RECOMMENDED READS

CLOSE CALL, Elise Hart Kipness

In a hard-hitting thriller from the author of Lights Out and Dangerous Play, reporter Kate Green courts danger once again when the famous subject of her next story is kidnapped during the US Open.

With a hard-won Emmy now gracing her mantel, sports reporter and former Olympian Kate Green turns her energy to the action unfolding in Flushing Meadows. Working on a feature for her weekly TV show, she spotlights two of today’s biggest female tennis stars: the sunny up-and-comer and the brash veteran. But the project goes sideways when one turns up missing.

Following an interview with Kate, one player receives a sinister text with a disturbing photo of the other woman, bound and gagged. Kate calls on her estranged father, an NYPD detective, for help in launching a search. Although wary he’s hiding something, she’s not sure where else to turn.

Their investigation leads to the victim’s hometown—and a growing list of suspects. The kidnapper threatens to spill secrets that could destroy lives. Tangled up in a deadly web of deceit, Kate races to connect the dots and find the missing player…before it’s too late.

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 WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK? Sarah Hamdan

Mia’s secret comedy career, forbidden office crush, and a long-guarded family secret take center stage, threatening her newfound confidence and her one shot at fame in this hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Etaf Rum.

Mia Almas has a secret. By day, she works at a respectable job as a media fact checker—a position her conservative, Arab grandparents approve of—and, by night, she takes to the stages of New York City comedy clubs. She holds herself back in a lot of ways, especially in the romance department, but being on stage lights her up and makes being a wallflower the rest of the time more bearable. That is, until Phaedra, her stylish and bold new neighbor, inspires Mia to take a few risks.

As Mia pursues a forbidden romance with her boss, her standup gets better and bolder, leading to a surprise spotlight that exposes her secret gig. Horrified and worried that her rebellious act could mean big consequences for her reserved Palestinian-American family, Mia frantically dives into damage control. But all of her efforts to pull back from the spotlight expose a family scandal from the 1940s that could change everything…

Equal parts funny and tender, What Will People Think? is a heart-bursting exploration of what it means to discover and embrace the hidden parts of yourself, and how love in all forms can make you whole.

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1666, Lora Chilton

The Survival Story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia told through the lives of two women

The survival story of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia has been remembered within the tribe for generations, but the massacre of Patawomeck men and the enslavement of women and children by land hungry colonists in 1666 has been mostly unknown outside of the tribe until now. Author Lora Chilton, a member of the tribe through the lineage of her father, has created this powerful fictional retelling.

Told in first person point of view through the imagined lives of two women, Chilton tells the harrowing stories of Ah’SaWei WaTaPaAnTam (Golden Fawn) and NePa’WeXo (Shining Moon), members of the surviving Patawomeck tribe, who after the slaughter of their men were sold and transported to Barbados via slave ship. Separated and bought by different sugar plantations, they endured, each plotting their escapes before finally making their way back to Virginia to be reunited with the few members of the tribe that remained.

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PRONE TO WANDER, Suzanne LaVenture

Prone to Wander is a poignant and humorous memoir that details the life of a woman yearning for adventure and meaning. From her sheltered upbringing as the Bible drill champion of her southern Baptist Church to her college semester abroad in Colombia, Suzie begins to learn to challenge her own beliefs through a life dedicated to travel. In her bold explorations around the globe in more than forty countries, Suzanne’s story delves into the complexities of love, faith, and the mysteries that connect us all. From the bustling streets of Bogotá to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, she experiences the transformational power of travel, love, and self-discovery. The author’s vivid storytelling and insightful reflections make this memoir a captivating read for anyone seeking inspiration and a deeper understanding of the human experience.

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Fine, I’m a Terrible Person, Lisa F. Rosenberg

This funny mother-daughter caper story stars 73-year-old, overweight former beauty, Aurora, who is a perpetually broke, eccentric divorcee living in the wealthy enclave of Marin County. When Aurora discovers her father’s widow has died, she decides to drive to Los Angeles to see if this means money for her.

Enter Aurora’s high-strung and estranged daughter, 43-year-old Leyla, who spends her days keeping up with the other Marin uber-moms, manically pursuing perfection. When she overhears a conversation and suspects her husband is embarking on an affair, she decides to sneak into a Cannabis business conference he is attending, also in LA, to spy on him.

Aurora and Leyla’s separate quests simultaneously intersect and enmesh in Los Angeles over the course of a weekend provoking hijinks and chaos, and yes, even some healing.

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THE SECRET LIBRARY OF HANNA REEVES, Christine Nolfi

An antiques dealer and an enigmatic heiress embark on a revelatory friendship in a haunting and hopeful novel about family ties, secrets, and belonging by the bestselling author of A Heart Like Home.

Cautious Claire Shelton, employee at a Maine antique shop, is surprised when she’s recruited to catalog the treasures of reclusive Hanna Reeves, sole descendant of the state’s most colorful shipbuilders and industrialists. Hanna’s retreat from society years ago is just one of many mysteries behind the walls of Rose Hill, her fabled estate.

Settling into Rose Hill’s carriage house, Claire finds Hanna, nearing eighty, to be a still-formidable woman. She’s demanding, judgmental, and protective of a mansion that is a veritable shrine to her ancestors. Then, diving into her work, Claire discovers a hidden library that is the stuff of legend among locals. An avid booklover, Claire is in heaven. More enthralling are Hanna’s leather-bound family journals that open Claire up to the past—and soon forge a rich and unexpected bond between two very different women.

A legacy is coming to light. All of Maine is talking. Because the revelations in the journals are enlightening enough to unite old friends, lovers, and families. And shocking enough to tear them apart forever.

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JILL’S NOT HAPPY, Kaira Rouda

Bonfire of the Vanities meets War of the Roses in this latest thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Next Wife, in which an ill-fated road trip resurrects a married couple’s darkest secrets.

Some secrets keep a couple together.

If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect.

Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.

But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.

So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife—think Ripley in yoga pants—and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has.

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Whispers from the Wardrobe Women’s Tales Woven in Fabric, Amal Hdhili

In the quiet corners of every woman’s closet lies a universe of untold tales, where each item, accessory, and memento whispers secrets of her life’s journey.
“Whispers from the Wardrobe ” invites you to step into this intimate kingdom, where the threads of memory merge with the fabric of identity, knitting a collage of stories that go beyond time and space.
Every item within a woman’s closet holds a fragment of her narrative—a cherished memory, a forgotten dream, a hidden desire. From the worn-out sneakers that witnessed her first steps towards independence to the glowing dress that symbolizes her aspirations, each piece serves as a silent witness to the complexities of her existence.

In this book, we embark on a captivating journey through the closets of countless women, each chapter revealing a new story shaped by the artifacts within. Here, you’ll encounter the entrepreneur whose power suit masks her vulnerability, the artist whose paint-stained smock uncovers her deepest passions, and the grandmother whose over-worn sweater is a reflection to a lifetime of love and sacrifice.

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UNDER WATER, Rachel Callaghan

Callaghan’s attention to historical accuracy is impressive throughout… [A]n engaging epic about loss, loneliness, and desire that perfectly encapsulates relatable human struggles.” ~Kirkus Reviews

Submerged beneath layers of history lies a long-ago buried secret.

During the pandemic lockdown, Iris Pearl impulsively relocates her dulling marriage across the country in a bid to revive it. But renovating their Prerevolutionary Pennsylvania homestead gives Iris more than she bargained for when she makes a gruesome discovery, one that hurtles her and Benny’s haunted past to the present.

Iris is desperately consumed by the desire to know what happened on her property over a century and a half earlier. Her search leads her to Irish immigrant Aoife Sprigett, the wife of Union soldier William. The further she digs into the mystery of Aoife’s fate, the deeper she reaches into her own secret history.

While William serves in the Civil War, Aoife struggles to uphold her vow to maintain their livelihood, their farm, during his absence. Aoife’s only companion is their hired help, Thomas Walker, a freeborn black laborer. Aoife and Thomas develop a warm friendship as they toil side by side in the fields. Together, Aoife and Thomas sow deep seeds that bear deep-rooted
consequences, which are now coming to light.

Will unearthing the truth behind Aoife’s tragic past, which so closely parallels Iris’s own, free her and Benny from their marriage’s haunted history, or will revisiting that dark time destroy it?

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DEAR BOBBY: MY GRIEF JOUIRNEY, Diane Papalia Zappa

In Dear Bobby, Diane Papalia Zappa describes the loss of her beloved husband after three short years of marriage. She talks about her own grieving process and outlines ways that can help others cope. The centerpiece of this book is a collection of several “Dear Bobby” letters that helped Diane process her grief and reestablish her relationship with her husband. She offers several writing prompts to encourage readers to begin their own writing journey. Diane also includes a helpful selection of resources—books about death, grief, and the afterlife; films with afterlife themes; and support groups for those who are grieving.

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THE MARRIAGE DEBT, Christina Consolino

Sex is never just about sex.

From the outside, Nika Stewart’s life looks perfect: two loving kids, a fulfilling job as an elementary-school librarian, and a wonderful second marriage to Ethan, her sexy husband. The only problem? She doesn’t want to have sex with him.

Maybe it’s the harrowing hot flashes and formidable fatigue, or maybe it’s trying to juggle a weed-junkie dad, an onerous stepsister, and the avalanche of responsibilities that have left sex just another chore to cross off the to-do list.

When an honest conversation with her best friend leaves Nika worried her aversion to sex might drive Ethan away, she begrudgingly agrees to see a sex therapist. But as the sessions go on, Nika discovers that talking about sex with a therapist isn’t the same as facing the problem with her husband and that sex with Ethan might not be the only problem after all.

Filled with humor, candor, and at least one pair of role-playing chaps, The Marriage Debt examines the hard truths about sex that overbooked women face in their forties, as well as the joys still to come once a woman knows who she is and how to ask for what she wants.

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TWICE THE FAMILY, A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood, Julie Ryan McGue

Growing up as an adoptee and identical twin, Julie McGue will take you on her journey for identity and individuality, searching for answers through tragedy and adversity.

“A heartfelt exploration of connection, community, and the unbreakable bond between sisters . . . Her journey beautifully reminds us of the strength we find within ourselves as we seek to uncover where we truly belong.”— Simone Knego, author of The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You

In this coming-of-age memoir, set in Chicago’s western suburbs between the 1960s and ’80s, adopted twins Julie and Jenny provide their parents with an instant family. Their sisterly bond holds tight as the two strive for identity, individuality, and belonging. But as Julie’s parents continue adding children to the family, some painful and tragic experiences test family values, parental relationships, and sibling bonds.

Faced with these hurdles, Julie questions everything—who she is, how she fits in, her adoption circumstances, her faith, and her idea of family. But the life her parents have constructed is not one she wants for herself—and as she matures, she recognizes how the experiences that formed her have provided her a road map for the person and mother she wants to be.

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WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW, Beverly Burch

One contrary ghost, two women, three triangles, four children: What You Don’t Know is a bisexual love story from the Music City, the Blueridge Mountains and the Bay Area.

Chloe, beautiful, whip-smart, flees a difficult childhood and sexual betrayal to the Bay Area where she falls in love with a woman. Afraid of this love, she devotes herself to making money instead. At 29 she moves to Nashville and meets Peter, a producer whose wife Angie recently died. Angie still seems to be around though, quietly coaching Chloe about Peter and helping her twin sister Rosie through grief. Rosie is devastated by the loss of Angie and dislikes Chloe immediately, that is, until she becomes intrigued by her. After Chloe marries Peter, their relationship grows close, displeasing Angie. Chloe realizes she’s in love with Rosie, creating yet another triangle. A terrible accident ensues that upends everyone’s lives again, but bringing Chloe home to her true desires.

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Adventures on Land and Sea: Searching for Culinary Pleasures in Provence and along the Cote d’Azur (Savoring the Olde Ways Series, Book 4), Carole Bumpus

Fans of Peter Mayle and Janine Marsh will enjoy this exploration of medieval villages, cultures, and recipes of France’s Provence. This travelogue is Book 4 in the author’s best-selling series, which has won the IPPY gold medal for Best Culinary Travel Series.

Join Carole Bumpus, her husband, Winston, and their friends in Book Four of Savoring the Olde Ways, her culinary-travel series. Following in the footsteps of writer Peter Mayle, Bumpus is on a quest to find the real Provençe. On three separate excursions—from Nice to Nîmes, Moustiers to Marseilles, and San Tropez to San Remy—and while sailing along the Côte d’Azur, she invites you to join her in uncovering the mysteries of Provençe. Are they hidden within their myths, festivals, or traditions? Is it possible they’re veiled in the sheer beauty of the land and sea? Could they be concealed in Roman arenas in Arles, Orange, or Glanum? Or, perhaps, within the ancient methods of traditional cooking or winemaking? Maybe they are hidden in plain sight among the locals who open their hearts, their bistros, and homes to strangers.

Yes, you may find it in chefs while cooking in ancient kitchens, in the smile of the shy barmaid who speaks no English, in the giggle of the Pizza Wagon baby, in the agreeable village baker, or in the patient waiter and harbor master—but you will most especially experience it through friends who fling open their doors to share their families’ recipes. Traveling alongside Bumpus, that is where you’ll discover the real Provençe.

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HIGHER LOVE,  Joanne Kukanza Easley

Higher Love—a captivating new novel from Joanne Kukanza Easley, the multi-award-winning author of Sweet Jane, Just One Look, and I’ll Be Seeing You.

Set against the eclectic backdrop of Austin, Texas, in 1986, Higher Love introduces sixteen-year-old Stephanie, a teenager scarred by a turbulent past, who steps into the quiet life of sixty-two-year-old Lauren, her uncanny resemblance cracking open a buried past. Stephanie claims to be the granddaughter Lauren never knew—the daughter of the child she relinquished for adoption forty-five years earlier. Her arrival disrupts Lauren’s carefully rebuilt world, already strained by her recent remarriage to Brett after years of separation. Reeling from the revelation that her adoptive grandmother hid the truth about her mother’s adoption, Stephanie carries the weight of tragedy and self-harm, yet her vulnerability forges an unexpected, fragile bond with Lauren and Brett, two people grappling with their own regrets.

As Stephanie integrates into their lives, her aspirations for college are shattered when the 1987 stock market crash obliterates her trust fund, leaving her future in jeopardy. For Lauren, haunted by the loss of her child decades earlier, Stephanie represents a chance to rewrite her story. Fueled by fierce, unconditional love, Lauren sacrifices her financial security and emotional reserves to give Stephanie a path forward only to face a bittersweet twist that echoes the past and changes everything, reshaping their understanding of family, trust, and forgiveness in profound, lasting ways.

Higher Love is a sweeping, heart-wrenching family drama that explores the enduring weight of secrets and the transformative power of love. Through its richly drawn characters, the story delves into the courage it takes to face painful truths, the resilience found in embracing the present, and the unexpected joy of building a family from broken pieces. At its core, Higher Love celebrates the messy, redemptive beauty of human relationships, delivering a deeply moving tale of loss, healing, and the unbreakable bonds that define us.

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FALLOUT, Jordan Rosenfeld

Journalist Justine Goodman, stifled by new motherhood, surrenders to an obsession with Project Nemesis—an all-women group of eco-anarchists set on dismantling dirty energy companies. She risks everything to gain entry into their inner circle, but tragedy strikes before she can even begin to savor her involvement.

Zoe Rasmussen, wearied by her role as energy magnate Phil Rasmussen’s wife, clings unhappily to her situation for her daughter’s sake. When grief-stricken Justine, armed and unhinged, appears with a demand, Zoe is torn between terror and excitement. But Justine’s actions have unwittingly attracted dangerous forces, and as these women hurtle towards collision, they each face the choice: uphold what’s right, or risk shattering their lives.

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MARY, MARY, D.L. Sletten

Mary lives a simple life, so why are people dying around her?

Mary Westin is either seeing things or going insane. Her boring life has been turned upside-down by the murders happening around her. And if she doesn’t find a way to prove her innocence soon, she will spend the rest of her life in prison.

What happens when a plain, everyday woman suddenly becomes a murder suspect? Mary finds out soon enough when her ex-husband is murdered, and then her boss. Then, family secrets are revealed to Mary, complicating her life further. Who is the person imitating her, and who’s sending the creepy messages? And why?

When Detective Ryan Hodges arrives on the scene to investigate the murders, Mary is thankful that someone finally believes she’s not a killer. But all the evidence points directly at Mary. The scariest thought of all for Mary is that maybe no one is following her or committing the murders. Maybe Mary has finally lost her mind.

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FLOATING UNDERWATER, Tracy Shawn

Part psychological fiction and part mystical fiction with a dash of magical realism, Floating Underwater follows a woman’s astonishing journey through the extraordinary and, ultimately, to her own self-actualization and power.

Fearful that her lifelong premonitions not only predict the future but can also change its very course, Paloma Leary is devastated when her latest vision predicting a third miscarriage comes true.

Falling into a mystifying world of increasingly bizarre phenomena, including a psychic connection with her mysterious neighbor, out-of-body experiences, and visits from her long-dead mother, Paloma grows desperate for answers. She is also desperate to start a family. But when a life-changing vision reveals a tragic secret from the past, Paloma learns to accept her gifts and embraces a far different future than she ever could have imagined.

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COLD WAR IN A HOT KITCHEN

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Unraveling the Knots: A Sister’s Relentless Fight for Justice in the Murder of Rebecca Zahau, Mary Zahau-Loehner

Convinced that Rebecca Zahau’s death was not a suicide, her sister vowed to unravel the truth—no matter the cost.

Unraveling the Knots is the gripping true story of Rebecca Zahau, a vibrant woman whose tragic death in 2011 ignited her family’s relentless pursuit of justice. After Rebecca was found hanged at her millionaire boyfriend’s mansion, authorities quickly labeled her death a suicide, a conclusion her grieving sister, Mary, vehemently refused to accept.

Over the next decade, Mary embarked on a crusade for the truth. Undeterred by setbacks and the immense pressure from the powerful Shacknai family, she meticulously investigated the case, uncovering shocking evidence of a botched investigation and undeniable proof that her sister was murdered.

This is a poignant and unflinching account of a sister’s unwavering love, a family’s fight against injustice, and the enduring impact of a life tragically cut short. With court transcripts, autopsy reports, never-before-seen photos, and more, Mary shares Rebecca’s inspiring story in unprecedented detail, from her days as a young girl in Burma to her last moments in Southern California. As Mary considers her sister’s devastating death, along with a shocking diagnosis of her own, she must confront her grief and the fleeting nature of life. Unraveling the Knots is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of truth.

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