The Sunday Salon... If Only Animals Could Talk... Oh, I'm Sorry, They Do!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

It 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."

New Release Tuesday... 3 books that are yummy, a second-chance romance, and a midlife reinvention. 

Another New Release and now in my eReader! Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mia Nguyen. You need to read about this book!

The Beheading by Rebecca Lehmann... My Review

New Book Announcement for Jeffery Deaver! It's called The Collateral Heart and brings back Lincoln Rhyme! Read about it here!

First Lines Friday... It's definitely something to puck about!

My Audiobook Review of Mad Mabel... You won't want to miss this one!

New Romantasy Release Announcement... Godbound by Masha Sova.

That is how my week went... How about you?! What great reading did you do or great books did you find?

I hope you found something interesting here this week! And until next time... Happy Reading, Suzanne

I'm Simply Mad About Mabel... An Audiobook Review of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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

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?

Here's the blurb about this book from Goodreads: One text to the wrong number…mine…and everything changed. He won’t tell me his last name, and maybe that should throw up a thousand red flags, but when I’m all alone in a new city and struggling to make ends meet, his texts are the lifeline I’ve been desperate for. But I never would have answered that text if I’d known that Lincoln Daniels, superstar hockey player extraordinaire was the one sending them. He’s trying to sweep me off my feet now. He says he’s obsessed. He wants me wearing his number…permanently. The question is…is he still the wrong number, or can this hockey god prove he’s Mr. Right?

* 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.😉

 

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...

Just Published and Now in My eReader... Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen

I was reading about this book yesterday...  then I googled the book to learn more about it... Mai Nguyen's Instagram post popped up and a video of her opening the box she just received of her books. This book, that was just published this week by Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). If I wasn't interested already from the description from the publisher, I was totally sold (and teary eyed) after watching the unboxing video... Here is what Mai Nguyen wrote for captions during her video...

"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!

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann... “History ends. Anne Boleyn's story begins.” My Review

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann

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?

 

Coming Soon... A NEW Romantasy by Masha Sova... Godbound!

I'm so excited that I just received an ARC of Godbound by Masha Sova! I can't wait to dive in! Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and Net Galley for the review opportunity! And thank you Masha Sova for writing what sounds like a delicious read! Here's the book blurb:

The Scarlet Letter meets the divine, deadly trials of The Games Gods Play in this dark, epic romantic fantasy where society weaponizes shame, gods weaponize survival, and love becomes the most dangerous rebellion of all.

They branded her a sinner.

She chose to become a threat.

In a kingdom where a forgotten goddess’s curse has become law—where purity is power and desire is a death sentence—Raylane has lived her life playing the perfect girl. Obedient. Untouched. Destined for the crown.

All so she might one day reshape a realm that damns cursed women like her mother… women who dared to fall in love.

Until one kiss ruins everything.

Branded impure and cursed with rot-magic that spreads by touch, Raylane is cast into the Trial of the Bound—a brutal arena where champions fight to the death, gods revel in blood, and power feeds on the prayers of the crowd.

Her only hope of survival? Swear fealty to the very goddess who cursed her. In return, the goddess tears a shadowbeast from another world and binds him to Raylane’s side—feral, unwilling, and the only one who can help her tame the power threatening to consume her.

He doesn’t want her. Doesn’t trust her. But their fates are entwined, and every step toward mastery binds them tighter.

As her power grows and their bond deepens, Raylane must make an impossible choice: win the trial, free the cursed, and unleash a forgotten goddess bent on reclaiming the world… or lose everything to save those who now pray for her death.

One path leads to love.

The other, to mercy.

Both end in ruin.

Mark your calendars... Coming June 6th, 2026

 

Memoir Monday... and a Story of Survival

Jumper Cables by Lee B. Dean... 
JUMPER CABLES: A MEMOIR OF MOURNING AN UNFORGETTABLE GIRL OFFERS A RAW PORTRAIT OF SURVIVAL AND REDEMPTION.

A powerful and unflinching memoir tracing one woman’s journey from trauma and self destruction to hard won wholeness. A deeply personal and courageous account of survival in the aftermath of sexual assault. With unvarnished honesty, it recounts the night that altered the course of her life and the years of struggles that followed, marked by addiction, self harm, and the gradual erosion of identity.

What began as a simple act of kindness in a parking lot became a turning point that shattered any sense of safety and certainty. From that moment, she traces a nonlinear journey through darkness, documenting the ways trauma manifested in destructive choices and emotional isolation. Her story does not follow a tidy arc of recovery. Instead, it reflects the complicated, often painful reality of living with unresolved wounds. Spanning more than twenty years, Jumper Cables moves from that first devastating night to a gas station decades later. The symbolism of these two moments anchors the memoir, illustrating both the depth of loss and the possibility of transformation.

She makes clear that this is not a guidebook or a prescriptive path to healing. Rather, it is an intimate testimony of endurance. She writes for those who have felt broken beyond repair, who have questioned whether survival was enough, and who have wondered if restoration was even possible. By sharing the messy, fragile, and deeply human process of reclaiming herself, she offers readers recognition and hope.

Jumper Cables speaks to survivors of assault, individuals navigating addiction or self destructive cycles, and anyone confronting the long shadow of trauma. Her voice is steady and reflective, honoring the unforgettable girl she once was while acknowledging the woman she fought to become. Dean brings vulnerability and strength to the pages, contributing to an ongoing conversation about trauma, accountability, and resilience. Her memoir stands as a testament to survival and the quiet courage required to rebuild a life.

Someone asked me if I had read this memoir, and I said no. They told me I should take a look at it, and I did. This is a slim book, 165 pages in total, but I feel it is an important one. Surviving sexual assault is a battle and Jumper Cables is a gift to women who need to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I started reading the sample of this book and was immediately drawn to this woman. I will be reading this, this week. Self published on February 17th of this year.