/gQpiPqSJBXg26majq4RVyw

A HALF-FORMED UNIVERSE.
A POWERFUL ANOMALY.
A POEM THAT IS PROPHECY.

#bookrecommendation #booksky💙📚

A graphic with a blue watercolor background and in the center it says- Southeast Wisconsin & Northeast Illinois Indie Bookstore Passport Program. 17 Indie Bookstores, Four Weeks, Two States, Multiple Chances at Prizes, One FUN Adventure! April 1st - April 30th. --- The Regional Indie Bookstore Passport Program is back! WOOO! From April 1st–30th, visit participating indie bookstores across Southeast Wisconsin & Northeast Illinois, collect stamps, and earn prizes along the way, including an exclusive sticker, raffle entries, and even a tote bag if you visit all 17 stores! All you have to do is spend $15 at each store you visit and get your passport stamped. The more stores you visit, the more raffle entries you earn! Turn in your completed passport by April 30th! Start planning your indie bookstore road trip 🚗📚 More information here: https://withfriends.co/event/27665417/regional_indie_bookstore_passport_program

The Regional Indie Bookstore Passport Program is back! WOOO!

From April 1st–30th, visit participating indie bookstores across Southeast WI& Northeast IL, collect stamps, and earn prizes along the way, including an exclusive sticker, raffle entries, and even a tote bag if you visit all 17 stores!

A graphic with a teal colored background, pressed flowers, and cut up pieces of paper at the bottom half. It also says- KENOZIA SPRING ISSUE RELEASE PARTY! Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m. --- IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER KENOZIA RELEASE PARTY! Join us at Blue House Books on Wednesday, April 29th from 6:30–8:30PM as we celebrate the Spring issue of Kenozia (Vol. 4) 🌸 Come hang out, support local artists, and be among the first to grab the newest issue! Plus, catch up on Volumes 1–3 if you’ve missed them. This print-only zine highlights the incredible work of Kenosha’s artists, writers, and photographers, and it just keeps getting better! More details coming soon… but for now, save the date! RSVP for free here:https://withfriends.co/event/27693977/kenozia_spring_issue_release_party

IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER KENOZIA RELEASE PARTY!

Join us at Blue House Books on Wednesday, April 29th from 6:30–8:30PM as we celebrate the Spring issue of Kenozia (Vol. 4) 🌸

A graphic with a forested background in a sepia color. In the middle it says- JUST THIS ONCE PreOrder Incentives. Deluxe edition featuring: sprayed edges, holographic foil, character art and bonus material! (plus an image of the book) Exclusive sticker (with sticker image). Collector's Edition of the In-Towner, a newsletter from the mysterious Lady E with bonus material (with cover of the newsletter). --- Last chance alert! Preorder "Just This Once" by Lena Hendrix from Blue House Books by March 27th, and you’ll get the Deluxe Limited Edition paperback, a signed bookplate, sticker, and a copy of the In Towner Bulletin with your order! If you’ve been meaning to preorder, this is your sign! To order: Click the “Preorder Here!” button and make sure the title says "Just This Once Preorder Campaign", otherwise you won’t get the goodies! Available for pickup, local delivery, or shipping (shipped orders will arrive around release day). Don’t miss it! Preorder here: https://blue-house-books.com/preorders-exclusives/just-this-once

Last chance alert!

Preorder "Just This Once" by Lena Hendrix from Blue House Books by March 27th, and you’ll get the Deluxe Limited Edition paperback, a signed bookplate, sticker, and a copy of the In Towner Bulletin with your order!

If you’ve been meaning to preorder, this is your sign!

WE CANNOT WAIT!

Get the details and your tickets here: withfriends.co/event/27566649

#booksky💙📚

A graphic with a light blue background. It has flags at the top, the BHB logo, and the four author photos, which includes Molly Harper, Alka Joshi, Amy Pease, and Claire Swinarski. It says: Blue House Books Presents Breakfast with the Authors featuring: Molly Harper, Alka Joshi, Amy Pease, and Claire Swinarski. April 25th, 2026, The Stella Hotel, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Part of Independent Bookstore Day. --- Indie Bookstore Day just got even better… join us for Breakfast with the Authors AND BOOK EXCHANGE on Saturday, April 25 from 10AM–1PM at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom! Enjoy a full breakfast buffet while taking part in our Used Book Exchange: bring a gently loved book and go home with something new to read. Every participant will also receive our 2026 Indie Bookstore Day Tote Bag FREE, filled with books and goodies! You’ll also get exclusive access to our live author panel featuring Molly Harper, Alka Joshi, Amy Pease, and Claire Swinarski as they talk about their inspiration, writing process, and love of independent bookstores, plus the chance to purchase their books at a great deal! Know you'll want a book from each author? Grab a Book Bundle ticket to get each author’s latest novel for 15% off, ready for pickup at the event! Spots are very limited and will go quickly, so grab your ticket and celebrate Indie Bookstore Day with us in the most bookish way possible: books, breakfast, and amazing authors! Save your seat here: https://withfriends.co/event/27664789/breakfast_with_the_authors

Indie Bookstore Day just got even better… join us for Breakfast with the Authors AND BOOK EXCHANGE on Saturday, April 25th, from 10AM–1PM at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom!

#booksky💙📚

A graphic with a light blue background. It says- Sponsor a KLC Book Club Student! It has a call out box in orange that says, KLC's book club has been the best way to practice my English. It has also helped me learn more words to increase my vocabulary. What I like the most about the book club is that I can be more and more confident while I have a good time sharing my thoughts and opinions with other people. It also the book cover of "My Husband's Wife" by Alice Feeney and the BHB logo. --- 📚You can help support the KLC Book Club by sponsoring a book for a student or by making a monetary contribution to help pay for books through Blue House Books. Learn more at https://blue-house-books.com/commun.../klc-book-club-project

📚You can help support the KLC Book Club by sponsoring a book for a student or by making a monetary contribution to help pay for books through Blue House Books. Learn more at blue-house-books.com/commun.../kl...

#booksky💙📚

A photo of a hand holding a bottle that says, open me in front of downtown Kenosha.

Strolling downtown sometime soon? Keep an eye out… You may find a message in a bottle…

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Python's Kiss" by Louise Erdrich in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/UhelvOrckPk-hySYWibznA From Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich, a captivating collection of short stories It was as though I was chosen—marked out by the python’s kiss for wisdom or maybe sorrow. Or perhaps, I think now, a sense of the ridiculous in extremes of experience. Also, I hoped for a long life. Written over the past two decades, Louise Erdrich’s magnificent story collection features a range of characters—a tribal newsletter editor whose son tells her a story that nothing in her experience can encompass, immigrant farmers whose tenuous hold on the earth, and sanity, is challenged, and ordinary people, bird lovers, artists, grade-school teachers, and romantics. A girl decides to spend her life with a stone. A man is confronted with a folk-singing thief. A woman enters a corporately owned afterlife to seek revenge on her father. Accompanied by specially commissioned artwork by Aza Erdrich Abe—an intimate and revelatory creative collaboration between mother and daughter—these stories offer an oppor­tunity to celebrate the wisdom and brilliant, wide-ranging imagination of one of America’s most important writers.

A photo of a hand holding the book, "Seasons of Glass & Iron" by Amal El-Mohtar in front of a bookshelf. --- https://www.blue-house-books.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1whuZIadRl4Ng Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar. With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose. Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more.

Our #NewReleaseTuesday finishes with these two

#booksky💙📚