The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung

February 26, 2026

The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung

Korea 1950. Ellie Chang is an American reporter covering the recently begun Korean War, sent by her newspaper because she speaks both Japanese and Mandarin. As one of the few women journalists in Korea, she struggles to be included in press and military briefings. To get a story on the UN evacuation, she hitches a ride with an American pilot heading to the front lines in North Korea to pick up a load of wounded soldiers. On the way back to the American base, their plane is shot down by the Korean military. Mistaking Ellie for Chinese, they are about to shoot her when an unknown Korean woman intervenes and persuades them to let her take Ellie away, claiming that Ellie is her long-missing daughter.

I don't know about where you went to school, but the Korean War was largely skipped over in the U.S. history courses that I took. I think most of what Americans know about this war came from the TV series MASH. Like most wars, the people making the decisions didn't have to live with the consequences, like bombing North Korea for 90 days straight. Nothing is black and white in this story. Even among those that are supposed to be the enemy, Ellie finds kindness and help. If you enjoy historical fiction but are tired of reading about the world wars and the Holocaust, this is a different take on a different war. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, after UN forces fire bombed the city 

Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay

February 22, 2026

Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay

Thierry Villar is a tavern poet. University educated, he prefers to spend his nights in Orane's shadowy underworld, drinking, improvising poems, and associating the city's less savory citizens. One night as he slips out to commit a minor robbery, he is picked up by the city's provost, who require's Thierry's specific skill set for a specific job.

Not sure if this should be called historical fantasy or alternate history. In this fantasy of medieval France, there is a strong Game of Thrones vibe, with many characters, political machinations, high born/low born worlds, and frequent crossing and double-crossing. The Henry V character is a brutal jerk and he loses at Agincourt. The author also saves Joan of Arc (here called Jeannette of Broche). He develops his characters really well - even brief characters get a backstory, even if only a few sentences long. The most heart wrenching is the woman who takes Jeannette's place of the pyre after Jeannette's brothers spirit her away. Other readers have complained that this novel doesn't measure up to the author's other books, but this is the first book by the author that I've read, so I don't have anything to compare it to, and I enjoyed it. A good read for a winter afternoon, a good escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West

February 8, 2026

Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West

Personal trainer Sarah Jones moves to Minneapolis where she quickly meets a group of women all named Sarah Jones. But when another woman named Sarah Jones is found murdered and a friend is suspected, Sarah the personal trainer finds herself involved with finding the killer. At the same time, FBI agent George Nightingale is trying to track down a con artist operating in the Minneapolis area.

One of the book's "quirks" was that a number of characters including the murder victim have the same name and were distinguished by their ages. I know a lot of readers found this cute and fun, but I thought it was just confusing. Two of the "Sarahs" played almost no role. 30 year old Sarah, the main narrator, was on the naive side and instantly bonded with everyone she met, especially the people who had the same name as her, even with a number of people telling her to be careful and less trusting. I was more interested in what happened to George's childhood friend who went missing. Cute cover. If you like mysteries with a lot of offbeat characters who are all over the place, this may appeal to you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

February 6, 2026

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

Juliana Costa is an internet influencer, hosting a weekly cooking show where she cooks retro recipes. When her co-host moves to Los Angeles for a chance at network television, Jules finds herself pretty much out of a job. To make matters worse, she has a publishing contract to write a cookbook, and her publisher has rejected her initial submission. When her mother offers to pay her expenses so she can go work on her book at the family farm in Italy, Jules feels she has no choice but to accept. The only catch is, she has to take her teenaged half-sister with her.

I'm not really crazy about magical realism but I was looking for something kind of light. This is a quick if predictable read with a warm and fuzzy vibe that centers around a magical cookbook. The descriptions of Italy and the food are the best parts of the book. Themes include healing, depression and grief, family, and love lost and found.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Orange blossom cake - looks pretty yummy!

The Searcher by Tana French

February 3, 2026

The Searcher by Tana French

Wanting to get as far away as possible from his former life, Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago detective, buys a small house in rural Ireland and sets about restoring it. He just wants a quiet life but is soon drawn into a missing person's case by a local family, and Cal agrees to ask a few questions. But someone (or more than just one someone) doesn't want him investigating and he starts to wonder why.

This story moves really slowly. It seems to take forever to get through the first hundred or so pages, although the story does pick up once the reader meets Trey. It keeps on at a slow pace which I presume is meant to reflect life in rural Ireland. There are a lot of conversations with people who either don't know anything about the missing boy, or are trying to tell Cal something without telling him anything, which got frustrating. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened to the missing teen and why, but I did a lot of skimming in the last half of the book. An editor could have whacked out about a hundred pages without damaging the story. Not sure if I'm going to reach the next book. Recommended only because it's Tana French.

Rural Ireland

Wickedly Ever After by R. Lee Fryar

January 30, 2026

Wickedly Ever After by R. Lee Fryar

Two elderly but still powerful witches are responsible for maintaining a balance of goodness and wickedness in their kingdom. But they face a new challenge when members of the younger generation refuse to act out the fairy tale that has kept their kingdom safe for nearly a thousand years. Even worse, they are starting to have feelings for each other.

This has been described as a screwball fantasy, and that's a good description. There are clever references to classic fairy tales as well as The Lord of the Rings. If you are looking for high fantasy, this isn't it - try Martha Wells' The Witch King or Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing. The dead of winter is a good time for a humorous romantasy. Beautiful cover. Recommended for light fantasy readers who enjoy a dose of silliness with their stories.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of Hector's black roses

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

January 24, 2026

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Upward Bound is a rundown daycare facility for young disable adults, not exactly a place where most people want to spend time. Walter is a nonverbal autistic adult who spends his days at the daycare center observing others. They are supervised by a group of disinterested caregivers waiting to return to college or to move on to something else, who organize activities for the attendees when they can be bothered to stop analyzing their favorite reality television shows.

A remarkable short novel by a nonverbal autistic writer. Written in interlocking chapters that form a narrative, each section focuses on a different client or employee at a daycare facility for adults with autism and other disabilities. A look at a set of experiences and a world that is hidden from most of us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.