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Wilbur gets one last voyage in this life. On the special midnight train he will revisit all his best memories one last time before eternity. He has one problem and that is his regrets that he did not spend more time with the one he loved the most - Maggie. His guide (and former bookstore owner) warns him against altering anything but Wilbur finds a way by interacting with his dreaming self. This action could change things or derail it all. Matt Haig again takes us on a deep spiritual journey back in time rethinking life choices. His many fans will enjoy this midnight journey and new fans will understand his popularity. Readers of Fredrik Backman, Emma Straub's THIS TIME TOMORROW and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE will relish this. 4 -4 1/2 stars 
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This was not an easy read for me nor should it have been because the authentic language along with the poetry, podcast text and storyline all worked to make this a very unique novel. Anaya disappeared from an exclusive writer's retreat leaving her sister Ranewa very little information about what happened. When Ranewa begins to receive podcast episodes in a voice that sounds like her sister written by another one of the retreat's guests. What emerges is part ghost story, part haunted house as well as a tale of lost identity and a homogenizing of the Botswanan culture. The language, the pitfalls of colonization and the publishing industry are all in play here. Gothic horror yes but much more than that. Fans of Nnedi Okorafor's DEATH OF AN AUTHOR will find much to love about this. 3 1/2 stars  The genius of the master architect Frank Lloyd Wright is matched only by his bad luck/poor judgement concerning the women in his life. He, as many creative figures are, driven by ego and the need for constant admiration finds him bored with his first wife and children once his career takes off. It is Mamah, the wife of one of his clients, who captures his full attention and heart. Sadly, his current wife won't divorce him, his lover is also married with children and society openly looks down on his indiscretion . He builds a hideaway in rural Wisconsin where they live happily until a tragic killing spree by their butler occurs killing Mamah, two of her children and several others. Wright is devastated until he meets his last wife causing yet another scandal. I enjoyed learning about Wright's architectural beginnings and influences more than how he emotionally mistreated his family and the scandalous affairs. As with Casey Sherman's other books the reader gains an understanding of the times and culture as well as the main event setting the story on a solid foundation before decorating the rooms. 4 stars  Johanna Van Veen excels in historical horror blending myth, and the very real violence of war and diseases that were largely fatal. This story takes us to Germany during the Thirty Years War where a peasant girl and nun become unlikely companions on a pilgrimage of sorts to return a saint's skull to her body. As if fleeing gang rape or death from soldiers they must also deal with the undead controlled by a necromancer bent on getting his stolen skull back. The women cling to each other to find whatever intimacy and joy they can. Authentic in every detail this is a story historical fiction readers (if they can get past the gore) will enjoy as much as horror readers. 4 stars  Harriet heads home with her tail between her legs after being fired. The last thing she thought would happen is that her well off step father would be found murdered and her high school ex's sister would be the prime suspect. Harriet wants her job back and Nic wants his sister off the hook so they agree to work together to find the real killer. Enemy to lover, you can't always go home again and the powerful always have a few skeletons in their walk-in closet vibes. A light hearted murder mystery with a pair of unlikely detectives who are in way over their heads in each other and the case. Readers of Finlay Donovan and Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this madcap murder mystery. 3 1/2 stars  Buckle up for a wild ride through 1927 Detroit where mobsters mingle with the cream of the automotive society. It is where bright young things (being inferior daughters) are brought to heel, married off or tucked away as to not cause embarrassment. Such is the case for youngest Marjorie wannabe fashion designer and in need of getting time away from her family which she finds in the form of an artist residency program. Run by a handsome elusive benefactor who Marjorie has a crush on, she meets other like minded young women. But all is not what it seems in the Nightingale building as Marjorie and her friends find out. As moody and romantic as THE GREAT GATSBY, sinister as THE GODFATHER and as much family drama as SUCCESSION -this is historical fiction in a less known setting and featuring a multifaceted young woman. What starts as a fluff story of a poor little rich girl turns into so much more and is a wonderful introduction for YA author Ruta Sepetys to the adult market. 4 1/2 stars  With clever wit and a bit of the absurd Steven Rowley takes us inside a marriage and family drama between Jesse, his missing husband and sister. A beam of light and Norman is gone just like that leaving Jesse feeling abandoned, angry and depressed. Add to that Norman's sister who has decided that if the boys don't want the frozen eggs she gave them to start their family, she wants them back and she is worried when she can't get a straight answer as to where Norman is. Jesse must learn what is next in his life through advice from his eccentric neighbor, voices in the night, sound bathing and his college students. It is a love story/mid life crisis that operates on many levels and will have all of us thinking what we would do if faced with that beam of light in the night. Fans of Kevin Wilson's quirky characters and Steven Rowley's fans will delight in this. 4 stars  Let it be known. gentle reader that life is not easy for a lady's maid and a valet to fall in love. Every waking moment is spent taking care that not a hair or care is out of place for your charge which leaves very little time or energy spent caring for yourself. And it is ever so difficult should you fall for someone in another house's employ which was just the case of Alice and Charlie's attempt at romance. Soon they find the only possible solution is if they are give a little nudge at fate and pair their Lady and Lord together joining households. A tale told in the style of Jane Austen with a bit more humor and attention given to the plight of female hired help in the late 1800's. Fans of Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and Jane Austen novels will find much to love. This would also be a great choice for readers of a certain age looking for a quiet historical romance without the spice. 3 1/2 stars  Two teens on the opposite side of the social tracks come together and go apart as an annual monster, named the "May Day" killer, terrorizes young women. Years go by and Quinn and Jules have more in common than they think as they both try to rationalize what happened and hunt down the killer before he can grab another girl. Twisty listen as you try to put the pieces together as the clock clicks down. My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the advance listen. The narration keeps you at the edge of your seat and not wanting to hit the pause button. 4 stars  What happens when a famous pair of Siamese twins in pre-Civil War North Carolina decide to put down roots, marry and start a family? Tongues will wag, noses will be upturned but for two sisters it will offer a chance at happiness and freedom. Chang and Eng Bunker fall for sisters Sarah and Adelaide and after a quick courtship they marry. The conjoined twins share everything so marriage means a combined bed, home and family decisions. Delicate topics are handled brilliantly inside the home and outside as well concerning slavery, bigotry and women's rights. Sarah's voice runs through the full repertoire of emotions as she alone or the group deal with uncertainty, love, intimacy, childrearing, fear and betrayal. What could have read like a Barnum side show became a stunning example of a time period of the split between states with the upcoming war vs. coming together as four individuals who must act as a unit. While this marriage offered freedom for the sisters it did not come without a big cost. Even better is that the author is a descendant of one of the sisters. 4 stars  |
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