Country People: A Novel
by Daniel Mason
Small town life meets urbanites (6/5/2026)
Small town life comes alive in this sweet but funny tale of relocation and misadventure as urbanites take on the countryside.
Miles Krzelewski-Petrosian has been writing his PhD dissertation for fourteen years when his brilliant wife, Kate, is offered a one-year professorship at a prestigious Vermont college. Packing up their two children, Wesley and Olive (and dog, Giuseppe), they move cross country to the quaint village of Greensbury where life is more on the plane of Meryton than San Francisco. Here Miles meets oddball characters, listens to the podcast, The Miscellaneous Minute, where callers divert the hosts from the intended topic, and joins the secret Jeremiah Wykles Society named for a 19th C reverend who’s believed to have discovered a magical underground kingdom in a local cave and who’s misfit members armed with historical research carry on trying to find it.
This is a bit of a diversion from Mason’s previous books but like those it is brilliantly written. The tongue-in-check humor and the oddball characters are the best parts of the book which can at times ramble. I think The Miscellaneous Minute is the perfect foil in this satire of modern American life - mundane and frivolous topics are the main concerns for Greenbury residents while university types immerse themselves in esoteric minutiae. Mason hits the contrasts that exist today in our society but in such a clever way.
As a character driven novel, Miles is the best! He’s such a nerd, wants to be a success but like many of us take on daily responsibilities like parenthood and the like to focus on those - maybe due to procrastination or just laziness - because that’s where the priorities lie. The mix of magical realism in the book is a lot like icing on the cake.
Highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC.
Tillinghast: A Novel
by Clare Cavenagh
Vampire memoir (6/5/2026)
Creepy horror thriller positing the meaning of life - not necessarily human life though.
Stutley Tillinghast leads a solitary life seemingly as a curate of a small church in Rhode Island. His human contact over the years has been little, sporadic and deadly. He prefers not to name what he is but the reader knows. He keeps a diary of his victims and longs for his life to end. One day a young woman, Sarah, enters his life, very sick with symptoms Tillinghast had when he was alive. Is there some kind of relationship? This causes Tillinghast to add to his diary with more details of his origin and hopes. As he works to save Sarah, Tillinghast is faced with a life altering dilemma.
This is very much a character driven novel and a possibly a new take on the vampire: less formidable and more reflective. The book explores Tillinghast’s desire for freedom from his curse but also for meaning to his existence if this life of his goes on. His tenderness to Sarah might seem out of character but as his lonely existence is examined prior to her arrival, you sense he’s really not a villain - just lonely.
I liked Tillinghast as a character. As he’d write a name and description in his diary you’d almost sense how tired he was. The narration too adds a melancholy flavor to the storytelling. And the story written almost like a memoir was clever.
My thanks to NetGalley and Viking for allowing me access to this ARC.
The Great Wherever: A Novel
by Shannon Sanders
wonderful read (6/4/2026)
A moving story of a multigenerational Black family as its land legacy is examined and recounted.
Aubrey Lamb is really down in her luck when she becomes aware of her inheritance in a large Tennessee farm, and former plantation where her ancestors had been enslaved. It’s up for sale and she and her three cousins must discuss the offer – from the family’s former enslavers! What unfolds is a delightful story of a Black family’s endurance, resilience and good luck.
The story is also populated by ghosts – the best kind: Lamb family ancestors who add sparkle and humor to the storytelling of a Black family who endured racism and still achieved a good life. These ghosts all had hoped to inherit the land but died before they could. The story is told by an unnamed narrator (you learn who it is later in the book) who intersperses Aubrey’s story with that of the Lamb family. The narrator tell the story with wit and verve. And the cast of characters while large add such delightful nuances to the story. Loved Zena!
This is a wonderful book. It’s for lovers of great storytelling – which should be just about everyone.
My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me access to this ARC.
Most Ardently Yours: A Novel
by Freya Sampson
Fun romance (6/4/2026)
Time travel and magical realism join forces in the funny, cute romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice.
First, I love Freya Sampson novels. They are quirky, funny and so cozy readable! So I was so excited to get this ARC (my thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Landmark) and I was not disappointed. This book delivers on humor, theme - the life in front of you may be okay - and great storytelling.
Zoe Knight isn’t happy with her fate: she’s been trying to publish her romance novel only to see her ex Crispin Carter get a “celebrated launch for a ‘dick lit’ book she helped him write.” Annoyed she picks a fight with Nick Baskerville, owner of Baskerville Books, over his not selling romances. Spying Pride and Prejudice on a top shelf, she “liberates” it and runs away. Next thing you know Fitzwilliam Darcy’s in 21st C London and Zoe finds this isn’t necessarily working; she needs to send him back, but how?
The book has some funny moments as Darcy tries to navigate the 21st C world. I liked the budding romance with Nick who turns out to be a good guy. I also liked the love of literature theme in the book too - it’s my “cup of tea” (though I’m a coffee drinker) to find books that emphasize that.
This is a perfect summer read - or anytime read. It’s cozy, feel good and perfect to pick up after you’ve read that heavy literary fiction or nonfiction book and are looking for a break.
How to Survive in the Woods: A Novel
by Kat Rosenfield
Twisty psychological thriller (6/4/2026)
This is a slow-burn psychological thriller that's intense, suspenseful, full of twists and rabbit holes, and at times a "can't put it down" read. It explores themes of betrayal and loyalty, both in nature and in relationships, and what you would do to survive.
Emma Sharp is a complicated but tormented woman, raised by a doomsday believer, her father, Gregory Sharp, and hardened in the startup world to accept preparation and order. She's a survivor underneath her quiet, meek, submissive appearance but she harbors such self-loathing that she makes a terrible choice and marries a diabolic controlling misogynist, Logan Grant. Her psychological distress (revealed later in the book) stays dormient until after five years of marriage when Emma seems to wake up especially when she forms a romantic liaison with Taylor Cognetti, Logan's ex and former business partner. Emma envisions freedom and plans with Taylor to take a hike on the final miles of the Appalachian Trail, the punishing Hundred Mile Wilderness where scores will be settled.
The book is divided into seven parts each based on Emma's father's survival rules. Each rule is then expanded on with Emma's story or psychological torment. A kind of omniscient narrator comments alongside Emma as interacts with other characters giving more depth to Emma. As the hike proceeds events occur which seem to go one way but then verve off into another twist. We see that Emma is more prepared for survival than her tormentors. It really gets intense as the book nears it conclusion.
My criticism of the book is the lengths to which we had to endure Emma at times. Frankly she was so needly psychologically at times I wasn't sure how I felt about her, though as Logan continues to be a character in the book I felt a lot of empathy. With that said, I think the intensity of the journey into Emma's psyche and her desire to truly be free of her fears is probably an overall plus for this book.
I enjoyed the read.
The Man
by Laura Sims
Clever psychological thriller (6/3/2026)
Psychological thriller set in the 1960s dealing with the effects of early trauma on a life and the ends to which someone will go to achieve success.
Judith Stanley is a simple housewife which a passion for photography. She takes pictures only for herself but one day she shares some with her photography teacher, Paul Sorensen, who appreciates Judith’s creative abilities. But as Judith continues her work, a male figure keeps appearing on the fringes of her pictures. Is this the man who caused her trauma years ago? Paul’s discovery of Judith’s pictures leads him to visioning himself as an art entrepreneur but he soon finds this creates hate over his hyping of Judith’s work. This brings out Paul’s dark side as the book comes to its stunning conclusion.
The book is cleverly split into two parts. The first part is narrated by Judith giving insight into her earlier trauma and how this impacts her work and life. Part two is narrated by Paul as he exploits Judith’s work and becomes unhinged by the criticism he’s being given over this. In separating the two protagonists, I think by fashioning the book this way we experience different people experiencing “parallel” paranoias: she’s meek but innovative; he’s talented but egotistical. It’s the outcome in the telling that blends the two together.
My thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam & Sons for allowing me access to this ARC.
Wisdom Corner: A Novel
by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Exciting mystery (6/3/2026)
I enjoyed Winter Count, the author’s first book (it was a BOTM selection for me) so when this ARC (my thanks to NetGalley and Ecco) appeared I was instantly excited. And the excitement proved true!
Virgil Wounded Horse returns. As an enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, he’s called back to his vigilante roots (if you haven’t do read Winter Counts). He’s been desperately trying to avoid this but when a respected elder is murdered, he’s asked to return to the job. A gang, Pine Ridge 750, from another reservation, wants to expand its territory. Then there’s the shady politician, Mitch Gagnon. With elections looming and past allegations against a local Native school re-emerging, “stakes are high.”
I loved the atmosphere in this book. And I enjoyed the setting and culture revealed in the story. As the author writes in his note, his theme concerns the injustice with the criminal justice system – an important and prescient topic. We need more books about indigenous people so I am thrilled this one adds to that genre. And Virgil is a priceless character.
Don’t miss this one.
Nebraska
by Monica Datta
Compelling story (5/31/2026)
A stirring story of a tragic death observed by a psychoanalyst whose testimony sends a mother to prison is then re-examined by a student of the psychiatrist - a clever set up for an intriguing novel.
It’s 1992. Annakali “ Anna” Chatterjee and her eight-year-old daughter, Rahbinda, are waiting in a New York subway for a train when they fall onto the tracks. Anna survives but her daughter does not. Jean-Louis Kurtz, a French psychoanalyst, observes the tragedy and it’s his testimony that results in Anna’s 15 year sentence for manslaughter. Upon her release Anna moves to Nebraska, changes her name, cuts ties with her family and moves in with a group of Christian missionaries. Meanwhile, Anna’s other children, Neal and Nina are left to deal with the trauma of the death of their sibling and the loss of their mother.
The book is narrated by B. X. Roy, a student of Kurtz who has diverged from Kurtz’s theories (Lancanian psychoanalysis - I saw Kurtz as a stand-in for the actual developer of this theoretical system, Jacques Lacan which posits much of its thinking on language and thought). Using Kurtz’’s notes, Roy believes Kurtz’s interpretation of events is misguided - lots of snark goes on here.
The book also spans decades, history and geography. It goes from post-partition India to Bangladesh to Scotland and finally to Nebraska. I think this was necessary in order to fit the analysis of Lancanianism in the book as to the effects of post-colonialism. The Chatterjees come from same Bengali town as Roy too. It shows the pitfalls of immigration experience especially as it relates to assimilation.
This is a complex novel. But that it is filled with spirit, humor and profound examination of the human experience makes it a splendid. I ordered the book to experience it again.
My thanks to NetGalley and Astra House for giving me access to this amazing ARC.
The Summer of the Serpent
by Cecilia Eudave
Cultural horror story (5/30/2026)
Horror infused, surreal novella exploring loss of innocence and dark family secrets.
It’s summer 1977 in Guadalajara, Mexico. A traveling fair comes to the area and a young girl seeks her fortune from a snake woman. The answer is cryptic and the girl goes home with her family. Suddenly the children start seeing a ghost who wants to tell its story every night, a serpent girl sobbing in a carnival box and a neighbor who dangles his dog from a tree. The adults appear to be unaware as the hot sultry summer moves on.
Told in various voices the book weaves myth, folklore and secrets. Each voice tells part of the story - a fragment of truth. The stories eventually converge to become a boa that winds it way through the town. The stories blend reality and myth and the children are deeply affected.
This was a strange tale and read. While beautifully written it didn’t resonate with me. Readers who like surrealistic horror tales might however find it more interesting.
My thanks to NetGalley and SoHo Press for allowing me access to this ARC.
The Top of the World: A Novel
by Ethan Joella
Learning the meaning of life (5/30/2026)
Heartfelt and gut-wrenching story of two siblings learning the meaning of life.
Set in the mid-1970, eighteen-year-old Chip Bishop has been given a cruel diagnosis: leukemia. Rather than seek treatment, Chip decides to experience life and without telling anyone he leaves, ends up at a Poconos resort, Red Maple, where he works until he knows it’s near the end and he returns home. Maggie, his sister, is determined to find out where Chip was and when she does she finds herself at Red Maple, employee there, and determined to find out about Chip.
Told over two summers in alternating chapters (Chip in 1974 and Maggie in 1975) the story has such a sharp focus on these siblings' connection and love for one another. Red Maple is such a wonderful setting - I think it’s the strength of the book. The stories about Chip that Maggie learns can be funny and tender.
I enjoyed the read. While this is a character driven novel, I’d have liked more character development, but the poignancy of the book makes the read worth it.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Scribner for granting me access to this book.
Bellosio: An Age of Miracles
by John Shekleton
A complex world (5/27/2026)
I received this book from BookBrowse for an honest and fair review. This is an intricate fantasy novel, well written and interesting. The planet Bellosio is on the brink of revolution. It's an advanced civilization but doubt has entered the picture. The planet has three different species: the Wati, the Crivien, and the Vidogs. Over time a hierarchical structure has emerged. The book opens to find Danaba, a Wati, who ascends the throne after her father's death but forces are working against her to steal her throne.
The book focuses on complex relationships and inserts characters who aren't explained until later - which made it difficult at times in reading. The planet's history is controlled by a divine being called "Cog, and the story is told within the context of the planets history. The forces of science and ancient religion clash along with the personal struggle for leadership
I found this a very difficult read. I'm not a lover of fantasy/sci-fi but I try to read from time to time to challenge myself. I was very challenged with this one. The world building overwhelmed; I got lost in the time elements. I think the writing was very good but I was more confused at the end than when I was when I started. I don't think the. Fantasy/ sci-fi genre is for me.
Little Wild: A Novel
by Laura Evans
Coming of age in 1937 England (5/26/2026)
Coming-of-age novel set in the summer of 1937 as a young woman is swept away up by her love for a friend only to be banished. Magical realism and a bit of creepiness imbue the novel with gothic elements.
It’s a hot sweltering summer as Snare House is in full swing as the Winthers ‘s family prepares for a party to celebrate their only daughter’s (Joanie) return from her European trip before she’s off to Oxford. Margaret “Meg,” the family’s ward and Joanie’s closet friend, has other plans which get squashed when she is discovered in a compromising position. Banished to her estranged father’s house in the woods.
The story is first told in time increments as the party for is prepared and the family awaits Joanie’s arrival until the moment of Meg’s banishment. Then the story unfolds in a series vignettes denoted by a day number to cover the period of October-December 1937 when Meg lives at The Lodge. There Meg discovers her father’s eccentricities, things about her mother’s mysterious death and the mysteries of the forest. She also learns her infatuation with Joanie may not be shared.
One might question Meg’s reliability as a narrator as her time at The Lodge unfolds. She falls into a series of strange dreams and one begins to wonder if she’s just mad or is a witch. This is a character driven book and the pacing is slow - which distracted me a lot. I also questioned if that ending was real or part of Meg’s unreliability. But the writing is very good and creates beautifully itself the gothic atmosphere of the novel.
My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for granting me access to this ARC.
Long Island Girls: A Novel
by Gabrielle Korn
Coming of age in the 80s indie music scene (5/26/2026)
Coming-of-age story spanning two decades about acceptance of sexuality and the tangled nature of first love and later relationships.
Susan is seventeen when the book opens. She’s with her friend, Katie, at an indie concert when she meet Eliza who triggers an awareness of the nature of her sexuality. Fast forward five years when Susan is now in the indie music industry and living in Brooklyn when she sees a very different Eliza again for a fleeting moment in the train. Their next encounter is five years later on Tinder where they match up, experience a weekend of intense pleasure and when Eliza ends things with Susan. This affects Susan greatly and for the next six years her experiences in relationships and career are seriously impacted as she can’t move forward. When they meet again in early COVID, Susan is forced to face her reality - what have they meant to each other these past fifteen years.
This is a character-driven story. I enjoyed the characters especially when Susan interacts with her friends, especially Katie. We see Susan grow and be supported as she navigates the indie music world. When the denouement unfolds with Eliza and Susan finally recognizes that reality is not the same as the fantasy, I sighed - I was just so glad she finally let the illusion go.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this ARC.
Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church
by Eliza Griswold
What should a church stand for? (5/25/2026)
I started this book sometime ago and it got lost in my TBR pile but when I picked it up again I easily slipped back into the story because of the fine journalist writing. This book examines the beginning and end of a church exploring personal, societal, community and environmental pressures that caused this.
Circle of Hope is the name of a church founded by Ron and Gwen White in the 1990s. Aligned with Anabaptist traditions, the congregation affiliated with the Brethren of Christ and had three meeting sites in Philadelphia and one in New Jersey. As the Whites moved away from leadership, four new pastors (Ben, Rachel, Jonny and Julie) took on leadership at the four locations.
Griswold documents interactions with the leaders between 2019 and 2023. These were turbulent times - COVID19, George Floyd’s killing, white Christian nationalism, and January 6. Meanwhile, the Circle of Hope faced issues of inclusion related to LGBTQ and acknowledgment of racism in the congregation.
Circle of Hope depended on small group as community that depended on Circles of Concern which focused on social issues and a series of proverbs that established “core commitments.” Over time the later grew in number.
After the Floyd killing there was a call for the Circle to be anti-racist but that meant calling out white privilege that riled many in the congregation. Then the four leadership started falling out. The two female leaders became marginalized by misogyny. When Jonny came out as bi-sexual and had for this to be affirmed, the problem was the Brethren of Christ were not and if the Circle affirmed Jonny, it would mean loss of revenue. The Circle went ahead anyway. By the book’s end all that was left were two thrift stores. All four leaders had left.
The lesson is that community and commitment take time and shared values. Some of the leaders pushed too hard and lost sight of the goal of fighting injustice universally and in the community rather preferring to fight their own causes. The dissolution of this congregation shouldn’t be viewed though as a failure of religion but as a human failure. Lots of provocative thinking in this book. Great read.
Sweet Pea
by Kit de Waal
Poignant story of resilience and forgiveness (5/25/2026)
Sweet, poignant emotionally charged novel about resilience and forgiveness. This is a book for lovers of
Pauline, a young black woman, emigrates from St. Kitts to England. She leaves behind her family and a grandmother who called her “Sweet Pea,” who taught her cooking and who encouraged her to always forgive. When she’s 29, she meets Denton who wants a family and children but the relationship ends when he’s tragically killed in a car accident. Denton’s friend, Garfield consoles Pauline and shortly their son, Bird, is born. Garfield leaves Pauline though remaining connected with Bird. Eventually Pauline meets the man who killed Denton, who has a grandson Bird’s age, Cornelius, who’s troubled. Pauline takes him in, cares for and feeds him and allows him to call her Sweet Pea. Pauline comes to learn her grandmother’s admonition to forgive was the best advice as forgiving leads to loving.
The story is filled with food, the great emotional comforter and connector. This is brilliantly shown in this novel. We connect over food when we meet at a table and share food and thought. I loved that about this book. The book also contrasts the socioeconomic differences of the two boys and how these differences will shape us. And, the family building that Pauline creates adds a wealth of emotions to the storytelling.
The story is told in first person giving it a realistic feel, that you too are experiencing the same thing as the characters. The pacing is excellent as the story unfolds crisply and realistically. And the writing clear and concise.
Highly recommend.
Nothing to My Name: A Novel
by Kangkang Li Kovacs
Multigenerational story (5/25/2026)
A multigenerational story spanning forty years about resilience and survival in the face of societal upheaval.
Three women - Ah Xue (Grandmother) witnesses the rise of Communism; Mimosa (the Mother) navigates the Cultural Revolution; Fei Fei (the Daughter) raised as a boy by her activist father struggles with gender identity in the aftermath of Tiananmen Square in 1989. All are driven to survive and face immense trauma in the process though shored up by family bonds.
The book is nicely written. The story is deep. It’s perfect for our times showing how a culture can destroys itself leaving people trying to survive this deeply traumatized but hopeful to find stability in disorder so their survival will not have been in vain.
My thanks to NetGalley and Viking for allowing me access to this ARC.
Names Have Been Changed: A Novel
by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
The consequences of choices (5/24/2026)
We all have to make choices but when they go awry, what do you do? In this debut book written as if being told in a podcast, the author tells a story of choice making and its consequences.
The narrator of this novel, Ophir ( not her real name), at one point that she thought “coming clean” would make her feel better but she’s not so sure as she works through a podcast to describe her life on the run after a petty crime in Singapore goes wrong. She’s vowed to tell the truth though of her “tumultuous” life as a fugitive over the past ten plus years. In doing this we are transported from Singapore to Thailand to Tokyo to London and to Colorado. But eventually Ophir’s loneliness could jeopardize her freedom.
This is an immigrant story in a way. As we follow Ophir seamlessly moving across countries - as she’s at the beginning the Singapore passport gets you into 190 countries without needing a visa - she experiences the sorrow of dislocation and a year I g for home. While seeking freedom, Ophir may have chosen prison.
Ophir is a morally grey character. She’s more of an anti-hero and in her complicated mess of a life, she’s spoiled but sympathetic. She’s that character you may dislike but someone you are attracted to. Her story for sure is not ordinary.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me access to this AEC.
Nine Lives: A Novel
by Catherine Steadman
Twisty psychological thriller (5/24/2026)
A twisty psychological thriller involving a “voyeur” cat helping uncover secrets in a posh London neighborhood. A perfect choice for a read whether it’s a rainy day or sunshine at the beach.
Frankie Green, coming off a rather acrimonious divorce, thinks she’s found the perfect house. Her neighbors include a celebrity, a cute guy, a retired GP but also some sketchy sorts. Frankie’s cat, Blue, likes to wander, so after a few days of discovering her back door open, Blue goes out with a cat cam to help Frankie figure out what’s going on and then things start to get really strange. It seems someone somewhere in her neighborhood may be held captive!
The book covers approximately nine days of Frankie’s life since her move. A few chapters go back in time to the character Blue has discovered but most of the story is in present time. As the denouement nears tension picks up and the discovery is rather exciting. Along the way Frankie picks up the celebrity as her friend and the ending is smashing – “back at you, Ben (Frankie’s ex).”
While I wouldn’t say this is “I can’t pit it down” book, I will say the book does capture from the start and because Frankie is likable and Blue is so much fun – the cat cam is clever.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for allowing me to read this ARC.
The Future Perfect: A Novel
by Cay Kim
Mother and Daughter story (5/22/2026)
This is a complex mother-daughter story with multicultural aspects set between Korea and the US. Both mother and daughter have no names in the telling. A woman born in Seoul to a mother who espouses the Korean post-war philosophy of resilience and endurance chafes against this. When the mother goes to the US (Minnesota) to attend school, she sends her daughter to a private school there to learn English but as the girl becomes a teenager, tensions arise between the two and when the mother returns to Korea to care for the grandmother, the daughter stays (she's older at this point). Eventually the daughter returns with the realization that her mother's sacrifice to give her daughter the ability to determine her own fate is one she didn't realize and never said thank you for.
This to me was a most bitter story. The mother struggles for her identity and her daughter's but neither sees the other side of the struggle. The pathos and sadness of the story can be overwhelming. I was though somewhat gladdened by the book's ending though. My biggest criticism of the book was that I was thrown off in the reading by the overuse of "you" and "her" - I sensed this use was to accentuate the feeling of melancholy and was perhaps intentional but it was off putting and didn't allow me to connect with a character. While the novel Rebecca has a narrator with no name, I think I might have enjoyed this book better if someone had a name.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Riverhead Books for granting me access to this ARC.
The Lowe Job: A Novel
by Grace Alexander
Fresh take on scandal (5/18/2026)
A fresh take on scandal with flair and tongue-in-check storytelling. When Lili Lowe finds herself in the spotlight because she's having an affair with a likable MP. Facing media frenzy, she goes to her mother, Lydia Lowe ( former talent agent) for advice. Rather than "fade away," the family ( Mom, Lili and sisters, Stevie, Iris and Katie) plunges into exposure - but there's always a price: the louder you are, the more everyone wants to silence you (especially women).
It's a fun read taking on the public's obsession with scandal. But as noted, the public obsession takes it toll and women always more criticized for the telling than men. The dark humor is carefully curated too. If you've read Margo's Got Money Troubles, this one is right up your alley.
My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for granting me access to this ARC.
Power Reviewer
