2026 LEFT COAST CRIME “LEFTY” AWARDS PRESENTED The Lefty Awards, voted on by Left Coast Crime attendees, were presented on February 28, 2026, in San Francisco, California. Our congratulations to the winners (listed first in each category) and to all of the nominees.
Every entry in this title refers to the natural world. A few examples include Plum Tree, Black-eyed Susan, Geranium, and Pine. All have meaning in these pages.
The author tells his own story of the loss of his sister at the beginning of this volume. This was clearly very painful. The reader know that the author has empathy for any losses others may also face.
In these pages, losses are acknowledged, along with the grief that follows. There is also some hope for joy.
My favorite part of this book was the beautiful illustrations. I could easily return to them again and again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 24 March 2026
From the Publisher:
Description:
from the publisher
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
“Morning Leaves is a gift to all who open their eyes to its images and their hearts to its whispers and exhortations.”—Faith Salie, Emmy-winning contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning and author of Approval Junkie
A radiant fusion of poetry and nature art, Morning Leaves: Cultivating a Life of Beauty, Meaning, and Joy is a tender, soul-stirring meditation on grief, healing, and the quiet joy of rediscovering beauty one morning at a time.
Steeped in beautiful art and verse that invites reflection, Morning Leaves is the perfect gift book or self-purchase. Steeped in beautiful art and verse that invites reflection, Morning Leaves is the perfect gift book for self-purchase or those seeking greater meaning and joy.
An award-winning blend of reflection, poetry, and nature-inspired art, Morning Leaves invites readers to slow down into the beauty of everyday life. With honesty and warmth, Laing Rikkers offers insights on healing, presence, and hope.
Through the lens of nature and creativity, she reveals that in uncertain or chaotic times, there is a path to meaning, connection, and light. Walk with her through the garden of imagination and rediscover your own wellspring of joy.
AWARD WINS FOR MORNING LEAVES: 2023 FOREWORD INDIES AWARDS WINNER 2023 PUBWEST DESIGN AWARDS WINNER 2024 FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS WINNER | GOLD 2024 IBPA BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARDS WINNER | GOLD
MORE PRAISE FOR MORNING LEAVES: “The poems within Morning Leaves are tender, compassionate and full of wonder. Laing’s writing and Kelly’s illustrations are conduits for healing and hope.” —Kristin A. Meekhof, co-author of A Widow’s Guide to Healing
“So beautifully written and thoughtfully constructed. Visceral. Visual. Vulnerable. The passages cracked open my heart.” —Amy K. Hutchens, award-winning speaker and bestselling author of Get It and The Secrets Leaders Keep
Trace Elements A Comissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon is an e book bargain
Where I live, the weather is currently cold and the days are short. When Trace Elements takes place during a summer in Venice, it is as hot as hot can be. Clothes are sticking, meals need to be light and our detective, Guido Brunetti is mystified by the tourists who want to be in Venice at this miserable time. I could feel the heat and the need to drink mineral water. All of this is to say that Ms. Leon is a master at creating her scenes and characters. When Brunetti was eating his cheese and salad, I salivated. When I followed this essentially good man throughout the story, I wanted to know him and his colleagues as real people. When Brunetti was with his wife, Paola, I wanted a marriage like theirs. All of this adds verisimilitude to a novel that, in parts, is deeply tragic.
Tue story begins when Brunetti and a female colleague go to visit Benedetta, a women in hospice care, who is dying a miserable death from cancer. Readers will feel great sympathy for this character’s suffering. Before she dies, Benedetta presents Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni with something to investigate. They learn that Benedetta’s daughters are about to become orphans as Benedetta’s husband recently died in a crash. Was his death an accident? If it was murder how, if at all, does it relate to his job?
In Trace Elements (an apt title), the crime as it relates to Venice feels all too plausible. Ms. Leon has done her research and written a believable and sad tale of human corruption and its consequences. Wrong actions happen but the reasons for them differ.
This title is the latest entry in Donna Leon’s long running series about Guido Brunetti. It is a most excellent novel and I recommend it highly.
Welcome to Murder Week offered a fun and entertaining read; it’s just perfect vacation (or anytime) reading. Those who pick this up will enjoy the characters and the story.
Cath, in her 30s, has been living in Buffalo, New York where she was raised by her grandmother due to her mother’s frequent absences. The loss of her mother in her daily life had been a cause of much disappointment and sadness for Cath. Despite their seeming lack of closeness, strangely, when Cath’s mother dies, Cath discovers that her mother had booked the two of them for a murder week mystery in England. Why? This will be one of the questions of the novel.
There is a story within the story as a group of characters endeavor to solve the fictional case of a murdered hairdresser in this Peak village. Cath teams up with her two cottage mates, a young gay man named Wyatt whose partner purchased the trip for him, and Amity, a divorcee in her fifties. They are on the case! Follow them, figure out why Cath was sent on the trip and even find a bit of romance. All designed to please readers.
Those who enjoy traditional mysteries will enjoy this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
One thing that I love about Sulari Gentill is that she never seems to rest on her laurels. I very much enjoyed her novels about Rowly Sinclair and his group of friends. These are historical mysteries, set in the 1930s, in a series that began with A Few Right Thinking Men. There are good characters who are good friends and good stories in each of the entries.
Ms. Gentill then began to write some standalone novels and stories set outside of Australia. These include After She Wrote Him, The Woman in the Library, and now, The Mystery Writer. Each has an intriguing and, perhaps quirky, story.
In this new book, Theo (Theodosia) has decided to leave law behind. She wants to be a novelist. When her mentor is killed and her brother becomes a suspect, the scene is set.
A few things to ponder…who was the murderer, where is Theo’s manuscript, and what secret things are happening? Get ready for the unraveling.
It is easy to recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
I’ll just put it out there: I loved this book. It is a novel for anyone who has ever felt the power of books and the delight in reading a special series (there is a fictional one in this novel) and for those who know how important relationships can be. It is part whimsy, part fairy tale, part game and all a page turner with heart. There are characters that I loved and wanted good lives for, most especially Lucy and Christopher who both suffered difficult childhoods. Lucy is in her twenties as the story opens while Christopher is seven. Lucy deeply wants to be Christopher’s parent as he very much needs one.
Those who enjoy stories about reclusive authors, puzzles and the power of dreams and wishes will find this to be a most satisfying read. Travel to Clock Island, try to solve a riddle and watch what happens.
Four adults who were childhood fans of author Jack will come to Clock Island. Lucy will also get to know Hugo, an illustrator and wing man for Jack. What will happen when they meet?
Read this fairy tale for adults. I wonder how many people you will then urge to read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
#TheWishingGame #NetGalley
Pub date: 30 May 2023
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Meg Shaffer’s beautiful novel is part Willy Wonka, part magical realism, and wholly moving. It broke my heart and patched it over and reminded me that even as an adult, if you look hard enough, you can find the child still inside you.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey
“Our list of must-read fiction books wouldn’t be complete withouta novel that reminds readers of the power books hold between their pages. Meg Shaffer’s The Wishing Game may not contain any magic—this is a whimsical tale, but it’s grounded in reality—yet there’s something magical about the book.”—Reader’s Digest, in “Best Fiction Books of 2023”
This book has gotten a lot of hype, including being picked for Reese’s book club and receiving a starred review from Library Journal. Based on that, readers may expect a lot from this first novel. In my opinion, it delivers. It is the kind of read where I kept saying that I would return to other things that I had to do when I finished the chapter that I was reading…but then, I just kept on going. All in all, I really enjoyed this one. There are humor, family relationships, a murder…and all of this is well executed in these pages.
Readers meet the three women of the family. Lana has been a real go-getter. A cancer diagnosis has led her to needing some assistance not an easy thing for her. Lana asks her daughter for help and Beth brings her from LA to a quieter community by the water with a slough.
Beth was a teen mother. She is a nurse who lives on the grid but with a homespun lifestyle. She and Lana have a history of not seeing eye to eye. Beth is mom to Jack (Jacqueline), who, when the story opens has been a pretty independent and competent teen. She has led many expeditions on the waters near her house.
What will happen when a body is found? Which of these women will be under suspicion? (Readers find this answer early on.) Who will get involved in finding the truth? Will they succeed? Read this one to find out. Readers will be glad that they did!
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my now.
Pub date: 05 September 2023
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Simon’s dazzling debut delivers everything a mystery fan could crave, including a realistically nuanced cast of characters, a vividly evoked coastal California setting, writing imbued with a deliciously desiccated sense of wit, and a perfectly plotted murder with enough red herrings deftly dropped in to confound the most experienced mystery reader. Insightful and frequently funny analysis of family dynamics wrapped up in a cleverly crafted cozy crime novel.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Three women bond while investigating a homicide in Simon’s spirited debut…. Simon stocks her layered plot with plausibly motivated suspects and convincing red herrings, but it’s her indomitable female characters and their nuanced relationships that give this mystery its spark. Readers will be delighted.” — Publishers Weekly
This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky. The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.
There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy. Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world. Cussy faces special challenges because she is the last of the ‘blues.’ There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests. They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.
Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage. And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?
Cussy’s love of books flows through the novel. There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout. Cussy’s inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.
The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described. Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.
If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is divided into four sections. They are the Introduction, Feeling Calm, Feeling Mindful, and Feeling Centered. There is also a section at the end entitled Embracing Imperfection.
Inside these pages are many suggestions for self-care, something that many have to remember is important in the midst of busy lives. While some of the information/practices in these pages will not feel new, the gentle reminders to consider one’s self have merit.
In these pages, there are writing prompts, checklists and more. Spending time with these could well be helpful.
Throughout this title, there are peaceful illustrations. They enhance the text.
At the end of this book, readers will find a number of references cited.
Give this title a look if you want help in caring for yourself.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter-Ten Speed Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 17 March 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Find calm every day with this pocket-sized self-care manual featuring simple rituals, journal prompts, activities, and affirmations from the creator behind the hit Instagram account My Self-Love Supply.
This beautifully illustrated guide provides reminders and routines to get you back on track when life gets tough—all backed by simple science. The book is divided into four sections: Calm in a Book, Feeling Calm, Feeling Mindful, and Feeling Centered, each including:
reflective journal pages
prompts and mood trackers
empowering words of affirmation
soothing activities and illustrations,
and more
Filled with lovely, vibrant artwork, self-care routines, and accessible practices you can tailor to your own needs, Calm in a Book will help you feel happier and more centered.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 