The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner- March 2nd, 2021 "A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course" I heard this one back in December on the Books and The City podcast and immediately added it to my March TBR. The concept is one I haven't heard before and I have high hopes for this story! The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) by Alyssa Sheinmel- March 2nd 2021 " When Moira Dreyfuss's parents announce that they're sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn't fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she's been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died―and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn't interested in getting over Nathan's death or befriending her fellow students." I am not sure if this is a thriller or a literary fiction novel that paints a realistic picture of a teen girl dealing with grief. Regardless, this book is on my March anticipated list due to the setting and portrayal of the main character. I saw a spoiler free review that described this book as followed "The title does really give away a little bit of fairy tale ambience whereby the school is structured like a castle hence the glorious description of turrets and being stranded in the middle of the woods say it all. " I can't wait to read this all the more with the fairy tale vibes. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn- March 9th, 2021 " The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over." March 9th I really enjoyed Kate Quinn's previous historical fiction books which usually give me everything I am looking for in a historical fiction novel including the high and low emotions weaved together to create a moving story. The Alice Network is one of the stories that propelled my love of historical fiction and desire to read about events and people in history I was unfamiliar with. Perfect On Paper by Sophie Gonzales- March 9th 2021 "In Sophie Gonzales' Perfect on Paper, Leah on the Offbeat meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before: a bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her classmates is hired by the hot guy to help him get his ex back" Having just read the last installment of To All The Boys I Loved Before, I was hooked as soon as this came up on my radar. It has LBGTQ+ representation with a fun premise wrapped up into a cute contemporary. Seems like the perfect spring read celebrating diversity with a fresh concept. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert- March 9th, 2021 "In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally." I screamed when I got accepted for this on Netgalley so spoiler, I have already read this one. This book follows the third Brown sister named Eve and her love interest, Jacob. This was my favorite novel in the series and I really enjoy the autism rep and overall characters of Eve and Jacob!
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The novel highlights the beginning of the airline industry, which gave women a new opportunity for independence, glamor, and the ability to travel the world by being becoming flight attendants. A stewardess role provided women an alternative to the limited career opportunities in the 1950s outside of the norm household roles as wife and mother. Yet, to become a stewardess let alone a Pan Am stewardess required a college degree, the ability to speak two languages, be under the age of 26, be between 5 foot 3 and 5 foot 9, AND weigh between 105 and 140 pounds. It is a historical novel depicting the history of the airline industry and gender expectations set in a real period on the edge of change. The novel brilliantly ties in incredible real-life stories of Pan Am stewardesses who truly defied the roles and expectations of women at that time. How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams "A warm romance that bursts with realism and celebrates the symbiotic power of love and healing.”―Entertainment Weekly
Lady in Waiting by Anne Glencommer "Discover untold secrets with this extraordinary memoir of drama and tragedy by Anne Glenconner—a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret.”
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Soloman “Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon's sparkling romantic comedy debut.”
Girl A by Abigail Dean “For readers of Room and Sharp Objects, an absorbing and psychologically immersive novel about a young girl who escapes captivity–but not the secrets that shadow the rest of her life.” This was one of my BOTM picks but unfortunately this one was not what I expected. The story tells of the horrors the children faced in the house they grew up in and abuse faced at the hands of their parents. The story opens years in the future spotlighting their individual roads to recovery once they are rescued. The characters are well written and the overall story is compelling but I found myself glazing over many of the intermediary parts while trying to figure out if we were in the past or present which flipped back and forth frequently between paragraphs. It was an interesting case study on recovery but I would have liked more on the siblings and maybe the parents motivation. The premise was intriguing in the context of today but felt it could have been implemented differently. Amazon| Bookshop.org The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah "Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind." ―Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing As predicted, this was one of the best books I have ever read. There were so many nuggets of wisdom packed up into one novel that will stay with me forever. It was an amazing story centered around a strong woman and a family. Unbelievably, through all the troubles they dealt with the characters manage to focus on the love they have for each other. Although I didn't agree with where some of the book went, I really enjoyed the everlasting message of familial love and relationships. Amazon |Bookshop All Girls by Emly Layden For anyone who wants to read a good campus novel with very serious and timely undertones, this is for you! In the #MeToo era, All Girls follows 9 students over one school year at a Connecticut boarding school. Beginning with Lauren who is a new student, each chapter follows a different girl's perspective as the year progresses. The book highlights each of the character's relationships, worries, and future goals while simultaneously addressing a past sexual assault allegation at the school that the administration is seeking to avert. The shared thread of navigating the sexual assault allegation aids the students to join together to seek justice and truth to confront their institution. The author did a terrific job of crisscrossing the lives of the students and the sexual assault allegation which is continuing to cause a domino effect a couple of decades later at the boarding school. Although I am not a huge fan of multiple POVs, this time it added to this plot and helped deepen the story which allowed each girl to tell her story. It’s a candid take of a coming of age story centered around the real issues high schoolers everywhere are encountering today as they navigate life, school, friends, social media, etc. I enjoyed Emily Layden's writing and I can't wait to pick up her subsequent work. Amazon|Bookshop.org The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles Anything with Paris and the library in the title immediately intrigues me. The Paris Library follows a librarian at the height of WWII trying to protect the library while simultaneously serving patrons as the world around them falls apart. I cannot wait to pick this one up! Amazon|Bookshop.org How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le Set in a restaurant focusing on two rival families whose children fall in love, heck yes! This book sounds super cute and an ideal romance for February. Amazon|Bookshop.org
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