Rarely has a book affected me so emotionally as the audiobook of Genevieve Wheeler’s Adelaide. On Friday evening, I even had to stop listening and ask myself if I really wanted to continue because it roused in me sharp memories of a long ago unrequited love, probably the first love I ever felt intensely about. Years of practicing “living in the moment” brought me back so I could finish this astounding debut novel. Adelaide Genevieve Wheeler, author Caitlin Kelly, narrator New Adult, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit Macmillan Audio April 18, 2023 Audiobook 10 hours, 14 minutes ARC Blur ..read more

How can you resist a novel about five calico kittens, glitter bombs, and a bridge brigade (bridge players not river bridges (is river bridges an actor?))? The answer is: you seriously can’t . . . or not so seriously but the end result is the same, you can’t. You Should Smile More Anastasia Ryan, author Hillary Huber, narrator Women’s Fiction, Rom-Com, Chick Lit Dreamscape Media, February 2, 2023 Audiobook 7 hours, 44 minutes Audio ARC Blurb: Telemarketer Vanessa Blair isn’t in love with her job. It pays the bills and feeds her foster kittens but offers only one other perk: her friendshi ..read more

I Am the Light of This World Michael Parker Literary Fiction Algonquin Books November 15, 2022 Hardcover 304 pages ARC Blurb: In the early 1970s, in Stovall, Texas, seventeen-year-old Earl—a loner, dreamer, lover of music and words—meets and is quickly infatuated with Tina, the new girl in town. Tina convinces Earl to drive her to see her mother in Austin, where Earl and Tina are quickly separated. Two days later, Earl is being questioned by the police about Tina’s disappearance and the blood in the trunk of his car. But Earl can’t remember what happened in Austin, and with little suppor ..read more

Timely, well-written, heartfelt but . . . Sugar and Salt Susan Wiggs Women’s Fiction William Morrow July 26, 2022 Hardcover 368 Pages eARC Blurb: Jerome Sugar learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street. When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas. Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whol ..read more

I couldn’t put down this hugely satisfying mystery! The Kingdoms of Savannah George Dawes Green Southern, Mystery, Thriller Celadon Books July 19, 2022 Hardback 304 Pages eARC Blurb: Savannah may appear to be “some town out of a fable,” with its vine flowers, turreted mansions, and ghost tours that romanticize the city’s history. But look deeper and you’ll uncover secrets, past and present, that tell a more sinister tale. It’s the story at the heart of George Dawes Green’s chilling new novel, The Kingdoms of Savannah. It begins quietly on a balmy Southern night as some locals gather ..read more

Ending Forever Nicholas Conley April 29, 2022 Red Adept Publishing Blurb: Axel Rivers can’t get his head above water. Throughout his life, he’s worn many hats — orphan, musician, veteran, husband, father—but a year ago, a horrific event he now calls The Bad Day tore down everything he’d built. Grief-stricken, unemployed, and drowning in debt, Axel needs cash, however he can find it. Enter Kindred Eternal Solutions. Founded by the world’s six wealthiest trillionaires and billionaires, Kindred promises to create eternal life through mastering the science of human resurrection. With the technolo ..read more

Small Odysseys Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories Hannah Tinti, Editor Neil Gaiman, Foreward March 15, 2022 Algonquin Books Blurb: A must-have for any lover of literature, Small Odysseys sweeps the reader into the landscape of the contemporary short story, featuring never-before-published works by many of our most preeminent authors as well as up-and-coming superstars. On their journey through the book, readers will encounter long-ago movie stars, a town full of dandelions, and math lessons from Siri. They will attend karaoke night, hear a twenty-something slacker’s breathless ..read more