Category: General

Cozy, Detective, Fairytales, Fantasy, General, Historical, Lists, Magical, Magical Realism, Middle Grade, Mystery, Psychological, Reading, Summer Reading

Summer Reading Part 2 Series Recommendations

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I am a series reader. I find an author and set of characters that appeal to me and I keep going back for more. Turns out, many of my friends and family are also series readers and they had plenty of recommendations for your summer reading!

From Me…

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear – Follow the adventures of Maisie who grows from a teenage maid to an adult detective through this fabulous historical series set in the first half of the 20th century. Winspear has just published the final entry in the series, which you can read about here. Start with the very first book, Maisie Dobbs, and progress through the rest. Just as good in audio form as print.

Sarah Addison Allen specializes in writing gentle, heartwarming stories featuring family secrets, magical realism, and often a captivating romance. Some of my favorites are: Garden Spells, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, and The Peach Keeper. Perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

James Rollins is the complete opposite of the previous author! He specializes in pulse-pounding adventure featuring the Sigma Force, a super-secret and multi-talented government agency whose job is to keep the world from imploding. Rollins has written multiple books in the series that all revolve around an intricate, well-researched piece of history. My favorite in the series is The Last Odyssey which features plenty of the monsters from the Greek myths I love. Start with the first in the series, Sandstorm, and go from there, although I started with #2 in the series, Map of Bones and was totally hooked. If you’re already a Rollins fan, there’s a new Sigma Force novel out this summer – Arkangel. You’re welcome!

Kate Mosse is the author of some very chunky books! However, those books will keep you up late turning page after page. My favorite is Sepulchre but her other work is just as fascinating. Meticulous historical fiction, mostly set in France. Reading her work is a commitment well worth your time.

Erin Hart is the author of what I call the “bog mysteries.” I found Hart’s work as I was randomly researching the topic after seeing a news story about an ancient body discovered in an Irish peat bog. Hart’s bog series features two recurring characters – pathologist Nora Gavin and Irish archaeologist Cormac McGuire. Start with the first in the series, Haunted Ground.

Katherine Arden is the author of one of my all-time favorite high fantasy trilogies – The Winternight Trilogy. Start with the first, The Bear and the Nightingale and immerse yourself in Slavic folklore and magic. This is an absolute stunner of a series!

From Cynthia Dana…

Record Shop Mysteries by Olivia Blacke is a fun series featuring three sisters who take over the operations of a family record shop and cafe in their small Texas hometown. They serve up delicious coffee, spin some hot tracks, and solve murders in their spare time. There are three entries in the series – easily readable during the summer months!

From Allison McDonald Fredericks

Scot Horvath series by Brad Thor is a thrilling, fast-paced action-adventure series in which the main character, Scot Horvath, protects the United States and its people at all costs. For fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Clive Cussler.

Keeper of Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is a captivating series for kids who are into fantasy. The main character is 12-year-old Sophie Foster who discovers she’s a telepath. The series follows Sophie’s adventures and includes plenty of action-packed mysteries and challenges.

Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland is is wonderful introduction for young readers to the imaginative world of dragons. Learn all about the world of Pyrrhia here – https://tuibooks.com/wings-of-fire/the-world/.

From Emily John

Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbilia is part of the Rick Riordan presents series which features fascinating characters and world lore. In this case, Mbilia explores the world of African American folklore and West African gods with his engaging character, 7th grader Tristan Strong. Check out other entries in the Rick Riordan presents series.

From Beth Nash…

Ruth Ware is one of the best authors of psychological suspense fiction working today. She has a new one coming out this summer – One Perfect Couple – but there are plenty of others to dip into. Check out her catalog of work on her website.

Looking for a lighter mystery ion the cozy vein? Try Amy Van Sant’s books which include the Pineapple Port mysteries, the Shee McQueen series, and many others.

Louise Penney’s Inspector Gamache mystery series is a long-running, beloved set of suspenseful adventures set in Quebec. If you haven’t read these novels, start this summer and stay occupied for the rest of the year!

Here’s one more series for the mystery & suspense readers out there: The Cold Case series by Lissa Marie Redmond follows cold case detective Lauren Riley through many fascinating investigations.

Biography, General, Lists, Makes You Think, Non Fiction

The Heirloomist by Shana Novak

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A warm, inviting celebration of beloved keepsakes and the stories they hold.

A set of old apartment keys, a pair of worn running shoes, a declaration of love scribbled on a restaurant receipt. Beautiful stories that celebrate the power an object can hold are at the heart of The Heirloomist by photographer Shana Novak, creator of the project of the same name dedicated to documenting keepsakes and transforming them into uniquely meaningful works of art. The 100 objects featured here range from the everyday to the extraordinary. Treasured heirlooms to their owners, ordinary folks and cultural figures alike, they hold remarkable stories such as:

  • Nora McInerny on the fork that began her relationship with her late husband.
  • The sculpture that inspired Christy Turlington to fight for maternal healthcare.
  • The charm bracelet Nate Berkus gifted his daughter in stylish family tradition.
  • Rosanne Cash’s love for her children represented by baby shoes.
  • Andrew Zimmern’s inherited steel carving set that began a storied career in food.

Big or small, expensive or humble, we all have meaningful items with powerful messages behind them. Celebratory, sentimental, and bursting with heart, The Heirloomist offers a glimpse into the treasures we hold dear and how they inform the stories of our lives.

My Thoughts

The concept of heirlooms is something that has been top of mind for me in the last few years as my family has coped with multiple losses of our elders and kin. My home is currently filled with things that connect me to those who have gone before me, all of them keeping a story that is a thread of my past. Reading this incredibly tender and joyous work by Shana Novak has given me some ideas on how to share those stories with the younger generations in my family. While I understand that some of the things that have special meaning for me will not evoke the same memories for my children or nieces & nephews, many items hold the key to wonderful family stories.

Novak has carefully selected heirlooms and stories that reveal everything from secrets to prosaic moments in the past that shaped those featured in each section. This is a book to be savored and shared, and will undoubtedly get the reader to take stock of the memories and history they have shoved into the back of a long-forgotten closet. If anything, this book made me want to pull out my grandmother’s old silver, polish it up and place it in my every-day utensil drawer.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: April 30, 2024
Published By: Chronicle Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Blogroll, General, Lists

2023 Favorites

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I haven’t done a “Favorites of the Year” list in quite some time but I was reviewing my reading for 2023 and thought I’d talk a bit about some of my favorites. My lists tend to include books you won’t see on the “Best of” lists from the usual places, so I hope you find something you might have missed this year.

There’s a good bit of the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller genre, with a solid dose of fantasy & magical realism, and at least one “remarkable” children’s book.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallatt is a very unusual book, with a good portion of it consisting of transcribed messages. This is a book where you really have to pay attention, but if you are a puzzle-lover, you will adore this book. I didn’t read anything else like it this year.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – I am usually not a fan of twee romantasy stories, but this one captured my attention because the female protagonist is strong, clever, and determined. This is a debut author I will follow, for sure. Well worth the time.

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen – Addison Allen’s previous books have hooked me with their gentle, sometimes raw, always honest stories of families, and this one is no different. Here, it’s mothers and daughters and the sometimes complicated relationships they share. Just a lovely, gentle book.

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim – hands down the best fantasy novel I read in 2023, and one I am hoping gets turned into a mini-series or film, it’s that good.

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer – This book has it all – rage, heartbreak, despair but also hope, love, and resilience – all driven by a mother’s unyielding love for her children. You won’t forget this one.

Last Remains by Elly Griffiths – I’ve been a fan of Griffiths “Ruth Galloway” books and this one is the last in that series. Griffiths does an outstanding job of tying up loose ends and ending the series in a very satisfying way. If you like British mysteries that are not filled with gore, I highly recommend the Galloway series.

Gospel of Orla by Eoghan Walls – This novella took me back to my mother’s death in 1984 and reminded me of all the feelings that consumed me at that time. A beautiful little book about grief and family dynamics.

Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas – Thomas successfully jumped genres with this, her first fantasy book for children. It’s full of appealing and powerful Black characters who I am sure have captured the hearts of middle grade readers everywhere.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon – This quirky murder mystery features one of the more unusual female protagonists and cast of characters I’ve ever come across. Read it in a day.

Lady in White by Zachary Finn – As a Rochester NY resident who grew up on the “White Lady of Durand Eastman Park” folk story, I had to include this one among my favorites this year. So good!

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian – If Stephen King wrote The Sisters Brothers – I flew through this weird and wild mash up of the western and horror genres.

White Hare by Jane Johnson – This story has all the things that captivate me in a book: magical realism, plenty of folklore, colorful characters, secrets from the past, and complicated family relationships.

These are books I read in 2023, but some of them may have been published in other years. They are all worth your time!

General, Makes You Think, New Releases, Romance, Women

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The list he left had just one item on it. Or, at least, it did at first…

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of My Name is Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.Readers are absolutely loving The Last List of Mabel Beaumont:

My Thoughts

I typically avoid books that are described as “heartbreaking” but something made me pick this one up anyway. The story is one of the most poignant I’ve read in a long time and peels back the veil that so many women have lived behind for decades, especially those who grew up in the early to mid-20th century when certain relationships were so very taboo.

This truly is a story about the power and sustainability of women’s friendships and ultimately their love and desire. Mabel lived 62 years with a man with whom she was comfortable but didn’t really love. It’s not until his death that she feels finally able to begin living her life.

There is heartbreak here, but it is banished by immense joy, love, and friendship. This lovely book may become a favorite for many people.

‘This beautifully written story of friendship, love, loss and second chances captured my heart. It’s a tender and uplifting read and I adored Mabel and her unlikely gang of colourful characters. If you enjoy a book that leaves you feeling warm, hopeful, and satisfied, The Last List of Mabel Beaumont is definitely for you.’ Lisa Timoney, author

Publication Date: August 4, 2023
Published By: Boldwood Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General, Makes You Think, Mystery, Non Fiction

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century: the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. • “The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing.”—The New Yorker

“Enthralling.” —The Wall Street Journal

In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.

For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.

In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.

This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.

My Thoughts

An art thief who steals for the beauty and not the profit? And one who has standards regarding when and how the theft will occur? This is such an odd but utterly engrossing story that features one man who is so enamored of beauty that he amassed an unmatched collection of stolen art just to see the beauty every day.

This reminded me a bit of Art & Craft, the documentary about Mark Landis, a prolific art forger. The psychological aspect of what both these men accomplished through their theft has to be the stuff of legends.

The writing is engaging and a bit bombastic, but the incredible truth to this story sucks you in and keeps you reading to the last page. True crime fans will surely eat this up.

Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Published By: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General, Grown Ups, Romance, Women

The Bird Has Flown by Susanna Hoffs

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

This delightfully funny and steamy debut novel about music, fate, and love—from beloved songwriter and Bangles co-founder Susanna Hoffs—is “a total knockout” and “the smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn’t know you needed” (New York Times Book Review).

“This isn’t just a book, it’s a love song, and it should come as no surprise that Susanna Hoffs has crafted the perfect one to put on your playlist.” ―Christina Lauren

Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song—written by world-famous superstar Jonesy—but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she’s living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. Rock bottom.

But when her longtime manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup, she’s seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight—the other Tom Hardy, an elegantly handsome Oxford professor of literature. Jane is instantly smitten by Tom, and soon, truly inspired. But it’s not Jane’s past alone that haunts her second chance at stardom, and at love. Is Tom all that he seems? And can Jane emerge from the shadow of Jonesy’s earlier hit, and into the light of her own?

In turns deeply sexy, riotously funny, and utterly joyful, This Bird Has Flown explores love, passion, and the ghosts of our past, and offers a glimpse inside the music business that could only come from beloved songwriter Susanna Hoffs.

My Thoughts

I was curious to see this writerly side of Susanna Hoffs because I always thought her pop persona hid a clever, intelligent woman. This novel is a great start for Hoffs showing she’s way more than a cute girl in a mini dress.

She’s writing what she knows here and peeling back the tacky, sometimes gross layers of the life of a pop star. There’s a definite whiff of autobiography which will certainly appeal to fans whether it’s accurate or not. However there is also some damn good writing – appealing characterizations, witty and raw dialog and a dynamite story.

This will be in every beach bag and carry-on this summer and if it’s not, it should be! I’m looking forward to more from Susanna Hoffs, Author!

“Clever and entertaining . . . with an insider’s feel for the mixed blessings of pop fame​.” —Los Angeles Times

“Part British romcom, part Jane Eyre, and one hundred percent enjoyable.” —Tom Perrotta

“In this sexy, page-turning treat, Susanna Hoffs writes as engagingly as she sings.” —Helen Fielding

Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Published By: Little, Brown & Company
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy



General, Makes You Think, Race & Equity, Young Adult

Come Home Safe by Brian Buckmire

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A normal day. Until two siblings are accused of crimes they didn’t commit. Come Home Safe explores the pain, the truths, and the hopes that come with growing up as a person of color in America, as well as why “the talk” and discussions about social justice are so important in the community. This engaging YA novel from ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmire is told in a way that can help foster conversations about what it means to navigate today’s world, as well as inspire ways to work toward change.

When Reed and Olive left home, they never imagined they’d find themselves questioned, searched, and thrown to the ground by police looking for suspects in recent crimes. As their worst fears become reality, they must find a way to “prove” their innocence and make it home safe once again.

From ABC News legal analyst and NYC Legal Aid Society public defender Brian Buckmire, this compelling story draws from real-life advice, lessons, and conversations with attorneys, law enforcement, and the wrongfully accused to help turn the whispers and family discussions about racial inequality and mistreatment into wider conversations, healing, and one day … change.

My Thoughts

Several years ago when I was first learning about systemic racism, a friend – a Black Mom and Eldress – shared with me her personal story of having “the talk” and giving “the look” to her children in certain situations. A Mom myself, with children of a similar age, I found this information hard to comprehend coming from my experience as a white, middle-class woman. I made it a point to educate myself about the realities children of color experience. Brian Buckmire uses his platform as a legal analyst and public defender to describe in detail what happens to people of color. While this is a work of fiction, my sense is that Buckmire is writing about clients he has defended and people he has known, and perhaps even personal experience.

No one should have to experience what these children experience in this story.

This is a short book, but one that contains a powerful insight to the everyday experiences of people of color. The text is a bit dense at times as Buckmire frequently includes a good dose of legalese associated with Reed’s and Olive’s experiences. While this is short in length, it is hard to read.

Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Published by: Blink
Thanks to the Publisher for the review copy

General, Historical, Horror, Psychological

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Based on a true story, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, three hundred years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.

1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks.

1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…

With her trademark “thrilling, mysterious, twisted, but more than anything, beautifully written” (Graham Norton, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Jess Kidd weaves “a true work of magic” (V.E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) about friendship, sacrifice, brutality, and forgiveness.

My Thoughts

Jess Kidd continues to deliver absolutely stunning novels. The dual stories here of two young people, hundreds of years apart, are horrifying and gripping. The historical and modern settings are not the usual choices and create a fascinating ambience from start to finish.

What will keep you reading this story is Kidd’s ability to take you from the absolute worst of her characters to the best of the human spirit. The characters are childlike, playful, motherly, pompous, sly, clever, faithful, sadistic, confused, and eventually, at peace. There’s a touch of Lord of the Flies here which resulted in some scenes that were difficult to read.

Warning: there is some graphic horror here and the story is not for the faint of heart. If you can handle that, this is recommended.

General, Mythology, Witches

Macbeth’s Spinners by Justine Johnson Hemmestad

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Macbeth’s Spinners begins in 11th century Scotland with the supernatural transformation of the three Greek fates, but witchcraft only serves as a cover for their true mission. To thwart their ancient nemesis, the Greek god Apollo, they consolidate their power to help the warlord Macbeth, though Apollo is aware and tries to crush Macbeth in favor of the Northern invaders. But the purpose of the Fates and Macbeth are intertwined, and in the depths of secrecy and devotion the dominant Fate, Clotho, takes Macbeth into realms beyond himself to set him on his true path.

At its heart, Macbeth’s Spinners is a story about love that withstands place and time. Redemption seeps through the corners of the story and shows innermost vision to be a trustworthy guide. Haunting and sublime, the story follows the shift of mythic personalities at the most important points of their lives.

My Thoughts

This is definitely a niche book for those who enjoy highly unusual and imaginative re-tellings of well-known stories. Here, the story of Macbeth is merged with an unusual backstory for the three Fates involving Greek mythology and Apollo.

The writing is lush and evocative, full of beautiful words and language, which made me read passages aloud just to feel the words roll off my tongue. It is not, however, easy reading. This takes commitment and attention, but in the end is worth it.

This can’t be pigeonholed into any single genre because it is so original. That will likely limit its appeal to a small audience, who will likely read it again and again.

About the Author

Justine Johnston Hemmestad is an editor, the author of three novels, and is included in several anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries. She is a graduate of The University of Iowa and has also graduated from the English Literature Master’s Degree program at Northern Arizona University. Learn more about her at https://know-your-craft.webnode.page/.

Antimony and Elder Lace Press is donating part of the profits of Macbeth’s Spinners to Laughing at my Nightmare, a charitable organization that helps people with disabilities make the world more accessible.

General, Magical, Women

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.

My Thoughts

I rarely re-read books in ARC form (I wait until I have the final copy in hand), but I re-read this one. I’ve been waiting for a new story from Sarah Addison Allen for a long time. I found her earlier books beautiful, evocative, and soothing. Other Birds is all that and more.

The thread of mothers and daughters that winds through this tale is what hooked me, I think. Allen gives us a flawed protagonist striking out on her own for the first time and trying to learn more about the mother she doesn’t remember. She begins her new life in a place her mother loved, where she encounters other sorts of mothers and daughters and sons, all with complicated maternal relationships.

Allen weaves a rich and gentle story about ordinary people living seemingly ordinary lives, who are touched by magic for just a little while. The stories and their many pathways circle around, duck under, and weave back in to create a bubble of a world that is full of love, regret, and hope.

One of the best of the year.