Today's Featured Books

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Bibliotherapy, The Healing Power of Reading, and on the Book Therapy website, created by book curator and bibliotherapist Bijal Shah. 

As a booklover and subscriber to the LitNuts newsletter, you already make books and reading an integral part of your life. Read on to learn more about Bijal's work and the life-changing magic of books.
 

      

Bibliotherapy, The Healing Power of Reading

In this unique and transformational guide to healing, bibliotherapist and counsellor Bijal Shah explores the restorative power of reading. Bibliotherapy traces the history of how therapeutic reading evolved - including the important role played by the best writers such as the Stoics, Montaigne, Eliot, and Wordsworth. In doing so, Bijal offers first-hand stories from clients who have found solace in great works of literature when struggling with grief, relationships, or illness.

Full of practical advice and insights into how bibliotherapy really works, Bijal offers an A to Z reading list of books for every mood and need. A much-needed reminder of how comforting and life-changing reading can be, Bibliotherapy is a sumptuous celebration of books that will invite you to see them as more than just an escape, but a legitimate form of self-care.

Praise for Bibliotherapy
"Utterly fascinating. I have long felt that books can be medicine. Now I understand why. Read this book. Feel better." ~Beth Kempton, bestselling author of Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life

"One of the most fascinating books that I have read in years! Beautifully written and full of insights, this book demonstrates the healing power of stories and how you can transform your life through bibliotherapy." ~Simon Alexander Ong, bestselling author of Energize

Free online: Spring's Most Anticipated Books. A librarian from the Santa Clarita (CA) City Library will share the adult fiction and nonfiction titles she's most excited to read during the next few months. Attendees will have the chance to win free advance copies of some of the upcoming season's most anticipated books. Wednesday, February 21, 6-7 PM CST.

"Reading is an active, imaginative act; it takes work." ~Khaled Hosseini

In a world where magic is a science, Siobhan Naught is a genius. But even geniuses need schooling. Siobhan has just been banned from the country's only magical university. Unwilling to give up on her dream of becoming the world's most powerful sorcerer, she resolves to do whatever it takes to change her fate. Even if it means magically disguising herself as a boy and indebting herself to a gang of criminals to pay for university tuition. From $0.99 SHOP NOW / 

New release! In the explosive tenth chapter of the Will Harper Mystery Series, Harper must deal with fugitives Birdie and Rufus while also navigating treacherous waters to rescue the stranded as Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc on Sanibel Island. For fans of John D. MacDonald and aficionados of crime mysteries by Dawn McKenna and Wayne Stinnett, Sanibel Wind is a seafaring odyssey where Harper races against time, unraveling the unpredictable currents of love, deception, and Florida's tumultuous underworld. From $2.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of author Frances Ellen, creator of the Asters Original Series, a found family, YA fantasy adventure. If you like diverse characters, found family, and magical/dangerous adventures that criss-cross the globe, this is the series for you:

• From Fury Reborn, Book 1 in the Asters Original Series
• A Crown Denied, Book 2 in the Asters Original Series
• A Queen to Come, The Complete Prequel Trilogy

"An utterly enthralling saga of magic and subterfuge, highly recommended" ~Midwest Book Review

From Fury Reborn

Five magical warriors. One dangerous mission. Two fearsome enemies. When they all converge in a deadly jungle, who will come out alive?

Protecting humans from the seven Dark Kings is the duty of the Affinite race, led by the Asters, five people each with a unique form of magic.

Charged with investigating sinister events in the Amazon Rainforest, Nathan and his fellow Asters prepare themselves to face the smartest and deadliest King ever. But there is more than one monster roaming the jungle, and Nathan’s magic holds the key to its identity.

As the shocking revelations mount, Nathan fears that the fatal mistakes of the past have come back to haunt them. Can Nathan harness his unique connection to the Asters’ newest enemy and form an alliance against the Dark King? Or will that put them in more danger than ever?

A Crown Denied

Their deadliest enemy always one step ahead. Can the Asters unmask the spy before critical secrets are exposed and lives are lost?

After a grueling mission in the Amazon Rainforest, Sky and his fellow Asters have succeeded in bringing their reluctant new Queen back to their island home.

While Sky prepares for the mission that should bring the King of the South American Underworld to their knees, he finds himself drawn to his Queen’s extraordinary powers and beauty, despite her ruthless reputation. And when a trusted ally turns foe, his divided loyalties could threaten everything he holds dear.

A Crown Denied is the second book in the Asters Original Series, which follows the adventures of the five magical Asters: Lian, Sophie, Matu, Nathan, and Sky. Discover whose betrayal will draw the Asters and their Queen into another fatal reckoning with the most powerful Dark King of all time.

A Queen To Come: The Complete Prequel Trilogy

Meet the Asters, five members of a found family, each with a unique magic.

They have trained together all their lives. They have deep bonds of friendship. They will lay down their lives for themselves, their Queen, and their people. With Dark Kings stirring into deadly action, they will be put to the ultimate test. 

The prequel trilogy includes:

• A Queen to Come: An ancient power reincarnated in their new Queen. Can the Asters thwart a Dark King's plan to capture it for himself?
• A World to Lose: A newly emboldened King makes his move. Tasked with assessing his threat, the Asters uncover more than they bargained for. And it's not just their lives at stake.
• A Threat to Remain: The Asters are facing their deadliest test yet. Can they use their magic in unique ways to succeed in their mission?

         

Free online: The Egyptian Book of the Dead - a virtual tour and behind-the-scenes look at this special exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Hosted by Sara E. Cole, PhD, assistant curator in the Antiquities Department at the Getty Museum, and Foy Scalf, PhD, head of the research archives and Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. Monday, February 19, 4-5 PM CST. 

"If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past." ~Baruch Spinoza

A Snarky PI Delves into the Most Notorious Unsolved Mysteries of the Past 150 YearsJourney back through time from 2001 to 1892 as veteran PI Denise Huddle brings her field-honed investigative skills and trademark snark to her in-depth examination of seven of America’s most notorious unsolved mysteries. Who mailed the anthrax letters? Who killed JonBenét Ramsey? Who was D.B. Cooper? Who was the Zodiac Killer? Who killed the Black Dahlia? Who really kidnapped the Lindbergh baby? Who killed Lizzie Borden’s parents? From A to Z, Huddle lays out the events and evidence, identifies patterns, and tests theories. From $2.99 SHOP NOW /