Musicians' Must-Read 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 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 And feel free

I love a memoir, I love reading about people doing what they love, I love good food, and I love reading If you like memoirs, you might want to also check out these Bossy Bookworm reads and Greedy Reading Lists And which other books should I add to my food memoir to-read list? The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl Garlic and Sapphires may be my favorite foodie memoir Wizenberg has more recently written a memoir about marriage, unexpected yearnings, and the messy process

Six Favorite Memoir Reads These were my six favorite memoir reads from last year. of my Greedy Reading Lists of favorites: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing 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 Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year If you've

Do you love reading memoirs like I do? If you love memoirs, you might also like the titles I listed on these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing 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 Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year

Six Nonfiction Reads I love mixing nonfiction into my reading lists--and oh, the memoirs! my Greedy Reading Lists of favorites: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing 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 Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year If you've

Memoir Love! In case you haven’t noticed yet, I have a major thing for memoirs, and I especially love listening to : Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing 01 Leaving the Witness

More Memoirs I've Loved I love a good memoir, one that offers a glimpse or a deep dive into the life For me, the best memoir makes you feel some of the author's feelings and understand their perspective For more memoirs I've loved that you might want to try, check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into and Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year . Which other books should I add to my memoir to-read list?

If you like memoirs, you might like the books I list on these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing 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 Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year Have you read books about mortality--or memoirs that aren't on

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 : 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

But I find a memoir about facing mortality fascinating. Other books on my to-read list that loosely fit within this category include: If you like memoirs, you might like the books I list on these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into and Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year (last year). 01 The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams In Yip-Williams's memoir, the subtitle of which

Do you love memoirs like I do? If you love memoirs, you might also like the titles I listed on 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 A few other memoirs on my

You can find some of my many other lists of favorite nonfiction and memoir roundups here: Six of My Favorite Nonfiction Reads from the Past Year Six Compelling Nonfiction Reads Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore And you can click here What are some of your recent favorite nonfiction or memoir reads? 01 Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora Zamora's memoir of his grueling journey from El Salvador to the

Here are the six titles that made up my very first Greedy Reading List on this theme. You might also like the witchy books on these lists: Six More Wonderfully Witchy Stories to Charm You Another Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories to Charm You And if you like books about magic, here are two other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists you might enjoy: Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series and Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love , plus you can check out magic in all kinds of Bossy reads

Here are six of my favorite fiction works that have to do with rock and roll, writing songs, performing (The fictional band focus reminded me, in a good way, of Daisy Jones & the Six, mentioned below.) For my full review, please check out The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits. 04 Daisy Jones & the Six by In Daisy Jones & the Six, Reid offers a fictionalized account (written as fictional interviews) of the Daisy Jones and the Six explores multiple layers of love and heartbreak, all against a fantastic backdrop

Just a Few of My Many Historical Fiction Favorites These were just a few of my favorite historical fiction reads during Bossy Bookworm's first year in existence. I gave five of these books four stars and rated one of them five stars. But I love historical fiction, and since 2020 I've shared many other lists of historical fiction favorites; you can check them out here . Do you have any all-time (or recent) historical fiction favorites that I should add to my outrageously unmanageable to-read list? 01 Apeirogon: A Novel by Colum McCann Apeirogon builds to show how individuals on opposite sides of the Israel-Palestine wall are at heart the same. The first part of the story felt a little slow for me, but I'm so very glad I stuck with this beautiful, powerful, illuminating, and heart-wrenching book. Apeirogon is structured into 1,001 short segments (this sounds overwhelming, but the book doesn't feel that way) in varied points of view surrounding a Palestinian and an Israeli family on two especially fateful days in their lives. Through the scenes here, we see that those on opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and opposite sides of the wall) are at heart the same in their pain, their desires, and their love. The story is 480 pages, and ultimately that felt like an appropriate length for settling into the points of view and experiences that are built over a lifetime. The subject matter is weighty and emotional, and McCann manages to make the story both personal and political, which perfectly suits the subject matter. This is a wonderful book, and I love McCann's thoughtful writing. For my full review of this book, please see Apeirogon . McCann is also the author of Thirteen Ways of Looking, Let the Great World Spin , and other books. 02 The Light After the War by Anita Abriel Vera and Edith are such a complementary WWII partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong young friends. I’m dying to know how closely Anita Abriel’s book traces the inspiring events from her mother’s incredible experiences before, during, and after World War II. The author offers a vivid account of the fear and dread—intermixed with sparks of hope—that sustained Vera and Edith in Hungary and Germany during the war; in Naples as they adjusted to post-war floods of food, fashion, and joy; as they found themselves in more settled situations; and during the evolutions of their careers and love lives. Abriel introduces an enormous shift that shakes things up enormously for both young women before the book’s end. I was completely engrossed. For my full review, please see The Light After the War . 03 The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd This story imagines a wife for Jesus, questions gender roles, and offers adventure. This was a fascinating story from the point of view of an imagined wife for Jesus, including an exploration of gender roles, a reimagined faith, the frustrations of societal expectations for women, great adventure, strong female loyalty and friendship, love, and lots of fantastic details of life at the time. Much of the fever pitch of support and hatred for Jesus occurs when the main character of Ana is off having other experiences (and often-dangerous adventures). This is an intriguing structure for the story: Jesus as a supporting cast member. Jesus's role in Ana's story is as a faithful man who disagrees with the politics of the faith at the time. He primarily serves as a character who cares for, understands, and supports the woman he loves. For my full review of this book, please see The Book of Longings . 04 Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland The backdrop for the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended family is Atlantic City just before WWII, with its giant hotels, piers, and general hubbub. This lovely debut from Rachel Beanland starts off with some rough events, and frankly I had a little bit of a time coping with them because I’d already become attached to the characters. There’s an undercurrent of concern about Hitler and his increasingly punitive behavior toward Jewish families’ businesses and emigration in Germany in Florence Adler Swims Forever . 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. I found that aspect particularly fascinating. For my full review of this book, please see Florence Adler Swims Forever . 05 Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera Although the three interconnected women faced sometimes staggeringly tragic challenges, Spera injects moments of joy and wonderful details of 1924 life in South Carolina. I worried during the first chapter that Gertrude was going to feel like a caricature of a backwoods Southern woman. But she and the other characters were developed fully. Their sparks of joy are often related to their relationships to each other. You can see where one of the storylines is going before the character involved understands it, and it might make your blood boil to see the evil situation go on unchecked. But the details of cooking, strong women's determination to survive, race relations, and life in 1924 South Carolina were wonderful, and I still think about this book although I read it almost a year ago (technically, at the end of last year). For my full review, please see Call Your Daughter Home . 06 The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue Donoghue immersed me so fully in this world that everything else fell away for me. Years after I first read this book, I still think of it often and fondly. Set in Ireland in 1918, The Pull of the Stars follows a nurse, Julia; a doctor, Kathleen; and a young volunteer, Bridie, over the course of three tumultuous days as the fiery, complex, capable women work desperately to help the patients at their understaffed hospital who are about to give birth while suffering from the devastating new influenza. I was hooked by the moment-by-moment health and emotional crises; the women's determined, sometimes desperately creative attempts to preserve lives; and their occasional triumphs. The rest of the world fell away for me as I was reading, and I couldn't wait to get back to this book. The author of the disturbing, fascinating story Room knows how to craft a tale of survival and of finding hope in the most dire situations. For my full review, please see The Pull of the Stars .

I hope you'll also check out the books on my first Greedy Reading List of Six Fantastic Dystopian and referred to in the book's title, there is a captivating, dark, in-between world of floating, nebulous memories

The Summer Favorites These titles aren't classic, light "summer reads," but they were my favorite reads 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 and rom-com titles that are 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 , please 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 read this book years ago and still think of it fondly. 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 .

of the year when I read it. 02 The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell This gem from Mitchell is a set of six David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks  is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises This book is part of my Greedy Reading List Six Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore . This title is part of the Greedy Reading List Six More Books about Brave Female Spies .

In Olive, Again, she ambles through town and reflects on aging, on her life, and especially on memories

Six Favorite Memoir Reads The Bossy memoir love continues! 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 Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad Jaouad offers a powerful memoir about coping

If you like memoirs, you might want to also check out these Bossy Bookworm 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 Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality Have you read any of these books? And which other books should I add to my food memoir to-read list?

These six four-star mysteries are all so good and so different--they were my favorites of the year a French is the author of six Dublin Murder Squad series titles: In the Woods, The Likeness--this is my

Memoir Love! In case you haven’t noticed yet, I have a major thing for memoirs, and I especially love listening to : Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality 01 Leaving the Witness by Amber Scorah In Leaving the Witness

Six Favorite Nonfiction Reads These were my six favorite nonfiction reads from last year: a behind-the-scenes 01 Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic by Sally Gould Gould's memoir of her life as a paramedic is Sally Gould's memoir is named after a darkly humorous term of affection for paramedics in Australia ( In her memoir, Gould explores her early days of uncertainty, moments of panic, scenes of complete disgust might also be interested in Bossy reviews of books involving medical or health elements, or in Bossy memoirs

: literary fiction that's part of an interconnected series; a romantic story about starting over; a memoir review, please check out Evvie Drake Starts Over . 03 When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood Wood's memoir When We Were the Kennedys  is a memoir about grieving deeply, leaning on family and community in a crisis I loved this fantastic memoir! Wood's memoir is heartwarming and funny and tragic and vivid.

If you like books like this, you might also want to check out the Greedy Reading List Six Great Books

Sleuths of a Certain Age I'm a fan of reading mysteries in the fall--I guess this is my version of spooky seasonal reads? Recently I've been enjoying mysteries featuring complex, delightfully seasoned characters. (We could also refer to these as the Black, White, Red, and Navy Blue Covers.) Many of these protagonists are underestimated and overlooked, and they're therefore able to dig into mysteries without attracting as much notice as in their younger years. I took the liberty of including two Deanna Raybourn titles from the same series here; if you haven't read these yet, trust me, you should, and if you have read them, you understand why I had to list both. The Thursday Murder Club and The Martini Club are two other series that fit the bill here, and I listed the first installment in each although I also enjoyed reading the second in each series. And Vera Wong is a series, but I have only read the first book in it--which is included here. You might also like these other Greedy Reading Lists of Bossy mystery favorites. I'd love to hear about your favorite mystery reads! 01 Killers of a Certain Age #1 by Deanna Raybourn This fun, darkly funny, feminist story about a retiring female team of elite assassins was the right book at the right time for me: entertainment in the perfect combination of action and suspense, loyal friendship, clever plotting, and the promise of love. The Museum is an organization that operates outside of governmental control, relying on various trained elite killing forces. Originally formed in order to hunt down and rid the world of lingering Nazis, the Museum's mission has evolved to focus on taking out carefully chosen bad guys of all stripes--drug dealers, human traffickers, arms dealers, and the like. But when four aging Museum friends are sent on an all-expenses-paid vacation to mark their retirement, a Museum associate attempts to do them in. The women realize they may know too much about where the bodies are buried--literally--to be allowed to drift away into the world without a fight. In Killers of a Certain Age, Raybourn has crafted an irresistibly fun, clever, feminist caper that had me hooked the whole way through. I loved the women's complicated bonds, their crafty planning, their fights for justice, and their ability to remain flexible and reinvent themselves. I love a spy/assassin book and a book that treats dark subjects playfully without being silly. For my full review, check out Killers of a Certain Age. Check out the final book in this list to learn more about the second title in this series. 02 Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth I loved the octogenarian main protagonist of Elsie and the darkly funny start to the book. Her heartbreaking history surprised me, as did the revelations at the end of the novel. This was my first Sally Hepworth read but won't be my last. Elsie is an 81-year-old living in a Melbourne suburb, grumbling and mainly keeping to herself, aside from her best friend since childhood, a persistent 7-year-old girl who's determined to befriend her, and Peter, a kind young man across the street who she doesn't mind running into. Delving into Elsie's childhood is heartbreaking. She experienced staggering loss, disappointment, glimmers of hope, and a few key loved ones who anchored her. Her coping mechanisms, which we come to understand, are wrapped in shocking truths. My heart ached for the child she was and all that she endured. Some of the modern-day denouements were surprising, and those, along with the friends-like-family elements, made for an ending I didn't wholly expect. Sally Hepworth is also the author of The Good Sister, Darling Girls, The Mother-in-Law, The Family Next Door, and other books. For more Bossy reads featuring elderly protagonists, check out this link. And for more mysteries, please check out these Bossy titles. For my full review, please see Mad Mabel. 03 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto Sutanto's Vera Wong is playful, brusque, bossy, and connects an unlikely cast of characters, all murder suspects, into a heartwarming friendship that feels like family. Vera Wong is running a largely unvisited tea house, lamenting her grown son's lack of time for her, and grumbling about the new "French" bakery that's just opened down the street in Chinatown. When a dead body shows up in her tea house, Vera takes charge of the investigation of what only she is certain is a murder. Marshall, the deceased, was a petty, obnoxious, verbally abusive, selfish, belittling jackass. As the truth comes out about Marshall's activities and his final evening, it becomes clear that each character has a possible motivation for having offed Marshall, so to Vera, each is a potential killer. She throws dinner parties and facilitates get-together to study her subjects. And along the way, Vera's brusque truth-telling inspires an unlikely group of friends to form a special bond that's more like that of a family. This was absolutely my favorite part of the book. This was a fast read (listen), and while the denouement didn't completely hold together for me and the loose ends were tied up with extreeeeeemely tidy bows, the story was really about the relationships and Vera's coming into her own, and I adored these aspects. Click here for my full review of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. 04 The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) by Tess Gerritsen A former CIA operative retires to small-town Maine--along with other former agents--to live out a quiet existence, until figures from the past roar in to turn everything on its head. Maggie Bird is a retired CIA operative who has made a simple home for herself in rural Maine. She's tried not to make emotional connections and she keeps to herself--old habits from her former life. Then Maggie is visited by someone with knowledge of her past--just before a dead body shows up in her driveway and someone tries to kill Maggie. Unbeknownst to the other citizens in Purity, Maine, the town has drawn multiple former intelligence agents (they make up the "martini club" in the series title). They didn't all work together in their former lives, but they are friends--despite habitual emotional distance--with commonalities in their backgrounds. Now they operate as a team to try to determine who is after Maggie and why. The dogged local acting sheriff, Jo Thibodeau (a great and legit Maine last name), is complicating things, pushing for answers and determined to figure out what's going on. For my full review of this book, please see The Spy Coast. The second book in the series is The Summer Guests. 05 The Thursday Murder Club #1 by Richard Osman I was delighted by the poignancy, humor, and layers in the first installment of this series of stories about sharp, disparate septuagenarians who meet to resolve cold cases--then aim to solve the mysteries of murders occurring in their own community. In this first installment in Osman's mystery series (the second one also appears on this list), the story begins in medias res, as the reader witnesses our key characters--four septuagenarian--coming together for a weekly discussion of unsolved murders. Joyce is their newest member, and the four put their wits to the test to try to resolve cold cases. (They reserve their room as "Jigsaw Club" to discourage others' interest and interruption.) But when a slick local developer associated with their own retirement community is murdered, and other deaths follow, this sharp, funny, grumpy, big-hearted, underestimated group of friends becomes determined to solve the case. Then an event from decades earlier grows in importance and shapes the Club's search for answers. Justice isn't black and white, and motivations matter; the Club isn't set on following the letter of the law, as they appreciate how complicated life can be. I was surprised by how charming, intriguing, layered, and lovely this story was. For my full review, please check out this link. Book two in the series is The Man Who Died Twice. 06 Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2) by Deanna Raybourn Killers of a Certain Age was darkly funny, action-packed, feminist, and friend-focused. I love the second installment's return to my favorite aging assassins and their quick-thinking, spry, deadly answers to those who have broken moral codes--and who have our protagonists in their sights. Kills Well with Others picks up when our main characters, having laid low and lived their own lives for a year, are contacted by the Museum, the elite assassin organization they used to work for. An Eastern European gangster has obtained the names of agents who have stood in his way over the years, and our aging assassins seem likely to be next on his hit list. They must figure out who's turned traitor on the Museum and shared this information--and stay alive long enough to bring them to justice. Kills Well with Others sometimes feels a little bit as though Raybourn is gamely giving her readers what they want (more Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, Natalie--and Tanner!) rather than writing a book she felt compelled to put out into the world. But I'm one of those who are eager for more time with these clever, sometimes grumpy, often spontaneous, satisfyingly quick-thinking assassins who are loyal to each other above all. For my full review, please see Kills Well with Others.

My Favorite Bossy Reads I've read about 70 books so far this year, and these are my six favorites. The Gods of Howl Mountain, and Fallen Land, a title I loved and included in the Greedy Reading List Six childhood and the pivotal events that led up to her cherished stepfather's departure, with revised memories His wife, who suffers from dementia, is in a care center, and his memories of her pop up in painful, In Ridzén's novel, while the past and Bo's many memories begin to become more vivid and realistic to

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six her experiences through her childlike point of view, which allows for a painfully pure set of painful memories

Carey (which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Fantastic Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels

you're intrigued by time-travel stories, you might also like the books on these Greedy Reading Lists: Six Second-Chance, Do-Over, Reliving-Life Stories Six More Riveting Time-Travel Stories to Explore , and Six More Time-Travel Stories to Dive Into . are not real, and that they’re actually mentally ill, suffering from False Memory Syndrome. David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises

More Memoirs I've Loved I find a good memoir irresistible, as evidenced by the bajillions of memoirs : 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 Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality How many memoirs is too many memoirs, you may ask? Which other books should I add to my memoir to-read list?

More Memoirs I've Loved I find a good memoir irresistible, whether it's made up of key moments from the 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 How many memoirs is too many memoirs, you may ask? Dear reader, the limit does not exist! Which other books should I add to my memoir to-read list?

You might also want to chek out the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six More Short Story Collections

You might also be interested in the titles on Greedy Reading Lists including: 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 Turner's story is inspired by her family's memoirs, and her Sarah Prine is a strong woman living on the

Great Rom-Com Reads I've been highlighting recently published romantic novels as well as those I've read in the past year, many of which are still highly in demand. If the library waitlists are feeling interminably long, you might want to check out these great novels published a little longer ago--so they'll be easier to check out. If you've read any of these titles, I'd love to hear what you think! Have you read any other rom-com or romantic novels that you loved? 01 Betting on You by Lynn Painter Lynn Painter delivers funny, charming banter and an opposites-attract tension in this heartwarming rom-com about divorce, trust, blended families, and vulnerability. In Lynn Painter's rom-com Betting on You, rule-following seventeen-year-old Bailey and sarcastic, joking Charlie meet at a fraught moment--they're both leaving Alaska and coping with their parents' divorces. They're polar opposites, and they drive each other crazy. Now they're living in the same hometown again, and, coincidentally, they're about to be working together at a bizarre hotel fun park. When Bailey and Charlie fake date in order to try to thwart the new relationship between Bailey's mom and her always-around boyfriend, Bailey realizes she's got feelings for Charlie. And Charlie's emotionally immature, but he's never let his guard down the way he does with Bailey. Painter delivers charming and funny banter, emotional growth, deep friendship, plausible missteps that keep the couple apart, heart-wrenching moments of vulnerability, and heartwarming looooove. Please click here for my full review of Betting on You. Lynn Painter is the author of another rom-com I adored, Better Than the Movies, as well as Nothing Like the Movies, Happily Never After, Accidentally Amy, Mr. Wrong Number, and other books I haven't yet read. 02 The Rule Book by Sarah Adams This love story about an emotionally sensitive NFL player and his quirky, irresistible female agent is a sweet second-chance romance perfect for light summer reading. Nora Mackenzie is a sports agent who's constantly fighting against misogyny and double standards as one of few women in the field. She's young and hungry--and thrilled that she's about to get her first really big client. But Nora and the client, NFL tight end Derek Pender, were college sweethearts, and Nora abruptly broke things off years ago. They haven't seen each other since. Derek is determined to make Nora so miserable, she'll quit her position as his agent, but Nora's never given up on anything in her life--except her youthful relationship with Derek. She's determined to look out for her career above all else. I love Nora's passion for her career and the single-mindedness that has led to her success. In concept, I also love her quirkiness and refusal to bend to societal pressures--whether by behaving in a more tough manner because she's a woman in a career where fewer women exist, or by using her femininity as a tool in that career. But her silly language and childlike manner grated on me, and I found it distractingly corny. I loved the fake marriage, the push and pull of career and love, and the second-chance romance. Click here for my full review of The Rule Book. 03 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher Lex Croucher's queer medieval rom-com--the author's debut young-adult novel--is an absolute gem; it's full of excellent banter and lots of heart. I smiled while reading this one. “Nobody else is ever going to care as much as you do about the things that you want, Gwendoline. So it's up to you --you can put them aside forever, if you can live with that, or you can put on your big-girl girdle and demand more for yourself.” It's hundreds of years after King Arthur's reign, and his descendant and namesake Arthur, a future lord and committed partier and social butterfly, has long been betrothed to the short-tempered princess Gwendoline. But Gwendoline and Arthur detest each other. And when they're forced to spend the summer together at Camelot to prepare for their upcoming nuptials, it doesn't take long for them to realize that Art has been kissing a boy and that Gwen has a crush on the only female knight in the kingdom. The premise of Lex Croucher's Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is irresistible, the pacing is great, and the banter is excellent--funny dialogue is a favorite element of mine. I adored the voices of the characters and witnessing their growth over the course of the story. Lex Croucher is also the author of Not for the Faint of Heart. For my full review, please see Gwen & Art Are Not in Love. 04 Love, Lists and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz Sarah Grunder Ruiz serves up an irresistible rom-com with great banter and with interesting and difficult, complex issues of loss, grief, and responsibility at its heart. Jo Walker is a yacht stewardess. She fell into the job years ago while trying to find herself--after a youth in which her father died, her mother fell apart, her older sister Beth became pregnant by (and married) her beloved high school sweetheart--and after Jo moved in with the young married couple while she finished high school. But none of Jo's losses or disappointments or life experiences could have prepared her for the horrific, shocking loss of her young nephew Samson, Beth's youngest child (and Jo's birthday twin), in a biking accident. The tension that keeps apart Jo and Alex (a handsome, charming man new to town) feels plausible, and I accepted the difficulties each faces when considering a commitment to the other. I loved the best-friendship with Nina, the messy path of grief, and the imperfect characters all doing their best. I welcomed with open arms the happy ending served up by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. For my full review, please see Love, Lists and Fancy Ships. 05 I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang Ann Liang's newest young adult rom-com pits high school nemeses against each other: one relentless perfectionist and people-pleaser and her effortlessly successful classmate. But neither is as perfect as they seem...except in being perfect for each other. In Ann Liang's I Hope This Doesn't Find You, Sadie Wren is perfect...on paper. She's valedictorian, school captain, and a model student. Sadie's one vice is writing scathing, no-holds-barred email drafts. She never sends them, but crafting the furious hypothetical replies to anyone who is frustrating her is helpfully cathartic. That is, until everyone--from her co-captain to her teachers to her classmates--knows how shockingly blunt the "real" Sadie is. And the only one who seems to embrace her accidental show of full honesty is her longtime nemesis, Julius. This young adult story is sweet and fun; the pacing often feels somewhat slapstick and frantic--as is the relentlessly ambitious, over-the-top super-pleaser Sadie herself. The feeling settles down when she finally begins to explore her feelings for Julius in a wonderfully sweet and romantic set of exchanges that feels all too brief. The vulnerability that Sadie and Julius allow each other to see at long last was lovely. Ann Liang is also the author of the wonderful fake-dating young adult novel This Time It's Real, as well as A Song to Drown Rivers and other titles. For my full review, check out I Hope This Doesn't Find You. 06 Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Just for the Summer is another Jimenez story with wonderful banter and a romantic connection that's anchored in and shaped by incredibly complicated life circumstances. Abby Jimenez is wonderful at crafting a satisfying romance that's anchored in serious issues, and in Just for the Summer, she offers up an irresistible rom-com premise with weighty, messy, real-life-imperfect conflicts galore. Justin and Emma are strangers, but they both seem to have the same curse: after they break up with someone, the next person that person dates ends up being their soulmate. A Reddit thread and unlikely coincidences bring Justin and Emma into contact, and their initial spark is undeniable. The conflicts that repeatedly keep Emma and Justin from their happy-ever-after feel plausibly limiting, yet their affection and banter are adorable, and their inability to overcome the obstacles in their way is heartbreaking. I think Emma's best friend Maddy probably needs her own book (a la Christina Lauren's fantastic True Love Experiment spinoff for best friend Fizzy). I listened to Just for the Summer as an audiobook. Jimenez is also the author of The Night We Met, Part of Your World, Yours Truly, The Friend Zone, and The Happy-Ever-After Playlist. For my full review, please see Just for the Summer.

mentioned the series, which is set in Russia and has a dark fairy-tale tone, in the Greedy Reading List Six a book that frankly would stand alone beautifully, but instead, luckily for us, it begins Turner's six-book These six books were published over a period of almost twenty-five years, and the story trail traces

Six Bossy Romance Favorites I've got a few more lists up my sleeve as I continue taking stock of my reading Novels Perfect for Savoring Summer's Last Gasp Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading Six of My Favorite Light Fictions Reads of the Past Year Six More Reading Six More Great Light Fiction Stories Six of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of the Year, and Six More They're both currently on Georgia's tiny Little Crescent Island, vying to become the memoir author for

Six Favorite Fantasy Reads This is the first of three fantasy-favorite lists I'll have for you as I mine

historical fiction, you might also like to take a look at the books I listed on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West , Six Historical Fiction F avorites , Six Historical Fiction Mysteries Sure to Intrigue You , and Six Great Historical Fiction Stories about the If this book sounds down your alley, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Great historical fiction set during World War II, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six

My first Greedy Reading List on this topic was Six Books about Brave Female Spies . brave women during wartime, you might also like the titles I listed on the recent Greedy Reading List Six If you do too, you might want to check out the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Macintyre also wrote the fantastic Spy and the Traitor , which was one of my Six Favorite Nonfiction Books of the Year the year I read it and which I also listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Compelling

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

Six Favorite Contemporary Fiction Reads I love looking over my favorite reads from the past year and

Six Great Australian Reads Fridays are for highlighting books I've loved, and I have a thing for books second chances take shape, a little retribution, and an attempt at a changed existence—but the haunting memories I listed this book in the Greedy Reading List The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year .

Six Great Bossy Mystery Reads I didn't read as many mysteries last year as I typically do, but here are six of my favorites. story structure, dark humor, and deeply flawed characters as main protagonist Lucy works to resolve her memory I mentioned Rene Denfeld's great book The Child Finder  in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to

but one are fiction as well, although multiple books listed are based on real figures from history: Six about brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the Greedy Reading List Six

Six More Favorite Contemporary Fiction Reads This is the second of three contemporary fiction lists I'll Ivey is also the author of To the Bright Edge of the World , which I listed in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to Read in  the Heat of Summer , and The Snow Child , which I included in the list Six

Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read some entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic fantasy Black's The Queen of Nothing ; I mentioned the great Folk of the Air trilogy in the Greedy Reading List Six

Six More Favorite Fantasy Reads This is the second of three fantasy-favorite lists I'll have for you I listed Amina in the Greedy Reading List Six Four-Star (and Up) Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads I

Six More Favorite Bossy Mystery Reads I love looking over my favorite reads from the past twelve months Favorite Bossy 2025 Reads to find out about my overall favorite reads from last year, you can read about Six Maureen Johnson is the author of the six-book Truly Devious young adult mystery series: Truly Devious She has a perfect memory: she's able to recall events, surroundings, and information down to the finest She is found face down and unconscious in Prospect Park, with no memory of what has occurred . Dr.