How about a reader participation post? What’s in your to-be-read pile or your recently-read pile? Did you get any new books over the holidays?
I’ll share what I had lined up for the holidays:
Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban — a perfectly delightful holiday YA romance! Francie (short for Frankincense) grew up at her family’s Christmas shop and Santa School. Can she protect the spirit of the place in the face of her Aunt Carole’s “improvements”? Might she stop the rumors about her and find a little love, too? I needed a boost of Christmas cheer and some innocent fun, and this fit the bill perfectly.
Riverman: An American Odyssey by Ben McGrath — suspenseful, quirky, enigmatic, and compelling. Journalist McGrath randomly encounters Dick Conant, an unusual, charismatic man who canoes epic journeys. After Conant goes missing and McGrath’s contact information is found in the canoe, McGrath researches around the country to piece together Conant’s past, to understand the sense of adventure that would lead to a life like Conant’s, and to try to find clues about what happened to the mysterious man who paddled in and out of so many lives.
Coven written by Jennifer Dugan, illustrated by Kit Seaton– a twisty, emotional, witchy YA graphic novel. Elemental magic, found family, grief, and even a little mystery (plus potential necromancy).
A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe. I’m in the mood for a spy novel, and the mid-’50s Manhattan setting is very appealing. I’m looking forward to it!
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. I just started this because I’m in a mystery mood. People have been telling me I should watch “The Glass Onion,” but I’m going to scratch the itch with this advance reader’s copy first. The book releases January 17. 2023. So far, I absolutely love the slightly insouciant narration, the contemporary Australian setting, and the very surprising family members. Watch for it in a bookstore near you next month!
I have a gift certificate to a bookstore near family that I’ve been eager to use since the pandemic started, so I know I’ll be adding to this stack very soon. If you have a must-read recommendation you think I’ll enjoy, please share in the comments! –Tegan