If you have a Prime membership on Amazon, there is a short story out that is free (audiobook, too) called Abscond. This was so beautifully written with amazing imagery. It’s only 38 pages so it’s a quick one. I know this author best for his novels (e.g. Cutting for Stone) so it was fun to read something short by him.
Here’s the scoop:
Fate challenges a boy to find his place in the world in a powerful short story from Abraham Verghese, the New York Times bestselling author of The Covenant of Water.
It’s a New Jersey summer in 1967, and thirteen-year-old Ravi Ramanathan has the makings of a tennis prodigy. His surgeon father encourages his ambition, while his mother dreams of their only child following his father’s path. Surrounded by his parents’ love, Ravi chafes a bit at their daily routines and little traditions. Then one unexpected day, everything changes. Realizing how much he took for granted, Ravi must grow up overnight and find a new role in the life of his family.
Today I’m shouting it out about a new book that my friends at University of Minnesota Press told me about: The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone.
Here’s the scoop:
A young girl reckons with the demolition of a Black Saint Paul neighborhood to make way for the Interstate in the early 1960s
When thirteen-year-old Zenobia has to leave her friends and spend the summer at Grandma’s while Mama recovers from a stroke, life seems so unfair. But then the eviction letters start arriving throughout her grandparents’ neighborhood, and white men chalk arrows to mark the gas and water lines, and a new world of unfairness unfolds before her. It’s 1963, and Zenobia’s grandparents’ house on Rondo Avenue in Saint Paul—like all the homes in this thriving Black community—is targeted for demolition to make way for the new Interstate Highway 94.
As Zenobia gradually learns about what’s planned for the Rondo neighborhood and what this means for everyone who lives there, she discovers how her story is intertwined with the history of her family, all the way back to Great Grandma Zenobia and the secrets Grandma Essie held close about the reason for her light skin. With the destruction of the neighborhood looming, Zenobia takes a stand on behalf of her community, joining her no-nonsense neighbor, onetime cowgirl Mrs. Ruby Pearl, in a protest and ultimately getting arrested. Though Zenobia is grounded for a month, her punishment seems of little consequence in comparison to what is happening all around her. Even though the demolition continues, she is proud to discover the power and connection in protesting injustice.
The House on Rondo captures the heartbreak, resistance, and resilience that marks a community sacrificed in the name of progress—a “progress” that never seems to favor Black families and neighborhoods and that haunts cities like Saint Paul to this day. As Zenobia learns what can be destroyed and what cannot, her story teaches us that joy, community, and love persist, even amid violence and loss.
This book publishes this fall (October, 2025). Thank you for the opportunity to give this story a shoutout. I thought it sounded like a good one for younger readers, so University of Minnesota Press kindly gifted a copy to my friend who is the Head of School of Mother Caroline Academy, an all-girls school in Boston, MA. Thank you!!
I love Juliette Fay’s writing, so I was excited to get this novel from Net Galley. It publishes in August, 2025.
I found this story so interesting because I really didn’t know much about the real Harvey Girls (beyond seeing the Judy Garland movie when I was very young). It is such an interesting piece of history to learn about, a little bit like a 20th century take on the Lowell Mill girls – young woman who left their homes to work hard and make a living, earning independence and pride.
The storyline in this novel is quite engaging: two very different young women, both with much to hide, come together to help each other find success as Harvey Girls and to make new lives for themselves.
This would be a great book club discussion book as you could focus on the Harvey Girls era, women in the work force, marital rights, relationships, friendship, and more!
Thank you for my copy!
Here’s the scoop:
Juliette Fay—known for her “well-drawn characters and vibrant historical backdrops” (Library Journal)—transports us to 1920s America with this big-hearted tale of two very different women who must learn to trust each other as one tries save her family and the other to save herself. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kristina McMorris.
1926: Charlotte Crowninshield was born into one of the finest Boston society families. Now she’s on the run from a brutal husband, desperate to disappear into the wilds of the Southwest. Billie MacTavish is the oldest of nine children born to Scottish immigrants in Nebraska. She quit school in the sixth grade to help with her mother’s washing and mending business, but even that isn’t enough to keep the family afloat.
Desperate, both women join the ranks of the Harvey Girls, waitresses who serve in America’s first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. Hired on the same day, they share three things: a room, a heartfelt dislike of each other…and each has a secret that will certainly get them fired.
Through twelve-hour days of training in Topeka, Kansas, they learn the fine art of service, perfecting their skills despite bouts of homesickness, fear of being discovered, and a run-in with the KKK. When they’re sent to work at the luxurious El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon, the challenges only grow, as Billie struggles to hide her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park’s history.
“Juliette Fay’s gift for creating complex, exquisitely human characters” (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author) is on full display in this deeply moving and joyous celebration of female empowerment, loyalty, and friendship.
About Juliette Fay:
Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. A graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, she lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at JulietteFay.com.
Today I’m part of the Summer Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf. This was an atmospheric, Southern Gothic novel, focusing on a young girl who can communicate with “grave birds” – birds who live in graveyards and can tell the tales of those who have died. It was a weirdly creepy and intriguing read! The writing was quite good and if you like this genre – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – you should pick this one up.
Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!
Grave birds haunt the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina, where Spanish moss drips from the trees and Southern charm hides ugly lies. Hollis Sutherland never knew these unique birds existed, not until she died and was brought back to life. The ghostly birds are manifestations of the dead’s unfinished business, and they know Hollis and her uncanny gift can set them free.
When a mysterious bachelor wanders into the small town, bizarre events begin to plague its wealthiest citizens—blood drips from dogwood blossoms, flocks of birds crash into houses, fire tornadoes descend from the sky. Hollis knows these are the omens her grandfather warned about, announcing the devil’s return. But despite Cain Landry’s eerie presence and the plague that has followed him, his handsome face and wicked charm win over the townsfolk. Even Hollis falls under his spell as they grow closer.
That is, until lies about the town’s past start to surface. The grave birds begin to show Hollis the dead’s ugly deeds from some twenty-five years ago and the horrible things people did to gain their wealth. Hollis can’t decide if Cain is some immortal hand of God, there to expose their sins, or if he’s a devil there to ruin them all. Either way, she’s determined to save her town and the people in it, whatever it takes.
Author Bio:
Dana Elmendorf was born and raised in small town in Tennessee. She now lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys and two dogs. When she isn’t exercising, she can be found geeking out with Mother Nature. After four years of college and an assortment of jobs, she wrote a contemporary YA novel and an adult fantasy.
Verity Bright has penned a new Lady Eleanor historical cozy mystery, and this one takes place on her honeymoon in Paris! Eleanor has barely arrived when a man comes crashing through the glass-domed ceiling and onto her table, then dies. Everyone is prepared to write him off as just a thief, but Eleanor is not ready to jump to judgment, instead finding a mystery to solve.
This is such a fun series. I always enjoy each installment and appreciate how they aren’t written to a formula. You can read them as a stand alone as well.
Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the blog tour!
Book Description:
For Lady Eleanor Swift, Paris means champagne at breakfast, romantic walks by the Eiffel Tower… and her deadliest case yet!
Newlyweds Lady Swift and Detective Hugh Seldon are honeymooning in the most romantic city on earth. Clifford, her butler,has come along for the trip to make sure everything goes to plan for the happy couple. And Gladstone, the mischievous bulldog, to make sure it doesn’t!
But the pair are shocked when, just as they are toasting their new marriage at the best table in their hotel’s opulent restaurant, a man tumbles through the glass roof and lands amid the silverware and coq au vin. Before he dies, he presses a striking pearl brooch into Eleanor’s hands. She has the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Has she met this man before? All too quickly, the local police arrive and immediately accuse the new Mr and Mrs of working with the victim – a thief who’d just robbed the museum down the block.
With her new husband by her side, Eleanor races to clear their name and discover who would kill to get their hands on the unusual brooch. Following a clue about a doomed love affair takes the gang from the famous cabarets and cobbled streets of Paris to rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy at the very top of the Eiffel Tower.
But soon Eleanor notices a mysterious man in black following their every footstep. Is he friend or foe? And can Eleanor and Hugh unravel the case before the City of Light becomes the city of death?
An utterly charming and unputdownable golden age cozy mystery set in Paris. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and Lee Strauss will adore it.
Author Bio:
Confident woman at office with laptop computer, mobile phone, and schedule notebook.Gradients, Blending tool, Clipping mask is used.
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
I’m here today as part of the Harper-Collins blog tour for this new novel: Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand. I went into this one not really knowing what to expect, and I ended up really just loving this story. The main character, Ray, is thought to be dead (due to mistaken identity) and this gives him a chance to see how his life looks like to others and what others think of him. Coupled with flashbacks of his younger life we see how he came to be the gentle, reclusive individual he is. At times, this story reminded me of the writing of Fredik Backman, whom I really enjoy. I had read Goodhand’s The Day Tripper and enjoyed that as well.
Loved this one — and I hope you do, too!
Thank you for my copy and for the opportunity to join the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
REPORTS OF HIS DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED
James Goodhand
On Sale Date: July 1, 2025
Trade Paperback
9780778387466
$18.99 USD
336 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Due to a case of mistaken identity, everyone believes Ray Thorns to be dead — while he is still very much alive. In the aftermath, he’s forced to reflect on the impact he’s had on the world and those closest to him in this heartbreakingly beautiful look at life and what we would all do if given a second chance, for fans of Dead Poets’ Society and It’s a Wonderful Life and readers of Fredrick Backman.
A lifetime ago, Ray “Spike” Thorns was a well-regarded caretaker on a boarding school’s grounds. These days, he lives the life of a recluse in a house rammed with hoarded junk, alone and disconnected from family or anyone he might have at one time considered a friend.
When his next-door neighbor drops dead on Spike’s doorstep, a case of mistaken identity ensues: according to the police, the hospital, the doctors—everyone—Spike is dead. Spike wants to correct the mistake, really he does, but when confronted with those who knew him best, he hesitates, forced to face whatever impression he’s left on the world. It’s a discovery that brings him up close to ghosts from his past, and to the only woman he ever loved.
Could it be that in coming face to face with his own demise, Spike is able to really live again? And will he be able to put things straight before the inevitable happens—his own funeral?
This is the best kind of feel-good fiction: it’s deeply affecting but full of clever mishaps and enough laughs along the way. It takes the message from Dead Poets Society and mixes it with the tragedy of It’s A Wonderful Life and tops it off with an ultimately loveable guy like in A Man Called Ove. The result is a heartbreakingly beautiful look at life and what we would all do if given a second chance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James Goodhand has written one adult novel, published by HarperCollins in the US, and two YA novels, published by PRH Children’s Books in the UK. His adult debut, The Day Tripper, was called “an essential, profound read” by The Washington Post. He lives in England.
SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: @goodhand_james Instagram: @james.goodhand
I loved this short story that I received for FREE as an Amazon Prime member.
Here’s the scoop:
In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?
Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.
It is 68 pages of pure Backman! I chose this through the Kindle First Reads program last November but it looks like it is still free for Prime members and there’s an audiobook as well.
I’m happy to be here today to promote a new summer read from Bookouture: Sue Roberts’ Not My Greek Wedding. This was an engaging and positive read about a young woman who is getting herself back on track after a big break up and who is headed to Greece for her bestie’s wedding. There’s romance, humor, and more in this memorable novel with realistic characters and a storyline that many will relate to.
Thank you for my copy and having me here on the tour!
Book Description:
She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?
Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.
Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!
But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?
This absolutely gorgeous and unputdownable beach read is perfect for fans of Kate Frost, Mandy Baggot and Holly Martin. Pack your bags and get ready to be swept away to the stunning beaches of Greece!
Author Bio:
Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.
She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.
Here I am on the blog tour for a new and fun-to-read novel: A Most Puzzling Murder, by Bianca Marais, complete with puzzles and choose your own next step! Just a note that I recommend getting this one in a physical copy as I personally struggled with my older Kindle in navigating the pages and also clearly seeing the puzzles. That said, this was great fun and something that I would have enjoyed as an older teen as well. Definitely a unique choice that was fun and engaging – thank you for my copy and having me as part of the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
A Most Puzzling Murder
Bianca Marais
On Sale Date: June 10, 2025
9780778368601, 0778368602
Trade Paperback
$19.99 USD, $23.99 CAD
Fiction / Myster & Detective
480 pages
About the Book:
Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!
Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place!
She decodes the invitation’s hidden message with ease, and its promise to reveal her family secrets proves too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.
Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.
About the Author:
BIANCA MARAIS cohosts the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers get published. She teaches creative writing through the podcast and was named a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She lives in Toronto, where she loves playing escape-room games and writing about strong female protagonists.
I’m happy to be here today to promote this new title from Donna Ashcroft. I don’t read too many rom-coms, but this was a good one, with multi-dimensional characters and a wedding at its center. Plus it takes place in one of my very favorite places: Italy! This is the perfect summer treat. Thank you for my copy and having me as past of the tour.
Escape to Italy, to golden sand and a glittering sea, to wedding bells chiming in a tiny hilltop town… Can Rose heal the heartbreak from her past, and take a chance on love?As the sun sets over a villa in Tuscany, an engagement party is in full swing. The bride-to-be gazes up at her groom, her glass of prosecco glinting in the evening light as she toasts their happy future; but as Rose watches her best friend Luna swoon over her handsome new fiancé, she can’t help feeling worried. Life has taught Rose that love ends in heartbreak, and all she wants is to protect herself and Luna. That’s why she came up with her Rules for Love: follow these and happiness is guaranteed.
Only Luna is breaking all the rules. She only met Marco a month ago. Rose is sure that love at first sight isn’t real… until she sets eyes on Ben, the best man. Towering above her, with tousled blonde hair and wide, powerful shoulders, he’s irritatingly charming, relentlessly positive and insists that love really can conquer all. Rose’s head is in a spin.
She has learned to never open her heart, never to trust, but Ben is becoming harder to resist… Will breaking the rules end with Rose breaking her heart? Or will the magic of Italy bring her the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?
Author Bio
Copyright VanessaChampion.co.uk
Donna wanted to be an author from the age of twelve when reading and writing were her first loves. In 2018 her first book, Summer at the Castle Cafe was published and her dream came true.
She’s had fourteen books published. Seven of Donna’s books have been in the Amazon top 100 (a cause for immense celebrations in her house), one made it to number seven in the UK and US Kindle charts and Summer in the Scottish Highlands made it to number 1 in the UK, US and AU free ebook charts. She was also shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year in 2019.
Donna lives in Hertfordshire, with her own romantic hero, two grown up kids (who aren’t always home) and two very grumpy cats. She loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie.
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 