Tag: #AnOpenBook

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An Open Book: What I Read After Knee Surgery

franciscanmom4 Comments

In January, I worked like crazy for the first three weeks so I could spent the next couple of weeks recovering from a total right knee replacement. I’d had the left knee replaced last July, and it didn’t seem like I was very able to concentrate on reading very much after that one, so I didn’t have very high expectations. However, my mind has been much clearer and my energy much better than after the first knee replacement, so I was able to enjoy several books and dip into a prayer book I’ll be reviewing before Lent.

The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:

Fiction

As a kid who grew up on The Wizard of Oz, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor. That surprised me, because I’m not usually a fanfic reader, but Gaynor did a masterful job in sharing Auntie Em’s backstory, including how Dorothy came to live with her and Uncle Henry. The novel is sprinkled liberally with Wizard of Oz Easter eggs, which were fun to find: 8-year-old Dorothy has a tiny toy tin man, a stuffed lion, and a straw doll, for example. Real historical events, such as the 1929 stock market crash and the Dust Bowl of the mid-1930s, play a major role in the story. The difficulties experienced in farming communities in Kansas during the 1930s were not glossed over. The way Gaynor worked in the witches and the Wizard was fascinating and extremely clever. Every detail in the book is true to history and to the L. Frank Baum novel or the movie.

 

Adriana Trigiani’s The View From Lake Como takes place in a part of New Jersey I’ve visited, so I could picture some of the places and even some of the people in this story. After Jess divorces the man everyone had always expected her to marry, she moves into her parents’ basement and thinks she’s at a dead end, doing everything for her family and even working in her uncle’s business. But when her uncle dies and leaves behind some shocking financial secrets, Jess travels to Italy to fulfill some business commitments and finds herself needing to decide what she really wants, and whether she has to keep living the way her family expects her to.

 

A friend recommended The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly, and I’m glad I picked it up. The book is told in a dual timeline (present day and 1942), but I really felt that the present-day plotline could have been dispensed with entirely. The 1940s part of the novel makes up the bulk of the story and could have stood alone. Two teenage girls in a farming family on Martha’s Vineyard faces challenges when their brother joins the Army and leaves them to handle the work, led by their ailing grandmother. They’re joined by their brother’s girlfriend, now pregnant, who comes from a privileged background and knows nothing of growing potatoes. Meanwhile, a nearby military base threatens the future of all the area farms, and there’s a real danger that a German spy is lurking within the community.

 

YA/Children’s

A novel in free verse, The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez by Jasmine Paulino, was a delight to read. I admit to hesitating when I found out about the format of the book, but I’m glad I decided to try the book anyway. Alex, who has some learning challenges, is in a self-contained classroom but really wants to study science with the rest of the seventh grade, because his goal is to work for NASA. Through courageous self-advocacy (both with his parents and the teachers and administration at his school) and his own hard work, he seeks to prove that he’s able to handle that science class, after-school clubs, and other things he’d always thought were closed to him. The story is told through Alex’s journal and some text messages with friends. Highly recommended for readers 10 and up, as well as for parents of students with special needs or learning differences.

 

Leslea Wahl’s The Ultimate Blindside continues the adventures of Jake and Sophie as they observe a movie being made about how they solved a mystery (the story told in The Perfect Blindside). Just as filming begins, a car drives into the on-location set and lands in a lake. Without hesitation, Jake rescues the young woman and her daughter who were in the car, and Sophie and Jake plot to help the mysterious woman who’s on the run and in danger. Meanwhile, both of them (together and separately) must navigate friend, former friend, and bully issues related to Jake’s career and Sophie’s association with him. As the two eventually face real danger to themselves when they seek to solve yet another mystery, they’re challenged to lean on the faith they share. (Review copy provided by the author.)

 

Nonfiction

If you were a fan of the Little House on the Prairie book series and, particularly, the TV series, you’ll enjoy Allison Arngrim’s Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated. Arngrim famously portrayed the bully we all loved to hate, Nellie Oleson. This book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the Little House TV show, which was fun to read in itself, but it also is an examination of what it’s like to play a villain on TV (and the consequences, good and bad, for the actor when they’re out in public once they’ve played that role). It’s also a look at Arngrim’s early life and upbringing in Hollywood, which included challenges such as financial instability and recurrent sexual abuse. Language and content warning; this one’s not for the kids.

 

Just in time for Lent, TAN Books has released The Way of the Cross with the Saints. This small-format prayer book contains five versions of the Stations of the Cross, written by Saints Francis of Assisi, Alphonsus Liguori, and John Henry Newman, along with Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich and Venerable Mary of Jesus of Agreda. The Stations of the Cross is a beautiful devotion; it’s often prayed during Lent, but it can be prayed at any time, and it’s lovely to have options for prayers that resonate with you during different seasons. Stay tuned for my full review later this month at CatholicMom.com. (Review copy provided by the publisher.)

 

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

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Copyright 2026 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: top copyright 2026 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved; bottom copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved, used with permission

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An Open Book: What I Read This Summer

franciscanmom6 Comments

The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. I had a total knee replacement in mid-July, so I’ve had less time to read than I normally do, not to mention less capacity for reading anything heavy (though there are a couple of tougher books in this pile). And I’ll admit there’s been more time spent binge-watching HGTV, specifically Beachfront Bargain Hunt and old Flip or Flop.

Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading this summer (since I’m seriously behind in participating in Open Book):

Fiction

A new Maddie Evans novel, Hooked on the Heart, dropped last week and, as I told the author, it feels so good to fall into one of her books. If you like your rom-com with plenty of banter and characters you can’t help but like, this book is for you. Chef and restaurant owner Colin moves in downstairs from Natalie, a yarn store owner who insults his restaurant before knowing who he is, then misunderstands his comment about his apartment stove and decides it’s her mission to teach him to cook. Two more books are planned for the series, and I’ve already preordered those!

 

T.I. Lowe’s novel Lulu’s Cafe was not at all a light read, and at times it was difficult. All that said, it was an excellent story with a hopeful ending. On the run from a husband who violently abused her and locked her in a closet for days at a time, Leah winds up in a Southern town and is taken in by Lulu, a cafe owner who gives her a job and a place to stay. But Crowley, a local lawyer, is suspicious about Leah — and attracted to her enough to find out the truth about her past. Trigger warnings: graphic domestic violence.

 

If you like fun stories with lots of banter, I recommend A Very Terrible Text by Elana Johnson. Hillary mistakenly texts the neighbor she doesn’t get along at all with to ask for a date, thinking she’s messaging someone she’s been contacting on a new dating app. And then things snowball and she doesn’t know how to get out of it. This isn’t even a Grumpy/Sunshine story, since both main characters are grumpy! For extra fun, much of the banter is conducted via text message. It’s a hilarious, clean read, and you’re probably going to crave potatoes for a while during your book hangover.

 

I waited quite a while for my library’s copy of Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee, and it was definitely worth the wait. 23-year-old Rena wants to be a writer, but it’s 1936 and there are no jobs of any kind out there, much less writing jobs. A kind newspaper editor lets her know about a new WPA program that was assigning writers to interview former slaves about their life history. Rena meets the 101-year-old Frankie, who tells Rena the story of her life — which includes a horrifying revelation. Highly recommended.

 

YA/Children’s

 

Normally I don’t reach for vampire novels (or any other horror books, for that matter), but Pauline Books & Media sent me a beautiful review package for The Curse He Chose by Sister Allison Regina Gliot, FSP. When a book for kids, tweens, or teens comes my way, I take my responsibility seriously — is the book something I’d have encouraged my own kids to read at that age? There are many vampire novels out there for readers 14 and up, but very few Catholic ones. This book deals with questions of salvation, the presence of evil (and what we do about it), and the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It’s beautifully written, and a compelling story — and I will admit, so intense that I needed to switch to a lighter book after the sun went down! This is Book 1 in the In Aeternum series. If your teens want to read vampire novels, you can hand them this book without worrying about inappropriate content or anything that goes against the teachings of the Church. Bonus: there’s some gentle evangelization happening in there, too, in the novel itself and in the extra content at the end of the book: “Fact or Fiction?”, a prayer section, and a glossary of religious terms a reader might not know.

Nonfiction

Notre Dame football season started last night, and though the game didn’t end the way I’d hoped, it was still great to watch and I have high hopes for the season ahead. Father Nate Wills, C.S.C., chaplain for the team, has written Pray Like a Champion Today: Sacred Stories from the Sidelines of Notre Dame Football. In it, you’ll find prayers and football stories, but more than that, you’ll find testimony to the importance of prayer and presence, no matter what you’re doing. (Netgalley review)

 

Newly released from Pauline Books & Media, Daily Devotions for Grandmothers is Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle at her gentle, encouraging best. This author is one I’ve followed for a good 20 years. Her earlier books were a great inspiration in the middle of my days of mothering little kids and teenagers. In this book, you’ll find 366 daily entries, each beginning with a Scripture verse or a quote from a saint or the Catechism. The daily entries also include a meditation (“Steep”), call to action, brief prayer, and an observation or affirmation to consider through the day (“Savor”). Bonus content includes the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, other prayers and litanies, and meditations for the Seven Sorrows Chaplet (which one of my own grandmothers used to pray — I now treasure her chaplet). This book would make a terrific gift. I’m not a grandmother (but I hope to be one someday) and the publisher kindly sent a review copy.

 

Do you follow Babs on Instagram? (She’s on TikTok too, but I don’t use that app.) Babs is the Fun Grandma who shares cooking, parenting, and household tips with her followers, and she’s all about optimism, encouragement, and prioritizing family time. Every Day with Babs: 101 Family-Friendly Dinners for Every Day of the Week, the second cookbook by Barbara Costello, is packed with terrific recipes, stories, and cooking tips. I love that the recipes come with photos of the finished dish. I borrowed this book from the library and made a list of at least 30 recipes I wanted to try — and that was enough to get me to buy my own copy and one for a friend. The price is great right now, $19 for a large, full-color hardback cookbook.

 

Version 1.0.0

Rose Sweet’s new book, My Type of Holiness, takes a fresh look at the age-old basics of temperament theory and connects it to our quest for sainthood. Our goal is Heaven, and God has given us the gifts to get us there — if only we can get out of our own way. (Review copy received from the publisher.) Read my full review.

 

In Real Moms of Real Saints, Colleen Pressprich takes a look at the real lives of mothers of saints, reassuring modern-day moms that there’s nothing picture-perfect about holiness. This encouraging book does not sugarcoat the struggles these strong women faced and is a refreshing change from books that portray saintly women as wearing halos during their earthly lives. A balm for any woman who’s doing her best to keep it together in challenging circumstances. I’m honored to have been asked to endorse this book.

 

And one I bought over the summer but haven’t read yet …

File this one under “You’ll know your friend is a Church geek when you see this on her coffee table”: Sacred Times: A Guide to the General Roman Calendar and the Table of Liturgical Days by Paul Turner, published by Liturgical Press. I’ve been interested in the liturgical calendar since high school, now that I think about it, so when I saw that this book had won a Catholic Media Award, it seemed only right that I get myself a copy. It’s all about how the liturgical calendar works and what prayers to use on what days. I don’t think I’ll be reading it cover to cover, but I’ve already used it to reference a couple of things.

 

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Follow my Goodreads reviews for the full list of what I’ve read recently (even the duds!)

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

 

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Copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved, used with permission

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An Open Book: December 2023

franciscanmom4 Comments

It’s been 3 months since I put together a real reading roundup for #AnOpenBook. Maybe in the New Year I’ll get better about doing this consistently. (See, sometimes I can be an optimist!)

Before we begin, if you still need any Advent resources or a Sunday-readings devotional for Year B, check out my recommendations.

The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:

nullThe latest in Antony Barone Kolenc’s Harwood Mysteries for middle-school readers, Murder at Penwood Manor, is one of those stories that will keep your teen reading late into the night. Xan, an orphaned teen who was first taken in by monks and then came to live with an uncle in a distant town, seeks to exonerate a crusader who has returned from the Holy Land and is now accused of the murder of a romantic rival. Xan is accompanied in his quest to save Laurence the crusader by two young women, one in formation at a local abbey and another who appears to be his love interest. (Review copy from Loyola Press.) Read my full review.

 

nullRachel and Ted Schluenderfritz of 5Sparrows.com, collaborated on a new children’s book, The Narrow Gate, which is a parable about our human tendency to accumulate too much stuff. In this story, a community packs up everything everyone owns in search of a new location where there is water—the one thing they don’t have. But all that stuff they’ve brought along turns into a bigger obstacle than anyone realized. The book concludes with a page of questions for kids and a second page of questions for readers of all ages. (Review copy from Emmaus Road Publishing.)

 

nullNew from Our Sunday Visitor publishing is In My Mother’s Womb by Fr. Bill Deschamps, Christine Schroeder, Mary Roma, and Susan J. Bellavance, illustrated by Dan Andreasen. This week-by-week picture book that chronicles the development of a child in the womb, skillfully intermingling scientific information (the approximate size of the growing child, the formation of various organs, and the development of physical abilities) with Scripture verses, in a true celebration of the new life God has created through the baby’s parents. This book is appropriate for children of all ages and would particularly be enjoyed by a family anticipating the birth of a new baby. (Review copy from the publisher.)

 

nullSr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, shares her spiritual memoirs in HOPE: An Invitation. I didn’t know what to expect when I opened this book, but I found it to be not only hope-filled, but joy-filled as well. That is not to say that the author takes a Pollyanna look at life, because she is very honest about struggle, work, and pain. But in all of it, she finds hope and encourages the reader to seek to do the same. There is plenty to ponder in this little book. “The entire life of a saint becomes an act of hope” (59). (Review copy from the publisher, Our Sunday Visitor.)

 

nullFans of local color and restaurant stories will enjoy On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story by Maria C. Palmer and Ruthie Robbins. Written by the daughter of Pittsburgh-area restauranteur Joe Costanzo, Jr., this true story is told in Joe’s voice and recalls his rise and fall as an entrepreneur. Joe’s superior marketing skills put his restaurant on the map, but his lack of good record-keeping regarding his charitable donations, along with his disregard for rules about things like the time bars must close for the night, eventually gain him the attention of law enforcement and he winds up spending six months in a white-collar prison. I wasn’t entirely convinced that Joe was repentant, but the story was entertaining, and the flavor of the neighborhood was well depicted. Be warned: there’s some strong language in this one—not a ridiculous amount, but it is in there. (Review copy from the author.)

 

nullKristin Contino’s novel The Legacy of Us is also a good read for fans of local color. This split-time story is set in Philadelphia, where Liz, a young jewelry designer (who has a day job in a fashion boutique) finds a cameo in a box addressed to her among her late grandmother’s possessions. Along with the necklace is a diary that provides details of her grandmother’s life that no one in the family had known. Liz simultaneously reconnects with her old fiance and meets a new guy who’s understandably reluctant to get involved with someone who still has ties to her ex, losing the cameo in the process and eventually learns to take responsibility for her own mistakes.

 

nullThey Say He Flies at Night by Amy Matayo was one of the most compelling novels I’ve read in quite a while. As the title implies, rumors abound regarding antique-shop owner Walter Lorry, who keeps to himself and sleeps on the porch of his store, even though he owns the house next door but seems never to go in. But Walter’s penmanship is so exquisite that Piper Moore’s soon-to-be mother-in-law pressures her into approaching Walter to design wedding invitations. Piper gets a glimpse into the real story behind the elderly man, and that changes her mind about everything she’d thought about love.

 

I’ve read quite a few forgettable novels in the past few weeks, as well. We won’t talk about those. But my Kindle remembers that I’ve read them.

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

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An Open Book: Summer 2023 Reads

franciscanmom8 Comments

The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading this summer:

Fiction

nullA Cross-Country Wedding (Road Trip Romance Book 2) by Courtney Walsh is a fun follow-up to A Cross-Country Christmas. I couldn’t help but be charmed by these two characters—not the couple actually getting married, but their good friends who go along on a road trip that re-creates special moments for the engaged couple, culminating in their wedding at the end of the story. “Opposites attract” is never more true than for Maddie and Simon, whose longtime deep friendship might actually be getting in the way of their romance. And the clever banter does not disappoint. I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before you dive into this one!

 

nullDedicated to the One I Love by Beth Vogt has plenty of funny moments to keep you reading. Romance writer Kylie can’t find a way to keep writing after her husband died, and suspense author Tate has been told he needs to add romance to his books. Forced into accepting help from Kylie, he discovers that she’s the woman he’s connected with in an online dating app. The scene in a bookstore where Tate is reading from his recent release is not to be missed. Enjoy this clean and funny romance.

 

nullRoots of Wood and Stone (Sedgwick County Chronicles 1) by Amanda Wen is the story of Sloane, a museum curator who’s dedicated to helping families discover and preserve their history. Her own family story is a mystery, as she’d been abandoned at birth. When Garrett shows up at her museum with diaries he found in the family home he needs to sell to get his grandmother the nursing care she needs, Sloane is torn between her attraction to him and her desire to save the historic property from the wrecking ball—and then learns of an unexpected connection to the house. I actually read the second book in the series, The Songs That Could Have Been, before this one, and found that it was so well-done, I didn’t need to have read this one first. I’d definitely recommend both!

 

nullThe Brick House Cafe and The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano are so connected, I decided to review them together. I’m not usually one for magical realism, but this is a really well-done series (with two more books to come, one of which released Monday) easily drew me in—I preordered the September release immediately. The stories take place in the fictional southern Colorado town of Haven Ridge, a community that’s in decline compared to neighboring (real) towns like Salina, now tourist destinations. There’s something about this town, though—as the old-timers are known to say, “the town” knows who it wants to move there and stay there, and will set it up so that it becomes inevitable that those people will, indeed, stay. The Brick House Cafe introduces Haven Ridge and town matriarch Granny Pearl (a terrific character) along with her grandson Thomas and travel writer Mallory, who’s recently homeless after her live-in boyfriend dumped her for another woman. In The Broken Hearts Bakery, California lawyer Gemma returns to Haven Ridge to help a friend and reconnects with her high-school crush.

 

I received an unexpected review copy of An American Immigrant by Johanna Rojas Vann, and discovered that I couldn’t put this novel down! Melanie is a young journalist and daughter of a woman who emigrated from Colombia in search of a better life and a way to help support the family members who remained there. When Melanie travels to Colombia seeking a splashy headline that would save her career, she discovers the journals that detail her mom’s experiences as an illegal immigrant, experiences her mother had not shared with her or her siblings. Melanie’s dilemma of whether to share her mom’s story instead of the story she’d been assigned is at the center of this beautifully written novel about family loyalty, professional ethics, and the vocation of a writer. (Review copy received from publisher)

YA/Children’s

I thorougly enjoyed reading an endorsement copy of the upcoming YA time-travel novel, Royal and Ancient by Amanda Lauer, coming October 2 from Chrism Press. This novel is an illuminating peek into an era that’s frequently neglected in world history class. In this time-travel tale, Amanda Lauer deftly drops a 21st-century girl into a 17th-century world. Teen and adult readers alike will appreciate Bronwyn’s pluck and wit as she makes her way in an unfamiliar place and time and learns what it means to be persecuted for the faith. I’d recommend this one for ages 12 and up. At this time, preorders are available only through Chrism Press. (Review copy received from publisher)

 

nullMaria Riley’s pairing of Saint John Bosco, who looked out for children in crisis in his native Italy, with the story of a child nervous about his upcoming first day in a new school makes Saint John Bosco: The Juggling Saint relatable to any child who fears the unknown of a new experience. Children reading this book will discover a new saintly friend. Appropriate as an independent read for second grade and up, and as a read-aloud for first grade and up. This would be a wonderful book for parents and children to enjoy together and can spark conversation about how to handle new situations. A recommended back-to-school read! This is the third book in the “Adventures with the Saints” series. (Review copy received from the author)

 

Nonfiction

The Life and Lessons of St. Zélie Martin by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is a fascinating look at a saint I enjoyed learning more about. 150 years ago sounds like a long time, but as a working woman who owned her own business, Zélie faced many struggles we think are unique to our own era. This brief (52-page) biography, based largely on the letters of this future saint, details Zélie’s life, work, and worries, showing her spiritual struggles and growth. It’s also a compelling picture of life in 19th-century France. (Review copy received from the author)

 

Elizabeth Tomlin’s Joyful Momentum: Growing and Sustaining Vibrant Women’s Groups was the Catholic Mom Summer Book Club selection this year, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to reread this gem. It came out in early 2020, which was not the best time to introduce a book about how women can minister to each other through church groups. It wasn’t good timing for me, either. I was working two more-than-part-time jobs, had a senior in high school at home, and was dealing with the effects of a couple of medical emergencies members of my family had experienced the previous fall. Now, as parishes and ministries get back on their feet after the setbacks of the pandemic, this book is extremely timely. It’s packed with great advice, stories of Elizabeth’s own experiences with women’s ministries, and encouragement to women thinking of joining or beginning groups at their parish. (Review copy received from publisher)

 

null8 Steps to Energize Your Faith by Joe Paprocki (Loyola Press) is a simple, accessible book of hands-on advice when you want to give your spiritual life a needed boost. If you’re feeling stuck in a spiritual rut, Joe has plenty of do-able ideas that will help you break out of that frustration and transform your soul. This book is set up in a workbook format, with space at the end of almost every section for you to write a little bit as you work through the various ideas for renewing your spiritual life. Each chapter’s summary also includes several Scripture verses that support the concept discussed in that chapter. This is a good book to savor over time; I read a chapter a week during the summer and am glad I didn’t rush through the book. (Review copy received from publisher)

 

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

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#OpenBook: May 2023 Reads

franciscanmom4 Comments

The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:

nullDusk Shall Weep by Kelsey Gietl (Larksong Legacy, book 2). This novel centers on Coraline Shea, a recent widow who faces an even more difficult life than she already has, due to the degenerative eye disease that’s robbing her of her vision. Coraline hatches a plan to trap Jamison Lark into marriage, but doesn’t count on the discovery of a special ability she seems to possess: one that could put the entire settlement of Larksong in danger. You definitely should read the first in the series before this one. It’s not a standalone (which is not a slam on the novel in any way, more of a PSA for readers).

 

In Pieces by Rhonda OrtizIn Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz (reread). Read my full review of this novel, and then go get yourself a copy—Rhonda has a sequel coming out in mid-August, and you need to read this novel before you read the next book. Readers will cheer for the strong female characters and the smitten, determined hero who battle rigid social expectations and a villain you’ll love to hate. An “oh, no, he didn’t!” King David-style conflict, a Custom-House mystery, some PTSD, and even a little espionage make In Pieces a novel you won’t be able to put down. I think I’ve read it four times already.

 

Adrift by Rhonda Ortiz (cover coming soon!). Picking up right where In Pieces leaves off, Adrift chronicles Molly and Josiah’s complicated search for a church for their wedding, Josiah’s venture into work on land, and some fascinating surprises in the lives of their friends. Some of the secondary characters in this book deserve their own novels! The espionage that figured into the plot of In Pieces is a major plot point, with two characters traveling to Philadelphia—as the yellow fever pandemic begins. A good deal of the novel’s action takes place in Philadelphia and centers on the lives, work, and social standing of biracial characters. (Advance review copy provided by the publisher; book releases August 15. But I will definitely order a copy for myself.)

 

nullThe Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is an enjoyable clean romance centering on four friends, all strong personalities, and the summer after they graduated from high school in 1977. There’s a split-time component that looks at their lives 20 years later, and how the events of that fateful summer shaped the women they became. As the summer progresses, secrets are revealed that change the relationship between these lifelong best friends, and readers get a good sense of the emotions each young woman experiences as she keeps and then reveals her own secrets while dealing with the revelations of the secrets her friends have kept. Terrific friendship story! A fun touch: each chapter title is the title or central lyric of a song from the era, which made for a great playlist. (Advance review copy provided by the publisher. This book releases June 27 and is available for preorder.)

 

nullNow That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins. Nora’s boyfriend, an ER doctor, seems to only be interested in her when she’s in need of help. But she discovers he’s been cheating right after she was hit by a delivery truck … so she returns to recuperate at her childhood home on a remote Maine island, a place she left right after high school without looking back. Going home is complicated, and so is facing the small-town drama she ran away from years ago. I couldn’t put this book down—the characters were fascinating.

 

nullThe Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson. Maggie arrives in a town that’s built on the reputation of its most famous former resident, ready to fill in at the bookstore for her friend during a maternity leave. But she discovers that the restrictions on what the store can sell are endangering its future, so she finds a creative way to stock books the local readers want—and to host events that bring customers into the store. Her eventual success leads to the possible closure of many businesses in town and the loss of her friend’s livelihood. Maggie is a wonderful character, and this was a charming read.

 

nullThe Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Cape Cod Creamery Book 1). Dawn’s fiancé dumps her shortly before the wedding but insists she go to Cape Cod with a friend for the (nonrefundable) honeymoon trip. She brings along her recently widowed mom, who’s creative but flighty, and who buys a fire-damaged ice-cream shop in the historical district on a whim, then depends on Dawn to handle all the logistics. There’s a romance for one character—one I didn’t see coming—and a hint at something for another character in the next book. I enjoyed the small-town setting and the interesting side characters.

 

nullMercy’s Power: Inspiration to Serve the Gospel of Life by Maria V. Gallagher. Discover your path to living the Gospel of Life. In Mercy’s Power, Maria Gallagher offers a prayer-fueled new perspective on advocacy for life from conception until natural death. A must-read for pro-life advocates, from the mother sharing ultrasound pictures with her older children to the Rosary-praying witness outside abortion clinics and the neighbor who runs errands and shares tea with the senior citizen down the block. Learn how everyone’s advocacy is essential to the culture of life. I had the honor of being asked to endorse this book, and I plan to recommend it widely.

 

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Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

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Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz