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.

First Lines Friday... And This One You May Lose Your Head Over!

"Anne opened her eyes to darkness. And wood. Her face was pressed into the wood. And the left side of her body. She realize fabric as well. A thin fabric that covered her. Linen, she thought, from the smell of it--like wet grass--and the way the air moved through it. Just slightly, for the air here was very still. The linen was wet and sticky. "

Omg, the premise of this book just had me from the start! Hours after Anne Boyleyn is beheaded for not giving Henry VIII a male heir, she wakes up in a wooden box. She escapes, sews her head back on and begins a quest to kill Henry before he can marry Jane Seymour, who is carrying the child that will oust Anne Boyleyns daughter's claim to the throne. While she is plotting to do all this, she is posing as a commoner, something of a eye opener to her. Yes, this sounds like fun!

                  Would you keep reading after the first few lines?

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann was published by Crown a division of Penguin Random House on March 24th.

The Sunday Salon... I Can't Resist a Good Book, Can You?!

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's been a beautiful week in South Carolina, with the weather slowly getting warmer (maybe even a bit too warm on Friday when it hit 86!). My seed snails have actually grown this week! So, I have some Mortgage Lifter and Roma tomatoe's and Garden Beans. I'll be hardening them to the outside beginning next week. In the meantime, I'm going to open the seed snails up and add some more dirt and make those new roots happy! And speaking of happy... I picked up some great books this week! Let's talk about them...

The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann... From Goodreads: Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously in an arrow chest, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for not being able to give him a male heir, reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, and executed based on trumped-up charges, Anne escapes the tower, sews her head back on, and sets out on a quest for vengeance. Traveling in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute, Anne navigates the London streets she never before walked and soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world. If Kelly Link had teamed up with Hilary Mantel, the result might be The Beheading Game. An epic journey through the wilds of British royal history and a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished, The Beheading Game finally allows one of history’s most maligned women a chance to tell her side of the story.

How can you resist a girl who gets beheaded, but picks herself up again (literally) and continues on?! I don't even remember how I found this book, but it just sounds like such a fun read. Of course not the beheading part, but when Anne Boleyn with such determination, picks herself up, sews her head back on and goes on a path of revenge, you just have to admire her. And so, I am looking forward to reading this. I read the first few chapters and really liked Rebecca Lehmann's writing. Published by Crown Publishing March 24th.

Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe... 
Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching. The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence. The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed. Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling. Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested. Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

I have been hearing about this book for months. Every booktok person has Daggermouth on their must read list. Originally self-published by the author, H.M. Wolfe, it has recently been picked up by Simon & Schuster's new adult imprint, Scarlett Press, and will have a beautiful special edition published July 28th. I happen to find a copy (it's hard to find now) and am looking forward to reading it now! I love the story of the book going viral and H.M. Wolfe getting a 7 figure book deal. Reading thru some of the instagram posts about the book as it was getting attention, it was available as an ebook for .99 cents! So, will be published by Scarlett Press on July 28th.

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez... A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy. 

I resisted this book as long as I could until I read a Kirkus review that gave it a starred review. I like reading Kirkus and usually their starred reviews are really good recommendations. When I saw that The Night We Met got a Kirkus star I caved. Why did I resist? I've recently read Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood and I am part way thru And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison (March's Indie Next Pick). I think of these as light fun romances and I'm thinking that The Night We Met falls into this category too. It's not my "normal" read (even though I've read 2 in a row so far) So, this is now in my TBR list and we will have 3 light romances under my belt for this year. Published by Forever March 24th.

Weekly Round Up... follow the links to read more!

Monday Memoir... One Woman's Quest to Find Her Soulmate and Finding Herself in the Process. 

Tuesday's New Book Releases... It was Crows, Crones & Fate: This Week’s Most Spellbinding New Releases on Tuesday.

Spring Book Sale... Did you catch the Spring Book Sale that Target was having! For one day, Target was having a buy 2, get 1 Free sale and even with Amazon pricing, you couldn't beat Target. I ordered quite a few books (OMG!)... then I saw that Amazon was having a similar sale. I posted about the sale on my Facebook and Instagram pages, so if you don't follow me on one of them, you should (for next time 😄).

First Lines Friday... This book is suppose to be an ugly cry read!!

The Sunday Salon... and Books You NEED to Add to Your TBR Pile!

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's a beautiful day in South Carolina and a perfect day to talk books. And talking books is what The Sunday Salon is all about! 

My TBR pile is getting high! There are so many books I just have to read! Today's Sunday Salon is about adding some great books to YOUR TBR pile!

Right now I'm reading Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (coming April 2026) and I am hooked! I'm living the good life of a modern day influencer (that isn't quite what it seems), and the dirt poor rural life with no indoor plumbing with Nattie Heller Mills in parallel universes. Omg! Keep an eye out for my review. I'm over half way done and so far it's a 5 star read for me. Add this to your TBR list, but you'll have to wait until April 7th to find it at your favorite bookstore...

Here are 3 others I can't wait to read in my TBR list and should be in yours... 

First, Are you a fan of Epistolary novels?

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans... Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime. Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever find.

This book has been exploding the internet! Like being a voyeur, the book lets us read the letters Sybil Van Antwerp has written to the people in her life and the letters she has received in return.

Published by Crown Publishing last October, I'll be diving into this one soon!

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Theo of Golden by Allen Levin... Questions linger about Theo, a pleasant but mysterious stranger, after his arrival in the southern city of Golden. Who is he, and why is he here? He arrives early one spring and by chance - or is it? - he visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits are on display. Inspired, Theo sets out on a mission of purchasing all the portraits one at a time and quietly bestowing them on their 'rightful owners.' Stories are told; friendships are born; and lives are changed. Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.

The first time I noticed this book, I was in Barnes & Noble walking around and stopped in front of a table to look at a book (big surprise, right?!). This one young lady looks at her friend, picks up a copy of Theo of Golden and says, "I've heard really good things about this book". Of course I had to see what book it was. From it's cover, it looked pretty nondescript. When I got home I did some research, and kept finding Theo of Golden on a million (I might be exaggerating a little) best books of the year and my favorite book of the year lists. So I have this waiting in my TBR pile. 

Published by Atria Books in October of 2023 (but it took off in 2025!), It's in my TBR pile, waiting for a window of time where I want to settle down for a leisurely read.

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My Friends by Fredrik Backman... Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.

I like Fredrik Backmans' writing. I've read all his books and naturally would pick this one up. This one seems a bit different. More mystery to unveil. AND, My Friends is on a ton of "Best of/Favorite Books" lists too. 

   Published by Atria Books May 2025. In my ever growing TBR pile now.

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Weekly Wrap-up... 

Last Sunday... If you missed last Sunday, there was no Sunday Salon, but there was a review. Read my review of Atmosphere and share your thoughts on Taylor Jenkins Reid's new book.

Monday... Mondays are for Memoirs, and this past Monday we showcase Home Schooled by Stefan Merrill Block, who had an unusual home school experience to say the least. Click on the link to learn more about this memoir published by Hanover Square Press. P.S. I just received an eBook of Home Schooled from the publisher, so look for a review coming soon!

Friday... Fridays are for First Lines! And we take a look at Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. After seeing the preview of the upcoming movie, The Sheep Detectives, I really wanted to see the movie... but I like reading the book first, so I had to pick up a copy. Read about it on First Lines Friday! (and I posted a link to the trailer of The Sheep Detectives too!)

That about does it for this week. Next week, more exciting books that just came in from my library wishlist... and my new obsession with Romantacy! Stop by and check it all out next week.... and until then...

Happy Reading... Suzanne
 

Memoir Monday...

The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs... What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the fundamental elements that make us human. Convinced that puzzles have made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost.

In The Puzzler, Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original examples from around the world—including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America’s top puzzle-makers, and a hidden, super-challenging but solvable puzzle that will earn the first reader to crack it a $10,000 prize*—The Puzzler will open readers’ eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. Whether you’re puzzle obsessed or puzzle hesitant, you’ll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways toward becoming a better thinker and decision maker—for these are certainly puzzling times.

I'm a puzzle solver and a scrabble player. I love a good word search. I love Wordle. I guess you could call me a word nerd. The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs sounds like a fun read... and it is contains a puzzle too. Published by Crown just this past April, this read is on my wishlist.

The Sunday Salon is Outta This World... 3 Scifi Novels to Take You Away... from Earth

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! AND The Sunday Post (which is hosted by Kim at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer)! It is a gloomy, rainy day here in Connecticut. I can't complain because the amount of rain we're getting is NOTHING in comparison to the devastation that Hurricane Harvey left in Texas. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected... If you'd like to donate in any way, there are plenty of organizations, just remember to do your homework and make sure that most of your donation is going directly to the people you want to help. Charity Navigator is one site that is suppose to investigate charities and rate them accordingly, AND also shows you the percentage of your donation actually going towards help. Don't forget the animals in all this too! Animal rescue sites in the area are out in full force rescueing pets left behind.

In the book world, I rarely read scifi. It's not that I avoid it, it's just that it's not my genre of choice. BUT, every once in a while I'll come across something that really interests me and I'll become completely absorbed. What exactly is Science Fiction? In an article entitled, How America’s Leading Science Fiction Authors Are Shaping Your Future in Smithsonian magazine, Eileen Gunn says, "the task of science fiction is not to predict the future. Rather, it contemplates possible futures." Sometimes referred to as speculative fiction, science fiction gives us stories of possibilities. Worlds very different than ours and possible technology that seems bizzare to us. Maybe it's this "bizzarness" that turns people away from science fiction, but there are many people who love it and so you will never want for this genre.

If you want to try some science fiction... 
Here are 3 books that I think will be Outta This World...

Artemis by Andy Weir... An irresistible new near-future thriller--a heist story set on the moon. Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

I loved Martian by Andy Weir, because I loved Andy Weir's writing. I can't wait to sink my teeth into some more of his writing! This story sounds so interesting! And there is so much "thinking" going into even the title. (Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the Moon) There is a great post about the book, as well as a YouTube video of Andy Weir talking about his new book at Nerdist.com. Artemis will arrive on bookstore shelves November 14th thanks to Crown Publishing.


An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon... Odd-mannered, obsessive, withdrawn, Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She's used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. If she were truly a monster, as they accuse, she'd be powerful enough to tear down the walls around her until nothing remained of her world, save for stories told around the cookfire.

Aster lives in the low-deck slums of the HSS Matilda, a space vessel organized much like the antebellum South. For generations, the Matilda has ferried the last of humanity to a mythical Promised Land. On its way, the ship's leaders have imposed harsh moral restrictions and deep indignities on dark-skinned sharecroppers like Aster, who they consider to be less than human.

When the autopsy of Matilda's sovereign reveals a surprising link between his death and her mother's suicide some quarter-century before, Aster retraces her mother's footsteps. Embroiled in a grudge with a brutal overseer and sowing the seeds of civil war, Aster learns there may be a way off the ship if she's willing to fight for it. 

Another book that seems to break what some may consider the "standard" scifi story, with what seems to be a kickass female protagonist (something I personally love in a story). A little mystery, some drama, and a girl that can think on her feet... From Akashic Books, publishing date of Oct. 3rd!

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland... When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer. The only condition: she must sign a nondisclosure agreement in return for the rather large sum of money. Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering. They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries. But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment weakened its power and endangered its practitioners. Magic stopped working altogether in 1851, at the time of the Great Exhibition at London’s Crystal Palace—the world’s fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce. Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it’s up to Tristan to find out why. And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive . . . and meddle with a little history at the same time. But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial—and treacherous—nature of the human heart.

As soon as I opened the book and read the first page, I was hooked. I love time travel stories and this is exactly that! And it seems that Melisand Stokes is a bit snarky, which I like. This is a long one though, coming in at over 750 pages. I've got my bookmark in this one now. Published by William Morrow this past June, so it's available at your local bookstore!

Question: Do You Read Science Fiction? If not, why not?

Weekly Recap...
Monday's post was Memoir Monday highlighting Witness Tree by Lynda V. Mapes
Friday's post was First Lines Friday highlighting one of today's recommended books! Go take a peek!

Look for my review of The Lying Game by Ruth Ware in the next week or so. Great book! One of those satisfying reads. I'm almost done with Love and Trouble by Claire Dederer, which is such a good book. It's a memoir and just brings back so many memories of growing up in the 60's and 70's. I also have a bookmark in The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō. I actually have the "normal" version of this book, but found this in the Manga section of the bookstore and had to get it. I like Manga anyway (even though I am a picky manga reader), but I just loved that the "lessons" of the book were "illustrated". And it's kinda funny that this was still in what I consider the "kids" section (even though Manga is not just for kids, I am usually the only adult looking through the stacks).

That about does it for today. Hope you found something interesting here! Remember to stop by during the week to catch Memoir Monday, which highlights Memoirs and nonfiction, and First Lines Friday, which opens to the first lines of a book and see's if the author can hook you right from the start.

Happy reading... Suzanne

In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett... A Review

Did you live during that era of great TV, with shows such as Bewitched, The Andy Griffin Show, Gilligan's Island, The Addams Family, and of course, The Carol Burnett Show? If you did, you will love this book! In Such Good Company is a little walk down memory lane, with Carol Burnett as your tour guide.

When I opened In Such Good Company, I was instantly brought back to my childhood, where Carol Burnett (and friends) were a weekly ritual. I was pretty young for some of the show, which ran from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, but I was allowed to stay up most nights when it was on and I remember many, many of the skits that are part of TV history. Who could forget Carol at Scarlet O'Hara in that dress with the drapery rod still in it, or Carol's portrayal of Mildred "Fierce"?! I learned a lot from reading the book... I didn't realize that the designer Bob Mackie created the costumes that made up the show. And during the 11 years that the show was on, that adds up to about 17,940 costumes! I didn't know that the shows were "live", and I didn't realize at the time that it really was Carol's show, that she just wasn't the "star". 

Though it didn't feel like it when I was reading it, the book is actually broken up in parts. The beginning of the book is about what lead up to Carol and the show, Carol's background , which is also sprinkled throughout the book, and then it get's into the show itself... The main "gang" of players (Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway), some behind the scene funny things you'd never know otherwise, the recurring sketches, the movie parodies, and a up close and personal look at all the wonderful guests over the years, who were more friends than just guests. Also, there are what appear to be full scripts of some of the skits included in the pages of the book, maybe just part of the scripts, but I found reading them to be tedious. I enjoyed reminiscing about the skits, but didn't need to read them word for word. In any case, In Such Good Company really is a wonderful look at The Carol Burnett Show, and also a wonderful glimpse into TV shows of the day. What went into creating them,  and the politics behind running the show (as a woman in Carol's case). Written in a conversational style, with Carol sharing her personal insights and tidbits, I enjoyed reading it very much. 

Published by Crown Archetype it will be on the shelves of your bookstore of choice on Sept. 13th! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend In Such Good Company to anyone who grew up in that "era", and it would make a great gift for someone who use to watch the show too.

*I want to thank Crown Archetype for the eGalley of In Such Good Company that I received for my honest opinion and review!

In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox... I've received some great books last week! And I decided I would join in on the fun sharing them with you and the other bloggers participating in Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a weekly event for bloggers to share what books arrived in their mailboxes. Mailbox Monday was originally created by Marcia of To Be Continued and is now hosted by Vicki, Serena and Leslie at Mailbox Monday's own blog.

The weather in Connecticut has cooled off, with temperatures in the 80's today! But the books I've received in my mailbox are HOT! Here are the eGalleys I received in my eReader...

The Rain In Portugal by Billy Collins... From former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins comes a twelfth collection of poetry offering nearly fifty new poems that showcase the generosity, wit, and imaginative play that prompted The Wall Street Journal to call him “America's favorite poet.”

The Rain in Portugal—a title that admits he's not much of a rhymer—sheds Collins's ironic light on such subjects as travel and art, cats and dogs, loneliness and love, beauty and death. His tones range from the whimsical—“the dogs of Minneapolis . . . / have no idea they're in Minneapolis”—to the elegiac in a reaction to the death of Seamus Heaney. A student of the everyday, here Collins contemplates a weather vane, a still life painting, the calendar, and a child lost at a beach. 

I love Billy Collins! I'm so excited to have gotten an eGalley of his upcoming release of poetry from Random House Publishing! Mark your calendars, the release date is Oct. 4, 2016! Here is a sample poem from The Rain In Portugal...

On Rhyme

It's possible that a stitch in time
might save as many as twelve or as few as three,
and I have no trouble remembering
that September has thirty days.
So do June, November, and April.

I like a cat wearing a chapeau or a trilby,
Little Jack Horner sitting on a sofa,
old men who are not from Nantucket,
and how life can seem almost unreal
when you are gently rowing a boat down a stream.

That's why instead of recalling today 
that it mostly pours in Spain, 
I am going to picture the rain in Portugal,
how it falls on the hillside vineyards, 
on the surface of the deep harbors

where fishing boats are swaying, 
and in the narrow alleys of the cities
where three boys in tee shirts 
are kicking a soccer ball in the rain,
ignoring the window-cries of their mothers.

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In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett... Comedy legend Carol Burnett tells the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of her iconic weekly variety series, The Carol Burnett Show. In Such Good Company delves into little-known stories of the guests, sketches and antics that made the show legendary, as well as some favorite tales too good not to relive again. Carol lays it all out for us, from the show's original conception to its evolution into one of the most beloved primetime programs of its generation. Written with all the charm and humor fans expect from a masterful entertainer like Carol Burnett, In Such Good Company skillfully highlights the elements that made the show so successful in a competitive period when TV variety shows ruled the air waves. Putting the spotlight on everyone from her talented costars to her amazing guest stars—the most celebrated and popular entertainers of their day—Carol crafts a lively portrait of the talent and creativity that went into every episode.

This book is Carol's love letter to a golden era in television history through the lens of her brilliant show which won no less than 25 Emmy Awards! Get the best seat in the house as she reminisces about the outrageous tales that made working on the show as much fun as watching it.

As I was growing up, Carol Burnett had a place in our home once a week. I remember so many of those wonderful shows and sketches! OMG, the sketch about Gond With the Wind! I have started reading this and it is wonderful! If you lived through this era, this is a must read for you too! Published by Crown Publishing, it has a release date of Sept. 13, 2016!

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Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue... A novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy.

Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark's wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses' summer home in the Hamptons. With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers' façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende's job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.

I started reading this and loved the writing! Published by Random House, it will be released August 23, 2016!

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The Book Of The Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison... When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.

In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth’s population—killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant—the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power—and the strong who possess it. A few women like her survived, though they are scarce. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. To preserve her freedom, she dons men’s clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she’ll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence.

After all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.

This won the Philip K. Dick Award Winner for Distinguished Science Fiction. This sounds fascinating to me! I like to delve into science fiction once in a while and should really enjoy this, with  what promises to be a great female protagonist. Published by 47North, it will be released Oct. 11, 2016.

In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox... I've received some great books in my mailbox! And I decided I would join in on the fun sharing them with you and the other bloggers participating in Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a weekly event for bloggers to share what books arrived in their mailboxes. Mailbox Monday was originally created by Marcia of To Be Continued and is now hosted by Vicki, Serena and Leslie at Mailbox Monday's own blog.

So, here are the books...

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift... From the Booker Award winner: a luminous, profoundly moving work of fiction that begins with an afternoon tryst in 1924 between a servant girl and the young man of the neighboring house, but then opens to reveal the whole life of a remarkable woman.

Twenty-two year old Jane Fairchild, orphaned at birth, has worked as a maid at one English country estate since she was sixteen. And for almost all of those years she has been the secret lover to Paul Sheringham, the scion of the estate next door. On an unseasonably warm March afternoon, Jane and Paul will make love for the last time--though not, as Jane believes, because Paul is about to be married--and the events of the day will alter Jane's life forever. As the narrative moves back and forth from 1924 to the end of the century, what we know and understand about Jane--about the way she loves, thinks, feels, sees, remembers--deepens with every beautifully wrought moment. Her story is one of profound self-discovery and through her, Graham Swift has created an emotionally soaring and deeply affecting work of fiction.

A small, wonderful book! I started reading this and immediately fell in love with Graham Swift's prose and felt such empathy for the protagonist, Jane Fairchild. Two words that come to mind are beautiful and quiet. Look for my review this week. Thank you to Knopf for sending a review copy my way! Mothering Sunday will be on the shelves of your local bookstore April 19th!

This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets...  A “literary tsunami”* that is taking the world by storm—already sold in over 30 countries—about one unforgettable woman’s search for a meaningful life

Blanca is forty years old and motherless. Shaken by the unexpected death of the most important person in her life, she suddenly realizes that she has no idea what her future will look like.

To ease her dizzying grief and confusion, Blanca turns to her dearest friends, her closest family, and a change of scenery. Leaving Barcelona behind, she returns to Cadaqués on the coast, accompanied by her two sons, two ex-husbands, and two best friends, and makes a plan to meet her married lover for a few stolen moments as well. Surrounded by those she loves most, she spends the summer in an impossibly beautiful place, finding ways to reconnect and understand what it means to truly, happily live on her own terms, just as her mother would have wanted. 

A fresh, honest, and ruefully funny story about love, sex, marriage, grief, friendship and parenthood, THIS TOO SHALL PASS is an irresistible novel that is fast becoming an international phenomenon.

Oh, I love Spanish writers. The stories are usually rich and without fear. This book has been a major European hit, and was gobbled up for six figures to be published in the United States. It is only 169 pages, but has made quite an impact on early reviewers... of which I am now one! So I'll be opening this up this week too and I can't wait! From my brief samples, I am loving the writing! And I LOVE the cover! Look for my review beginning of next week! Thank you to Hogarth (which is an imprint of Crown Publishing and a division of Penguin Random House) for sending along a review copy! This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets will be at your local bookstore on May 24th!

Something New by Lucy Knisley... In 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend John broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy's apartment, and proposed. This is not that story. It is the story of what came after: The Wedding.

DIY maven Lucy Knisley was fascinated by American wedding culture . . . but also sort of horrified by it. So she set out to plan and execute the adorable DIY wedding to end all adorable DIY weddings. And she succeeded. This graphic novel--clocking in at almost 300 pages of humor, despair, and eternal love--is the story of how Lucy built a barn, invented a whole new kind of photo booth, and managed to turn an outdoor wedding on a rainy day into a joyous (though muddy) triumph.

Happy endings do happen, and that includes me getting an advanced reading copy of Lucy's new book in the mail! Fun, wonderfully illustrated (Yes, this IS a Graphic Novel!), and a great story are all benchmarks of a Lucy Knisley book, and are found in Something New. Thanks goes to First Second Press for an advanced copy of Something New, which goes on sale May 3rd! Review will be coming soon!

I am so excited about these books! So, that's what was in my mailbox, how about you!? What do you think about these books? You can check out what everyone else received in their mailbox, by going to Mailbox Monday! Enjoy!

The Sunday Salon... Summer Travel Thru The Pages of a Book

Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....


Welcome Back! It's Sunday and that means The Sunday Salon for all of us readers and virtual visitors. As you know, it's been a while... I've missed all the chit chat about the books we've been reading and all the bookish things we've been doing! So as things settle down in my life, I'm picking up the pen again (really the computer keyboard), and writing about something I love... reading! Grab a cup of java, pull up a chair and relax... Let's talk books!

There is still a month before Summer "officially" comes according to the calendar, but if you step outside here in Connecticut, Summer has landed. This week it's been hot & muggy, and you can feel in the air just the slight tingling of lazy summer days and GREAT SUMMER READING! So, today we're going to look at a few books that we can get in the car and drive to... or at least be transported to once you open the pages of these new releases...

Canada by Richard Ford... First, I'll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later." Then fifteen-year-old Dell Parsons' parents rob a bank, his sense of normal life is forever altered. In an instant, this private cataclysm drives his life into before and after, a threshold that can never be uncrossed. Undone by the calamity of his parents' robbery and arrest, Dell struggles under the vast prairie sky to remake himself and define the adults he thought he knew. But his search for grace and peace only moves him nearer to a harrowing and murderous collision with Remlinger, an elemental force of darkness. A true masterwork of haunting and spectacular vision from one of our greatest writers, Canada is a profound novel of boundaries traversed, innocence lost and reconciled, and the mysterious and consoling bonds of family.



When I read about this book before its publication I was so excited. The story seemed fresh and fun...True Grit meets the Montana skies. I had never read Richard Ford before. He won a Pulitzer for Independence Day, has been compared to Faulkner and Hemingway and has generated a lot of press for Canada. What I was looking for was a good story writer, and after cracking the spine on Canada, I think I've found just what I was looking for. His prose is easy going, and colorful. Canada was released this past week by Ecco publishing, a division of Harper Collins. Look for a review in the near future. P.S. This book is Kindle Ready!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn... On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister Margo at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

OK, this may be a stretch for Summer travel stories, but the "Gone Girl" did go on a trip, although probably a long trip on a short river bank. This book has gotten a lot of great buzz and it piqued my interest. I'm a little tired of the "Husband did it" murders you see on the news almost every day (what is it with these guys- ever hear of divorce?), but this story seems to take that idea and move it towards a different direction. Gillian Flynn is known for visiting those dark places of the human heart as well as writing good suspense, so I'm looking forward to cracking the spine on this one. BUT, I'm going to have to wait about a week... Gone Girl will be released on June 5th by Crown Publishing, a division of Random House. P.S. This book will be Kindle Ready!


What books have you been waiting to crack the spine on? Share those great books you're excited about so we all can have a great read! In the meantime, I'll be changing the batteries on my reading light because I think I'll be turning the pages late into the night!

Happy reading.... Suzanne