I had a real reaction to the end of this novel, though no spoilers here.  If you read it, or have read it, I’d love your opinion.

“In Jenna, [Jodi] Picoult has created an unforgettable character who will easily endear herself to each and every reader. . . . Leaving Time may be her finest work yet.”—Bookreporter

“[A] captivating and emotional story.”—BookPage
 
“With plenty of twists and a surprising ending, [Leaving Time] explores the grieving process and what happens when we cannot move on.”—Woman’s Day

“A moving and emotional story.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
“A truly engaging read . . . Full of the deep characters and multilayered story lines that have earned [Picoult] a spot in many readers’ hearts.”—Library Journal

“Delivers a powerhouse ending.”—Booklist

“Memorable and poignant.”—Publishers Weekly

Close to Death is a take on an AgathaChristie style mystery with the additional spin of this author”s cleverness. It is the latest in the series that features Detective Hawthorne and, yes, the character Anthony Horowitz.

This time the structure of the book is a bit different. Hawthorne, who gives Horowitz case material for his novels, is revealing a past puzzler. Some of the novel is a take on those events and other parts involve the perspectives of the two protagonists.

A close is a kind of dead end street. In this upscale one, a number of neighbors detest the newest family. The annoying, inconsiderate and very wealthy Kenworthy is murdered. The suspects include a GP, a retired barrister, two elderly former nuns, a chess grandmaster, a dentist and those around them. Whodunnit? Why? The pages turn as readers wait to fond out.

Last year I heard the author speak. He was very entertaining, just as he is in his writing. i think that he was enjoying himself here. The book offers a good read.

Note that, although this is part of a series, it can be read on its own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 16 April 2024

by Kemper Donovan

#LooseLips #NetGalley

Here is a fun and entertaining mystery that is just perfect for a winter night’s read. The ghostwriter narrator of the first book in the series is back. This time she is going on a cruise (despite not really liking the sea) for a group of would be writers. This is a clue to the double entendre of the Get Lit moniker that is the name of the event.

The cruise is organized by a writer, phenomenon and self-promoter known to our ghostwriter from their MFA days. On this mostly all women cruise, Payton has brought along her wife but also her ex husband and her male assistant. The staffers on the cruise, the guests and the writers are all brought to fun (and somewhat snarky) life.

Not so many of the attendees have signed up for our ghostwriter’s mystery writing class. But no matter, there will be plenty of real life mystery and murder on board.

Come along for a fun trip and feel like an insider in this quite entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 January 2025

From the Publisher

Knives Out meets high seas intrigue on a literary cruise to nowhere in this intelligent, wildly funny locked room mystery for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prose, and Agatha Christie!

The USA Today bestselling host of the “All About Agatha” podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as the ghostwriter’s skills are put to the test aboard a bestselling author’s decidedly insalubrious cruise.

The first book in the series:

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/thriller-books.html

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/what-to-read-next.html

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/romance-books.html

apple.news/AHh8NpRr9Sd6Q4WMqKFt9Hw

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/05/books/romance-books-love.html

The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby

Edited by James L. W. West III with an introduction by Sarah Churchwell

Many can recall having The Great Gatsby assigned as a high school read. Some loved it while for others it may not have been the right book at the right time.

I have found that I have gotten more from Gatsby each time I read it, first in college and much later as an auditor in an English class. There is much to be gleaned from its pages.

Anyone who would like to round out their understanding of the novel and its author will want to dive into this Cambridge University Press edition. It brings the work to vivid life. Seeing pages from the novel in various iterations reminds the reader of what it means to write, something that can be forgotten with the ease of editing on computers. Readers get a sense of what it was like for Fitzgerald to write and correct his MS.

I also liked the many photos, everything from the Fitzgerald family passport to places and references that were important in Gatsby and more. In addition, there is much to read. Learn about the text’s history and editions, alternative passages and more.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the Publisher

How to Use Books to Ease Your Anxiety

by Daisy Buchanan

#ReadYourselfHappy #NetGalley

Daisy Buchanan has written this book from the heart. She shares her own history of anxiety with this book’s audience and details how reading has helped her to cope and grow. Buchanan wants these good things for other as well and offers some hope in these pages. Buchanan knows that we live in times that often feel unstable. She offers suggestions for developing a reading habit that is beneficial and offers growth for those with (or without) anxiety.

Read Yourself Happy includes chapters will titles like Read Yourself Calmer, Read Yourself Secure, Read Yourself Funnier, Read it and Weep, to name just some. There are thoughts, interviews and book suggestions throughout.

Dip in anywhere or read in order. Hopefully, the reader will feel better for it.

Recommended to: Most of us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DK-DK Red for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 February 2025

Advance Praise

‘Daisy’s words never fail to make me feel less alone.’ Dolly Alderton

‘Daisy Buchanan is already my go-to person for reading recommendations, and now she’s sharing her wisdom with the world! I can’t think of a better guide to the books that can heal, soothe and inspire us.’ Katherine May

‘Daisy writes about anxiety with real honesty and kindness’ Marian Keyes