A game twisted perhaps, but a way to keep their marriage alive. He finds them, she kills them. As the game gets more dangerous and closer to home affecting their children, Millicent and her husband begin to find themselves cornered. Their plan might be unraveling but will they get caught? This is one of those books where you think you know where it is going - these people are crazy and you might feel a little sorry for one of them and then BAM - the ending hits you full in the face. Taunt and very disturbing, this debut makes you hope you don't have those kinds of people for neighbors. Fans of all the twisted crime thrillers will eat this up.

Professor Chandra has it all- well not the Nobel Prize for Economics again this year, nor the love of his ex-wife, nor the attention of his grown-up children. That is about to change. After an ill-fated accident with a bike, a doctor's warning about changing your lifestyle, and a big birthday, Chandra decides to fly to sunny California and a retreat to search for his bliss. He views his life as he views his economic principles and applies them to his students, his family and all aspects of his life until now. Funny, heart-breaking and universally true, this man's search to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it is magical. His is one dysfunctional family that you will identify with and at the same time be thankful that your family is not this messed up. For lovers of quirky characters like those found in Fredrik Backman, Pat Conroy or Leif Enger. So, find a comfortable chair and get ready to laugh, cry and fall in love with the misadventures of Professor Chandra and family.

A pair of misfits team up to help solve a double murder of two young bartenders near Queensland. Ted is an ex-detective who has been falsely accused of kidnapping a young girl and even though he has been released from jail, his reputation is tarnished beyond repair.
The girl's father is on a mission to help him find the true killer or he wants Ted dead. Amanda, Ted's partner, is a woman with a past and despite her, somewhat cheery and quirky demeanor wants to help solve the murders and help Ted clear his name. Interesting characters, tight writing, and an unusual setting - this series is a winner. What draws you in is Ted and Amanda's gruff take-no-prisoners attitude and their damaged souls looking for redemption. Plus, who doesn't love a man who becomes a foster mom to a family of geese!

A quiet happy family of four - mom, dad, angst-ridden teenage boy, and a winsome toddler until tragedy strikes and sends their universe spinning out of control. To say this story is sorrowful or soul-crushing is selling it short - it is all that but we want peace for this family. There needs to be hope when there isn't anything else you can do. The family must deal with the worst sort of disaster and cling to each other instead of pushing away and oh, there is so much blame. This is not an easy read but it is an immensely rewarding read. Fans of Jodi Picoult and Jacqueline Mitchard will eat this up.

There are many books about the experiences of Americans, Japanese and Germans during WWII but this story expands on this to include the story of a friendship between two very different girls who found themselves in an internment camp in Crystal City, Texas. Elise is German-American and Mariko is Japanese-American but because both sets of parents weren't native Americans they were sent to internment camps and then back to their native lands torn apart in war. Each does what they have to do to survive and then find their way back to each other through letters. Susan Meissner gives voice to a group of people who were tossed out of a country they had grown to love to a country they didn't belong to any longer. A timely story of immigration that is rich in historical facts and made real by incredible characters.

Known only by an initial, 25 boys have grown up in isolation around only men and led by D.A.D. In another place, 25 girls known only by an initial, have grown up in isolation around only women and led by M.O.M What do you think will happen when they discover the lies? A grand experiment goes sour in this horrific dystopic thriller. Perfectly paced and a bit off kilter this book tops the don'ts lists in parenting - just don't tell M.O.M or D.A.D Fans of HANDMAIDS TALE, VOX, and of course Josh Malerman's BIRD BOX will relish this in one sitting.

Hovering between a non-fictional account and the author's alternate history using real and imagined characters this is a novel that can't quite make up its mind that wants to be taken seriously. Tales told in letters, newspaper clippings, and diary entries, as well as snippets from the author to us, dear reader, are used giving us the basics of how Chicago went from Indian encampment to fort, to village and then lake town to become the booming metropolis it is today. Not an easy read, nor is it a sensationalist view of the scandals and dirty dealings but instead seems to be a collection of interesting lives that helped build Chicago.

An interesting jaunt between a young girl raised in a harem, a gay magical cartographer and various djinns on the run from the Spanish Inquisition. Fatima wants only the best for her friend Hassan and can't understand why the King and his mother are willing to give him up to members of the Inquisition in a heartbeat. They flee and are pursued by a pale female inquisitor. Traveling by boat and by land, helped by djinns and a wayward monk they are trying to find a mythical land where they can live in peace. This very imaginative fantasy world is grounded in middle eastern history and folklore. Every action they take, every person they decide to trust is a risk but Fatima relies on her own sense of finding the good in people. A delight to the senses, this novel asks the reader to judge what is moral, right and the way of God, Allah or a higher power.

I do not know much about birds or the people who love to watch them but after reading the lessons laid out in this guide, I will now look to the sky when I hear a bird call, pay more attention to the birds around me and hopefully recall the words of wisdom that Ted Floyd has passed on. In 200 short snippets about every type of bird imaginable, the author shares with us not only his incredible knowledge and insight but also his love of feathered creatures. This is not a "see a bird in the sky and identify it" type of guide but more a memoir of birding and a love affair with the species - their infinite changes, behavior, and beauty. With very readable text, this book is written for the beginner birder but those with more knowledge will easily find something they didn't know and it will potentially pull in people who didn't even know they were interested in birding.