contemporary fiction – Always With a Book

k2reader February 24, 2026

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke #bookreview #debut

Thank you Knopf, #partner, for the advanced copy of Yesteryear in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Knopf Published: April 7, 2026 Summary: A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1805—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is…

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k2reader January 27, 2026

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer #bookreview #audiobook #debut

Thank you Libro.fm/Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Flatiron Books, #partner for the finished copy of Workhorse in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Flatiron Books / Macmillan Audio Published: October 14, 2025 Summary: A richly drawn, unsettling, and wickedly funny story of envy and ambition set against the glamor and privilege of media and high society in New York City at its height. At the turn of the…

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k2reader January 19, 2026

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you LibroFm / Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Future Saints in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: January 20, 2026 Summary: Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a beautiful, powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back…

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k2reader January 16, 2026

Ralph’s Party by Lisa Jewell #bookreview #rerelease

Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Ralph’s Party in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books Published: January 6, 2026 (reprint–originally released in 1999) Summary: Discover the debut novel of the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell in which the residents of an apartment building confront one another’s attractions, distrust, secrets, and lies. Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton and Jojo Moyes. Meet the residents of 31…

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k2reader December 27, 2025

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Ballantine Books Published: June 3, 2025 Summary: Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women…

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k2reader December 27, 2025

The Accidental Favorite by Fran Littlewood #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm/Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Henry Holt, #partner for the advanced copy of The Accidental Favorite in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Henry Holt / Macmillan Audio Published: June 24, 2025 Summary: From the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams comes a wryly resonant and deeply moving family dramedy investigating the question so many of us have asked ourselves: do my parents have a favorite? Vivienne…

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k2reader December 23, 2025

Needle Lake by Justine Champine #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and Random House #partner, for the e-copy of Needle Lake in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: The Dial Press / Random House Audio Published: December 2, 2025 Summary: Two cousins on very different sides of adolescent girlhood spend one winter together that changes both of their lives forever. And once, after Elna came to stay, I watched a man drown there on Christmas…

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k2reader December 12, 2025

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC and Doubleday #partner, for the advanced copy of Cursed Daughters in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Doubleday / Random House Audio Published: November 4, 2025 Summary: A young woman must shake off a family curse and the widely held belief that she is the reincarnation of her dead cousin in this wickedly funny, brilliantly perceptive novel about love, female rivalry, and superstition from the…

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k2reader October 3, 2025

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill #bookreview #audiobook #debut

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Henry Holt Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Irish Goodbye in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Henry Holt Books / Macmillan Audio Published: September 30, 2025 Summary: In this debut, for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan and Mary Beth Keane, three adult sisters grapple with a shared tragedy over a Thanksgiving weekend spent in their childhood home, navigating…

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k2reader August 14, 2025

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm/PRH Audio for the ALC and MB Communications/Dutton, #partner, for the finished copy of The View from Lake Como in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Dutton / Penguin Audio Published: July 8, 2025 Summary: From the beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, a “dazzling” storyteller (Washington Post), and a “comedy writer with a heart of gold” (NYT), comes a novel about one woman’s quest to build her…

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k2reader June 16, 2025

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Angela Melamud PR, #partner, for the advanced copy of Beach House Rules in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Gallery Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: May 27, 2025 Summary: “Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and…

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k2reader June 10, 2025

Letters from Strangers by Susan Walter #bookreview #audiobook #blogtour

Thank you to Netgalley/Brilliance Publishing for the ALC and to the author for the advanced copy of Letters from Strangers in exchange for my honest opinion. Publisher: Lake Union Publishing / Brilliance Publishing Published: May 27, 2025 Summary: From the creator of the 2017 film All I Wish comes the heartbreaking story of two strangers searching for the truth about their families—and discovering a secret that will change their lives forever.…

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k2reader June 8, 2025

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm/PRH Audio for the ALC and Crown Publishing, #partner, for the finished copy of The Correspondent in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Crown Publishing / Random House Audio Published: April 29, 2025 Summary: Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to…

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k2reader May 26, 2025

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and SimonBooksBuddy, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Bright Years in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Simon Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: April 22, 2025 Summary: One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward…

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k2reader April 21, 2025

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight #bookreview #debut #bookclubread

I purchased this book for my own collection. Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: A witty, atmospheric, and brilliantly told novel that offers compelling portraits of womanhood, motherhood and female friendship, along with the irresistible intrigue surrounding an extraordinary British family Arriving at the University of Edinburgh for her first term, Pen knows her divorced parents back in Canada are hiding something from her. She believes she’ll…

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k2reader March 17, 2025

My Friends by Fredrik Backman #bookreview

Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of My Friends in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books Published: May 6, 2025 Summary: #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later. Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at…

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k2reader February 24, 2025

Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio, #partner for the ALC of Nesting in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hachette Audio Published: February 18, 2025 Summary: On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is…

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k2reader February 8, 2025

After Life by Gayle Forman #bookreview #WRC2025

Thank you BookSparks #partner, for the finished copy of After Life in exchange for my honest review. I am thrilled to be a @booksparks ambassador for the Winter Reading Challenge! The theme this season is ‘The Art of Reading’ & the lineup of books is looking pretty good, if I do say so myself! Publisher: Quill Tree Books Published: January 7, 2025 Summary: “After Life is a masterful…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC and Random House, #partner, for the advanced copy of By Any Other Name in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Random House / PRH Audio Published: September 10, 2024 Summary: From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

The Favorites by Layne Fargo #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC of The Favorites in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Random House Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession. An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice She might not have…

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k2reader December 31, 2024

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Celadon Books #partner for the advanced copy of What Happened to the McCrays? in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio Published: January 14, 2025 Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Tracey Lange, a poignant story about the resilience of family, the importance of community, and the magic of middle school hockey When Kyle McCray gets word his…

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k2reader December 30, 2024

Conclave by Robert Harris #bookreview #audiobook #moviethoughts

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I listened to this audiobook via my Spotify membership. Publisher: Vintage Books / Random House Audio Published: August 6, 2024 (Originally Published September 22, 2016) Summary: The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are…

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k2reader December 29, 2024

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman #bookreview

I purchased this book for my own collection. Publisher: Atria Books Published: May 15, 2015 Summary: All you need is Ove. At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots. Ove’s well-ordered, solitary world gets a shake-up one November morning…

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k2reader December 4, 2024

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman #bookreview #shortstory

I obtained this e-book through my Kindle Unlimited Subscription. Publisher: Amazon Original Stories Published: December 1, 2024 Summary: In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control. Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so…

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k2reader November 25, 2024

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey #bookreview #audiobook #reread

I purchased this audiobook for my own copy. Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Published: April 28, 2020 Summary: It’s summertime on the North Carolina coast and the livin’ is easy. Unless, that is, you’ve just lost your mother to cancer, your sister to her extremist husband, and your husband to his executive assistant. Meet Gray Howard. Right when Gray could use a serious infusion of good karma in her…

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k2reader October 28, 2024

Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand #bookreview #audiobook #shortstory

I obtained this audiobook through my Kindle Unlimited Subscription. Publisher: Amazon Original Stories Published: September 1, 2024 Summary: When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself. After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual…

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k2reader September 29, 2024

Once More from the Top by Emily Layden #bookreview

Thank you to Mariner Books, #partner, for an advanced e-copy of Once More from the Top in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Mariner Books Published: September 10, 2024 Summary: A propulsive, layered novel about the meteoric rise of a legendary pop star and the secret she’s kept hidden for fifteen years, for fans of Megan Abbott and Daisy Jones & the Six. Everyone in America knows Dylan Read,…

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k2reader September 25, 2024

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy #bookreview

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, #partner, for an advanced copy of The Christmas Countdown in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Published: October 22, 2024 Summary: From the author of The Christmas Wager comes a charming holiday rom-com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the…

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k2reader August 27, 2024

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Scribner #partner, for the advanced copy of The Same Bright Stars in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook for my collection. Publisher: Scribner / Simon & Schuster Audio Published: July 2, 2024 Summary: Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at the helm since his father’s death. He puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with…

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k2reader August 4, 2024

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Uplit Reads / Gallery Books #partner, for the advanced copy of A Happier Life in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Gallery Books / Simon and Schuster Audio Published: June 25, 2024 Summary: Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on…

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k2reader July 17, 2024

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Hachette Audio, #partner for the ALC of Part of Your World in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the physical book. Publisher: Forever/Hachette Audio Published: April 11, 2023 Summary: A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match. Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to…

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k2reader June 29, 2024

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio, #partner for the ALC of Swan Song in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hachette Audio Published: June 11, 2024 Summary: In the grand finale of “queen of the beach read” Elin Hilderbrand’s beloved Nantucket novels, there’s a new couple in town… and they instantly shake things up. Amid the extravagant parties on land and sea, there’s trouble on the island, forcing Chief of Police Ed…

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k2reader June 25, 2024

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the finished copy of The Rom-Commers in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio Published: June 11, 2024 Summary: She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own? Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones!…

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k2reader June 24, 2024

Anna Bright is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you BookSparks, #partner for the advanced copy of Anna Bright is Hiding Something in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook for my personal collection. Publisher: Spark Press / Dreamscape Media Published: June 4, 2024 Summary: The Dropout meets Inventing Anna in this cinematic and page-turning summer read! A ripped-from-the-headlines story set in the glossy offices of Silicon Valley startups and NYC new media, Anna Bright Is Hiding Something explores our…

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k2reader June 14, 2024

The Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand #bookreview #audiobook

I borrowed this audiobook from the library. Publisher: Hachette Audio Published: June 29, 2021 Summary: A sequel to the number one New York Times best seller 28 Summers – Jake McCloud returns to Nantucket for Labor Day weekend 2023, this time without Mallory. My thoughts: I somehow missed this sequel to 28 Summers when it came out. I loved 28 Summers and even though it’s been a while since I read that…

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k2reader May 20, 2024

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Hachette Audio, #partner for the ALC of Part of Your World in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Hachette Audio Published: April 19, 2022 Summary: After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete…

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k2reader April 15, 2024

The Winners by Fredrik Backman #bookreview #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Atria Books Published: September 12, 2023 Summary: Over the course of two weeks, everything in Beartown will change. Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The destruction caused by a ferocious late-summer storm reignites the old rivalry…

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k2reader March 27, 2024

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books #partner, for the finished copy of Expiration Dates in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC Published: March 19, 2024 Summary: Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all. From the New York Times bestselling author of In…

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k2reader February 7, 2024

When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff #bookreview #audiobook #backlistreview

Thank you Libro.fm / Harper Audio, for the ALC and Harper, #partner, for an advanced copy of When We Were Bright and Beautiful in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Harper / Harper Audio Published: August 2, 2022 Summary: The acclaimed, bestselling author of This Could Hurt returns with her biggest, boldest novel yet–an electrifying, twisty, and deeply emotional family drama, set on Manhattan’s glittering Upper East Side, that explores the…

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k2reader January 20, 2024

Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and SimonBooksBuddies / Simon and Schuster / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced copy of Here in Avalon in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Simon & Schuster / Simon & Schuster Audio Published: January 2, 2024 Summary: A New York City fairy tale about two sisters that fall under the spell of an underworld cabaret troupe that might be a…

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k2reader January 3, 2024

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman #bookreview #series

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Washington Square Press Published: March 5, 2019 Summary: The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel. Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books / Macmillan Audio Published: April 16, 2019 Summary: A literary courtroom thriller about an immigrant family and a young single mother accused of killing her autistic son, Miracle Creek is a powerhouse debut about how far we’ll go to protect our families, and our deepest secrets. In rural Miracle Creek, Virginia, Young…

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k2reader December 19, 2023

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Libro.fm / Simon & Schuster Audio, for the ALC of Little Monsters in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the print book for my own collection. Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster Audio Published: June 27, 2023 Summary: From the author of the bestselling memoir Wild Game comes a riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families, and long-buried secrets—for fans of the New York…

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k2reader November 27, 2023

Beartown by Fredrik Backman #bookreview #series #backlistreview

Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Beartown in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Washington Square Press Published: March 23, 2021 (Originally Published 2016) Summary: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People, a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true. By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in…

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k2reader November 4, 2023

Maame by Jessica George #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio Published: January 31, 2023 Summary: Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages…

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k2reader October 15, 2023

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you PRH Audio for the ALC of Happiness Falls in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the print book for my own collection. Publisher: Hogarth / Random House Audio Published: August 29, 2023 Summary: When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another–both a riveting page-turner and a deeply moving portrait of a family in…

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k2reader September 28, 2023

The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and Algonquin Books, #partner for the finished copy of The Museum of Failures in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: Algonquin Books / Hachette Audio Published: September 26, 2023 Summary: An immersive story about family secrets and the power of forgiveness from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick Honor When Remy Wadia left India for the United States, he carried his…

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k2reader May 21, 2023

The Half of It by Juliette Fay #bookreview

Thank you William Morrow, #partner, for the finished copy of The Half of It in exchange for my honest review. Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Published: April 11, 2023 Summary: One perfect night. Forty years of buried hurt. One chance to make it right. Can the past ever be fixed? With humor, heart, and grace, USA Today bestselling author Juliette Fay delivers an immensely satisfying page-turner, perfect for fans of Josie…

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k2reader May 13, 2023

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden #bookreview #audiobook

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library. Publisher: Ecco / Harper Audio Published: August 25, 2020 Summary: A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is…

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k2reader May 11, 2023

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin #bookreview #bookclub #reread

I purchased this book for my own personal collection. Publisher: Algonquin Books Published: December 2014 (first published April 2014) Summary: A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the…

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