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My friend Deyna recently mentioned revisiting Daisy Jones and the Six. band-centered stories, but luckily for us readers, I seem to be dead wrong, because so many authors are masters Here are six of my favorite fiction works that have to do with rock and roll, writing songs, performing (The fictional band focus reminded me, in a good way, of Daisy Jones & the Six, mentioned below.) their mesmerizing lead singer Daisy, the group's complicated interpersonal conflicts, and the band's mysterious

humorous, and it includes Vikings, seafaring adventure, “nefarious company,” a town run by women, and “a mysterious

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres Here are six of my very favorite historical fiction reads of last year--with another list to come! for my full review of The Last Green Valley. 03 Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson Atkinson's newest mystery in vivid Roaring Twenties London as Nellie Coker struggles to hold on to her empire of clubs while mysterious by the intersection of Gwendolyn and Ma Coker's golden child, her eldest son Niven--along with the mystery

If you like memoirs, check out these Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists: Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into, Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year, and Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality

#timetravel, #mystery, #fantasyscifi, #fourstarbookreview 02 Here and Now and Then ​ Kin Stewart was When she finds a mysterious book her father had acquired, it shows January unlikely possibilities about She disappears from her family and leaves behind a tragic mystery, while in her forays through new worlds David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises

Here are six varied books about witches, some I might call modern witchy classics (Wicked and Circe) you like books about magic, here are two other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists you might enjoy: Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series and Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love. Katherine Arden finishes out the trilogy in typical mesmerizing fashion, with her usual masterful balance This book also appears on the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love. 03 Wicked

Some Light Fiction Favorites At the start of the pandemic, I was particularly drawn to lighter fiction because the chances felt slim that things could go seriously or painfully, irrevocably awry for the characters. These are some of my light fiction favorites, and they're also perfect for summer reading. Real, weighty issues are raised within the pages of the books on this list: characters cope with abuse or alcohol abuse; they struggle to feel self-respect, a healthy body image, or to establish a true and real sense of self; and they find themselves capable of demonstrating strength in difficult circumstances. All of these issues are explored within what feels like a safe space--amid swirling attraction, burgeoning romance, self-discovery, some temporary heartbreak, and, typically, a satisfying ending. I love this balance. I'm due to create another Greedy Reading List of my more recently read light fiction favorites, but meanwhile, you can find other Bossy light fiction reviews here. I'm solidly in love with Christina Lauren's and Emily Henry's books, and I haven't yet read everything by the other authors listed here. What other lighter fiction authors or stories do you love? 01 Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Nineteen-year-old Avery Abrams was set to be the next big gymnastics Olympic champion. She had the training, the talent, and the drive. But during the Olympic Trials, she sustained a career-ending injury. For the next few years she dabbled in college, she partied, she drifted, she dated a professional football player, but she didn't find peace and wasn't able to truly come to terms with her new reality. When she hits a version of rock bottom and moves home, Avery's former teammate and crush Ryan (who did become an Olympic champion) talks her into helping him coach Hallie, a young phenom at the gym where Avery spent much of her youth. With lots of gymnastics details that made the setting come to life, Head Over Heels was the engrossing, light fiction book I needed. Orenstein didn't hit any false notes for me and kept me satisfyingly wrapped up in the elite gymnastics world of the story. For my full review, see Head Over Heels. 02 Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis Sometimes in order to delve into a lighter fiction book I find that I have to suspend my disbelief about human behavior. But letting go of expectations about realistic cause and effect in order to buy into a romantic setup (see my review of What You Wish For) is far more difficult for me than suspending my disbelief in order to buy into outlandish or supernatural aspects of a romantic but otherwise truly oddball book (see my review of My Lady Jane). The premise of Dear Emmie Blue made me wonder if the story would feel too far-fetched. But Lia Louis's Dear Emmie Blue characters are appealingly faulted, sometimes selfish and foolish. Unlikely bonds are forged and reforged. There's a love triangle that I adored. For my full review, please see Dear Emmie Blue. This book was also mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Three Wackily Different Books I'm Reading Now. Lia Louis is also the author of Eight Perfect Hours and The Key to My Heart. 03 Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center This book hit the spot for me. Katherine Center's Cassie is a tough-as-nails firefighter who has closed herself off emotionally to protect herself. Her life is orderly and regimented and under control. So clearly everything is about to be upended so that Cassie will be forced to alter her plans and careful schedule and figure out how to come through it all. Although I saw some of the big plot events coming in Things You Save in a Fire, Center makes the journey so enjoyable that I just didn't care. This novel is satisfying escapism, but it's not silly or outlandish. Things You Save in a Fire is a quick read that addresses serious matters—betrayal, loyalty, duty, trust, and love, with a little sleuthing and romance to round out things. I thought it was great. For my full review of this book, please see Things You Save in a Fire. 04 Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating totally fits the bill for light-fiction escapism--in this case, with lots of sexy talk and sexy scenes and sexy thoughts and sex. Hazel is a strong personality, and I found myself bristling at her questioning whether she's too much sometimes. Yet the authors clearly care deeply about their characters, the characters care deeply about each other, and I cared that they cared. All of this makes for a heartwarming read in which everyone is trying to love and live and be happy. You can see a satisfying version of happily ever after coming, but I didn't predict the circumstances. For my full review of this book, please see Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. Click here for my reviews of Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, In a Holidaze, Love and Other Words, The Soulmate Equation (a favorite), and Autoboyography (another favorite and a young adult LGBTQ+ gem). 05 Beach Read by Emily Henry Is it fair for a person (me) with particular requirements for light fiction (ideally: not too outlandish of a hook and premise, characters who follow somewhat logical steps in their lives, inner voices that feel real, human connections that warm my heart, and a little romantic something-something) to continue reading light fiction while constantly kind of expecting disappointment? Yes. Yes, it is. Because I suspected that Emily Henry's Beach Read might be a major gem on my light fiction-escapism-pandemic-era reading list and a book that might bring me fully into the bosom of this genre. And fortunately, I was correct. The initial scene-setting didn't feel as authentic to me as the rest of the book. But after that, Beach Read met all of my criteria above and more; it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main protagonists with a shared history, and they share a sexy-playful-obsession that might lead to heartbreak or might lead to love. For my full review of this book, see Beach Read. And click here for my review of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of her newest, Book Lovers. 06 One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London In Kate Stayman-London's One to Watch, Bea Schumacher is a popular plus-size fashion blogger who has Instagram fame, wonderful friends--and an unhealthy obsession with a male friend who's attached to someone else. After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze (a reality TV show in which a single woman dates strangers hand-picked by the producers and aims to marry one of them), Bea is surprised when a show producer reaches out to her with an unexpected question: Would Bea consider starring in a season of Main Squeeze? Bea finds the proposal laughable, then considers what it might mean for her career, for promoting body positivity, and maybe even for her lackluster romantic life. She decides that she's in--for a fantastic wardrobe, incredibly awkward moments, scripted romance, and a beautiful Malibu backdrop. What could go wrong? I was especially intrigued by how Bea navigated multiple suitors (Bachelorette-style) and by her attempts to give each his due while simultaneously dating and honestly considering the others. She didn't lose sight of embracing each new experience while reflecting on what she wanted her future to look like after the show, above and beyond what others attempted to script or suggest. For my full review of this book, please see One to Watch.

by Mary Roach Science writer Mary Roach has a way of immersing readers in what may be unfamiliar or mysterious Entangled Life is Merlin Sheldrake's enthusiastic ode to the supremely important and mysterious life

a book that frankly would stand alone beautifully, but instead, luckily for us, it begins Turner's six-book These six books were published over a period of almost twenty-five years, and the story trail traces Have you read any or all of these magical young adult mysteries related to royalty? mentioned the series, which is set in Russia and has a dark fairy-tale tone, in the Greedy Reading List Six

Two of these books also made it onto my Six Riveting Time-Travel Escapes Greedy Reading List--along with

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Science Fiction Reads I realize I just said this last week regarding mysteries Here are six of my favorite science fiction reads of last year--with another list to come! You can find my review of Blake Crouch's Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting (Gideon was also mentioned in my Greedy Reading List Six More Postapocalyptic and Dystopian Favorites and he's got two dead crewmates, a chatty AI robot caregiver, a lot of complicated equipment, and a mysterious

brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the recent Greedy Reading List Six

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six

01 A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World And there may be no law left except what you make of it, but if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?... That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing. The thief came and shattered what was left of young Griz's life. Now Griz and his dog are making their way through the world. Griz is capable of fury and revenge, but also great love and loyalty, bravery, and creativity. He's a fantastic character I loved. This great book by C.A. Fletcher was tough to read at times because of the frequent reckless, life-and-death, sometimes ill-advised decision-making in a postapocalyptic world. Fletcher somewhat frequently hints at later events in the book in the middle of early scenes, which added to my anxiety. But the main protagonist Griz is tough as nails and determined and wonderful, and things do ultimately improve in satisfying ways. I thought this was wonderful. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #youngadult, #fourstarbookreview 02 The Grace Year ​ The Grace Year is the type of book I could’ve stayed up all night reading. I was totally hooked by this Lord of the Flies-esque situation of trapped girls devolving into paranoia, mayhem, fury, and destruction, with a wonderfully strong and imperfect heroine trying to upend the situation. I felt as though the later sections glossed over some major issues (consorting with the gruesomely brutal enemy; the prospect of folding back into the world that created the horrific system of oppression, control, torture, and death—even with a promise of potential change; fast emotional movement past the loss of a beloved character), but there’s hope for the slow but significant evolution into a new era. I thought the teen girls’ “magic” and its perception by the girls themselves (and especially by the men and women in the society) was haunting. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #youngadult, #fourstarbookreview 03 The Girl With All the Gifts ​ Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. I didn't have a clue what this book was about going in, which worked wonderfully for me. This is listed as an adult title but feels to me like a dark young adult post-apocalyptic novel with several twists. I found this engrossing, really interesting, and also character driven, which feels unusual given one of the aforementioned twists. Some of this is odd, other parts are disturbing, and there are some wonderful implausibly amusing standoffs. And M.R. Carey's story is also hopeful, but not in the way I might have expected. If you like this one, you're going to also want to read Carey's The Boy on the Bridge, which is a standalone book in the same series, is fantastic, and is also on this list. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #series, #fourstarbookreview 04 The Dog Stars ​ Hig somehow survived the flu pandemic that killed everyone he knows. Now his wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley. Then Hig gets an indication that he is not alone and that there is life out there after all. He must decide if he'll risk a one-way journey to seek out the good, bad, and ugly that may be awaiting him. It's a true life-or-death dilemma for a man with two stark options: safety and loneliness or potential danger and finally making contact with others. And he just might find himself questioning his decisions either way. My initial review of this book was "I loved this book. Nerve-wracking and beautiful, unconventional, real. I love this author. Love." This is one of my all-time favorite books. I'm in for reading anything Peter Heller writes (e.g.,The River and The Painter, both of which I loved, and neither of which is post-apocalyptic). #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fivestarbookreview 05 The Power ​ It follows that there are two ways for the nature and use of human power to change. One is that an order might issue from the palace, a command unto the people saying “It is thus.” But the other, the more certain, the more inevitable, is that those thousand thousand points of light should each send a new message. When the people change, the palace cannot hold. Naomi Alderman offers a dark and fascinating look at a world where the traditional male-female and old-young power structures are turned on their heads. The Power explores the destructive nature of the greed for power, especially when coupled with the certainty that your side of the issue is infallible and correct. I found this book fascinating. #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #fourstarbookreview 06 The Boy on the Bridge ​ Months into their save-the-world mission, the soldiers and scientists on the Rosalind Franklin (a tanklike RV with flamethrowers that's nicknamed Rosie) are close to retrieving all of the samples their predecessors left throughout Scotland during an earlier expedition to try to find a cure for the plague. But it begins to become clear that idealistic Dr. Samrina Khan, the head epidemiologist; single-minded young Stephen the wunderkind; gruff, bighearted Colonel Carlisle; and the others on board may not have been meant to succeed in their grand mission after all. Political machinations meant that some of their party needed to be out of the way for corrupt power plays back home. Against enormous odds, the team may just be finding some of the lifesaving answers they were sent to discover. But bringing back their surprising findings might very well mean the wholesale rounding up and destruction of those affected by the plague. The Boy on the Bridge offers adventure, twists, turns, love, scientific exploration, betrayal, and an odd twist of hope. This is the second M.R. Carey book on this list, but I couldn't help myself. There's a character in common between the two books; this person appears at the end of The Boy on the Bridge but is a main character in The Girl With All the Gifts. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #series, #fourstarbookreview What are your favorite post-apocalyptic or dystopian books? This category also includes the Hunger Games series, the Insurgent series, Station Eleven, The 5th Wave, The Chosen Ones, The Road, and The Handmaid's Tale, among other excellent titles. A New Wilderness, published in August 2020, looks like a great dystopian novel too. Which other books along these lines should I be reading?

I could have listed so many fantastic young adult titles here, but I picked these varied, wonderful six Some other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists you might like featuring young adult books: Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series, Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love, and Six Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic

Light were the Greenland setting, the alternate world, the bitter cold, and the sentimentalism and mystery settings are exquisitely wrought, with stark, rugged, lush landscapes serving as the backdrop for a mystery It isn't a police procedural; this is a starkly beautiful book that happens to have a mystery at its I also listed Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year. When we are young, we consume the world in great gulps, and it consumes us, and everything is mysterious

Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story of a family with twelve children, six Significant scientific advancements regarding mental illness were made possible because of the genetic material

Six More Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite I posted last month about Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, but I had six more Kate Quinn is a master of historical fiction and is the author of the fantastic titles The Huntress,

the Bright Edge of the World was also wonderful, and will appear on the upcoming Greedy Reading List Six boast forces Miryem into a position of meeting the tsar's impossible challenge, she finds that the mysterious interesting read. 05 The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo The Night Tiger is a wonderful historical fiction mystery I listed this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You. 06 Uprooted promising books on my to-read list would fit this bill as well, including: Thorn by Intisar Khanani, Six-Gun

If you like historical fiction, check out these other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists: Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You Six Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West Six More Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West I also mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Novels I Loved in the Past

01 Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Nineteen-year-old Avery Abrams was set to be the next big gymnastics Olympic champion. She had the training, the talent, and the drive. But during the Olympic Trials, she sustained a career-ending injury. For the next few years she dabbled in college, she partied, she drifted, she dated a professional football player, but she didn't find peace and wasn't able to truly come to terms with her new reality. When she hits a version of rock bottom and moves home, Avery's former teammate and crush Ryan (who did become an Olympic champion) talks her into helping him coach Hallie, a young phenom at the gym where Avery spent much of her youth. With lots of gymnastics details that made the setting come to life, Head Over Heels was the engrossing, light fiction book I needed. Orenstein didn't hit any false notes for me and kept me satisfyingly wrapped up in the elite gymnastics world of the story. For my full review, see Head Over Heels. 02 Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis ​ Sometimes in order to delve into a lighter fiction book I find that I have to suspend my disbelief about human behavior. But letting go of expectations about realistic cause and effect in order to buy into a romantic setup (see my review of What You Wish For) is far more difficult for me than suspending my disbelief to buy into the outlandish or supernatural aspects of a romantic but otherwise truly oddball book (see my review of My Lady Jane). The premise of Dear Emmie Blue made me wonder if the story would feel too far-fetched. Lia Louis's Dear Emmie Blue characters are appealingly faulted, sometimes selfish and foolish. Unlikely bonds are forged and reforged. There's a love triangle that I adored. For my full review, please see Dear Emmie Blue. This book was also mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Three Wackily Different Books I'm Reading Now. 03 Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center ​ This book hit the spot for me. Katherine Center's Cassie is a tough-as-nails firefighter who has closed herself off emotionally to protect herself. Her life is orderly and regimented and under control. So clearly everything is about to be upended so that Cassie will be forced to alter her plans and careful schedule and figure out how to come through it all. Although you may see some of the big plot events coming, Center makes the journey so enjoyable that I just didn't care. This is satisfying escapism, but it's not silly or outlandish. Things You Save in a Fire is a quick read that addresses serious matters—betrayal, loyalty, duty, trust, and love, with a little sleuthing and romance to round out things. I thought it was great. For my full review of this book, please see Things You Save in a Fire. 04 Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating totally fits the bill as light-fiction escapism--in this case, with lots of sexy talk and sexy scenes and sexy thoughts and sex. Hazel is a strong personality, and I found myself bristling at her questioning whether she's too much sometimes. Yet the authors clearly care deeply about their characters, and the characters care deeply about each other. It all makes for a heartwarming read in which everyone is trying to love and live and be happy. You can see a satisfying version of happily ever after coming, but I didn't predict the circumstances. I first mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 9/16/20. For my full review of this book, please see Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. 05 Beach Read by Emily Henry ​ Is it fair for a person (me) with particular requirements for light fiction (ideally: not too outlandish of a hook and premise, characters who follow somewhat logical steps in their lives, inner voices that feel real, human connections that warm my heart, and a little romantic something-something) to continue reading light fiction while kind of expecting disappointment? Yes. Yes, it is. Because I suspected that Emily Henry's Beach Read might be a major gem on my light fiction-escapism-pandemic-era reading list and a book that might bring me fully into the bosom of this genre. Fortunately, I was correct. The initial scene-setting didn't feel as authentic to me as the rest of the book. But after that, Beach Read met all of my criteria above and more; it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main protagonists with a shared history, and they share a sexy-playful-obsession that might lead to heartbreak or might lead to love. I mentioned this book in Three Wackily Different Books I'm Reading Right Now, 9/3/20 Edition. For my full review of this book, see Beach Read. 06 One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London ​ In Kate Stayman-London's One to Watch, Bea Schumacher is a popular plus-size fashion blogger who has Instagram fame, wonderful friends--and an unhealthy obsession with a male friend who's attached to someone else. After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze (a reality TV show in which a single woman dates strangers hand-picked by the producers and aims to marry one of them), Bea is surprised when a show producer reaches out to her with an unexpected question: Would Bea consider starring in a season of Main Squeeze? Bea finds the proposal laughable, then considers what it might mean for her career, for promoting body positivity, and maybe even for her lackluster romantic life. She's in--for a fantastic wardrobe, incredibly awkward moments, scripted romance, and a beautiful Malibu backdrop. What could go wrong? For my full review of this book, please see One to Watch. What are some of your favorite lighter fiction books? I've been particularly drawn to these types of stories lately because the chances feel slim that things could go seriously or painfully, irrevocably awry for the characters. That's not to say that real, weighty issues aren't raised within these pages, because they are. In the books above, characters cope with abuse or alcohol abuse; they struggle to feel self-respect, a healthy body image, or to establish a true and real sense of self; and they find themselves capable of demonstrating strength in difficult circumstances. But all of these issues are explored within what feels like a safe space--amid swirling attraction, burgeoning romance, self-discovery, some temporary heartbreak, and, typically, a satisfying ending. I love this balance, especially right now. So here's the greedy question: What are some other lighter fiction stories I should be reading?

01 Leaving the Witness In Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life, Amber Scorah takes the reader into her confidences and lays bare her sheltered experiences, religious indoctrination, societal and gender pressures, hearty evangelism, and her eventual questioning and subsequent freezing out from the Jehovah’s Witnesses—which meant she was cut off permanently from almost everyone she knew. Scorah retraces her steps from being a covert, illegal proselytizer in Shanghai through the implosion of her marriage and her realization that she is stranded--without her husband, without formal education, and without her faith any longer--and therefore really without any framework at all. She’s thoughtful and helps readers track her mindset as she moves from control to freedom and how jarring and cruel and wonderful and odd a “worldly” life can be. I'm intrigued by stories of those who have left constricting faith systems. Scorah tells a fascinating personal story of growth and fear and change. #memoir, #faith, #dysfunctionalfamily, #fourstarbookreview, #leavingthewitness 02 The Unexpected Spy ​ I love a peek at a secret world, and in The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists, Tracy Walder offers fascinating glimpses of her life as a CIA and an FBI agent, including training details, political machinations, and significant and rankling discrimination. Walder explores her own glowing pride in doing her job well and protecting others from danger—even when anyone without security clearance remains necessarily ignorant of the invaluable nature of the work and the imminent dangers she and her fellow agents manage to help our country avoid. Her evolution as a person and transition into her current profession was satisfying to witness as well. St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For my full review of this book, see The Unexpected Spy. #nonfiction, #memoir, #spy, #politicssocialjustice, #fourstarbookreview, #theunexpectedspy 03 The Unwinding of the Miracle ​ Wow. Julie Yip-Williams is a beautiful writer who is so smart, reflects deeply, and candidly shares the many heartbreaking aspects of facing her own imminent death from metastatic colorectal cancer. This book serves as her powerful farewell to her family but also holds meaning for anyone considering the way they live and how they might choose to face their own mortality. I feel like a meditation on dying is a heartbreakingly beautiful way to consider how we live our lives and a poignant reminder of what makes our one life so special. That said, I have a tough time reading memoirs in which someone is fighting cancer, and this one may not be everyone's cup of tea. For my full review of The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything that Comes After, click here. #memoir, #nonfiction, #heartwarming, #fourstarbookreview, #theunwindingofthemiracle 04 Maybe You Should Talk to Someone ​ This book really hit the spot for me. I was going to be happy with a light, surface-level look at therapy and the ins and outs of a therapist's providing and receiving therapy. But the book quickly grows into a network of sometimes interconnected and consistently meaningful searches for purpose and peace. This book was so much more meaningful than I had counted on. Gottlieb was honest about her own situation and showed herself to be wonderfully faulted, and she also delved into the details of others' struggles and journeys and joys. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed offers a beautiful exploration of dying, death, appreciating the beauty of the impermanence of our lives, planning for loved ones after our death, and living life fully. For my full review, please see Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. #memoir, #fivestarbookreview, #maybeyoushouldtalktosomeone 05 Know My Name Chanel Miller is a beautiful, powerful writer with clear and sophisticated arguments and with a compelling identity that is separate from the pivotal attack that led to her being in the spotlight. She also has a strong, passionate grasp of widely experienced inequalities—and ideas of how to chip away at some of the injustices and faulty norms that should be excised from society. I began reading Know My Name because I thought I should, not because I wanted to. Miller surprised me with the delicately balanced tone she was able to strike, her passionate belief in right and wrong, her emotional reactions to her situation, and her measured arguments and calm determination. I was fascinated by her. Now I'd like Miller to write more books about varied topics, because I like spending time in her head. #politicssocialjustice, #memoir, #fourstarbookreview, #knowmyname 06 Open Book ​ In Open Book, Jessica Simpson explores her life, her ups and downs, her drinking-related missteps, and her failed loves. She tracks her scrappy and determined rise to stardom, her religious faith, her reliance on and love for her friends, her deep familial attachments and conflicts, and her path to therapy, sobriety, and a happy marriage and parenthood. I've liked JS since Newlyweds, and she takes us back to the show here too. At times there is some silliness and some superficial focus, but I felt as though Simpson was laying it all on the table and going through some real self-examination. Interestingly, she spends a lot more page time on John Mayer than Nick Lachey—and provides what ultimately amounts to a takedown of Mayer that explores his extensive emotional manipulation, his elaborate interview accounts of his sexual escapades with her and others, and, incredibly and most damningly, his use of the N-word during an interview. #memoir, #fourstarbookreview, #openbook What are the most interesting memoirs you've read recently? I do enjoy a celebrity memoir if it feels like an honest examination and doesn't have too much ego coloring the author's version of events. But I'm also drawn to the life stories of everyday people--especially when they find their lives shaped by extraordinary circumstances.

October of 2020 (I've made a few changes to the text but the list of books is the same) under the title "Six Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story of a family with twelve children, six Significant scientific advancements regarding mental illness were made possible because of the genetic material

01 Pride of Eden Taylor Brown is also the author of The Gods of Howl Mountain, which I loved and thought was a dark, brooding, beautiful book. ​ Pride of Eden just might be the literary fiction version of what I think Tiger King sounds like: exotic animal rescue, a wildlife sanctuary, and settings ranging from an island off Georgia to Africa to Baghdad to the Okefenokee Swamp. Brown crafts colorful characters without resorting to caricature. I can't wait to see what the heck this book is all about. 02 Rodham ​ Curtis Sittenfeld offered a fictionalized version of a first lady's personal history in An American Wife, which I loved, and I thought her short story collection You Think It, I'll Say It was a #fivestarbookreview. Sittenfeld has a fascinating way of turning situations on their heads. ​ In Rodham, Sittenfeld imagines the trail HRC might have blazed if she'd broken up with Bill and forged ahead solo, led by her iron determination and unfailing ambition. 03 We Are Called to Be a Movement ​ I don't have any excuse for not having already read this short (it's 96 pages) sermon by Reverend William J. Barber except that, as usual, everything is due back to the library at once, and I'm plowing through the books I don't own. ​ In We Are Called to Be a Movement, Barber makes an impassioned case for change and a "moral revival," and emphasizes that we are all called to be part of the movement. 04 A Witch in Time ​ From the publisher: "A young woman in Belle Epoque France is cursed to relive a doomed love affair through many lifetimes, as both troubled muse and frustrated artist." ​ In A Witch in Time, Constance Sayers is offering us historical fiction, witches, and repeated reincarnation. Yes to all of this. If I don't like this book, then I just won't know what to believe anymore. Plus, just look at the beautiful, spooky cover. 05 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ​ This prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy follows Coriolanus Snow through the tenth Hunger Games as he's tasked with the humiliation of mentoring the tribute from District 12. ​ I'll read anything Hunger Games-related, but I admit I'm apprehensive about The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Can Collins make loyal Hunger Games readers feel anything besides fury and contempt for anyone named Snow? 06 My Best Friend's Exorcism ​ I've had this on my wish list for a while and decided to perk up my personal pandemic times by owning it. Grady Hendrix is also the author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which I really liked. You should really know up front that this 1980s gem of a cover has amazing fake scratches and wear marks on it as though My Best Friend's Exorcism has already passed lovingly hand to hand through your entire grade at school. What have been your favorite pandemic-era book buys? Having an excess of books to read makes me feel safe in a somewhat irrational but cozy-at-home way. I didn't actually need to add books to the multi-layered bookshelf supply over here to achieve "excess of books" status, but I love having these new-to-me titles ready for my reading. Consider visiting Bookshop.org to support independent booksellers if you're adding to your pandemic-era book hoard by buying online. And please let me know what you're reading!

What should I add to my completely unmanageable master Greedy Reading List of books to read?

The Robot Books I love a good artificial intelligence- or robot-focused story, and these six (plus, in gloriously nerdy that sounded.) 01 The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells I've read five of the six A mysterious prisoner from the front arrives who could be friend or foe, and our main protagonist Talin world-renowned physicist working to unlock the secrets of the hand and the curious artifacts, but the mysteries

Two of these books also made it onto my Six Riveting Time-Travel Escapes Greedy Reading List--along with

also wrote One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, which was mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six You might also like to take a look at the Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West, Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year, and Six Captivating Nordic Stories

01 Apeirogon: A Novel This is beautiful, powerful, illuminating, and heart-wrenching. The first part felt a little slow, but I'm so very very glad I stuck with it. Apeirogon is structured into 1,001 (this sounds overwhelming, but the book doesn't feel that way) short segments in varied points of view surrounding a Palestinian and an Israeli family on two especially fateful days in their lives. The story builds to show how individuals on opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and opposite sides of the wall) are at heart the same in their pain, their desires, and their love. It's 480 pages, and ultimately that felt like an appropriate length for settling into the points of view and experiences that are built over a lifetime. The subject matter is weighty and emotional, and McCann manages to make the story both personal and political, which perfectly suits the subject matter. Really a wonderful book. I love McCann's thoughtful writing. For my full review of this book, see Apeirogon. 02 The Light After the War ​ I’m dying to know how closely Anita Abriel’s book traces the inspiring events from her mother’s incredible experiences before, during, and after World War II. The author offers a vivid account of the fear and dread—intermixed with sparks of hope—that sustained Vera and Edith in Hungary and Germany during the war; in Naples as they adjusted to post-war floods of food, fashion, and joy; as they found themselves in more settled situations; and during the evolutions of their careers and love lives. Abriel introduces an enormous shift that shakes things up enormously for both young women before the book’s end. Vera and Edith are such a complementary partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong young women. I was completely engrossed. For my full review, see The Light After the War. 03 The Book of Longings ​ This was a fascinating story from the point of view of an imagined wife for Jesus, including an exploration of gender roles, a reimagined faith, the frustrations of societal expectations for women, great adventure, strong female loyalty and friendship, love, and lots of fantastic details of life at the time. Much of the fever pitch of support and hatred for Jesus occurs when the main character of Ana is off having other experiences (and often-dangerous adventures). This is an intriguing structure for the story: Jesus as a supporting cast member. Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the time. He primarily serves as a character who cares for, understands, and supports the woman he loves. For my full review of this book, see The Book of Longings. 04 Florence Adler Swims Forever The Atlantic City setting just before WWII, with its giant hotels, piers, and general hubbub, is the backdrop for the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended family. There’s an undercurrent of concern about Hitler and his increasingly punitive behavior toward Jewish families’ businesses and emigration in Germany. I loved watching the book’s events unfold—even if I could predict some of them. Anything that was wrapped up a little too neatly didn’t bother me at all; I was all in and satisfied. Beanland based some of the basic events of her debut novel on her ancestors’ experiences. Fascinating. For my full review of this book, please see Florence Adler Swims Forever. 05 Call Your Daughter Home ​ I worried during the first chapter that Gertrude was going to feel like a caricature of a backwoods Southern woman. But she and the other characters were developed fully. And although the three interconnected female characters faced sometimes staggeringly tragic challenges, Spera injects moments of joy—often related to their relationships to each other. You can see where one of the storylines is going before the character involved understands it, and it might make your blood boil to see the evil situation go on unchecked. But the details of cooking, strong women's determination to survive, race relations, and life in 1924 South Carolina were wonderful, and I still think about this book although I read it almost a year ago (technically, at the end of last year). For my full review, see Call Your Daughter Home. 06 The Pull of the Stars ​ Set in Ireland in 1918, The Pull of the Stars follows a nurse, Julia; a doctor, Kathleen; and a young volunteer, Bridie, over the course of three tumultuous days as the fiery, complex, capable women work desperately to help the patients at their understaffed hospital who are about to give birth while suffering from the devastating new influenza. Donoghue immersed me fully in the moment-by-moment health and emotional crises; the women's determined, sometimes desperately creative attempts to preserve lives; and their occasional triumphs. The rest of the world fell away for me as I was reading, and I couldn't wait to get back to this book. The author of the disturbing, fascinating story Room knows how to craft a tale of survival and of finding hope in the most dire situations. For my full review, see The Pull of the Stars. What's some of your favorite historical fiction? I could make one meellion lists of my historical fiction loves (and I might). Any favorites I should add to my outrageously unmanageable to-read list?

If you like books like those above, you might also like the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six Great If you like historical fiction mysteries, you might try the books listed here: Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You. And for great historical fiction of all types, look at: Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year and Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year.

If you like books that play with timelines and realities, check out the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting you're looking for more great fiction, you might also want to check out the Greedy Reading List My Six

01 Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout Oh, Olive! In Olive, Again, she ambles through town and reflects on aging, on her life, and especially on memories of moments that shaped her life’s direction, her attitude, her viewpoint—and those of the people close to her. Because this is the character of Olive from Olive Kitteridge, these are not saccharine snippets of wisdom from a warm, cozy grandmother. The moments are sometimes sour, sometimes regretful, sometimes heartbreaking, but often lovely in their rough honesty. I could spend days reading about her introspection and her gruff and straightforward ways. I received an advance copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Strout also wrote the wonderful interconnected short story collection Anything Is Possible. For my full review of this book, please see Olive, Again. 02 The River by Peter Heller Low-key best friends Jack and Wynn have taken many challenging outdoor expeditions together. They're skilled and joyful adventurers. But when a wildfire rages near where they're canoeing the Maskwa River in northern Canada, everything turns upside down. Oh, Peter Heller! The details of running the Canadian river, traveling and camping, and Jack and Wynn's friendship itself all hooked me completely. The final scenes were exquisitely painful and beautiful and really hit me hard. Heller also wrote the wonderful dystopian story The Dog Stars, as well as The Painter. For my full review of this book, please see The River. 03 Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera ​ I worried during the first chapter that Gertrude was going to feel like a caricature of a backwoods Southern woman. But she and the other characters were developed fully. And although the three interconnected women faced sometimes staggeringly tragic challenges, Spera injects some moments of joy—often related to their relationships to each other. You can see where one of the storylines is going before the character involved understands it, and it might make your blood boil to see the evil situation go on unchecked. And I wasn’t sure I bought into the reasoning for a character’s drastic and sudden turnaround in thinking—it seemed that she’d had reminders of this reasoning without being inspired to shift course. But the details of cooking, surviving, race relations, and life in 1924 South Carolina were wonderful, and I still think about this book although I read it some time ago. For my full review of this book, please see Call Your Daughter Home. 04 The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman The world is unraveling on the cusp of World War II, and three strong women will be tested beyond anything they imagined before the end of the war and the end of the book. The strong, gruff Hanni has a heart of gold; young Ettie is idealistic and grows to be tough as nails yet capable of deep love; and the heartbreakingly loyal golem Ava becomes satisfyingly powerful. This was a beautiful book. The golem and heron and other ethereal elements could have been distracting, but they worked. I was most struck by the character-driven WWII stories, which were haunting and lovely. Hoffman made me feel anchored to the characters so that the emotions, concerns, and life-and-death decisions the women grappled with in 1941 felt immediate and relevant. For my full review, please see The World That We Knew. 05 Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan ​ Jessica Pan was an introvert out of a job. Her closest friends had moved away, and she found herself lonely, living in another country, and feeling too reliant on her husband for her entire social life. Pan decided to deliberately put herself into extremely uncomfortable social situations for a year, and she fully commits. She does improv, approaches strangers on the Tube, goes on friend dates, attends networking events, takes a vacation alone (to a destination she doesn't learn until she's at the airport), and more. She regrets her one-year plan almost instantly but feels compelled to continue her terrifying exercises. Pan is wonderfully honest, appealingly thoughtful, and often so so funny. I was so happy spending time in her point of view throughout this book. I loved it and I'd read another book by her in a second. For my full review of this book, please see Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come. ​6 Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano ​ I loved this book. I kept thinking about it while I was doing other things, and I just wanted to get back to Edward to find out how things were going. This story was so much more than I expected, but thankfully Napolitano didn’t rely solely on her book’s promising premise. She wrote the hell out of this and created an irresistible and true-feeling character in Edward. Nothing is too easy here, nor is it ever melodramatic in Napolitano’a hands. Edward tries on the mantle of taking responsibility for every life lost; he wallows in the despair of others and their hopes that he will pursue their loved ones’ lost dreams and right their wrongs; then he messily works out how to create his own lucky, unshackled, truest life. I was given an advance reader’s copy of this book by Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. For my full review, please see Dear Edward. What are some of your favorite book club books? I was going to say that I try not to be overly Bossy in my book club, but that is a big lie that's making me laugh as I type it. We used to brainstorm book ideas for the following year and then, honestly, I would push through my own choices. But you should see the extensive spreadsheets of potential titles that my book club friends now patiently and kindly wade through to cast their votes for the coming year. We've been happily meeting monthly for about fourteen years now, so let's just say we're all clear on who and what we're dealing with at this point. Oddly, there is only one World War II book and there are zero Alaska books on this list--I am constantly trying to work these into our reading list--which is currently making me question everything about myself and my own reading habits.

01 Vengeance Road I loved this young adult Western, and not just because of its amazing cover. Kate is a tough young woman posing as a male cowboy. She's got revenge on her mind, and she and her unlikely band of allies aren't afraid to shoot first and ask questions later. But Kate also slowly, reluctantly finds a little bit of love to soften her hardened heart. Erin Bowman offers up great action along with what I thought were perfect amounts of self-actualization and character development, without ever being heavy-handed. Vengeance Road is a rough and tumble story with enough suspense that I wasn't ever confident that the main characters would emerge alive. I wished a little more care had been taken with the resolutions at the end, and I would have liked some more justification for characters' decisions late in the book, but I loved this. The cowboy dialect didn't distract, although it was notably distinct throughout. Vengeance Road is the first book in Bowman's Vengeance Road duology; Retribution Rails is the second. (I didn't love that one quite as much.) 02 These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 ​ My advice is to ignore the title on this one. The syntax seems to indicate something altogether different than the beautifully written "grown-up Little House on the Prairie" (as my friend Kirstan called it) that I adored. Turner's story is inspired by her family's memoirs, and her Sarah Prine is a strong woman living on the unforgiving frontier of the Arizona Territories near the turn of the twentieth century. The details Turner provides of life at that time and in that place bring to life Sarah's stories of growing up, struggling, finding love, and persevering. Sarah's voice is just wonderful. There are additional books in the Sarah Agnes Prine series: Sarah's Quilt and The Star Garden, neither of which I've read yet, as well as Light Changes Everything. Turner has also written a couple of other historical fiction books that look promising. 03 West ​ This isn't strictly a Western, but the main protagonist does travel west, and the feeling of it is in line with the genre, so I'm bossily including it on this list. Cy is a widower in a small Pennsylvania town who is drawn in by a newspaper article about enormous ancient bones found in a swamp. He feels unshakably compelled to travel west to find out if the mammoth animals he's heard described are still roaming the area. So Cy leaves his ten-year-old daughter Bess with his sister, Bess's short-tempered aunt, although he expects to be away on his irrational, foolish travels for two years. (Two years!) Bess, stuck at home, traces Cy's optimistic travel route on a map (and, disturbingly, struggles multiple times with being preyed upon by a man--I needed her aunt to tune in on this horrifying situation, stat). Cy isn't a sympathetic character (Bess is the one I was feeling for here), but his ill-fated journey is full of misplaced hope, then mistakes and regret, but over all of it, a compulsion to continue toward an end. It's compelling, and Bess's faith in her faulted father is heart-wrenching. West is a quick read with an important case of implausibly (but satisfyingly) impeccable timing that saves the day, twice. The ending is beautifully wrought. Davies includes fantastic details of amateur Western exploration that I adored. 04 One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow Oh, I loved this book! In Wyoming in 1870, the Bemis and Webber families have no other neighbors for miles, so they're not only inextricably interconnected to the land, they're connected to each other. When a sudden upheaval results in both husbands' absences, their wives must face their hard feelings toward each other and forge an unlikely alliance if they and their families are to survive the brutal winter. This was a slow build and a beautiful story, satisfying and often sweet, complete with young love. Hawker includes rich details of farming and rural life. I loved the explorations of the spirits of various creatures and the characters’ awareness of the spirals and cycles of nature and of life. I adored the character of the fiercely unique Beulah. I received an advance copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Hawker is also the author of The Ragged Edge of Night. 05 The Widow Nash ​ Dulcy has traveled all over with her beloved, quirky father Walton. He's wealthy beyond all reason, fascinated with natural disasters, obsessed with wandering the globe--and determined to identify an as-yet-undiscovered cure for his syphilis. His mind seems to be failing him just as the proceeds from his gold mines go missing, and Dulcy is suspected. She must decipher his enigmatic notebooks and codes to clear her name. Or could she simply disappear, be presumed dead, and escape unwarranted attention--and avoid the clutches of unwanted matrimony? In a small Montana town Dulcy reinvents herself as Mrs. Nash, a wealthy young widow. If she's lucky, she can build a new life and shed the limitations of her real identity. The before and after of certain pivotal events almost felt like two separate books, but I was hooked on all of it--the early twentieth-century settings (Seattle, New York City, Montana, various clinic sites); Dulcy's deranged but maddeningly intriguing syphilitic mining magnate of a father; the layers of smart dialogue; the undercurrent of fear beneath the soothing comfort of the details of everyday life. I loved this. 06 Walk on Earth a Stranger ​ Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes. Walk on Earth a Stranger tells the story of Lee, a young woman with a powerful secret: an ability to sense gold. Her gold sense has kept her family fed and sheltered, but it's dangerous too. If others knew of it, they'd likely use it--and Lee--to their own advantage. When Lee's power is discovered, she has to run, and she runs toward the gold. I thought this was great: an adventure story of a teenaged girl fleeing from Georgia to California during the gold rush. This was really nicely paced with gripping details of the trek and of Lee's life on the road. This is the first book in Rae Carson's young adult Gold Seer trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America; the second is Like a River Glorious, which I gave 3.5 stars, and the third is Into the Bright Unknown, which was a great final book and satisfying-revenge wrap-up. Carson is also the author of the Fire and Thorns series, four young adult fantasy books plus related novellas and a prequel. Do you have any favorite books set in the American West? Endless brutal and terrible things happened to indigenous peoples because white people explored and settled in the West. Yet I'm also fascinated by the optimistic explorer spirit--and I do love reading about strong female characters in a time when the world around them didn't always support women's strength and determination. What do you think, is this a setting and a setup you're drawn to?

There's a low-key mystery Lexie is set on unraveling (key players are keeping secrets about events from For great historical fiction of all types, you might like to check out Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year and Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year.

There aren't significant subplots, so this is a straightforward-feeling story, a sort of "mystery light

community and the emotionally closed-off former FBI agent and current police chief trying to solve the mystery Cosby is also the author of Razorblade Tears, a book I listed on my Greedy Reading List Six Satisfying

When his sister tries to solve the mystery of his death, she and her own unlikely companion unravel secrets neat fashion at the close of the story, but I didn't mind because of the justice being served and the mysteries I mentioned Rene Denfeld's great book The Child Finder in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to

The mystery of the book centers around a post-war haven for soldiers mentally and physically harmed by But the mystery takes a back seat in the book to Maisie's explorations of human motivations, her interest Check out this Greedy Reading List for Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You.

ICYMI: Morton offers a strong historical fiction mystery, with assumed identities, dual timelines, twists A hundred and fifty years later, a young archivist, Elodie Winslow, is drawn to the mystery. I’m glad the circumstances of what led to the mystery—yikes! I mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries Sure to Intrigue You

The mystery of what happened to the man is a subplot that winds through the story. Full disclosure: I love female-spy books (see the Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Books about Brave Female Spies and Six More Books about Brave Female Spies), but Lawhon's novel Code Name Helène wasn't for me like the sound of this book, you might also want to check out the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six

Angie Kim's sophomore novel is a mystery, but Happiness Falls is primarily an exploration of a complicated Kim's missing-person novel is a mystery and is structured around the discovery and exploration of what I was totally hooked on the mystery aspect and the delving into Eugene's potential communication.

She's been cobbling together enough to get by, but when a mysterious draw to the spooky Starling House

The mystery bookends feel largely unimportant to the story, the cast of characters sometimes feels endless overlap, and their challenges intersect when a young boy is taken from the community, culminating in a mysterious The mystery that bookends the story is not essential to the novel. By the time the story ended, I had forgotten about the mystery's brief introduction at the beginning

But the year-old mysterious disappearance of Kim Gillespie, a young woman from the area, hooks Falk and Exiles was the right mystery at the right time for me.

This third book in McManus's young-adult mystery series keeps the surprises coming, ties new twists into I listened to this third installment in Karen McManus's young adult One of Us Is Lying mystery series Over the course of the past two books, the Bayview Four solved mysteries and established their own innocence Knox from book one--along with other old favorites and some fresh faces--in a new set of intertwined, mysterious someone unexpected comes to town, our sleuths realize that not everyone is who they say they are; old mysteries

You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Books about Brave Female Spies and Six More

In this installment of Veronica and Stoker's Victorian England mystery-solving, they enter a sinister Beginning, the first book in Deanna Raybourn's feisty Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction mysteries a tease, and dialogue that makes me laugh out loud--all set against the backdrop of a Victorian-age mystery And ahem, there's also a mystery to solve. It wasn't my favorite of the series mysteries thus far, but I enjoyed the dark, gothic feel of twisting

, while an unorthodox, brilliant investigator and her stalwart new assistant work to solve a murder mystery The leviathans are grotesque, and their natures and motivations are a mystery. Ana is Sherlock Holmes-esque in that she holds many of the answers to the mysteries that abound--but

The first installment in Faizal's Blood and Tea series offers intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, , hidden feelings, and wonderfully complex relationships in this mystery. The cover artwork, palette, and the book's title felt off to me; they seemed to indicate Cozy Mystery

Atkinson's newest mystery is set in vivid Roaring Twenties London as Nellie Coker struggles to hold on to her empire of clubs while mysterious dark undercurrents threaten stability throughout the city. by the intersection of Gwendolyn and Ma Coker's golden child, her eldest son Niven--along with the mystery If you like historical fiction mysteries, you might like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries Sure to Intrigue You.