Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler: she slips unpredictably through decades, carrying the weight of a future she can witness but cannot change. Yet she strives to maintain a normal life: as a gifted violinist, Alba finds refuge in her music, as well as her tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world.As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless “Yellow House” – where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler – to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.At once intimate and sweeping, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic tale of love, resilience, and hope amid our fractured world where time itself is the greatest adversary. With every leap through the years, Alba is forced to reckon with the choices that define her, the people she cannot bear to lose, and the question that haunts every time traveler: can you ever truly belong to the present?
Welcome to Chick with Books — a space for readers who love getting lost in a great story and talking about it long after the final page. This is your go-to spot for buzz-worthy new releases, hidden gems, and honest reviews you can trust. I’m drawn to unforgettable stories—especially historical and literary fiction, thrillers, and my latest obsession: romantasy. Looking for your next great read? You’re in the right place.
Literary Quote of the Month
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Did You Love The Time Travelers Wife?... Here's The Long Awaited Sequel!
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter... A Deadly Duel. A Forbidden Love. One Jaw-Dropping Twist.
Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter
A centuries-old covenant forces the heir of the witches of Arturea to fight the heir of the dragon riders of Vatra… to the death.
Astrid—princess of Arturea—is powerful, proud… and not a warrior at heart. Zryan—Vatra’s lethal champion—is a battle-hardened force of nature, bonded to a massive fire-breathing dragon… and completely obsessed with Astrid.
What should be a death sentence becomes something far more dangerous: a forbidden, undeniable pull neither of them can resist. Blood Bound is the kind of romantasy that hooks you fast and doesn’t let go.
The world-building? Incredible. From the witches’ distinct magic and their familiars to the dragon riders’ raw, elemental power—every detail feels vivid and immersive. I swear, I was living in Vatra the entire time. (Still waiting to find out if “reading” counts as a magical talent… I’m claiming it.)
What fills this story out even more is the political intrigue and the rebellion hiding in the shadows—adding layers of tension and depth that make the stakes feel even higher.
And the characters? I was in. Fully invested. Practically third-wheeling alongside Astrid. The friendships that develop are true and touching. I loved the way the female friendships unfolded.
But let’s talk about what really delivers:
Forbidden love…. Enemies to lovers….That slow burn tension…. Touch her and you’ll die… Dragons & Familiars… Political intrigue… Great banter!… Found family… Great female friendships… Magic & Potions… Did I say Dragons! And Familiars!
And then—THE TWIST. The kind that makes you stop, reread, and immediately need to talk about it with someone. I want to scream about it… but I won’t ruin it for you.
Just know: It’s big, it’s bold and it brings everything together in a jaw-dropping way. There is so much packed into the story - you’re going to love it. I know I did. This is the first book of a promised 3 book trilogy.
And I am already whining that I want the second book!
Published by Atria Books on April 28th! And available at your favorite bookstore right now! I want to thank Atria Books for an advanced copy of Blood Bound to read & review! I loved it!
In My Mailbox...
June Baby by Shannon Garvey... Some summers never leave you. In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward. Published by Random House on May 12th. I can see this as being "THE" beach read of the summer!Second Times A Charmy by Taylor Epperson... Returning
Second First Dates by Gabriella Gamez... One bad date, shame on you. Two bad dates, shame on me ... Forever (Grand Central Publishing) on July 28th. This looks like a fun romance!
Somewhere Soft To Land by Kai Alonte... In this crackling portrayal of friendship in peril, a young woman’s world is upended when a tragedy in her best friend’s life tests the boundaries of their sisterhood—a sharp and compelling debut novel from a Ghanaian American writer. Published by Ballantine on April 21st. I love stories of Sisters and women's friendships. This looks like it's going to be so memorable!
Doomsdate... When a first date between a doomsday prepper and a nerdy film professor goes horribly, zombie-apocalypse-level wrong, the mismatched pair team up on a road trip to safety in this delightfully feral rom-com. Published by Ballantine September 15th. I can't resist a good zombie apocalypse story! I love the premise for this!
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Dragons, Dogs & Delicious Drama... It's New Book Release Tuesdat!
Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter... A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver.
You duel or you die.
Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her.
Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her traveling troupe arrive in Vatra's capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined.
As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.
OMG, I am reading this right now and am totally absorbed! As soon as I started reading I was loving it! I love the MFC's, and the witches familiars, and I love the idea of the two different worlds, that of the dragon riders and the witches. The banter between characters is great... There has been so much hype for this book and it's all worth it in my opinion! Look for my review coming soon. But if you love romantasy or just great storytelling ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR list! This is published by Atria Books and a huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this!!
Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?
However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England—and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there’s more to her than being the perfect trophy wife…
As I was reading about the new books coming out this week, I ran across this one and started reading a bit of it to see if I liked it. AND I DID! The beginning of this story is just too funny and I think I'm really going to like Mebel. Check this book out by Jesse Q. Sutano, who has a a bunch of books already published and adored. This book is published by Berkley and is on my TBR list...
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About...From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee—known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue—comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman’s search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it.
A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she got her chance, ditching her college upstate and moving into a grungy basement apartment in Manhattan. Dog-obsessed since childhood, her first post-grad job was becoming an assistant to a dog photographer, and something clicked into place: a career focused on helping dogs was the new dream.
Isabel quickly found a passion for rehabilitating rescue dogs and helping them get adopted. At the same time, she was caught up in a whirlwind of friendships, parties, fickle boyfriends and grand romances, which she recounts in honest, tender, and sometimes devastating chapters about the search for love and belonging.
Isabel’s first true love, though, was Simon, a fluffy puppy who’d been saved from the meat trade. As the highs and lows of her twenties hit Isabel in wave after wave, it was Simon who kept her grounded. Together, Isabel and Simon created a community of dog-lovers and a tight-knit group of friends pursuing their dreams.
In this honest and moving memoir, Isabel weaves together the stories of her foster dogs—and the challenges she helped them overcome—with tales of complicated relationships, hard decisions, and great loves in New York City, all leading to a happy ending not only for the rescue pups, but for Isabel herself.
Any person in dog rescue has a special place in my heart. I've spotlighted this book last monday in Memoir Monday, but wanted to highlight it again because today is its' official publishing day! And courtesy of William Morrow and NetGalley, I now have a copy to read and review! Thank you so much!! Look for my review coming soon!
New Book Tuesday... Part Two... Because One Post Wasn't Enough!
Monday, April 27, 2026
Memoir Monday... Are We All Really Strangers to Each Other?
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden... It was a great love story, one for the ages. The speed of our beginning and the speed of our ending felt like matching bookends. They both came out of nowhere. He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn’t.
In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha’s Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together—building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whisky sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume.
In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues that her husband was not who she always thought he was. As she examines her relationship through a new lens, she reckons with her own family history and the lessons she intuited about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal. Through all of it, she is transformed. The discreet, compliant woman she once was—someone nicknamed “Belle the Good”—gives way to someone braver, someone determined to use her voice.
With unflinching honesty and profound grace, Burden charts a path through heartbreak to show the power of a woman who refuses to give up on love. Strangers is a stunning, deeply moving, compulsively readable memoir heralding the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent.
I have heard so many people talk about this book. It almost sounds like a book of fiction, but for Belle Burden it is all too real. I read the first 13 pages or so and was crushed for Belle and her family. Now I need to read this to know how Belle survives the betrayal.
Published by The Dial Press last January.
Sunday, April 26, 2026
The Sunday Salon and ....Bookish Adventures in One of the Largest Book Outlet Warehouses in South Carolina
Besides all the bookish adventures, I'm reading Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter, courtesy of Atria Books and NetGalley. It's a Romantasy with lots of adventure and I'm loving it! There are witches and dragon riders and a fight to the death, and a slow burn romance, magic great world building. Yes, I am really enjoying. It will be released this coming Tuesday.
Friday, April 24, 2026
First Lines Friday... This One Comes With a Body Count 💋🔪
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Happy National Poetry Month!... Who Are Your Favorite Poets or Poems?
Happy National Poetry Month!
April is National Poetry Month! And I've been so busy, I haven't even talked about it yet! Here is a photo of some of my favorite poetry books too. I have them lying around the house to be picked up and enjoyed whenever the mood strikes.In general, I think people have a love/hate relationship with poetry. Either you enjoy it or you can't be bothered. There are all kinds of poetry, from Shakespeare's sonnets to more contemporary written poems, such as by poet Billy Collins... there are free verse, Rhymed, Epics, Lyrical, Haiku, Blank verse...
Though I do enjoy reading the Romantics of the late 18th and early 19th century, my favorite poets are from the 20th and 21st century. Let me share some of my favorite poets today...
Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Donald Hall, Jo Harjo, Nikki Giovanni, Seamus Heaney, Wistawa Szymborska, Marge Piercy, Tracy K. Smith, Julia Hartwig, Jane Kenyon, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Federico García Lorca, and Donna Marie Merritt. (Donna is a CT poet who was gracious enough to come to my book club for a night of poetry and her poetry is wonderful!)
This week while looking at new book releases I came upon a newly released book of poetry called Size of Your Joy: Poems by Elise Powers. I found her website, sampled some of her poetry( you should too!) and really liked it… and ordered her new poetry book to add to my growing collection. (Look for a review of her book too!).
Some poetry collections that I like... Good Poems by Garrison Keillor, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey through Poems by Caroline Kennedy, and Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy.
But, how do you pick out a book of poetry? You open up one and read a poem or two.. maybe more. To get a feel for the poem and the poet... Does it speak to you? Can you relate to its' subject matter? Do you just like it?
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE POETRY BOOKS?
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE POEMS?
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
MORE New Released Books!
I had these new books pop into my inbox today and just HAD to share them with you! So, part 2 of New Release Tuesday with 3 books Definitely on my radar & wishlist!
Somewhere Soft to Land by Kai Alonte... In this crackling portrayal of friendship in peril, a young woman’s world is upended when a tragedy in her best friend’s life tests the boundaries of their sisterhood. Published by Ballantine Books.
Omg, this sounds so good! I love women friendship stories!
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The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Susan and James Patterson... Old friends. New secrets. A dreamy Lake Como reunion turns emotional as a mother-daughter book club reconnects—where late-night confessions, long-held tensions, and unexpected revelations prove some stories hit closer to home than any book. Published by Little, Brown & Co.
I thought this sounded like such a wonderful book for Book Clubs! And again, a women's friendship kind of read.
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The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer... a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined. Published by Atria/Emily Best Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)
This one sounds delicious!
What's on your radar this week?
What new books are you excited for?
#Bookstagram #Atriabooks #Littlebrownandco #Ballantinebooks #pubday
Kindle Deal for You... But Hurry... The Witch by Freida McFadden
When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family's sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she's there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she's hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.
New Book Release Tuesday... The Latest Releases Worth Discovering
*I listened to the audiobook of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth and LOVED it!
*If you've read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, you'll want to read her new book, The Mountains We Call Home because she brings back Cussy!
*Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez "a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past." I've also read that is a love letter to Brooklyn.
*Livonia Chow Mein by Abigail Savitch-Lew "a gripping story of family history and political upheaval centered around a Chinese family-owned restaurant in Brownsville, Brooklyn"
These are the 4 new book releases I have my eye on, what about you? Anything being published today that's caught your eye?
Monday, April 20, 2026
Memoir Monday... Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About by Isabel Klee
Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About by Isabel Klee... From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee—known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue—comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman’s search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it.
A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she got her chance, ditching her college upstate and moving into a grungy basement apartment in Manhattan. Dog-obsessed since childhood, her first post-grad job was becoming an assistant to a dog photographer, and something clicked into place: a career focused on helping dogs was the new dream.
Isabel quickly found a passion for rehabilitating rescue dogs and helping them get adopted. At the same time, she was caught up in a whirlwind of friendships, parties, fickle boyfriends and grand romances, which she recounts in honest, tender, and sometimes devastating chapters about the search for love and belonging.
Isabel’s first true love, though, was Simon, a fluffy puppy who’d been saved from the meat trade. As the highs and lows of her twenties hit Isabel in wave after wave, it was Simon who kept her grounded. Together, Isabel and Simon created a community of dog-lovers and a tight-knit group of friends pursuing their dreams.
In this honest and moving memoir, Isabel weaves together the stories of her foster dogs—and the challenges she helped them overcome—with tales of complicated relationships, hard decisions, and great loves in New York City, all leading to a happy ending not only for the rescue pups, but for Isabel herself.
I've had dogs in my life, not rescue dogs, but dogs who have rescued me. And I always, I mean always, watch those dog adoptions, or dog rescue videos. I just can't help myself even when I am balling my eyes out with a happy ending or a happy rescue. It takes a very special person to actually be involved in rescue. And don't even get me started on how important being a foster is... and how can you give up that special furball when they're ready for a family? (but if you don't you'll have 100 dogs, and no room for the next special furball needing your help). So I already know Isabel Klee is special, now I'd like to learn how special...
This book is on my wishlist. It's being published by William Morrow and it's release date is next tuesday, April 28th!
Sunday, April 19, 2026
The Sunday Salon... If Only Animals Could Talk... Oh, I'm Sorry, They Do!
It is officially hot is South Carolina! All week long I've been enjoying the warm weather with my gardening adventures. My seed snails are coming along after I opened them up and gave them all a little more room by transferring half of them to their own seed snails. Today or tomorrow I will be repotting them in their own individual pots. And it's been a fun reading week too! I finally finished The Beheading by Rebecca Lehmann and loved it! I finished listening to Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth and loved that too! AND I discovered some fun reading... told in the animal's POV (point of view)...
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch... In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn’t commit.
Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with Penny, the little girl whom he was separated from and hasn’t seen in years.
Penny, now an adult, is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Her only comfort when the past comes back to haunt her is the memory of her precious, rebellious pony.
Hearing of Penny’s fate, Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, the pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny’s name and find the real killer.
This acutely observant, feel-good mystery reveals the humanity of animals and beastliness of humans in a rollicking escapade of epic proportions.
I came across this and it sounded so fun. I've seen some mixed reviews, but I actually was able to download the audiobook from my library, so I'll be listening to this, this week. I'll let you know.
The book was published by Berkley last November. The audiobook was released by Penguin Audio.
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann... "This funny and surprising mystery stars a new breed of detectives you’ve got to read to baaaaa-lieve'.
Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world).
Her team of investigators includes Othello, who was rescued from the Dublin Zoo; Mopple the Whale, who is always hungry and remembers everything; and Zora, an existential ewe—just to name a few. Together, the sheep discuss the crime late into the night, and their speculations vary wildly. Determined to unravel the mystery, they embark on furtive missions into the village, where they encounter a hoof-full of two-legged suspects. There’s Ham, the terrifying butcher who smells of death; Rebecca, the secretive village newcomer; and Father Will, a sinister priest the sheep call God.
With wit and heart, this clever international bestseller is a mystery to chew on—and savor.
You might have heard me mention this book before. I had it for a First Lines Friday post way back at the beginning of January. I have the book and have been meaning to read it BEFORE the movie! The movie is called The Sheep Detectives, it stars Hugh Jackman and it's coming out to theatres May 8th. I better get a move on...
Published by Soho Crime in February of 2025
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton... "In this hilarious, "dazzling" romp, a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive a zombie apocalypse–think Watership Down meets Dawn of the Dead (Mona Awad, author of Bunny).
S.T. is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his human owner, Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. ""those idiots""), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®. But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right.
With no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis (a loyal but dimwitted dog), S.T. discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV–What could possibly go wrong?"
I recently found this book while I was googling books from the animal's POV. This popped up with all rave reviews. It was also nominated for an Audie award for its' audiobook. I'm tempted to use one of my Audible credits so I can listen. The paperback is available at my local library though... hmmm, anyone read or listen to this?
Published by Grand Central Publishing in July of 2020
Memoir Monday... Jumper Cables by Lee B. Dean... "A memoir of mourning an unforgettable girl, offering a raw portrait of survival and redemption."Saturday, April 18, 2026
I'm Simply Mad About Mabel... An Audiobook Review of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
I’m just mad about Mad Mabel!
Meet Elsie Fitzpatrick—81 years old, sharp-tongued, a little crabby, and completely unforgettable. (If you loved A Man Called Ove, you’ll instantly see the vibe.) Elsie has lived a quiet, routine life on Kenny Lane for sixty years… until her elderly neighbor—well into his nineties—dies suddenly.
Given their recent, less-than-friendly history (she did call him her “nemesis,” after all), suspicion quickly lands on Elsie.
Ordinarily, this would be a straightforward case. But Elsie is hiding something—and it’s not small... Elsie Fitzpatrick is actually Mabel Waller… Australia’s youngest convicted murderer at just fifteen!! (And that’s only the crime she was caught for.)
As the investigation ramps up and the media descends, Elsie is finally given the chance to tell her story—and she takes it. What follows is a beautifully layered dual timeline that shifts between young Mabel and present-day Elsie, slowly revealing the truth behind the rumors, the headlines, and the woman herself.
The story is rich with unforgettable characters—from Mabel’s early life (her complicated family, her first love, and her fiercely loyal friend Daphne) to Elsie’s present-day circle, including her kind neighbor Peter, perpetually complaining Joan, and the absolute scene-stealer: seven-year-old Persephone, who has essentially adopted Elsie as her grandmother.
There’s a quiet tenderness here that sneaks up on you—especially in the relationship between Elsie and Persephone—balanced with moments of real suspense, unexpected twists, and a few emotional turns that genuinely caught me off guard. By the end, I wasn’t just invested… I was fully rooting for Elsie (and Mabel), flaws and all.
On audio? Even better.
The narration elevates this story beautifully. Jenny Seedsman perfectly captures Elsie’s dry wit and layered personality, while Hannah Fredericksen brings young Mabel to life with equal nuance. The transitions between timelines are seamless, making it an incredibly immersive listen.
By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elsie—and honestly, that might be the highest praise I can give.
I'm not a big audiobook listener, but I am so happy that I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Mad Mabel courtesy of Macmillan Audio and NetGalley! Thank you so much! I loved the story and it was such a pleasure to listen to! I am now officially putting more audiobooks on my TBR list! And you should too! Especially this one!
Mad Mabel audiobook (and book)
will be available this coming tuesday, April 21st
Friday, April 17, 2026
First Lines Friday... Puck This!
Hockey Romances are all the rage these days. I was reading about this book and I loved the idea of someone getting the wrong text, answering the text and the start of a budding romance!
Would you keep reading this after the first lines?
* Lincoln Daniels is a morally grey antihero who is obsessed with his girl and will do anything to keep her.
This is a darker hockey romance. The Pucking Wrong Number is a hockey romance standalone from USA Today and International Bestselling Author C.R. Jane.
This book was published way back in 2024 by Podium Publishing. This is a stand alone story, but C.R. Jane has written quite a few books under the "Pucking" theme.😉
Thursday, April 16, 2026
He's Back! Lincoln Rhyme will be in a new thriller... Set Your Alarms for November 17, 2026!
Lincoln Rhyme is back! A new thriller from Jeffery Deaver starring Lincoln Rhyme & Amelia Sachs is coming in November! Mark your calendars for November 17, 2026!... And I've got an ARC of The Collateral Heart in my Kindle right now! I'm so excited! Thank you to Putnam a division of Penguin Random House for sending along a review copy! Stay tuned for a review...
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Just Published and Now in My eReader... Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen
"I started writing this book six months after my baby died."
"I wasn't sure if I wanted anybody to read it."
"But part of me wanted people to know about my baby and how much I love her."
"So I kept writing thru the tears..."
"And now it's a book."
"I dedicated it to her, my sweet Gemma."
And the dedication:
"For Gemma and all the babies who didn't get to stay"
Omg, the strength of Mai Nguyen to write this book. It's fiction, but it's written from her heart. Not just heartbreaking, but hopeful. And mixed with some dark humor... I just received a review copy from the publisher and moved this to the top of the reading pile. Stay tuned for a review in the near future! Thank you to Atria Books for the digital review copy!
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann... “History ends. Anne Boleyn's story begins.” My Review
History says Anne Boleyn lost her head. Rebecca Lehmann asks—what if that wasn’t the end? In The Beheading Game, Anne’s story begins in darkness, in a box, in pieces. This is historical fiction with a twist… and what a twist it is. Horror? Fantasy? Something in between? Anne awakens with her severed head resting between her knees—and that’s only the beginning. What unfolds is equal parts unsettling and mesmerizing as she stitches herself back together—literally—and rises with a singular purpose: revenge, and the fierce determination to protect her daughter, Elizabeth. It’s a haunting, genre-blurring reimagining that is impossible to look away from.
From the first pages, I was hooked.
Lehmann reimagines the Tudor world with vivid attention to detail. While the premise leans into the fantastical, the setting feels grounded and authentic—from the rigid class divides to the stark contrast between courtly life and the struggles of ordinary people. Watching Anne navigate life beyond the palace walls—living in the streets, finding herself in a brothel, and forming unexpected alliances—adds a compelling layer of growth to her character. Her shifting perspective on class and power is one of the novel’s most interesting evolutions.
This Anne is not the polished historical figure we think we know—she’s angry, determined, and unapologetically driven. And honestly? It’s hard not to root for her.
Blending intrigue, danger, and emotional depth, The Beheading Game becomes both a love story and something far darker—a nightmare threaded with ambition and survival. It’s immersive, bold, and surprisingly believable in the way it reshapes a story we thought was already written.
Perfect for fans of historical fiction who enjoy a reimagined edge—and for readers who appreciate stories about women who refuse to stay silent, no matter the cost.
Published by Crown Publishing (a division of Penguin Random House) this past March, this one definitely earns its place on the shelf.
Fresh Off the Press: Three New Releases You’ll Want on Your Radar Today
Today's the day for these books you'll want to put on you TBR list! One yummy memoir, and 2 romances that will have you turning those pages as fast as you can.
Extra Sauce bby Zahra Tangorra... At twenty-two years old, Zahra Tangorra was trying on adulthood and attempting to find herself when a harrowing near-death experience stopped her in her tracks. It felt like a twisted version of a second chance. Who am I? she asked herself. What do I love? The answers started coming to her: Stuffed shells and giant meatballs at J&J’s, the Italian red sauce joint of her Long Island childhood. Her mother’s chocolate mousse pie and her father’s sweet and savory pea soup. The people, places, and experiences that made her her, the relationships both loving and fraught—they were all, for better and sometimes worse, inextricably bound up with food. In this memoir that celebrates both the delicious and the messy in life, Zahra reckons with the adrenaline-filled highs and devastating lows of opening cult-favorite Brooklyn restaurant Brucie and then closing it at the height of its popularity. From cooking her father his last meal and the unexpected yet beautiful things she found at the bottom of her grief to the relationships she couldn’t save through cooking, like her fractured family and the lover she had to leave in Tuscany, Zahra writes about the immense courage it takes to allow ourselves to be loved, extra sauce and all. Told with uproarious humor and tremendous insight, Extra Sauce is for anyone who yearns to embrace their whole self, who loves with abandon, and who eats with gusto.
Published by Dial Press and in my eReader as we speak. I'm always us for a memoir that has a cook and food in it!
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell... Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie . . . Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon. Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry . . . "Baby." Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Baby. Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry that strangers recognize her at the grocery store. While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in . . . and wondering who she's supposed to be without him. Cherry had promised to love Tom through thick and thin. She'd meant it. One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom's overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album . . . and someone recognizes her from across the room. Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Before Tom. Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry. And best of all . . . he's never heard of Thursday.
Tender, funny, and utterly human, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's richest, most surprising—sexiest—novel yet.
This sounds like so much fun. I love a girl who holds her own and perserveres! Published my William Morrow and on my Wishlist!
Go Gentle by Maria Semple... Adora Hazzard has it all figured out. A Stoic philosopher and divorcée, she lives a contented life on New York City’s Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have, she’s applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter, the freedom of being solo, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She’s even assembled a "coven"—like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia—and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora’s carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. Soon, her ordered world is upended by black-market art deals, secret rendezvous, and international intrigue . . . and her past—which she has worked so hard to bury—lands like a bomb in her present. Inflamed by unquenchable desire, Adora finds herself a woman wanting more: and she’ll risk everything to get it. Adora Hazzard’s journey of self-discovery will grip you from the start. Romantic, hilarious, intelligent, and bursting with the stuff of life, Go Gentle is a thrilling story of one woman’s mid-life transformation, cementing Maria Semple in the pantheon of our most exciting and important contemporary writers.
Maria Semple is know for her smash hit, Where'd You Go Bernadette, and her newest book sounds just as wonderful as her last! Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons and on my Wishlist! (BTW, I love pink, but hate this cover 😐)
Putting any of these books on your TBR list?







































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