5-stars *****
*Note: I read this book on NetGalley. It was published on February 17, 2026 and is available on Amazon in eBook, hardcover, paperback, and audio at https://www.amazon.com/Astral-Library-Novel-Kate-Quinn-ebook/dp/B0FB4WZTQ8/
The Astral Library was a wonderful read. It was quirky, fun, and engaging. As a retired librarian, I enjoyed the depiction of a fantasy library where one could escape into a book. The references to authors and books were a great inclusion. I think most readers will identify with the themes presented. Alix and Beau were great characters. I also enjoyed the various ways the Astral Library permitted readers to escape – through a book, painting, or virtual game. I recommend this book not only to those who like fantasy novels but also to all readers who are fans of book, library, and escape reads.
I'm a retired librarian and the award-winning author of the Cobble Cove, Buttercup Bend, and SOUP THE SUPERNATURAL KITTEN cozy mystery series and other novels, short stories, poems, articles, and a novella. My books include CLOUDY RAINBOW, REASON TO DIE, SEA SCOPE, MEMORY MAKERS, TIME'S RELATIVE, MEOWS AND PURRS, MEMORIES AND MEOWS, A MIXED BAG OF CAT TAILS, and A MYSTERY BOX OF CAT TAILS.
My Cobble Cove cozy mystery series published by Solstice Publishing consist of 6 books: A STONE'S THROW, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, WRITTEN IN STONE, LOVE ON THE ROCKS, NO GRAVESTONE UNTURNED, and ROCK A BYE BYE BABY. My standalone short story collection featuring the Cobble Cove characters is SNEAKY'S SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY AND OTHER COBBLE COVE STORIES. My Buttercup Bend series published by Next Chapter Publishing includes THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY, THE CASE OF THE PARROT LOVING PROFESSOR, THE CASE OF THE LLAMA RAISING LIBRARIAN, THE CASE OF THE WHALE WATCHING WEDDING PLANNER, THE CASE OF THE REPTILE RESCUING RESCEPTIONIST, and the forthcoming CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER.
I've also written a paranormal romance, CLOUDY RAINBOW, and short stories of various genres published as eBooks and in anthologies published by the Red Penguin Collection. My poetry appears in the Nassau County Voices in Verse and the Bard's Annual. My latest book is SUITCASE STORIES, a collection of mostly mystery short stories. My forthcoming standalone gothic mystery is LOOKING FOR LUCY.
I'm a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writers' Association. I live in South Carolina with my husband, daughter, and 3 cats.
View All Posts
5-stars *****
Ruff Drafts 