Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here's a quick read for anyone looking for a small town romance.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Jerry, you might want to post this on our Author's Page, as it's more appropriate there. Good luck with your book!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Historical Fiction


-----------The Volcano Daughters
by Gina María Balibrera

In an El Salvador led by a cruel dictator, sisters Graciela and Consuelo are born into an Indigenous community, but are taken away at different times for different reasons. After a 1932 massacre, the sisters, each believing the other is dead, flee, stopping in France, New York, and California, all while followed by ghosts of their friends, who narrate this sweeping, vibrant debut novel. For fans of: The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James.



----------House of Shades
by Lianne Dillsworth

In 1833 London, Hester Reeves, a 23-year-old Black doctor/herbalist, takes a high-paying job caring for dying Gervaise Cherville at his mansion. When he asks Hester to find two women whom he enslaved in Honduras and later employed in England, things get complicated and she wonders if he's being truthful about wanting to make amends. Read-alike: The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé.



------------Teddy
by Emily Dunlay

Texas debutante Teddy Huntley Carlyle has finally, at 34, married, albeit to a man she barely knows. Though she aims to be a good wife, her American diplomat husband's secretive travels leave her lonely in glamorous 1969 Rome, and she finds herself questioned by investigators after being caught up in a scandal. For fans of: Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner; The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable.


----------A Pair of Wings
by Carole Hopson

Bessie Coleman, the daughter of a former enslaved woman, navigates discrimination to become the first Black person to obtain an international pilot's license, leading to her becoming a famous barnstormer in this inspiring, well-researched debut novel written by a pilot and vividly depicting the world of early flight. Read-alikes: Paula McLain's Circling the Sun; Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle.



----------Beyond Summerland
by Jenny Lecoat

After World War II ends and the English island of Jersey is liberated from its German occupiers, 19-year-old Jean Parris learns that her father, arrested 15 months earlier for owning a radio, may have been turned in by a neighbor. She sets out to uncover the truth while keeping a dangerous secret of her own. Read-alikes: Kate Thompson's The Wartime Book Club; Jacqueline Winspear's The White Lady; Ruth Druart's The Last Hours in Paris.



----------The Seventh Veil of Salome
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

In 1955 Hollywood, Mexican newcomer Vera Larios is cast as Salome, the title role in a big-budget movie -- but vengeful actress Nancy Hartley believes Vera stole the role in this atmospheric novel that also explores the first-century life of the titular character. Read-alikes: Miss Del Río by Barbara Mujica; The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict; The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont.



-----------Lion's Den
by Iris Mwanza

In this evocative debut set in the '90s, young Zambian lawyer Grace Zulu works her first pro bono case: a gay teen dancer has been arrested and beaten. With help from her corporate boss dying of AIDS and others who care, Grace fights prejudice and corruption, even as the teen goes missing. For a contemporary look at LGBTQIA+ life in an African country, try Kwei Quartey's gritty Ghana-set mystery The Whitewashed Tombs.



----------Scandalous Women
by Gill Paul

Taking place in New York and England between 1965 and 1975, this gossipy, fun novel is narrated by a trio of women trying to make it in a man's world: recent college grad and editorial assistant Nancy White and the groundbreaking real-life authors she works with, Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins (who, in this fictional tale, become best friends). Read-alike: Park Avenue Summer by Renée Rosen.



-----------The Nightingale's Castle
by Sonia Velton

In 1610 Hungary, 15-year-old servant Boróka navigates castle life with cruel taskmasters. Becoming a favorite of Countess Erzsébet Báthory, Boróka is on hand when the powerful widow is put on trial, accused of serial torture and murder. This richly detailed, feminist take on the real-life Blood Countess story includes a supernatural touch and an informative author's note. For fans of: Bram Stoker's Dracula; Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait.



----------Tiananmen Square
by Lai Wen

Narrator Lai Wen, who shares her name with the pseudonymous author, grows up in an unhappy middle-class family in the 1970s and '80s in a changing Beijing. Exposed to her rebellious grandmother and Western literature, Wen becomes an activist in this moving coming-of-age novel that culminates at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Read-alikes: Beijing Coma by Ma Jian; Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen.

Thrillers and Suspense

------------ Burn It All
by Maggie Auffarth

In this debut psychological thriller set in small-town Georgia, Marley Henderson's life unravels after a drunken mistake, leading to lost friendships, cruel rumors, and a series of arsons that culminate in her friend Thea's death. Teaming up with her ex-fiancé, Marley uncovers disturbing truths about Thea and the fires, challenging everything she believes.



----------Our Kind of Game
by Johanna Copeland

In 2019, Stella Parker's perfect life is upended when her neighbor reveals a dark secret from Stella's youth. In 1987, teenage Julie Waits tries to endure a chaotic home life. This twisty debut thriller explores the terrifying connection between the two, demonstrating how far a traumatic past can reach into the future.



------------Love Letters to a Serial Killer
by Tasha Coryell

When true crime-obsessed thirtysomething Hannah writes to accused serial killer William, she unexpectedly falls for him, despite not knowing -- and maybe not caring -- if he's innocent. Twisty, scathing, and darkly humorous, this thriller boasts a narrator as fascinating she is unreliable.



-----------What Fire Brings
by Rachel Howzell Hall

Searching for a missing community leader, Bailey Meadows goes undercover and moves into thriller author Jack Beckham's remote canyon home. As Bailey uncovers the dangers of the wildfire-prone area and learns of other missing women, she must unravel the truth behind decades-old events before she becomes the next victim.



----------The Haters
by Robyn Harding

Camryn Lane's dream of success as a newly published author is shattered by an anonymous message and a flood of scathing reviews. As online harassment escalates into real-life danger, Camryn must uncover the identity of her tormentor and discover why she's being targeted.



-----------That Night in the Library
by Eva Jurczyk

On the night before graduation, seven students perform a Greek ritual in their university’s rare books library. When the lights go out and one of them dies, they must survive the night, trapped with a murderer. Secrets, fears, and ancient wisdom intertwine in this chilling literary mystery.



-----------The Night of Baba Yaga
by Akira Otani

In 1979 Tokyo, outcast Yoriko Shindo is kidnapped by the yakuza and forced to become the bodyguard and driver for Shoko Naiki, the sheltered daughter of the gang's boss. Initially disinterested, Shindo becomes deeply invested in Shoko's safety as they navigate a world of violence, questioning if a different life is possible for them.



------------- Anna Bright is Hiding Something
by Susie Orman Schnall

Anna Bright, the founder of a multibillion-dollar company, is secretly committing fraud. As journalist Jamie Roman uncovers the truth, she embarks on a mission to expose Anna's crimes. With BrightLife's initial public offering imminent, Anna will go to any lengths to stop Jamie from revealing her misconduct. This smart thriller echoes real-world events and features complex, ambitious women.



----------You're Safe Here
by Leslie Stephens

In 2060, the WellPod offers a wellness retreat for pregnant Maggie, hiding her infidelity. Her fiancé, Noa, discovers dangerous flaws in the WellPod’s technology. As a storm approaches, Noa must protect Maggie from the malfunctioning pods and the company’s cover-ups in this thrilling, dystopian tale of technology and motherhood.



-----------The Bitter Truth
by Shanora Williams

Jolene Baker supports her husband Dominic’s gubernatorial run, but when a mysterious woman stalks them and events turn dangerous, Jo uncovers shocking truths about Dominic's past. As her world unravels, Jo must decide whether to confront the secrets or risk being destroyed by them in this rich-people-behaving-badly thriller.

-----------The Wrong Hands
by Mark Billingham

A petty thief steals a briefcase in Blackpool, England and finds two human hands inside. DS Declan Miller soon gets involved...and he thinks the case is linked to the recent murder of his wife. Fine for newcomers, this fast-paced sequel to The Last Dance is a darkly humorous caper featuring entertaining characters (like a hitman who loves Midsomer Murders). For fans of: Christopher Fowler's mysteries; Peter Lovesey's Peter Diamond novels.



------------It's Elementary
by Elise Bryant

Single mom Mavis Miller teams up with a handsome elementary school psychologist to investigate after the overzealous PTA president behaves suspiciously just as the new principal goes missing. With vibrant characters, humorous narration, and a smart look at timely topics, this fun series starter will please fans of The Expectant Detectives series by Kat Ailes and Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon.



--------------Cabaret Macabre
by Tom Mead

In 1929, Sir Giles Drury was attacked by Victor Silvius, who believed Drury to be a killer. Now, just before Christmas in 1938, both receive death threats that the other is blamed for, leading to a retired magician teaming up with a Scotland Yard inspector at a large English estate. With multiple murders and impossible crimes, fair-play fans will relish this atmospheric 3rd Joseph Spector mystery. For fans of: John Dickson Carr.



---------------Trouble in Queenstown
by Delia Pitts

In this 1st in a series, former Philadelphia cop Vandy Myrick is back home in Queenstown, New Jersey after a tragic loss. Working as a PI, she's hired by the powerful mayor's nephew, who claims his wife is unfaithful. The case leads to two suspicious deaths at the nephew's home, which the cops dismiss, but Vandy doesn't. For fans of: Tracy Clark's Chicago mysteries; Rachel Howzell Hall's Detective Elouise Norton novels.



-------------Agony Hill
by Sarah Stewart Taylor

In 1965, former Boston cop Franklin Warren navigates a new job with the Vermont State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and adjusts to small-town life. Things start hot when a suspicious fire and death on a remote farm has him thinking an unpopular farmer was murdered. This richly detailed, character-driven mystery paints a fascinating picture of rural New England life. Read-alike: Kate Tietjen's Death in the Details.



--------------A Ruse of Shadows
by Sherry Thomas

In Victorian England, detective Charlotte Holmes must clear her name after she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Lord Bancroft Ashburton. Using a series of flashbacks and intricate plotting, this complex 8th in the Lady Sherlock series is best for fans; newcomers can pick up the 1st entry, A Study in Scarlet Women. Read-alikes: historical mysteries by Tasha Alexander, Anna Lee Huber, and Deanna Raybourn.


Murder Is Academic



--------------The Pawful Truth
by Miranda James

Widowed grandfather and kindly college librarian Charlie Harris enrolls in a history course, and soon a classmate is murdered. With the help of his friends and his cat Diesel, Charlie hunts for the killer. This 11th Cat in the Stacks book features a charming Southern college town and characters who are just as important as the plot. Read-alike: The Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates.



--------------A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
by Kate Khavari

In 1923 at University College London, botanist Saffron Everleigh faces sexism, but is supported by her boss, Dr. Maxwell. So when a fatal poisoning occurs at a school dinner party and Maxwell is blamed, Saffron works to clear his name, assisted by a handsome World War I vet in this 1st in a series. Read-alikes: Elsa Hart's The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne; Sujata Massey's Perveen Mistry novels.



-------------The Resemblance
by Lauren Nossett

In Athens, Georgia, police detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene when a University of Georgia fraternity member is fatally struck by a car, reportedly driven by a cheerful man who looked just like the victim. Marlitt, who has her own reasons for disliking frats, digs into the twisty case but gets pushback, even from other cops. For fans of: slow-burn debuts; atmospheric police procedurals.



-------------The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles
by Malka Older

At a human colony on Jupiter, enigmatic investigator Mossa once again teams up with her ex, scholar Pleiti, to investigate a case at their alma mater. This time, 17 students and staff members have mysteriously disappeared from Valdegeld University. Fans of science fiction mysteries and novels with well-wrought academic settings will like this feel-good 2nd in a series. Read-alike: Mur Lafferty's Midsolar Murders novels.

History and Current Events


----------Pixel Flesh: How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women
by Ellen Atlanta

Beauty industry insider Ellen Atlanta's impassioned debut examines the impact of toxic beauty culture practices, offering a "thoughtful consideration of physical female beauty and how it's dictated and judged" (Booklist). Further reading: Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls -- and How We Can Take It Back by Kara Alaimo.



----------The Missing Thread: A Women's History of the Ancient World
by Daisy Dunn

Classicist Daisy Dunn's (The Shadow of Vesuvius) accessible, three-millennia spanning history highlights the roles and experiences of women in ancient civilizations. Try this next: Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It by Janina Ramirez.



-------------Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of...
by Andrea Freeman

In her sweeping latest, law professor Andrea Freeman (Skimmed) incisively explores the history of food politics in America, revealing how access to food -- or lack thereof -- spurs health disparities for marginalized populations. Try this next: Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal by Mark Bittman.



------------A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession...
by Kim Mager with Lisa Pulitzer

Ashland, Ohio detective Kim Mager's disturbing account of her encounters with serial killer Shawn Grate, whom she interrogated following his 2016 arrest, "hums with the intensity of a real-life Silence of the Lambs" (Publishers Weekly). Try this next: When a Killer Calls: A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling and Justice in a Small Town by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker.



----------Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded...
by Kathleen Sheppard

Kathleen Sheppard's richly detailed history spotlights the trailblazing accomplishments of women Egyptologists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Further reading: Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson.


Focus on: Hispanic Heritage Month

-----------You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation
by Julissa Arce

Journalist Julissa Arce candidly chronicles her experiences as an undocumented Mexican immigrant and how she learned to reject assimilation into white American culture in this study that "challenges the idea of American exceptionalism with equal parts passion, fury, intimacy, and ignored history" (Kirkus Reviews). Try this next: The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color by Daniela Pierre-Bravo.



-------------The Undocumented Americans
by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Journalist and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient Karla Cornejo Villavicencio's National Book Award finalist offers impassioned reportage on undocumented people living in the United States, featuring compelling and empathetic profiles of immigrants trying to get by in a country that often dehumanizes them. Further reading: Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration by Alejandra Oliva.



-----------Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women
by Sandra Guzman, editor

This thought-provoking collection of works from 140 Latine writers, scholars, and activists from around the world includes contributions from U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Further reading: Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology edited by Alex Hernandez, Matthew David Goodwin, and Sarah Rafael García.



--------------Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity
by Paola Ramos

Vice journalist Paola Ramos travels throughout the United States to amplify "the voices that are often neglected in the back of the room" in these profiles and photographs of diverse Hispanic and Latine people who have embraced the inclusivity of the term "Latinx." Further reading: Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism by Laura E. Gómez.



------------Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino"
by Héctor Tobar

Winner of the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, this impassioned essay collection by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Héctor Tobar explores the history and evolution of Latine identity in the United States.

Thank you for sharing the above lists of books, Alias. I will not lie to you. I only looked at the titles, lest i find too many that sounded good. Awful, i know.

Usually i find one or two that i've read but in the above 4, i did not. But, naturally, i found one i MUST read. Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age--Kathleen Sheppard. This topic fascinates me endlessly.

Forgive my short scan of the compilations. You know i enjoy reading them but i'm tired from the September Book Salon!

No problem, deb. I always appreciate the feedback. Honestly, it seems like we are the only ones who read the thread. I continue as I do find books/authors that appeal to me.

I hadn't notice but i see you are correct. I've found some good titles from these lists, but if you ever feel it's not worth the time, please feel free to stop. It's not like my TBR is in the single digits. LOL!

Greetings all, new joiner here and I hope I'm doing this correctly... I'm looking for some recommendations for some general feel good fiction, bonus points for audiobook format. I've had a rather awful, horrible, and no good morning thus far and would love to be able to plug in and work away to a light and and easy feel good escape from reality. My hopes lie with you, strangers from the internet! <3

Welcome, Sarah. I sure hope your morning improves.

I'm going to copy your post to the Book Salon Folder where more people will see it.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Double thanks to you! I've been on GR for quite a while (technically) but am still a bit of a newb, I'm afraid... I appreciate your help and sharing!

Sarah wrote: "Greetings all, new joiner here and I hope I'm doing this correctly... I'm looking for some recommendations for some general feel good fiction, bonus points for audiobook format. I've had a rather a..."

I've just finished Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. I loved it and it was a definite feel-good book. I also like the Ladies number 1 detective agency books when I need to cheer up. They are by Alexander Mccall Smith (Author)

Sarah wrote: "Greetings all, new joiner here and I hope I'm doing this correctly... I'm looking for some recommendations for some general feel good fiction, bonus points for audiobook format. I've had a rather a..."

I like the "Auntie Poldi" and "Ladies number 1 detective agency" books when I need cheering up

Auntie Poldi:
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna
Auntie Poldi and the Handsome Antonio
Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna

There's 25 Ladies Number 1 Detective Agency books and I'm not sure which one's are still in print, but these are the 5 most recent books
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel
From a Far and Lovely Country
A Song of Comfortable Chairs
The Joy and Light Bus Company
How to Raise an Elephant

KeenReader wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Greetings all, new joiner here and I hope I'm doing this correctly... I'm looking for some recommendations for some general feel good fiction, bonus points for audiobook format. I've ..."

Sarah, i added a couple of ideas on the other thread, where Alias moved your request, hoping to engender more replies. So, instead i'll comment on KeenReader's suggestion. I'd not heard of the Auntie Poldi series about a German woman in her 60s, who decides to retire in Sicily. Sounds fun!

Alias Reader wrote: "



------------Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World
by Caroline Alexander

Journalist and New York Times bestselling author Caroline Alexander (The Bounty) ..."

This is quite an eclectic list. Thanks for sharing it. There are some interesting titles on it.

Rachel wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "



------------Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World
by Caroline Alexander

Journalist and New York Times bestselling author Caroline Al..."

I had to search to find where you found this title, Rachel. It was post #90. I wanted to mention that i read Caroline Alexander's The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition several years ago and thought her writing stood out. It was well illustrated with original photographs, from the expedition, which enhanced it all.

I hope the above is, as well.

While searching for the post, i found the answer to a question i had. Recently i read Ilium--Lea Carpenter and i wondered how it came to be on my TBR. I learned Rachel posted about it awhile back, March, i think, at which time i added it to my library's waiting list. LOL!

I finally got the book and, while i didn't love it, found it different enough to intrigue. Thanks, Rachel.

Recent Releases


------What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust
by Alan Bradley

Precocious 12-year-old chemist and amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce returns in her 11th outing, her first since 2019. Teaming up with her younger cousin, she works to clear the name of the family cook and learn who really killed a former public hangman, all while uncovering other secrets in her 1950s English village. Read-alikes: Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club books; Louise Penny's Armand Gamache novels.



------- A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death
by V.M. Burns

In her engaging 3rd outing, former influencer turned baker Maddy Montgomery becomes a murder suspect after her high school bully is found dead inside her shop. This culinary mystery serves up a relatable heroine, a sweet dog, a charming small town, and, of course, recipes. Read-alikes: Abby Collette's Ice Cream Parlour Mysteries; Vicki Delany's Tea by the Sea Mysteries.



-------- Guide Me Home
by Attica Locke

Facing a possible indictment, Black Texas Ranger Darren Mathews quits his job. Then his estranged mom tells him the only Black member of the sorority she cleans for has disappeared, leading Darren to investigate in this atmospheric finale to the Highway 59 trilogy (newcomers may want to pick up the 1st book, Bluebird, Bluebird). Read-alikes: James Lee Burke's Holland family novels; S.A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed.



------- Murder at the White Palace
by Allison Montclair

In 1946 London, free-spirited former spy Iris Sparks and widowed single mom Gwendolyn Bainbridge run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. They plan a New Year's party for their clients, but a corpse at the event space leads to world of trouble for the matchmakers and others in their lives. This well-plotted, banter-filled 6th Sparks and Bainbridge book will please fans. Read-alikes: Jessica Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina mysteries; Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell novels.



-------- The Divide
by Morgan Richter

Actress Jenny St. John moved to Los Angeles at 18 to chase her dreams. Now she's a middle-aged "intuitive counselor" who uses fake psychic powers and keen observational skills to get by. When the LAPD show up asking about the murder of a film director she once worked with, she's stunned that his missing wife looks just like her and investigates in this quirky, well-plotted tale. Read-alike: Loren D. Estleman's Valentino mysteries.


-------- City of Secrets
by P.J. Tracy

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan investigates when a businessman whose company was being sold for millions is found dead in a sketchy area. When his partner's wife is kidnapped days later, Nolan searches for a link between the two cases in this suspenseful 4th in a series that starts with Deep into the Dark. Read-alikes: Joanna Schaffhausen's Detective Annalisa Vega series; Michael Connelly's Renee Ballard novels.



--------- The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
by C.M. Waggoner

Though she's only lived in small Winesap, New York, for a bit, 60-something librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle has solved several killings. After yet another murder, she suspects supernatural goings-on and with help from friends (and a priest), she investigates. This series launch "melds lush imagery, humor, and a surprise twist" (Booklist). For fans of: the Josie Way novels by Angela M. Sanders; the Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook.



--------- The Queen City Detective Agency
by Snowden Wright

In 1980s Meridian, Mississippi, jaded biracial PI Clementine Baldwin works with white Vietnam veteran Dixon Hicks to investigate the death of a young white man, who supposedly jumped off the jail's roof while he was in custody. But they find themselves up against the secretive Dixie Mafia and a hired killer in this twisty, slow-burn crime novel. Read-alikes: the Hap and Leonard novels by Joe R. Lansdale; Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts.

Alias Reader wrote: " A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death
by V.M. Burns

In her engaging 3rd outing, former influencer turned baker Maddy Montgomery becomes a murder suspect after her high school bully is found dead inside her shop ..."

This sounds like a Hannah Swenson mystery, written by Joanne Fluke. I'd swear i saw it on tv. (I've only read one of her books, the first, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.)

I'll keep this one in mind, though, if for nothing else than the recipes. It's curious to see what offerings they serve.

Thanks for the list, Alias.

All of these sound good, but none have got to my library yet. I'll have to look for them again in 3-6 month's time.

KeenReader wrote: "All of these sound good, but none have got to my library yet. I'll have to look for them again in 3-6 month's time."

They are new releases. So it may be awhile before you library gets them.

*** Recent Releases


----- Glass Houses
by Madeline Ashby

After crash-landing on a tropical island, the surviving employees of an AI company and their CEO find a luxurious, tech-filled palace with hidden secrets. Kristen, the “chief emotional manager,” strives to keep everyone stable, but survival proves challenging as her problem-solving skills are tested against the island’s dark mysteries.



~~~~Eye of the Beholder
by Emma Bamford

Maddy Wight, hired to ghostwrite Dr. Angela Reynolds’ memoir, uncovers hidden secrets at Angela’s remote Scottish estate. As she digs deeper, Angela becomes elusive, and strange occurrences begin. Drawn to Angela’s partner, Scott, Maddy’s dreams are shattered when Scott seemingly dies, only to reappear months later, causing her to question her own sanity.



~~~~ One Big Happy Family
by Jamie Day

The Bishop sisters arrive at their family-owned hotel, The Precipice, to claim it after their father’s death. With a hurricane looming and dangerous secrets, murder is imminent. Meanwhile, 19-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley faces potential disaster as the sisters’ arrival threatens to expose her pilfering and a hidden fugitive.



~~~~~ The Stranger at the Wedding
by A.E. Gauntlett

Annie, once skeptical of love, meets Mark at a trauma counseling session after briefly crossing paths during their daily commutes. A whirlwind romance leads to marriage, but at the altar, Annie spots a stranger, uncovering unsettling truths which leads to questions about Mark’s past and their seemingly random meeting.



~~~~~ Desperation Reef
by T. Jefferson Parker

Jen Stonebreaker, returning to big-wave surfing competitions 25 years after her husband’s death in one, faces the Monsters of the Mavericks event with her twin sons. As the contest approaches, Jen’s fears for her family’s safety intensify as Casey, a surfer and activist, clashes with a crime syndicate, while Brock, a pastor, faces threats.



~~~~~ Do What Godmother Says
by L.S. Stratton

Shanice Pierce, newly single and jobless, discovers a haunting painting while cleaning her grandmother’s house. The painting, linked to Harlem Renaissance artist Estelle Johnson and a century-old murder, draws Shanice into a deadly mystery. As she investigates, an old paranoia resurfaces and danger escalates, revealing shocking truths in this atmospheric dual-timeline novel.



~~~~~ You Will Never Be Me
by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Influencer Meredith Lee, feeling betrayed by protege Aspen Palmer’s success, stalks her and gains access to Aspen’s personal information, using it to sabotage her public and private life. As Aspen’s world unravels, Meredith suddenly goes missing and Aspen receives mysterious threats but is determined to reclaim her perfect life in this "near-perfect beach read" (Publishers Weekly).



~~~~~ A Talent for Murder
by Peter Swanson

Newlywed librarian Martha Ratliff begins to suspect her travelling salesman husband Alan is keeping secrets. Suspicious of a bloodstain on his shirt, she investigates his travels and finds a pattern of unsolved murders. Unsure if Alan is a serial killer, she seeks help from a friend, Lily, who discovers something even more disturbing.

That's a big load of unsettling reading, i must say. The last one is particularly creepy, imo.

Thanks for the warning...er...notice about these thrillers, Alias. :-)

-----The Collected Regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process. Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story--and perhaps, her own happy ending.


--------Congratulations, by the Way : Some Thoughts on Kindness
Saunders, George
Three months after George Saunders gave a graduation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Because Saunders’s words tap into a desire in all of us to lead kinder, more fulfilling lives. Powerful, funny, and wise, Congratulations, by the way is an inspiring message from one of today’s most influential and original writers.


----Fandom Acts of Kindness : A Heroic Guide to Activism, Advocacy, and Doing Chaotic Good
Cook, Tanya
Fandom Acts of Kindness not only tells the stories of the good fans have done in the world but serves as a dungeon master's guide to how to be a hero yourself.


-----Forever Home : How We Turned Our House Into a Haven for Abandoned, Abused, and Misunderstood Dogs--and Each Other
Danta, Ron
From the stars of 'Life in the Doghouse' on Netflix and founders of one of the most recognizable rescue organizations in the world, Finding Our Forever Home is part memoir, part care-and-keeping-of-rescue-dogs, with a heartwarming, compassionate voice and a message of acceptance, kindness, and, of course, love.


------A History of Kindness : Poems
Hogan, Linda
Linda Hogan explores new and old ways of experiencing the vagaries of the body and existing in harmony with earth's living beings in A History of Kindness. Throughout this clear-eyed collection, Hogan tenderly excavates how history instructs the present, and envisions a future alive with hope for a healthy ans sustainable world that now wavers between loss and survival.


-----How to Keep House While Drowning : A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
Davis, KC
For anyone tired of staring at the same mess every day but struggling to find the time and willpower to fix it, popular therapist and Tiktok star KC Davis presents a revolutionary method of cleaning to end the stress-mess cycle.


-----The Keys to Kindness : How to Be Kinder to Yourself, Others and the World
Hammond, Claudia
A deep-dive into kindness, the science behind it and how we can better build it into our lives, from the author of The Art of Rest. Using the latest research from psychology and neuroscience, and working in collaboration with the University of Sussex's world-leading Kindness Institute, Claudia Hammond takes us on a eye-opening tour of kindness: what constitutes kindness (it's not just one thing), effective strategies to build more of it into our lives and the benefits of being kind.


-----Medicine Wheel for the Planet : A Journey Toward Personal and Ecological Healing
Grenz, Jennifer
Building on sacred stories and field observations, Dr. Jennifer Grenz shares her personal journey of joining her head (Western science) and her heart (Indigenous worldview) to find a truer path toward ecological healing. Eloquent, inspiring, and disruptive, Medicine Wheel for the Planet circles around an argument that we need more than a singular worldview to protect the planet and make the significant changes we are running out of time for.


-----he Path to Kindness : Poems of Connection and Joy
Crews, James (Editor)
James Crews' new collection, The Path to Kindness, offers 100 deeply felt and relatable poems from a diverse range of voices.


-----The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Arikawa, Hiro
With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe... With his crooked tail--a sign of good fortune--and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.


-----Why Can’t We Be More Like Trees? : The Ancient Masters of Cooperation, Kindness, and Healing
Polich, Judith Bluestone
Reveals how we can learn from the intelligent communities of trees and plants.

Stories of road trips, wanderings, and adventures of discovery!


-----Wanderlust Road Trips : 40 Beautiful Drives Around the World
Get inspired with 40 of the world's most incredible road trips, with bucket-list drives in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This stunning, hardcover book is packed with full-color photos, charming illustrations, and fascinating overviews of each route, making it the perfect gift for dreamers and adventurers alike. Cruise along the historic Blues Highway in the American South, drive the epic Ruta 40 to Patagonia, or stop for a hike as you road-trip along the Canadian Rockies. Drive to Namibia's jaw-dropping Victoria Falls, follow the Alsace Wine Route, or hug the Amalfi Coast and soak up views of the Mediterranean.


-----Conventionally Yours
Albert, Annabeth
Conrad Stewart and Alden Parks are enemies, and that's the way it's always been. But when they're stuck together on a cross-country road trip to the biggest fan convention of their lives, the competition takes a backseat as unexpected feelings blossom. Yet each boy has a reason why they have to win the upcoming con tournament and neither is willing to let emotion get in the way-even if it means giving up their one chance at something truly magical.


-----Nevada
Binnie, Imogen
Maria Griffiths is almost thirty and works at a used bookstore in New York City while trying to stay true to her punk values. She’s in love with her bike but not with her girlfriend, Steph. She takes random pills and drinks more than is good for her, but doesn’t inject anything except, when she remembers, estrogen, because she’s trans. Everything is mostly fine until Maria and Steph break up, sending Maria into a tailspin, and then onto a cross-country trek in the car she steals from Steph. She ends up in the backwater town of Star City, Nevada, where she meets James, who is probably but not certainly trans, and who reminds Maria of her younger self. As Maria finds herself in the awkward position of trans role model, she realizes that she could become James’s savior—or his downfall.

-----Sleepwalk
Chaon, Dan
Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust.


------A Thousand Miles to Graceland
Chase, Kristen M.
Accountant Grace Johnson can't escape the feeling that her life is on autopilot-until her husband announces he's done with their marriage. Grace has a choice: wallow in humiliation or grant her mother's seventieth birthday wish with a road trip Graceland. Buckle up, Elvis. We're on our way. Now outlandish mother and reluctant daughter are hightailing it from El Paso to Memphis, leaving a trail of sequins, false eyelashes, and painful memories in their wake. Between spontaneous roadside stops to psychics, wig mishaps, and familiar passive-aggressive zingers, Grace is starting to better understand her Elvis-obsessed mama and their own fragile connection. Apparently the King really does work in mysterious ways. But after all these years, will it ever be possible for them to heal the hurts of the past?


-----America’s Greatest Road Trip : Key West to Deadhorse
Cotter, Tom
Tom Cotter undertakes his most epic adventure in America's Greatest Road Trip. Launching from Key West, Florida, Cotter and photographer Michael Alan Ross pilot their Ford Bronco/Airstream camper combination nearly 9,000 miles to America's literal end of the road in Deadhorse, Alaska


-----VenCo
Dimaline, Cherie
Métis millennial Lucky St. James is barely hanging on when she learns she’ll be evicted from the tiny Toronto apartment she shares with her cantankerous but loving grandmother Stella. But then one night, something strange and irresistible calls out to Lucky. She burrows through a wall to find a tarnished silver spoon, humming with otherworldly energy, etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word SALEM.


----Our Share of Night
Enriquez, Mariana
In 1981, a young father and son set out on a road trip across Argentina, devastated by the mysterious death of the wife and mother they both loved. United in grief, the pair travels to her family home near Iguazú Falls, where they must confront the horrific legacy she has bequeathed. For the woman they are grieving came from a family like no other--a centuries-old secret society called the Order that pursues eternal life through ghastly rituals. For Gaspar, the son, this cult is his destiny. As Gaspar grows up he must learn to harness his developing supernatural powers, while struggling to understand what kind of man his mother wanted him to be. Meanwhile Gaspar's father tries to protect his son from his wife's violent family while still honoring the woman he loved so desperately.


------Lost Children Archive
Luiselli, Valeria
A mother and father set out with their kids from New York to Arizona. In their used Volvo--and with their ten-year-old son trying out his new Polaroid camera--the family is heading for the Apacheria: the region the Apaches once called home, and where the ghosts of Geronimo and Cochise might still linger. The father, a sound documentarist, hopes to gather an "inventory of echoes" from this historic, mythic place. The mother, a radio journalist, becomes consumed by the news she hears on the car radio, about the thousands of children trying to reach America but getting stranded at the southern border, held in detention centers, or being sent back to their homelands, to an unknown fate. But as the family drives farther west--through Virginia to Tennessee, across Oklahoma and Texas--we sense they are on the brink of a crisis of their own.


------Speech Team
Murphy, Timothy
Late one morning, parked in a desk chair at his humdrum job, Tip Murray finds himself reading the suicide note of his long-lost high school friend Pete Stroman. Mentioned in the note as a root cause of Pete's despair? A disparaging comment made to him about his developmental disability by none other than their high school speech team coach, Gary Gold. As more thorny memories surface from their eighties adolescence, Tip and his best friend, fellow speech team alum Nat Farb-Miola, decide to reconnect with their other teammates, and they discover an unsettling thread: all were quietly wounded by Mr. Gold's offhandedly insensitive remarks. The silver lining? Gary Gold is still alive, and a quick Google search tells the quartet that he has retired to Florida. There's only one thing left to do: confront him.


-----The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
Oakley, Colleen
Twenty-three-year-old Tanner Quimby needs a place to live. Preferably one where she can continue sitting around in sweatpants and playing video games nineteen hours a day. Since she has no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it. Tanner wants nothing to do with the uptight old woman until she starts to notice things-weird things. Like, why does Louise keep her garden shed locked up tighter than a prison? And why is the local news fixated on an international jewelry thief that looks eerily like Louise?


-----Totem
Pérez Granell, Laura
Two young women road trip through the Arizona desert in search of a spiritual awakening. Crowds gather to see the village wise woman commune with the dead. Strange bright lights flash across the night sky, provoking all manner of interpretations. A mosaic of experiences, Totem offers tantalizing glimpses of characters on their own journeys connected by some ethereal thread. The narrative slips through time and space, delicately drifting from reality to different states of consciousness. Like a vivid dream, this story is rendered through eerie settings and potent symbols, a spiritual puzzle inviting the reader to piece together.


-----America the Beautiful? : One Woman in a Borrowed Prius on the Road Most Travelled
Roberson, Blythe
Blythe Roberson quits her day job and sets off to visit America's national parks, all the while pondering the question: Is quitting society for the road about enlightenment and liberty, or is it just selfish escapism?


-----Stranger in the Desert : A Family Story
Salama, Jordan
One Thanksgiving afternoon at his grandparents' house, Jordan Salama discovers a large binder stuffed with yellowing papers and old photographs--a five-hundred-year wandering history of his Arab-Jewish family, from Moorish Spain to Ottoman Syria to Argentina and beyond. One story in particular captures his that of his great-grandfather, a Syrian-born, Arabic-speaking Jewish immigrant to Argentina who in the 1920s worked as a traveling salesman in the Andes--and may have left behind forgotten descendants along the way. Encouraged by his grandfather, Jordan goes in search of these "Lost Salamas," traveling more than a thousand miles up the spine of South America's greatest mountain range.


----Assassination Vacation
Vowell, Sarah
Sarah Vowell travels across the United States, bringing into sharp focus the figures involved in the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, as well as the social and political circumstances that led to each. She exposes some glorious conundrums of American history in a witty, sometimes irreverent manner.


----The White Mosque : A Memoir
Samatar, Sofia
In the late nineteenth century, a group of German-speaking Mennonites traveled from Russia into Central Asia, where their charismatic leader predicted Christ would return. Over a century later, Sofia Samatar joins a tour following their path, fascinated not by the hardships of their journey, but by its aftermath: the establishment of a small Christian village in the Muslim Khanate of Khiva.

Alias Reader wrote: "


-----The Collected Regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her ..."

Thanks for the list, Alias. This first one calls to me, as i've developed a bit of an interest in death doulas.
The Collected Regrets of Clover--Mikki Brammer

I'm a fan of Linda Hogan's novels but have read little of her poetry. A History of Kindness gives me a good opportunity & it sounds appealing, as well.

And i intend to take a gander at How to Keep House While Drowning--K.C. Davis. I'm a sucker for household upkeep books. And at 151 pages, it's worth the "risk" of getting hold of chores.

Again, i appreciate the list, Alias.

Alias Reader wrote: "

Stories of road trips, wanderings, and adventures of discovery!
..."

What an odd lot of stories & approaches you shared here, Alias. While many sound different & worth trying, i've added Lost Children Archive--Valeria Luiselli and Speech Team: A Novel--Tim Murphy, the latter because i was on my school's debate team & loved it but can see the possibilities of this story.

I may add https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... [This is the English version, link.] Maybe not, as it is a graphic novel. However, the topic calls to me. The author is https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... [Again, this link is to her page in English.)

I love the diversity of the topics under this Wanderlust heading. Thanks, Alias.

I'm glad you enjoyed the list and I appreciate your comments, deb.

When I made the list I immediately thought of you when it came to wanderlust. :)

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "


-----The Collected Regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York ..."

Highly recommend The Collected Regrets of Clover ! I read it earlier this year and it's lovely.

So glad to hear this, Lindsey. Thanks, up the TBR mountain it goes!

Glad to hear this, Lindsey. You've just moved it up my TBR mountain.