Never Lie

Never Lie

By Freida McFadden

Poisoned Pen Press, 2024. 296 pages. Fiction 

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end. In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale's mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale's web of lies slowly unravels. And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth. 

Freida McFadden is the master of misdirection. I thought I knew where this story was going, but I was completely wrong. The story unravels through Tricia’s POV in the present and the recordings of Dr. Hale’s patients. The dueling narratives are perfectly paced and you’re never spending too much time with one or the other. This allows crumbs of the mystery to be revealed without becoming frustrating or cumbersome. Overall, this is such a fun, suspenseful read with a twist even this thriller aficionado didn’t see coming. 

If you like Never Lie, you might also like:

Hidden Pictures 

By Jason Rekulak

Flatiron Books, 2022. 376 pages. Fiction 

Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job in the affluent suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves this new job. She sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman's lifeless body. As the days pass, Teddy's artwork becomes more and more sinister, and his stick figures steadily evolve into more detailed, complex, and lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to suspect these are glimpses of an unsolved murder from long ago, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell's house. With help from a handsome landscaper and an eccentric neighbor, Mallory sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy--while coming to terms with a tragedy in her own past before it's too late. 

Rock Paper Scissors

By Alice Feeney

Flatiron Books, 2021. 294 pages. Mystery 

Think you know the person you married? Think again. Things have been wrong with Mr. and Mrs. Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away in Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can't recognize friends or family, or even his own wife. Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts and each year Adam's wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn't randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn't want them to live happily ever after. Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

BW

The Great Divide

The Great Divide
by Cristina Henriquez
Ecco, 2024. 321 pages. Historical Fiction

A novel about the construction of the Panama Canal in 1907, following the intersecting lives of the local families fighting to protect their homeland, the West Indian laborers recruited to dig the waterway, and the white Americans who gained profit and glory for themselves.

I love reading historical fiction that reveals the life experiences of people in diverse settings, so of course I was drawn to this account of the building of the Panama Canal. This novel covers a lot of ground, discussing themes such as colonialism and exploitation, and the history of Panama in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This is all covered with a light touch, as Henriquez weaves multiple story lines together to give a wide view of events. Each story line intersects in interesting and intricate ways, with a wide cast of characters. With so many topics and voices covered, this book kept me reading and constantly finding something new.

If you like The Great Divide you might also like:

River Sing Me Home
by Eleanor Shearer
Berkley, 2023. 322 pages. Historical Fiction

When Rachel learns of the Emancipation Act of 1834, she runs from the Barbados plantation she has been enslaved on, and sets out to find her five children who were sold. Are any of them still alive? Rachel has to know. The grueling, dangerous journey takes her from Barbados then, by river, deep into the forest of British Guiana and finally across the sea to Trinidad.

Silent Winds, Dry Seas
by Vinod Busjeet
Doubleday, 2021. 272 pages. Historical Fiction

In the 1950s, Vishnu Bhushan, a young descendant of Indian indentured laborers in Mauritius battles to experience the world beyond while he simultaneously deals with the cultural, political and familial turmoil that holds on to him.

MB

Hábitos Atómicos

Hábitos atómicos
Por James Clear
Paidós, 2003. 326 páginas. No ficción

Hábitos Atómicos parte de una simple pero poderosa pregunta: ¿Cómo podemos vivir mejor? Sabemos que unos buenos hábitos nos permiten mejorar significativamente nuestra vida, pero con frecuencia nos desviamos del camino: dejamos de hacer ejercicio, comemos mal, dormimos poco, despilfarramos. ¿Por qué es tan fácil caer en los malos hábitos y tan complicado seguir los buenos? James Clear nos brinda fantásticas ideas basadas en investigaciones científicas, que le permiten revelarnos cómo podemos transformar pequeños hábitos cotidianos para cambiar nuestra vida y mejorarla. 

Esta guía pone al descubierto las fuerzas ocultas que moldean nuestro comportamiento -- desde nuestra mentalidad, pasando por el ambiente y hasta la genética -- y nos demuestra cómo aplicar cada cambio a nuestra vida y a nuestro trabajo. Después de leer este libro, tendrás un método sencillo para desarrollar un sistema eficaz que te conducirá al éxito.

Si le gusta «Hábitos atómicos» le recomendamos:

El libro de la esperanza
Por Matt Haig
Contraluz, 2022. 265 páginas. No ficción

Reflexiones sobre la ilusión, la supervivencia y el milagro de estar vivos Y, en la oscuridad, incluso los fragmentos de luz más minúsculos pueden brillar, llamar nuestra atención y tal vez hasta guiarnos a casa.

El libro de la esperanza es una recopilación de pequeñas islas de ilusión. Reúne formas de consuelo e historias que nos proporcionan nuevas maneras de vernos a nosotros y al mundo. La mezcla de filosofía, memorias y autorreflexión de Matt Haig se basa en filósofos y supervivientes de todos los tiempos, desde Marco Aurelio hasta Nellie Bly, desde Emily Dickinson hasta James Baldwin.

Este es el libro al que debes recurrir cuando necesites la sabiduría de un amigo, el consuelo de un abrazo o un recordatorio de que la esperanza surge de lugares inesperados.

Mindfulness para la felicidad
Por Ruth A. Baer
Ediciones Urano, 2018. 412 páginas. No ficción

El manual definitivo sobre la práctica que está revolucionando la psicología y la neurologiá: el mindfulness o presencia. En el complejo mundo actual, el mensaje se ha convertido en una exigencia: se feliz. Un imperativo tan ambicioso que la búsqueda de la felicidad acaba siendo fuente de ansiedad y frustración.

Ruth Baer, profesora de psicología e investigadora de renombre internacional, propone un enfoque distinto: olvidarse de la felicidad como destino para considerarla una forma de viajar. Desde esta perspectiva, contamos con una herramienta valiosísima para poner en práctica, hoy mismo, la felicidad: el mindfulness o presencia. La autora ha creado una obra cálida, practica y accesible para experimentar el poder de transformación del mindfulness en la vida cotidiana.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No ficción

One Dark Window

One Dark Window

By Rachel Gillig
Orbit, 2022. 421 pages. Fantasy

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home--she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King's own nephew, Captain of the Destriers...and guilty of high treason. He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards--the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

This book, which is the first of a duology, was recommended on Bookstagram for those who enjoyed Fourth Wing or Sarah J. Maas' books. It contains a steamy romance, a compelling voice, intriguing characters, and thrilling action. The unique magical system is detailed but not overly descriptive. Fans of Naomi Novak and Hannah Whitten will want to give this a try.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lisa Cordileone and would recommend it. Her voices for most of the characters were compelling. On occasion, the whiny sound of emotional male characters was too unrealistic, but overall, her narration was spot on and added depth to the characters.

JJC

If you like One Dark Window you might also like:

Uprooted

By Naomi Novik
Del Rey, 2015. 438 pages. Fantasy

The corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over Agnieszka's life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

For the Wolf

By Hannah Whitten

Orbit, Hachette Book Group, 2021. Fantasy

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods. Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again. But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

Voyage de Gourmet

Voyage de Gourmet
By Paul Tobin
Mad Cave Studios, 2023. 248 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Layne Green is a social media sensation of a cook. He's selected to compete on a reality TV show called Voyage de Gourmet - a globe-trotting foodie adventure. However, his partner is his former best friend, Jiang-Mi Pipper, someone that he really wronged with some of his posts. Can the two find forgiveness, flavor, and themselves on this journey?

This comic book was a culinary delight!  I've found that many graphic novels with cooking themes are harder for me to get into because it ends up explaining everything about the cooking techniques which are going into the food.  Unlike other cooking-themed graphic novels I've read, Voyage de Gourmet doesn't emphasize the techniques the cooks are using to make their dishes.  This makes the book feel much more accessible, as it instead emphasizes the book's plot and the relationships between the characters.  There's all the drama, backstabbing, and high-stakes adventure you'd expect from a graphic novel centered around a reality show about culinary adventuring, and is mixed with some important talks about what it means to be a good person.  From its 'bon appetit' beginning to the finger-licking ending, this book is sure to satisfy! 
 
If you liked Voyage de Gourmet, you may also like:
 

Cooking with Monsters: the Beginner's Guide to Culinary Combat
By Jordan Alasaqa
IDW Publishing, 2023. 256 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Hana Ozawa is the newest face at the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, a school that will teach her how to fight monsters AND how to turn them into delicious meals. Hana is a natural, but so are her classmates, and she struggles to keep up--she's gotta stand out, especially if she wants to impress the warrior chef who saved her life as a child. Throw in a crush on a formidable lady rival and a dash of multicultural cuisine, and this unique and hilarious story is sure to hit the spot!

Where There's a Whisk
By Sarah J Schmitt
Running Press Teens, 2021. 396 pages. Young Adult Fiction.
 
Life is what you bake it. Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV's new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you're born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.

ERB

Listen for the Lie

Listen for the Lie 

By Amy Tintera

Celadon Books, 2024. 336 pages. Fiction

What would you do if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thinks so too? What if the truth doesn't matter? As Lucy Chase's Texas hometown begins to tell versions of what happened and who Lucy is to a nationwide, true crime obsessed audience, at the bequest of her grandmother, she returns to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend's murder, even if she is the one that did it. 

Listen for the Lie is a classic who-dun it modernized for the podcast generation. I really enjoyed how the story was intertwined with the podcast transcript and, while I read the book, I predict the audiobook would really make the story come alive during those sections. Tintera did a fantastic job at describing rural, small-town Texas and the community that type of town fosters. Also, for a thriller, it’s quite funny...in a dark comedic way. Overall, if you’re looking for a modern, suspenseful tale, Listen for the Lie is the book for you!

Murder Road

By Simone St. James

Berkley, 2024. 342 pages. Fiction

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They're looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them. When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

First Lie Wins

By Ashley Elston

Viking Books, 2024. 340 pages. Fiction

Evie Porter has everything a Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, and a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn't exist. The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she's given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn't privy to Mr. Smith's real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she's starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can't make any mistakes--especially after what happened last time. Because the one thing she's worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to--her real identity--just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher, but then, Evie has always liked a challenge.

BW

A Little Devil in America

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance 

By Hanif Abdurraqib 

Random House, 2021. 300 pages. Nonfiction 

A Little Devil in America is an urgent project that unravels all modes and methods of Black performance, in this moment when Black performers are coming to terms with their value, reception, and immense impact on America. With sharp insight, humor, and heart, Abdurraqib examines how Black performance happens in specific moments in time and space--midcentury Paris, the moon, or a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. Abdurraqib's prose is entrancing and fluid as he leads us along the links in his remarkable trains of thought. A Little Devil in America considers, critiques, and praises performance in music, sports, writing, comedy, grief, games, and love. 

This is one of the most stunning collections of essays I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I, personally, listened to the audiobook, which I would highly recommend. Hanif Abdurraqib writes so poetically that these essays are enhanced by being spoke out loud. He speaks about the subject of each essay with reverence and generosity while delving into critically important social commentary. He is able to paint the bigger picture while highlighting the most beautiful intricacy. The essays “The Josephine Baker Monument Can Never Be Large Enough” and “It Is Safe to Say I Have Lost Many Games of Spades” were particularly profound for me. Highly, highly recommend. 

If you like A Little Devil in America, you might also like: 

Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop 

By Danyel Smith 

Roc Lit 101, One World, 2021. 292 pages. Nonfiction 

From one of the preeminent cultural critics of her generation, a radiant weave of memoir, criticism, and biography that tells the story of black women in music--from the Dixie Cups to Gladys Knight to Janet, Whitney, and Mariah-- as the foundational story of American pop. 

Black Girl, Call Home 

By Jasmine Mans 

Berkley, 2021. 245 pages. Nonfiction 

A literary coming-of-age poetry collection, an ode to the places we call home, and a piercingly intimate deconstruction of daughterhood, Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing. As a competitive spoken-word poet who draws large crowds of people, Jasmine Mans's collection is divided into six sections, each with a corresponding active telephone number where she has recorded excerpts of her poems. You can listen now, just dial! Using poetry to bring change to the world with positive agitation and hoping to prompt dialogue where there is normally fear, poet Jasmine Mans explores the intersection of race, feminism, and queer identity in her latest collection Black Girl, Call Home.

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts

by Loren Grush

Scribner, 2023. 422 pages. Nonfiction

When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—a group then made up exclusively of men—had the right stuff. It was an era in which women were steered away from jobs in science and deemed unqualified for space flight. Eventually, though, NASA opened the application process to a wider array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000, six elite women were selected in 1978—Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon. In The Six, acclaimed journalist Loren Grush shows these brilliant and courageous women enduring claustrophobic—and sometimes deeply sexist—media attention, undergoing rigorous survival training, and preparing for years to take multi-million-dollar payloads into orbit. Together, the Six helped build the tools that made the space program run.

If you had asked me before reading this book, the only female astronaut I could have named was Sally Ride. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that there were at least five other female astronauts working along with Sally, all with their individual specialties and interests, and all of them got to go to space! This book also covers the intrepid women who came before "the Six," fighting make the case that women really can be astronauts, even though they weren't allowed to do so themselves. Of additional interest to Utah-based readers, this book also covers the spaceflight of Utah senator Jake Garn, since he shared a spaceflight with Rhea Seddon. This book is a great read for those who are interested in NASA, the 80s, and learning about awesome real-life women who accomplished amazing things.

If you like The Six you might also like:

The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts that Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel

by Meredith E. Bagby

William Morrow, 2023. 511 pages. Nonfiction

The never-before-told story of the barrier-breaking NASA class of 1978, which for the first time consisted of a diverse crew of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and more, and their triumphs and tragedies working on the newly launched space shuttle program, with the exclusive cooperation of five astronauts.

Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History

by Keith O'Brien

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. 338 pages. Nonfiction

High adventure and high ideals merge when a corps of intrepid female aviators battle to take part in the hugely popular air shows of the 1920s and 1930s. Ultimately, one of our heroines would win a race that earned her the right to be called America's best pilot.

Fighting For Space: Two Pilots and their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight

by Amy Shira Teitel

Grand Central Publishing, 2020. 426 pages. Nonfiction

The mostly-unknown tale of Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb—two accomplished aviatrixes, one generation apart, who each dreamed of being the first woman in space, but along the way battled their egos, their expectations, and ultimately the patriarchal society that stood between them and the stars.

MB

A Fate Inked in Blood

A Fate Inked in Blood

By Danielle L. Jensen

Del Rey, 2024. 418 pages. Fantasy

A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while fighting her growing desire for his fiery son.

A Norse Mythology infused romantic fantasy, perfect for those looking for the same instant attraction that they found so enjoyable between the characters of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.  This is a steamy action-packed story, and while its’ storyline has its’ roots in the mythology it reads much more like a contemporary novel with just a few words and phrases here and there to remind the reader that it isn't.  Recommended for avid Romantasy lovers, and all who enjoy their male leads of the strong dark tattooed variety.      

If you like A Fate Inked in Blood you might also like:

Sanctuary of the Shadow

By Aurora Ascher

Red Tower Books, 2024. 405 pages.  Fantasy

Hidden within an unusual circus run by a centuries-old Enchanter, Harrow, keeping her true identity and magical ability a secret, finds her destiny in an elemental with no recollection of who he is, forcing her to reveal the secrets from her own dark past to save this dangerous creature.

Fourth Wing

By Rebecca Yarros

Red Tower Books, 2023. 498 pages. Fantasy

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

RBL

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions 
By Lina Rather
Recorded Books, 2023. 4 Hours. Fantasy

An eldritch historical fantasy of midwifery, monstrosity, and the rending of the world, for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Death of Jane Lawrence. In seventeenth-century London, unnatural babies are being born with eyes made for the dark and webbed digits suited to the sea. Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness. Having fled her old life under suspicious circumstances to start over in the city as a midwife's apprentice, she'd hoped to leave such uncanniness far behind. But with each new unnatural birth she attends, the greater the fear in London grows of the Devil's work. When the wealthy Lady Faith hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who want to use her power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.

I started this book with the intention of it being my introduction to horror. While there are darker themes and a general "uncanny" vibe (that word is used quite a lot), I did not feel horrified. The mood was compelling and suspenseful, but we hear the story mixed in with the main characters thoughts, memories, and feelings. She is a interesting mix of practical and thoughtful in every situation. I think her own lack of fear helps remove some of that horror for the listener as well. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the midwives being women of magic in a world turning more towards men of science. This is a great short listen for anyone wanting something softly creepy and ultimately feminist that examines the choices people make for power and acceptance.        

If you like A Season of Monstrous Conceptions, you might also like: 

The Year of the Witching

By Alexis Henderson

Ace/Berkley, 2020. 359 pages. Fantasy

A young woman living in a rigid, repressive society discovers dark powers within herself, with terrifying and far-reaching consequences, in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut. In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet's word is law, Immanuelle Moore's very existence is blasphemy. The daughter of an union with an outsider that cast her once-proud family into disgrace, Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the women in the settlement. But a chance mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still walking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the diary of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood. Fascinated by secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.

The Sun and the Void

By Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Orbit, 2023. 559 pages. Fantasy

When Reina arrives at Aguila Manor, her heart stolen from her chest, she's on the verge of death--until her estranged grandmother, a dark sorceress in the Don's employ, intervenes. Indebted to a woman she never knew, and smitten with the upper-caste daughter of the house, Celeste, Reina will do anything to earn--and keep--the family's favor. Even the bidding of the ancient god who speaks to her from the Manor's foundations. To save the woman she loves, Reina will have to defy the gods themselves, and become something she never could have imagined.

The Witching Tide
By Margaret Meyer
Scribner, 2023. 327 pages. Historical Fiction

East Anglia, 1645. Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer, and servant, has lived peacefully for more than four decades in her beloved seaside village of Cleftwater. Having lost her voice as a child, Martha has not spoken a word in years. One autumn morning, a sinister newcomer appears in town. The witchfinder, Silas Makepeace, has been blazing a trail of destruction along the coast, and now has Cleftwater in his sights. His arrival strikes fear into the heart of the community. Within a day, local women are being captured and detained, and Martha finds herself a silent witness to the hunt. Powerless to protest, Martha is enlisted to search the accused women for "devil's marks." She is caught between suspicion and betrayal; between shielding herself or condemning the women of the village. In desperation, she revives a wax witching doll that belonged to her mother, in the hope that it will bring protection. But the doll's true powers are unknowable, Martha harbors a terrible secret, and the gallows are looming.

KJ

The Heiress

The Heiress  
St. Martin’s Press, 2024. 304 pages. Fiction.
by Rachel Hawkins

 When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she's not only North Carolina's richest woman, she's also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family's estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, his uncle's death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable. And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what's written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave. 

2024 is the year of thrillers for my reading list. This Gothic fiction is a fast-paced, addictive read. Plus, the short chapters have you thinking, ‘Just one more!’ while you stay up way past your bedtime. The point of view varies between 3 characters. Ruby is my favorite, whose point of view is shared through letters to an unknown recipient. Ruby is an unreliable, sarcastic yet intimidating personality. There is also a husband and wife, Cam and Jules. It's hard to put trust in any character though, they all have secrets. If you want family drama, wildly rich people, inheritance and succession all written in a compelling, atmospheric style with a pretty satisfying ending, this book is a great choice.

If you like The Heiress, you might also like:

The Daughters of Foxcote Manor 

 By Eve Chase England 

G.P. Putnam’s Son, 2020. 353 pages. Mystery.

On the one-year anniversary of the Harrington family's darkest night, their beautiful London home goes up in flames. Mrs. Harrington, the two children, and live-in nanny Rita relocate to Foxcote Manor, ostensibly to recuperate. But the creeping forest, where lost things have a way of coming back, is not as restful as it seems. When thirteen-year-old Hera discovers a baby girl abandoned just beyond their garden gate, this tiniest, most wondrous of secrets brings a much-needed sunlit peace, until a visitor detonates the family's tenuous happiness. All too soon a body lies dead in the woods. Forty years later, London-based Sylvie is an expert at looking the other way. It's how she stayed married to her unfaithful husband for more than twenty years. But she's turned over a new leaf, having left him for a fresh start. She buried her own origin story decades ago, never imagining her teenage daughter would have a shocking reason to dig the past up--and to ask Sylvie to finally face the secrets that lead her back to Foxcote Manor. 

The Family Upstairs 

By Lisa Jewell 

Atria Books, 2019. 340 pages. Mystery. 

Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of Southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London. It's happening, says the message. The baby is back. Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now 25, she's astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London's poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now, it's hers. As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk? 

JK

The Enchanted Life

The Enchanted Life

By Sharon Blackie
Ambrosia, 2018. 356 pages. Nonfiction

Taking as her starting point the inspiration and wisdom that can be derived from myth, fairy tales, and folk culture, Dr. Sharon Blackie offers a set of practical and grounded tools for enchanting our lives and the places we live, so leading to a greater sense of meaning and of belonging to the world.

Enchantment. By Dr. Blackie's definition, a vivid sense of belongingness to a rich and many-layered world, a profound and whole-hearted participation in the adventure of life. Enchantment is a natural, spontaneous human tendency—one we possess as children, but lose, through social and cultural pressures, as we grow older. It is an attitude of mind which can be cultivated: the enchanted life is possible for anyone. It is intuitive, embraces wonder, and fully engages the mythic imagination—but it is also deeply embodied in ecology, grounded in place and community.

"To live this way is to be challenged, to be awakened, to be gripped and shaken to the core by the extraordinary which lies at the heart of the ordinary."

Sharon Blackie shares with us what she perceives as the enchanted life. With beautiful prose and creative storytelling, she crafts thought provoking chapters describing how to find the magic in the everyday. At times the advice can seem a bit woo woo but it is impactful all the same. At the end of each point, she provides stimulating questions to help you evaluate your life and see how you can enliven your being. This book would be a great one to read for a book group as it contains its own talking points! Anyone who enjoys self-evaluation, myth and fairy tales, and connecting with nature will find themselves enchanted by this book.

JJC

If you like The Enchanted Life you might also like:

Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit
By Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Little, Brown Spark, 2021. 240 pages. Nonfiction

In Rooted, cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets, artists, mystics, and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over life on this planet is radically interconnected. Our bodies, thoughts, minds, and spirits are affected by the whole of nature, and they affect this whole in return. In this time of crisis, how can we best live upon our imperiled, beloved earth?

Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways—from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees, to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature. She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness—and wildness—that sustains humans and all of life.

In the tradition of Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Mary Oliver, Haupt writes with urgency and grace, reminding us that at the crossroads of science, nature, and spirit we find true hope. Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world. 

Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day

By Kaitlin B. Curtice

Brazos Press, 2023. 208 pages. Nonfiction

In an era in which "resistance" has become tokenized, popular Indigenous author Kaitlin Curtice reclaims it as a basic human calling. Resistance is for every human who longs to see their neighbors' holistic flourishing. We each have a role to play in the world right where we are, and our everyday acts of resistance hold us all together.

Curtice shows that we can learn to practice embodied ways of belonging and connection to ourselves and one another through everyday practices, such as getting more in touch with our bodies, resting, and remembering our ancestors. She explores four "realms of resistance"—the personal, the communal, the ancestral, and the integral—and shows how these realms overlap and why all are needed for our liberation. Listeners will be empowered to seek wholeness in whatever spheres of influence they inhabit.