The Books I'm Reading Now
I'm reading the upcoming The Secret Life of Flora Lea, historical fiction with magical realism from Patti Callahan Henry; I'm listening to the audiobook version of Jesse Q. Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers; and I'm reading the slim, powerful nonfiction book How to Say Goodbye from Wendy MacNaughton.
What are you reading these days, bookworms?
01 The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Young Flora and her teen sister Hazel were evacuated in 1939 from the bombing and danger in wartime London to the English countryside, where they lived with a rural family.
They spent their days walking by the river, and to keep Flora entertained and distracted, Hazel made up elaborate stories about a magical, secret world alongside the water.
Then tragedy struck: Flora went missing and was presumed to be dead.
Twenty years later, Hazel is working in a rare bookshop when she unwraps a package and can't believe her eyes. The book inside is about the made-up world she shared with Flora--but Hazel never told another soul about the tales or the name of the secret, pretend place.
I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Atria Books. The Secret Book of Flora Lea is scheduled for publication May 2.
02 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong is running a largely unvisited tea house, lamenting her grown son's lack of time for her, and grumbling about the new "French" bakery that's just opened down the street in Chinatown.
When a dead body shows up in her tea house, Vera takes charge of what she is certain is a murder.
She slips potential evidence into her pocket, gathers and questions those she thinks are suspects, and bosses around the police. And along the way, she forms an unlikely group of friends with a special bond.
I'm listening to the playful, heartwarming Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers as an audiobook.
03 How to Say Goodbye by Wendy MacNaughton
In How to Say Goodbye, artist-in-residence at a hospice in San Francisco, Wendy MacNaughton illustrates the words of kindness, thoughtful approaches, and wisdom of hospice caregivers.
While acknowledging how much is out of our control regarding our loved ones' final moments, How to Say Goodbye focuses on the things we can potentially shape--including sharing memories, expressing love, and offering forgiveness.
Focusing on respect, love, and closure, MacNaughton offers a guide to creating a path through the precious time leading up to death.
I received a prepublication copy of this book courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing. How to Say Goodbye is scheduled for publication July 18, 2023.
If this book is of interest to you, you might also be interested in the books on my Greedy Reading List Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality.