If you love dogs as I do, you will want to read Good Boy, My Life In Seven Dogs by Jennifer Finney Boyan. This is such a lovely warm book and just reinforces how I feel about our canine friends!
Take a look:
This is a book about dogs: the love we have for them, and the way that love helps us understand the people we have been.
It’s in the love of dogs, and my love for them, that I can best now take the measure of the child I once was, and the bottomless, unfathomable desires that once haunted me.
There are times when it is hard for me to fully remember that love, which was once so fragile, and so fierce. Sometimes it seems to fade before me, like breath on a mirror.
But I remember the dogs.
In her New York Times opinion column, Jennifer Finney Boylan wrote about her relationship with her beloved dog Indigo, and her wise, funny, heartbreaking piece went viral. In Good Boy, Boylan explores what should be the simplest topic in the world, but never is: finding and giving love.
Good Boy is a universal account of a remarkable story: showing how a young boy became a middle-aged woman—accompanied at seven crucial moments of growth and transformation by seven memorable dogs. “Everything I know about love,” she writes, “I learned from dogs.” Their love enables us to pull off what seems like impossible feats: to find our way home when we are lost, to live our lives with humor and courage, and above all, to best become our true selves.
This book tells the story of Jenny’s transformative life choices and the dogs who were there by her side along the way. Such a great story! I loved it.
Good Boy will be out on April 21! Order here.
Girl At The Edge by Karen Dietrich is a tough, dark story so beware. The main character and unreliable narrator, Evelyn, is the daughter of a murderer, how’s that for an intriguing hook? She wants answers about what her father has done. I don’t blame her!
Check it out:
Not a single resident of St. Augustine, Florida, can forget the day that Michael Joshua Hayes walked into a shopping mall and walked out the mass murderer of eleven people.
He’s now spent over a decade on death row, and his daughter Evelyn – who doesn’t remember a time when her father wasn’t an infamous killer – is determined to unravel the mystery and understand what drove her father to shoot those innocent victims.
Evelyn’s search brings her to a support group for children of incarcerated parents, where a fierce friendship develops with another young woman named Clarisse. Soon the girls are inseparable, and by the beginning of the summer, Evelyn is poised at the edge of her future and must make a life-defining choice. Whether to believe that a parent’s legacy of violence is escapable or that history will simply keep repeating itself. Whether we choose it to or not.
This novel will make you think hard and you will get swept up in Evelyn’s thoughts and questions. You will find yourself asking the questions about nature/nurture and will Evelyn end up walking the same path as her evil father? Yikes!
This is out now! You can buy it here.
Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster embraces some of my favorite elements in historical fiction like Irish families in Brooklyn, coming of age, secrets, and flawed and relatable characters.
In 1962, coed Heddy Winsome leaves her hardscrabble Irish Brooklyn neighborhood behind and ferries to glamorous Martha’s Vineyard to nanny for one of the wealthiest families on the island. But as she grows enamored with the alluring and seemingly perfect young couple and chases after their two mischievous children, Heddy discovers that her academic scholarship at Wellesley has been revoked, putting her entire future at risk.
Determined to find her place in the couple’s wealthy social circles, Heddy nurtures a romance with the hip surfer down the beach while wondering if the better man for her might be a quiet, studious college boy instead. But no one she meets on the summer island—socialite, starlet, or housekeeper—is as picture-perfect as they seem, and she quickly learns that the right last name and a house in a tony zip-code may guarantee privilege, but that rarely equals happiness.
This is a good book that’s entertaining and enjoyable. Its also a quick read and I absolutely loved the setting and reading about Martha’s Vineyard. I want to go now!
Summer Darlings will be available on May 5th. You can pre-order here!
People Like Us by Louise Fein (also titled Daughter of the Reich in the USA) is a captivating historical fiction book that fans of The Nightingale will absolutely love. This is such a beautifully written, interesting book. You will get emotional and completely caught up in the story of young Hetty.
Hetty Heinrich is a perfect German child. Her father is an SS officer, her brother in the Luftwaffe, herself a member of the BDM. She believes resolutely in her country, and the man who runs it.
Until Walter changes everything. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect in every way Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew.
Anti-semitism is growing by the day, and neighbours, friends and family members are turning on one another. As Hetty falls deeper in love with a man who is against all she has been taught, she begins to fight against her country, her family and herself. Hetty will have to risk everything to save Walter, even if it means sacrificing herself…
I read this about the author: The novel was inspired by the experience of her father’s family, who escaped from the Nazis and arrived in England as refugees in the 1930’s. When books are inspired by real events, it makes the story so interesting, especially on this topic!
Fans of historical fiction won’t want to miss this. Coming out on May 14!
Phaedra Patrick writes the most incredible, beautiful, heartwarming stories and I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve read by her. The latest is The Secrets of Love Story Bridge and if you are looking for a light read, grab this one. Or any of Phaedra’s books!
Have you seen a bridge with the locks on them? I have seen them in a few places and am always intrigued by those who leave them behind. What’s the story? Why? Who? I like how the author takes the idea and runs with it creating the character of Mitchell, a single father, who tries to find the identity of a missing woman.
It’s summer in the city and passions are soaring along with the temperature—for everyone but Mitchell Fisher, who hates all things romance. He relishes his job cutting off the padlocks that couples fasten to the famous “love story” bridge. Only his young daughter, Poppy, knows that behind his prickly veneer, Mitchell still grieves the loss of her mother.
Then one hot day, everything changes when Mitchell courageously rescues a woman who falls from the bridge into the river. He’s surprised to feel an unexpected connection to her, but she disappears before he can ask her name. Desperate to find out her identity, Mitchell is shocked to learn she’s been missing for almost a year. He teams up with her spirited sister, Liza, on a quest to find her again. However, she’s left only one clue behind—a message on the padlock she hung on the bridge.
This is a sweet book and I know you will love it as I did.
The Civil War-era is not one that I often read about. Typically historical fiction that I gravitate towards is World War II so when I saw the setting and plot for Conjure Women by Afia Atakora, I was immediately interested. In the past, I have read and loved The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier, Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim, and Cane River by Lalita Tademy all of which I highly recommend, all about slaves.
Here’s the synopsis:
Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a midwife; and their master’s daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.
Magnificently written, brilliantly researched, richly imagined, Conjure Women moves back and forth in time to tell the haunting story of Rue, Varina, and May Belle, their passions and friendships, and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love.
I can’t believe this incredible story was a debut novel! It’s such a fantastic read, so perfectly structured and written that I would guess it came from an author who has written many books. The themes of plantation life, the Civil War, healing, slavery, plus mothers and daughters are all present in this book. I think you will absolutely love it.
Published on April 7! Order here.
A fun, light read in between heavier novels, that’s how I think of The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms. I have had a few friends ask me for book recommendations and I am pointing them to this one when they mention wanting an entertaining but not too dark book.
This story is so timely. Go anywhere (although not now during this quarantine) and you will see people with their eyes glued to their phones. Everything is about posting and social media and tagging and hashtags and filters and its enough to make your head explode. People love to paint these perfect pictures of their amazing lives for all to see when the truth about their lives is not always so ideal.
I like how Kelly Harms took a very relevant topic of today’s society and created this story!
Take a look:
As one of the most popular influencers on social media, Mia Bell has lived her life online for years. With her celebrity dog and gorgeous fiancé, she is planning the ultimate virtual wedding—expensive, elaborate, and entirely paid for by sponsors. But off-camera, her world is far from picture perfect. After being jilted by her fiancé and faking her nuptials to please her sponsors, Mia finally has had enough. She heaves her phone off a cliff, ready to live—and maybe find love—offline for a change.
Mia’s sudden absence doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by techie loner Paige Miller, who hacks Mia’s account and begins impersonating the internet celebrity. Paige has her reasons. Her half sister, Jessica, idolizes Mia and desperately needs something to believe in. If taking over Mia’s online persona is Paige’s only means of connecting to her sister, so be it.
Creating a like-worthy life is more fun than Paige expected. But when she grows too bold and is caught in the act, a fiasco ensues that could forever change Mia, Paige, and the people who love them. Because somewhere amid the chaos is an invaluable lesson—one that only real life can teach.
While the book isn’t heavy in the sense that its not a scary horror or twisty suspense book, it definitely tackles topics that aren’t sweet and fun. Depression, anxiety, grief are all addressed in this novel. I think Kelly Harms did a fantastic job with this!
Coming out in May, order now by going here.
The Closer You Get by Mary Torjussen was a five star read for me!
From the very beginning, I was hooked! Here’s what I loved: the constant tension, the fear for the characters as they delve into relationships with each other, the threat for Ruby from her husband. Mary did a fantastic job of keeping the reader engaged and intrigued.
Synopsis:
Coworkers Ruby and Harry are in love–but they’re married to other people. They decide to tell their spouses that their marriages are over and to start their new lives together. Ruby, who has wanted to leave her controlling husband for a while, tells him she’s leaving him and waits at the hotel where she and Harry are to meet. But Harry never shows up.
Suddenly, Ruby’s life has fallen apart, and she’s lost everything. Harry won’t answer her calls, and she’s fired from her job. She finds a cheap apartment in a run-down part of town, all the while wondering what happened to Harry.
Just as Ruby thinks she’s hit rock bottom, strange and menacing things start to happen–someone is sneaking into her apartment, and someone is following her home late at night–and she is going to have to fight for her survival.
I wondered who I could trust in this book, who was going to totally go off the edge? I really enjoy books like that that keep you quickly turning the pages and staying up late at night to see what’s going to happen next! I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Coming out on April 21, don’t miss this fantastic suspense!
It was this gorgeous green cover that first caught my eye! The Paris Hours by Alex George takes place in one day. ONE DAY? A whole book? Yes. If 20th Century Paris is a place you want to be rooted in for a while, you need to read this beautifully written novel about a single day in 1927.
Synopsis:
Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.
Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.
I am so intrigued by Paris and hope to get there someday. In the meantime, its books like this help us to escape into characters, their thoughts, and feelings, their memories. Each of the four main characters has a story to tell and I enjoyed each one and how they connected.
I really enjoy Sue Watson’s books. I was so excited to read The Sister In Law and it didn’t disappoint. I got into the story right away and was hooked from the first page until the last! I really hated Ella from the beginning…
THE WIFE: Clare is ready for a break. It’s been a tough year and now she wants to put her feet up. Arriving at the Italian villa for their summer holiday, she decides it’s high time her husband and his family did some of the work. After all, her husband owes her…
THE HUSBAND: Even though Dan had his head turned by someone else, he’s realized the error of his ways. He’s here now, and he says it’s for keeps. Clare can trust him, can’t she? At least he’ll have his brother there, to keep him in line…
THE BROTHER: Jamie is the prodigal child, back in the family fold again, after years of traveling abroad. But when he gets to the villa, he’s not alone. He’s brought a wife, someone none of them have met before.
THE SISTER-IN-LAW: Ella is everything Clare isn’t. Glamorous. Young. Influential. But she knows a secret about Clare. Something that has the power to break the whole family apart.
And there’s someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure that this deep secret never comes to the surface.
As with all of Sue’s books, there are some twists and unexpected turns throughout the book and I commend her ability to surprise the reader. I really liked this book and Sue Watson is an author whose books I will be anxiously awaiting in the future!
Coming out on April 30, pre-order here! Only $3.99
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