With the last few days of the school year approaching my eyes are firmly on summer and all of the fun we have planned…and lots of reading time. This 10 stack brings me half way to my reading goal for the year. It’s a mixed genre list, as I always try for, and this one definitely has more hits than misses. I ended up with only one audiobook this time around and I’m always on the hunt for great non-fiction listens. Any recommendations? Hope you find something to add to your TBR list for the warm weather ahead! Enjoy, readers!

“Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases” by Paul Holes

“From the detective who found The Golden State Killer, a memoir of investigating America’s toughest cold cases and the rewards–and toll–of a life solving crime.” Paul Holes, a now retired Cold Case Investigator, takes his reader inside some of the most difficult cases of his career. Most notably discovering the forgotten files that sparked Paul’s decades long hunt to solve the (eventually) Golden State Killer case, one of the first to rely on ancestry DNA technology. I have to say this is not a book for the faint of heart. If you only like to dabble in true crime this may not be the book for you as some of the author’s descriptions are quite graphic. However, if you are a crime junkie like myself this is definitely one for your TBR list. The audiobook is narrated by the author himself, giving just another layer of authenticity to “Unmasked”.

“Bluebird” by Genevieve Graham

As World War I rages on around her, Adele Savard risks her life daily as one of Canada’s sister nurses, otherwise known as the “Bluebirds” from the color of their uniform gowns. When a young soldier gets brought into Adele’s field hospital by his brother after an explosion in their tunnel, her once rigid rules about becoming too attached to those she cares for falter. Jerry Bailey quickly gets under Adele’s skin once the two learn that they are from the same small part of Canada and when Jerry is finally sent back to the front the two both dream of running into one another again back in their hometown. Spanning more than a century the Bailey family story is uncovered when Matthew purchases the old family home and discovers some secrets literally buried in the walls. Reaching out to Cassie, a local historian, she helps unravel what became of the Bailey brothers upon their return from Europe. I love historical fiction for so many reasons and one of them is that the genre is so vast. Having not read much about Canadian contributions to WWI or the prohibition era I found “Bluebird” so interesting. The WWI POV was my favorite and I grew to be invested in them all. His Fic fans be sure to add this one to your TBR list. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Weather Girl” by Rachel Lynn Solomon

For as long as she can remember Ari Abrams has wanted to work in weather. Thanks in large part to her hero, and now boss, Torrance Hale. Unfortunately for Ari, the only thing Torrance put her energy into these days is making her ex-husband, and their co-worker, miserable, leaving no time to mentor Ari as she had hoped would happen when she joined the Seattle news station. After a disastrous holiday party, Ari and sports anchor Russ devise a plan to make their work life less chaotic, trick Torrance and Seth into getting back together. As their secret plan unfolds with faux-double dates and Ari and Russ spend more time together real things begin to happen but will Ari be able to let him in and get to know the real Ari Abrams she keeps hidden behind a sunshine exterior. I loved this book! It has a little bit of everything we need to see in books – a smart, strong, independent female character, real bodies, messy families with healthy boundaries, real talk about mental health and so much more. I felt as if I was reading a story about everyday people, nothing too far fetched which can be really over the top in the romance genre. If you are looking for a quick, rom-com read give “Weather Girl” a try.

“Darling Girl” by Liz Michalski

Everyone knows the Darling family thanks to the famous book written by J.M. Barrie but what you don’t know is that Barrie got it all from Wendy and the stories she was telling weren’t stories at all, Peter Pan is real and more dangerous than his fairytale led you to believe. For generations the Darlings have been visited by Peter but Holly’s encounter with him was nothing like her grandmother Wendy described. Having fled to New York years ago with her son Jack to run a successful company, Holly is now being called back to London and back to Pan territory when she is informed that her daughter, who has been in a coma for a decade, has vanished knowing there is only one person who could have taken her. Eden’s disappearance is a nightmare for Holly – not only does Eden have a rare condition that causes rapid aging but her blood is what is keeping Jack and her cosmetic business alive. Out of desperation she hires private detective, Christopher Cooke, to locate Eden before it’s too late and she loses not only her daughter but everything she has. “Darling Girl” is a dark reimagining of a beloved fairytale that forces readers to consider what we were read as children in the same way “Wicked” made us rethink Oz. There are topics discussed in this book that might be difficult for some (abuse, drug use, murder and assault to name a few) but beyond those is a creative concept thought up by author Liz Michalski. I love when a writer can take a story well known to all and put their own alternative spin to it making a reader question if we ever really knew these characters at all. Even if the fantasy genre isn’t your usual go-to, I recommend giving “Darling Girl” a try.

“A Million Junes” by Emily Henry

For as long as she can remember June O’Donnell has had two rules she must live by…stay away from the falls and never, ever associate with the Angert family. For generations the two families have been at war with one another but June (aka Jack O’Donnell IV) can’t fully understand why. When Saul Angert comes back to Five Fingers after disappearing for a few years, June and Saul find that they are more alike than different and decide to work together to figure out a feud that has caused years of heartache and hurt between their families. The ghosts of the past lead Saul and June through memories to reveal the truth of their ancestors and that fateful night so long ago. If you are like me, you have fallen in love with Emily Henry’s newer publications. I decided to take a look at her backlist and wow, talk about a difference in styles. “A Million Junes” is a YA read that is categorized in the fantasy/magical realism genre. Quiet the jump from her newer rom-com reads. However, I have to say, not being a typical fan of this genre, I did really enjoy this book. It is wholesome, heartbreaking, creative and filled with beautiful lessons about family, love and loyalty. A great read, especially for those Teen readers in your life.

“The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes

Feeling suffocated in her life in England, Alice Wright jumps at the chance to marry the handsome Bennet Van Cleve and escape home with him to Kentucky. After arriving, she realizes that life in his small town isn’t any more freeing and sharing a home with her controlling father-in-law makes things even worse. So when Mrs. Brady puts out a request at the town meeting for women to help serve as traveling librarians in Eleanor Roosevelt’s new effort to spread literacy, Alice volunteered immediately. Alice soon learns that the choices she has made have brought her to a crossroads with consequences beyond her control. Though the conditions are dangerous and at times life-threatening, Alice knows her efforts are life-changing for those she serves and fights to remain with the Packhorse Library with all she has. Though many people rave about “The Giver of Stars” I found it to be a slow, drag of a read. It took such a long time for the story to hook me and even then I could have walked away without any real regret or desire to know the outcome. With so many historical fiction books to choose from, this wouldn’t be my first recommendation but for the right reader “The Giver of Stars” might be a great fit.

“Eight Perfect Murders” by Peter Swanson

A list on a blog that Malcolm Kershaw made over a decade ago has now come back to haunt him in the shape of an FBI agent standing in his bookshop. Gwen Shaw has informed Malcolm that she believes there is someone out there using a blog post from his bookshop’s website referencing eight perfect, unsolvable murders to commit them in real life. Malcolm had chosen these crimes from books written by the genre’s most classic storytellers and explained how these perfect murders were carried out. Did he create a how-to for a madman? The agent asks Malcolm to look over a few open cases to see if he can find connections to his list and as Mal digs in he discovers that the killer might be closer to him than he expected. The feeling of being watched, observed and hunted follows Mal as he tries to help Agent Shaw unravel the mystery of how all of these murders are connected. As long as the killer doesn’t catch them first. “Eight Perfect Murders” is the second book I’ve read by Peter Swanson. I was hooked right away with the concept and couldn’t put it down. (I read this in one day.) Though I found the ending to be a little dialed in I really enjoyed “Eight Perfect Murders” and would recommend giving it a TBR add along with suggestion to check out Swanson’s other titles if you are a fan of this genre.

“Love & Other Words” by Christina Lauren

When you can’t forget your first love what happens when they come back into your life after a decade apart? Macy has constructed a careful life for herself. A solid job, a safe relationship, a few friends – no risk of heartbreak to be seen. After losing her mother at an early age, there is no room for loss anymore in her life. So when Elliot collides with this well laid out safety life, Macy spirals. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s whole world growing from gangly tweens who lived next door to one another into each other’s first everything. When one giant mistake pulls them apart, the two lose touch until a chance reunion forces them to confront old feelings, old truths and secrets never shared. Told in alternating timelines between “then” (the teen years) and present day, Macy and Elliot’s love story is one for the ages. If you have read anything by Christina Lauren then you know you are going to get something good when opening up one of their books and “Love & Other Words” doesn’t disappoint. I did have a hard time with a few scenes (mainly in the “then” timeline) but I really enjoyed this book. Though this wasn’t my favorite read by them (The Unhoneymooners will forever hold that title) it had its own special something that made it really hard to put down. And I know you aren’t ever supposed to judge a book by its cover but come on, how beautiful is this one?

“The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle” by Matt Cain

In three short months Albert will lose his identity and his only connection to the outside world. By then he will have turned sixty-five and will be forced into retirement by the Royal Mail. Albert has been a postman all his life and now he is spiraling unsure of what he will do next. With no family or friends to speak of, no hobbies he enjoys, Albert doesn’t know how he will fill his days, afraid of the silence his life will be filled with. After a tragedy, Albert is shaken into reality and realizes that he needs to step outside his comfort zone and slowly allow people in. Albert decides he needs to find George – the love of his life once before he lost him decades ago. Hoping to right the biggest wrong from his past and with the hope that his chance for love is not lost, Albert will need to trust those around him and be braver than he ever has before. There have been a few book characters that I have wanted to jump through pages and wrap my arms around them and Albert Entwistle has now joined that list. Albert’s journey will break your heart and fill you up with joy all at once. Matt Cain has written a fictional story that is stuffed to the gills with historical fact giving readers a taste of what it was like to live with discrimination and love being illegal. Every human deserves the right to love freely with the freedom and safety to be who they are. A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Book for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Conviction” by Denise Mina

Like so many people, Anna is obsessed with true crime podcasts. She listens to them to escape her life which is exactly what she did the morning that her husband announced that he was leaving her for her best friend and taking their daughters with him. Her much needed escape took a turn when she realized that she knew the subject of “Death and the Dana”, someone she knew long ago. Not willing to believe the narrative of the crime, Anna decides, with nothing left to lose, to set out to figure out what really happened on board the Dana that night. Author Denise Mina has written a page-turning thriller that I could not put down. As a fellow podcast lover, this plot grabbed me right away. Though I could not relate to the characters in this book and found the inclusion of an eating disorder slightly unnecessary I can’t wait to pick up the second book in this series “Confidence” this summer. Add this one to your TBR list.

Til next time,

The Booked Mama

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