Sleepers in the Snow

 

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Check out my full review on Instagram! 

Pub Day Review

Thank you Pegasus Books and Megan Beatie Communications for the gifted copy!

I just finished this creepy book about a haunted electrical pylon, and I'm talking to the author next week. 

Author Joanne Harris captures both the beauty and the loneliness of the moors, and that pylon becomes more unsettling with every chapter. The deeper he digs into the previous owners, the stranger things get.

Grab a copy of Sleepers in the Snow at Bookshop.org and help out an indie bookstore while you're at it!

if you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of They Say a Girl Died Here. It's a creepy atmospheric psychological thriller.

September Reading Wrap Up

 

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September was a good reading month for me. Head over to my Instagram to watch me yap about the books I read!

13 September reads, 9 on audio 🎧 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Pirate Queen
*Bad Words (out 10/6)- Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*The Sins of Summer Daughters -Thank you Sourcebooks Audio for the gifted listen!

*Mask of the Deer Woman - Thank you Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy!

*It's Not What You Think - Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen!

North Woods

*The Barman of the Ritz - Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen!

*Sleepers in the Snow (out 10/6) - Thank you Pegasus Books for the gifted copy!

*The French Illusion - Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted listen!

*Dive Bar at the End of the Road (out 10/6) - Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted listen!

*Big & Lily - Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted copy!

*Look What the Cat Dragged In (out 10/13) Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Trad Wife - Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen!

Interested in any of these tiles? Use my affiliate link at Bookshop.org and help out an indie bookstore!

Check out my August reading wrap up for last month's favorites!

Big & Lily

 

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Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted book!

Lisa Roe balances drama and laughs to serve up a heartfelt story about two sisters navigating life, responsibility, and everything that comes with sisterhood.

When Lily's marriage implodes, her overprotective big sister Bridget agrees to an Alaskan adventure. They think they've signed up for glamping. They have not.

Bridget and Lily are total opposites, and they butt heads constantly. There's plenty of low-key sisterly resentment simmering under the surface, but the love is always there. I also loved the mixed bag of fellow campers and the gorgeous, sweeping (and dangerous) Alaskan landscape.

This one has big "Alaska will give you what you need" energy. Bridget learns to let go, and Lily learns to stand up for herself and figure out what comes next. This book is charming, feel-good, and thoroughly entertaining.

📚 Read it if you want a family drama with a side of humor and a whole lot of sisterly love. Big & Lily is out now. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a copy of Big & Lily from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews. 

About the Author

Lisa Roe graduated from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and spent many years as an advertising creative director and copywriter in New York City before she accepted the tougher job of stay-at-home mom and turned to writing fiction—mostly to entertain her kids, but then to tell her own stories. A classic first born, reluctant empty nester, and Dr. Doolittle wannabe, Lisa lives in New Jersey with her husband, David and three incorrigible dogs. Big & Lily is her second novel. Follow Lisa on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her books.

North Woods

 

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My book club picked this one for the month, and then I missed the discussion because I’m at the beach. 🏖️

North Woods by Daniel Mason follows a single house in the western Massachusetts woods across a few centuries, along with everyone who lives there.

It doesn't read like a typical novel. It's more like a set of linked short stories, and sometimes the thread connecting them doesn't show up for decades. Some chapters are heartbreaking. The one about a young man and his schizophrenia really stuck with me. Others are funny in a bittersweet way, like the amateur historian who gets kicked out of his historical society for being a cad.

The writing is detailed but never drags. Each time period feels well researched, and the setting is so atmospheric you can almost smell the pine. I did have to ask my husband, a retired history teacher, to help me sort out the Colonial-era setting in the early chapters.

Fair warning: more than once I thought, "What the heck am I reading?" My book club agreed. The consensus was the book was interesting, bizarre, and a bit hard to get through in spots. I liked some chapters much more than others, but I've never read anything quite like it.

📚 Readers' advisory note: this one's for patient readers who like books that take big swings with structure. If you want a fast plot and one main character to follow, skip it.

I liked it more than I loved it, but the storytelling is so original that it earned four stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can grab a copy of North Woods from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you like this review, you might be interested in my recommendations for Revolutionary War reads.

About the Author

Daniel Mason was born and raised in Northern California. He studied biology at Harvard, and medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. His first novel, The Piano Tuner, published in 2002, was a national bestseller and has since been published in 27 countries. His other works include A Far Country, The Winter Soldier, and A Registry of My Passage Upon Earth, and his writing has appeared in Harper’s Magazine and Lapham’s Quarterly. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Daniel's website for more news and information about his books.

Bad Words

 

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Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen!

Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson is a smart, layered romance full of emotional depth and characters I rooted for the whole way.

Parker Navarro's much-hyped debut novel tanks after a scathing review from critic Selina Chan. Four years later, his second book is his shot at redemption and maybe his last chance to keep his writing career alive. Selina can't pass up the chance to review it, and she writes another blistering takedown. When a video of Parker confronting her goes viral, their feud lights up the publishing world and the internet. But somewhere in all that noise, Parker and Selina start actually talking to each other.

This is a romance with grown-up stakes. Yes, there's plenty of witty banter and the inevitable third-act breakup, but Robinson layers so much underneath it. I loved the unvarnished look behind the scenes of publishing. Selina writes for a venerable magazine that's barely hanging on, and the pressure to write for clicks instead of thoughtful criticism is real.

 I also loved how seriously Selina takes her job. She approaches every review with care and real respect for the craft.

Robinson also digs into the pressure on young people to choose a "safe" career over the one they're passionate about. And I loved how Parker's roommate looks out for his mental health and how his family rallies around him.

Narrators Katharine Chin and Major Curda are excellent. They give the banter real pop, bring the heat to the romance, and handle the emotional moments with sensitivity.

Parker and Selina don't get a meet-cute. Their relationship grows as they dig deep and figure out who they are, separately and together. It's thoughtful, beautifully crafted, and the character development is excellent.

If you love a romance that makes you think as much as it makes you swoon, put this one at the top of your TBR. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bad Words publishes October 6.

You can preorder Bad Words from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

if you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of The Odds of You by Kate Dramis.

About the Author

Rioghnach Robinson grew up in North Carolina, studied economics at Kenyon College, and now lives in New York City. Her books for young readers, including Lambda Award winner Come Home to My Heart, are published under the pen name Riley Redgate. Bad Words is her first adult novel. Follow Rioghnach on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her books.

The Barman of the Ritz

 

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Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook. 

The Barman of the Ritz by Philippe Collin is based on the fascinating life of Frank Meier, a celebrated barman known for inventing popular cocktails and being the consummate professional. In 1936 he wrote The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, and original copies are so rare they now sell for thousands of dollars.

Meier grew up in poverty but ended up rubbing elbows with the rich and famous: authors, playwrights, actors, politicians, and titans of business.

When the Nazis occupy Paris, the grand Ritz Hotel stays open, and its little bar becomes their favorite spot. Night after night, Meier keeps shaking cocktails for German officers while hiding the fact that he's Jewish.

Collin does a remarkable job contrasting the cruelty of the Occupation with the nightly festivities at the bar. You really get a sense of time and place, with socialites, artists, philosophers, moguls, and Nazi officers all passing through. Simon Paisley Day brings real gravitas to the narration, capturing both Meier's pride in his work and his terror that his secret will come out.

What I liked most is that Meier wasn't part of the Resistance. This is the story of an ordinary man trying to survive an extraordinarily dark and dangerous time. A great pick for historical fiction readers looking for something a little different. Out now! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Grab a copy from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon. 

About the Author

Philippe Collin has been a producer at France Inter for the past twenty years and holds a master’s degree in contemporary history. Since 2021, he has produced a series of historical podcasts that have been downloaded by more than forty million listeners. The Barman of the Ritz is his first novel. Follow Philippe on Instagram.

Trad Wife

 

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It just helps keep this space going.

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook! 

A viral trad wife influencer. A disgraced journalist. A farm hiding something much worse than a behind-the-scenes staff. 

Journalist Jenny Kaplan writes a brutally honest essay about her own life. It goes viral and revives her career for about five minutes, until online backlash gets her fired.

Mia Wright is the reigning queen of trad wife influencers, showing off her idyllic life on a farm with her picture-perfect family.

When Mia invites Jenny to the farm to see her life up close, Jenny jumps at it. She's desperate to save her career and hopes to expose Mia's carefully curated deception. What she finds instead is a horrifying secret, and both women's lives start to spiral.

This is horror, but not the blood-and-jump-scares kind. It's more creepy than scary. Yes, Mia's perfect life is a lie, but not in the way you'd expect. There's no team of nannies and assistants doing the real work. It's something much more insidious.

The whole book is unsettling in the best way. Author Sarah Langan keeps the tension high from start to finish, and her writing is sharp and engaging. I never knew where the story was headed. What a weird, wild ride.

Stephanie Németh-Parker does a fantastic job with the narration. Mia and Jenny have distinct voices, and her performance nails the tension and creepiness all the way through.

Trad Wife is the perfect addition to your spooky season TBR. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out September 29.

Grab a copy at Trad Wife from Bookshop.org and help out an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Yesteryear. It also has an influencer main character and a big twist.

About the Author

Sarah Langan, a Columbia MFA graduate and three-time recipient of the Bram Stoker Award, is the author of several novels including A Better World, Good Neighbors, and Trad Wife. She’s got an MS in environmental health science, grew up on Long Island, and she currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters. Follow Sarah on Instagram and visit her website for news and information about her books.