I hope you're settling in for a wonderful holiday, whether you're home or traveling and whether you're

Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Natasha Pulley's The Kingdoms, which involves historical fiction and time travel; I'm listening to Marie Lu's young adult science fiction book Warcross, the first in the series Natasha Pulley is also the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, another historical fiction story She's hacked into the game plenty of times and glitched the system to work in her favor. Migrations follows Frannie as she travels farther from civilization and safety--and as she considers

Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count , Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel Blackbird, One for the Crow , which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction Stories

Various points of view and side characters sometimes make the story meander as Huneven explores fissures I didn't love the recipes and their cutesy endings with story-specific conditions that are ideal for But I love a found-family story. , as well as essays and short stories. For my full review of this book please see Isola . 06 Trust by Hernan Diaz This story-within-a-story-within-a-story

novel about a 1960s female scientist and cooking show host by Bonnie Garmus; Emma Straub's playing-with-time , reliving-the-past story This Time Tomorrow; and Something Wilder, Christina Lauren's newest, about a treasure hunter's daughter who gets roped into time with her ex. Lessons in Chemistry is Bonnie Garmus's first book. 02 This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub What if you When the trip involves mishap after mishap, the travelers begin to wonder whether the legend of the treasure

The story is dark, nerve-racking, irreverent, tragic, and poignant. Late in the story a fateful connection made the story really take off and feel meaningful. The book really took off and intrigued me once Cyrus traveled to New York to visit an artist whose final Archie begins wondering about unexplained aspects of his own family history, and when he and his aunts travel This aspect keeps the story moving, although it frequently distracted me from the hearty story of Vietnam

The premise and wild tangle of storylines--not deep character development--are the highlights in this story continuing my cold-weather mystery-reading habits, and Lisa Jewell is always a good bet for an intriguing story Jewell offers a peek at the psychologically twisted motivations of the story's main protagonist, his The creepy premise, the interwoven story structure, the dark plot, the psychopathic impulses, and the eventual mission of renegade justice are what drive this story and offer its intrigue.

two historical fiction mysteries (one with magical elements at its heart), a fictionalized memoir, a story Marriage Portrait, Maggie O'Farrell turns her attention to Renaissance Italy to tell a historical fiction story for my full review of A Study in Scarlet Women. 03 True Biz by Sara Nović True Biz is a coming-of-age story True Biz is a coming-of-age story that also explores the importance society places on language; past fascinatingly odd situation, then offers characters' vulnerabilities and imperfections to bring the story

What is it about aviation stories and my being so in love with them? fiction novel Wingwalkers, Zeno, a former World War I ace pilot, and Della, his daring wingwalking wife, travel Depression-era America, wowing audiences and inspiring hope in a dark, sober time. When the characters from the two rich stories that make up Wingwalkers briefly intersect, it's fantastic "Stories," she said. Sometimes she could hardly believe her own.

Jess and Storey are childhood friends who spend their summer adventures exploring striking, remote areas Maine, like other states across the country, has been swept by a secession movement, but Jess and Storey Jess and Storey's situation becomes more and more complicated as they encounter survivors--some with I felt like the fascinating build-up in so many areas of the story warranted much more at the novel's Heller is also the author of The Last Ranger , The Guide , The River , and The Painter , as well as the

The story swirls with seedy, sordid characters, and it's all built on a framework of heroes with heart Various depraved and frighteningly cruel characters help drive the story of Things in Jars and add to Veronica finds herself entangled in a dangerous set of circumstances, complete with intrigue, a traveling Gilbert, but I will tell you something I know: the truth depends on who it is that’s telling the story The Jackaby story is dark, mysterious, and feels Gothic, yet there's humor too.

novel left me wanting more plausibility, more development, and more reasons to feel invested in the story She explains that it was a mistake, tells a convoluted story, and begs them to help her, if only to protect Cathy and Joe immediately stepped in to do what they did for Frannie, despite her thin and strange story I had a hard time believing that Tom would enter into the situation at the time he did and be able to sympathetic, and their judgment is terrible; I appreciated the layers of particularly Cathy's back story

a story that plays with time, explores sentimental moments, offers do-overs, and sweeps the reader into I am a huuuuuuge fan of books that play with time, and Straub offers up all the best parts of a time-travel Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories. The present-day story alternates with peeks back in time to life before this space mission, which show Stories about Brave Women During World War II.

Ann Liang's trading-places young adult story allows faulted, imperfect Jenna Chen to live as her perfect , beautiful, Harvard-bound cousin Jessica for a time, pressure and expectations and all--before having Because Jessica's body is usurped so quickly in the story, we don't get a chance until the very end to More Ann Liang love I fell in love with Ann Liang's fake-dating young adult novel This Time It's Real Find You   here  and my review of Liang's young-adult historical fiction fantasy novel A Song to Drown Rivers

Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You, songwriter, singer, and musician Lucinda Williams shares stories author Charles Frazier offers historical fiction featuring a Great Depression-era painter, Val Welch, traveling McAllister offers a smart, intriguing, twisty story that plays with time and offers second chances, The story begins with a mother awaiting her teenage son's return home late one night. The story was fascinating and touching and chilling and sweet. I absolutely loved it.

, which begins before World War II and spans to the end of the twentieth century, we begin with the story Had any mother ever had the time to stoically brood? The book's pacing (appropriately, but sometimes painfully) flags for a time as our protagonists spend The unexpected, unorthodox, secret-based links between the two families shape the story (with a supporting For more family stories you might like, please check out the Bossy reviews at this link .

I love Rachel Lynn Solomon's stories, and I loved this story of Barrett and Miles and youthful adventure Cristina Fernandez has crafted an irresistibly charming story that I absolutely adored. I am a huuuuuuge fan of books that play with time, and Straub offers up all the best parts of a time-travel book in This Time Tomorrow. Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories.

What a satisfyingly rich world and story. by Gillian McAllister McAllister offers a smart, intriguing, twisty story that plays with time and offers with time. If you enjoy short story collections, you might like to check out Six Short Story Collections to Wow You  and Six More Short Story Collections I Loved .

I found the story immensely satisfying. After meeting for the first time, Michael, a recently divorced teacher, studious and thoughtful, and Which means traveling together to a tropical island for his sister's wedding, pretending to be soulmates But the story is primarily about human connections. The love story is also far from the focus of the book.

Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Light Fiction Stories Six of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of Her propensity for remaining emotionally closed off free up a lot of time. Click here for my full review of My Oxford Year. 06 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Henry's story-within-a-story Henry brings her signature warmth, great banter, and sultry romance to this story within a story. like to check it out on the Greedy Reading List Six More Great Light Fiction Stories.

When the heat of summer hits, I love to read a story set in a frigid climate. The books on the Greedy Reading List Six Captivating Nordic Stories would also fit nicely here. The elements that feel potentially familiar or could have felt overused from use in other stories (a I still think about Disappearing Earth from time to time, long after reading it. Hurley's images is incredible; the glass plate negatives lasted through months on ice floes, a week's travel

The river balloons to 80 feet wide, and three convicts and their leader arrive at the ancestral home the author's note, William Kent Krueger explains that The Levee was inspired by William Faulkner‘s story fact that the grand house he takes such pride in is built below the levee, out of sight of the nearby river There’s a lot of page time spent on figuring out the potential logistics of shoring up the levee, which The story is narrated wonderfully by J.D. Jackson. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book?

In Jo Ann Beard's lovely essays and short stories, she writes honestly and beautifully about moments large and small, from the weightiness of saying goodbye to loved ones for the last time to the comically In the nine essays and short stories that make up Festival Days, the fantastic Jo Ann Beard explores Each of these is an essay except for two stories, "The Tomb of Wrestling" and "What You Seek Is Seeking You," although Beard says the stories hold truths as well.

But when three women, all strangers to each other, are invited to the reclusive, three-times-widowed The characters spend little time discussing books (although now-classic feminist novels are mentioned The story becomes truly dark as it progresses, which I had not expected, but the issues explored within that time around women's lack of autonomy in all areas of their lives warrant a grim tone. The end of the story involves a dramatic death and the promise of solidarity for the women who move forward

In this first book of Donati's Wilderness series, it's 1792 and Elizabeth Middleton has traveled with scratch the itch of reading a combination of historical fiction, romance, and rich descriptions of taming Elizabeth is a feminist in a time in which independence and freedom are not encouraged in a woman.

This is a story about sisters coping with past trauma and resentments trying to find their way back together , with a missing-persons story in the background. Like I’m not crazy for being scared all the time. Like the fear has evidence.” Only time will tell whether the crisis will usher in a new era of honesty and support. The main story is focused on the individual sisters, their relationship, and their own marriages.

Frazier offers an immersive story that morphs from a WPA-funded rural art commission to a leisurely country-wide author Charles Frazier offers historical fiction featuring a Great Depression-era painter, Val Welch, traveling I love a Great Depression-set story, and in Frazier's literary fiction The Trackers, he immerses us in variously rule all or fade away as an unlikely set of alliances and relationships stand at the end of the story

I feel Grinch-like panning this widely beloved story, but for me the sweetness was cloying; the tale Georgia, recognizing and appreciating locals' gifts and making them feel seen, sometimes for the first time buying those that intrigue him and gifting to them to their subjects, welcoming the strangers' life stories Significant page time was spent on matters that I found draining and that seemed to slow the story interminably Extra layers to the story are revealed too late for me to feel anything about them; his identity and

There was the time he kidnapped a neighbor's pet goose, the time he accidentally aided and abetted a As Denny's big personality, kindness, and discerning views become clear, the story tracks the lead-up addressing societal wrongs, and we (and he) begin to understand previously unknown elements of his origin story The Author's Note details how Kennedy's character and some of the story's side plotlines were built from I loved this story.

Newitz offers a cozy story of an unlikely safe haven for all. I love a science-fiction story in which elements of humanity are explored, I love an alternate-history Newitz provides all three in a cozy story that charmed me through both funny and poignant moments. fiction debut offers action and a risky space quest, revenge, and love, but it's also a poignant, lovely story I can't wait to read more of this immersive world and of Haddon's compelling story.

premise (normal-everyday romance with a show-business background) unfortunately didn't translate to a story schooler in 2000, dreaming of writing for Saturday Night Live, but working at her local video rental store The tone felt melodramatic, particularly regarding the relationship at the story's heart. The structure of the book necessitates jumping around in time, feeding the reader a highly charged scene The sex scenes were extremely specific, at times pages long, and at certain points the sexual elements

But the story jumped around and told more than it showed, and I didn't feel an emotional connection. little page time. The story felt jumpy, moving from topic to topic without fully diving in. More Missing Persons Stories Thrity Umrigar is also the author of Honor . For Bossy reviews of other stories that involve missing persons, please click here .

The Briar Club employs nine points of view to tell the story of life in a female-only boarding house in 1950s, McCarthy-era Washington, D.C., bookended by the story of a mysterious murder in the building In between, and for the bulk of the story, the novel offers the stories of multiple characters in a 1950s The ladies exhibit broadening horizons, and over the course of the story, each of the women stretches But I love a found-family story.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to my book club's January read, Richard Powers's sweeping story 01 Playground by Richard Powers Four people are connected across time and geography in Richard Powers's sweeping story of their lives and unlikely interconnectedness. buying those that intrigue him and gifting to them to their subjects, welcoming the strangers' life stories For my review of Niall Williams's wonderful Time of the Child , please click this link .

Hidden Valley Road is the true story of a family with twelve children, six of whom are ultimately diagnosed It’s absolutely meticulously researched and riveting. Over time, the eldest boys begin to fracture the family with their unrelenting violence, destruction, (It’s noted that at the time, some significant blame for mental illness was typically laid at the feet

Brown In this mix of fictional and fascinating historical elements, Brown crafts a character-driven story considers applying for the powerful Conseil, which makes decisions about who is allowed to anonymously travel The Other Valley . 04 The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center Katherine Center offers a writing-focused story But her life in Texas is complicated: her father requires a full-time caregiver, and Emma is it. Wellness is darkly funny, intriguing, and, at times, poignant.

This story is beautiful and powerful. In Curtis Sittenfeld's first short-story collection, You Think It, I'll Say It , she offered ten stories If you enjoy short story collections, you might like to check out Six Short Story Collections to Wow You  and Six More Short Story Collections I Loved . This was exactly the right story for me at the right time, and I hugged it to my chest when I finished

John Mandel's novel about plague and art that also plays with time; and Herrick's End, the first in T.M This one is difficult to summarize so far, but in this science fiction novel, Mandel plays with time and time travel, as well as mysteries surrounding what may be a portal linking individuals through time Sea of Tranquility swirls around the stories of a scorned gentleman from England who has an odd experience and a detective from the future's Night City, who investigates the mysterious intersections through time

ocean voyage scenes, and the romance, but I had trouble pinning down the tone and the heart of the story While grieving her husband George, who she never had enough time to deeply know because of his naval career, she is thrust into a self-sufficient life, learning for the first time to make her own fires, His role in the story, his bad-guy positioning, his threat of sexual predation, and his holier-than-thou often tells instead of showing, and it was difficult for me to pin down the tone and the heart of the story

This story is beautiful and powerful. For my full review of this book please see Time of the Child . 03 Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid I love an astronaut story, and while Reid spent far more page time on relationships than This was exactly the right story for me at the right time, and I hugged it to my chest when I finished But the world of the story is grounded in day-to-day stressors and challenges.

Heller's newest suspenseful wilderness story is full of danger, wonder, and emotional ties; the unforgiving serving as mediator between wealthy vacationers temporarily in the park and the working-class full-time The impossible, frustrating push and pull of tourism and preservation are a tension throughout the story The reintroduced wolves are at the center of the story--the public's fascination, shared by scientists Heller is also the author of The Guide, The River, and The Painter, as well as The Dog Stars.

intriguing memoir, a five-star literary fiction wonder, a contemporary novel about a novelist, a meditative story She grows more bold, finds healing in speaking her mind, and becomes determined to write her story and This is a quiet story with deep wells of significance and meaning beneath the peaceful surface. The marching toward destruction of both of these makes for a nerve-racking, heartbreaking story. Four people are connected across time and geography in Richard Powers's sweeping story of their lives

past month: two new novels from favorite authors who each include interconnected characters in their stories I flew through this story--it was solidly a "right book at the right time" for me, and I also loved that a story that plays with time, explores sentimental moments, offers do-overs, and sweeps the reader into I am a huuuuuuge fan of books that play with time, and Straub offers up all the best parts of a time-travel Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories.

The book's synopsis paints a picture of a potentially charged story, but Damoff tells us this story rather Details at times felt too cute for me and took me out of the moment. Because we spend the majority of time in Lillian's point of view (we later hear from Ryan and daughter More Family Stories If you like reading stories about families, you might want to check out the books Check out this link for redemption stories, this link for books with family secrets , and for stories

member of the congregation, and Ruth's life, along with those of her siblings, became centered around travel She’d repeated that countless times throughout my childhood. No, I thought, they don’t.” Wariner candidly shares her life story in The Sound of Gravel, and it's one of brutally limited resources I loved spending time with the uproariously funny Thomas. They felt incredibly powerful as a closure to her story.

Ishida's offbeat, heartwarming story of unconventional "medicine" in the form of cats explores interconnectedness In the charming story We'll Prescribe You a Cat , a winding, hard-to-find Kyoto alleyway leads to a strange Ishida's offbeat story tells the tales of various characters, lost or in pain, who find themselves transformed by spending time with feline companions. If you're looking for more heartwarming stories, you might like my Bossy reviews of books like these

order he was able to impose upon the chaos of secrets, lies, and the still-unknown elements of the story circumstances of Zac's disappearance, such as an MI6 camera that happened to be positioned across the river There are so many branches of this story, and so many complicated implications of the main players’ actions

But the story and pacing became bogged down by others' motivations, and I was left wanting more page time focused on our spy. I wanted more about her and her dark humor, but the story feels split. While Bruno at first seems old-fashioned, telling his stories and considering the shape of history, he of the story.

illness and coping with depression; and The Space Between Worlds, Micaiah Johnson's science-fiction story about multiverse travel, mysteries, privilege and power, and identity. and fears. 02 Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig The author of The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time I'm listening to Haig read this audiobook. 03 The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson Cara can travel

place and time with rich details. At times the story felt somewhat disjointed and flagged in pacing as it addressed various events of the , and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories .) 04 Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall In I read this immersive story in a flash. This was exactly the right story for me at the right time, and I hugged it to my chest when I finished