JCL Reads - Missouri Book Challenge
Friday, January 9, 2026
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister -- 366 pages
Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.
Thursday, January 8, 2026
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - 305 pages
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan
Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McKinnon, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McKinnon family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.
But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.
Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.
Holly by Adalyn Grace
Holly by Adalyn Grace -- 384 pages
Something strange is happening at Wisteria Gardens, the magical manor that Blythe and Aris call home. All they want is a peaceful holiday season with their family, but a group of restless spirits is determined to threaten their festivities. With a new mystery to solve, Signa, Death, Blythe, and Fate must uncover what happened to Wisteria’s ghostly inhabitants and help the spirits move on before it’s too late.Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher
Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher - 304 pages
Jessica is invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library around the same time Seth is headed to Boston to give a lecture for an old med school buddy. They decide to travel together and see some sites while they are there. Jessica is excited to plan to see some local friends including PI Harry McGraw. What they didn't plan was to get caught up in investigating a murder that the local pub bartender's daughter is accused of. I enjoyed the book. Looking forward to another.Robin, Vol. 1: The Lazarus Tournament by Joshua Williamson
After learning of the deadly League of Lazarus tournament, Damian Wayne has a new mission: win the tournament and prove he is the greatest fighter in the DC Universe! But first he must find the secret island where it’s all going down!



.jpg)
