Reading With Rochelle Weinstein: November
Hello Readers & Friends,
As November comes to a close, it’s the time of year for gratitude. Gratitude doesn’t need be to sweeping or monumental. It can be simple pleasures, connections, or kind words from a stranger. I’m grateful for a lot this year and that includes books.
This month’s round-up promises to captivate and keep you flipping pages, reminding you of what’s important and how books are the best gift you can give yourself.
Signal Fires, Dani Shapiro, Hardcover
Everything changes after three teenagers are out drinking and one gets behind the wheel of a car.
What to expect: A gripping novel of family secrets and the many ways in which we grieve. Shapiro is back—better than ever.
Fairy Tale, Stephen King, Audible
King is back with a seventeen-year-old boy who lands in a parallel universe fighting off good and evil.
What to expect: King’s original storytelling that doesn’t feel forced or far-reaching, an ordinary boy in an extraordinary world, and many, many pages!
The Sunshine Girls, Molly Fader, Kindle ARC
At their mother’s funeral, no one is more surprised than sisters, Abbie and Clara, when famous movie star Kitty Devereaux appears with their mother’s secrets.
What to expect: Beaches meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, well-plotted story of female friendships and their power and sacrifice.
Available 12/6/22
Snap Out of It: A Novel, Maddie Dawson, Kindle ARC
Billie Slate’s new job as the Heartbreak Bunny means she wants the broken-hearted to just “snap out of it.” Dressed in a bunny costume, she helps the lovesick rid themselves of their exes’ memorabilia.
What to expect: Don’t let the bunny fool you. This is a heartfelt read with Maddie’s magic and stardust with rich layers and a satisfying conclusion.
Available 1/3/23
One Summer in Savannah: A Novel, Terah Shelton Harris, ARC
Sara Lancaster returns home, fending off the memory of the assault that led to her pregnancy. With her attacker in prison, she begins an extraordinary friendship with his identical twin brother, Jacob.
What to expect: A provocative debut that’s beautifully written, absorbing, and brimming with emotion and insight. A poignant, touching, and timely novel that asks the question: what does it mean to truly forgive?
Available 7/11/23
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, Michelle Zauner, Audible
This Korean American rocker shares the journey of losing her mother while finding her identity.
What to expect: Moving memoir with equal parts humor and heart. Zauner’s grief is palpable and will resonate with anyone who has lost a mother.
The Personal Assistant: A Novel, Kimberly Belle, Softcover ARC
Alex, the well-known mommy-blogger with a million followers, finds herself in a web of mystery and secrets when a post goes viral—for the wrong reasons—and her assistant goes missing.
What to expect: Belle kept me guessing until the very end. Suspenseful, twisty thriller.
Available 11/29/22
The Bookstore Sisters: A Short Story, Alice Hoffman, Audible
A thoughtful story of two sisters finding their way back home.
What to expect: Hoffman’s captivating writing, the world of books and the bonds they create, moving forward from the past, and a dog named Hank.
Uncharted Waters, Sally Hepworth, Audible
Two strangers on a luxury yacht find they have much in common when an icebreaker, “speak your truth,” sends them on a twisty (and sexy) tale of betrayal and forgiveness.
What to expect: A quick, entertaining short story, the first in the Getaway series. Hepworth’s signature, suspenseful storytelling. The open-ended conclusion leaves much to the reader’s imagination.
The Last Romantics: A Novel, Tara Conklin, Audible
The Skinner children, Renee, Carolina, Joe, and Fiona, are drawn together and apart by family pain, grief, betrayal, and the tender sibling bonds.
What to expect: I was late to the party on this one but immediately drawn to the four children (especially Fiona) as I am the baby of four. Conklin’s writing is exquisite. The story is evocative and moving, capturing the complexities and nuances of family.
Can’t Look Away: A Novel, Carola Lovering, Hardcover
Molly’s moved on from first love Jake, now married to husband Hunter, and living in the suburbs. But when Sabrina moves to the neighborhood, she brings forth a web of twists and turns and secrets.
What to expect: It’s always a single sitting read when I grab Lovering’s books. She pulls you in! This page-tuner is part love story and other part thriller. Lovers of music will be drawn in.
The Back Nine, Rachel Blaufeld, Softcover ARC
Jamie “James” Silver and Ford Conway have a complicated past, but when they reunite after years apart, the connection is palpable.
What to expect: Fans of E.L. James will enjoy this sexy, contemporary romance. Blaufeld writes a sultry and seductive, second chance love story.
Releases 1/10/23
The Last Rose of Shanghai: A Novel, Weina Dai Randel, Audible
A heart-wrenching tale of love between a Shanghai heiress and a Jewish refugee during World War II.
What to expect: Weina’s lyrical writing. An immersive historical read with two protagonists who will capture your heart.
Goodnight From Paris, Jane Healey, Softcover ARC
Inspired by a true story, American film star Drue Leyton takes on the role of her career in Nazi-occupied France as a leader in the resistance.
What to expect: A film actress using her talent and bravery to broadcast the situation in France to American listeners. A story of love, friendship, and redemption, Healey’s heavily researched novel is bound to captivate historical fiction fans.
Available 3/7/23
So many good ones! Happy Reading. I’m grateful for all of you.
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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