5.6.2026 - Five

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this unique novel by Ilona Bannister.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

The narrator quickly introduces us to five passengers waiting for a train, and tells the reader that one is about to die from the oncoming train.  We are then introduced to the characters' lives to understand who they are and what has led them to the station at this particular time.  The time ticks down as the reader tries to guess which character will die.

Wow - this one was so unique and intense.  As you meet these unlikeable characters and learn their backstories, you begin thinking about which of them deserves to die, which will then have you questioning your own morals.  The genius of this book is first making you care about these characters and their foibles, easily putting yourself and others into similar positions.  It's so easy to judge others for their behavior.  I loved the format of the author/narrator talking to the reader, counting down the minutes, using dark humor and perfect plotting.  I couldn't put this one down.  

5.6.2026 - The Wish

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital ARC of the new contemporary novel by Heather Morris.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Jesse is fifteen, but spending her days in the hospital with a terminal illness.  She just has one wish - a video experience of her life.  Alex is a virtual reality games designer and the one picked to make Jesse's wish come true.  

Heather Morris is famous for her wonderful historical fiction novels, but you can feel how important this contemporary fiction novel is to her, a reflection of her over 20 years of work in the social work department of a hospital.  She knows firsthand the impact that such a diagnosis has on the patient and family members.  While this book is sad, it's also hopeful.  One of my favorite lines - It only takes a moment to die; the rest of the time we're living.  While this was a very moving story, there are very important life lessons within.  

5.6.2026 - Dispatches from Grief

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Infinite Books for gifting me a copy of this moving memoir by Danielle Crittenden.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Danielle Crittenden received the phone call that all parents dread and none can prepare for - her 32-year-old daughter, Miranda, had been found dead in her Brooklyn apartment.  This beautiful book is both a tribute to Miranda and an honest portrayal of unimaginable grief.  She allows the reader to accompany her on the path of their family's after.  It's beautifully written and a wonderful companion for anyone going through grief - and isn't that all of us at various points in our lives?  Highly recommended. 

5.5.2026 - The Author Weekend

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest novel by Laura Zigman, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Gabra Zackman, Carol Monda, Joel Froomkin, and Emily Lawrence.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

This is bestselling mystery writer Faye Wader's first-ever fan weekend.  Everything is precisely planned by Faye and her assistant down to the smallest detail. What wasn't planned was the attendance of rival novelist Abby Schuss.  Faye thinks things can't get worse - until there's a dead body.

I'm been a fan of Zigman's work in the past and this was so much fun - I can't count how many times I laughed out loud at the antics.  Told from multiple POV, we hear from Faye, Jade, as well as her publisher, agent, and others.  The audiobook cast makes this even more fun and I so enjoyed listening to it.  It's a satirical (maybe?) look into the publishing world, where allegiances are only as good as the latest sale numbers, with the addition of a locked-room murder mystery.  Certainly not all the characters are likable, but they are ones that you will still be kind of rooting for because you can relate to their insecurities.  It's wild and the ending was pitch perfect.  A must read if you like your humor a little on the dark side!

5.5.2026 - Summer State of Mind

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Kristy Woodson Harvey.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens flees to Cape Carolina, NC, after her worst professional day, looking for a new life.  On her first day at her new hospital job, high school baseball Coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby in a dumpster.  Sparks fly between Daisy and Mason as well as with their little charge.  But secrets don't stay quiet for long in a small town.

What a wonderful novel - the perfect summer read!  Told from multiple POVs, we learn that everyone has a secret or two, but you will fall in love with each of these characters.  I loved their big, messy family life and the love and concern they showed each other, even in difficult times.  There are moral and ethical dilemmas that will have you thinking, and moments of laughter and tears.  Themes of grief, second chances, and new beginnings abound.  Pack this one in your beach tote for sure!

5.4.2026 - The Hill

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut novel by Harriet Clark, narrated by Maggie Thompson.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

When Suzanne was a baby, her mother was sentenced to life in prison for her part in bank robbery that left a security guard dead.  Since then, she has lived with her grandparents, and her grandfather faithfully takes Suzanne to the prison every weekend.  Her grandmother refuses to go or have any contact with her daughter.  When her grandfather dies, Suzanne's life revolves around her solitary visits to her mom with help from a volunteer nun and her grandmother's friends who circle around her, all who seem to be separated from their children as well.

This is a haunting, beautifully written coming-of-age story, and it will break your heart.  Suzanne finds herself caught in two different worlds - one where she gets to spend time with her mother, and one where her mother doesn't exist.  Basically, Suzanne is left on her own and her life stagnates, as her grandmother's health worsens.  The narration of this novel was perfect - it's a slow, steady narration that fits perfectly with this slow, character-driven, introspective novel.  This book will make you think about how parental decisions affect their children's lives.  

5.4.2026 - Leave Your Mess at Home

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking/Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this debut novel by Tolani Akinola.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Four siblings - each with their own issues - find themselves around their parents' Thanksgiving table for the first time in years.  They are all products of their Nigerian parents' American dreams for them, and each feels they have failed in different ways.  Sola was kicked out of the house years ago; Angola is a Yale grad in love with her best friend, who is engaged to someone else; only sone Ole is struggling in his marriage and impending fatherhood; and youngest daughter, Karen, is struggling with her chosen college path and sexuality.  

This novel is an emotional look at a dysfunctional family - and aren't all families dysfunctional in their own way?  What I liked about this novel is that it's told from the siblings different POV, so we get different looks at the same event, depending on who's telling the story.  There is a lot to unpack in everyone's story, overlooked by even close siblings, as they try and reunite.