The Secret Thread by Eve Chase

 

 ★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Descriptive and well-paced, this mystery will draw you in. Two siters, torn apart by society, circumstances, and crisis, are destined to meet again. Glamour, the high life of design and desire, and family secrets unravel. It's a page-turner, as beautifully written as it is surprising.

Recommended if you love mysteries, women's novels, and the thrill of discovery.

Some People by Parini Shroff

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
If you had to take care of your difficult, eccentric, and almost-ex mother-in-law, what could happen? This was a surprising, insightful, and hilarious story. I got into the story and couldn't put it down. 

You'll get pulled in by opposing cultures, gasp at family expectations, chuckle at practical solutions like avoidance and alternative problem-solving, and have fun with the unfolding drama.

I recommend it if you're living in an intercultural neighborhood, work at a company with a variety of employees, or have wondered what it's like to live in someone else's world. You'll laugh aloud as I did and groan between scenes.

The Lost Perfumes of Paris A Novel by Christine Wells

 ★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
A feminist manifesto, a romance, and family drama play out in the context of Europe. I enjoyed this one because it offered historical and geographical insights and a glimpse of the perfume industry. I was drawn to or repelled by the characters - Wells shows a deep understanding of human longings and human nature.

If you like Paris and all things French, if you dab on perfume before you leave the house, and especially if you like a good story, you'll enjoy this one.

Recommended when you want to be immersed in another world, whether that's a bedtime story, an alternative to a boring commute, or a vacation treat for yourself. (This is my second round of this book.)

Ordinary Altars: How to Love the World (Even When It Breaks Your Heart) by Sarah Bessey

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Sarah Bessey is an off-center worshipper and follower of Jesus. You may or may not agree with some of her theology but she is passionate about her love for Jesus and others.

The thoughtful observations on the Presence, beyond encountering God in church and at religious events, are worth pondering. You will likely catch yourself worshipping at an Ordinary Altar after the encouragement Bessey offers.

Recommended for those curious about a life with Jesus, new followers, and those who feel their relationship with God has grown stale. "Remember your first love," could be an alternate subtitle.

Was a First Alto in the 1980s: Poems by Deborah Garrison

★★★★★ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
I'd never met Garrison before. How pleased I am to meet her now, through her writing. This is an utterly lovely scattering and gathering of words and recollections. Her images resonated with me. I laughed, remembered, and sighed at how good the days are and were.

Living in the present, coloring between the lines of the past, Garrison has mastered the poem as song and memories. I enjoyed her poetry and highly recommend it to be read aloud in a book group, by those who need sweet comfort, or someone who wants the fragrance of watchfulness in an ordinary life.

Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood

 ★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

Hilarious and terrifying in its fake-it-until-you-make-it descriptions of what's normal today. Annie typifies the know-it-all who has life in hand until everything falls apart. Her pluck and grit made me smile.

A fun read for young adults and those trying to understand GenX to Y. Just don't make Annie your role model!

Work in Progress by Devon Rodriguez

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 I've followed this young artist for a few years, marveling at the talent he's shaped with perseverance and practise. Rodriguez writes with honesty and grit about his difficult beginnings and the challenges of his neighborhoods. 

He became known for the portraits he gifted people on the streets of New York but has picked up sketching and landscapes in his travels. I'm fascinated by the joyful acceptance he offers those who are marginalized or have chosen the fringes of society. Though he's been recognized in high societal circles, he remains humble and open to new things.

For everyone who thinks their background determines their future, please read this engaging story.