In Mean Baby, actress Selma Blair is candid about the alcoholism that developed in early elementary school, her relationship with her mother, her diagnosis of and experience with multiple sclerosis, her love for her son, and more. Decades before she appeared in Cruel Intentions, years before Legally Blonde, and long before she was diagnosed with and became an advocate for those with multiple sclerosis, Selma Blair was a Mean Baby. In her memoir, Blair takes the reader through her childhood, where she is steadily called Mean Baby--and she wonders if the name could possibly have been apt for a days-old baby, or if she grew to fit these expectations. She bit a chunk out of her sister's back, steadily lied for attention, and was willing to go to great, dramatic lengths to get her smart, emotionally unavailable, critical, passionate mother to show her love. In Mean Baby, Selma digs into her lifelong, haunting feeling that something dark was looming in her future as well as her fascination with fortune tellers and the concept of fate or fulfilling prophesies. She shares her decades-long daily reliance on drinking small amounts of alcohol--a reliance that began in early elementary school--in order to feel calm and settled, and she explores the confusing combination of what turned out to be undiagnosed MS symptoms that led others to believe she was frequently drinking to impairment. She shares that because of the gloomy mystery of years of suffering, her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, when it finally came, was something of a relief. Blair also lays bare her experiences with depression and her attempted suicides after heartbreaks; her long-term, mysterious physical challenges and symptoms; and the multiple rapes she suffered in her life. I listened to Mean Baby as an audiobook, and some of these harrowing, traumatic experiences are delivered in what felt like a somewhat practical, calm tone. On the other hand, other instances--such as a disturbing movie seen too young and the long-term fright she and her sister experienced afterward; or her deep love and affection for others--are described with significant emotion. Blair notes that the disease has affected her voice, and I'm not sure whether it is affected to the point that I was misinterpreting the emotions behind her narration, or whether this is a case of an outsider misunderstanding the level of importance and weight of various factors on another person and their unique life, but I had somewhat of a hard time following the emotional arcs and ups and downs. Blair's MS is a significant shaping force in her life, and she speaks with grace and openness about the disease, her challenges, the varied experiences of those with multiple sclerosis, and the various ways in which it has shifted her thinking and perspective. Her love for her son and the peace she has found in parenting him with her ex are lovely to read about. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? For more more more memoirs I've loved that you might want to try, check out these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a charming, irresistible young adult story about superheroes, villains, a crushing premed course load--and the everyday bravery involved in being vulnerable with friends and in falling in love. I adored this and am in for all future books by Fernandez. In Cristina Fernandez's new young adult book How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying), main protagonist and Columbia premed undergrad Astrid is dating Max Martin, a sweet, nerdy boy she knew back in high school. Astrid is always on time, always. Her sense of time and what it's possible to achieve within windows of time is practically her superpower. (You should see her day planner with its advanced highlighting and scheduling.) On the other hand, Max is always crashing in late for their dates and dashing off abruptly in the middle of their time together. And it seems like trouble gravitates to him--he's always in the middle of some kind of Life-and-Death Problem. Astrid is still adjusting to the pure joy she gets from being with Max. He adores her, and she adores him--and aside from her best friend David, her relationship with Max is her only non-academic joy. Only David or Max could inspire her to take time out from her grueling studies. But when a supervillain breaks into Astrid's apartment to kidnap her--she has organic chemistry to study for and she really does not have time for this!--she has to face facts: It really seems undeniable that Max...is a superhero. Superheroes exist--but Astrid never planned to get involved with one. In fact, she's reminded again that her schedule really doesn't allow time for romantic entanglements in the first place. Max is wonderful, but now Astrid is expected to be part of a training and support group that helps superheroes' significant others protect themselves and cope with the entire complicated situation of caring for and being involved with a superperson. And worrying about Max's safety as he fights the bad guys could be its own full-time job. How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a wonderfully romantic story about finding your own true self, listening to your gut, finding the strength to put yourself on the line for other people, the bravery of falling in love, and the importance of treasuring every day. Cristina Fernandez has crafted an irresistibly charming story that I absolutely adored. I received a prepublication copy of this book courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Cristina Fernandez began writing this book when she was in college. I hope she's prolific, because I'm in for all of her future books! The tone is very different, but the superhero element of this book reminded me of Hench, a darkly charming story by Natalie Zina Walschots that I absolutely loved.

Alias Emma is a fast-paced cat-and-mouse chase across hidden London, led by Emma Makepeace, a resourceful, tough, new spy determined to thwart the Russians' deadly plans. Emma Makepeace, a brand-new British spy, is jumping into duty--and danger--with both feet. Barely out of basic training, she has just twelve hours to deliver her asset across London to safety--without being spotted by the Russians who have hacked the city's thousands of cameras, and their assassins, who are out to eliminate the person she has sworn to protect. And Emma would very much like to make it out of this alive as well. Russians are systematically eliminating scientists who betrayed Mother Russia to England and MI6 years earlier, and Emma's wise handler is determined to figure out why--and stop them before they kill another. But not everyone at the Secret Intelligence Service may be trustworthy--both Emma's handler and Emma herself are wondering if there's a mole inside their ranks who is assisting the Russians in their bloody vendetta. This fast-paced thriller tracks Emma and Michael, the distractingly handsome son of Russian dissidents who she has pledged to protect, on the longest night of their lives as they work to evade the thousands of cameras documenting London citizens' every move. The stakes are life-and-death for Michael and Emma, but Emma has never been one to back down from a challenge. The Russians haven't had her on their radar, so they don't know about her unusual tactics and her ability to think on her feet. And they don't realize she's got her own personal vendetta against Russian intelligence--which is the reason she became a spy in the first place. Emma's creativity and unorthodox ideas just might save them both--but they'll have to be crafty and find a lot of good luck if they have any hope of getting to safety. I read this start to finish during a flight (and delay), and Glass offers a cat-and-mouse chase through side streets and underground rivers in a peek at hidden London that's detailed and gritty and gripping. I was so happy to realize this is the first in a planned series. Sign me up for every bit of this! I received a prepublication digital edition of Alias Emma, published August 2, courtesy of Bantam and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Ava Glass is a former crime reporter. Ava Glass is a pseudonym for Christi Daugherty, author of the YA Night School thrillers.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Alias Emma, a fast-paced new mystery from Ava Glass; I'm listening to The Becoming, the second book in Nora Roberts's Dragon Heart Legacy series; and I'm reading Flying Solo, Linda Holmes's light fiction caper set in Maine. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Alias Emma by Ava Glass Emma Makepeace, a brand-new British spy, is jumping into duty--and danger--with both feet. Barely out of basic training, she has twelve hours to deliver her asset across London--without being spotted by the Russians who have hacked the city's cameras and who are out to kill the man she's protecting. This fast-paced thriller tracks Emma and Michael, the distractingly handsome son of Russian dissidents as they work to evade the thousands of cameras documenting London citizens' every move. Emma and Michael will have to be crafty and find some serious luck if they have any hope of getting him to safety. I received a prepublication digital edition of Alias Emma, published August 2, courtesy of Bantam and NetGalley. 02 The Becoming: The Dragon Heart Legacy #2 by Nora Roberts In The Awakening, the first book in Nora Roberts's Dragon Heart Legacy series, she set up a romantic fantasy about a chosen one, a long-lost family, portals to a magical world, and a treasure of a best friendship. In book two of the series, Breen Siobhan Kelly is coming into her own. She has conveniently shuffled off from Philly to the magical Talamh, where she revels in her new-found and strengthening powers (yet maintains her new, successful career as a children's author--with promise of becoming an adult author too. Why not take this fantasy all the way, after all?). Circumstances lead to Breen's best friend coming along (and finding his own love with the strapping Brian), the taking on of a dragon soulmate, and more sexual tension with Keegan. 03 Flying Solo by Linda Holmes Because I'm back in my old stomping grounds of Maine (yay!), it seems like the perfect time to read Flying Solo, a Maine-set title that's been on my to-read list for ages. In Flying Solo, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown, stinging from her recently canceled wedding, facing being on the cusp of forty, and ready to dive into the massive job of dismantling her recently deceased great-aunt Dot's collectible- and memento-filled house. Then an unusual antique she finds in Dot's attic and an old love letter send her on a wild caper through her own past, back to her first love and her oldest friend, and the con artists and antique dealers eager for what she's got. Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and is also the author of Evvie Drake Starts Over, a light fiction story I loved. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book, published in June, courtesy of Ballantine Books and NetGalley.

After the World Falls Apart I have a fascination with postapocalyptic (set in a time after a disaster) and dystopian (set in a time of darkness and desperation) books, and I think it's for the same reason I'm captivated by wartime stories: the books are about characters being pushed to their limits by an incredibly challenging situation, and they show their true selves and abilities. 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. I think I have enough other favorite reads in these categories to make two more Greedy Reading Lists. Which other postapocalyptic or dystopian books do you love? 01 A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher 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. 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. 02 The Grace Year by Kim Liggett It feels like freedom, but we know it's a lie. This is how they break us. They take everything away, our very dignity, and anything we get in return feels like a gift. 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 their perception of it (and especially the perceptions of the men and women in the society) was particularly haunting. This was a fast and engaging read. 03 The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey 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 felt to me like a dark young adult postapocalyptic novel, and it offered 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. 04 The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 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 The Guide, none of which are postapocalyptic). 05 The Power by Naomi Alderman 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. In The Power, 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 control and influence--especially damaging when coupled with the certainty that your opinion is infallible and correct. I found this book fascinating. 06 The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey 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.

ICYMI: This is a heartwarming book from the author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow about books, second chances, and finding hope when all seems lost. When I reviewed Gabrielle Zevin's recent novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, I was reminded that ages ago I loved her (very different) book The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and that I hadn't yet posted a review on Bossy Bookworm. A.J. Fikry is the grumpy owner of Island Books, on Alice Island. His wife has died, his sales are down, his favorite collection of poems has been stolen, and he's drawing more and more deeply into an isolated existence--despite the best efforts of a few select people in his orbit who are determined to bridge the gap and reach him. Even books hold no joy for him anymore. Then a mysterious package arrives at the shop, and A.J. Fikry is suddenly...changed. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is about second chances--and finding hope again. I loved Zevin's characters, dialogue, and the bookish focus here. So much so that I repeatedly annoyed friends at the beach when I was reading this by cackling and reading aloud passages. This was a fast read and a lovely story. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Gabrielle Zevin is also the author of The Hole We're In, Margarettown, Elsewhere, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, the Anya Balanchine series, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a book I loved and gave five Bossy stars.

In Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Solomon brings humor and a little steamy romance to a newsroom setting, with a fun Parent Trap-style backdrop--and weighty issues like depression that are addressed with grace. Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and now she's got her dream job: she's a junior meteorologist on TV. But her two bosses, Torrence and Seth, who are exes, seem more concerned with their long-term petty arguments and with airing personal grievances than with running the station, mentoring younger staff members, or creating professional opportunities. When Ari and kind, quiet sportscaster Russell close down the company's holiday party, they joke about Parent Trapping Seth and Torrence in order to create harmony in the TV station and allow them to better do their jobs. As they mastermind a plan to bring the exes together in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s light fiction story, Russell and Ari realize they have more in common than they thought. Weather Girl is romantic and occasionally steamy. The story is largely about accepting yourself and loving yourself--and treasuring someone who delights in you just the way you are. In an excellent example of how authors of light fiction can take on weighty issues with grace and care, here, Solomon addresses mental illness, the complications and beauty of blended families, breaking unhealthy familial patterns, and unlikely, hard-won second chances. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Rachel Lynn Solomon is also the author of See You Yesterday, The Ex Talk, and Today, Tonight, Tomorrow. You might also like the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories.

Hillier's thriller jumps back and forth in time, deftly weaving a web of secrets and lies, daring escape, broken trust, revenge, and things that aren't quite as they seem. ...and so this was her life, because it had always been her life, and it would either kill her, or she would survive it. Paris Peralta is arrested in her home bathroom. She's holding a straight razor and covered in blood, and her celebrity husband Jimmy Peralta, a 68-year-old comedian who's been making a recent comeback--is dead in the bathtub with a cut across his femoral artery. Paris loved her husband, and she's shocked and grieved that he's dead. But she's also alert enough to know that because of the inevitable publicity, the fiction of her current life--a peaceful, comfortable life that she spent so long cultivating--is about to be upended, and her safety along with it. Because when photos surface of Paris being taken away in handcuffs, she knows that dark forces from her past will almost certainly come calling. Because while you can reinvent yourself, you can’t outrun yourself. As a woman once reminded her a long time ago, the common denominator in all the terrible things that have happened to you is you. Meanwhile, killer Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder twenty-five years earlier. She knows who Paris Peralta really is, and when Ruby is released from prison early, she's more than willing to try to sacrifice Paris and destroy her careful web of lies. Jennifer Hillier weaves a gripping story that jumps back in forth in time from when Paris was a young victim to her present, in which she's taken charge of her life and controls her destiny--or so she thought. Things We Do in the Dark involves mistaken identities, betrayals, secrets and lies, fierce loyalty between friends who are like family--and horrific cruelties enacted by blood relations. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I received a prepublication digital edition of this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. Jennifer Hillier is also the author of Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Cultish, nonfiction by Amanda Montell; the upcoming (to be published tomorrow) young adult story How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez; and I'm listening to Mean Baby, Selma Blair's memoir about life and multiple sclerosis. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism by Amanda Montell In her nonfiction work Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, Amanda Montell explores the language, power, and persuasion of cults, from Scientology to SoulCycle to Jonestown, and our collective fascination with them. Montell suggests that cult-book readers, documentary-watchers, and those obsessed with cults are looking for explanations about what draws people to them. Meanwhile, she uses a foundation of the social science of power and belief to explore out the many ways we are influenced, shaped, and affected by society and social media. I'm reading Cultish for my book club. 02 How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez In Cristina Fernandez's young adult book How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying), to be published tomorrow, our main protagonist Astrid is dating Max Martin, a nerdy boy she knew back in high school. Astrid is always on time, always, whereas Max is always crashing in late for their dates and dashing off abruptly in the middle of their time together. When a supervillain breaks into Astrid's apartment, she has to face facts: It really seems undeniable that Max...is a superhero. How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a romantic story about coming into your own and being the hero of your own story--even if you don't happen to be superhuman. I received a prepublication copy of this book courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley. 03 Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair Long before she appeared in Cruel Intentions, well before Legally Blonde, and years before she was diagnosed with and became an advocate for those with multiple sclerosis, Selma Blair was a Mean Baby. In her memoir, Blair takes the reader through her childhood, where she is steadily called Mean Baby--and she wonders if the name could possibly have been apt for a days-old baby, or if she grew to fit these expectations, biting a chunk out of her sister's back, lying for attention, and willing to go to great lengths to get her smart, emotionally unavailable, critical, passionate mother to show her love. Selma digs into her lifelong haunting feeling that something dark was looming in her future, shares her reliance on alcohol and her experience with depression, lists her long-term, mysterious symptoms, and shares that her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, when it finally came, was something of a relief. I'm listening to Mean Baby as an audiobook.

My very favorite books from July! Here are my six favorite reads of the past month: two memoirs, two historical fiction titles, a science fiction story, and a contemporary fiction book. If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! And I'd also love to hear: what are some of your recent favorite reads? 01 In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom Amy Bloom writes with brutal honesty about her heartbreak and her determination to support her husband Brian Ameche's desire to end his life on his own terms. In her memoir In Love, author Amy Bloom shares the story of an impossible situation: how she faced the pending loss of her husband Brian Ameche, first mentally and then physically, to Alzheimer's disease. Ameche begins showing cognitive loss, and when a diagnosis is established of Alzheimer's disease, he considers the cases of those he has known who suffered for many years from the disease--and their caregivers alongside them. He becomes determined to participate in an assisted suicide program while he is still showing enough cognition to enter into the agreement. Bloom details the reasoning behind his decision and explores the importance to him of taking an active role in determining the time and place and conditions of his death. She considers how she can best support his wishes, even as doing so will take him away from her. For my full review, check out In Love. 02 Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Jaouad offers a powerful memoir about coping with leukemia and facing mortality, with thoughtful introspection and a road-trip journey. Suleika Jaouad had just graduated from college to pursue her career dreams of becoming a journalist. She was in love, she was living in Paris, and her future was bright. But she developed a strange itch in her foot. Then she began to feel fatigue she just couldn't shake, no matter how many hours-long naps she fell into. After long months of mystery and suffering, she received a diagnosis: acute myeloid leukemia and a rare blood disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome. Jaouad spent four years constantly fearing for her life; undergoing various procedures; living with intense pain; experiencing extreme lows, moments of desperate hope, and a few highs; choosing to end her long-term relationship, and writing a New York Times column about her experience. She emerged from spending years with her head down, fighting to survive, to realize that she needed to figure out how she wanted to live the rest of her days. Along with her adopted mutt Oscar, Jaouad embarked on a 100-day, 15,000-mile trip around the perimeter of the United States, visiting many of the people--until then, strangers--who had written to her during her cancer fight. The vast majority of page time is spent on Suleika's struggle with her physical disease. She offers hard-won insights and a rollercoaster of feelings and the desire to be independent even as she is irritatingly, deeply reliant upon the kindness and care she receives from family and friends. Click here for my full review of Between Two Kingdoms. 03 The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn The Diamond Eye is historical fiction about a real World War II figure, an unassuming Russian woman who fought the Nazis and earned the nickname Lady Death. Kate Quinn tells the World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. (Check, check, and check!) In 1937, history student Ludmila Pavlichenko takes shooting lessons in order to teach her son a skill his absent father might otherwise have taken on--and she finds that she's got a knack for the skill. After Hitler's invasion of Russia and the Ukraine, Mila, along with so many others, enlists to fight alongside countrymen and -women and fight back the Nazis. Surmounting challenge after challenge, Mila ultimately becomes a sniper trainer and a lethal hunter of Nazis. Quinn shapes Mila's story by sharing scenes of love and terrible loss, as well as immersive Russian landscape descriptions. She weaves in interesting aspects of the time such as the contrast between active female roles in the Russian military and the more peripheral positions women could hold in the United States military at the time. Kate Quinn is a master of historical fiction and is the author of the fantastic titles The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Alice Network. Click here for my full review of The Diamond Eye. 04 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson Richardson's historical fiction offers a 1936 Appalachian setting, the magic and unassuming power of a rural librarian, and the exploration of a rare genetic condition. This was a winning read for me. Appalachian setting? Check. Tough female protagonist? Check. Rural librarian? Check. Fascinating implications of a rare genetic condition? Check. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, except for pre-reading anxiety that it might not live up to my sky-high expectations. But this is a solid historical fiction story that I loved. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is set in 1936 in the rural Appalachians, centering around the character of Cussy Carter, nicknamed Bluet. In this tale, Bluet is one of the rare, real-life "Blue People" of Kentucky (those with the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinted skin). Bluet's natural independence, her love of books and reading, her eschewing of marriage, and her blue-tinged skin collectively draw the wrath and disgust of some in her small community--those who are suspicious of any break from tradition or anyone who questions the status quo. Richardson offers a satisfying ending that's not without an edge or imperfections. I listened to this as an audiobook, and I found narrator Katie Schorr's reading of the story wonderful. Click here for my full review of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. 05 Upgrade by Blake Crouch Main protagonist Logan was hard for me to emotionally connect to, but I was hooked by the heart-pounding action, the fascinating imagined power and scope of gene engineering, the world on the verge of collapse--and the most intense, high-stakes sibling rivalry imaginable. Upgrade presents a future version of our world in which humans are teetering closer than ever to extinction because of a crumbling environment. SoHo and southern Manhattan are underwater, eating synthetic meat is the norm, and geneticists who have tried tinkering with the human state in a desperate attempt to shift the future of homo sapiens have largely been punished and jailed. Logan Ramsey is in charge of investigating suspected gene scientists who are up to illegal activity, and while investigating a suspicious situation, he is injured by an odd explosion. In the hospital he has headaches, a fever, and body aches, then his symptoms subside. Upgrade offers detailed, heart-stopping chases; the most intense sibling rivalry imaginable, interesting scenes of superhumans' outsmarting each other; and noble desires to "save the world" that conflict with others’ similar desires in crucial ways--and with potential global consequences. Crouch's crash course in a dramatic potential world of genetic advancements and transformation is captivating. You can find my review of Blake Crouch's Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore) here and my review of Dark Matter here. For my full review, check out Upgrade. 06 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin A book about childhood friends making a video game is an unexpected, captivating setup for this wonderfully deep, epic look at creativity, tragedy, and love. Childhood friends Sam Masur and Sadie Green are brilliant, creative collaborators and a wonderfully complementary pair since their chance meeting in childhood--and they're also (sometimes) full of love for each other. Reunited in college, Sam and Sadie come together to try to create a masterpiece: a video game unlike any that has come before. Something immersive, something fascinating, something irresistible. Their wild success and their devastating lows--individual and collective--test their loyalty, offer joy and unexpected stress, and push the limits of their connection. A book about longtime friends creating a video game feels like an unusual vehicle for delivering the beauty and depth Zevin builds into each page. But Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is an epic view of a lifetime of friendship and love, tragedy, renewed faith in others, overcoming incredible hardship...and a captivating account of the making of a video game, love for other games, and the power of games to bring people together. I just loved this book. For my full review, check out Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

Jaouad offers a powerful, introspective memoir about coping with leukemia and its accompanying emotions, fears, and side effects--along with a road-trip journey following her New York Times column about her illness: Life, Interrupted. I used to think healing meant ridding the body and the heart of anything that hurt. It meant putting your pain behind you, leaving it in the past. But I'm learning that's not how it works. Healing is figuring out how to coexist with the pain that will always live inside of you, without pretending it isn't there or allowing it to hijack your days. Suleika Jaouad had just graduated from college to pursue her career dreams of becoming a journalist. She was in love, she was living in Paris, and her future was bright. But Jaouad had developed a strange itch in her foot that spread. She was feeling fatigue that she just couldn't shake, no matter how many hours-long naps she fell into. After long months of mystery and suffering and tests that went nowhere, she finally received a diagnosis: acute myeloid leukemia and a rare blood disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome. She had a 35-percent survival rate. Jaouad spent four years constantly fearing for her life; undergoing various procedures; living with intense pain; experiencing extreme lows, moments of desperate hope, and a few highs; being ill and in love, then ending her long-term relationship, and writing a New York Times column about her experience. She emerged from spending years with her head down, fighting to survive, to realize that she needed to figure out how she wanted to live the rest of her days. "...why does everything need to be so dang complicated? Maybe it's okay to not have the answers right now." I admit that I felt loyalty to her boyfriend "Will," who saw her through years of significant difficulties due to cancer, treatment, and side effects, a bone marrow transplant, and dedicated caregiving after her return home. The couple breaks up when the health struggles are largely over. When Suleika's beloved father later admits to her that he doesn't know if he would have done the same selfless work in Will's position and in his twenties, Suleika seems to consider seriously--for the first time?--whether she had asked too much of Will. But by then, she is dating a new boyfriend, a musician named Jon (until reading his name in the dedication, I missed that this was Jon Batiste, the longtime band leader and music director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as well as the composer and performer for many songs for the movie Soul). Along with her adopted mutt Oscar, Jaouad embarked on a 100-day, 15,000-mile trip around the perimeter of the United States, visiting many of the people--until then, strangers--who had written to her during her cancer fight. Some shared wisdom, some showed caring through food, and one memorable acquaintance spoke to her about his life through Plexiglas from death row. The vast majority of page time in Between Two Kingdoms is spent on Suleika's struggle with her physical disease and its effects on her body and on her emotions, mind, relationships, and interests. She offers hard-won insights and a rollercoaster of feelings, and she expresses her fervent desire to be independent even as she is irritatingly, deeply reliant upon the kindness and care she receives from family and friends. The journey around the country, in comparison, takes up far less space in Jaouad's memoir although it is an interesting bookend to her solo travel to Paris early in the book. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? When I was looking online for an update on the Jon Batiste-Suleika Jaouad situation (they're married), I saw that unfortunately, Jaouad's leukemia returned in the past year, and that she has received another bone marrow transplant.

Katherine Center's newest light fiction offers an irresistible premise--a female bodyguard poses as the girlfriend of a heartthrob actor--and delightful, if sometimes predictable, developments that lead to a satisfying ending. I listened to The Bodyguard, the newest book by Katherine Center. Hannah Brooks looks like the young woman next door--but she's actually a highly skilled Executive Protection Agent--a bodyguard. And her newest client is the Jack Stapleton, action star, household name--and, in recent years, recluse. Someone is stalking Jack, and Hannah is bound to protect him. But Jack's mother is sick, he wants to return home to Texas, and he doesn't want his family to know he's got a stalker and be worried while they're focused on his mother's health. So against her better judgment, Hannah agrees to pose as Jack's girlfriend. Only...the longer she pretends, the more their fake relationship seems like it might have promise. Some of the details here didn't add up for me--for example, Hannah poses as a photographer but is never asked about her career (or her long-term leave of absence from any clients or work) and she doesn't even have a camera with her, but this is not suspicious or of interest to people who are treating her like and caring for her like family. And the main "bad guys" here (Robbie, Kennedy) are so hopeless, so unkind, so clueless, and so insufferable, it's hard to imagine that either Hannah or Jack could have spent time with them in any context. Much of Hannah's character growth in the story centers around her journey from low to medium self-esteem. This occurs while (and because?) she spends time with Jack, despite the fact that during this period she constantly questions her self-worth and attractiveness, and despite his teasing barbs that may be intended to be charmingly down-to-earth or candid but seemed jerky to me (calling Hannah "stumpy"--she is short--and "plain"--she is not a movie star). Moments of casual comfortableness bring the characters together and are at the root of their connection--but I wished Hannah's vulnerability didn't center around her bursting into tears so frequently (despite the fact that she says she really never cries). Yet The Bodyguard is fun, often charming--and the premise is absolutely irresistible. Jack's family is lovely, and there's a subplot in which Jack and his brother Hank are furious with each other after the loss of their brother, for which Jack has been blamed. This--along with a late-stage, dangerous, dramatic situation requiring Hannah's smarts and strength--adds tension and conflict to the story. Even if some of the resolutions here are predictable, it's satisfying to know that in Center's hands, her characters are relatively safe, and that she'll deliver an ending that makes a reader happy. The journey to the conclusion is joy-filled and entertaining. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I received a prepublication audiobook version of this book courtesy of MacMillan Audio and NetGalley. Katherine Center is also the author of What You Wish For, Things You Save in a Fire, How to Walk Away, Happiness for Beginners, and other books.

A book about childhood friends making a video game is an unexpected, captivating setup for this wonderfully deep, epic dive into connection, creativity, tragedy, and love. "And what is love, in the end?" Alabaster said. "Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else's journey through life?" Childhood friends Sam Masur and Sadie Green are brilliant, creative collaborators and a wonderfully complementary pair since their chance meeting in childhood--and they're also (sometimes) full of love for each other. Reunited in college, Sam and Sadie come together to try to create a masterpiece: a video game unlike any that has come before. Something immersive, something fascinating, something irresistible. A programmer is a diviner of possible outcomes, and a seer of unknown worlds. Their wild success and their devastating lows--both individual and collective--test their loyalty to each other and to their vision, offer joy and unexpected pain, and push the limits of their friendship and connection. A book about longtime friends creating a video game feels like an unusual vehicle for delivering the beauty and depth Zevin builds into each page. But Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (the title comes from the second line of Macbeth) is an epic view into a lifetime of friendship and love, tragedy, renewed faith in others, and overcoming incredible hardship. It's a captivating account of the making of a video game, the love of other specific games and playing in general, and the power of play to bring people together. Why wouldn't you tell someone you loved them? Once you loved someone, you repeated it until they were tired of hearing it. You said it until it ceased to have meaning. Why not? Of course, you goddamn did. There are fascinating, heartbreaking, heartwarming echoes and swirls of themes and details that repeat and connect through time and through virtual reality--and that frequently cross into the gritty messiness of real life. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is smart and holds layer upon layer to explore. There are too many beautiful quotes in the book for me to share them here. I savored this story and delighted in its characters and just loved this book. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Gabrielle Zevin is also the author of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, a book I loved and need to review on this site. I received a digital advance reader copy of this book courtesy of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley.

Tough women, secrets and smarts, and sneaky spying! I love a peek at a secret world, and each of these books offers that very thing. Only one title on this list is nonfiction, but because I'm nothing if not greedy, other nonfiction books in this genre on my to-read list that I'm particularly excited about are: Liar Temptress Soldier Spy (civil war) by Karen Abbott, The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone, and Code Name Lise by Larry Loftis. Kate Quinn, the queen of historical fiction about women during wartime, recommends these titles that fit the category: Shining Through, The Secrets We Kept, Code Name Verity (see below), An Extraordinary Union, Black Roses, The Blue, Spy Princess, Celia Barth, and The Invisible Woman. If you like stories about brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Great Stories about Brave Women During World War II. I'd love to hear: What are your favorite (fiction or nonfiction) books about tough lady spies? 01 The Unexpected Spy by Tracy Walder I love a peek at a secret world, and here Walder offers fascinating glimpses of her life as a CIA and an FBI agent. This is the only nonfiction book on the list. I love a peek at a secret world, and in The Unexpected Spy, 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. Her evolution into her present-day self and current profession was satisfying to witness. I really liked this book, and I would’ve liked it to be twice as long with even more more more detail about all things spy-related. For my full Bossy review of this book, please see The Unexpected Spy. 02 The Huntress by Kate Quinn The character-driven post-WWII story was wonderful, with compelling and lush detail and a gutsy female pilot determined to help take down the Nazis. This is the first of two Kate Quinn books on this list. With the Nazis an increasing problem for the Soviet Union, Nina Markova joins the Night Witches, an all-female regiment of night bombers. But Nina's resolve and training are tested when she becomes stuck in enemy territory. Quinn's character-driven post-World War II story was wonderful, with compelling and lush detail about tough female pilots; life in the Siberian wild; Boston; antiques and photography; and the patient, persistent, creative detective work carried out by the characters of Ian, Tony, and Nina. You can see events unfolding while the characters involved remain unaware, but watching the pieces shift and click into place is immensely satisfying. I'm in for all of the World War II-set books with tough, brave female protagonists, and especially female pilots, and I loved this book. For my full review, see The Huntress. 03 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein In Wein's young adult historical fiction novel, it's 1943, and a British spy plane has crashed in Nazi-occupied France. The plane's young pilot and its passenger are best friends, but only one of the girls survives. "Verity," the survivor, is a secret agent who is captured by the Gestapo. Her Nazi interrogators offer her a way out: reveal her mission and confess her crimes, or be put to death--and it won't be fast and painless. Verity writes her extended confession, revealing her past, her friendship with the pilot Maddie, and various secrets she's gathered while being a spy. Is she laying groundwork for her release, or spinning webs more complicated than her captors imagine? This World War II-era story of female pilots and spies is written in two points of view. At first I found the structure of Verity's letters somewhat distracting, but it grew on me. And while the second section wasn't a complete surprise, I found it really satisfying. 04 The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah The Nightingale is Kristin Hannah's very popular book set during World War II about a family stretched to its limits in the face of the horrors of Nazi-occupied France. Hannah's books and I don't always (or often) get along. I find myself distracted by small moments that don't seem to follow with the story she's laying out, and I can't dive into the story. But this book and I got along like BFFs. The Nightingale offers moments of bravery, scenes of terror, and acts of pure love. There are some moments I found melodramatic, but I thought Hannah's story was really, really engaging. I felt somewhat manipulated at the end of The Nightingale because of circumstances surrounding the modern-day point of view, but I was okay with it. If you missed this book when it came out, it's one that's worth a slot on your to-read list. 05 Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin This is the first book in Graudin's young adult duology (the second, Blood by Blood, is also great). The premise hooked me, but I loved Graudin's execution of the story even more. In an alternate reality it's 1956, and Hitler and the Axis powers are taking over the world. Yael, a tough young woman who escaped from a concentration camp, has been training as a spy for years, while cultivating her hatred of the Nazis. Her goal: to win a ruthless, exclusive annual motorbike race through Axis-controlled lands. The victor of The Axis Tour is granted an audience with Adolf Hitler at the celebratory Victor's Ball. Yael plans to get close enough to the Fuhrer to kill him. Oh, aaaand Yael has the power to skinshift so that she looks exactly like other people. Buckle up for this one--it's unusual and fast-paced. Graudin also wrote The Walled City. 06 The Alice Network by Kate Quinn In this second book on the list by Kate Quinn, the stories of two women—an imagined World War I spy from the Alice Network (which actually existed) in France, and an American socialite looking for her cousin in 1947—are brought together across the decades. I loved the strong female protagonists and seeing their fire and grit and growth. Both of the more modern-day storylines were wrapped up neatly as with a bow. I would have been in favor of having the romantic element being tied up without the Eve aspect, or having neither of them tied up at all, but the “end of movie”-type closure for both felt too convenient, and even a little dismissive of the complexities of the time and the specific difficulties of the characters' situations. But I was fascinated by the World War I focus and in many cases the spy details’ basis in reality. I wished I’d known the information from the author’s note as I read because of how much of the stories of the women’s lives was pulled from first-person records.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to The Bodyguard, Katherine Center's newest light fiction about Hannah Brooks, an innocent-looking bodyguard for a superstar action hero; I'm listening to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Kim Michele Richardson's historical fiction about a traveling rural Kentucky librarian who was one of the "Blue People" of rural Kentucky; and I'm reading Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Solomon's light fiction about a TV meteorologist who tries to set up her two bosses, who are exes. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 The Bodyguard by Katherine Center I'm listening to The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. Hannah Brooks looks like the young woman next door--but she's actually an Executive Protection Agent--a bodyguard. And her client is the Jack Stapleton, action star, household name--and, in recent years, a recluse. Someone is stalking Jack, and Hannah is bound to protect him. But Jack's mother is sick, he wants to return home to Texas, and he doesn't want his family to know he's got a stalker. So against her better judgment, Hannah agrees to pose as his girlfriend. Only...the longer she pretends, the more their fake relationship seems like it might have promise. I received a prepublication audiobook version of this book courtesy of MacMillan Audio and NetGalley. 02 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is historical fiction set in 1936 in the rural Appalachians, centering around Cussy Carter, who in this tale is one of the rare, real-life "Blue People" of Kentucky (those with the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinted skin). Cussy is a librarian through the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky, and she rides her mule Eugenia through all the hollers and up through the mountains, delivering sought-after newspapers and books to families who rarely emerge from the woods but for whom the written word is a window to the greater world. The book's sequel is The Book Woman's Daughter, published earlier this year. 03 Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and now she's got her dream job: she's a junior meteorologist on TV. But her two bosses, Torrence and Seth, who are exes, seem more concerned with their long-term petty arguments and with airing personal grievances than with running the station, mentoring younger staff members, or creating professional opportunities. When Ari and kind, quiet sportscaster Russell close down the company's holiday party, they joke about Parent Trapping Seth and Torrence in order to create harmony in the TV station and allow them to better do their jobs. As they mastermind a plan to bring the exes together in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s light fiction story, Russell and Ari realize they have more in common than they thought.

Main protagonist Logan was hard for me to emotionally connect to, but I was hooked by the heart-pounding action, the fascinating imagined power and scope of gene engineering, the world on the verge of collapse--and the most intense, high-stakes sibling rivalry imaginable. If there’s a solution, it has to lie in reaching us from our ambivalence. Our apathy. Upgrade presents a future version of our world in which humans are teetering closer than ever to extinction because of a crumbling environment. SoHo and southern Manhattan are underwater, eating synthetic meat is the norm, and geneticists who have tried tinkering with the human state in a desperate attempt to shift the future of homo sapiens have largely been punished and jailed. Logan Ramsey is in charge of investigating suspected gene scientists who are up to illegal activity, and while investigating a suspicious situation, he is injured by an odd explosion. In the hospital he has headaches, a fever, and body aches, then his symptoms subside. In one of several key situations in which Things Aren't What They Seem, Logan realizes that he's been infected by a virus--one designed to make him seem uninfected, then to modify his very genetic structure. He’s becoming stronger and smarter every day--but he’s also being hunted down for potential destruction. And all of this seems potentially linked to his deceased, brilliant mother's life's work--from before she was banned from gene experimentation after things went terribly wrong. Maybe compassion and empathy are just squishy emotions. Illusions created by our mirror neurons. But does it really matter where they come from? They make us human. They might be what make us worth saving. Because Logan evolves to a state void of emotions and is focused on physical and mental efficiency, he feels more like a fascinating machine to be admired than a complex character to care about. He's driven by dispassionate science, reason, and knowledge. He expresses complex, messy feelings early in the book, and he recognizes an echo of this toward the end, but because he behaves largely like a robot with a human appearance, I didn't feel emotionally invested in his character. The stakes couldn't be higher for Crouch's protagonists--pending global destruction and the elimination of the human race. So everything that occurs is a Big Deal, and Upgrade offers detailed, heart-stopping chases; the most intense sibling rivalry imaginable, interesting scenes of superhumans' outsmarting each other; and noble desires to "save the world" that conflict with others’ similar desires in crucial ways--and with potential global consequences. Crouch's crash course in a dramatic potential world of genetic advancements and transformation is captivating. Never before had I seen Homo sapiens so clearly—a species, at its most fundamental level, of storytellers. Creatures who overlay story on everything, but especially their own lives, and in so doing, can imbue a cold, random, sometime brutal existence with fabricated meaning. Upgrade is another sci-fi winner by Blake Crouch. I received a digital advance reader copy of this book courtesy of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? You can find my review of Blake Crouch's Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore) here and my review of Dark Matter here.

The Personal Librarian is historical fiction about the real-life figure of Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's personal librarian who was Black and who hid her heritage in order to hold her position in early twentieth century New York. The Personal Librarian is Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray's historical fiction based on the real figure of Belle da Costa Greene, the woman in charge of securing, building, and overseeing J.P. Morgan's vast collection of valuable manuscripts and artwork (which decades later became an invaluable public resource) early in the twentieth century. Greene was a fair-skinned Black woman who hid her heritage in order to serve in this powerful role—one that was unusual for a woman to serve in at the time, and which would have been all but impossible for a Black woman to fill because of racism and the race-based constraints of the day. In the book, Belle makes elaborate, often complicated efforts to disguise her family’s background. Her mother was from a longtime, well-respected Washington, DC-based Black family, the Fleets, and her father was a Black activist who abandoned the family for the cause, later starting a second family in Russia. The family invents a Portuguese grandmother and changes their last name in order to play up plausible exotic, European influences rather than their actual Black ancestors. Belle mixes with high-society white figures of the time who wield control over both the financial and artistic worlds. She is able to build an enviable collection of masterpieces and rare works for J.P. Morgan, including immensely valuable works essential to understanding the history of the written word. She must cope with bigotry and various challenges related to being a woman in a field dominated by men. And her fraught racial situation and the ramifications of possible discovery necessitates never ever letting down her guard. The authors explore Greene's likely torn feelings--pride at filling such a prominent role; her power because of her adjacency to J.P. Morgan and his wealth and reach; and her likely frustration, anger, and possibly guilt regarding working within the confines of the prejudiced societal race and power structure to “pass” as white. She knows that pursuing this career she is passionate about would not have been an option for a Black person who happened to have a darker skin tone, as some of her family members did. The tone of the book feels very earnest, and we spend a significant amount of time in Greene's thoughts and within her evaluations of situations. The imaginings attributed to Greene about the blustery, largely misogynistic, anti-Semitic J.P. Morgan's potential open-mindedness about race seem wildly optimistic in light of his voiced views about women and Jewish people, but they may allow for a more smooth story and more depth to J.P. Morgan’s and Bella’s relationship. The personal emotional connection the authors offer as possibly having existed between Morgan and Greene--including Greene's considering Morgan as a potential suitor, then somewhat of a father figure, and in the end the most influential male force in her life--doesn't address their uncomfortable power balance, nor the using-his-influence, spending-his-money, doing-his-bidding worker bee role she serves (despite the benefits to her status and her extensive knowledge of and access to valuable and fascinating works). It may be difficult to fully appreciate or imagine the danger Greene placed herself in by hiding her race and risking discovery, but the authors repeatedly illustrate the events occurring in society at the time to emphasize the high stakes: the racism, the segregation, and the dire potential consequences of being found out. Benedict and Murray worked from a biography of Greene, her correspondence, and her diary entries, then took liberties filling in the imagined nuances of her personal relationships. I listened to The Personal Librarian as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? To read other Bossy fiction and nonfiction reviews on the site of books that address issues of race, please click here. Marie Benedict is also the author of The Other Einstein, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Carnegie's Maid, and Lady Clementine. Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of Stand Your Ground, A Sin and a Shame, Too Little, Too Late, Never Say Never, and many other books.

Kim Michele Richardson's historical fiction offers a 1936 Appalachian setting, the magic and unassuming power of a rural librarian, and the exploration of a rare genetic condition. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was a winning read for me. Appalachian setting? Check. Tough female protagonist? Check. Rural librarian? Check. Fascinating implications of a rare genetic condition? Check. I'm not sure why it took me so long to read Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, except for pre-reading anxiety that it might not live up to my sky-high expectations. But this is a solid historical fiction story that I loved. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is set in 1936 in the rural Appalachians, centering around the character of Cussy Carter, nicknamed Bluet. In this tale, Bluet is one of the rare, real-life "Blue People" of Kentucky (those with the blood disorder methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue-tinted skin). Bluet is a librarian through the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky (side note: there is nothing about the setup for this book that I don't absolutely adore), and she rides her mule Eugenia through all the hollers and up through the mountains, delivering sought-after newspapers and practical and fanciful books to families who rarely emerge from deep in the woods and for whom the written word is a window to the greater world. Bluet's natural independence, her love of books and reading, her eschewing of marriage, and her blue-tinged skin collectively draw the wrath and disgust of some in her small community--those who are suspicious of any break from tradition or anyone who questions the status quo. Bluet faces racial discrimination, misogyny, and some cruel and creepy handling in the name of scientific exploration and understanding of her skin color. This last element is smoothed over by a trade of food for her hungry household (and those of local schoolchildren) by the local doctor and his colleagues, initially so insistent about studying every possible aspect of Bluet's anatomy and blood, and so inappropriate in their methods, that it haunted me for the rest of the book and as I think about the story now. Richardson offers a satisfying ending that's not without an edge or imperfections, and I found narrator Katie Schorr's reading of the story wonderful. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? The book's sequel is The Book Woman's Daughter, published earlier this year. I can't wait to read that one as well. Kim Michele Richardson is also the author of Liar's Bench, The Sisters of Glass Ferry, and Godpretty in the Tobacco Field.

Musicians' Memoirs I'm a biiiig memoir fan, and I love behind-the-scenes peeks. These six memoirs from musicians offer stories about the authors' lives, loves, and work, and they each kept me hooked. For more more more memoirs I've loved that you might want to try, check out these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality 01 Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton Parton shares the background and context for 175 of her songs, frankly discussing her inspiration, life, and the formerly untouchable topics she dove into headfirst through songs. What's better than listening to Dolly talk about her inspirations, her artistic journey, her joys and her silliness, those who have influenced her, and her motivations--along with short musical snippets? Nothing. This is a fast-paced book, as Dolly talks about various thoughts as related to 175 of her songs, while country music author Robert K. Oermann intersperses short introductions to add structure and background. I adored listening to Dolly laugh and ponder and reminisce and reflect. Through decades of straight-talking song lyrics, she has instinctively and repeatedly offered sympathetic points of view of the persecuted, disrespected, and dismissed: prostitutes, the poor, unwed teenage mothers, and more. Dolly's offhanded mentions of endless projects, ideas, collaborations, and plans make clear she's one of the hardest working women in show business. For my full review, please see Songteller. 02 Blood by Allison Moorer "I'm still trying not to be the daughter of a murderer. I'm still trying to redeem [my parents]. I carry the structure of their bones around my insides...and try to tell the world, '...They were more than that.'" Allison Moorer is a Grammy- and Academy Award- nominated singer-songwriter whose father killed her mother when Allison and her sister, recording artist Shelby Lynne, were young. A longtime musical storyteller, Moorer examines her parents, her youth, and that pivotal tragedy, considering how it has shaped her into her adult self and how much of her identity is (and how much can be) separate from that horrifying event and its endless repercussions. There's a lot of pain here. But Blood doesn't read as though Moorer is flogging her significant sorrow and anger or highlighting dramatic events for memoir or record sales. I felt like I was witnessing her step-by-step movement toward something that more closely resembles peace. Moorer's love of music (including her passion to write, sing, and harmonize) links many of these memories and pages. I listened to Lynne and Moorer's joint album, Not Dark Yet, while reading this book, and it was a beautiful backdrop. For my full review, please see Blood. 03 Broken Horses by Brandi Carlisle In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile shares a beautifully open, poignant, tough, rich, gorgeous account of her life and career so far. The audiobook includes over thirty songs, and I highly recommend it. I often feel torn when I read celebrity memoirs, because while I understand that people must keep some of themselves for themselves, I often find myself greedily wanting more more more vulnerability, detailed experiences, specific inspirations, an exhaustive exhuming of pivotal moments--and also a panoramic view of a person and a career. If I'm getting a peek at a person, I also want it all, however unreasonable that may be. In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile shares a beautifully open, poignant, tough, rich, gorgeous account of her life and career so far. She is thoughtful, humble, and so gracefully fluid and curious, I treasured each moment she shared here. I listened to Broken Horses as an audiobook. Carlile intersperses songs with stories about their impact on her or the influences that led her to write and create them. The songs are all included again at the very end of the book, by which point the listener understands their import. They felt incredibly powerful as a closure to her story. For my full review of this book, please see Broken Horses. 04 Open Book by Jessica Simpson A mostly guileless look at stardom, motherhood, alcohol abuse, and finding herself. In Open Book, Jessica Simpson--who I don't know from her musical career, but from her life-on-display during early reality television days--explores her life, her ups and downs, her drinking-related missteps, and her failed loves. Interestingly, she spends far more page time on her relationship with John Mayer than on her life and reality television adventure with ex-husband Nick Lachey. (She also offers what ultimately amounts to a take down of Mayer that explores his extensive emotional manipulation, his elaborate interview accounts of his sexual escapades with her and others, and, incredibly, his use of the N-word during an interview). Simpson 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. For my full review, check out Open Book. 05 The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl Grohl is funny, self-deprecating, and irresistibly tender-hearted as he recounts his musical influences, the twists and turns of his life, and his enthusiasm for music and musicians. I listened to Dave Grohl's memoir, in which he tracks his youth in Springfield, Virginia; through his stint in the band Scream; his incredible rise to fame as the drummer for Nirvana; through his grief and losses; to the incarnation and growth of his band Foo Fighters and beyond. His funny, self-effacing, thoughtful, sensitive, music-obsessed tone makes for captivating listening, and he recaptures his encounters--many feel to him like lucky flukes--with many of his musical idols in a way that feels genuine and appealing. He relates with starry-eyed enthusiasm his brushes with countless musicians he admires--and his collaborations with many of them. His excitement is contagious, and his many superlative descriptions of big events, pivotal moments, and people are endearing. For my full review, check out The Storyteller. 06 Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel I'm a longtime fan of the television show Alaska: The Last Frontier, which is about the Kilcher family--of which Jewel is a part. She only occasionally appears on the show, but she comes on occasionally to yodel (her grandparents came to Alaska from Switzerland around World War II) with her extended family, which I love to see. Anyhoo, in this memoir, the singer-songwriter traces her Alaskan origins, her first singing performances (at age 3 alongside her parents), how she began to write songs to express herself, and the now-famous story of a DJ airing her bootleg song and beginning her rise to fame when she was 18 and homeless, living out of her car. In Never Broken, Jewel shows really lovely extensive introspection and a detailed account of the fascinating-disturbing story of her youth. She shares her ongoing, active commitment to personal and emotional growth, bettering the world, being true to herself, and evolving through hardships. She seems like a good egg, and I really liked spending time with her through this memoir.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin, a local-to-me author I'm reading for my book club; I'm finally reading the memoir Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad, which has been on my to-read list for ages; and I'm reading Things We Do in the Dark, a recently published thriller by Jennifer Hillier. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin Kimmery Martin's Doctors and Friends, written before the Covid-19 pandemic, centers around a group of women, friends since medical school, and their reunion in Spain. But as they catch up on each other's careers and personal lives, explore, eat, drink, and celebrate, a global pandemic begins to take shape. Kira Marchand, an infectious disease specialist, is the main protagonist in Doctors and Friends, and she's at the center of the Centers for Disease Control response. The story alludes to a horrifying choice she was forced to make during the global crisis and a resulting tragedy. The cover and title gave me the impression that this was a light fiction book, but the topic and tone is anything but. 02 Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Suleika Jaouad was preparing to graduate from college and pursue her career dreams of becoming a war correspondent. She was in love, she was moving to Paris, and her future was bright. But then Jaouad developed a strange itch in her foot. Then fatigue she just couldn't shake, no matter how many hours-long naps she fell into. Then a diagnosis: leukemia. Doctors shared that her disease carried a 35-percent survival rate. Four years and a New York Times column about her experience later, she emerged from fighting to survive to realize that she needed to revisit how she wanted to live. Along with her new mutt Oscar, Jaouad embarked on a 100-day, 15.000-mile trip, visiting many of the people--until then, strangers--who had written to her during her cancer fight. 03 Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier Paris Peralta is arrested in her home bathroom. She's holding a straight razor and covered in blood, and her celebrity husband is dead. But Paris is even more concerned that because of the publicity, the fiction of her current life that she spent so long cultivating is about to be upended, and her safety along with it. Meanwhile, killer Ruby Reyes, the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder twenty-five years earlier. She knows who Paris Peralta really is, and when she's released from prison early, she's more than willing to try to sacrifice Paris and destroy her careful web of lies. Jennifer Hillier is also the author of Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts.

The premise of When Women Were Dragons is exquisite, the strong-woman elements are irresistible, and despite what felt like slow pacing while historical accounts are shared and disputed, I loved the heart of this book. We thought there weren't any dragons. And then there were. We thought the dragons were gone. And now here they are. Any choice we think we have in the matter is an illusion. In Kelly Barnhill's When Women Were Dragons, a historic event has occurred but is being denied by the government and historians alike: a Mass Dragoning, in which thousands of women transformed into dragons on one day in 1955. Through various preserved historic accounts and young Alexandra Green's observations, the reader begins to understand that women in Alex's world (she lives in an alternate Wisconsin) may, in moments of intense joy or fury, choose to transform into dragons, take to the sky, and find their freedom. Sometimes disappointing husbands or bosses are eaten or incinerated, casualties of the situation. This is a gloriously feminist tale in which women force the world to consider rethinking their roles and worth by taking control and power and by making underestimating, smug men and meek women alike fear their wrath. I will bring up the issue of dragons again, so brace yourself.... I want you to notice that your feelings are complicated by cultural factors that are, let's face it, a little ridiculous. There are people who have problems with women, and alas, many of them are also women. That is because of something called the patriarchy, which I'm sure they have not discussed in that school you go to.... The premise and the woman-power setup is exquisite, but it takes a while for things to get going in When Women Were Dragons. Much of the book is focused on reviewing accounts of what may or may not have happened, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks. This was interesting background but felt slow to me (get to the DRAGONING already!). I wanted more more more about the dragons. It's necessary for the plot for Alex to wait an interminably long time to review mystery items she is given by treasured people in her life. Even when these individuals then disappear, Alex doesn't feel the impetus to explore their letters or a mystery box left behind. This was frustrating and also felt implausible. As for the other characters, Alex's father is pure negligence and willful ineptitude, and he feels too easy to hate. Her mother subsumes herself into marriage and motherhood, with disastrous results, while her strong, wonderfully unorthodox aunt falters only when she temporarily does the same. Beatrice follows her heart, and her strong spirit guides her without fail. The wisest adult in Alex's life offers wisdom, savviness, and kindness, and I loved that she was a powerful librarian. There's LGBTQ representation here as well. I adore the premise of women having the option of "dragoning" when they experience rage or intense joy--and also that they have agency; they may choose to transform, to leave, to seek greater freedom--or they may opt to bide their time. When Women Were Dragons feels like the perfect book to read if you're a woman frustrated by recent changes in our rights; or if you're any reader frustrated or concerned about women's safety and respect; or if you just like tales about powerful females. It's an "I am woman, hear me roar (literally!)" book. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Kelly Barnhill is also the author of books for young readers including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Iron Hearted Violet, The Witch's Boy, and others.

In the second book in Emiko Jean's fun young adult series, princess Izzy balances pressures, privilege, and expectations in Japan while attempting to stay true to herself, to love who she chooses--and to preserve her parents' chances of happiness. In Emiko Jean's young adult story Tokyo Ever After, we met Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka, an everyday, average Japanese-American teen...who discovered that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Izumi was gobsmacked to realize that she was literally a princess. She was thrilled to travel to Japan to meet her father and the rest of her royal family for the first time. But she quickly realized that being a princess involved responsibility, political maneuvering, and mysterious family dynamics she knew nothing about. And getting to know her father was a bigger challenge than Izzy had bargained for. In Tokyo Dreaming, we pick up the story with Izzy dating her gorgeous bodyguard boyfriend, living with her beloved dog, and having figured out the royal family dynamics of cousins, aunts, uncles, and more. The biggest news is that her parents--once young star-crossed lovers, now mature grown-ups ready to build a loving life together--are engaged. But before their royal wedding can take place, long-held limitations about who her father may marry must be reconsidered--and in a system steeped in tradition, Izzy's beginning to think the union may never be approved. The details of princess life, privilege, and pressures are fun and fantastic, including elaborate clothing and frequent costume changes, long-held traditions, and the pomp and circumstance of various ceremonies. With star-crossed lovers, a love triangle, a search for personal purpose and destiny, and great evil-nemeses/cousin-conflict scenes, Tokyo Dreaming builds on the fun, romance, and immersive Tokyo details of the first book in this solid, satisfying sequel. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Jean is also the author of Tokyo Ever After (Tokyo Ever After #1), Empress of All Seasons, and We'll Never Be Apart. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book courtesy of Flatiron Books and NetGalley.

Sloane Crosley's appealingly oddball tale explores the specter of newly engaged Lola's past loves and lusts while playing with space and time in New York City's Chinatown. In Sloane Crosley's Cult Classic, Lola is leaving dinner with former colleagues one night in New York City’s Chinatown when she runs into a former boyfriend. And then she runs into another. And another. It seems that each day, a blast from the past emerges within the same few blocks--whether they were important to her or in her life for only a short time. The city is soon awash with ghosts of Lola's brief encounters, big loves, strange connections, and heartbreaks from the past. “This is New York," I explained. "Everything is outside everyone’s comfort zone.” The scenario is particularly fraught for someone like Lola, who can't let go of the past, who has meticulously saved every memento from every man in her life, who constantly questions whether she has it in her to remain committed to one person--and who doubts whether she should remain engaged to her fiancé. Romance may be the world’s oldest cult. It hooks you when you’re vulnerable, scares the shit out of you, holds your deepest fears as collateral, renames you something like "baby," brainwashes you, then makes you think that your soul will wither and die if you let go of a person who loved you. Nothing in this entertaining, oddball tale is quite what it seems. Cult Classic is a sometimes darkly funny, suspenseful story of love, memory, and mind control with a twist—and then a double twist. Characters explore connections, loyalties, disappointments, evolutions, and revelations. The story went roughly where I thought it might, but I didn't anticipate the quirky details or the unexpected route there. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Sloane Crosley is also the author of I Was Told There’d Be Cake, The Clasp, Look Alive Out There, and How Did You Get This Number. If you like books that play with time, you might also enjoy the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore and Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories. I received an electronic prepublication copy of this book courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD and NetGalley.

The Books I'm Reading Now Well, isn't this a weird and wonderful collection of titles? I'm sooooo very excited to be reading each of these books: Blake Crouch's upcoming science fiction, Upgrade; Gabrielle Zevin's upcoming science fiction Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; and Kelly Barnhill's speculative fiction, When Women Were Dragons. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Upgrade by Blake Crouch When the SWAT team gives the all-clear and Logan Ramsay steps into the basement, he has no idea that everything's about to change. Then everything goes dark. Now the doctors say he's been infected by a virus--one designed not to make him sick, but to modify his very genetic structure. He’s becoming stronger and smarter every day–but he’s also being hunted down by his enemies for potential destruction. I received a digital advance reader copy of this book, to be published tomorrow, courtesy of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. You can find my review of Blake Crouch's Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore) here and my review of Dark Matter here. 02 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Childhood friends Sam Masur and Sadie Green are brilliant, creative, collaborators, and (sometimes) full of love for each other. They come together to create a masterpiece, a video game unlike any that has come before. Their wild success tests their loyalty, offers joy and unexpected stress, and pushes the limits of their connection. Gabrielle Zevin is also the author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, a book I loved and need to review on this site. I received a digital advance reader copy of this book, to be published tomorrow, courtesy of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley. 03 When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill In Kelly Barnhill's When Women Were Dragons, a historic event has occurred but is being denied by the government and historians alike: a Mass Dragoning, in which thousands of women transformed into dragons on one day in 1955. Through various preserved historic accounts and young Alexandra Green's observations, the reader begins to understand that women in Alex's world (she lives in an alternate Wisconsin) may, in moments of intense joy or fury, choose to transform into dragons, take to the sky, and find their freedom. Sometimes disappointing husbands or bosses are eaten or incinerated, casualties of the situation. This is a gloriously feminist tale in which women force the world to consider rethinking their roles and worth by taking control and power and by making faulted men and meek women fear their wrath.

More Light Fiction Favorites When I posted a few weeks ago about favorite light fiction reads and asked for other's favorites, bookish friends recommended: more of Katherine Center's books (I posted about Things You Save in a Fire) Lia Louis's Eight Perfect Hours (I posted about her book Dear Emmie Blue) the Hedgehog books by Jessica Redland books by Rachel Hauck Trish Doller's Float Plan and other books, and Jenn McKinlay's Wait for It. Thanks for all of these recommendations! I love Christina Lauren's and Emily Henry's books (I list another of Emily Henry's here), and I haven't yet read either of their newest books, Something Wilder or Book Lovers, but I can't wait to. What other lighter fiction authors or books do you love? You might also like some of the titles on my first Greedy Reading List of light fiction favorites. And you can find other Bossy light fiction reviews here. 01 Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey I delighted in the way Teddy and Everett shared pieces of their true oddball, vulnerable, silly, thoughtful selves. This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me. Teddy Phillips isn't sure how she got to this point in her life. She's coasting in her not-dream job at a vintage toy store, all of her opinions and desires seem to have have been subsumed by her boyfriend Richard's plans and preferences, and she's not close with her best friends or even with her sister anymore. Teddy is forced to consider her life and the person she's become--and determine whether she's capable of change. She finds comfort in watching episodes of her local children's show, and she impulsively writes a letter to the calm, kind, handsome host, starting a correspondence that will shift the course of her life. Winfrey's Very Sincerely Yours is light fiction that delivers delightful, charming banter, the promise of a new romance for Teddy, and wonderfully loyal friendships. For my full review, please see Very Sincerely Yours. 02 The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon Rachel Lynn Solomon's debut light fiction, The Ex Talk, incorporates a love of public radio, will-they/won't-they tensions, humor, heart, and some steamy scenes. In Solomon's The Ex Talk, Seattle public radio producer Shay Goldstein is in her late twenties, she's put in her time, and she thinks that her ideas deserve respect. So when young hotshot Dominic Yun shows up and, as a male, automatically has the ear of their misogynistic boss, Shay is beyond annoyed. The two soon find themselves driving everyone around them crazy with their constant bickering about anything and everything. When Dominic and Shay get talked into posing as exes in order to host a promising radio show about relationships, they're forced to get to know each other better in order to fake their past--but they actually open the door for a potential future for themselves instead. The Ex Talk is a fast read with lots of sexual tension along with some sexy romantic interludes, and everything about this book wonderfully suited my summer reading mood. For my full review, please see The Ex Talk. 03 The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren The story is heartwarming, funny, with strong friendships, plus it's steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic. I loved this one for a summer read! Single mom Jess is a data analyst. She's good at crunching the numbers for work, taking care of her daughter, and leaning on her grandparents (who raised her) for help, but she's not comfortable with the idea of dating again. But then her daring best friend (who writes sexy romance novels) pushes her to consider a DNA-based, data-driven dating program--and she receives an unheard-of 98 percent compatible romantic match with an unlikely partner. The Soulmate Equation is often funny, and the best-friendship between Jess and Fizzy (Felicity) is one of the funniest aspects and was one of my favorite elements. The heartwarming familial support isn't stereotypical in its structure, and wonderfully imperfect family members add to various conflicts. I appreciated that the will they/won't they romantic tension satisfyingly hinges on factors somewhat outside of the main protagonists' control. The story is steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic. I love the tone the writing team of Christina Lauren struck with this one! For my full review of this book, please see The Soulmate Equation. Click here for my reviews of Lauren's books The Unhoneymooners, In a Holidaze, Love and Other Words, The Soulmate Equation (a favorite), and Autoboyography (another favorite and a young adult LGBTQ+ gem). Lauren's newest is Something Wilder; stay tuned for that review. 04 The Guncle by Steven Rowley The Guncle is full of heart and humor, quirky family love, and fun references to musicals and movies--yet Rowley also offers poignancy, an exploration of grief, and the impossible-seeming prospect of going on after deep loss. In Steven Rowley's fun, funny, and heartwarming light fiction story The Guncle, aging former sitcom star Patrick is temporarily caring for his niece and nephew. Patrick's best friend from college (who later married Patrick's brother) has died, and Patrick's brother is going through a health crisis of his own. Which means setting Patrick and his beloved (but sometimes foreign-to-him) Maisie and Grant loose in his home in Palm Springs, making things up as they go along. They're each coping with grief and confusion, but they adore each other and have their love to fall back on as they flounder. Rowley explores grief and how it is a shared--yet completely individual--experience. This is especially interesting as related to the two lost loved ones for which Patrick is not officially able to “claim” a grieving role--he was not a husband to his beloved partner Joe when he died and so was not considered family. He was Sara's best friend (and, secondarily, her brother in law), but he doesn't feel he can grieve as deeply as a family member who has cultural permission to do so. For my full review of this book, please see The Guncle. 05 People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story that has lovely depth. People We Meet on Vacation made me laugh a lot--and got me a little teary in the end. Best friends and polar opposites Alex and Poppy are on their annual vacation. Poppy is impulsive and fun-loving, and Alex would generally rather stay home and read than seek out adventure. The pair has long been emotionally inseparable despite living in different cities--Poppy in New York and Alex in their small hometown. But two years ago on their vacation, something BIG happened. It threatened their friendship and continues to loom over everything between them. This was a will they/won't they story I loved. Some of the structure of having one character hold such emotional power over the other was frustrating because of the unlikely obliviousness required on the part of that character. But Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story that has lovely depth. People We Meet on Vacation made me laugh a lot--and got me a little teary in the end. For my full review of this book, please see People We Meet on Vacation. And click here for my review of Emily Henry's Beach Read. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of her newest, Book Lovers. 06 Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Jimenez offers humor, spicy moments, and romance while incorporating weighty issues into her light fiction opposites-attract story Part of Your World. Alexis and Daniel are opposites. She's coming off a bad breakup. He's ten years younger than she is. She's a city doctor, he's a small-town furniture maker. Nothing about them should fit--but they can't stay away from each other. Everything is complicated. Alexis is part of the Montgomery legacy that built the regional hospital, and a Montgomery has been pivotal to its operation (see what I did there?) for 125 years. She can't abandon her job or her duties. And she can't bring Daniel into her world, because her parents would literally disown her and never speak to her again--which is what they've vowed to do to her brother, formerly the golden child, because of his recent marriage to someone they hadn't vetted. Meanwhile every visit to Daniel and his town builds up Alexis, fills her heart, teaches her about unconditional love, and makes her yearn for more. Told in alternating points of view from Daniel and Alexis, Part of Your World is romantic, often funny, sometimes sexy, poignant, and it includes touches of magical realism. I felt confident that I knew where this was going, but I was in for all of it. For my full review of this book, please see Part of Your World.

ICYMI: White Houses is gorgeously written, exhaustingly researched historical fiction about Eleanor Roosevelt and her love, Lorena Hickock, and it was a five-star read for me. Oh, this book! Bloom’s writing is exquisite. The characters in White Houses are funny, heartbreaking, and feel alive. I loved the behind-the-scenes peeks at the residential rooms of the Roosevelt White House (which, Bloom recounts in interviews, functioned more like a not-very-fancy boarding house at the time). The dialogue is incredible, and the faulted main players are irresistible. The final paragraphs of the book in "first friend" Lorena Hickock’s voice were so gorgeous, they made me want to weep. In preparation for writing this story, Bloom read 3,000 letters between "Hick" and Eleanor—along with studying biographies, other books, and conducting more extensive research—and she channels each woman into an indelible force of nature that she brings to life here. What a satisfyingly rich world and story—yet I’m still dying for a long, detailed interview in which Bloom lays bare even more about the real-life love, the lasting friendship, and the whole remarkable relationship between Eleanor and Lorena, especially in that place and during that time. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Bloom is also the author of the heartbreakingly beautiful In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, Away, Lucky Us, Come to Me: Stories, and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories.

Amy Bloom writes with brutal honesty about her heartbreak and her determination to support her husband Brian Ameche's desire to end his life on his own terms. In her memoir In Love, author Amy Bloom shares the story of an impossible situation: the pending loss of her husband Brian Ameche, first mentally and then physically, to Alzheimer's disease. Ameche begins showing cognitive loss, and when a diagnosis is established of Alzeimer's disease, he considers the cases of those he has known who suffered for many years from the disease--and their caregivers alongside them. He becomes determined to participate in an assisted suicide program while he is still showing enough cognition to enter into the agreement. Bloom details the reasoning behind his decision and explores the importance to him of taking an active role in determining the time and place and conditions of his death. She considers how she can best support his wishes, even as doing so will take him away from her. The astute, clear-eyed, heartbroken Bloom addresses complex issues surrounding assisted suicide, including autonomy, criminalization, bureaucracy, judgment, and the panic brought on by a ticking clock that seems to be erasing options with each moment. She notes that six million people in the United States are suffering from Alzheimer's at any given moment--and that two-thirds of them are women, as are two-thirds of their caregivers. In Love includes dark humor; some self-flagellation and brutal honesty about what Bloom perceives as her own instances of weakness and pettiness; intense kindness from others in desperately needed moments; and the dogged determination from various individuals to help Ameche's vision of taking control of circumstances surrounding the end of his life occur. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Bloom is also the author of the wonderful White Houses (stay tuned for that upcoming review, ICYMI), as well as other books I haven't yet read: Away, Lucky Us, Come to Me: Stories, and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories. I listed other heartbreaking and beautiful memoirs about facing death and loss in the Greedy Reading List Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality, and Kate Bowler's No Cure for Being Human is another excellent book about facing mortality and was a five-star read for me.

I found myself yearning for more from this meet cute, but I loved the New York City details--complete with an extended set of Moonstruck references I adored. In a New York Minute begins with Franny Doyle having a legendarily horrific day: she's laid off from her boring but cushy interior design job, then she has a klutzy moment on the subway that's epically embarrassing--and, unbeknownst to her, is also documented by a fellow passenger. The tall stranger who helps her out (she immediately nicknames him Hot Suit) is the only potentially bright spot, but she knows she'll never see him again. But when Franny's mishap goes viral, internet viewers make up a love connection between Franny and Hot Suit, and they're eager for a televised reunion. Neither Franny nor Hayes (Hot Suit’s actual name) would typically go for such an idea, but they could each use some publicity for their careers--and what could possibly go wrong? I loved the New York details, the design elements from Franny's career, and the meet cute premise. The secondary characters were delightful. I wanted a little more character development for Franny and Hayes so they felt more unique and less expected (the goofy--but understatedly gorgeous!--creative type; the serious—but so steady!—man just waiting for a woman to bring out his playful side). The Moonstruck references were fantastic. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? In a New York Minute is Kate Spencer's first novel. I recently listed some of my favorite romantic, light stories in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm in deep on three books that couldn't be more different from one another. I'm listening to The Personal Librarian, historical fiction with race and art at the heart of it, set in early twentieth century New York City; I'm reading In a New York Minute, Kate Spencer's first novel, a light fiction meet cute; and I'm reading Amy Bloom's heartbreaking, thoughtful, brutally honest memoir about losing her beloved husband to Alzheimer's. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray The Personal Librarian is Benedict and Murray's historical fiction based on the real figure of Belle da Costa Greene, the woman in charge of securing, building, and overseeing J.P. Morgan's vast collection of valuable manuscripts and artwork. She was a Black woman who hid her heritage in order to serve in this powerful role—one that was unusual for a woman to serve in at the time, but would have been all but impossible for a Black woman. Belle's elaborate efforts to disguise her family’s background (her mother was from a longtime, well-respected Washington, DC-based Black family, the Fleets, and her father was a Black activist who abandoned the family) allowed her to mix with high society figures--and necessitated never letting down her guard. 02 In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer In a New York Minute is Kate Spencer's first novel. It begins with Franny Doyle having a legendarily horrific day: she's laid off from her boring but cushy interior design job, then she has a klutzy moment on the subway that's epic--and horrifically embarrassing. The tall stranger who helps her out (she immediately nicknames him Hot Suit) is the only potentially bright spot of the day, but she knows she'll never see him again. But when Franny's mishap goes viral, internet viewers invent a love connection between Franny and Hot Suit, and they're eager for a televised reunion. Neither Franny nor Hayes would typically go for such an idea, but they could each use the publicity to help boost their careers--and what could possibly go wrong? I recently listed some of my favorite romantic, light stories in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading. 03 In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom In her memoir In Love, the wonderful author Amy Bloom shares the story of an impossible situation: the heartbreaking pending loss of her husband to Alzheimer's. She explores his decision to take an active role in determining the time and place and conditions of his death, and through her pain she discovers how she can best support his wishes. Bloom is also the author of White Houses, Away, Lucky Us, Come to Me: Stories, and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories. I listed other heartbreaking and beautiful memoirs about facing death and loss in the Greedy Reading List Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality, and Kate Bowler's No Cure for Being Human is another excellent book about facing mortality. It was a five-star read for me.

My very favorite books from June! Here are my six favorite reads of the past month: contemporary fiction, young adult, nonfiction, fantasy, and light fiction titles, including several LGBTQ reads perfect for Pride month. If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! And I'd also love to hear: what are some of your recent favorite reads? 01 A Marvellous Light (Last Binding #1) by Freya Marske The first book in Marske's duology is full of Edwardian England detail, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful dialogue and banter, and plenty of heart. I adored it. A Marvellous Light starts with a devastating ending (the demise of a character, caused by nefarious magicians) and a less-than-promising beginning. Robin is trying to keep the household afloat after the deaths of his parents, to support his bright, ambitious younger sister, and to date some handsome men along the way. Marske offers immersive Edwardian England detail in this adorable, captivating, queer book that involves elaborate magical schemes and evil plots. Robin and Edwin's love is romantic and sweet and heartbreaking and sexy; the mystery at the heart of the book seems only to be solvable by the biggest book nerd in existence; and the story's magical details are fascinating and odd. I was completely hooked by A Marvellous Light, and I tried to slow down my reading to make it last. The amount of heart in this book was exquisite. And there will be a sequel! For my full review, check out A Marvellous Light. 02 Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe Keefe offers an infuriating, fascinating, meticulously researched account of the Sackler family and their collective responsibility for the ongoing, devastating opioid crisis. I listened to Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's exhaustive history of the Sackler family as traced through their modest beginnings, medical degrees, various interpersonal dramas, multiple marriages, handshake deals, amassing of vast wealth, and ruthless promotion of the family's legacy. Empire of Pain is essential nonfiction that details the shocking narcissism, relentless ambition and greed, aggressive delusions, obscene negligence, and dogged maleficence that created our nation's opioid crisis and has led to hundreds of thousands of opioid-related deaths—a number that continues to grow. Patrick Radden Keefe is a master of compelling, important nonfiction. His book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland was one of my Six of the Best Nonfiction Books I read that year. Keefe's new book is Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks. Stay tuned for that Bossy review. Click here for my full review of Empire of Pain. 03 See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon Rachel Lynn Solomon crafts another sweet, quirky, funny, romantic young adult story that plays with time and is centered around irresistibly imperfect characters. In See You Yesterday, Rachel Lynn Solomon explores the first day of college for Barrett Bloom, who desperately needs a fresh start. After being involved in multiple disasters in only her first day of classes, Barrett fears that college may be a ruination on par with the end of her high school career. But she wakes up the next day...and finds that she's reliving her first day of college. She has the incredible chance to make the same decisions, or to consider her choices and do things differently. As the day keeps repeating—and she keeps running into the same cute boy, who is also reliving the day—Barrett considers who she is and who she wants to become. Solomon is excellent at building wonderfully imperfect characters and irresistible premises that play with time. I loved Barrett and Miles's problem-solving and their discoveries about their own natures and capabilities, as well as the unorthodox team they make. Solomon is also the author of The Ex Talk, Weather Girl, and the wonderful young adult Today Tonight Tomorrow. Do you like books that play with time? If so, you might like the books I list on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories or Six Riveting Time-Travel Escapes, or these Bossy reviews of books that play with time. Click here for my full review of See You Yesterday. 04 The Change by Kristen Miller The Change explores the power of menopausal women and the poignant strength of friendship; supplies satisfying revenge fantasies and camp; and winds it all through our middle-aged heroines' satisfying solving of a disturbing set of mysteries. In Kristen Miller's novel The Change, set in Mattauk, Long Island, three women cope with various challenges surrounding aging, change, and unexpected new beginnings. Nessa, Jo, and Harriet work together and use their newfound abilities to try to solve the mystery of a missing girl, along the way uncovering dark, disturbing patterns of abusive power and shining a light on the horrifically effective shields provided by money and privilege. The tone of The Change is largely campy, as middle-aged women heroines unite against the book's sometimes caricature-like, purely evil bad guys by using their new-found fantastical powers. The revenge-fantasy element is particularly satisfying. But what I loved most about The Change was the unapologetic embracing of the frequently fraught menopausal stage of life. Miller allows the frequently dreaded and bemoaned middle-aged shifts and changes to lead her female characters to realize their terrific strengths. Separately they're formidable, but together, they build a collective power that is the community's only hope to right terrible, horrible, longstanding wrongs. Click here for my full review of The Change. 05 One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston McQuiston's love letter to New York offers charming song references, LGBTQ love, steamy scenes, character growth--and an irresistible playing-with-time element. In One Last Stop, twenty-three-year-old August keeps to herself--she's kind of cynical, she doesn't have a lot of friends, and she's holding true to form after her recent move to New York. But August's adorably quirky roommates and a mystery woman she keeps running into on the Q train might just bring her out of her shell and make her want to risk opening up her heart. One Last Stop plays with time in a really fun, interesting way, and through the time-jump premise McQuiston's characters explore loyalty, love, connection, and heartbreak. The book revels in wonderful LGBTQ love and tons of sexiness; fantastic New York-centric details; and enough musical references that multiple Spotify playlists have cropped up inspired by the songs in the book. McQuiston is also the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue. For my full review, check out One More Stop. 06 Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart Young Mungo offers a striking story of disappointment, abuse, Protestant-Catholic conflict, and a young, gay love forged in the intensely unforgiving climate of working-class Glasgow. In his second novel, Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart offers the story of a working-class Glasgow family and particularly the life of sensitive, kind, dreamy Mungo, who was named for a saint. The story of Young Mungo largely alternates between an intensely disturbing, extended situation involving abuse, neglect, and danger and the blossoming of a forbidden young love, exploring the vulnerability of allowing one's self to be seen for the first time, overcoming lifelong Protestant-Catholic conflicts, and forging a meaningful connection. Young Mungo explores ideas of masculinity and loyalty, a gay relationship forged in an intensely unforgiving social climate, brutality, and revenge, and it offers surprises as well. Douglas Stuart is also the author of Shuggie Bain. For my full review, check out Young Mungo.

While taking the reader through her children's health crises, Philpott considers the power of worry, of love, and of trying to let go and simply live. When you’re an adult who thinks your own churning mind is what keeps everything safe, it’s called anxious. In her newest memoir Bomb Shelter, Mary Laura Philpott explores her worries about and views of the world, and she ponders existential questions about life and death. Philpott considers her paralyzing fear of her children's health challenges and takes the reader through the emergence of her son's epilepsy and her daughter's asthma; she considers aspects of her parents' lives previously unknown to her; and she pieces together facts about her family that she had never recognized. As Philpott wonders with dread what else could go awry, she faces that she has subconsciously believed that the power of her active caring and worrying could possibly prevent future tragedies. As far as I can tell, the uncertain part is: every second we’re alive, until the last. Philpott faces the unwelcome yet freeing reality that so much is out of our control, and she considers whether appreciating the fragility of moments--and the beauty of this fragility--may be the key to staying sane as we enter the unknown events of the future. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Mary Laura Philpott is also the author of the memoir I Miss You When I Blink. I listened to Bomb Shelter as an audiobook.

McQuiston's love letter to New York offers charming song references, LGBTQ love, steamy scenes, character growth--and an irresistible playing-with-time element. In One Last Stop, twenty-three-year-old August keeps to herself--she's kind of cynical, she doesn't have a lot of friends, and she's holding true to form after her recent move to New York. Her mother dedicated her life to searching for her own brother, who disappeared decades ago, and enlisted daughter August in her obsessive research and in her driven questioning of even the most tangentially connected potential contacts in order to try to find out what happened. August needs to put some distance between her mother and herself, and if her mom has taught her anything, it's the pain of experiencing loss after loving and being vulnerable. To say that August isn't particularly inclined to let anyone into her own emotional life is a serious understatement. But August's adorably quirky roommates and a mystery woman she keeps running into on the Q train might just bring her out of her shell and make her want to risk opening up her heart. One Last Stop plays with time in a really fun, interesting way, and through the time-jump premise McQuiston's characters explore loyalty, love, connection, and heartbreak in poignant, funny, irresistible ways. The book revels in wonderful LGBTQ love and tons of sexiness; fantastic New York-centric details; and enough musical references that multiple Spotify playlists exist that are inspired by the songs in the book. I listened to One Last Stop as an audiobook and just adored McQuiston's story. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? McQuiston is also the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue. I recently listed some of my favorite romantic, light stories in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading. I love to read stories that involve playing with time. If you like those too, you might like to check the site for other books in this vein, or check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories or Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore.

In Kate Quinn's newest historical fiction, she shares the story of a real World War II figure, a Russian bookworm-turned-sniper who fought the Nazis and earned the nickname Lady Death. “Because people love war heroes…but even in my own beloved homeland, war heroes are supposed to be clean and uncomplicated. Those urging me to write my memoir will want a patriotic young woman who fought to defend her country, a heroine to root for with a story clean and simple as a full moon—and I was that young woman, but I was more. My moon had a midnight side.” Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is Kate Quinn's most recent historical fiction wonder. This time she tells the World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. (Check, check, and check!) In 1937, history student Ludmila Pavlichenko is a young lady balancing school, the care of her young son, and the tricky business of managing her estranged, egotistical husband. She takes shooting lessons in order to teach her son a skill his absent father might otherwise have taken on--and she finds that she's got a knack for the skill. After Hitler's invasion of Russia and the Ukraine, Mila, along with so many others, enlists to fight alongside countrymen and -women and fight back the Nazis. Surmounting challenge after challenge, Mila ultimately becomes a sniper trainer and a lethal hunter of Nazis who earns the nickname Lady Death. Later in the war, on a trip to America to boost support for the Russian fight against the Nazis, Mila forges an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, another formidable woman fighting to see her causes advanced. During her prickly visit to the United States, there's a subversive plot at hand that requires Mila to use not only all of her training, but instinct and savviness in order to survive. Her estranged husband is improbably ever-present, and he felt too easy to detest, but he serves his purpose as a foil for the loyal, caring, supportive loves of Mila's life. Quinn shapes Mila's story by sharing scenes of love and terrible loss, as well as immersive Russian landscape descriptions. She weaves in interesting aspects of the time such as the contrast between active female roles in the Russian military and the supportive, more peripheral positions women were allowed to hold in the United States military at the time. Each chapter is introduced by two brief, contrasting elements I really enjoyed, "the official version" (based upon Mila's propaganda-filled biography) and Mila's own "unofficial version," which lays out facts more messily in what's presented as the real story. As always, Quinn's author's note offers fascinating background about her subject and about the choices she made in telling the story. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Kate Quinn is a master of historical fiction and is the author of the fantastic titles The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Alice Network. For more books I've reviewed that are set in Russia, check out Bossy Russia books.

The Books I'm Reading Now It's audiobook mania over here! I've been listening to two great, very different books and reading a third. I'm reading The Diamond Eye, Kate Quinn's newest historical fiction, based on a real-life Russian bookworm turned sniper during World War II; I'm listening to Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop, a mostly lighthearted romp through New York City, lesbian love, and shifts in time; and I'm also listening to Mary Laura Philpott's Bomb Shelter, her second memoir in essays. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is Kate Quinn's most recent historical fiction, a World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. After Hitler's invasion of Russia, Mila becomes a lethal hunter of Nazis who earns the nickname Lady Death. On a trip to America to boost support for the Russian fight against the Nazis, Mila forges an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and makes a surprising connection with a silent fellow sniper. From the author of The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Alice Network. I received a prepublication digital galley of this book courtesy of NetGalley and William Morrow. 02 One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston Casey McQuiston's mostly lighthearted love letter to New York has been on my to-read list for ages. Twenty-three-year-old August keeps to herself, she's kind of cynical, she doesn't have a lot of friends, and she's holding true to form after her recent move to New York. But her adorably quirky roommates and a mystery woman she keeps running into on the Q train might just bring her out of her shell and make her want to risk opening up her heart. This book also plays with time in a really fun, fascinating way. McQuiston is also the author of Red, White, and Royal Blue. I recently listed some of my favorite romantic, light stories in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading. I love to read stories that involve playing with time. If you like those too, you might like to search the site for other books in this vein, or check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories or Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore. 03 Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott In her new memoir Bomb Shelter, Mary Laura Philpott explores her worries and views of the world and ponders existential questions about life and death. She considers her paralyzing fear of her children's health challenges and takes the reader through her son's emergence of epilepsy and her daughter's asthma; she considers her parents' secret lives and pieces together fascinating facts she had never recognized; and as she wonders what else could go awry, she faces her long-held, subconscious (now recognized) belief that the power of her active worrying could prevent future tragedies. Philpott is also the author of the memoir I Miss You When I Blink. I'm listening to Bomb Shelter as an audiobook.

Historical Fiction Mysteries I adore historical fiction and mystery books, and I love the intersection of the two genres. Something about detailed settings from the past just sets off a mystery beautifully for me. Some of the books listed here also have supernatural elements, as in a recent favorite read I reviewed, A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. Here's a greedy reading question: What other historical fiction mysteries should I read? I recently added Mrs. England by Stacey Halls, A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver, and And By Fire by Evie Hawtrey to my to-read list. 01 The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is not to be confused with another "seven/Evelyn" book, Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The premise and structure of Stuart Turton's The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle are fascinating: Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and thereby break the cycle. But every day Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. Let the playing with points of view and the time-turning begin! This book had many moving parts, evolving points of view and senses of self, shifts between days and times within a day, major but mysterious supernatural undercurrents, important characteristic revelations, and complicated past entanglements between parties. I was just glad to roll with it. (Although I really would have enjoyed having a futuristic ability to create fact webs, detailed maps indicating various characters’ hourly movements, and interrupted timelines in the air as I read. Ahem!) But being able to track every detail and how it fit wasn't required (I kept reminding myself that I was not in fact the editor here); the book held my curiosity, and I gladly gave up trying to unpack the characters’ complicated interconnectedness or potential individual motivations past Turton's assertions. I was happy to go along with the denouement to this intriguing book and trust that all the moving pieces fit beautifully. 02 Things in Jars by Jess Kidd In Things in Jars, Jess Kidd offers a creepy, dark mystery tale gloriously steeped in details of Victorian London. The story swirls with seedy, sordid characters, and it's all built on a framework of heroes with heart. Along with the kickass, whip smart, savvy, kind, and irresistible main protagonist Bridie are her striking and unfailingly loyal sidekick Sadie as well as the character of Ruby, who is both a tender tie to her hardscrabble past and a devoted and helpful apparition. Various depraved and frighteningly cruel characters help drive the story of Things in Jars and add to the mystery. Bridie is a strong female protagonist, and Things In Jars offers solid historical fiction details of Victorian London within a creepy mystery with dark twists and turns. Yes on all counts! For my full review, please see Things in Jars. 03 A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn This fantastic book is the first in Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series. Frankly, now that I'm revisiting this title and remembering how much I loved it, I can't believe I haven't plowed through the entire series, which continues with A Perilous Undertaking, A Treacherous Curse, A Dangerous Collaboration, A Murderous Relation, An Unexpected Peril, An Impossible Impostor, and the upcoming eighth title (to be published in early 2023), A Sinister Revenge. Veronica is a curious young Victorian-era lady with progressive ideas, and I adore how matter-of-factly and innocently she presents her wild-for-the-times views and the way she questions power structures and injustices. Raybourn may allow Veronica to benefit from the author's own modern sensibilities in A Curious Beginning, but Veronica is a strong and unorthodox main protagonist, and for me this aspect of her character works wonderfully. Veronica finds herself entangled in a dangerous set of circumstances, complete with intrigue, a traveling show (why is this always such a favorite element for me?), extensive butterfly knowledge, and fascinating references to Veronica's past worldwide adventures—all alongside a dark and brooding and heavily tattooed adventurer and naturalist who becomes a loyal friend. I loved it! For my full review of this book, please see A Curious Beginning. 04 The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton “There are very few certainties in this world, Mr. Gilbert, but I will tell you something I know: the truth depends on who it is that’s telling the story.” In 1862, a group of artists arrive at Birchwood Manor to relax and allow inspiration to strike, but odd tragedy and destruction unfold instead. A hundred and fifty years later, a young archivist, Elodie Winslow, is drawn to the long-ago mystery. She's determined not to stop searching until she finds out what really happened that summer. The Clockmaker's Daughter took a little page time to start moving along for me, but I loved Kate Morton’s writing and her rich detail. I’m glad the circumstances of what led to the mystery—yikes!—didn’t become plain until toward the end. Kate Morton's book offers dual story lines; the tales of multiple generations; interesting, assumed identities; otherworldly beings; wonderful chance (and life-changing) encounters; and a rich English countryside setting. I thought this was lovely. 05 Jackaby (Jackaby #1) by WIlliam Ritter “I prefer to look after myself, ma’am, but thank you. I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but some of us have more pressing matters to attend to than practicing our curtsies and turning foolishly sized bonnets into topiaries.” Jackaby is the first in the young adult supernatural mystery series of the same name, and in it, author William Ritter provides memorable main characters as well as great pacing and banter--and just look at this gorgeous cover. It's 1892 in New Fiddleham, New England. R.F. Jackaby investigates the mysteries of the unexplained, and Abigail Rook has just arrived in town and needs a job. Her keen eye for details leads her to become his trusty assistant. Abigail is clever, and her strong role in her partnership with the wonderfully odd Jackaby is satisfying. The Jackaby story is dark, mysterious, and feels Gothic, yet there's humor too. This book had me so hooked that realizing that I'd figured out the basic facts behind the mystery (although I hadn't figured out the many great details surrounding the events) didn't diminish my reading enjoyment in the least. The next titles in the Jackaby series are Beastly Bones, Ghostly Echoes, and The Dire King. 06 The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo The Night Tiger is a wonderful historical fiction mystery and love story shaped by superstition, fables, and tales. Ji Lin is a young girl who would have dreamed of becoming a doctor if society would have allowed it, but as it is, she's stuck working off her mother's Mahjong debts by being a dance hall girl. She encounters a Chinese houseboy Ren on a bizarre mission, and their paths become intertwined around a superstition that men can turn into tigers. Ji Lin speaks her mind and ruffles feathers even as she exploits assumptions about women, sexual attraction, and power. She doesn’t fit the mold of a typical woman from 1930s Malaysia nor that of the British colonists living there—in all wonderful ways. She’s itching for (and finds) adventure, knowledge, and more than a loveless, practical marriage match. There's magical realism at the heart of this book, and Choo also examines colonialism, superstition, and young love. I thought it was fascinating.

All Her Little Secrets shines when Ellice Littlejohn wrests control of her increasingly dangerous circumstances and when racial issues are explored. Despite some implausible details, the Atlanta-set mystery is a fast-paced read. A faction of my book club attends (virtually, the past couple of years) our local Library Foundation's fundraising event, in which authors read from and speak about their recent books, and we try to read a couple of these books in the following year. All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris is one of our picks from last year's event, and because it's a fast-paced mystery, it seemed like a great summer read. In the story, Ellice Littlejohn is coping with the challenges of being a Black female lawyer in what seems like an Atlanta company that is increasingly hostile to women and minorities. Ellice never said she was perfect, but as her professional and personal lives begin to unravel in dramatic fashion, Ellice's past mistakes threaten to destroy everything she's worked so hard to build. And she's not about to allow that to happen. Some of the plot elements and resolutions felt far-fetched, but All Her Little Secrets shines when Morris examines racial issues and when she allows Ellice to wrest control of her increasingly complicated, potentially deadly situation. Morris offers some revenge-fantasy satisfaction, but there are some grave casualties in the world of our main protagonist in this Atlanta-set mystery. Do you have any Bossy feelings about this book? Like her main protagonist, Wanda M. Morris is an attorney. Her second book, Anywhere You Run, is scheduled for publication in October 2022.

John Green provides a range of thoughtful, wonderfully absurd, or sentimental examinations along with his ratings on a five-star scale of various concepts, natural phenomena, and inventions of our age. When people we love are suffering, we want to make it better. But sometimes--often, in fact--you can't make it better. I'm reminded of something my supervisor said to me when I was a student chaplain: "Don't just do something. Stand there.” The Anthropocene Reviewed is a collection of personal essays from John Green. The title comes from Green's podcast of the same name, in which he rated "facets of the human condition on a five-star scale." His book includes some of the subjects he explored in the podcast, as well as some new topics. The Anthropocene is the current geological age, and Green delightfully subjects a wide range of aspects of our world (including the QWERTY keyboard, Canada geese, Super Mario Kart, the Bonneville Salt Flats, whispering, the World's Largest Ball of Paint, wintry mix, and teddy bears) to his sometimes absurd, occasionally unfavorable, often effusive star rating system. As he explores our human-centric views of the world and of the universe, he consistently questions assumptions and repeatedly delights in the beauty of the natural world's showiest and most humble productions. He also considers the ways in which we shield ourselves from vulnerability and cope with the pandemic. Green is thoughtful and self-effacing, curious, sensitive, and I reveled in his explorations of his own glorious favoritism (hello, Diet Dr. Pepper) and deep-seated resentments (I’m looking at you, Canada geese) . I listened to The Anthropocene Reviewed as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? John Green is the author of the young adult novels An Abundance of Katherines, Turtles All the Way Down, The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and Paper Towns. For more collections of essays, you might check out my glowing Bossy reviews of This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, The Book of Delights by Ross Gay, Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard, or The Best of Me by David Sedaris.

Molly Shannon explores the childhood tragedy that changed her life forever, but her general optimism and joy feel like the heart of her memoir Hello, Molly! Should I begin this review by admitting that I once kind of, sort of followed Molly Shannon through my neighborhood when we lived in New York, or is that too creepy? Does it seem more acceptable if I clarify that I only went a block out of my way to do this on my way home? Yes? No? Anyhoo, Hello, Molly! is Shannon's account of her childhood and the shocking tragedies, determined joy, and persistent resilience that led her to become the person she is. A horrific car accident with her father at the wheel changed her family forever when Shannon was very young, and she doesn't shy away from exploring her young understanding of the circumstances, loss, and her shifting feelings about all of it as she grew older. She reflects on her complicated, sometimes fraught yet affectionate relationship with her dad, her youthful yearning for would-be mother figures, and her unconditional affection for her sister. Her memoir focuses largely on her younger years, including her youthful passion for acting and her path toward and development into a comedic actress and performer. Hello, Molly! also explores her mainly positive, almost dreamlike Saturday Night Live years, her writing and collaboration with various other performers, her friendship with Lorne Michaels, and more. I listened to Hello, Molly! as an audiobook. Listening to Shannon's entertaining account of the Gary Coleman Incident (if you know, you know) could have been dangerous while driving--it's unforgettable, disturbing, and in Shannon's hands, a full tragicomedy. Shannon is so enthusiastic, full of wonder about the world, and unfailingly optimistic (with a slight, wonderful edge), my main takeaway from reading Hello, Molly! is how generally gosh-darn appealing she is. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I've become a huge fan of listening to memoirs in audiobook form so I can hear the author's words about his or her life straight from the horse's mouth. For more more MORE memoirs I've loved that you might want to try, check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore, Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into, Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year, Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In, Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite, and Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green's collection of personal, thoughtful essays that consider humans' place in the universe; I'm reading Wanda M. Morris's All Her Little Secrets, a fast-paced Southern mystery that also explores issues of race and power; and I'm listening to Molly Shannon's memoir of tragedy, resilience, and humor, Hello, Molly! What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green When people we love are suffering, we want to make it better. But sometimes--often, in fact--you can't make it better. I'm reminded of something my supervisor said to me when I was a student chaplain: "Don't just do something. Stand there.” The Anthropocene Reviewed is a collection of personal essays from author John Green (Turtles All the Way Down, The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska). Green is thoughtful and self-effacing, curious, sensitive, and imperfectly lovely. He explores our human-centric views of the world and of the universe, questions assumptions, and delights in the beauty of the natural world's showiest and most humble productions. He considers the ways in which we shield ourselves from vulnerability and copes with the pandemic. I'm listening to The Anthropocene Reviewed as an audiobook. 02 All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris A faction of my book club attends (virtually, the past couple of years) our local Library Foundation's fundraising event, in which authors read from and speak about their recent books, and we try to read a couple of these books in the following year. All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris is one of our picks from last year's event, and because it's a fast-paced mystery, we decided it would make a great summer read. Ellice Littlejohn is coping with the challenges of being a Black female lawyer in what increasingly seems like an Atlanta company hostile to women and minorities. She never said she was perfect, but as her professional and personal lives begin to unravel in dramatic fashion, Ellice's past mistakes threaten to destroy everything she's worked so hard to build. And she's not about to allow that to happen. 03 Hello, Molly! A Memoir by Molly Shannon Should I begin this review by admitting that I kind of, sort of followed Molly Shannon through my neighborhood once when we lived in New York, or is that too creepy? Does it seem more acceptable if I basically only went a block out of my way to do this on my way home? Yes? No? Anyhoo, Hello, Molly! is Shannon's account of her childhood and the shocking tragedies, found joy, and resilience that led her to become the person she is. Her memoir focuses largely on her younger years, but also explores her mainly positive, almost dreamlike Saturday Night Live years, her friendship with Lorne Michaels, and more. I'm listening to Hello, Molly! as an audiobook.

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.

Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel offers a dual timeline, immersive Old Hollywood detail, a forbidden love, and revelations and long-held secrets that seem destined to shake up everything for our modern-day main protagonist. I listened to Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as an audiobook. Evelyn Hugo is a reclusive, extremely famous Old Hollywood movie star, and she's finally ready to tell the story of her life--all the heartbreak, career maneuvering, mistakes, joys, victories, the sordid details of her many marriages, and the story of her one true love. She plucks Monique Grant, a promising young magazine writer, out of relative obscurity for the writing job, offering incredibly lucrative terms and making demands about having the biography released only after her death. Monique can't figure out why she's been trusted to tell Evelyn's story, nor does she understand the multiple allusions Evelyn makes regarding her certainty that Monique will come to hate her by the end of her roller coaster of a tale. As is often the case for me with stories structured around dual timelines, I felt more invested in one time period than the other--in this case, I was entranced by the immersive Old Hollywood era of the book more so than in the modern bookends of Monique's documentation of Evelyn's stories. Monique displayed a consistent, grating aw-shucks quality that was important to the character's development, and while she shed this in favor of self-confidence by the end of the book, it felt grating to me. Modern-day Evelyn felt abrasive, selfish, and irritatingly and purposely obtuse in multiple instances. While I can get behind unapologetic terseness and a straightforward manner, Evelyn frequently came across as willfully bull-headed in an unsympathetic way. Jenkins Reid focuses much of the page time in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on the fascinating dynamics of Evelyn's romantic and professional relationships, which were without question my favorite aspect of the book. This was a fast, captivating read. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Reid's upcoming novel Carrie Soto is Back is set for publication in August; stay tuned for that Bossy review. You can click here to find my review of Malibu Rising, and you can find my glowing review of Daisy Jones & the Six in the Greedy Reading List Six Rockin' Stories about Bands and Music.

The Change explores the power of menopausal women and the poignant strength of friendship; supplies satisfying revenge fantasies and camp; and winds it all through our middle-aged heroines' satisfying solving of a disturbing set of mysteries. “Why do you think women are designed to outlive men? Why do we keep going for thirty years after our bodies can no longer reproduce? Do you think nature meant for those years to be useless? No, of course not. Our lives are designed to have three parts. The first is education. The second, creation. And in part three, we put our experience to use and protect those who are weaker.” In Kristen Miller's novel The Change, set in Mattauk, Long Island, three women cope with various challenges surrounding aging, change, and unexpected new beginnings. Nessa's husband has died, and her twin daughters have left for college. The former nurse is coping with loneliness--but then she begins hearing voices like her grandmother once did. They're making insistent suggestions about what she should do with her life, and Nessa realizes they're coming from the dead. Harriett's career and marriage have fallen apart, but she's also undergone an incredible metamorphosis she can't ignore--and her abilities are overwhelming to anyone who was expecting her to stay quiet and contained. Jo has battled with her weight and struggled with her body image her whole life. She has a loving husband and a wonderful young daughter she adores. When she is terribly wronged at work and her career is cut short, she realizes that her hot flashes can be channeled into power, and she reinvents herself while exploring her dramatic strength and the potentially useful fuel of her fury. Nessa, Jo, and Harriet work together and use their newfound abilities to try to solve the mystery of a missing girl, along the way uncovering dark, disturbing patterns of abusive power and shining a light on the horrifically effective shields provided by money and privilege. The tone of The Change is largely campy, as middle-aged women heroines unite against the book's sometimes caricature-like, purely evil bad guys by using their new-found fantastical powers. The revenge-fantasy element is particularly satisfying. But what I loved most about The Change was the unapologetic embracing of the frequently fraught menopausal stage of life. Miller allows the frequently dreaded and bemoaned middle-aged shifts and changes to lead her female characters to realize their terrific strengths. Separately they're formidable, but together, they build a collective power that is the community's only hope to right terrible, horrible, longstanding wrongs. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book courtesy of William Morrow and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? If you like books about strong women searching for missing girls, you might also like the book Before She Disappeared, although the tone of that book is very different from this one. For purely campy mysteries, you might try Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and its sequel, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead.

The first book in Marske's duology is full of Edwardian England detail, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful dialogue and banter, and plenty of heart. I adored it. A Marvellous Light, the first in Freya Marske's Last Binding duology, starts with a devastating ending (the demise of a character, caused by nefarious magicians) and a less-than-promising beginning (Robin Blyth's first day in his civil service job, for which he doesn't feel remotely qualified nor interested). Robin is trying to keep the household afloat after the deaths of his parents, to support his bright, ambitious younger sister, and to date some handsome men along the way. He soon realizes that (a) magic exists (!), (b) he's mistakenly been assigned the job of liaison to a secret magical society, (c) his office has been ransacked and a curse has been placed on him, (d) his curmudgeonly, book-smart coworker Edwin may be the key to saving them all, and (e) maybe he's falling for Edwin just the tiniest bit, despite himself. Marske offers immersive Edwardian England detail in this adorable, captivating, magical, queer book. Robin and Edwin's love is romantic and sweet and heartbreaking and sexy; the mystery at the heart of the book seems only to be solvable by the biggest book nerd in existence; and the story's magical details are fascinating and odd. I was completely hooked by A Marvellous Light, and I tried to slow down my reading to make it last. The amount of heart in this book was exquisite. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I didn't see a mention anywhere in the book of a sequel, and some aspects felt tantalizingly unresolved, so I was relieved to find out that another book is coming. The second and final book in Marske's duology, A Restless Truth, is scheduled for publication in November.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Woman of Light, Kali Fajardo-Anstine's upcoming fantastical, indigenous historical fiction; The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid's dual-timeline historical fiction about the secrets of an Old Hollywood starlet; and A Marvellous Light, Freya Marske's fantastical Edwardian England story of mystery and love. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine There is one every generation, a seer who keeps the stories. Luz “Little Light” Lopez is a tea leaf reader and laundress in 1930s Denver who is trying to fend for herself after her snake-charmer brother Diego is run out of town by a white mob. Her visions begin transporting her to her indigenous land, offering glimpses of life in the Lost Territory. She's able to trace her ancestors' paths, their struggles, their victories, and the aggression that removed them from their lands. Luz realizes that she may be the only one who can save the stories of her ancestors before they are lost forever. I received an electronic prepublication copy of this book (published June 7) courtesy of Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley. 02 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid I'm listening to Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Evelyn Hugo is a reclusive, extremely famous Old Hollywood movie star, and she's finally ready to tell the story of her life--all the heartbreak, career maneuvering, mistakes, joys, and sordid details. She plucks Monique, a promising young magazine writer, out of relative obscurity for the writing job, offering incredibly lucrative terms and making demands in return about the story's release only after her death. Monique can't figure out why she's been trusted to tell Evelyn's story, nor does she understand allusions Evelyn makes to how Monique will come to hate her by the end of her roller coaster of a tale. Reid's upcoming book Carrie Soto is Back is set for publication in August; stay tuned for that Bossy review. You can click here to find my review of Malibu Rising, and you can find my review of Daisy Jones & the Six in the Greedy Reading List Six Rockin' Stories about Bands and Music. 03 A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1) by Freya Marske A Marvellous Light, the first in Freya Marske's Last Binding duology, starts with a devastating ending (the demise of a character, caused by nefarious magicians) and a less-than-promising beginning (Robin Blyth's first day in his civil service job, for which he doesn't feel remotely qualified nor interested). Robin is trying to keep the household afloat after the deaths of his parents, to support his bright, ambitious younger sister, and to date some handsome men along the way. He soon realizes that (a) magic exists (!), (b) he's mistakenly been assigned the job of liaison to a secret magical society, (c) his office has been ransacked and a curse has been placed on him, (d) his curmudgeonly, book-smart coworker Edwin may be the key to saving them all, and (e) maybe he's falling for Edwin just the tiniest bit, despite himself. Marske offers immersive Edwardian England detail in this adorable, captivating, magical, queer book. I'm completely hooked so far. The second and final book in Marske's duology, A Restless Truth, is scheduled for publication in November.

Brutality and Bravery in the American West These books explore the brutality of pioneer times, when indigenous peoples were killed and abused at the hands of white people who explored and settled in the West, while also offering characters of all stripes who show bravery and unbreakable spirit. Historical fiction set in the West also lends itself to stories of strong female characters in a time when the world around them didn't support women's abilities, independent thinking, or determination. You might also be interested in the titles on the Greedy Reading Lists Six More Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West, Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You, Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year, and Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year. 01 Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman 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. In Vengeance Road, 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. 02 These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner 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, The Star Garden, and Light Changes Everything. Turner has also written a couple of other historical fiction books that look promising. 03 West by Carys Davies ​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 to 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 by Olivia Hawker Oh, I loved this book! In Olivia Hawker's One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, it's 1870 in Wyoming. 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 and a crisis point for supplies, neglected farm work, and animals' and humans' desperate need for food and safety, the 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 by Jamie Harrison 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 by Rae Carson 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, which is made up of four young adult fantasy books plus related novellas and a prequel.

Lostetter's standalone science fiction is a story about robots, a ragtag space crew, friends like family, and reimagining one's place in the universe. Its one job was to fight the invaders. It had more information on how to sauté spring onions than it did on the aliens. Activation Degradation, standalone science fiction from Marina L. Lostetter, begins with Unit Four's initial activation. It has just become sentient, and like its robot sisters, it has been programmed to fight the aliens currently attacking its ship. But whether it's a glitch or instincts that shouldn't be possible, Unit Four realizes that the situation as its handler has explained it doesn't quite add up. When Unit Four is taken onto the enemy alien ship as a prisoner and is unable to communicate with its handler, it begins to understand that all is not black and white, and that it may need to rethink all it has been taught to believe. Lostetter's book started off with a lot of logistics that slowed things for me, but as of page 66 the action and character development and exploration of morality and friendship and life purpose began clicking along. Activation Degradation explores what makes a person worth saving--or simply existing--as well as unconventional love and relationships, personal responsibility, sacrifice and bravery, and staying open to revolutionarily new ideas and ways of looking at the world--and the universe. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Activation Degradation has echoes of Martha Wells's Murderbot books centered around a grumpy, skeptical AI, as well as a wonderful ragtag, loyal space crew reminiscent of books like The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Lostetter is also the author of the books Noumenon, Noumenon Infinity, and Noumenon Ultra.

Keefe offers an infuriating, fascinating, meticulously researched account of the Sackler family and their collective responsibility for the ongoing, devastating opioid crisis. I listened to Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's exhaustive, revolting, fascinating history of the Sackler family as traced through their modest beginnings, medical degrees, various interpersonal dramas, multiple marriages, handshake deals, amassing of vast wealth, and ruthless promotion of the family's legacy. While remaining deeply involved in the products, sales and marketing strategies, distribution, and deliberate, years-long obfuscation of the deadly truth about their profitable opioids and medication delivery system, the Sackler family publicly distanced themselves from their pharmaceutical giant Purdue--while making lavish donations of their opioid profits through art, buildings, and other offerings in order to positively promote and spread the Sackler name. The Sacklers created and ran medical advertising firms to promote their drugs (in groundbreakingly innovative, ruthless ways); exercised significant, unprecedented influence over key decision-makers in the FDA (and provided multiple lucrative jobs at Purdue to those who offered favors to the company while in the government); threatened political influencers in order to protect the company's profits; and ignored the many known indications that the opioids they created, failed to test, and widely distributed (to the tune of billions of dollars in profit a year) caused addiction, destruction, and death on an immense, previously unimaginable scale. Meticulously researched, always interesting, and consistently infuriating, Empire of Pain is essential nonfiction that details the shocking narcissism, relentless ambition and greed, aggressive delusions, obscene negligence, and dogged maleficence that created our nation's opioid crisis and has led to hundreds of thousands of opioid-related deaths—a number that continues to grow. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Patrick Radden Keefe is a master of compelling, important nonfiction. His book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland was one of my Six of the Best Nonfiction Books I read that year. Keefe's upcoming book (to be published June 28) is Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks. Stay tuned for that Bossy review.

Shipstead's varied stories range from funny with an edge to darkly haunting. She builds her characters with vivid detail, and she serves up the brutal truth alongside vulnerability in this fascinating collection. In You Have a Friend in 10A, Maggie Shipstead offers gripping, sometimes haunting, sometimes darkly funny short stories, diving into eclectic and vivid settings ranging from an Olympic village, to a deathbed in Paris, to a Pacific atoll, to an abandoned mountaintop. The tones of each captivating story vary wildly, whether lighthearted with an edge or tragic and dark. Throughout each disparate story, Shipstead's eye for detail and for illustrating pivotal small moments allows her to explore the lives of a cast of vivid characters and make them feel fully formed. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book courtesy of Knopf and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Maggie Shipstead is also the author of Astonish Me, Seating Arrangements, and Great Circle, one of my favorite reads last year. If you like short stories, you might like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Short Story Collections to Wow You.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Cult Classic, Sloane Crosley's upcoming literary fantasy; Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's exhaustive and infuriating nonfiction account of the Sackler family and the ongoing, devastating opioid crisis; and Activation Degradation, Marina J. Lostetter's standalone science fiction about AI, a space crew, friendship, and bravery. What are you reading and enjoying these days, bookworms? 01 Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley I gave a couple of book talks this spring and highlighted some upcoming titles I was most excited about. Sloane Crosley's Cult Classic (to be published June 7) was one that made the list. In Cult Classic, a woman leaving a reunion dinner one night in New York City’s Chinatown runs into a former boyfriend. And then another. And another. Nothing is quite what it seems, and the city is awash with ghosts of heartbreaks past. Cult Classic is a funny, suspenseful story of love, memory, and mind control from the author of I Was Told There’d Be Cake. If you like books that play with time, you might also enjoy the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore and Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories. I received an electronic prepublication copy of this book courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, MCD and NetGalley. 02 Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe I'm listening to Patrick Radden Keefe's fascinating, exhaustive history of the Sackler family through their modest beginnings, medical degrees, various interpersonal dramas, multiple marriages, handshake deals, amassing of vast wealth, and the ruthless promotion of the family's legacy. The family distanced themselves publicly from the pharmaceutical giant they ran, Purdue--as well as from the medical advertising firms they created and ran to promote their drugs; their significant, inappropriate influence over figures in the FDA; the threats they made to political influencer; and their knowledge of various facts and indications that the opioids they distributed (to the tune of billions of dollars in profit a year) caused addiction, destruction, and death on an immense scale. Meticulously researched, interesting, and infuriating, Empire of Pain is essential nonfiction reading. 03 Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter Activation Degradation, standalone science fiction from Marina L. Lostetter, begins with Unit Four's initial activation. Unit Four has just become sentient, and like its robot sisters, it has been programmed to fight the aliens currently attacking its ship. But whether it's a glitch or simply instincts that shouldn't be possible but are, Unit Four realizes that the situation as its handler has explained it doesn't quite add up. It begins to question its mission and its purpose. When Unit Four is taken onto the enemy alien ship as a prisoner and is unable to communicate with its handler any longer, it understands that everything is not black and white, and that it may need to rethink all it has been taught to believe. With echoes of Martha Wells's Murderbot books centered around a grumpy, skeptical AI, as well as a wonderful ragtag, loyal space crew reminiscent of books like The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Lostetter's book started off with a lot of logistics that slowed things for me, but as of page 66 the action and character development and exploration of morality and friendship and life purpose are all clicking along.

The Summer Favorites These titles aren't light "summer reads," but they were my favorites from a summer past, and they all stand the test of time. In case you missed them the first time around, I'm reposting them as this summer begins so you can add to your to-read list at will. If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! For classic light fiction that's also great for summer reading, check out these titles and Bossy reviews. 01 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Bennett explores the complicated implications of perception as reality when it comes to race and its meaning. In The Vanishing Half, Bennett follows the history of the fictional Vignes twins, Desiree and Stella, as they grow up in a town made up of those who identify as light-skinned black people. As teenagers they run from a prescribed future as maids in the small town, where tragedy in the form of evil white men took their father from them and left their mother scrambling to provide for them. Upon reaching freedom, their paths diverge. One twin secretly passes at work for white, then vanishes into a life based upon this premise. The other twin marries a dark-skinned black man and lives as a black woman. The book explores the complicated implications of perception as reality when it comes to race and its meaning; the subjectivity of and intense power within race labels; and the tension of living under false pretenses. For my full review, see The Vanishing Half. 02 Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland Atlantic City 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. I loved watching the story's events unfold in this lovely debut from Rachel Beanland. Florence Adler Swims Forever, the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended family--including a stolid patriarch and matriarch, a free-spirited daughter, a spunky and fantastic granddaughter Gussie, a daughter with another grandchild on the way, a deadbeat son-in-law, and family friends to round out the group. 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, which I thought was fascinating but didn't realize until the end. Click here for my full review of Florence Adler Swims Forever. 03 Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby This is a fantastic blend of realistic complications, mistakes, adjustments, and spunk. It's action-packed yet character driven. Bug is a respectable business owner nowadays with a family. But some old acquaintances show up with an idea that might offer some financial breathing room--if the others on the job can keep their heads on straight, and that's looking like a big if. Blacktop Wasteland took a little while to get going for me, but just shy of halfway through, the setup is complete and the action starts singing along. I'm not inherently interested in the preparation and modification of vehicles or in skillful evasive driving, but I was all in for S.A. Cosby's writing about all of it. Bug is a wonderfully faulted character. who when not in crisis takes stock of himself and aims to be a better person. He's forced to consider what loyalty means, and to face how dark the path ahead might become when the bad guys are truly evil, very powerful, and the stakes couldn't be much higher. The ending of Blacktop Wasteland is a little abrupt and opaque, but not without hope. See my full review of Blacktop Wasteland here. 04 Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell In Utopia Avenue, Mitchell takes us through the twists and turns of a fictional psychedelic British sixties band on its rocky rise to popularity. Utopia Avenue explores the band members' crises, joys, fears, and triumphs. Mitchell made me care about a singer connecting with an audience, the cathartic heartbreak-writing of songs, and the magic spark of a performance. The book contains endless imagined cameos, fictional adventures, and gems of wisdom from real-life musicians like David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, and members of the Rolling Stones--not to mention wild parties, betrayals, leaps of faith, breakups, and tragedy. But Mitchell expertly builds the band members into rich characters you're rooting for through their individual ups and downs as well as through the triumphs and setbacks of the band Utopia Avenue. Mitchell doesn't provide too easy or neat of an ending to this weird and wonderful book, but it felt fitting and left me satisfied. This was a really captivating story that kept me intrigued throughout. For my full review of Utopia Avenue, click here. 05 When These Mountains Burn by David Joy Joy offers an often dark work of Southern literary fiction through which bubbles of hope emerge. Ray has outlived his beloved wife in the mountains of North Carolina. He has a precious old girl of a dog, a fascination with (and healthy fear of) coyotes, a love of reading, and a no-nonsense manner that makes clear he doesn't brook fools. He has almost resigned himself to the heartbreaking idea that his addict son is too lost to be saved. There's an undercover cop nearby who's trying to help take down a robust drug ring, and then there's Ray, who uses old-fashioned methods and his knowledge of mountain terrain to address injustices in a straightforward way. When These Mountains Burn isn't always easy to read, but it isn't over the top, and Joy's characters are fascinatingly faulted and keep you humming right along. I read this in 24 hours while wishing I were making it last longer. For my full review of When These Mountains Burn, click here. 06 This Is All He Asks of You by Anne Egseth Luna has a unique and lovely voice and is an irresistibly odd bird of a twelve-year-old girl. I just loved This Is All He Asks of You. Luna stumbles into encounters that shape her life dramatically, in unorthodox and heartbreakingly meaningful ways. She is facing her mother’s decline in health and exploring her own identity and meaning in her life, and she shapes her sometimes practical but often mystical thoughts and reflections through writing letters to her father, who she has never met, in the conversational tone of a pen pal writing to someone who will love her and her words unconditionally. I simultaneously wanted to scoop up Luna and take care of her and to follow the lead of this wise-beyond-her-years, intensely spiritual young person. She has a unique and lovely voice and is an irresistibly odd bird of a twelve-year-old girl. For my full review of This Is All He Asks of You, click here.