Chick with Books

Happy Easter! Enjoy this Timeless Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0000

This Easter Sunday, enjoy a reading of Peter Rabbit. Although Peter is not an Easter Bunny and Easter is much more the Easter Bunny coming to visit, I think of Peter as the most famous bunny of them all, and this story is a classic...

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a classic children's book by Beatrix Potter about a mischievous rabbit who disobeys his mother and sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden, leading to a frantic chase and narrow escape. Written and illustrated by Potter, it was first published in 1902 and has since become one of the best-selling books in history, known for its cautionary tale about misbehavior and its charming illustrations.

We are taking a break from our regular Sunday Salon posts to enjoy Easter with my family and hope you are too. Next week, back to our regular Sunday Salon with lots of great books to discover. Happy Easter!

Listening to this Curmudgeonly Old Lady...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:21:00 +0000

I just downloaded the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio! I'm already hooked! The narration is great, l'm loving snarky Mabel and I can't wait to see where the story goes...

Originally I was thinking Mad Mabel was the female version of A Man Called Ove, but I think Mabel has a lot more to her than just being a curmudgeon... I think she's got some secrets buried somewhere...

Book and audiobook coming April 21st! Stay tuned for a review soon...

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the Advanced copy of the audiobook!

First Lines Friday... And This One You May Lose Your Head Over!

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

"Anne opened her eyes to darkness. And wood. Her face was pressed into the wood. And the left side of her body. She realize fabric as well. A thin fabric that covered her. Linen, she thought, from the smell of it--like wet grass--and the way the air moved through it. Just slightly, for the air here was very still. The linen was wet and sticky. "

Omg, the premise of this book just had me from the start! Hours after Anne Boyleyn is beheaded for not giving Henry VIII a male heir, she wakes up in a wooden box. She escapes, sews her head back on and begins a quest to kill Henry before he can marry Jane Seymour, who is carrying the child that will oust Anne Boyleyns daughter's claim to the throne. While she is plotting to do all this, she is posing as a commoner, something of a eye opener to her. Yes, this sounds like fun!

Would you keep reading after the first few lines?

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann was published by Crown a division of Penguin Random House on March 24th.

Indie Next Pick for April... and You Don't Want to Miss This One!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

I love finding out what the Indie Next pick is every month! Do you know what the Indie Next pick is? It is the book picked from "the top nominations from independent booksellers across the country, showcasing the best of the best debuts and new releases in all categories and genres."

This month is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke and let me tell you it is a "OMG, really?!" read. You just have to read it! In January I reviewed Yesteryear, you can read it by following this link. I loved it, and was so happy I was able to get an early review copy from the publisher, Penguin Random House!

Here's the blurb from the publisher...

A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

Mark your calendars for April 7th because that's when you can find Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke at your favorite local bookstore!

And if you'd like to find all the nominees for this month's Indie Next pick, you can find them on the American Booksellers Association website.

New Release Tuesday: Magic, Destiny & Rising Stars You Need Now

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

New Books Tuesday...

There are always new books coming out, and today, these are my top choices of what you need to be grabbing to read this week...

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews... When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will in a cataclysmic war.

For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.

I Love this premise! What would you do if you wound up in your favorite book? Oh and THAT COVER!! I think it is gorgeous! I received a DRC of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews from Tor Publishing so keep your eye out for my review!

American Han by Lisa Lee... Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s, Jane Kim and her brother, Kevin, dutifully embodied the model minority myth as their parents demanded: both stellar tennis players and academically gifted, they worked hard to make their parents proud. Jane went on to law school. Kevin came close to becoming a professional tennis player.

But where they started is nowhere near where they have ended up: Jane has stopped going to her law school classes, and Kevin, now a policeman, has become increasingly distant. Their parents, each on their own path toward the elusive American Dream (their mother hell-bent on having the perfect house and the perfect family, their father obsessed with working his way up from one successful business to the next), don’t want to see the family unraveling. When Kevin goes missing, no one recognizes his absence as the warning sign it is until it erupts, forcing them all to come to terms with their past and present selves in a country that isn’t all it promised it would be.

Both deeply serious and wickedly funny, American Han is a profound story about striving and assimilation, difficult love, and family fidelity. A searing portrait that challenges assumptions about the immigrant experience, Lisa Lee’s debut introduces a powerful new voice on the literary landscape.

I love these family stories, and I am looking forward to reading this. Another book with great potential! I received a DRC (digital review copy) from Algonquin Book to read and review this week. Thank you!

Starside by Alex Aster... Hundreds of years ago, a brutal war split a land in two. Starside is the realm of magic and immortals—the descendants of the gods, living in a power-rich paradise. Stormside is where mortals fight for scraps of that magic.

Every fifty years, the gates between them open, and fifty challengers are allowed to journey across Starside on a deadly quest to access a pool of magic that can heal, grant wealth, or extend life. Everyone has their reasons for entering, but Aris has only one: vengeance. As a child, a goddess set fire to her village, killing her family. Aris isn’t after the gods’ magic—she’s going to kill them.

First, she must survive the Culling, the king’s deadly competition to choose his fifty challengers. An orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice, Aris doesn’t have the superior weapons of the heirs from the Great Houses. But the greatest swords—ones that contain power—are not inherited or bought, they are claimed, by both sides. And when Aris claims a great sword, it makes her not just a real competitor—but a target.

Getting past the gates is only the beginning. Starside is deadlier than it seems. If the ancient creatures, magic-wielding beasts, and bloodthirsty immortals weren’t dangerous enough, a new peril has even immortals fearing what rises from the ground at night. With a blade most would kill to claim, Aris can’t trust anyone. Especially not Harlan Raker, the merciless and mysterious king’s guard who betrayed her years ago—and who may now be the key to her survival.

But Aris is hiding a secret tied to her family’s death. And when it’s revealed, not even the gods will be able to stop what’s coming…

Up for a bit of Romantasy?! I have heard so many early reviewers loving this. On my wishlist and published by Avon.

Other books out this week include Game On by Navessa Allen, the #3 in a addictive trilogy all over the internet, The Keeper by Tana French, A Spell for Saints and Sinners by Emily Carpenter, and In the Great Quiet by Laura Vogt.

What new books are you looking forward to?

Memoir Monday... and Let's Hear it for the Girls!

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

Every celebrity has a story... or at least it seems that way. because there are so many memoirs written by them. I tend to shy away from them because I'm just not that into them. There are exceptions, but for the most part, if you are a actor or actress I may glance at your book, but... Today, I thought I would highlight 3 women of "my age". Relatively new books by the girls that were on TV during my "formative" years. Yes, they were girls back then (my age and in the spotlight) and I watched them on sitcoms or dramas. Here we are 30 plus years later and what seems a lifetime...

You With The Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate... from Kirkus Reviews: Applegate, who starred in Married…With Children and Dead to Me, among other television shows and movies, is now in her 50s and largely confined to her bed by multiple sclerosis. Applegate grew up, she says, in a Laurel Canyon home, in Los Angeles, that was “abusive and scary and awful.” Her father left the family when she was young, her mother became addicted to heroin and involved with men who were abusive to both her and her daughter, and Applegate became the family’s main breadwinner, working on radio commercials and television shows from the time she was 5. Acting, she says, saved her, providing structure for a life that could easily have gone thoroughly off the rails and left her “dead for sure.” But readers looking for anecdotes and insights into the projects the actress worked on won’t find them here. She regards the actors with whom she shared years of work, especially those from Married…With Children, with respect and gratitude, yet she doesn’t reveal much about them, instead concentrating on the details of a long series of excruciatingly bad romantic relationships with controlling men. Much of the memoir is backed up by long, emotionally raw passages from the diaries that Applegate kept for decades, where in her adolescence she castigates herself for being “a fat blob.” Later on, she tries to convince herself that whatever man she is with at a given time is the right one for her: “The jealousy. The rage. It all stems from love, passion, fear I suppose.” This is an admirably cathartic project, with a few tiny glimmers of hope, if not one that the casual reader is likely to pick up for fun.

In my early 20's I watched Married...With Children. I vaguely remember it being after work around dinner time. Christina Applegate was the dumb blonde, doing comedy and one liners. I hadn't really paid much attention to her career, but there she was one day talking about her fight with MS. OMG! How awful for a beautiful young actress. I would like to read her memoir, just to be able to catch up on her life.

Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli... from Kirkus Reviews: A book that urges self-acceptance in the face of adversity. Actor Bertinelli (One Day at a Time, Touched by an Angel) previously shared her life story in a memoir, Enough Already (2022). Her latest book is less autobiography and more self-help, a collection of her thoughts on aging and everything—good and bad—that comes with it. She begins by reflecting on a downturn in her life: “My second marriage was over and proceeding through the cesspool of legalese that results in divorce. Every day was a boxing lesson in which I felt like I was the punching bag. My Emmy-winning cooking series was canceled.” The following chapters detail her journey to self-acceptance, with recollections including her first hot flash (She “felt like a slab of meat on the grill at El Pollo Loco”) and having her breast implants removed, which led to scary infection. One lovely chapter describes an impromptu skinny-dipping session at her home: “Tonight, I flippered through the water and felt…good….What a revelation. To be comfortable in my own skin.” She writes about her former obsession with her weight—she was a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, a decision she now seems to regret, writing, “I look back now and cringe when I think about being part of the obsessed diet culture and industry. I probably did more harm than good.” Bertinelli is refreshingly open in this book: She owns up to her past vanity and writes candidly about topics, including menopause, divorce, and her experience as a survivor of child sexual abuse. She is delightfully self-deprecating, at one point acknowledging straying from her point: “Why did I get on this tangent? It’s just me. I go on tangents. I could open a store, Tangents-R-Me.” But there’s no self-hatred here: It’s all love, acceptance, and internal beauty. Hopeful, sweet, and very charming.

I remember Valerie from One Day at a Time. I don't even remember where or what time in my life I watched that show, but I remember watching it. What I think I remember most about Valerie is she married Eddie Van Halen. OMG! Good girl marries bad boy! And the heart crushing divorce after over 20 years! I guess I kind of grew up with Valerie, she was about a year older than me. On my TBR list...

You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It by Lisa Rinna... from Kirkus Reviews: The former reality TV star tells all—and then some. In this revealing and dishy memoir, Rinna leads with intense family trauma, describing the tragic losses of her beloved mother, Lois, from a stroke in 2021, as well as intimately detailing her father’s assisted suicide and her half-sister’s accidental overdose at age 21. Rinna attributes her Season 12 departure from Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to the immense grief and repressed anger she was processing while trying to film episodes for the series and keep her composure intact. Her on-camera appearances became rage-filled and volatile; she posted about them on social media, and they collectively drove home the fact that her relationship with the Real Housewives franchise has always been complicated. Rinna’s juicy ordeals with Bravo form the simmering centerpieces of the book, giving fans what they want most, despite the author’s attempts to dispense early-career highlights or perspectives on how she lost her mojo in her 30s but regained her power in her 40s and beyond. She never skimps on the scandalous when describing the “enemy territory” toxic atmosphere of a Housewives reunion, her resignation from Bravo at age 60, or warning then-newcomer Erika Jayne that “Bravo is the casino, we’re the players, and the house always wins.” Incorporating plenty of sass, hype, personality, and unflinching honesty, Rinna presents a smoothly written, satisfying combination of intimate anecdotes and family stories, commentaries about aging and cosmetic preservation in Hollywood, female friendship dynamics, motherhood, marriage to Harry Hamlin, fashion, and “the ongoing evolution of being a woman.” Then she gleefully circles back to the melodramatic “blood sport” dustups on the series, a subject she reliably depicts with brio. Whirlwind Bravo buzz delivered with brazen attitude...

I Remember Lisa Rinna from Melrose Place. After that, I really didn't see her again. And I have never watched any of the "Real Housewives" of anywhere. But here she is, girl of the 80s, a little younger than me and talk about drama. Her life seems like drama. And if you enjoy those Real Housewives, this book would be for you.

After thinking about all these celebrity "actress" girl memoirs, I have enjoyed quite a few memoirs from women in or around the music industry. Lets talk about those memoirs next!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... I Can't Resist a Good Book, Can You?!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 29 Mar 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!

It's been a beautiful week in South Carolina, with the weather slowly getting warmer (maybe even a bit too warm on Friday when it hit 86!). My seed snails have actually grown this week! So, I have some Mortgage Lifter and Roma tomatoe's and Garden Beans. I'll be hardening them to the outside beginning next week. In the meantime, I'm going to open the seed snails up and add some more dirt and make those new roots happy! And speaking of happy... I picked up some great books this week! Let's talk about them...

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann... From Goodreads: Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously in an arrow chest, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for not being able to give him a male heir, reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, and executed based on trumped-up charges, Anne escapes the tower, sews her head back on, and sets out on a quest for vengeance. Traveling in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute, Anne navigates the London streets she never before walked and soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world. If Kelly Link had teamed up with Hilary Mantel, the result might be The Beheading Game. An epic journey through the wilds of British royal history and a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished, The Beheading Game finally allows one of history’s most maligned women a chance to tell her side of the story.

How can you resist a girl who gets beheaded, but picks herself up again (literally) and continues on?! I don't even remember how I found this book, but it just sounds like such a fun read. Of course not the beheading part, but when Anne Boleyn with such determination, picks herself up, sews her head back on and goes on a path of revenge, you just have to admire her. And so, I am looking forward to reading this. I read the first few chapters and really liked Rebecca Lehmann's writing. Published by Crown Publishing March 24th.

Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe...
Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching. The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence. The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed. Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling. Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested. Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

I have been hearing about this book for months. Every booktok person has Daggermouth on their must read list. Originally self-published by the author, H.M. Wolfe, it has recently been picked up by Simon & Schuster's new adult imprint, Scarlett Press, and will have a beautiful special edition published July 28th. I happen to find a copy (it's hard to find now) and am looking forward to reading it now! I love the story of the book going viral and H.M. Wolfe getting a 7 figure book deal. Reading thru some of the instagram posts about the book as it was getting attention, it was available as an ebook for .99 cents! So, will be published by Scarlett Press on July 28th.

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez... A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.

I resisted this book as long as I could until I read a Kirkus review that gave it a starred review. I like reading Kirkus and usually their starred reviews are really good recommendations. When I saw that The Night We Met got a Kirkus star I caved. Why did I resist? I've recently read Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood and I am part way thru And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison (March's Indie Next Pick). I think of these as light fun romances and I'm thinking that The Night We Met falls into this category too. It's not my "normal" read (even though I've read 2 in a row so far) So, this is now in my TBR list and we will have 3 light romances under my belt for this year. Published by Forever March 24th.

Weekly Round Up... follow the links to read more!

Monday Memoir... One Woman's Quest to Find Her Soulmate and Finding Herself in the Process.

Tuesday's New Book Releases... It was Crows, Crones & Fate: This Week’s Most Spellbinding New Releases on Tuesday.

Spring Book Sale... Did you catch the Spring Book Sale that Target was having! For one day, Target was having a buy 2, get 1 Free sale and even with Amazon pricing, you couldn't beat Target. I ordered quite a few books (OMG!)... then I saw that Amazon was having a similar sale. I posted about the sale on my Facebook and Instagram pages, so if you don't follow me on one of them, you should (for next time 😄).

First Lines Friday... This book is suppose to be an ugly cry read!!

First Lines Friday... "Clara Kip had prayed..."

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

"Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in Sao Paulo. It truly seemed the smallest of requests. People died in Brazil every day. What was one more? Especially one who had dreamed of the country most of her life.

The Lord, however, gave her Kansas..."

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Burnsvold

Someone recommended this book if I wanted to "Ugly Cry". Do I want to ugly cry? The last book that I ugly cried was The Fault in Your Stars by John Green (OMG!). But usually ugly cries translate into "great" reads. Reads that grab you and break your heart. I read a little bit of the beginning of the book and the Goodreads blurb and think this might really be a good read, we'll have to see about the ugly cry part.

Here's the Goodreads blurb: Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care. But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her—but she’s going to have to work for it.

Would reading the first lines make you want to read more?

This was the debut novel of Sara Brunsvold, a contemporary Christian fiction writer who has written 3 more books since The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, published in 2022 by Revell.

TODAY ONLY!! Book sale...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:08:00 +0000

Hey Book Lovers! Want to save some money on those books in your Wishlist?! Target is having their Spring sale and a lot of books are buy 2 get 1 free... but ONLY TODAY! Get on over to Target to check them out! Look for the deal under the book information to make sure the books you want are included. The key is to buy 3 books at a time! Good luck and have fun filling those TBR lists!

New Book Tuesday... Crows, Crones & Fate: This Week’s Most Spellbinding New Releases

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:11:00 +0000

New Book Tuesday!

These are new books released today!

Grab your bookmarks—here are four heavy hitters hitting shelves this morning:

(Psst... and you're going to want to add all of these to your TBR list NOW!)

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence...
The survivor of a brutal academy must exhume her own past in the first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of the Library Trilogy and the Broken Empire series. Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.

The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies—known as the kindly ones—against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge. The Academy’s halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws. Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue … she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman’s doorstep... That was a mistake.

I thought this book cover was stunning! And it was what initially attracted me to this book. But further reading about Daughter of Crows made me put it in my cart. Doesn't it sound like a delicious read, with women trained in the arts and one of those women with years of hard fought wisdom back in the game. On my TBR list. Published by Ace.

The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss... Welcome to Baines Creek, a humble hamlet hidden deep in Appalachia, where the last one-room schoolhouse in North Carolina is on the brink of closing. It's summer 1980, and teacher Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years. A skeptic at heart, she rejects mountain superstition and Appalachian folklore, much to the disappointment of Birdie Rocas, a powerful and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet, as Kate prepares to leave, a sudden death, a shocking request, and a legacy that spans centuries throw her into a world that overwhelms her.

Enter Lydia Brown, a psychic with a curious birthmark whose visions stopped when she needed them most. Grief-stricken without her gift, and desperate for spiritual guidance, she travels to Baines Creek in search of Birdie and the answers she might provide. The third novel by acclaimed author Leah Weiss, The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow is the tale of a powerful crone, two women cut from the cloth of loss, and a secret sisterhood of empowerment that may be the key to healing them all. On my TBR list. Published by Sourcebooks Landmark.

I love a good Appalachia story setting! This is on my TBR list!

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict... In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert―daughter of Lord Carnarvon―whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt’s lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary―and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut’s secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father’s legacy―or forge her own.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever.

Marie Benedict is well known for her historical fiction. I have yet to read any of her books though. This sounds like a great read and I think it's time I do read her! I also love the idea of 2 storylines 3000 years apart! On my TBR list. Published by St. Martin's Press.

The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore... A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust when an exiled Romanov princess and her brother come to her seeking answers about a decades-old mystery… Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele. Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for knowledge about the disappearance of their father, the exiled Grand Duke, cousin of the last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death. As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening the home and tearoom Zina and her grandmother have worked so hard to build, not to mention their very lives.

What can I say... An exiled Romanov princess, a fortune teller, and Paris in the 20's... all the elements of a great story! On my wishlist. Published by Berkley.

What are you putting on your TBR list?

Memoir Monday... One Woman's Quest to Find Her Soulmate and Finding Herself in the Process

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Soulmate Strategy by Corey Seemiller... from Kirkus: Seemiller’s memoir charts her search for healing following the end of a romantic relationship.

In this work, the author explores themes of self-discovery and emotional resilience, using her own heartbreak as a focal point. Structured in four parts (“Getting Up,” “Getting Out,” “Getting Through,” and “Getting On”), the book covers a year in Seemiller’s life. Beginning with the first days after a breakup, the narrative takes readers through the author’s changing reactions, from pain and raw emotion to much more reflective understandings of love, attachment, and, self-worth. The book’s introduction, “Naked and Afraid,” finds Seemiller at a chaotic pool party: “Maybe spending the Fourth of July at a lesbian pool party I found online wasn’t the best idea,” she writes. From there, the author continues along the recovery path. Readers are taken on an emotional and humorous ride as Seemiller examines her fear of failure and her drive to find meaning beyond romantic validation. The author’s reflections are not limited to her romantic life—topics such as her parents’ troubled marriage and her experiences as a single mother allow her to address generational and psychological patterns that shaped her and others close to her. By the time Seemiller reaches the final section, readers will notice a transformation: Instead of looking for a new soulmate, Seemiller has learned to become emotionally whole on her own. The author’s voice—articulate yet unpretentious, self-aware but not self-pitying (and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny)—elevates this book above the typical memoir. Seemiller at times writes with the insight of a psychologist, and at others with the warmth of a friend; readers who have found themselves lost in the aftermath of a lost love will find themselves in her story (the author has a knack for making even ultra-personal confessions entirely relatable). Ultimately, Seemiller delivers a compelling account of grief and growth, demonstrating that even the most painful endings can lead to profound self-discovery and, perhaps, a new kind of love.

A frank and compelling memoir full of emotional wisdom.

I frequently read Kirkus reviews for interesting books. The Soulmate Strategy popped up and after I read the Kirkus review I read the first preview chapters to get a "feel" for the writing. Well, any woman who goes to a lesbian pool party to soothe her broken heart has my attention straight off (no pun intended). And as I read along, I really liked Corey Seemiller's writing style and sense of humor. I didn't realize that Corey Seemiller was a lesbian, and why should I? Heart break and healing is universal. Kirkus never mentions her sexual orientation once. But, Amazon did. And I felt a bit angry about that. Why should that matter? In any case, Dr. Corey Seemiller is a leadership educator, life coach and a relationship coach. (I'm curious if the last title happened after the breakup). The Soulmate Strategy is on my wishlist and TBR list. Published by She Writes Press this past February 2026.

The Sunday Salon and... The Women Behind the Legends: 3 Stories History Almost Let Slip Away.

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:04:00 +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 another crazy week weather wise in South Carolina this week. A few days of 70 degree weather and then back to the cold 40's. I finally DID plant those seed snails this week! I have been misting them daily and babying them like my first borns. I'll keep you updated on their progress and see if they actually sprout. In the meantime, let's talk about March...

March is Women's History Month, which honors the contributions of women to American history, society, and culture. I’m especially drawn to stories that reimagine these women with vivid detail—pulling us into their worlds in a way that is imaginative, but still honoring the truth of their lives.

There’s something irresistible about stepping into the margins of history—the quiet spaces where women lived, loved, created, and endured… often just out of frame. The ones who inspired greatness, shaped legacies, or carried brilliance of their own, yet somehow didn’t get top billing.

This Women’s History Month, I’m leaning into the stories that rewrite the narrative.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain... Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

I love Paula McLain. She knows how to unbury the lives of forgotten women and give us fresh ways to see them. In The Paris Wife, we meet Hadley Richardson—not just as Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, but as a woman navigating love, loss, and ambition in the glittering chaos of 1920s Paris. (Paula McLain also wrote one of my favorite books, Circling the Sun, about the incredible life of Beryl Markham. Another women left behind in history, and a book I reviewed back in 2016.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan... At the age of thirty-five, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne has left her philandering husband in San Francisco to set sail for Belgium—with her three children and nanny in tow—to study art. It is a chance for this adventurous woman to start over, to make a better life for all of them, and to pursue her own desires. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her children repair to a quiet artists’ colony in France where she can recuperate. Emerging from a deep sorrow, she meets a lively Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who falls instantly in love with the earthy, independent, and opinionated “belle Americaine.”

Fanny does not immediately take to the slender young lawyer who longs to devote his life to writing—and who would eventually pen such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson’s charms, and the two begin a fierce love affair—marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness—that spans the decades and the globe. The shared life of these two strong-willed individuals unfolds into an adventure as impassioned and unpredictable as any of Stevenson’s own unforgettable tales.

Another brilliant writer and one of my favorite authors, Nancy Horan also breathes life into the women behind the curtain. In Under the Wide and Starry Sky, Fanny Stevenson refuses to be a footnote, living a bold, unconventional life that spans continents and defies expectations. I loved this book and reviewed in back in 2014. Read my review! (Another wonderful read by Nancy Horan is Loving Frank, about Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright).

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray... In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

I have had this in my TBR pile for a long time. It's the perfect time for me to crack the spine during Women's History Month. Belle is another strong and powerful woman who secretly smashes the roof off of the racism that surrounded her.

These novels don’t just revisit history—they reclaim it, placing women firmly at the center of stories that were never meant to orbit someone else.

Let’s step behind the spotlight for a moment… because that’s where some of the most fascinating stories begin.

Are You Reading Anything Special Because of Women's History Month?

Other great books to consider for Women's History Month (and just for a great read)... The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, A Million Nightingales by Susan Straight, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Women by Kristin Hannah.

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Weekly Wrap-Up...

Memoir Monday... A Daughter Looks Back on the Woman Who Changed Everything.

Book Release Tuesday... Love, Lies and Larceny: 3 Books Everyone will Be Talking About.

First Lines Friday... Does a Dystopian Love Triangle Sound like Fun?

Book Review... Rivals, Romance and a Whole Lot of Heat: Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood. I really liked this book, check out my review to see if it's something that you'll like too. One of Library Loot books this year.

Have you added to your TBR list from my post today?! I hope you've found some great reads! What are you reading this week? Share your bookish finds right here!

Rivals, Romance, and a Whole Lot of Heat: Two Can Play Delivers... and Here's My Review

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 19:10:00 +0000

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a sharp, playful spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope that leans fully into its flirty chaos—and has a great time doing it.

Set in the high-stakes world of video game development, the story follows Viola and Jesse, rival designers from competing companies forced into an uneasy alliance. Their task? Collaborate on a major adaptation of a beloved book they both care deeply about. What starts as professional tension quickly reveals deeper layers—years of crossed wires, lingering grudges, and just enough unresolved history to make every interaction crackle.

Ali Hazelwood builds the chemistry with a steady hand, letting the friction simmer before dropping her characters into a snow-covered retreat where being so close to one another turns the temperature up. Old assumptions begin to thaw, walls come down, and—fair warning—the sparks don’t just fly, they IGNITE! Forget about G rating this romance!

At novella length, it’s a quick, satisfying read that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Viola, in particular, carries the story with her drive, vulnerability, and sharp edges, making her an easy character to root for from page one.

If you’re in the mood for something fast, fun, and a little steamy with a nerdy twist, Two Can Play absolutely delivers.

Published by Berkley in February 2026, you can find this book in your FLBS now!

First Lines Friday... Does a Dystopian Love Triangle Sound like Fun?

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

A Hologram filled the center of my office with a painting. Simple, small. Just a woman, a hint of a smile on her face.

As usual, I was alone in the Ancient Art section of the Archives, buried deep underground. My job was to destroy, piece by piece, the remnants of the world ancient humans had laid waste to in the Last War. Elsewhere in the Archives, my friend Lo sat in the Books section, and there were others who sorted ancient tools, documents, and relics from before the war. Our screens dictated what was saved, reassigned, or --like this one--destroyed. A push of a button, and the ties to the past disappear.

We meet our "heroine" in a dusty old basement, showing us how times have changed. Dystopian? Check. But there's much more to this book... Further reading the book we find romance (in a twisted dystopian way), a love triangle and maybe a bit of a rebellion under the surface? This had me at the Mona Lisa. Then at dystopian (I can never resist a good dystopian story)... and I have it on my TBR list.

Would the first lines of this book make you want to read it?

Conform by Ariel Sullivan was published by Ballantine Books in October 2025.

It's the Luck of the Irish... 🍀 Love, Lies & Larceny: The 3 New Books Everyone Will Be Talking About Today

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:10:00 +0000

New Book Tuesday!

These are new books released today!

Grab your bookmarks—here are the three heavy hitters hitting shelves this morning:

(Psst... and you're going to want to add all of these to your TBR list NOW!)

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Bloodlust by Sandra Brown... Sandra Brown delivers a new signature sexy suspense about a detective seeking justice for his murdered wife with the help of a psychotherapist … while fighting an undeniable attraction to her.

Two years ago, Detective Mitch Haskell lost his wife to a vicious act of retribution, and has since attributed her murder to two men: Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz. Malone, a ruthless executioner and drug dealer who fronts as a restaurant owner, neutralizes so cleanly that he doesn’t leave a trace. And he performs his handiwork at the biddings of Oz, the faceless kingpin of a drug trafficking operation whose name alone evokes terror.

Obsessively vowing to avenge his late wife’s murder, Mitch has been on a downward spiral, jeopardizing his closest relationships and drinking excessively to numb his pain. After going one step too far, Detective John Bowie, his former best friend and now his boss, has forced Mitch to get therapy to sort himself out.

Dr. Dylan Reede is immediately empathetic to the pain she senses beneath Mitch’s cavalier attitude and wisecracking. She’s determined to make the most of his mandated sessions. But from the moment Mitch breezes into her office, Dylan finds it a struggle to maintain the professional and personal boundaries that keep her own tragic past at a safe distance.

As Mitch begins to close in on Oz and Malone’s operation, they’re prepared to stop him by any means necessary. And when it’s revealed that Dylan might hold the key to bringing them to justice, Mitch and Dylan’s irresistible attraction to each other may not only compromise both of them professionally, but place them in Oz’s bullseye.

I am always up for a new Sandra Brown novel! Her writing is outstanding with wonderful gritty characters and twisty plots.

Published by Grand Central Publishing

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Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg... A warm, intimate novel that reminds us of the richness that can be found all throughout our lives.

As ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will. But as it goes on, telling surprising stories about those “little” things Flo will leave behind (What could possibly be the worth of a rubber band kept in a matchbox tied up in red ribbon?), an unforgettable portrait of the life she has lived emerges.

The letter starts off as an autobiography in things, but it turns out to do much more than that: ultimately, it will transform Flo and those around her. In the time she has left, Flo decides to take herself up on tiny dares. She encourages Ruthie to reconsider her impending divorce by sharing a startling, long-buried secret about her own perfect-seeming marriage. Flo has never had a pedicure before now, and as long as she's going to a beauty parlor, she arranges to have a blue streak put in her hair, too. And as these adventures lead her to make new friends, Flo helps them, too, find the fulfillment that living a full life has led her to understand.

Full of Elizabeth Berg's characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: A Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you're alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow.

I just saw that Elizabeth Berg had a new novel and had to check it out. WOW! This sounds like such a great read! I read a sample of it and OMG! The sample starts out with a letter, and then ANOTHER letter! With the crush of epistolary reads out these days, I LOVE that Elizabeth Berg includes these in Life: A Love Story! I love epistolary novels! I hope there are lots more in her novel and I can't wait to read this! On My TBR list and Wishlist!!

Published by Random House

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Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson... Ten heists. Ten suspects. A murder mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve in this delightfully clever and twisty new novel in Benjamin Stevenson’s bestselling series.

I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.

The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, everyone is a suspect.

THE BANK ROBBER

THE MANAGER

THE SECURITY GUARD

THE KID

THE FILM PRODUCER

THE PRIEST

THE RECEPTIONIST

THE PATIENT

THE CAREGIVER

Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.

Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us.

This is a first for me... first Benjamin Stevenson book and first Ernest Cunningham detective novel. Lots of rave reviews on these books, and I want to read one now! A fun play on your "traditional" murder mystery. Benjamin Stevenson is a comedian and writer, which may give us a hint as to how these are written.

Published by Mariner Books

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What new books are on your radar?

Hope you found something interesting here today! All these books look like great reads!

Memoir Monday... A Daughter Looks Back at the Woman Who Changed Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:10:00 +0000

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy... "A raw and deeply moving memoir from the legendary author of The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness that traces the complex relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, a fierce and formidable force who shaped Arundhati’s life both as a woman and a writer.

Mother Mary Comes to Me, Arundhati Roy’s first work of memoir, is a soaring account, both intimate and inspirational, of how the author became the person and the writer she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all by her complex relationship to the extraordinary, singular mother she describes as “my shelter and my storm.”

“Heart-smashed” by her mother Mary’s death in September 2022 yet puzzled and “more than a little ashamed” by the intensity of her response, Roy began to write, to make sense of her feelings about the mother she ran from at age eighteen, “not because I didn’t love her, but in order to be able to continue to love her.” And so begins this astonishing, sometimes disturbing, and surprisingly funny memoir of the author’s journey from her childhood in Kerala, India, where her single mother founded a school, to the writing of her prizewinning novels and essays, through today.

With the scale, sweep, and depth of her novels, The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and the passion, political clarity, and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace—a memoir like no other".... From Goodreads

I first was drawn to Arundhati Roy's memoir by the haunting photograph on the cover. Reading more about the book, I realized that "Mother Mary" was a reference to Arundhati's own mother and the complex relationship she had with her. In her Booker Prize winning novel (1997), The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy brings us into her "fictional" India, but here we learn of her real life in India. On my wishlist, and thinking now of re-reading The God of Small Things too (which I just saw was $1.99 on Kindle today)

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy published by Scribner, Sept. 2025

The Sunday Salon... and The Dangers of Bookstores (for me?)

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 15 Mar 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!

Well Summer peeked from around the corner this week with 80 degree weather for a few days before we were back in the 60's. It was a busy week too, and those gorgeous days slipped by without me making those seed snails I talked about last week, but as long as today stays nice out, those seeds will be planted! But about this past week...

For those of you who don't know, I live in a rural part of South Carolina and the "Big City" is about 45 minutes away. So this week I had to go to the "Big City" to get a new charger for my new cell phone (I forget that those things don't come with the phone anymore), and when pulling out of the parking lot of where I had to get the charger, you can only make a right hand turn, so I have to basically turn around to get back home... well, turning around means pulling into the next parking lot down the road, and in that parking lot is.... Books a Million. My excuse for going to a bookstore this week ( I couldn't help it?!?)

I am dangerous in a bookstore. I'm sure if you're reading this, the bookstore is a dangerous place for you too! I love walking around and looking at all the books. I ,of course, always end up taking books home with me. It's dangerous for me to actually be able to open the books, feel those silky pages under my fingers, read a little. This also causes me to pick up books I would never look at otherwise and sometimes that means they go in the basket... Here are 3 books that went in the basket...

I Medusa by Ayana Gray... Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents—both gods, albeit minor ones—she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. When her locs are transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity—not as a victim, but as a vigilante—and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

I have seen this book everywhere lately. I didn't even give it a second look because I know the mythology behind Medusa and didn't have much faith that whoever wrote it would make it interesting and "original"... but then I walked into the bookstore and there it was, and I opened it up, and started reading... I wasn't even going to open it, but I decided I should while I was able to read parts of it in the actual book... Omg, Ayana Gray had me at "Meddy"! I read the beginning where Medusa is the horror that she is and she turns someone to stone (he really deserved it), and then the story pivots to her as a young innocent girl that she was at one time-- Meddy. Ayana really made Medusa come to life off of those pages and I was hooked. So, in the basket it went. Published by Random House last November... on to the next book...

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman... You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

I had seen Matt Dinniman's other book, Operation Bounce House, everywhere too. Published by Ace Publishing this past February, it's been getting lots of press. Another book I was meh about, but now that it was looking right at me, I had to pick it up. So, I started reading and I liked Matt's writing. The story seemed really good too. Not my usual genre, but I was interested. Right next to that book was a bunch of Matt's other books in a series referred to as the Dungeon Crawler series. There are 8 books, so far, in that series and I opened up the first book in the series...alright, how can I resist a sci-fi adventure with a cat. Especially a cat named Princess Donut. In the basket this book went... I resisted putting Operation Bounce House in the basket because I wanted to read this book first to make sure my love would go beyond Princess Donut. Okay, next book...

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao... Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House―where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. . with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death.

First of all this book is beautiful, which is why I just had to pick it up. Gilded edges and book art inside just made my heart sing. Of course the setting also speaks to me-- I just love the book being based on Chinese history. I love the name of the dynasty (Azalea) and when I read a chapter, I loved Shen Tao's writing. Yes, this will be a good read I'm sure. I have since read a Q&A with Shen Tao on Reddit, where people were talking about this book being referred to as "romantasy". From the comments from people who have actually read it, it is NOT romantasy, which is fine with me. Give me the history and a strong female character and I'm happy. Published by Bramble this past January... AND, into the basket. Boy this basket is getting heavy (of course my wallet is getting lighter)... But I stopped at 3 and put my blinders on the other books that were crying out for attention...

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Weekly Wrap-up...

Memoir Monday... We started the week with Jenny Lawson and her new book published by Penguin Life and coming out March 31st. If you haven't read anything by Jenny Lawson, you should. Follow the LINK to read about her new book!

New Book Tuesday... 3 Great Books you NEED to put on your TBR list! Follow the LINK to read about them!

First Lines Friday... I googled authors in the Upstate of SC (where I live) and I found Scott Gould. Read about Scott and tell me if you'd read his book based on the first lines HERE.

Did you find anything interesting here?! Have you read any of these books?! What books did you start reading this week?!

Are You Dangerous in a Bookstore?

I hope you did find something interesting here today! Come by next week for more books... and until then,

Happy Reading... Suzanne

First Lines Friday... and Taking a Trip to the Upstate of South Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 23:56:00 +0000

The Hammerhead Chronicles by Scott Gould... Your wife dies and you buy an expensive foreign bicycle, and yes, you know how that sounds, how cold and borderline brutal, how it possesses not even the tiniest speck of compassion, but you have been lusting after a bicycle much longer than she has been dying, and the two eents collide on a Thursday evening in late summer. Call it synchronicity. Call it whatever you want. Except don't call it unfeeling.

Because she isn't really your wife when she passes away. Okay, technically, maybe on paper Peg is. But she is a month and a day from becoming your official ex-wife, what with South Carolina's odd, year-long waiting (contemplating? second-guessing?) period after you separate...

I did a google search the other day to see how many local authors there were near me in the Upstate of South Carolina. I found two authors that stood out... Susan Boyer, who writes the Lowcountry mysteries (the Lowcountry is Charleston, SC and that area) and Scott Gould, who I had never heard of before.

Then I googled Scott Gould and learned he has 6 books under his belt and has won numerous awards for his writing. Then I looked up his books and read a little bit of a few of them. From the small bit of writing I sampled of Scott, I really liked his writing. My library actually had a copy of Strangers to Temptation, Scott Gould's short story collection, which I promptly took out. AND, I bought a copy of The Hammerhead Chronicles so I could have a leisurely story to read of Scott's. Here's the blurb from the publisher about The Hammerhead Chronicles:

On the day Claude slaps down a credit card for an expensive racing bicycle, his soon-to-be-ex-wife passes away. As Claude begins a quest to pedal away from his marriage and his grief, we encounter the Southern eccentrics that orbit his world: his overly independent, rebellious teenage daughter; his foul-mouthed sister-in-law who deftly stalks her husband's mistress; twin, gay bookstore owners who serve the profitable underground Confederacy market out of their "special" back room; the math professor possessing an attic full of rats and a penchant for revenge; a skinny bartender-named for a Marine base-who preaches a suck-it-up philosophy; and Claude's recently deceased wife, observing it all from the Great Beyond, where she is annoyed by the lack of decent weather and by the troubled, tangled lives she left behind.

I love quirky characters and the stories that bring these types of characters alive. And I am really looking forward to reading all of these stories from Scott Gould!

Would the First Lines of this book make you want to read it?

Hammerhead Chronicles was published by:

University of North Georgia Press in 2022.

🔥 Hot Off the Press: Three Fresh Reads You’ll Want on Your Radar!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Today's Book Releases!

New book day is my favorite kind of temptation. Suddenly there are fresh stories everywhere and my TBR pile grows just a little taller.

Today’s releases bring a mix that’s impossible to resist: Gilded Age glamour, a chilling mystery involving podcasters who vanish, and a strange speculative tale about women mysteriously compelled to head west.

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In It Girl, Allison Pataki dives into the dazzling and ruthless world of Gilded Age high society, bringing to life one of the era’s most talked-about women. I love historical fiction that brings to life a real person. In this case, Evelyn Talbot is based on real life "It Girl" Evelyn Nesbit.

It Girl by Allison Pataki... At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York’s streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artists’ muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.

But the journey to stardom is not simple or straight. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premier “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers, and Evelyn learns that the only person she can rely on is herself.

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life. In the media frenzy that spirals around her, Evelyn realizes that to survive, she will have to write her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?

Published by Ballantine Books

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I've come to really like those "murder mystery" podcasts, and though This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum isn't about "murder mystery" podcasters, these podcasters become the "murder mystery" as they mysteriously disappear. I read the beginning of this novel and just loved it. I might have to see if there really is a podcast for survival stories now...

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum... Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

Published by Flatiron Books

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AND in the haunting speculative novel Westward Women, Alice Martin imagines a mysterious phenomenon spreading among women—an inexplicable urge pulling them westward, leaving families, jobs, and entire communities trying to understand why. This book hit a nerve because recently I watched the movie BirdBox, where people started to up and kill themselves after seeing something in front of them. They would get this zombie like expression all of a sudden and start acting crazy. The survivors wore blindfolds to prevent themselves being "infested" with the infection. I am so intrigued by Westward Women and it is definitely on my TBR list and should be on yours too!

Westward Women by Alice Martin...
It starts with an itch.

In homes across the country, women ages eighteen to thirty-five begin to slow down.

Tired. Blank. Restless.

Drawn to the Pacific Ocean like it’s calling them home. They abandon their lives—jobs, families, their very selves. And once they reach the West, they vanish forever.

At the center of the story are three young women caught in the pull of something unstoppable.

Aimee follows the trail of her missing best friend to a man called the Piper—known for leading infected women West.

Teenie, afflicted and unraveling, clings to a single memory as she looks out the window of the Piper’s van.

And Eve, a former journalist, is chasing the story that might just consume her.

Published by St. Martin's Press

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Let's not forget about She Fell Away by Lenore Nash! I shared this book on Sunday. Get the full description in The Sunday Salon, but here' s little blurb about it. I just started reading it and really love Lenore Nash's writing, plus she really is a "detective" here, in the midst of a murder investigation...

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash... A State Department diplomat must confront the ghosts of her past as she searches for a missing American woman in New Zealand in this pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller. Published by Atria Books.

Are you building up that TBR pile?! I've got all of these on my TBR list! What is the saying... So many books, too little time? Well, make time for these!

Memoir Monday... Jenny Lawson back with some more of her on point humor

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson... Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson—aka the Bloggess

Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She’s a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She’s an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, “How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?” This book is her answer.

In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn’t working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

Jenny Lawson suffers from severe anxiety and humanizes what she goes thru. She has a large following on different social media platforms and I think that is because of her self deprecating sense of humor, honesty and empathy towards others who also suffer with these issues. Nice to see Jenny Lawson back with another book to bring awareness and help. Her other books were great and I look forward to reading more from her! How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay will be published by Penguin Life and out on March 31st!

The Sunday Salon... and Spring has Sprung, or at Least Great Books are Popping up all Around Us!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +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 has been a crazy weather week in South Carolina. From 40 degrees to 80 degrees and rain here and there. I just bought some seed starter soil and plan to make some seed snails the beginning of the week. Have you heard about seed snails? Cut a waterproof feed bag or bubblewrap into 6 inch x 18 inches, lay it out flat and layer that with about an inch of damp seed starting soil. Leave about 4 inches without soil on the end. Roll it up. Then put your seeds on top, cover with a thin bit of soil, cover with a baggie and you're good to go! Put in a waterproof tray and put them somewhere sunny. We'll keep you updated on how that is going. Cross your fingers. It's the first time I'm trying this before actually planting them in the garden or seeding them in the garden. Spring is definitely in the air!

And speaking of the start of Spring, how about all the great books coming out now?!! Let me share my reading week now too...

Lake Harlowe may not appear to be your typical State Department diplomat. With the number of skeletons in her closet exceeding the tattoos on her skin, she moves to a new country every few years to keep one step ahead of her personal demons. After two grueling years working in Cambodia, Lake’s desperate for a break and a new posting to sleepy Wellington, New Zealand, seems like a dream come true.

That is, until eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter Bowie Bishop mysteriously vanishes shortly after American NFL player Bruce Walter is found dead in his hotel room. An exchange student from Las Vegas, Bowie was a world away from her possessive, washed-up stage mom who won’t stop calling until Lake finds her superstar daughter.

All at once, Lake finds herself ensnared in a network of deception involving Bowie’s high-profile host family, a shadowy music producer, a casino magnate, and the US ambassador—her boss. Obsessed with finding the truth, Lake soon realizes that to find the missing girl, she must confront her own dark past in this unputdownable thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page.

I just started reading She Fell Away and was hooked right from the start with Lenore Nash's writing. I wasn't sure what to expect with a "State Department diplomat" as the lead character. Will she be on the sidelines and on the phones doing "diplomatic things"? Nope, she is right in the thick of things, currently standing and looking over a dead body. No, this girl definitely isn't just on the phone, although she is the liason between the victims and the families. I'm really looking forward to reading this! Published by Atria Books and coming out this TUESDAY, MARCH 10th!

(P.S. This is Lenore Nash's debut thriller, but her romances, under a different name, are wildly popular)

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Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood... An enemies-to-lovers spicy novella set in the world of video gaming from the New York Times bestselling author of Problematic Summer Romance—now in print and ebook!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, aka her archnemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her—and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.

If you are a big Ali Hazelwood fan, and there a LOT of them, here's her newest book. I have heard so many wonderful things about it, and have seen it EVERYwhere! Now it is my house and ready for me to crack the spine thanks to my local library. I just happen to see that it was just checked in and no wait, which is a rare occurance, but I jumped at the chance. Especially since it is only a little over 200 pages, I should be able to fit this in with my other reading "obligations". I'm expecting a fun read. Published by Berkley.

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In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka... As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?

Everyone is watching. Only one person knows the truth.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter’s therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary’s traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean’s therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it’s Augusta “Gus” Bird, Anna’s former employee—a seemingly insignificant bystander, a nobody—who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.

What really happened to Mary in Rome? And if her memories can’t be trusted, how will they ever uncover the truth behind her estrangement? Twisty and propulsive, In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.

I also was able to grab this at my local library this week. It's been on my radar ever since Reese Witherspoon picked it for her February Book Club selection. I wasn't sure about the whole celebrity trial premise, but I usually enjoy Reese's picks, so it's in the TBR pile for the next 14 days. Published by Scribner.

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Oscar Movie Watch...

I'm still trying to get all those Best Picture Oscar nominated films under my belt. Last night was F1 with Brad Pitt. It's a racing movie, with Brad Pitt being the "Old guy" vs the young up and coming racer and they need to figure out how to work together to accomplish their common goal of winning for the team. I'm not into racing really, but I enjoyed the thrill of the track. And Brad Pitt... he looks like a young Robert Redford now that he's matured a bit. He was very good in the movie. I don't think it outshines Hamnet or Frankenstein (my secret choice before seeing Hamnet). P.S. When did renting a movie start to cost $20?!? I was able to borrow this movie from the library, but hesitate to pay $20 for a rental. Ugh.

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Weekly Round-up...

Memoir Monday... Adult Braces by Lindy West was our Memoir for the week. Read about it HERE!

Tuesday's New Book Releases... Historical Fiction was the genre of choice for this Tuesday's releases! Check them out HERE!

First Lines Friday... Music gone missing! Or at least the woman behind the music in Wait For Me by Amy Jo Burns. Read about it HERE!

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That about wraps up this week in my reading week! How about you?! What have you been reading or has captured your attention? I hope you found something interesting here today! More books and bookish things next week!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

First Lines Friday... A Musical Coming of Age Story Sprinkled with Mystery and Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

"Ever since she was born, Marijohn Shaw could hear the dark sing to her.

It was an unusual truth, as darkness didn't have a voice. Yet she's always loved the inky pitch of things like nightfall and dreamless sleep--the mystery of it, the privacy, the music. Eighteen years ago, she'd slipped into the world with a swirl of dark hair and even darker thoughts. Her earliest memory wasn't sight but sound--a crooning in the dimness, low and certain, like the whisper of a beloved ghost she'd known forever."

...Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns

This was the March Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club pick and I love the writing in just these first few lines. And I love the sound of the story too...

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Doesn't it sound like a delicious mystery... it is catergorized as "coming of age" and "small town fiction", but also has reviewers talking about the story of being about friendship, love and forgiveness. It certainly has piqued my interest! Published by Celadon Books on March 3rd and on my wishlist now!

Three Brand-New Historical Reads to Get Lost In...

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Ohhh we have a trio of fresh releases and they are bringing the drama in very different ways. Let’s talk about what just hit shelves:

The Woman and Her Stars by Penny Haw... For fans of Her Hidden Genius and The Engineer's Wife comes the awe-inspiring true story of Caroline Herschel, an 18th century astronomer who lived in the shadow of her brother, but learned to pave her own path among the stars.

1772. Caroline Herschel is beholden to her wildly popular musician brother, William, who rescued her from servitude and brought her to live a comfortable life in Bath. Caroline vows that, because William saved her, she must always remain by his side. When William becomes obsessed with the science of astronomy, Caroline follows suit, and soon, the duo are moving to Windsor to be close to court, so they can advise the king about the stars and become members of the Royal Astronomical Society. Overshadowed by her brother, Caroline quietly studies the stars, attributing her success to the men in her life. But when it becomes clear that Caroline is just as much the astronomer as the men in society, she will have to break free from the life she's lived, and find her own place amongst the stars.

Based on the true story of Caroline Lucretia Herschel (1750-1848), The Woman and Her Stars shines a light on a woman who was raised to believe she was worth nothing more than to serve others, but whose genius and resolve made her one of the world’s leading astronomers. An inspiring story set within the societal boundaries of the Regency era, it is a journey of self-belief, friendship, and triumph.

I love a story that brings to life a woman who was behind the scenes but finally gives her, her due. I'm thinking about Beryl Markham who was the first person to fly solo, non-stop, across the Atlantic from Britain to North America, and brought to life by Paula McLain in Circling the Sun or Mamah Borthwick Cheney, Frank Lloyd Wright's lover in Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I can't wait to read about Caroline Lucretia Herschel!

Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, who graciously sent an ebook for me to read and review! Thank you! So look for that review coming soon...

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Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser...

Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband’s title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters’ future through marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.

Kirkus Reviews gave it a Starred Review and called it, ""A bold and beautifully written examination of a mother's love told through the eyes of Cinderella's 'wicked' stepmother."

I am so excited for this book! I love a novel that takes a tale we know and reimagines it. Gives us a different side of the story.

Published by St. Martin's Press

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A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman... From the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Light Between Oceans comes a breathtaking and epic novel set in the vast outback of Australia—about tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of love.

When we do something that can’t be undone or mended, how do we go on living? How do we find our North Star when there is no right answer? These are the questions at the center of M. L. Stedman’s unforgettable and magisterial new novel, A Far-flung Life. From the author of the beloved and bestselling The Light Between Oceans, this is a sweeping and epic story of a family, a tragedy, and the aftermath that reverberates for decades.

Remote Western Australia, 1958: here, for generations, the MacBrides have lived on a vast sheep station, Meredith Downs. It is a million acres, an ocean of arid land. On an ordinary day, on a lonely road, under the unending blue sky, patriarch Phil MacBride swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In seconds the lives of the entire MacBride family are shattered. And then, tragedy revisits when a twist of consequences claims the life of one sibling, and leads another to give up everything for the sake of an innocent child. Matt, the youngest MacBride, is plunged into a moral and emotional journey for which there is no map, no guide. The secrets at the heart of this gutting and beautiful story force him to choose between love and duty, sacrifice and happiness.

A Far-flung Life is a tale about family and belonging, fate and time. It is about people trying to do their best, and each, for private reasons, seeking shelter from the storm of life.

OMG, a new novel rom M.L. Stedman!?! I can't wait to read more from the author that brought us The Light Between Oceans!!

Published by Scribner, who also sent along an ebook for me to read and review. Thank you! And look for that review coming soon...

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Three very different journeys.

All deeply immersive.

So tell me — which one’s going straight to the top of your TBR?

Memoir Monday... Taking a Roadtrip with Lindy West

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Adult Braces by Lindy West... In New York Times bestselling author Lindy West’s ambitious memoir, she brings readers along on an uproarious cross-country road trip as she unpacks her last few tumultuous years, rediscovers herself, and reinvents her marriage in the process.

Through Shrill—the book and then the Hulu series—Lindy West became an inspiration. To this day she is stopped on the street and hailed as a beacon of empowerment by women who felt badly for not conforming to a narrow set of societal norms—thin, straight, compliant. But behind the scenes, Lindy never felt like she was the self-actualized woman fans made her out to be. When she found herself in the throes of a deep depression, with her marriage and sense of self-worth hanging in the balance, she knew she needed to make a change.

In Adult Braces, Lindy shares the story of her rock bottom, and of the journey she took to claw her way out of it. With her trademark candor and sense of humor, she examines her post-Shrill emotional implosion, her shifting feelings about traditional marriage, and her search for her long-lost self. She also tracks the highs and lows of her journey, from eye-opening natural wonders and kitschy roadside attractions to lackluster tourist traps and campground epiphanies.

The result is an engaging and laugh-out-loud narrative of becoming as Lindy transforms from a passenger into the active navigator of her own life.

I didn't know who Lindy West was until I read about this (her) book. BUT any girl who hops in a van and takes a roadtrip alone has got my attention and admiration. Reading the first few chapters and I am all in. Great writing, funny, sad... and I look forward to reading about the whole journey Lindy takes... Look for Adult Braces by Lindy West, published by Grand Central Publishing and available at your favorite bookstore March 10th!

The Sunday Salon and New Books and Old Posts with a nod to 17 years of Blogging on Chick with Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Yester) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +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!

It's been a busy week on the blog. February 18th was my 17 year anniversary for Chick with Books and I decided to look back a little this week on some of the fun posts I had written way back when. I finished a great YA Fantasy/Romance book that I'll be sharing today and I got some great eBooks from publishers this week. I feel a bit scatter brain right now. Where to start? Well, let's talk about the books I bought for my TBR pile this week...

And Now, Back To You by B.K. Borison... "Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?"

I bought this book this week because it is the March 2026 Indie Next Pick. Are you familiar with the Indie Next Pick? Each month independent booksellers choose 25 upcoming book releases they are excited about. From that list the #1 pick of the month is chosen. I always look to see what's on the list and always make a mental note of what the #1 pick was. I was a bit surprised at And Now, Back To You being the #1 pick. I just thought it was basically a light rom-com, not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just I usually see more literary fiction as #1 picks. This book looked like so much fun... and after cracking the spine, it is perfect! After reading some more heavier books this week, I wanted fun and I started it right out of the mailbox and am really enjoying it. Bright, fun, well written. Recently published this February 24th by Berkley Publishing, you can pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore now. And I would definitely put this on your TBR list.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir... "Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

In anticipation of the movie coming out the end of this month, I thought I would read the book first. Andy Weir seems to be the king of desolate space movies and I'm hoping it will be as good as all the buzz behind it! Did you read or watch The Martian? I did enjoy that movie. Published by Ballantine Books way back in May of 2021, you can pick up a copy with either the movie cover with Ryan Gosling or the original cover. Personally I HATE movie covers, but Ryan Gosling is kinda cute.

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The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins... "A Life-Changing Tool Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About. What if the key to happiness, success, and love was as simple as two words? If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world's most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can't control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that's made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact. Within a few pages, you'll realize how much energy and time you've been wasting trying to control the wrong things—at work, in relationships, and in pursuing your goals—and how this is keeping you from the happiness and success you deserve.

Written as an easy-to-understand guide, Robbins shares relatable stories from her own life, highlights key takeaways, relevant research and introduces you to world-renowned experts in psychology, neuroscience, relationships, happiness, and ancient wisdom who champion The Let Them Theory every step of the way.

The Let Them Theory will forever change the way you think about relationships, control, and personal power. Whether you want to advance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, find deeper connections, build better habits, start a new chapter, or simply create more happiness in your life and relationships, this book gives you the mindset and tools to unlock your full potential."

I have been seeing this book EVERYwhere. I actually follow Mel Robbins on Facebook for her wisdom and funny posts. I read the first chapter after I got this yesterday and found it to be pretty interesting... The very first thing she talks about in the book is her 5 second rule... this is for when you are unmotivated to do something or afraid to do something. She will begin a countdown (she likens it to a NASA launch countdown) at 5-4-3-2-1 and then move... get up, make that phone call, feed the cat... whatever it is, when you hit that 1, it's time to change directions. I will be trying this next time I need to. Supposedly millions of people use this technique now. She first talked about it during a TED talk. I'm looking forward to the rest of the "lessons". Published by Hay House back in December of 2024!

Weekly Wrap-up!

Monday... Memoir Monday with a little bit of Hannibal Lecter?! You'll have to read it to believe it!

Tuesday... Book Release Tuesday! 3 New books released on Tuesday that you are going to want to put on your TBR list! Click the link and read about them on tuesdays post!

Wednesday... Bye, Bye, mass market paperbacks... read about the demise of the cute little books you can fit in your purse!

Thursday... 17 years of Chick with Books this February! Time sure flies when you're having fun! And we sure did have fun the past 17 YEARS! Read about it on thursdays post!

Friday... Book Review of Immortal Game by Allison Saft. I didn't know chess could be so much fun. But Shea Fury and her other fellow chess players weren't having much of it in Immortal Game. A fantasy with Fae, mysteries, some magic. Read my review and put this on your TBR list too!

First Lines Friday... An oldie but goodie where generations come alive. Follow the link and read what book I'm talking about on First Lines Friday!

On Friday and Saturday I posted some of my favorite posts from the years before. Follow the links to read the posts. It's fun to look back, but they're still relevant today... especially the shrimp Remoulade!

Is Romance Just for Women (February 2009)

Review of Dracula in Love by Karen Essex (July 2009)

Review of Down South Cookbook by Donald Link (August 2014) *recipe too!

Review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver (January 2011)

A Farewell to my Reading Buddy, BJ (March 2012)

Are eReaders Taking Over the World? (September 2010)

Whew, that was a lot to read! Hope you had a great week too! And how about any new books you've found?! Please share them!! Come back next week for more great books and bookish talk!

Happy Reading... Suzanne