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