JCL Reads - Missouri Book Challenge
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 4 by Natsu Hyuuga
Monday, August 10, 2026
Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne
Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne | 288 pages | 2024
As the youngest physics professor at her university, practical-minded Miranda Reed plans her life with minute precision. But that’s before she’s denied tenure and the promotion she thought was guaranteed. Suddenly, her tidy life is anything but constant.
Overdue for a sabbatical, Miranda takes some time to look towards the stars—only this time, she’s not looking for black holes. With her faith in science shaken, Miranda turns to a practice she’s long dismissed: astrology.
Determined to figure out why her life has suddenly gone sideways, Miranda commits to a year of letting her horoscope guide her. Put a down payment on a home? Not while Mercury’s in retrograde. Spontaneous dinner party invitation? Sorry, horoscope says Gemini Rising best stay in tonight. And as far as the intriguingly aloof artist living next door? Never. His Aries energy is all wrong. On the other hand, the charming father of her new tutoring pupil is Sagittarian perfection. Made for her...right?
As Miranda navigates life with new a perspective, she slowly discovers neither science nor the stars have all the answers. And that, when it comes to love, you sometimes just have to trust your heart.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
Zero complaints. Just a delightful "enemies to lovers" (but were they ever really enemies?) romance featuring a brainy protagonist trying to find herself. Quick and satisfying. A great recommendation for readers looking for low/no spice in their romance.
Witch Hat Atelier Volumes 1-14 by Kamome Shirahama
Witch Hat Atelier Volumes 1-14 by Kamome Shirahama | 2539 Pages Total | 2019-2026
208 Pages. 2019
A TOUCH OF MAGIC In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…
192 Pages. 2019
TRIAL BY FIRE Join Coco as she continues her spellbinding journey of magic and discovery! After traveling to the mystical township of Kalhn with her new master to buy a casting wand, a strange, masked witch transports Coco and her three sister apprentices to an eerily quiet city. But they soon find out that they’re not alone, and they encounter a ferocious dragon! Do these fledgling witches have what it takes to defeat the fire-breathing beast, or will their plans and lives go up in flames?!
190 Pages. 2019
AN INKY INVESTIGATION Cast yourself into the world of witch es as Qifrey chases after the dark mysteries of the Brimmed Caps! With some quick thinking and ingenuity, Coco and her fellow classmates use their growing magic skills to save some locals from a grim fate. But this triumph nearly turns to tragedy as the Knights Moralis threaten the young witches with severe punishment for disturbing the natural order of magic. Qifrey convinces the Knights to overlook this issue, but a peculiar happening related to this incident puts him onto the trail of the same forbidden magic that brought Coco into his atelier. This may be Qifrey’s only chance to come into contact with the Brimmed Caps, but is he in over his head to engage in this treacherous pursuit on his own?
188 Pages. 2019
"TWISTED PATHS Can Coco and her friends pass their most harrowing test yet? Or will the nefarious Brimmed Caps end their journey towards witch-hood?! Now that Coco has been fully accepted into Qifrey’s Atelier, it’s time for her and her colleagues to move onto the next test: The Sincerity of the Shield. Passing the test involves escorting some feathery friends to their nesting grounds, which sounds simple enough, except that the path before the young witches is a winding road filled with ancient magical traps! The test must also be completed in a group, and there’s one witch-in-training from outside of Qifrey’s atelier who doesn’t seem to have the confidence to make the cut. To top it all off, a Brimmed Cap lurks in the shadows, waiting to attack…"
188 Pages. 2020
In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with the gift for magic. She's resigned to her un-magical life, until a traveling magician passes through her village, and Coco learns what what everybody "knows" might not be the truth.
174 pages. 2020
Coco and her peers follow Olruggio and Luluci as they deftly ferry a wounded Qifrey to the underwater Great Hall where witches gather. To their surprise, Beldaruit of the Three Wise Ones awaits the young apprentices at the bottom of the ocean... And he's willing to offer another trial after Agott's and Richeh's was cut short. But the spells and tests of Beldaruit are as much a mystery to unfold as his past, and Coco may be the only one who can put the pieces together and close in on the startling truth...
173 Pages. 2020
As the new trial comes to an end, one of Coco's rewards from Beldaruit the Wise is the story of Qifrey's past and how he came to desire the mysteries of magic. Feeling a connection with her own desire to save her mother, Coco departs for the source of all answers: the Tower of Tomes. But it is a perilous journey to make on her own, and the secrets held within could sway even the most virtuous of witches...
162 Pages. 2021
After finding success together in their second trials, Coco and her friends return to the warmth of the atelier. Before long, they are approached by Tartah from Kalhn, and he needs their help setting up shop at the thrilling witches' festival, Silver Eve! But to design a contraption to sell there, the young students must consider the power of magic -- at once delightful, beneficial, and potentially harmful. As Coco makes preparations alongside Tartah, she's reunited with Custas, a boy who was saved by Coco once before, but is convinced that luck will never shine on him again...
AT THE BORDERLINE
With their magic contraptions in hand, Coco and her friends head to Ezrest for the annual festival, Silver Eve! The cobblestone streets of the crown city are lined with vibrant tents, and visitors from across the land partake in reunions and greetings anew. Here, witches, royals, the Knights Moralis, and even the Three Wise converge -- each party carrying with them their private motivations and powerful histories. However, the bright lights and merriment lure in the uninvited as well...
162 Pages. 2022
FOR THOSE IN NEED
During their heated reunion, Custas introduces his old friends to Ininia, a girl who is loyal to one of the Brimmed Caps. Suddenly, the young witch binds Coco and Tartah to a promise: The two must partake in the Silver Eve Procession. But to do so, they must conjure up a new spell, and quickly. As the weight of many secrets bears down on her, Coco cannot turn to Qifrey or her friends. When she happens upon Dagda, she sees his chest is marked with a forbidden magic...
162 Pages. 2023
THE BRIGHTEST MINDS
Silver Eve, a time for witches and normal folk to come together, nears its final day. At the procession, witches from all walks will have an opportunity to secure an audience with the king--if they display an exceptional spell. In an attempt to help Dagda and Custas, Coco desperately tries to concoct something but becomes frozen with fear. The only one who sees her in crisis is Agott, whose aid might bring them closer to the king...but farther from everything they once knew.
194 Pages. 2024
Coco and Agott spun a well-received spectacle at the Silver Eve procession, but the wonder is quickly dispelled when an enormous terror descends upon the streets of Ezrest. The crowd is thrown into a frenzy, and the Knights Moralis, the King, and the Wise Ones rush forth to keep destruction at bay. Coco turns to Qifrey about Custas and Dagda, but no one's safety can be guaranteed once the intentions of all are laid bare under the starry sky
192 Pages. 2025
The true mastermind responsible for the havoc in Ezrest is subdued at last, but not without exacting a heavy price on Coco. She is still eager to rejoin the search for Custas, and fortunately Beldaruit knows just the spell to allow her to do so without overworrying Qifrey. Meanwhile, the other witches are called to where they are most needed in the aftermath. As strings of fate never meant to interact are further entangled, the starlight reveals society's true nature.
At long last, Dagda and Custas are back together, reunited in the medical tower. All they should have to do now is wait for the doctors to treat them. But at that moment, Qifrey has a terrible premonition. Meanwhile, Coco has a plan to defend the town from the rampaging valance leeches. But it's a long shot that'll need all the town's witches to work together… (All Summaries courtesy of Amazon).
When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace
In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey
My Hero Academia, Volumes 35 - 37
My Hero Academia, Volume 35 - 192 pages
My Hero Academia, Volume 36 - 200 pages
My Hero Academia, Volume 37 - 200 pages
Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)
Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)
What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?
Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…
Review
Hard to believe we're already moving into the final arc! The battle's only just beginning and things are already ramping up in a hurry. I'm excited to see how things turn out!

















