SUPERIOR SPOOKS
In June 2022, Spokane author Lora Senf's middle-grade horror novel, The Clackity, hit shelves across the country. Since then, Senf has been met with letters and drawings from young children and adults alike letting her know how much they adored the story of a young girl named Evie who lives in the spooky town of Blight Harbor. On Feb. 23, the Horror Writers Association released their Bram Stoker Award nominees for 2022 and it seems they agree, as The Clackity is a BRAM STOKER AWARD Nominee for Superior Achievement in a Middle-Grade Novel! Don't let the book's target demographic deter you from picking it up before winners are announced in late June — this spine-chilling, but also heartwarming, story is for readers of all ages. (MADISON PEARSON)
GET THERE FIRST
The thrill of the treasure hunt has enticed people for generations, and a local radio show in Tennessee has been helping guide adventurous collectors for nearly 70 years. As depicted in Netflix's SWAP SHOP, the WRGS radio show by the same name allows people to call in every morning (except Sundays) to share what they want to buy, sell or trade. The vintage shop owners, mechanics and side hustlers in the area know that stumbling across the right item could make them some serious cash, if they can negotiate the price just right. They might pick through a barn filled with old knickknacks, find a classic car to restore, snag a rare pair of sneakers or even buy a young calf. It's easy to get sucked into the excitement as people try to be the first to get somewhere after a tempting listing goes out across the airwaves, with some driving hours in hopes they won't walk away empty handed. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on March 3.
KALI UCHIS, RED MOON IN VENUS. After breaking out with her 2020 Spanish-language album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), bilingual Colombian-American neo-soul singer Kali Uchis switches back to English for her latest LP.
FAKE NAMES, EXPENDABLES. They might not be spring chickens, but the lively music from this punk supergroup (featuring members of Bad Religion, Fugazi and Refused) hardly sounds washed.
BURT BACHARACH & ELVIS COSTELLO, THE SONGS OF BACHARACH & COSTELLO. The famed singer-songwriters' half-century of collaborations fills this new box set, which sadly arrives a month after Bacharach's death. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
