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the past feel light years away, because Rocky's menopausal rage threatens to undo any joy she might gain To save their treasured family time together, Rocky may have to share secrets she never intended to reveal friendship between two young outcasts in small-town Monta Clare, Missouri: Patch, a pirate-playing young man disparate-seeming story that soon emerges, beginning with the premise of a serial killer whose actions haunt our main In Memoriam is beautiful, frequently painful, and offers a layered, complicated version of happy ever

The main protagonist and conflicted priest were irresistible characters. an impossible, magical turn of events, a moment of simple winter joy leads to renewed hope that they may Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would

The banter is fantastic, and I laughed many times while reading this one. nontraditional, loving, zany family flips traditional views of unplanned, young pregnancy through the view of a main One of these customers is a kind older man she's become dear friends with. happening to Cassie and Izzy when Cassie takes possession of the book, and soon a rumpled Scottish man reported as having died, but strange and unnerving clues indicate to Laura that something more mysterious may

one of my favorite authors, Peter Heller, which picks up after the events of his book The River as main The subtitle of Browder's nonfiction book Red Notice is A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's But Jack is starting to realize that something dark and dangerous may be at work here, and that things

the past often seems a difficult undertaking, and as she looks back, Kendra James explains that her main favorite movies, and, primarily, to secure a spot in a college of her choice, then to (as is the goal for many She wishes she could have learned more from them before entering Taft about the many ways she might have have the language and perspective she now has to talk about such things--in order to sift through the many James expresses anger and frustration at Taft's ineffective response--and at the many missed opportunities

marriage, sex, politics, public and private behavior—and of course "society," which almost serves as a main A lady’s maid in love with the lady, racy scenes, angst, wonderful details of a life in service to a In this upstairs/downstairs novel, set in nineteenth century New York, Mary Ballard is a lady’s maid But on her own time, Mary is Irish exile Maire O’Farren, and she keeps mixed company as part of a secret Hardinger offers up many crisp and varied details of the time, she captures Bertie’s speech patterns,

I loved the Ottoman Empire setting, the strong female main protagonist, and the complications and sometimes She finds that she may be the only hope to save her war-torn country. King, surprising revelations, shifting alliances, opaque political machinations, and enmity between main which offers wonderfully flawed characters, plot twists and revelations, great banter, and endings you may

walking down the street--then she sees that he is armed, and to her horror, she sees him kill another man science fiction novel, Mandel plays with time and time travel as well as mysteries surrounding what may But all of these players and times feel in place mainly to serve as a structure to surround our true main protagonist, Gaspary, and we see the most depth and development and change; loyalty and love and

and roll- and band-centered stories, but luckily for us readers, I seem to be dead wrong, because so many of Utopia Avenue, click here. 02 The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez On the surface, the main The other is a shockingly talented artist who abandoned the creation of new work after an incredibly painful In Leila Sales's young adult book This Song Could Save Your Life, main protagonist Elise doesn't fit

But Misery has her own reasons for willingly entering into this marriage--her best friend's safety may that time, all of her tenuous physical links to her past and family members--mixed though her emotions may For my full review, check out Grief Is for People . 06 Wellness by Nathan Hill Flawed main characters

There are mysterious forces and machinations, many of which remain unclear to the reader until late in possibilities, boredom, and disappointment, but they also clumsily come together, fighting through pain Finlay Donovan is an author and a recently single mom, divorced from a cheating man (side note: he and young adult thriller was a lightning-fast read, and there's a yearning for connection between the two main complicated and disastrous, Heard presents what feels like a true yearning for connection between the two main

Bohjalian Bohjalian's Hour of the Witch takes place in 1662 Boston, where strong-willed women like main Mary's foul treatment by her husband--and the community's unwillingness to protect her--may have you The story had a few too many "doom is coming, get ready" types of heads-ups for my liking--especially And--this part of the storyline may feel uncomfortably familiar--climate change has set weather patterns

she's ready to be reunited with the team, which includes her mother and the rest of her family, plus many above, it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main

01 Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton Eli Bell is a young man in a tough spot. Meanwhile his main goal is trying not to attract too much attention or bring any trouble down on himself Eli isn't inclined to listen to any opportunities or ideas from the man. And it's not like Eli has many options right now anyway. Sam says he abhors the man, but locals are constantly reminding Annie that Sam was a heartbreaker in

But January soon shows herself to be a character capable of overcoming great pain, engaging in wise self-examination above; it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main

Bohjalian's Hour of the Witch takes place in 1662 Boston, where strong-willed women like main protagonist Mary's foul treatment by her husband--and the community's unwillingness to protect her--may have you The story had a few too many "doom is coming, get ready" types of heads-ups for my liking--especially And--this part of the storyline may feel uncomfortably familiar--climate change has set weather patterns

like the heart of the story (the Eastwoods' helping other women advance their everyday struggles to gain balance of magic, religion, love, passion, family duty, adventure, and search for meaning—and all with a main Reid is a straitlaced young man for whom things are black-and-white, clearly right and wrong. than I could have dreamed of, plenty of romance, so very much wine appreciation, and copious older-man-guides-the-young-ingenue

But it looks like she may have to rely on her annoying next-door neighbor Wes to try to gain the attention walking down the street--then she sees that he is armed, and to her horror, she sees him kill another man In Caroline O'Donoghue's contemporary fiction The Rachel Incident, main character Rachel is an Irish She's dating a boring but reliable young man from her high school and living at home when she meets James

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and opposite sides of the wall) are at heart the same in their pain Much of the fever pitch of support and hatred for Jesus occurs when the main character of Ana is off Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the

Many of her characters find themselves in despairingly difficult situations, but Kline offers glimmers Many of the characters in The Exiles find themselves in despairingly difficult situations, and I trust that Kline reflected the grim details of many realities. But the dark injustices were tough for me to read; some of this may have been personal timing. halfway through the book Kline takes the reader through a plot twist that dramatically affects one main

It may make me feel all the feelings, and/or may be intriguing and make me think, and it's usually engaging Family, pain, love, music, influence, trust, wonder, brutality, invention, discovery, loyalty, and most good, and they make mistakes and pay for them and live within their awful messed-up moments and their painful Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood In 1963 the Woods were a typical Catholic immigrant family in Mexico, Maine Wood gorgeously evokes the many characters and unfathomable events that changed her family's existence

In Caroline O'Donoghue's contemporary fiction The Rachel Incident, main character Rachel is an Irish She's dating a boring but reliable young man from her high school and living at home when she meets James learning from the online notes of a class Elise once taught on getting away with murder so that he may In order to keep her husband, young daughters, and partner safe, Elise may have to keep some crucial Alex's past is far from free of blemishes and pain, and some of her life-and-death decisions required

Alex's past is far from free of blemishes and pain, and some of her life-and-death decisions required Novik is also the author of other fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted and Spinning she can walk through a magical red door, she finds unexpected circumstances--and realizes that she may

gleefully questioned whether any character was telling the truth--including, ultimately, whether the main

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Mystery Reads This is the time in the year when you may be asking yourself learning from the online notes of a class Elise once taught on getting away with murder so that he may In order to keep her husband, young daughters, and partner safe, Elise may have to keep some crucial This is another whodunit winner from Wendy Walker: a character-driven mystery with a neurodivergent main

walking down the street--then she sees that he is armed, and to her horror, she sees him kill another man science fiction novel, Mandel plays with time and time travel as well as mysteries surrounding what may But all of these players and times feel in place mainly to serve as a structure to surround our true main protagonist, Gaspary, and we see the most depth and development and change; loyalty and love and

The man who has vanished happens to be Stoker's former expedition partner, who he punched on the street As always, her main characters are richly layered, struggle with terrible circumstances, retain strong Donoghue builds a rich story around the real-life figures of Eliza Raine and Anne Lister. Raine was a wealthy orphan--one of two daughters born to a white British father and an Indian mother, It's difficult to consider Raine's mental illness without crediting the likely powerful influence of

It started off a little slowly for me because Benjamin shared so many details of thoughts and in setting Hawker Hawker's historical fiction gives a wonderfully evocative peek into a gritty period, as her main She's learned to bite her tongue, and she feels like the poor treatment her husband shows her may be Donoghue builds a rich story around the real-life figures of Eliza Raine and Anne Lister. Raine was a wealthy orphan--one of two daughters born to a white British father and an Indian mother,

I may have seen the mistaken-premise setup coming, and the friend betrayal, and the rough lines of the famous-person love is a favorite trope of mine, and Norman adds emotional complexities to each of the main

their trip to the Gulf of Mexico is fraught with danger--and Nell's husband and his murderous brothers may It started off a little slowly for me because Benjamin shared so many details of thoughts and in setting The gods' war provides the structure for the book's main conflict, but the story feels primarily focused

Rachel Hawkins In Rachel Hawkins's mystery The Wife Upstairs, set for January 5, 2021 publication, the main

In You Could Make This Place Beautiful, poet Maggie Smith recounts her painful, prolonged divorce and The book is made up of many short sections, and much of Smith's exploration is focused on the way in strength to go on despite few options; and the surprise of new determination and hope after years of pain But others' visions for the story involve her eco-warrior main character morphing into a teen beauty

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and opposite sides of the wall) are at heart the same in their pain Much of the fever pitch of support and hatred for Jesus occurs when the main character of Ana is off Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the

When they encounter loved ones from their memories who are now living alternate lives, in many cases ward since her beloved, offbeat father disappeared during a trip to acquire artifacts for the wealthy man Our main protagonist Tom makes a decision that strands him in our version of the world, which feels like

In Jo Harkin's debut novel world, many have elected to have the company Nepenthe remove traumatic or In Matt Haig's The Humans, an extraterrestrial arrives on Earth with a mission: to kill the man who has science fiction novel, Mandel plays with time and time travel as well as mysteries surrounding what may But all of these players and times feel mainly to be in place to serve as a structure for our true main But the young woman he has found may have died of an ancient virus, and thawing the body for study could

growing up between two cultures while shining in its details: wonderful dialogue, messy moments, and the main

My very favorite Bossy May reads! Here are the books I most loved reading in May: Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You, Lucinda Williams's walking down the street--then she sees that he is armed, and to her horror, she sees him kill another man She can't explain what's happened, but she quickly realizes that now she may be able to stop the murder adult fantasy series, but what hooked me was the fearless, hardened, fiercely loyal, savvy, and crafty main

marriage, sex, politics, public and private behavior—and of course "society," which almost serves as a main A lady’s maid in love with the lady, racy scenes, angst, wonderful details of a life in service to a In this upstairs/downstairs novel, set in nineteenth century New York, Mary Ballard is a lady’s maid But on her own time, Mary is Irish exile Maire O’Farren, and she keeps mixed company as part of a secret Hardinger offers up many crisp and varied details of the time, she captures Bertie’s speech patterns,

Family, pain, love, music, influence, trust, wonder, brutality, invention, discovery, loyalty, and most good, and they make mistakes and pay for them and live within their awful messed-up moments and their painful Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood In 1963 the Woods were a typical Catholic immigrant family in Mexico, Maine Wood gorgeously evokes the many characters and unfathomable events that changed her family's existence

poppets, or the playing of drums—or simply being a strong-willed woman helping to feed a village by manning of the story held so much promise, and the next two books show positive reader reviews, this series may Therefore I have not read it, despite wanting to, because I am a very greedy person who has too many books on her library hold list, too many prepublication books requested, and too many books she already The main protagonist Kristin is a headstrong woman, and she escapes a convent for love. Check.

In Flying Solo, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown, stinging from her recently canceled wedding In Part of Your World, Abby Jimenez takes on a meet-cute between a rural renaissance man (he's the small-town put some distance between her mother and herself, and if her mom has taught her anything, it's the pain

After being involved in multiple disasters in only her first day of classes, she fears college may become In Cristina Fernandez's book, main protagonist and Columbia premed undergrad Astrid is dating Max Martin

Sea, familiar Strout characters Lucy Barton and her ex-husband William flee New York City for rural Maine

communicate with its handler, it begins to understand that all is not black and white, and that it may Click here for my full review of Activation Degradation. 03 Upgrade by Blake Crouch Main protagonist 06 A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1) by Becky Chambers Chambers's slim book explores a man's search for meaning--and how a robot's simple questions about maintaining the status quo might open up

The shift has made for strange bedfellows—and a prickly partnership between our main protagonist, Ellen Wang's memoir illustrates her family’s gritty determination in the face of extreme poverty and the many

poppets, or the playing of drums—or simply being a strong-willed woman helping to feed a village by manning She’s eager to learn how to be more independent, and she’s smart and accurate with so many of her pure ​ Author Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher's personal assistant in real life, and in this novel, Byron's main the varied demands of an enormous star, and Lane explores the characters' challenges of striving to maintain Much of the fever pitch of support and hatred for Jesus occurs when the main character of Ana is off

is established of Alzheimer's disease, he considers the cases of those he has known who suffered for many Then she began to feel fatigue she just couldn't shake, no matter how many hours-long naps she fell into Jaouad embarked on a 100-day, 15,000-mile trip around the perimeter of the United States, visiting many After Hitler's invasion of Russia and the Ukraine, Mila, along with so many others, enlists to fight Click here for my full review of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. 05 Upgrade by Blake Crouch Main

The point of view frequently shifts, and many chapters are short, but I felt connected to each of the I was all in for June and her whole glorious, often painful, messy journey of discovering who she is famous-person love is a favorite trope of mine, and Norman adds emotional complexities to each of the main The members of the group may have grown apart, but in the decades to come, when one of them feels adrift

audiobook version as his soothing voice extolled the virtues of dishes that were familiar to me and many Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott Elliott's book for young readers offers a boy-crazy, truly funny main Blood explores issues of identity, the strength of a person's nature as compared to experiences that may inadvertently connects to the unlikeliest of people in the town, some of whom were part of her dark, frequently pain-filled

husband, her always-furious oldest daughter, her absent middle son, her broken life, and her relentless pain Our main protagonists are satisfyingly clever and resourceful, but they meet with plausibly complicated Witches is infuriating in its recounting of the horrific cruelties and tortures enacted against so many