Be careful what you wish for could be the theme of “Yesteryear” a searing, page turning debut by Caro Claire Burke. In this creative, satirical novel dreams turn into nightmares when greed and power nudge out kindness, honesty and integrity, positive qualities that Natalie loses sight of as she hurdles forward, her young children, husband, friends and extended family be damned. For Natalie it’s all about racking up thousands more followers on social media as she creates a pe

We’ve always known who the villain is in Cinderella, the stepmother who makes life miserable for the pretty, hardworking young woman in her care, a girl with a heart of gold. Author Rachel Hochhauser switches things up in “Lady Tremaine,” imagining a far different stepmother in her protagonist Ethel, known as Lady Tremaine. Ethel has her hands full with Elin, a stepdaughter who’s spoiled and entitled. Ethel was the daughter of a brewer, her upbringing far from regal. She acq

Two couples who live across the street from each other in Rochester, New York, become enmeshed in a situation that threatens the happiness of their families, impacting them and their children for years to come. The affair occurs early in “Lake Effect,” by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, rendering the novel unputdownable, pages flipping as we try to understand the why behind the end of two marriages and the beginning of a new one. This immersive story is told in three parts, beginn

Two motherless Black babies are born in the small, fictional town of Honeysuckle, Louisiana, in the 1940s, friends “since (they) smiled with their milk teeth.” Their bond extends for years making for a riveting story, the central narrative in “Kin,” another bestseller by Tayari Jones, whose previous novel “American Marriage” garnered rave reviews. “Kin” is certain to be welcomed for its strong, lovely voice, descriptive words, colloquial phrases, and heartfelt plot. Two ende

With a list of bestsellers to her name, and an ardent following, books by Anna Quinlen are enthusiastically welcomed. Her newest, “More Than Enough,” is beautifully written, with believable characters dealing with common issues we all face. This time around the author's focus is on family, identity and secrets long kept. Forty-year-old Polly, a New York City resident, has been happily married for six years to Mark, her second husband, a vet at the Bronx Zoo. Polly is a dedi

Author Allegra Goodman won abundant fans with her historical fiction novel, “Isola,” lauded by many when it was published last year. Goodman succeeds again, her talent for storytelling on display in “This Is Not About Us,” a new novel on many must-read-lists for 2026. The narrative opens with three Jewish sisters—Helen, 80, Sylvia, 78, and their sister Jeanne, 74, who’s in hospice. As they stand watch over their dying sister, Helen and Sylvia have conflicting emotions. They

A heartbreaking scenario plays out with alarming speed and life-changing repercussions in the unputdownable, “Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage,” by Belle Burden. It's the story of a 20-year marriage that goes bad, no explanation offered, no hint of discontent in the air. James (a fictitious name) and Belle Burden seemed to have a perfect marriage. The trouble erupted suddenly when James and Belle left their New York City home in 2020 to live on Marthas Vineyard in a vacation

January marks a day set aside to honor handwriting—the 23 rd  to be exact. It seems a fitting time to suggest “The Correspondent,” a heartfelt novel in letters by Virginia Evans. This lovely story will make readers fall in in love with Sybil Van Antwerp, the narrator, a character of a woman, both bristly and soft, but altogether proper, plucky and intelligent. Each day Sybil puts great thought into the letters she writes, often drafting an original and spiffing it up before

Obsessive parental love taken to the next level runs rampant in “Homeschooled,” an addictive memoir that while disturbing also inspires. Stefan Merrill Block has written a testament to the resiliency of children, to their ability to survive abuse in in a page turner that focuses on a mother overly attached to her youngest son. The opening incident highlights what’s to come for young Stefan as he fantasizes about injuring himself just enough in a fall to get his mother to sta

Anthony Hopkins’ memoir, “We Did OK, Kid,” proves the 87-year-old native born Welshman is not just an accomplished wonder of the stage and screen, but also is an accomplished writer. His book is thoughtful and heartfelt as it delves into the pain he suffered as a friendless boy who never fit in, and as an actor dodging potholes that threatened to upend him on his career path. As a child Hopkins wasn’t into sports, didn’t do well in school and had no friends. He did enjoy pla

Mesmerizing and complex, “The Land in Winter,” by Andrew Miller, is an atmospheric British novel set in a village near Bristol in the 1960s. A record-breaking snowstorm mirrors the disquiet and turmoil its main characters face. The novel paints pictures with words, the English countryside, and the cities of Bristol and London coming to life on its pages, the sacrifices of World War II an undertone pervasive in the narrative. Two young Brit couples from vastly different backg

Sometimes a new book awakens our interest in an author’s earlier works, especially when the characters remain the same. This happened to me with the recently published novel, “Wreck,” by Catherine Newman. The newbie’s protagonist, middle-aged Rocky, narrates “Wreck” and also is the voice of Newman’s previous, companion novel “Sandwich” (2024) now available in paperback. I remain surprised that “Sandwich” slipped past me. I nearly missed the chance to get to know Rocky, a dow

Desperation drives the characters in the immersive novel, “The Guardian and the Thief,” by Megha Majumdar, a thought-providing page-turner nominated for the National Book Award. Majumdar makes story telling look easy in her beautifully written book, a must-read that raises questions about moral ethics, leaving readers asking, “does the end justify the means?” At the onset we quickly understand what drives Ma, the protagonist, to steal food from the shelter she manages in Kol

Jen Hatmaker’s new memoir is hard-hitting and cuts to the bone. The popular author and podcaster writes frankly and passionately in her...

Readers are in for a treat with “Buckeye,” by Patrick Ryan. This big, sprawling, immersive novel has 452-pages that captivate from the...

Faith is taken with David, a man she’s been living with. They met at a benefit in New York City and their romance heated up fast. It soon...

Immersive, poignant, inspiring and informative, “The Boys in the Light” is creative non-fiction at its best, a heartfelt story by Nina...

How about a perilous sea voyage to spice up the dog days of summer? If you’re looking for a survival story to keep you on the edge of...

Surviving in a cult, and the lasting damage to the psyche that results from mind games, torture, and sexual abuse affect the main...

Searing and gritty, “King of Ashes” by S. A. Cosby, ropes readers in with a runaway plot about a family who owns and operates a...