Whistler by Ann Patchett

August 25, 2026

Whistler by Ann Patchett

When Daphne Fuller and her husband decide to spend a morning at the art museum, they unexpectedly run into Eddie, Daphne's former stepfather who she hasn't seen in decades. Seeing him triggers a flood of memory for Daphne, including why her mother divorced him so suddenly following a car accident. Daphne remembers that while they were trapped in the car waiting for emergency services to rescue them, to distract her, Eddie told her the story of a book proposal that he had received, about a horse named Whistler.

Ann Patchett hits it out of the park. Again. The Dutch House is still my favorite Patchett novel, but this is a great read.

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

June 18, 2026

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

After touring Europe and the large cities of North America, celebrated conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker decided to settle down in a small town in North Carolina. They soon bought land, built a fine house, and opened a general store. Wealthy and educated, the only things missing from their lives were wives and children. They met Adelaide and Sarah Yates, a pair of sisters from a local family with a questionable history. Addie was fascinated by the brothers and immediately decided to marry Chang. She convinced her sister that marrying Eng was the only way to redeem past mistakes and the only way that Addie would be able to marry Chang.

Eng and Chang Bunker were the first pair of conjoined twins to find international fame. Born in Siam (now Thailand), they were the source of the now-obsolete expression Siamese Twins. Their lives were well documented, and the two sisters who married them were distant cousins of the author. Not only did Chang and Eng marry, they went on to father 21 children (!) between them. After their deaths, an autopsy determined that they were joined at the liver, and it would have been impossible to separate them during their lifetime. Today this type of surgery would have been possible and most conjoined twins are successfully separated. I highly recommend this fascinating look at two unique families and the times they lived in.

Chang and Eng Bunker

The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson

April 21, 2026

The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson

Cussy Mary Lovett, Kentucky pack horse librarian and one of the hereditary Blue People, and her husband Jackson have both been imprisoned for breaking the state's miscegenation laws. True to her nature, Cussy chooses to spread good at the prison and is appointed prison librarian, bringing hope to the hopeless women at the prison. All the while, she longs for her husband Jackson and her daughter Honey.

The third book by the author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. While there are parts that will warm your heart, there are also parts that will crush your soul. Themes include the power of books and literacy, family, home, and the need to belong. Possible triggers include racism, prejudice, incarceration, poverty, questionable and cruel medical practices, injustice against marginalized people mainly based on fear and ignorance, and abuse of women. The Kentucky Blue People are real and you can find pictures of them online. If you haven't read the two previous books, I'm extremely jealous and you should go read them right now. I love this series and I hope there will be more about Cussy and her family. Like the first book, this one makes me extremely proud to be a librarian. Highly recommended for readers of historical or literary fiction.

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

One of the Kentucky Blue People with his non-blue partner

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

March 11, 2026

Platform Decay by Martha Wells

The SecUnit known to itself as Murderbot finds itself on a rescue mission, this time to locate and bring home Dr. Mensah's marital partner, daughter, and mother-in-law. En route to visiting Mensah's older daughter at university, they were illegally detained and imprisoned by the Barish-Estranza corporation, for unknown reasons but possibly in retaliation for previous actions by the Preservation consortium. They find themselves trying to escape from an artificial outer platform ring that surrounds a planet that has been stripped to nothing for its resources. SecUnit finds itself assisting an old enemy by rescuing her people while getting Mensah's family to safety. 

The eighth book featuring Murderbot, the sarcastic rogue SecUnit. Murderbot continues to grow as a character, experiencing new (and not always welcome) emotions. One of the hardest and sweetest feelings for Murderbot to process is that the humans they are responsible for really do care about him, as do his AI friends Three and ART. Bypassing security systems and planning escapes are just part of Murderbot's daily chores - their biggest challenge is fitting into human society and passing for humanoid. There is Murderbot's trademark sarcastic humor, particularly when it comes to the humanoids they need to protect. I wish ART and Three would have played larger roles, but Naja is a new favorite character - think of Ruth Gordon in a futuristic setting. Love this series, hate that I'll have to wait a year for another installment. Highly recommend the whole series to anyone who reads SF, but start at the beginning with All Systems Red.

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

An example of strip mining that strips all of the minerals and resources from the ground and leaves the land desolate and destroyed

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 

When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

January 24, 2026

When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

In 1952, photographer Eve Arnold is approached by Marilyn Monroe, a rising starlet, to do a photo shoot that will portray who Marilyn really is, not just a platinum blonde sex kitten as male photographers show her. Little did Eve know that the chance meeting would lead to a partnership and a friendship that would last until the end of Marilyn's life.

Eve Arnold was a celebrated photojournalist who did photo stories mainly of women and children, but some of her best-known work were her photos of Marilyn Monroe, depicting Marilyn behind the scenes in non-studio settings. Eve's book about Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe: an Appreciation, was recently reprinted in a new edition. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this fascinating portrait of a woman intimately connected to one of the most famous women of the 20th century.

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

One of Eve Arnold's first photos of Marilyn Monroe