Chick with Books

New Release Tuesday...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:29:59 +0000

There are always lots of great books released on Tuedays!

Here are my top 5!

Fever Dream by Elsie Silver... Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So, when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras. Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.... Just not with a contestant.

Published by Emerald Lake

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The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff... When April and Leo’s house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April’s childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication.

As the family reckons with the aftermath—grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact—the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo’s marriage. The novel unfolds in alternating perspectives: from April, who feels the crushing weight of motherhood, marriage, and self-blame; from Leo, a high school history teacher shaped by a lonely, fractured childhood; from Deb, April’s generous and no-nonsense mother who has to contend with her husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis; and from flashbacks that trace April and Leo’s relationship from its earliest days of connection to the devastating decisions that led them here.

A family saga suffused with humor, longing, and heartbreak, The Burning Side is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known. It is, above all, about the meaning of home and the costs of long love.

Published by Simon & Schuster

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Dear Missing Friend by Susan McGuirk... Through letters exchanged across oceans and Manhattan streets, Irish immigrant Catherine McGuirk navigates love, ambition, and heartbreak. Torn between her seafaring husband, the suitor she once refused, and her own dreams, Catherine’s fate unfolds in an intimate, epistolary saga of passion, resilience, and 19th-century life Sea Crow Pass

Published by Sea Crow Press

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The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker... Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor—a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path:

Chase death. Or life.

Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out. As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past. Something … Other. Something with the knowledge to change it all.

Published by Avon

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The Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh... Carrie and Johan marry on a beach in Thailand only months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, is too happy to care that she’s being impulsive. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, a group of armed men suddenly swarm the beach, taking Johan away. She never sees him again.

Twelve years later, Carrie is living in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins, running a holiday cottage rental business on the side. One night, she stumbles across an online post in which she discovers that Johan escaped from Thailand years ago, and has been living in Stockholm ever since. As the memories of their passionate relationship flood her, she becomes obsessed with discovering what happened on their wedding day all those years ago.

But just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist tears apart everything Carrie thought she knew.

Published by Pamela Dorman Books

Memoir Monday... We'll be in Beijing today Delivering Parcels!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 18 May 2026 14:28:28 +0000

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan

A viral hit in China in 2025, Hu Anyan's book hit a chord with readers. Starting out with just a blog post about his life as a parcel sorter during Covid, readers encouraged him to keep writing about his experiences and this is the result. Here's the blurb from Astra Publishing...

In 2023, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing became the literary sensation of the year in China. Hu Anyan’s story, about short-term jobs in various anonymous megacities, hit a nerve with a generation of young people who feel at odds with an ever-growing pressure to perform and succeed.

Hu started posting essays about his experiences online during COVID lockdowns. His recollection of night shifts in a huge logistics center in the south of China went his nights were so hot that he could drink three liters of water without taking a toilet break; his days were spent searching for affordable rooms with proper air-conditioning; and his few moments of leisure were consumed by calculations of the amount of alcohol needed to sleep but not feel drowsy a few hours later.

Hu Anyan tells us about brutal work, where there is no real future in sight. But Hu is armed with deadpan humor and a strong idea of self. He moves on when he feels stuck—from logistics in the south, to parcel delivery in Beijing, to other impossible jobs. Along the way, he turns to reading and writing for strength and companionship.

I just happened to come upon this book while reading about some upcoming memoir releases and I found it so interesting how it went viral. Published in October of 2025 in the US by Astra Publishing, this is translated from the original Chinese to English. The story sounds interesting too... on my wishlist.

First Lines Friday... This week’s opening lines are from a twisty coastal thriller full of family drama, suspicious deaths, and the kind of small-town secrets that never stay buried…

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 15 May 2026 19:20:27 +0000

"I did not plan to start the summer by dangling out of a second-story window. But on this breezy night, all that separates me from plunging to my death and living to see my eighteenth birthday is the grip my older sister, Lucy, has on my wrists from inside my bedroom."

I love the way this story starts out! How about you? Would you keep reading after these first few lines?

I just received this book in the mail from Penguin Random House and had to share just a peek. It is a romantic mystery thriller, and with all those three in a book description, I'm definitely in. Here's the book description from the publisher...

A razor-sharp murder-mystery set during the summer when a local teen's suspicious death exposes the devastating secrets three sisters keep.

Do you ever really know the people you love?

For the Gold sisters and Silver brothers, life has been idyllic, growing up in side-by-side waterfront mansions in a town where doors are never locked and the police do little more than issue speeding tickets. The Golds and Silvers have known each other their entire lives, as neighbors, as friends, as family.

But one carefree summer takes a dark turn when a beach party ends in tragedy and their perfect world cracks wide open. Suddenly, the bonds that tie these families together are strained by suspicion and fear. Painful secrets surface, revealing the fragile truths they've all been hiding.

Lucy, the oldest Gold girl, harbors a crushing secret from her boyfriend, one of the Silver boys. Millie, the middle sister, quietly yearns for the one person she can't have. And the youngest, Frankie, uncovers something that could blow their island apart.

A gripping novel about the lies friends tell, the façade siblings build, and how one summer tests—and breaks—the bonds of family.

The book will be released by G.P. Putnam & Sons (a division of Penguin Random House) on June 2nd! Look for my review before then!

New Release Tuesday... and My Top 3 (maybe 4) picks...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 12 May 2026 16:11:16 +0000

Happy New Release Day! There are always many new books to choose from on "New Releases Tuesday"! It's summer and thoughts turn to breezy sweeping stories that I can melt into. Here are my top picks for this week... (the last one is not a breezy story though 😲)

The River Muse by Laura Resau...
A French chateau. A forest with secrets. A magical spring. Welcome to La Chanson, where lost souls are found again…

At the brink of summer, Callie arrives in a secluded village in the South of France with her young daughter, after barely escaping her menacing ex-partner. Desperate to hide, she rents a cottage on the grounds of the Chateau of the Lost. Her new home sings with flowing water, rustling olive trees, and whispering poppies—an otherworldly nook of hidden magic. Little by little, she warms to her quirky neighbors—a witchy landlady, an acclaimed truffle hunter, his kind veterinarian son, and their lovable dogs. Oh, and a mischievous ghost boy.

Slowly but surely, her new friends help her discover herself again. Years earlier, she gave up music at the insistence of her ex, but as she reclaims her voice, everyone finds that her songs open hearts and heal old wounds. When her ex tracks her down, the stakes grow deadly, and she must tap into her most powerful self to protect her newfound family.

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June Baby by Shannon Garvey...
Some summers never leave you.

In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.

At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a receipt: Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.

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The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline...
A boldly original reimagining of the astonishing true story of two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina — Kline’s own distant relatives — who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.

When Eng and Chang Bunker arrive in Wilkes County in 1839, they’re not just a curiosity—they’re a sensation. Everyone is eager to learn whether the salacious rumors about them are true. Within months, the twins have opened a general store, bought land, and begun building a plantation. Now, word has it, they’re looking for wives—and in a place that thrives on gossip and legacy, their ambitions set the community on edge.

Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of a once-prominent local family brought low by scandal, are drawn into their orbit. Bold, beautiful Adelaide sees in the twins’ fame a chance to reclaim her future. Sarah, quiet and observant, isn’t so sure. When the twins’ lives become entangled with theirs, they must navigate loyalty, longing, and identity in a world where everything—including race, class, and gender—is rigidly defined.

Spanning five decades and unfolding against the backdrop of a fractured nation hurtling toward war, The Foursome is both intimate and epic: a story of love and constraint, identity and reinvention. With piercing insight and emotional precision, Kline brings to life a forgotten chapter of American history and the complex, boundary-defying marriages at its center.

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The Anniversary by Alex Finley...
Every May 1st, a serial killer stalks a small town. Every year he comes for them . .

On May 1, 1992, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley hardly know each other.

Jules is high school queen bee in a small Midwestern town when she survives a brutal attack by the elusive May Day Killer―a predator who strikes every May 1st and then vanishes without a trace. Quinn, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is arrested the same night after trying to break up a fight and nearly killing someone.

By morning, their lives are forever connected.

A year later, Jules is haunted by trauma and guilt, tormented by one question: Why was she spared? Quinn is newly released from juvenile detention and returns home to devastating news―the unsolved murder of his mother.

Over the next decade, their lives are revisited on a single day each year: May 1st.

As the years pass, secrets surface, lies unravel, and the paths of Jules and Quinn draw closer together. Two mysteries edge toward the truth―what really happened the night Jules was attacked, and who murdered Quinn’s mother? All the while, the May Day Killer is still out there.

And the clock is racing toward another anniversary.

Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, The Anniversary is an addictive murder mystery and nail-biting thriller―but it’s also a tender, heartrending story about fate, innocence lost, and two people bound by a single day. With its masterful structure and propulsive tension, The Anniversary reaffirms Alex Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

Mastering American Mahjong: A Complete Guide To Rules and Strategy by Megan Trottier... A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 12 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Mastering American Mahjong:

A Complete Guide to Rules and Strategy

by Megan Trottier

I have always wanted to learn how to play Mahjong. As an absolute beginner who was eager to learn how to play American Mahjong, I loved Mastering American Mahjong: A Complete Guide to Rules and Strategy by Megan Trottier. The book is incredibly well organized, easy to understand, and makes learning the game feel approachable and fun.

Everything is thoroughly explained, from the basic rules and terminology to learning the tiles, reading the NMJL card, setup, dealing, and gameplay. The author also shares helpful tips and insights into the nuances of the game, which made the learning process feel much less intimidating. I found the book not only informative, but also a real confidence builder as I learned.

One of my favorite additions was the inclusion of several popular “casual” Mahjong games at the end of the book, which added even more fun and variety.

If you’re interested in learning American Mahjong, this is absolutely the book I would recommend! And author Megan Trottier knows what she's talking about too... Megan is "the founder of the high-end, women-owned American mahjong brand Oh My Mahjong." And let me tell you, her mahjong tiles are beautiful!

In a few days, I'll be going to a "Mahjong Basics" class hosted by a local Mahjong teacher. I signed up before reading Megan's book and I'm glad I was able to read it beforehand. Instead of my head spinning with what would have been an overwhelming amount of "new" information from the class, I'll have a great grasp of the information ahead of time. And I really am looking forward to the class. I'll let you know how it goes...

Do you know how to play Mahjong?

Mark your calendars... Mastering American Mahjong will be published by Ten Speed Press and released on October 13, 2026!

Memoir Monday... A "Memory" of a Mysterious Death and the Search for Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 11 May 2026 04:41:00 +0000

London Fallng: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search For Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe... In the early morning of November 29th, 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain’s spy agency, captured video of a young man pacing back and forth on a high balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury tower on the bank of the river Thames. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped into the river.

In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried about her son. Zac had told her that he had gone to stay with a friend for the weekend, but then he did not come home. Days later, a police car pulled up and two officers relayed the dreadful news: Her son was dead.In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband, Matthew, struggled to understand what had happened to Zac. He had had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. As they would soon discover, however, there was a lot they did not know about their son. Only after his death did they learn that he had adopted a fictitious alter ego: Zac Ismailov, son of a Russian oligarch and heir to a great fortune. Under this guise, Zac had become entangled with a slippery London businessman named Akbar Shamji and a murderous gangster known as Indian Dave. As the Brettlers set about investigating their son’s death, they were pulled into a different and more dangerous London than the one they’d always known, and came to believe that something much more nefarious than a suicide had claimed Zac’s life. But to their immense frustration, Scotland Yard seemed unable—or unwilling—to bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a bravura feat of reporting and writing, Patrick Radden Keefe chronicles the Brettlers’ quest, peeling back layers of mystery and exposing the seedy truths behind the glamorous London of posh mansions and private nightclubs, a city in which everything is for sale, and aspirational fantasies are underwritten by dirty money and corruption. London Falling is a mesmerizing investigation of an inexplicable death and a powerful narrative driven by suspense and staggering revelations. But it is also an intimate and deeply poignant inquiry into the nature of parental love and the challenges of being a parent today, a portrait of a family trying to solve the riddle not just of how their son died, but of who he really was in life.

This isn't a memoir, but a true crime novel with an interesting twist that Zac Ismailov had a kind of secret life, with him posing as the son of a Russian oligarch! That sounded so interesting to me. I love a good mystery and this certainly falls under that category.

This book was published by Doubleday in early April of this year, so it is available at your favorite bookstore! And it is on my TBR list now!

P.S. This cover is actually from the UK version of the book ( I like it better and actually ordered my copy from the UK so I could have this cover of the book.)

The Sunday Salon... Happy Mothers Day and "Mother"" Books

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 10 May 2026 17:34:00 +0000

Happy Mothers Day!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

Happy Mothers Day to all the women who have nurtured us, taken care of us, and raised us ❤️! Here is my wonderful mother and me at the beginning...

We all have a mother, but there is so much more that giving birth that makes a mother, a mother... My mother took the time and patience to nurture me and help me grow into the woman I am today. I've known her for a very long time (more years than we both care to admit). She was and has always been my BFF. I am lucky that I can still pick up the phone and talk to my mom when I need advice or just to talk to her to hear her voice. Love you Mom, and Happy Mothers Day (I know she reads my posts and will be reading this one too!)

There have been a lot of books about "Mothers", so for today's Sunday Salon we have "Mother" books...

Mother, Mother by Zia Rayyan...
Iris Blackwood always knew her mother didn’t love her. It’s why she left six years ago and never looked back. But when her aunt—her mother’s identical twin—and her stepfather die in a tragic accident, she’s forced to return home. The cruel woman she remembers is gone. In her place is someone who cooks breakfast with a smile and says, “I love you.” Iris wants to believe it’s real. But then she finds a journal in the attic. One that reveals her mother and aunt used to switch places all the time. And when her car mysteriously won’t start, she begins to fear the truth. She came home to the wrong mother. And now she may never leave.

This book was independently published back in 2025 and is a psychological thriller

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The Wrong Mother by Charlotte Duckworth...
One mother on the run. A safe place to hide. But you can't escape the past forever. Faye is 39 and single. She's terrified she may never have the one thing she always wanted: a child of her own. Then she discovers a co-parenting app: Acorns. For men and women who want to have a baby, but don't want to do it alone. When she meets Louis through it, it feels as though the fates have aligned. But just one year later, Faye is on the run from Louis, with baby Jake in tow. In desperate need of a new place to live, she contacts Rachel, who's renting out a room in her remote Norfolk cottage. It's all Faye can afford - and surely she'll be safe from Louis there? But is Rachel the benevolent landlady she pretends to be? Or does she have a secret of her own?

Published by Quercus Publishing in 2023, this is a psychological thriller.

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The Mothers by Brit Bennett...
It is the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother's recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor's son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it's not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance—and the subsequent cover-up—will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke, and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully maneuver, and dogged by the constant, nagging question: What if they had chosen differently? The possibilities of the road not taken are a relentless haunt.

In entrancing, lyrical prose, The Mothers asks whether a "what if" can be more powerful than an experience itself. If, as time passes, we must always live in servitude to the decisions of our younger selves, to the communities that have parented us, and to the decisions we make that shape our lives forever.

Published by Riverhead back in 2017, this is a literary fiction, coming-of-age story.

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For more recently published "Mother" books, you have The Mother Daughter Book Club by Susan and James Patterson and The Mother Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon.

Do you have any suggestions

for a good "Mother" book?!

Memoir Monday... A memoir about 2 women living together! A smash hit in South Korea.

New Books Tuesday... An amazing selection of 10 books!

First Lines Friday... A book that will have your head in the stars!

And that's all for this past week. Next week look for a review on a soon-to-be published book on Mahjong! Yes, I've secretly wanted to learn to play Mahjong for years. I recently signed up for an intro lesson, and then this book pops up from a publisher for me.to review! I've been studying this book and have to say, it has really taught me a lot! and I'll share that with y'all next week. Do you play Mahjong?

Hope you all have a wonderful Mothers Day and that you found some fun "Mothers" books here today!

Happy reading... Suzanne

First Lines Friday... How about a little magic in the stars?!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 08 May 2026 16:32:00 +0000

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields

“There is an old bookshop called the Wanderer's Wonders in the heart of Kulden -- a small, often forgotten town tucked in a far northern corner of England --and as far as Claudia Jolicoeur is concerned, it's magical, for it always has something she needs”

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields was recently published by Red Hook (a division of Hachette Books) and has gotten a lot of buzz! It's a romantasy, but with the twist that it has "celestial magic", which is magic based on the stars and cosmos. I picked this out for my Allurial book choice this month and it is patiently waiting in the wings for me to dive into.

Here's the blurb from Goodreads: a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.

Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette's death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage’s apprentice and Claudia's fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone—or something—starts slipping her pieces of Odette’s diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian—and fast.

By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian's prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?

Would you keep reading after the first line?

New Books Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 05 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Romance... Romantasy... Historical Fiction... Murder... Memoir...

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There is something for everyone in todays New Book Releases!

Here they are:

Rules For The Summer by Meghan Quinn (Romance).

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Literary Fiction)

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Literary Fiction)

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (Romance)

The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore (Romance)

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister (Crime Thriller)

A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kimoie (Historical Fiction)

True Crime by Patricia Cornwell (Memoir)

Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (Psychological Thriller)

Verity Guild by Mai Corlang (Romantasy set in a Roman Empire)

Are you looking forward to any of these books? Kathryn Stockett hasn't published anything new since The Help (which everyone loved!), so this is on my wishlist! Patricial Cornwell gives us insight into the "real" Dr. Kay Scarpetta with her memoir. Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray has gotten a lot of great buzz prior to its' publication and I picked that as my Book of The Month subscription choice. I am so intrigued byVerity Guild, which is a romantasy set in a type of ROMAN EMPIRE!

Let me know what you think, and if there's something newly published NOT on this list share that too!

Memoir Monday... and This One Comes Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 04 May 2026 05:46:00 +0000

Two Women Living Together by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo... From Goodreads: The big-hearted, bestselling South Korean memoir co-written by two best friends flouting gender norms and societal expectations with their decision to grow old together under one roof.

When most of their peers were moving in with romantic partners and having children, Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo chose independence—savoring solitude, quiet mornings, and the unmitigated freedom of living alone. But in their forties, something shifted, and they were met with a new, unexpected loneliness. Refusing to settle for the outdated choice between marriage or isolation, Hana and Sunwoo made a radical decision: to buy a home and live together—not as lovers, not as roommates, but as chosen family.

Now a bustling household of two women and four cats, Hana and Sunwoo still value solitude, but can do so while sharing a life and its meaning with someone else. Together they navigate the challenges and comforts of cohabiting in midlife, the growing pains of interdependence and the unexpected rewards of compromise when you’ve grown set in your ways. From sick days to career wins to aging parents and beach-side retirement plans, they are redefining domestic bliss on their own terms, where love, partnership, and home are defined not by tradition, but by choice.

With warmth, wit, and sharp social insight, Hana and Sunwoo share their blueprint for building a life outside the scripts of marriage and society’s expectations for women. Two Women Living Together is a quiet revolution—a celebration of female friendship, community, and the many forms that love and family can take.

When we are young girls, we have sleepovers--with our girlfriends. When we go to college, we have roommates in college--that are women. But when we get married, we leave our girlfriends behind and build a life with our husbands. But if we find ourselves alone, why not embrace what we've done basically all of our lives, live with our girlfriends. Some may like to be alone, but we don't have to be alone. And Hana and Sunwoo chose not to be alone, and not to find a husband, but to find each other, and embrace female friendships. I am so fascinated with this book. On my wishlist!

First published in 2019, more recently in January 2026 by Ecco.

P.S. This cover show is the UK cover, which I just love because of the cat tree!

Fictional Faceplants and My Real Tomatoe Plants... This weeks' Sunday Salon

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

This week marks the final re-potting of my Seed Snails before the actual transplanting into the raised bed garden (which needs some serious weeding!) The Seed Snails were a total experiment because I had never sowed seeds to grow anything indoors, but they actually sprouted and grew. They were a little leggy (skinny stems) because they were stretching for more light from the shelves I had them on, by one of the front windows. I did not have grow lights. But I opened the seed snails up and took half of the plants and put them into a new seed snail and added more dirt and buried those stems a little deeper and they came back stronger and happier (or at least I hope they were happier). The past few weeks I've been hardening them outdoors in a mini garden shed, and this week I'm going to re-pot some of them into their own pots to give some of them some more room.

And while I was dealing with my tomato plants, I noticed another trend in plants... Faceplants. Faceplants on book covers!?! Yes, it seems like it's a thing. The new hit series on Apple TV, Margo's Got Money Trouble based on the Rufi Thorpe book made me remember that my first library book from my new local library back in 2018 was an illustration of a girl faceplanted on a couch too... Which got me thinking about if there were other books with women faceplanted on their couch... and the answer is yes! Here are my top 3...

Margo's Got Money Trouble by Rufi Thorpe... As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.

Published by William Morrow in 2024

how hard can it be? by Allison Pearson... Look, I was doing OK. I got through the oil spill on the road that is turning forty. Lost a little control, but I drove into the skid just like the driving instructors tell you to and afterwards things were fine again, no, really, they were better than fine.Kate Reddy had it all: a nice home, two adorable kids, a good husband. Then her kids became teenagers (read: monsters). Richard, her husband, quit his job, taking up bicycling and therapeutic counseling: drinking green potions, dressing head to toe in Lycra, and spending his time―and their money―on his own therapy. Since Richard no longer sees a regular income as part of the path to enlightenment, it’s left to Kate to go back to work.

Companies aren’t necessarily keen on hiring 49-year-old mothers, so Kate does what she must: knocks a few years off her age, hires a trainer, joins a Women Returners group, and prepares a new resume that has a shot at a literary prize for experimental fiction.

When Kate manages to secure a job at the very hedge fund she founded, she finds herself in an impossible juggling act: proving herself (again) at work, dealing with teen drama, and trying to look after increasingly frail parents as the clock keeps ticking toward her 50th birthday. Then, of course, an old flame shows up out of the blue, and Kate finds herself facing off with everyone from Russian mobsters to a literal stallion.

Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?

Published by St. Martin's Press in 2018

Lynn Ly is Doing Just Fine by Thao Votang... Told with deadpan humor and brutal honesty, this debut novel follows Vietnamese American Linh Ly’s unraveling as she reckons with the traumas of both her past and present.

When twenty-seven-year-old Linh Ly’s recently divorced mother begins dating a coworker, Linh is determined to make sure he is worthy of her mother. She’s seen the kind of men her mother ends up with—she grew up watching her unreliable and volatile alcoholic father as her mother worked two jobs to make ends meet. Linh is certain that her mother can’t do this on her own, but what begins as genuine worry quickly turns obsessive.

Following her mother and spying on her dates becomes part of Linh’s routine, especially after a university shooting at Linh’s work that leaves her feeling adrift—at least her mom’s dating life gives her something to focus on. Linh doesn’t exactly have a life of her own (dating or otherwise) and figures the best course of action is action—not how she handled the shooting: curl up in a ball and wait it out.

Linh is slowly forced to reconcile the image of her mother from her childhood with the woman she’s getting to know as an adult. Growing up Vietnamese in the middle of Texas with a broken household taught Linh a certain guarded way of living—one she never quite left behind.

Published by Alcove Press in 2024

Have you read any faceplant books?

How about planning on growing any tomato plants?

Here are some Honorable Mention Faceplant Covers...

BTW, did you notice the Careering by Daisy Buchanan cover? It's the same image as the cover for Linh Ly is Doing Just Fine!

(Click on the links, they'll take you to the post!)

Memoir Monday... Strangers by Belle Burden. "He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn’t."

New Book Tuesday... Part One and Part Two (Because there were too many new good books coming out this week!)

In My Mailbox... Wow, I received some great reading from publishers this past week! Check out what came into my mailbox (and eReader).

Book Review for Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter... OMG, if you love Romantasy, you need to read this. If you have never read Romantasy, but want to try some, you need to read this! I just loved this book, and I just started reading romantasy. Read my review!

New Book Announcement... Did you love The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger?! Then you need to read this post!

First Lines Friday... You'll want to pack your bags for this one!

A Little Library Love... I share my library loot this week!

Kindle Deal...For romantacy readers! If you want to read Dire Bound before book 2 hits the shelves on Tuesday, have I got a Kindle deal for you!

That does it for this week! Have you found your next read here? How about finding a spark to start some tomato plants? Share any great reads you found this week!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

Kindle DEAL!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sat, 02 May 2026 14:40:00 +0000

Hey Kindle Readers! If you've heard about the BIG release on Tuesday of Fury Bound, Book 2 of The Wolves of Ruin series by Sable Sorensen, but still haven't read Book 1, Dire Bound, today is your day! Amazon has the Kindle version of Dire Bound for $1.99!! (605 pages on a Kindle is nice)... Here is the link for the Kindle book of Dire Bound. Remember to always check the price before hitting the "buy" button, because we all know how fast those prices can change.

Library Love

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sat, 02 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000

This is what happens when you reserve your favorite books at the library... and they ALL come in at the same time!

Thank you Tristan from The Village Branch Library (Pickens County Library System) for lugging them all over and checking them out for me!

Here's what came in...

*Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

*When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

* The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

*Kill for Me Kill For You by Steve Kavanagh.

I'll be going on a book date with each of these books and pick out which ones to read first.

Which one would you pick first?

#bookstagram #pickenscountylibrarysystem

#librarylove #pickenscountysc #pickenssc #librarylove

First Lines Friday... You'll want to Pack Your Bags for This One!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:48:00 +0000

"Wilbur Budd died around midnight, but he had trouble remembering the details"

Would you keep reading after the first lines? I would! And I love these stories that let the characters go back in time and that's what the publisher's blurb implies...

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there.
The chance to re-live the moments that meant most.
To see what kind of person you really were.
For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.
Before he gave it all away.
He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything . . .
A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

Let's get our bags packed and ready to board that train!

Viking Books will release The Midnight Train by Matt Haig on May 26th!

On My Wishlist!

Did You Love The Time Travelers Wife?... Here's The Long Awaited Sequel!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I loved The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger when I read it way back in 2009. The story was so unique and so touching. I still love that story...

In October, we get to read the continuing story of the Time Travelers Wife, following the daughter of Henry and Clare, Alba, who is also a "time traveler".

Here is the blurb from the publisher...

Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler: she slips unpredictably through decades, carrying the weight of a future she can witness but cannot change. Yet she strives to maintain a normal life: as a gifted violinist, Alba finds refuge in her music, as well as her tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world. 

As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless “Yellow House” – where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler – to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.

At once intimate and sweeping, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic tale of love, resilience, and hope amid our fractured world where time itself is the greatest adversary. With every leap through the years, Alba is forced to reckon with the choices that define her, the people she cannot bear to lose, and the question that haunts every time traveler: can you ever truly belong to the present?

AND, publishers also added that you don't have to read The Time Travelers Wife to enjoy this- it's a standalone.

Will we fall in love with Life Out of Order?

I sure hope so! Looking forward to reading this!

Are YOU looking forward to it too?

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter... A Deadly Duel. A Forbidden Love. One Jaw-Dropping Twist.

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:04:00 +0000

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter

A centuries-old covenant forces the heir of the witches of Arturea to fight the heir of the dragon riders of Vatra… to the death.

Astrid—princess of Arturea—is powerful, proud… and not a warrior at heart. Zryan—Vatra’s lethal champion—is a battle-hardened force of nature, bonded to a massive fire-breathing dragon… and completely obsessed with Astrid.

What should be a death sentence becomes something far more dangerous: a forbidden, undeniable pull neither of them can resist. Blood Bound is the kind of romantasy that hooks you fast and doesn’t let go.

The world-building? Incredible. From the witches’ distinct magic and their familiars to the dragon riders’ raw, elemental power—every detail feels vivid and immersive. I swear, I was living in Vatra the entire time. (Still waiting to find out if “reading” counts as a magical talent… I’m claiming it.)

What fills this story out even more is the political intrigue and the rebellion hiding in the shadows—adding layers of tension and depth that make the stakes feel even higher.

And the characters? I was in. Fully invested. Practically third-wheeling alongside Astrid. The friendships that develop are true and touching. I loved the way the female friendships unfolded.

But let’s talk about what really delivers: 

Forbidden love…. Enemies to lovers….That slow burn tension…. Touch her and you’ll die… Dragons & Familiars… Political intrigue… Great banter!… Found family… Great female friendships… Magic & Potions… Did I say Dragons! And Familiars! 

And then—THE TWIST. The kind that makes you stop, reread, and immediately need to talk about it with someone. I want to scream about it… but I won’t ruin it for you.

Just know: It’s big, it’s bold and it brings everything together in a jaw-dropping way. There is so much packed into the story - you’re going to love it. I know I did. This is the first book of a promised 3 book trilogy.

And I am already whining that I want the second book!

Published by Atria Books on April 28th! And available at your favorite bookstore right now! I want to thank Atria Books for an advanced copy of Blood Bound to read & review! I loved it!

In My Mailbox...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I've gotten some great books this week from publishers! Here they are...

June Baby by Shannon Garvey... Some summers never leave you. In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward. Published by Random House on May 12th. I can see this as being "THE" beach read of the summer!

Second Times A Charmy by Taylor Epperson... Returning

home after years away, Reece is going to have to avoid her assassin ex-boyfriend as she learns to care for the magical creatures now under her protection. Published by Grand Central Publishing on April 21st. How can you resist a place for magical creature?

Second First Dates by Gabriella Gamez... One bad date, shame on you. Two bad dates, shame on me ... Forever (Grand Central Publishing) on July 28th. This looks like a fun romance!

Somewhere Soft To Land by Kai Alonte... In this crackling portrayal of friendship in peril, a young woman’s world is upended when a tragedy in her best friend’s life tests the boundaries of their sisterhood—a sharp and compelling debut novel from a Ghanaian American writer. Published by Ballantine on April 21st. I love stories of Sisters and women's friendships. This looks like it's going to be so memorable!

Doomsdate... When a first date between a doomsday prepper and a nerdy film professor goes horribly, zombie-apocalypse-level wrong, the mismatched pair team up on a road trip to safety in this delightfully feral rom-com. Published by Ballantine September 15th. I can't resist a good zombie apocalypse story! I love the premise for this!

Dragons, Dogs & Delicious Drama... It's New Book Release Tuesdat!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Tuesdays are for new book releases! Here are 3 of my top picks this week!

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter... A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.

You duel or you die.

Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.

Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her traveling troupe arrive in Vatra's capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.

As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

OMG, I am reading this right now and am totally absorbed! As soon as I started reading I was loving it! I love the MFC's, and the witches familiars, and I love the idea of the two different worlds, that of the dragon riders and the witches. The banter between characters is great... There has been so much hype for this book and it's all worth it in my opinion! Look for my review coming soon. But if you love romantasy or just great storytelling ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR list! This is published by Atria Books and a huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this!!

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutano... Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn’t sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?

However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England—and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there’s more to her than being the perfect trophy wife…

As I was reading about the new books coming out this week, I ran across this one and started reading a bit of it to see if I liked it. AND I DID! The beginning of this story is just too funny and I think I'm really going to like Mebel. Check this book out by Jesse Q. Sutano, who has a a bunch of books already published and adored. This book is published by Berkley and is on my TBR list...

Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About...
From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee—known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue—comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman’s search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it.

A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she got her chance, ditching her college upstate and moving into a grungy basement apartment in Manhattan. Dog-obsessed since childhood, her first post-grad job was becoming an assistant to a dog photographer, and something clicked into place: a career focused on helping dogs was the new dream.

Isabel quickly found a passion for rehabilitating rescue dogs and helping them get adopted. At the same time, she was caught up in a whirlwind of friendships, parties, fickle boyfriends and grand romances, which she recounts in honest, tender, and sometimes devastating chapters about the search for love and belonging.

Isabel’s first true love, though, was Simon, a fluffy puppy who’d been saved from the meat trade. As the highs and lows of her twenties hit Isabel in wave after wave, it was Simon who kept her grounded. Together, Isabel and Simon created a community of dog-lovers and a tight-knit group of friends pursuing their dreams.

In this honest and moving memoir, Isabel weaves together the stories of her foster dogs—and the challenges she helped them overcome—with tales of complicated relationships, hard decisions, and great loves in New York City, all leading to a happy ending not only for the rescue pups, but for Isabel herself.

Any person in dog rescue has a special place in my heart. I've spotlighted this book last monday in Memoir Monday, but wanted to highlight it again because today is its' official publishing day! And courtesy of William Morrow and NetGalley, I now have a copy to read and review! Thank you so much!! Look for my review coming soon!

New Book Tuesday... Part Two... Because One Post Wasn't Enough!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Just like last week, there were quite a few great looking new books coming out today. Here are 4 more books I have my eye on. And for any of you Allurial subscribers, it's hinted that An Arcane Study of Stars may be one of their special editions being released for May. (I can't wait to find out!)

Memoir Monday... Are We All Really Strangers to Each Other?

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:26:00 +0000

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden... It was a great love story, one for the ages. The speed of our beginning and the speed of our ending felt like matching bookends. They both came out of nowhere. He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn’t.

In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha’s Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together—building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whisky sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume.

In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal. Through all of it, she is transformed. The discreet, compliant woman she once was—someone nicknamed “Belle the Good”—gives way to someone braver, someone determined to use her voice.

With unflinching honesty and profound grace, Burden charts a path through heartbreak to show the power of a woman who refuses to give up on love. Strangers is a stunning, deeply moving, compulsively readable memoir heralding the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent.

I have heard so many people talk about this book. It almost sounds like a book of fiction, but for Belle Burden it is all too real. I read the first 13 pages or so and was crushed for Belle and her family. Now I need to read this to know how Belle survives the betrayal.

Published by The Dial Press last January.

The Sunday Salon and ....Bookish Adventures in One of the Largest Book Outlet Warehouses in South Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

It was a lovely week in South Carolina, but the bookish fun happened on Friday, when rolling tote in hand I went to the Book Warehouse Sale in Easley, SC. It's usually a 2 day event, Saturday and Sunday, but this month they opened on Friday too! I thought was perfect because it might be a little less crowded. (Yeah, right)... I arrived 40 minutes before they opened at 1pm. I really wasn't sure how long it would take me from home, so I left early. I wasn't going to get in line until it was near 1pm, but as the line grew and grew, I thought I better get to it.

If you've never been there, The Book Warehouse Outlet is in an old factory warehouse and it is HUGE! Here's a photo of one section off their FB page...

When you enter, you walk about a mile (okay, it just seems like a mile) to the stacks and shelves of books. Everything is 70% off. They carry books that didn't sell at the big box stores, like Target and Walmart. They are all remainders, but I've yet to find one with a remainder mark on it. The shelves are organized by subject... fiction, romance, horror, etc. Once you get into the section, it's a hunt for the author or title you want. My goal was to pick up some romantasy I wanted to try, some Abby Jimenez and see if anything else caught my attention. There was plenty of Abby Jimenez and Elin Hilderbrand, Julie Soto, and Kennedy Ryan. Here's what I picked up...

1. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Literary Fiction)

2.The Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy (Fantasy Romance)

3. The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (Psychological Thriller)

4. Little Alleluias by Mary Oliver (Poetry)

5. Lethal by Sandra Brown (Suspense Thriller with Romance)

6. Throne of The Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco (Book 1 of 3 of Prince of Sin)

7, Throne if Secret by Kerri Maniscalco (Book 2 of 3 of Prince of Sin) Fantasy

8. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith (Book 1 of 2) Fantasy Romance

9. Enchantra by Kaylie Smith (Book 2 of 2) Fantasy Romance

10. The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne (Book 1 of 3) Fantasy Adventure

11. The Hunger of the Gods (Book 2 of 3) Fantasy Adventure

12. The Fury of the Gods (Book 3 of 3) Fantasy Adventure

13. Nightweaver by R.M. Gray (YA Dark Fantasy Adventure)

14. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong(Time Travel Sci-fi/Historicl Fiction)

15. Verity by Colleen Hoover (Psychological Thriller)

16. The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (Romance)

17. Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez (Romance)

18. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto (Fantasy Romance)

I've been meaning to read Verity by Colleen Hoover (I can't believe I haven't yet!). I haven't read Pachinko yet either and have had it on my TBR list forever. I didn't see any poetry except for this Mary Oliver book just lying out of place somewhere. And it was one of her books I do not have. She's one of my favorite poets. My mother loves Sandra Brown, and so I've started to read her too. And then all the rest are new to me and thought I would give them a read. I've been really enjoying some Romantasy lately (Romance Fantasy) and thought I'd try more. Abby Jimenez is all the rage these days, so I thought I'd read some of her. I did pick up her newest hardcover before this. I did have Elin Hilderbrand books in my hand, but thought I was already carried away, so I'll save those for another time.

Have you read any of these books?

I'd love to know what you think and what to expect!

Besides all the bookish adventures, I'm reading Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter, courtesy of Atria Books and NetGalley. It's a Romantasy with lots of adventure and I'm loving it! There are witches and dragon riders and a fight to the death, and a slow burn romance, magic great world building. Yes, I am really enjoying. It will be released this coming Tuesday.

I'm also listening to The Best Dog in the World essays edited by Alice Hoffman, that I borrowed from my local library, and which I'm really enjoying. If you are a dog person, this audiobook is for you! It's the kind of audiobook where you listen to one story and then take a break to enjoy and reflect.

Here's what happened this week on the blog...

Memoir Monday... It's about the dogs she rescues and the life behind it. Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About by Isabel Klee.

New Release Tuesday... There were so many great new books released tuesday, I did Part 1 and Part 2! Check them out and tell me if you were waiting for them to be released!

Kindle Deal of the Day... If you're a fan of Freida McFadden (The Housemaid?!), her new book, The Witch, sounds like a creepy hit and the Kindle pre-order was $4.99! And last I checked it still was $4.99 (83% off!).

National Poetry Month Post!... April is National Poetry Month! Have you read/do you like poetry? Get some great suggestions from this post!

First Lines Friday... and this one comes with a body count! Click the link and see if you'd keep reading after the first lines

I hope you found something interesting this week! What do you think of the book warehouse? What books would you look for?

Come back next week for more bookish news, new releases on Tuesday and of course First Line Friday... Happy Reading, Suzanne

First Lines Friday... This One Comes With a Body Count 💋🔪

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:30:00 +0000

I just love those Scream movies and when I read about this book, this was the first thing I thought about and just HAD to read it!

Would you keep reading after these First Lines?

How to Kill a guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson... When Jamie Prescott and her best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event, Jamie expects to meet a roster of mediocre men and indulge in some street food afterwards. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at their table during a blackout. After the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a slasher, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As the night progresses and Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she begins to suspect they are committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn them into a real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has other plans, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other survivors. Will she make it through the bloodshed to find her Happily Ever After? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another ending in mind?

Published by Gallery Books this past February, and available at your favorite book store now! I recently received a digital copy of this book to read and review! Thank you Gallery Books! I am so looking forward to reading it!! Keep your eyes out for my review coming soon...

Happy National Poetry Month!... Who Are Your Favorite Poets or Poems?

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Happy National Poetry Month!

April is National Poetry Month! And I've been so busy, I haven't even talked about it yet! Here is a photo of some of my favorite poetry books too. I have them lying around the house to be picked up and enjoyed whenever the mood strikes.

In general, I think people have a love/hate relationship with poetry. Either you enjoy it or you can't be bothered. There are all kinds of poetry, from Shakespeare's sonnets to more contemporary written poems, such as by poet Billy Collins... there are free verse, Rhymed, Epics, Lyrical, Haiku, Blank verse...

Though I do enjoy reading the Romantics of the late 18th and early 19th century, my favorite poets are from the 20th and 21st century. Let me share some of my favorite poets today...

Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Donald Hall, Jo Harjo, Nikki Giovanni, Seamus Heaney, Wistawa Szymborska, Marge Piercy, Tracy K. Smith, Julia Hartwig, Jane Kenyon, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Federico García Lorca, and Donna Marie Merritt. (Donna is a CT poet who was gracious enough to come to my book club for a night of poetry and her poetry is wonderful!)

This week while looking at new book releases I came upon a newly released book of poetry called Size of Your Joy: Poems by Elise Powers. I found her website, sampled some of her poetry( you should too!) and really liked it… and ordered her new poetry book to add to my growing collection. (Look for a review of her book too!).

Some poetry collections that I like... Good Poems by Garrison Keillor, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey through Poems by Caroline Kennedy, and Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy.

But, how do you pick out a book of poetry? You open up one and read a poem or two.. maybe more. To get a feel for the poem and the poet... Does it speak to you? Can you relate to its' subject matter? Do you just like it?

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE POETRY BOOKS?

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE POEMS?

MORE New Released Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:13:00 +0000

I had these new books pop into my inbox today and just HAD to share them with you! So, part 2 of New Release Tuesday with 3 books Definitely on my radar & wishlist!

Somewhere Soft to Land by Kai Alonte... In this crackling portrayal of friendship in peril, a young woman’s world is upended when a tragedy in her best friend’s life tests the boundaries of their sisterhood. Published by Ballantine Books.

Omg, this sounds so good! I love women friendship stories!

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The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Susan and James Patterson... Old friends. New secrets. A dreamy Lake Como reunion turns emotional as a mother-daughter book club reconnects—where late-night confessions, long-held tensions, and unexpected revelations prove some stories hit closer to home than any book. Published by Little, Brown & Co.

I thought this sounded like such a wonderful book for Book Clubs! And again, a women's friendship kind of read.

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The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer... a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined. Published by Atria/Emily Best Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

This one sounds delicious!

What's on your radar this week?

What new books are you excited for?

#Bookstagram #Atriabooks #Littlebrownandco #Ballantinebooks #pubday

Kindle Deal for You... But Hurry... The Witch by Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:22:00 +0000

The Witch by Freida McFadden...
When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family's sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she's there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she's hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.

Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her.

Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia's bedroom door.

As Julia digs into the house's dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692―and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent.

Have you read author Freida McFadden? What do you think of her novels? I wanted to read The Housemaid BEFORE seeing the film, but I haven't had time to get to it, so it's still in my TBR pile.

I happened to come across her new book coming in October 6th, and it sounded really good. I love a good "ghost story". If you want to grab the pre-order Kindle book, it's only $4.99! (Do it quick because you never know when those prices will change).

I'm also looking forward to the cover reveal! I can never resist a pretty cover 😊

Published by Poisoned Pen Press (an imprint of Sourcebooks) and out on the shelves of your favorite bookseller Oct. 6, 2026!

#newbook #Kindle #Bookstagram #poisonedpenpress #bookrecommendations