August: Reading With Rochelle Weinstein
Hello Readers & Friends,
North Carolina is a memory, and we’re back in Miami where the days alternate between steamy sun and lots of afternoon showers. But who minds the rain when you have a great book on hand? Here’s what I read in August…all that plus edits for We Are Made of Stars! Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on deck…the latest from Barbara Davis, Susan Rieger, Colleen Oakley, and Marilyn Simon Rothstein. For now, check these out.
Songs For the Brokenhearted, Ayelet Tsabari
When her mother dies, a Yemeni Israeli woman living in New York returns to Israel on a journey to uncover her past and her mother’s secret romance.
What to expect: Tsabari’s debut marks a talented literary voice. A dual timeline capturing forbidden love and a woman, her identity, and the unbreakable bonds between mother and daughter.
Available September 10
A Good Indian Girl, Mansi Shah
Unemployed and divorced, Indian-American Jyoti flees to Italy for the summer and a delicious journey of self-discovery.
What to expect: Shah creates a scrumptious backdrop with her descriptions of food (and Italy). A moving story of conformity and culture, family and friendship.
Available Now
Cave of Secrets, Lynne Golodner
While hiking in Scotland, Eve Waldman finds a journal detailing the illicit affair of two Jewish lovers, but what will it mean for the relationship she hopes to pursue with Mac Monteith?
What to expect: Golodner’s well-drawn out emotional tale touches on relevant and timely topics of homophobia and antisemitism. Sprinkle some magical realism, a gorgeous Scottish landscape, and the enduring power of true love.
Available Now
Blue Sisters, Coco Mellors
The Blue Sisters, Bonnie, Avery, and Lucky, mourn the loss of their sister Nicky.
What to expect: A character-driven study of sisters and the demons and addictions that connect and divide. Mellors is a gifted writer—you can feel these characters deeply.
Available Now
How to Hide in Plain Sight, Emma Noyes
Eliot struggles with persistent, obsessive thoughts, hiding her secret from all those she loves. Now she’s returned home for a family wedding and must face the dysfunction and complexities while reuniting with her best friend Manuel.
What to expect: Noyes writes from experience, and the heart wrenching depictions of OCD are real and raw. Manuel’s love and commitment to Eliot made me cry. This book made me cry. So much depth. So much pain living with a dysfunctional family, but so much joy in hope and forgiveness.
Available September 10
The Wedding People, Alison Espach
Phoebe arrives empty-handed at the Cornwall Inn in her green dress and gold sandals prepared to end her life. Instead, she finds herself in the midst of a massive wedding and a bride who has other plans for her.
What to expect: A tough subject, but Espach tackles it with so much grace. Truly an uplifting and inspirational tale. Espach captures strangers becoming friends, the power of human kindness, and how connections make us feel alive.
Available Now
House of Glass, Sarah Pekkanen
A lawyer must uncover who killed the golden family’s nanny.
What to expect: Pekkanen weaves a suspenseful story where everyone is a suspect. Razor-sharp writing (and razor-sharp objects) will keep you guessing until the very end.
Available Now
The God of the Woods, Liz Moore
Camp Emerson, 1975. Thirteen-year-old Barbara Van Laar goes missing from her bunk. Only she’s the owners’ daughter and the second Van Laar child to go missing.
What to expect: Brilliantly written dual timeline with a cast of characters and POVs that make for an intricate, literary mystery.
Available Now
Before We Were Strangers, Renée Carlino
Grace and Matt. Love binds them in college then separates them in adulthood. Until the fated day fifteen years later when they pass on a NYC subway.
What to expect: Continuing my quest to devour Carlino’s entire backlist, I’m happy to say, each book gets better and better. I’ll leave it at that. Oh, and Jeff Buckley and second chances.
Available Now
The Whisper Sister, Jennifer A. Brown
Prohibition-era New York. Minnie is forced to take over her father’s soda shop, only the shop is a speakeasy, and Minnie must do everything she can to survive.
What to expect: Jewish representation, a coming-of-age tale with complex characters, and a bold, courageous woman who fights for her family. Brown writes seamless, beautiful historical fiction.
Happy Reading! And don’t forget to write reviews for your favorite books. They really make a difference to an author.
Rochelle
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Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of seven 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. Rochelle is the monthly book contributor at Miami’s AQUA Magazine and NBC-6 and teaches publishing workshops at Nova Southeastern University. Her eighth novel, We Are Made of Stars, releases February 2025. Please visit her on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Threads, or at www.rochelleweinstein.com.
Category: On Writing
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