Reading With Rochelle Weinstein: February
Hello Readers & Friends,
February went by in a blink, but there was plenty of time for reading. This month’s round-up includes something for everyone: Dads and sons, rock and roll, complicated families, another hit by my new favorite author, a beautifully written debut, and many more to add to your TBR. I hope you enjoy.
The World Played Chess, Robert Dugoni, Audible
Seventeen-year-old Vincent spends his last summer before college working alongside two Vietnam veterans. Forty years later, the lessons from that summer prepare him as his own son leaves home.
Recommended by: My beloved mother’s BFF Barbara Dundee
What to expect: Let me just make this very simple. Every father of sons needs to read this book, and every son needs to read it alongside him. Brilliant, beautiful, and bittersweet.
No Two Persons, Erica Bauermeister, NetGalley eBook
A single book, Theo, passes through many different readers’ hands, touching each one in a unique, provocative way.
Recommended by: Good Book Fairy
What to expect: Including my NetGalley review here. Author Erica Bauermeister has brilliantly captured the mind of a writer and how stories connect and influence us. There were so many beautiful phrases—flawless writing—it was hard not to feel every word. Few authors master the exploration and complexities of the human condition, but Bauermeister does both. She pulls the readers and threads together in a conclusion that leaves you wanting more.
Available May 2, 2023
The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana, Jennifer Banash, Paperback ARC
Rolling Stone reporter Kayla McCray investigates the death of Ava Arcana through her best friend and music superstar, Lexi Mayhem. Did the young girl kill herself or was her death the result of something more sinister?
Recommended by: Katie Kurtzman
What to expect: A fast-paced, entertaining story with compelling, complex characters. A perfect escape read.
Available March 1, 2023 for FREE to Amazon Prime members or April 1, 2023
Pineapple Street, Jenny Jackson, NetGalley eBook
The story follows the super-wealthy Stockton family, Georgina, in love with a man she can never have, Darley, the daughter who gave up her fortune so her husband wouldn’t have to sign a pre-nup, and Sasha, the outsider, who marries brother Cord.
Recommended by: Beauty and The Book
What to expect: From my NetGalley review: Jackson’s keen, perceptive eye, follows the trappings of great wealth, what it means to be a “good” person, and how to belong in a family that’s not your own. Her brilliant and hilarious prose will draw readers into the world of the 1% and have them missing these characters long after the last page. A treasure of a novel.
Available March 7, 2023
Really Good, Actually, Monica Heisey, Audible
One woman’s road to happiness and healing after her 608-day marriage comes to an end.
Recommended by: I saw this book everywhere!
What to expect: Humor and relatability from this comedian, essayist, and screenwriter.
If You Want To Make God Laugh, Bianca Marais, Audible
Ruth, Delilah, and Zodwa, three women brought together by a baby in post-apartheid South Africa.
Recommended by: After I read Hum if You Don’t Know The Words recommended by Good Book Fairy, I had to devour Marais’ backlist.
What to expect: Special appearances by Hum characters and audible narration that really brought the story to life. And of course, Marais’ perfect storytelling.
Halfway To You, Jennifer Gold, Paperback ARC
The story of podcaster Maggie as she uncovers the truths and secrets behind Ann Fawke’s bestselling book, Chasing Shadows.
Recommended by: Saw it on author’s socials!
What to expect: Friendship, fate, and forgiveness set against stunning backdrops and unbeatable odds. A big surprise at the end. The rich emotions that Jennifer Gold is best known for.
Available March 1, 2023 for FREE to Amazon Prime members or April 1, 2023
Call The Canaries Home, Laura Barrow, Paperback ARC
As three sisters move closer toward the truth of their missing sibling, they discover the deeper truths about themselves.
Recommended by: Lake Union Publishing
What to expect: An impressive debut that tackles the delicate and redemptive relationship between sisters. Touching and heartfelt with a bittersweet, albeit satisfying conclusion.
Available 7/1/23
Don’t Forget To Write, Sara Goodman Confino, Paperback ARC
Twenty-year-old Marilyn is shipped off to her feisty great-aunt Ada after shaming her parents in, of all places, synagogue. During this summer of penance, these strong-willed women form an unlikely bond while defining their terms and creating their own stories.
Recommended by: Have you not seen this woman’s social media? Or read her former books?
What to expect: A hilarious and heartwarming read rife with matchmaking, Frank Sinatra, and a coveted red lipstick. An absolute delight!
Available August 15, 2023
I Have Some Questions For You, Rebecca Mekkai, Audible
Film professor and podcaster Bodie Kane returns to her New Hampshire boarding school where she’s drawn inside the mystery of her former roommate’s death.
Recommended by: Release-day buzz.
What to expect: Mekkai writes a brilliant exploration of this decades old mystery while examining high school in the nineties, social issues, and the accuracy of our deepest memories.
What are you waiting for? Add these babies to your TBR and start reading!
Rochelle
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Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of six women’s fiction novels. Rochelle spent her early years, always with a book in hand, raised by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Judy Blume. A former entertainment industry executive, she splits her time between sunny South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. When she’s not writing, Rochelle can be found on NBC 6 in the Mix sharing book recommendations, teaching workshops at Nova Southeastern University, hiking, reading, and finding the world’s best nachos. Her seventh novel, What You Do Me, releases October 2023. Please visit her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or subscribe to her newsletter at www.rochelleweinstein.com.
Category: On Writing
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