Book of the Week (8/10/2026)

Don't Go There: A Tour of the World's Most Sinister Spots by J. W. Ocker (Quirk Books, 2026)

Embark on a guided tour of 30 of the most dangerous and mysterious locations that we simply cannot stay away from.

Have you ever visited a forest or an abandoned building and gotten a bad vibe? There are places that are rife with rumors of hauntings, monsters, and sinister phenomena that can’t be explained. And there are just as many sites that are the confirmed home of disasters, murders, and man-made mistakes. Everyone’s heard about the Bermuda Triangle, but do you know these chilling sites?

Roopkund: There's a lake tucked high in the frozen Himalayan Mountains . . . and it's full of skeletons.

Mount Shasta: This mysterious mountain in California inspired the I AM cult and is said to host UFOs, bigfoots, and lizard people.

Nahanni National Park: Called the "Valley of the Headless Men", this national park in northern Canada is famous for legends of a hidden gold mine . . . and a series of decapitated miners.

Pine Barrens: Best known as the home of the Jersey Devil, this desolate pine forest has also hosted pirates, the mafia, and moonshiners.

Ciudad Blanca: This fabled pre-Columbian "Lost City of the Monkey God" in Honduras doesn't want to be found, and explorers seeking it have met violent ends. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

J.W. Ocker is a nationally bestselling, Edgar-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kids books, and horror novels. His books include A Season with the Witch, Twelve Nights at Rotter House, The Black Slide, and The United States of Cryptids. He is originally from Maryland but has lived in New Hampshire for almost two decades.

Join J.W. at Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH on Sat., August 22, 2026 at 2:00 pm where he will be presenting and signing his newest book!

2026 National Book Festival & Great Reads Selections!

 The 2026 National Book Festival is Saturday, August 22, 2026!

Discover Great Reads from Great Places with the Roadmap to Reading at the 2026 Library of Congress National Book Festival! The 56 Affiliate Centers for the Book each selected one book for Young Readers and one for Adult Readers to celebrate the people and places around our nation. Visit each stop on the Roadmap to Reading in Hall D of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from 9 a.m-8 p.m.

For a link to the author lineup of more than 80 authors at the festival, click here.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library has selected the book, Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor by Emily Arnold McCully as our 2026 selection for Young Readers. 

Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, kites, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers at the mills in Manchester, New Hampshire. Later, as an adult at the Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. Over the course of her life, Marvelous Mattie earned the title of "the Lady Edison." This is the incredible story of the first woman to receive a U.S. patent.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library has selected the book, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving as our 2026 selection for Adult Readers.

In 1954, in the cookhouse of a logging and sawmill settlement in northern New Hampshire, an anxious twelve-year-old boy mistakes the local constable’s girlfriend for a bear. Both the twelve-year-old and his father become fugitives, forced to run from Coos County—to Boston, to southern Vermont, to Toronto—pursued by the implacable constable. Their lone protector is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who befriends them. In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River depicts the recent half-century in the United States as “a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course.” --Publisher’s blurb

Book of the Week (7/20/2026)

The Cure at Walden Pond: A Guide to Recovering Our Humanity by Thomas Moore (Pegasus Books, 2026)

Among the pages of Henry David Thoreau’s journals and his legendary Walden, Thomas Moore, beloved bestselling author, psychotherapist, and public thinker, has found transformative ideas and approaches that promise to help us live better. As Moore writes, “We need to make the journey to our own ‘Walden Pond’ and find a cure for our cultural lostness.”

Like Moore’s own million-copy-bestselling Care of the Soul, The Cure at Walden Pond will be widely heralded among readers for its beautiful prose, accessible voice, and profound insights into the human condition. 

Thoreau was disillusioned in his day by the same kind of frantic consumerism, round-the-clock work, and narrow imagination that trouble us today. Moore will help readers slow down, be more present and mindful in their relationships with their loved ones, and appreciate the beautiful world we share. For Moore, as for Thoreau, there is immense spiritual power all around us.

New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock is a “natural temple” for all New Englanders, a place of reverence and renewal, and Moore encourages us to find our own places of rejuvenation. There is neglected spirituality—and humanity—in the everyday objects that sustain us too. Moore explores his own memories of an old farmhouse, a grinding stone, and an out-of-tune piano that bring him back to his childhood and his family history. 

The journey to Walden Pond is an essential American pilgrimage, and The Cure at Walden Pond embodies Thoreau’s essence, guiding us through Thoreau’s precepts so we can find more harmony in our communities and in ourselves. Immersing ourselves in the music of the natural world The Cure at Walden Pond is a resonate read that will move and inspire any one in search of a new way of being. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Thomas Moore is the author of the bestselling Care of the Soul and twenty other books on spirituality and depth psychology that have been translated into thirty languages. He has been practicing depth psychotherapy for thirty-five years. He lectures and gives workshops in several countries on depth spirituality, soulful medicine, and psychotherapy. He has been a monk and a university professor, and is a consultant for organizations and spiritual leaders. He has often been on television and radio, including Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday. Thomas also writes fiction, arranges music and plays golf in New Hampshire, where he has lived for thirty years.

Book of the Week (7/6/2026)

Ghost Chickens: Omelet from the Other Side by Adi Rule (Tundra Books, 2026)

After eating a glowing green egg, aspiring journalist Florence Fortescue can suddenly see that her house is overrun with ghost chickens in this delightfully bizarre and hilarious first book of a new early middle-grade series for readers aged 8 to 12!

Ten-year-old aspiring journalist Florence Fortescue did NOT want to move to the country, leaving her best friend and city life behind.

To make matters worse, Florence is shocked to discover a Minions-esque flock of ghost chickens running amok all over her new house — and her parents are oblivious! Clearly, Mom and Dad need to take their precious daughter back to the city RIGHT NOW. If only she could convince them . . .

Using her journalistic skills, Florence cooks up a sizzling exposé in her homemade newspaper: TERROR IN THE HAUNTED COOP! But when that plan fails, Florence has to enlist the help of her weird new neighbor, two bizarre dogs and maybe even the ghost chickens themselves! --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Adi Rule is the author of Nell and the Netherbeast, Why Would I Lie?, Hearts of Ice, as well as The Hidden Twin and Strange Sweet Song, which won the 2016 New Hampshire Writers' Project Literary Award for Outstanding Young Adult Book and the Vermont College of Fine Arts Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Prize. Adi is a member of the faculty of the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing program at Lasell University. She lives in New Hampshire with two and a half warring cats, a macaw, a magician, and a small but mighty flock of chickens.

3 on a Theme: Numbers

 The Five Year Lie: A Domestic Thriller by Sarina Bowen

 Six Thousand Doughnuts by Thomas Tosi

 Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W Greene 

Book of the Week (6/29/2026)

Lady Justice and the Sisterhood of the Crones by Jennifer Speidel (Olympia Publishers, 2026)

The world is broken - corrupt men rule, greed runs rampant, and the voices of women have been silenced for too long. Enter Mavon, a demon, who's lost her taste for wicked souls, and Buluku, the ancient goddess of matriarchy, who's had enough. Together, they call upon the crones - women of wisdom, resilience, and untapped power - to rise up and take back what's theirs.

On Peaks Island, an unlikely sisterhood forms: Maxine, a no-nonsense New Yorker with a rebellious streak; Toby, a teacher whose empathy is her superpower; and Sumita, a gentle soul with quiet strength. As their magic spreads, curses unravel the powerful, and a revolution begins. But changing the world won't be easy - especially when the forces of greed fight back.

Witty, fierce, and full of heart, Lady Justice and the Sisterhood of the Crones is a spellbinding tale of justice, sisterhood, and the power of women who refuse to be ignored. For anyone who's ever wished the patriarchy would just... crumble. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Jennifer Speidel has been a special education teacher for twenty years. She's passionate about building strong connections with students and community, and founded a school thrift shop that has provided over 11,000 free items to students. She lives in New Hampshire with her partner, Dave, and their two cats. Now empty nesters, they enjoy camping with their daughters. Jennifer loves coastal walks in Maine and reading with a cat curled up on her lap.

Join Jennifer at Gibson's Bookstore on Thu., August 6, 2026 at 6:30 pm where she will be discussing her first novel!

Book of the Week (6/22/2026)

In Wonderland: A Novel by Joyce Maynard (Little A, 2026)

In one golden summer, Frances trades her working-class world for an elite Maine lakeside estate―where privilege and betrayal turn into a deadly game.

Frances believes she’s found a ticket to paradise when a wealthy couple hires her for the summer as their mother’s helper at their lakefront summer home in Maine. The vintage wooden boats, the days at the country club, a shiny new bicycle, and a tennis racquet―suddenly Frances has everything her modest childhood lacked. Best of all, she gets to spend the summer with Forrest Emerson, her father's charismatic childhood friend who escaped their neighborhood when he married into money.

But below the glittering surface of Lake Catherine, nothing is what it seems. When Forrest’s wife, Regina, pulls Frances into her private obsession, the girl finds herself witness to the intimate secrets of adult lives. As the summer heat builds, so do the tensions within Wonderland’s walls. By Labor Day, a death will shatter the seemingly perfect family, leaving Frances to question everything she thought she knew about privilege, power, and the price of belonging. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Joyce Maynard is the New York Times bestselling author of thirteen previous novels and five books of nonfiction, as well as the syndicated column Domestic Affairs. Her memoir, At Home in the World, has been translated into eighteen languages. Her novels To Die For and Labor Day were both adapted for film. She is a fellow of MacDowell and Yaddo artists' residencies.

When not running her hotel/retreat center, Casa Paloma, in Guatemala―where she mentors women in the telling of their stories―she makes her home in Northern California and in the state of New Hampshire.

Join Joyce at Gibson's Bookstore on Thu., July 23, 2026 at 6:30 pm and at Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough on Sat., July 25, 2026 at 11 am where she will be discussing her newest book!

Book of the Week (6/15/2026)

Dominic Bean and the Mammoth Melt by Emilie Christie Burack (Groundwood Books, 2026)

At first, twelve-year-old Dominic Bean is not happy when he and his sister are “dumped” with eccentric relatives on a New Hampshire cattle farm while their scientist parents work on a secret project in the Canadian Arctic. Coping with what he sees as parental abandonment, plus the pressure of bullies, schoolwork and wrangling Harriet (a stubborn pregnant Highlander cow with long, sharp horns) bring out the worst in Dom.

But the sleepy farm turns out to be full of surprises. A developer is trying to buy the Bean family land to build an Arctic-themed amusement park under a plastic dome. Dom’s nemesis at school, Edith, turns out to have a way with Harriet. And reading his dad’s old journal leads Dom to an ancient woolly mammoth tusk that his father once found in the farm’s bog.

Dom learns that his jam-making aunt and whiskey-distilling uncle are in fact in cahoots with his parents on a secret project in the old milking barn ― a project that, if successful, will “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth and possibly help save the planet.--Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Emilie Christie Burack's debut novel, The Runaway’s Gold, was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a winner of the New England Book Festival. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New Hampshire, where she is the co-founder of the New Hampshire Book Festival.

Book of the Week (6/8/2026)

Out Clause by Ernest Thompson (Global Collective Publishers, 2026)

What if you could leave your life? Oxton Paris, the ultimate misfit, disfigured and ostracized, years ago left his and repurposed his angst into helping others escape their own entrapments, bad marriages, poor choices, compromising positions. He created Out Clause, providing thousands of Travelers a new life, a second chance, a smoother fit.

The compact, though, comes with caveats: one, a commitment to discontinue all contact with what's been left behind, no texting, no coded messaging on social media, no burner phone calls, no keepsakes tucked in backpacks. And, two, a promise to live a better life, predicated on honesty and kindness, not only to others but to oneself. Could you do that, become the better angel you perhaps have always longed to be?

If Travelers fail in their mission, their bodies will be discovered where they went missing, near a bridge, on a Caribbean beach, stumbled over by hikers or exposed when a glacier recedes, a house torn down, a subway tunnel reactivated. There's a vast network of spirit guides ensuring that Travelers reach their destinations. And stay true to the Out Clause ethic.

Enter a New York detective obsessed with suicides, especially those he calls No Bodies, and determined to find out where they've gone, setting up a human chess game with Oxton Paris and putting the entire sweet construct of Out Clause in jeopardy. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Ernest Thompson has written numerous films, plays and songs, and has worked extensively as an actor and director. In addition to his Oscar for On Golden Pond, Ernest's work has won two Golden Globes, a Writers Guild Award, a Broadway Drama Guild Award and been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His plays have been seen in theaters around the world, his most enduring, On Golden Pond, translated into 30 languages and presented in more than 40 countries. From his home base, a 200-year-old farm in rural New Hampshire, Ernest has worked with hundreds of writers, hosting his internationally-renowned Write On Golden Pond workshops.

Join Ernest at Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 6 pm where he'll be discussing his latest book!

3 on a Theme: Skies

The Vanishing Sky by L. Annette Binder

Half My Sky: Autism, Marriage, and the Messiness That Is Building a Family by Carrie Cariello

Where the Water Meets the Sky: A Novel by Diane Les Becquets

Dublin Literary Award Winner 2026

Gliff by Ali Smith has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Dublin Literary Award.

About the Book:

"An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world.

Add two children. And a horse.

From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data—something easily categorizable and predictable—Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever." --Publisher's blurb

Book of the Week (5/25/2026)

Midnight Curfew by Penelope Douglas (Berkley, 2026)

Summertime is off-season in southern Florida. Families leave their homes to escape the heat, the streets are empty, and the nights are quiet. Perfect time for a little mischief while the police aren’t looking.

As the middle Jaeger brother, Dallas was often lost in the shuffle growing up. Now a man, he’s prideful of his community on the wrong side of the tracks—Sanoa Bay—and aggressively protective of his land and his inner circle. He’s hungry and ready for a fight.

Callum Ames has a reputation in St. Carmen, the affluent neighborhood abutting Sanoa Bay. The hottest. The most popular. Rich. Powerful. Strong. The one all the women want. After four years away, he’s back, but for all his bravado, he’s got one major secret: he doesn’t want a woman.

Summer is also storm season. Heat, wind, rain…

And a lockdown.  

In a desperate bid to impress his influential father, Callum suggests a curfew to hinder their rivals in the Bay.

Unfortunately, the Jaegers don’t like rules.

As Dallas and Callum face off and engage, out for each other’s blood, they can’t stop the consuming fire between them and the outcome they already see coming…

The storm of the century. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into twenty languages and include the Fall Away series, the Hellbent series, the Devil’s Night series, and the stand-alones Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. They live in New Hampshire with their husband and daughter.

Book of the Week (5/18/2026)

Pretty Evil New England: True Stories of Violent Vixens and Murderous Matriarchs by Sue Coletta (Globe Pequot Publishing, 2020)

For four centuries, New England has been a cradle of crime and murder—from the Salem witch trials to the modern-day mafia. Nineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson.

Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. In Pretty Evil New England, true crime author Sue Coletta tells the story of these five women, from broken childhoods, to first brushes with death, and she examines the overwhelming urges that propelled these women to take the lives of a combined total of more than one-hundred innocent victims. The murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the would-be victims that lived to tell their stories. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series books, psychological thriller/mysteries, Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction, Pretty Evil New England. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

3 on a Theme: Girls & Boys

Katie Girl: Deadly Germs, Modern Medicine, and a Family's Fight by John S. Bentley

Mule Boy by Andrew Krivak

The Boy Who Fell To Shore: The Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Thomas Thor Tangvald by Charles J. Doane

Book of the Week (4/20/2026)

Bonebag by E. M. Elliott and David Elliott (Astra Young Readers, 2026)

Trapped in a dark forest with his cold-hearted parents, Bonebag leads a cruel and isolated existence. However, he feels deep in his bones that things weren’t always this way: he has known happiness before. Why does it feel like it was in a past life?

When Bonebag discovers a locket that burns him to the touch, and a ghostly girl beckons him into the deep woods, he must grapple with the riddle of where he came from and how he came to be. Only then can he begin to rewrite his fate.

From New York Times bestselling author David Elliott and his son, E.M. Elliott, this powerful middle-grade fantasy will take readers on a quest that tackles the mystery of belonging with high-octane twists and turns along the way. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

David Elliott lives in New Hampshire with his wife and a Dandie Dinmont terrier. David is a New York Times bestselling author with over 35 published or soon-to-be published books to his name. These include, his provocative novels-in-verse Bull, and Voices, as well as many picture books and middle-grade novels. Bonebag is his first book to be co-written with his son, E.M. Elliott.

Book of the Week (4/13/2026)

Perfect Wives, Perfect Lies: A Novel by Jennifer Anne Gordon (Podium Publishing, 2026)

In the wake of losing her son, Becca also lost her marriage and her moorings. Now, work and time spent with her best friend, Lynn, are what gets her through the day. But it’s a private group of moms on social media that gets her through the long nights.

Run by Karen, the holy grail of perfect wives, Mommy Wine Time is a place where women share stories, perfectly airbrushed photos, and advice disguised as humble brags. And it’s where Becca pretends to be Lucy, with the help of a stock photo account. Lucy’s an ideal wife and mother living a dahlia-filled life in Seattle, enjoying all the things that Becca is certain she’ll never have again.

But the line between Becca’s truths and Lucy’s lies starts to blur when a series of bad deeds, daring games, and too many bottles of cheap chardonnay reveals something darker. Soon, what began as mere petty crimes escalates to kidnapping, assault, revenge, and murder. Still, the more Becca pretends, the more alive she feels . . .

This psychological thriller from the author of Pretty/Ugly takes the wine moms from Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives, puts them in an online space where it’s easier to hide their true identities, and then gives them even darker obsessions. Cheers. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning Gothic horror author and podcast host. Her debut novel, Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent, won the 2020 Kindle Book Award for Best Horror/Suspense, and her novel Pretty/Ugly won the 2022 Helicon Award for Best Horror as well as the Kindle Book Award for Best Novel of the Year (Reader’s Choice). Gordon’s essays have been featured in Miniskirt Magazine, Tangled Locks Journal, Lumina Journal, and Flash Glass. She lives in rural New Hampshire.

2026 Dublin Award Shortlist

The shortlist for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award was announced today!

The shortlisted titles are as follows:

Gliff by Ali Smith (British), published by Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House UK. Nominated by Katona József Könyvtár, Hungary

In Late Summer by Madalena Blažević (Bosnian), translated from the Croatian by Anđelka Raguž, published by Linden Editions. Nominated by University Library of Bern, Switzerland.

Live Fast by Brigitte Giraud (French), translated from the French by Cory Stockwell, published by Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers. Nominated by Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, France.

Perspectives by Laurent Binet (French), translated from the French by Sam Taylor, published by Harvill, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK. Nominated by Bibliothèques Municipales de Genève, Switzerland.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (American), published by Jonathan Cape (Vintage, PRH) UK; Penguin Press (US). Nominated by Hartford Public Library, USA.

What I Know About You by Éric Chacour (Canadian), translated from the French by Pablo Strauss, published by Coach House Books; Gallic Books (Pushkin). Nominated by Bibliothèque de Québec and Toronto Public Library, Canada.

The winner will be announced on May 21, 2026 at the International Literature Festival Dublin. 

Book of the Week (4/6/2026)

Every Precious and Fragile Thing: A Novel by Barbara Davis (Lake Union Publishing, 2025)

For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face―and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.

Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the terminally ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

After twelve years in the jewelry business, Barbara Davis left the corporate world in order to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. She was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, but grew up and attended school in Florida. Eventually, work led her north, where she lived in Charleston for two years, and in Raleigh for fourteen, before eventually making her home in Dover, New Hampshire.

Book of the Week (3/16/2026)

The Jig Is Up (An Irish Bed & Breakfast Mystery #1) by Lisa Q. Mathews (Crooked Lane Books, 2024)

Irish step dance takes a deadly turn in this Celtic cozy series debut, perfect for fans of Carlene O’Connor and Paige Shelton.

Single-mom and police chief’s daughter Kate Buckley is all about family. After she receives an urgent text from her younger sister Colleen, she puts her life on hold and rushes to her Irish-themed hometown of Shamrock, Massachusetts, where her family owns and operates a bed and breakfast. With her two daughters in tow, she’s ready to fight if it means she can help her charming but hapless sibling. 

When they arrive, Colleen claims it was all a misunderstanding. But everything changes in an Irish minute when Colleen’s best friend, Deirdre, a dance show star, is found dead in the parish hall. With the discovery of a possible witness, a chilling motive, and a wee bit of incriminating evidence, Colleen quickly becomes a person of interest in Deirdre’s murder. Convinced her sister isn't a killer, Kate is determined to clear Colleen’s name. 

As Kate investigates, Colleen takes charge of Shamrock’s popular Irish dance show in honor of her late friend—with disastrous results. With the St. Patrick’s Week festivities in full swing, Kate must catch the killer before the celebrations are ruined and her sister’s Irish luck runs out. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Lisa Q. Mathews began her publishing career as a Nancy Drew book editor. She wrote for other popular kids’ series, including Mary-Kate and Ashley, Sweet Dreams, and the Lizzie McGuire Mysteries. After many years in New York, she returned home to New England, where she now writes cozy mysteries for adults, including the Irish Bed & Breakfast series and the Ladies Smythe & Westin series. Her short story “Fly Me to the Morgue” was an Agatha Award finalist. A member of the mighty Quinn clan (also Nolan, Stinson, and Keady), Lisa lives in New Hampshire with her family, including a crazy golden retriever and a lucky black cat from her old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Book of the Week (3/9/2026)

Spirits of Amoskeag: The Wounded Heroes of the Manchester Mills by Lois Hermann (Light Publishing, 2016)

This enthralling book was the answer to a promise made many years ago, a commitment given to a group of spirits who caused accidents to get attention. They agreed to stop their activity and go into the light if we would publish their story. This spiritual mystery shares their heart-wrenching stories woven through the journey of the book itself. This is the fascinating story communicated by the Spirits of Amoskeag, The Wounded Heroes of the Manchester Mills.

This story is both compelling and important. In the mid-1800s, Manchester, New Hampshire boasted the longest continuous millyard in the world, producing incredible amounts of cloth daily. The information revealed in this book is part of the fabric that makes up local history. Many people suffered greatly in the name of big business, and their stories deserve to be told. This is the story of the children who worked in the mills and the crimes that were committed upon the children by those in charge. Everyone was affected by what was known as the “Great Unspeakable.” This intense story was guided by Guardian Spirits, told by the spirits of the children and others from the time of the great Amoskeag mills, and includes the story of those placed on our path to create this book. Having been safely guided into the light, many spirits have returned to express deep gratitude for our assistance. They want to be remembered for the hard-working, dedicated young people they were. May we be inspired to take care of our children, that we may better ensure a healthy society. This is not just a ghost story…this is a rescue mission! --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Born in Yokohama, Japan, a military daughter who traveled the world, she settled in New Hampshire to raise her children. With a successful career as a multi-registered medical professional, corporate trainer, clinical director, and pioneer in the field of diagnostic imaging, Lois is now a success coach and clinical hypnotist. Lois helps children and adults to achieve their goals. Her extensive training in advanced hypnosis techniques includes the Spirit Releasement Therapy that is demonstrated in this book. Involved with integrative medicine since the early ’90s, Lois blends her traditional medical background with her corporate expertise into client sessions and presentations.