Amelia Ireland's debut novel The Seven O'Clock Club is the story of four people who have volunteered for a new type of grief therapy. This sounds like a simple story, but it is anything but simple. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's such a creative narrative, such a unique look at grief and loss. It's a real page turner that had me reading late into the night, lost in time and lost in the story. Ireland has created characters that are at once grief-stricken, funny, fearful, and strong. The things they come to learn about themselves and each other help mend their broken hearts. Such a refreshing way to look at second chances and new beginnings. I highly recommend this book, so mark your calendars for the April 15, 2025, publishing date! Thank you to Book Browse and Berkley/Penguin Random House for my advanced reader copy.

Claire Messud's This Strange Eventful History depicts the story of the Cassar family's journey through generations as they navigate global events and family dynamics. In the beginning, Algeria is their home, or so they believe in their hearts, until revolution casts them out and back to France, a home they've never really known. As the characters search for a place to belong in the world, they search for their place in their own family. Social, religious, and cultural barriers challenge them at every turn. A comprehensive family saga full of (more than a few) surprises.

Tara Karr Roberts' debut novel Wild and Distant Seas tells the story of four generations of mothers and daughters whose lives take them around the globe and whose remarkable memories take them even further. Drawing in elements of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, Roberts creates a world both heartbreakingly real and magically surreal. The beautifully written prose transports us right to each location and right to the heart of the matter as each woman tries to find her way in the world and find her way back home. Roberts portrays the mother-daughter bonds with enduring accuracy: at once loving and exasperating, strong and fragile. Wild and Distant Seas is a page-turner, a deep dive so spellbinding you'll need to come up for air to catch your breath. By far one of the best books I've read this year!

Kerri Maher's All You Have to Do Is Call is a captivating narrative centering around four women whose lives intersect as they create a system that helps women get safe, discreet, (and at the time) illegal abortions. This isn't just about "pro-choice" and "pro-life" as news headlines seem to condense the subject. This story shows women devoted to their families and to each other. I was moved by the characters as they navigate the complexities of their goals and values, determined to live their best lives, however they define that for themselves. Maher inspires us by showing how strong women can be as individuals and, more importantly, how much stronger we can be when we work together.

This Other Eden by Paul Harding is a moving, fictional interpretation of historical events from Maine's Malaga Island in the early 20th century. The resilience, faith, and perseverance of the families living on Apple Island are at once heartbreaking and inspiring. Harding's lyrical prose brings the characters and the island they inhabit to vivid life, transporting the reader right into the hearts and minds of the families, and the island's innate beauty. I highly recommend this book.