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

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.

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

I found his stories intriguing, but for me the essay format made the book feel somewhat disjointed. His path as a young adult is unconventional and at times he lives on the fringes of societal norms. The book is a collection of essays, and it therefore felt somewhat disjointed to me as a life story. His account of his time in Thailand was one of the most fascinating portions for me. participating in porn productions as what felt like a somewhat lighthearted experiment that he abandons after a time

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.

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

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

the Gold Rush. 03 Transcription by Ben Lerner The narrator of Ben Lerner's short (144-page) novel has traveled

nature to many of my gift recipients, and these types of books can often be read a little bit at a time chronicler of ocean life and author of Voices in the Ocean, The Wave , and The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks , traveled the world to accompany scientists Casey shares myths and stories about the ocean deep, along with some of the knowledge cutting-edge technology

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

and so far morbidly funny debut novel Lost Lambs; I'm listening to Anna Johnston's extremely sweet story Madeline Cash is also the author of the short story collection Earth Angel. 02 The Borrowed Life of Frederick bankrupted him) and without any idea of where to go or what to do when he takes a forlorn walk along the river

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.

The first part of the story felt a little slow for me, but I'm so very glad I stuck with this beautiful The story is 480 pages, and ultimately that felt like an appropriate length for settling into the points This is an intriguing structure for the story: Jesus as a supporting cast member. Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the time.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading I, Medusa , Ayana Gray's recently published story from the perspective But she catches the eye of Poseidon, which turns the tides (see what I did there?) mine, Madeline Miller's Circe , which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories There was the time he kidnapped a neighbor's pet goose, the time he accidentally aided and abetted a

I'm fascinated by stories in which a woman poses as a man in order to achieve freedoms otherwise not In Pope Joan , Cross offers fascinating, grim, brutal details of life in the Dark Ages to bring the story For more North Carolina stories, check out the books on this Bossy list . 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

Monaghan's excellent seaside rom-com with fake dating in which seeming opposites attract, Dolly All the Time is scheduled for publication August 4, courtesy of NetGalley and Doubleday Books. 02 Dolly All the Time Annabel Monaghan is also the author of books including Nora Goes Off Script, Same Time Next Summer, Summer Romance, and It's a Love Story. 03 The Tapestry of Fate: An Amina al-Sirafi Adventure, Part Two by Shannon Chakraborty I loved every bit of Chakraborty's first story of willful, sometimes grumpy pirate Amina

the point that this all began to feel like distracting filler, rather than developing into relevant story throttle these disappointingly flaky early twentysomething boys, and while it wouldn't work for the story years of their stories we weren't privy to , then Jordan has a poignant if largely unsatisfying reconnection I think if I had understood the interconnectedness of the stories up front, I would have felt positively As it was, I wanted more depth from the story but didn't feel it.

The tone is difficult to pin down; there is dark humor, a dark thread of tragedy, and a story that could He begins wondering about unexplained aspects of his own family history, and when the three of them travel

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

When Jaryk learns that his father has been killed under mysterious circumstances in India, he travels But he becomes involved in the complicated politics of the time and finds himself stuck between past Time passes, and a young family moves onto Division Street. “If only time could be seen whole, then you could see the past remaining intact, instead of vanishing

Ariel Lawhon is also the author of The Frozen River. for me; I didn't finish that one. 02 The Secrets We Hide (North Falls #2) by Karin Slaughter I love a story I'm completely hooked on this story.

Pony Confidential is a cute story of a bond between a pony and its long-ago owner. It's nominally a mystery, but it's mainly a heartwarming story about determination and honoring old loyalties In Pony Confidential 's alternating points of view, Christina Lynch offers a playful story of Penny, We track back in time to her youth as pieces of the mystery are revealed. The story is nominally a mystery, but more so a tale of a pony who is thwarted at nearly all of its headstrong

protagonists must confront and overcome past and present difficulties in order to banter their way through the story one night after a concert, when she was shoeless and in need of a ride home: she chose joking, fun-time-guy Early in this story she had already explored money troubles, death and grief, identity theft and financial I did at times very much feel as though Chris was going too far, taking measures Larissa wasn't asking Larissa is irresistible, and Jimenez takes what feels like an impossibility of a future and ekes out a story

is the most recent Kevin Wilson gem; his quirky characters are irresistible, and his heartwarming story His wonderfully eccentric characters and story scenarios might seem self-consciously zany in another But when a stranger who calls himself Rube shows up in a rented PT Cruiser with a story about how Mad As they locate two more siblings and bring them along to find their dad, each shares stories from their Each child ultimately realizes that any resentments, stories, justifications, or hopes they have built

Chambers's science fiction is full of heart, heartbreak, and hope--with a fascinating backdrop of space travel Chambers's story is science fiction that's full of heart, heartbreak, and hope. The book feels much more focused on the characters--with a backdrop of space travel and otherworldly Much of the story is about acceptance and openness and finding ways to get along.

This wonderfully creepy lesbian vampire story is largely about female empowerment, but also about love I loved each time period and the evolution of each strong female character. I loved that the women of each time insist upon creating situations in which they have autonomy and agency Within the female-focused vampirism of the story, women demand even more from their lives, refusing to I enjoyed spending time in each time period.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Go as a River, historical fiction from Shelley Read; I'm listening to the audiobook version of Mary Otis's Burst, a story about a mother and daughter; and I'm reading 01 Go As a River by Shelley Read Victoria is the last surviving female in a family of complicated men When tragedy strikes, Victoria flees into the wilderness as the Gunnison River threatens to flood her Go as a River is based on the true story of the destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado, in the 1960s

The story is so compelling, I'm riveted so far. I've got historical fiction/fantasy, royal historical fiction, and a compelling nonfiction story that

In Heart, Be at Peace , Donal Ryan shares the story of a small town in Ireland. The story is told from 21 interconnected points of view, and I had trouble differentiating between the characters and their voices from time to time. More Donal Ryan and Irish Stories Donal Ryan is also the author of The Queen of Dirt Island ,  The Spinning

She evokes the words of James Baldwin, recounts some of her late husband's life story in "My Refugee, " notes her time speaking at President Obama's inauguration, digs into our nation's more distant past additional exploration and further wise reflections from Alexander, and I yearned for her to spend more time

But despite the page time we spent with him in The River--when I felt a deeper connection to the character Yet we didn't really need the character in this book to be Jack in order for the story to work. But when things began unraveling in the story, I felt as though the tone of the book shifted abruptly I love Peter Heller's books, including his thrilling, character-driven story The River, the meditative yet decisively action-oriented The Painter, and his post-apocalyptic story The Dog Stars, which was

Emiko Jean's young adult light fiction Tokyo Ever After is the story of Izumi (Izzy) Tanaka, an everyday The only thing more outrageous is that she's asked to travel to Japan to meet her father and the rest of her royal family for the first time. Jean's story is lighthearted, romantic, and sometimes poignant with frequently silly, teenaged comments And for young adult royal stories, try Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series.

I bought O Caledonia  at Powell's Books the last time I visited my best friend in Oregon and am finally Boarding school leads to further ostracization and irritating demands upon Janet's time, when she'd prefer darkly funny, with a surprisingly startling and tragic setup for O Caledonia 's immersive, atmospheric story the stage for (and close the loop on) a character's demise distracting, but I was captivated by the story More Gothic Tales For Bossy reviews of other Gothic stories, please check out the titles at this link

the relatively slow pacing throughout felt suited to an insular island life that exists outside of time Why does it exist within a time vacuum so that those living on it don't age? No clue. I don't know why time moves strangely against its shores. Ellie supposes: "Maybe Clay's broken heart severed time, cracked it like an egg. I was intrigued by the early story, willing to put aside any temporary impatience about the pacing of

McLain brings to life the story of real-life aviation legend Beryl Markham, who was the first woman to An ocean worth crossing one dark mile at a time. The whole of the sky. McLain shapes a fully fleshed out story of Markham's young life and the fiercely independent woman's

The Books I'm Reading Now It's Green Books time! grown-up magical school tale, The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones; I'm listening to Jessica Guerrieri's story the midst of a local woman's disappearance, Both Things Can Be True; and I'm reading Marjan Kamali's story Only time will tell whether the crisis will usher in a new era of honesty and support.

I love Aaron Falk stories and I loved the twisty interconnectedness of the characters in Exiles . I wasn't ever sure who was responsible for the multiple tragedies at the heart of the story, and the I'm in for all Jane Harper and all Aaron Falk stories! The tone of the story is shaped by its setting: an unforgiving winter on an Australian island. connected across time.

When a pregnant, storied Queen Joanna arrives in Avignon to stand trial for the murder of her husband Eleanore's sudden access to great figures is overly convenient, but this moves the story along nicely plague, and the city of Avignon feels evident, and I particularly enjoyed the details that made the time The religious fervor, fears, and the queasily specific medical practices of the time (lancing buboes! help the story come alive.

Strout also wrote the wonderful interconnected short story collection Anything Is Possible. The details of running the Canadian river, traveling and camping, and Jack and Wynn's friendship itself Heller also wrote the wonderful dystopian story The Dog Stars, as well as The Painter. I was most struck by the character-driven WWII stories, which were haunting and lovely. This story was so much more than I expected, but thankfully Napolitano didn’t rely solely on her book

There are a few indications of the time period ( Lawrence of Arabia is showing at the movie theater, and Elvis Presley is referenced), but the story feels largely to exist outside of time. This slim story (the book is 176 pages) is eerie and unforgettable.

Mercy. 03 The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre ​ The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War is a wonderfully paced and skillfully recounted Cold War-era story of spy intrigue, Farrow also explores the difficulty the long-silenced victims have in bravely deciding to tell their stories Valley Road by Robert Kolker ​ Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story It’s absolutely meticulously researched and riveting.

Count me in for Irish-set novels--and for suspenseful, mysterious-past stories that hint at darkness, But Hurtubise builds the true heart of this story around the development of its characters and relationships I also love a story involving a character's mysterious past, and I love a suspenseful story that I'm I blew through this novel, and the whole time I was reading Saoirse , I held my breath that it would And don't miss these stories filled with suspense and stories about art .

Cloud Cuckoo Land to Doerr's beloved and quite different book All the Light We Cannot See, and the stories I didn't feel immediately connected to Doerr's story because of the various timelines and characters, but as he began to deeply interweave the stories across time, he also set up rich glimpses into characters for what is sure to be contagious fascination. 05 These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett “Any story Dutch House, Bel Canto, The Patron Saint of Liars, Commonwealth, The Magician's Assistant, This Is the Story

I love a sci-fi story about a ragtag space gang trying to salvage a desperate situation. series delivers charming, heartwarming adventure and a cast of characters I can't wait to spend more time I loved how much warmth Thorne injected into this story; bighearted sci-fi is my absolute favorite type I loved the story's coziness and tone, which assured me that everything was going to work out.

In Let Us Descend , she leans on the stories of her warrior female ancestors as she draws increasing Annis leans on the comfort of the presence of this fierce spirit during grim or terrifying times, but The horrifying, specific, dark cruelties throughout the story, which are inflicted upon Black people In order to see the story through, I kept reminding myself that I was bearing witness to a fictional You can find other Bossy reviews of books that tell the stories of enslaved persons here .

Science and Nature Book Gift Ideas I spend most of my reading time on fiction titles, but my favorite stock. 01 To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery by Neil deGrasse Tyson Once upon a time Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. , recognized as the most dangerous river in the world. I love a story about strong women in the past braving the wild.

They spent their days walking by the river, and to keep Flora entertained and distracted, Hazel made up elaborate stories about a magical, secret world alongside the water. Sutanto Vera Wong is running a largely unvisited tea house, lamenting her grown son's lack of time for Focusing on respect, love, and closure, MacNaughton offers a guide to creating a path through the precious time

The story is sometimes funny, and it's consistently suspenseful and character-driven. This story felt smart, strange, and intriguing. I can't wait to read more books by this author. of the limitations of single women in that time. , as well as essays and short stories. For more family stories you might like, please check out the Bossy reviews at this link .

claim to the Tichborne family fortune, insisting that he was a long-lost noble son much changed by his time Her voice and point of view are sometimes testy, often incisive, and at other times diminished--a product of the limitations of single women in that time. In the story, much of the populace lines up with the pretend heir, against all known facts and likelihood , as well as essays and short stories.