Mind Games by Nora Roberts

 

Whenever I get in a reading slump, having trouble making progress on my TBR pile, I can count on Nora Roberts to put a page turner in my hands.  Mind Games is no exception. Thea Fox witnesses the unthinkable murder of her parents when she is twelve years old, but not because she was there.  She’s psychic, and for unexplainable reasons, her mind links with that of her parent’s killer.  They both have the gift of sight, only he uses his for evil and she for good.

Thea and her brother go to live with their also gifted Grammie in Redbud Hollow, in the Kentucky Appalachians. There she grows up, learns and continues to be haunted by the murderer. It’s a beautiful setting with enough magic, technology, and sizzling romance to remind us of what a wonderful storyteller Roberts has always been.  This was a wonderful breath of fresh air. The book was published May 21, 2024.  Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s press for the review copy.

Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano

 

Ann Napolitano has a way of creating characters both endearing and flawed. This story of the McLaughlin family of New Jersey, told from six points of view, examines the way the strict Irish Catholic upbringing clashes with the actual way lives are lived. The characters love fiercely but have trouble understanding their love. Assisted by ghosts of their ancestors and a tight knit community, both the older generation and the youngest one explore what it means to be part of a family, and how they fit in.

This was actually Napolitano’s debut novel, re-released after the success of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random house for the review copy. The novel was re-released on April 30, 2024

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

 

I picked this one up because I needed something different than the heavy lit fic or not so heavy rom com’s that are my usual fare. To be fair, I do not read horror and am not big on thrillers because my imagination is so active, and I have trouble sleeping with all the horrible possibilities. But Darling Girls was highly recommended, so I dove in.

First, if you are triggered by child abuse, this is not the book for you. The characters are former foster kids who are placed with a woman who is not what she appears to be, a sweet, lovely woman. The story is told from three viewpoints (through most of the bool.) Three young girls are fostered by Miss Fairchild. The girls forge a sisterhood of protection when they must revisit all they suffered as children to help solve a crime.

As all good thrillers, this is a page turner. The characters are complex and damaged, and it will take until the last page to figure this one out.

Lucky by Jane Smiley

 

So great to have a new novel by Jane Smiley!  Her main character in Lucky, Jodie Rattler is so authentic I needed to check early in the book to see if this was an actual memoir, or in fact, fiction. Detail oriented and epic in the timeline, we learn about Jodie’s music, musical career (and many of her lover’s and walks at the various places she lived!) At times heartbreaking, at times filled with love and optimism, and always filled with the kind of existential angst those of us who grew up in the sixties experienced firsthand, Lucky is a snapshot of the age through one woman’s life.

The ending surprised me, and I struggled with it. I admit it simply may be a bit beyond me. Other than that, I enjoyed reading Lucky. Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred Knopf for the advance readers copy. The book was published April 23, 2024