At our quarterly Book Talk event, P&P staff discuss their favorite new and upcoming releases of the season. Purchases and special orders that night receive a 10% discount!
Our last Book Talk was in September 2024, with Stacy, Anderson, Carolyn and Tyler! Here’s the list in case you missed it!
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, SEPTEMBER ‘24
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen - Anderson & Carolyn
I was completely engrossed in this thrilling novel of domestic suspense from Sarah Pekkanen! The bestselling author of Gone Tonight delivers a captivating story about a “perfect” family whose facade is fractured by secrets and deception. Lawyer Stella Hudson has a new case that eerily mimics her own history. A nanny is dead, and the child, Rose Barclay has gone silent. Stella is an investigator assigned to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. The house is all plastic with no glass to be found; answers are elusive as the family splits apart. Everyone is a suspect. Eerie, atmospheric, and a twist you won’t see coming!
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig - Tyler
Bestselling author of The Midnight Library, Haig presents a captivating new novel that takes readers on an enlightening journey. In this enchanting story, Grace Winters inherits a dilapidated house in Ibiza from a not-so-close friend who died under mysterious circumstances. As Grace delves into the circumstances surrounding her friend’s death, she uncovers unexpected revelations that lead her on an extraordinary adventure. Filled with themes of wonder, hope, and new beginnings, Haig's latest work invites readers to explore the magic of life’s possibilities.
A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko - Stacy
While the title gives a nod to Bill Bryson’s hilarious A Walk in the Woods, this is not a “two guys go hiking in the Grand Canyon and face trials and tribulations along the trail and come out better, wiser men”…or maybe it is. The difference is that the hike these two take on has been completed by less than 100 people. As a single through-hike, more people have walked on the moon. People either hike the rim, rim to rim, or raft the Colorado River. Fedarko and photographer Peter McBride hiked the middle, a nearly impossible task. If you love adventure travel memoir, the Grand Canyon, or feats of human strength, you’ll love this.
Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman - Anderson
T.J. Newman is back with a pulse-pounding new thriller! The bestselling author of Falling delivers another nail-biter that is both terrifying and impossible to put down. When a pilot suffers a heart attack mid-flight, a commercial plane filled with passengers crashes into a small town’s nuclear power plant — resulting in a catastrophic national crisis. You’ll cheer for these brave, resilient characters as they stare down each challenge in an unprecedented disaster.
A Gentleman and a Thief - Carolyn
A Jazz Age jewel thief who got away with millions by crashing the opulent parties of the wealthiest. He befriended the Prince of Wales and Harry Houdini, two of the many who had no clue there was a thief in their midst. One of the most interesting and entertaining characters of the 20th century, his cleverness and charm was the inspiration for movies and books.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune - Tyler
It’s FINALLY out!!! I squealed when I had my hands on it. This book is a continuation of The House in the Cerulean Sea. I absolutely adore these books. They’re witty, funny, and cute. It’s a cozy, queer fantasy that will make you warm inside.
The first book came out in 2020. Linus Baker leads a quiet life and works as a case worker to oversee the well-being of magical children at orphanages. He gets a highly sensitive job to visit one where 6 dangerous children reside… one being the Antichrist.
Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki - Stacy
If you feel that we are living in a culture of cynics or if you feel you are turning into one, give this a read. Hope may be one of my favorite ideas, but cynics scoff that it’s naive. The author argues that cynicism is detrimental to society and your spirit because it offers no option for innovation, improvement, or change. The solution? Hopeful skepticism. Unlike cynicism, hopeful skepticism offers this: yes you may fail, but you could succeed, even if it's unlikely. That little crack offers hope that breathes life into problem solving, conflict resolution, and the idea of personal peace. While approached from the behavioral sciences, it's not a heavy handed or cumbersome text.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty - Anderson
A thought-provoking page-turner from Liane Moriarty! On a domestic flight, a mysterious passenger later described as “the Death Lady” decides to inform everyone on the plane how and when they are going to die. As each passenger digests her prediction, we as readers are faced with the question - if you knew your fate, would you live your life any differently? As she did with What Alice Forgot, Moriarty tackles meaty topics with humor and heart. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoyed The Measure.
Burn by Peter Heller - Carolyn
Jess and Storey's annual hunting/camping trip in Maine takes a slightly dystopian turn when they go into a nearby town for supplies, only to find a country at war. Who the sides are is unclear; they just want to get away from the fighting and go home. Skilled in wilderness survival, they are confident in their abilities to stay out of harm's way until an unexpected discovery drastically changes their plans.
Sheet-Pan Meals by Cider Mill Press - Stacy
What’s for dinner tonight? I discovered this gem of a cookbook on our shelves around 4pm on a Sunday when I was working here at the Page & Palette and wondering how to answer that question. I was eating Coconut Curry Rice with Cashews by 6pm after closing up at 5pm. I love the ease of the preparation required for most recipes and the creative culinary twists. The Baked Shells with Pumpkin and Mozzarella is a boutique healthyish mac and cheese with squash, nutmeg, and rosemary. (For convenience, I swapped pumpkin for cubed butternut squash from Publix.) Truly delicious. I made the Jerk Chicken for nine ravenous seniors, serving it right off of three sheet pans. Put parchment paper down for easy clean up, pick any recipe and you’re welcome.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe - Tyler & Anderson
Tyler: This book is a quirky, entertaining read that seamlessly weaves humor with profound insights. It's laugh-out-loud funny, thought-provoking, random, and occasionally sad. Margo, the strong and independent protagonist, faces life’s challenges head-on, growing quickly and adapting to situations she never anticipated. Her journey is both relatable and inspiring.
Anderson: That was so much fun! A radical departure from anything I usually read and it was exactly what I needed. I dare you not to fall in love with Margo!
That Librarian by Amanda Jones - Carolyn
A page long recommendation of this book would not do it justice. The book begins with an email Amanda Jones received after speaking at a library board meeting. Her speech was brief, heartfelt and respectful. The ensuing email was nothing short of shocking. More perplexing is, of all the people who spoke, why was she chosen as the target of a relentless, methodical smear campaign?
The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck - Stacy
Lyrical, lovely writing, I truly enjoyed my time here on the Sound. Set in New England, twelve interconnected stories span three centuries examining “the ways the past returns to us and how love and loss are entwined and transformed over generations.” The nerd in me enjoyed his clever structure. Shattuck seemingly effortlessly builds his stories like ballads, hence the title, The History of Sound. He uses the hook and chain construct where the first and last lines rhyme and contains rhyming couplets within and another popular form where the second half of the couplet completes the sentence of the first. Weaving details of one story to answer questions from the next provides an expansive scope. All of that aside, you truly care about what happens to these people who leap off the page. I was deeply moved every time. Each reads as an effective short story, but together, they encompass a marvelous achievement. For fans of Geraldine Brooks or Nathaniel Philbrick—both did blurbs, The History of Sound is a rare delight.
The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram - Tyler
Bestseller of The River Suns South, Audrey has written a summer read, coming of age, contemporary romance novel. The story follows a close-knit group of friends navigating the challenges of college life as they grapple with growing apart in the wake of a romantic breakup within their circle. This heartfelt novel explores the complexities of love, life, and the enduring bonds of friendship.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors - Anderson
This richly-told family drama follows three estranged sisters who return to their childhood home in New York City to deal with some stuff, both literally and figuratively. Bonnie is a former boxer. Avery is a lawyer and recovering addict. Young Lucky models in Paris. All three are still grappling with the tragic loss of the fourth sister, Nicky, whose death still haunts the family. Through the voices of these compelling characters, Mellors beautifully captures the complexities of grief, the pain of addiction and the nuances of sisterhood.
Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu - Stacy
This reminded me of Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People or A Man Called Ove. It’s an ensemble cast of Baldwin High School’s staff that starts with the death of a substitute teacher in the faculty lounge. No foul play, but there is plenty going on at Baldwin High. I thought this was going to be a light read about high school high jinks, but instead it is a lovely, empathetic look at the challenges facing public schools, teachers, and students and the strengths and failings of all. Mathieu captures the urgency of a school day in a way that makes me wonder if she’s spent time in a classroom. She relays everything a school day is—some nonsense, some learning, some frustration, the absurd, the hilarious, the breakthrough, the still-stuck, the energy, the exhaustion. I felt like I was back in the classroom again. This was a surprise read for me, a spontaneous grab off the shelf and I’m so glad I read it.
Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen- Carolyn
You will adore serial killer Saffy Huntley-Oliver, yes ... serial killer. Saffy's macabre shenanigans will definitely appeal to your sense of righteous justice as well as her dark, quirky humor. The plot thickens when she sets her cunning to finding the killer of someone SHE didn't kill. And is it possible for a serial killer to find her soul mate?
In My Time of Dying by Sebastian Junger - Stacy
The Perfect Storm, book (1997) and movie (2000), remain embedded in my psyche all these years later. You may recall that The Perfect Storm tells the true story of the crew of fishing boat Andrea Gail out of Gloucester, MA, lost at sea while swordfishing during a disastrous “perfect storm” in 1991, and a Coast Guard rescue of the three-person crew from the sailboat, Satori. Junger’s journalistic talents zing off the page as he reconstructs the inner lives of the town and crew and the events of the storm’s disaster, bringing the reader into the chaos, fear, and helplessness experienced when pitted against the force of Mother Nature. It’s one of the most compelling books I’ve ever read. In My Time of Dying is the same book, except this time he is the one in trouble and needing rescuing. Junger survives a ruptured aneurysm and sees his dead, atheist, physicist father at death’s closest moment. The book says it best: “...part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery.”
Upcoming Releases
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang (10/1) - Anderson
A beautifully written, emotionally charged story that took me by surprise! Inspired by the legends of The Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers begins in a small village where a young woman has been told all her life that her exceptional beauty will allow her to marry well. She encounters a military advisor for her kingdom on a mission to find a beautiful bride for a rival king…and to turn that bride’s beauty into a weapon to take down the kingdom from within. The two agree to work together as spies, but the task ahead is far more dangerous than either could ever have imagined.
The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri (11/12) - Tyler
There are a lot of WWII historical fiction novels, but this one focuses on Lebensborn homes. It’s a real-life Handmaid’s Tale in a WWII setting. The narrative is both horrifying and shocking, as it delves into the true historical facts surrounding these homes. The author skillfully intertwines fictional characters with the stark realities faced by women and children during this dark period.
The Sequel by Jean Hanff Koreiltz (10/1) - Anderson
Both Carolyn and I loved Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Plot, so I had high expectations for the aptly named follow-up, The Sequel. I was not disappointed! Korelitz brings us back to the world of Anna Williams-Bonner, who is fresh off of the book tour of her late husband's final novel when she finds literary inspirations of her own. Anna’s novel is an unexpected success, but she soon begins to receive anonymous letters in the mail that threaten to unveil her buried secrets. Full of twists and turns and a fascinating look into the good, bad and the ugly of publishing.
The Mirror by Nora Roberts (11/19) - Stacy
Inheritance is Book One of this trilogy. She’s just fun. If I’ve learned anything from seeing the Hallmark Channel, writing light and not trite is a skill and Nora Roberts is a master. Taking place in Maine, the premise of the story is that a woman inherits a family fortune and a sprawling mansion by the sea, but before it is all bestowed upon her, she must live in the mansion for two years, after which time, all is legally hers. Of course, the mansion is haunted and cursed. It’s a wonderful ghost story with classic Roberts style—talented characters that you genuinely like, gorgeous settings, gorgeous men, dogs, cats, and loads of wine, good food and friends. The Mirror invites you to a warm other world for a spell, with just enough creep to keep you reading.
The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike (AUTHOR EVENT 12/5)
I literally squealed when I received my copy of The Shadowed Land! I adored The Lost Queen and Forgotten Kingdom and was thrilled to return to 6th-century Scotland and be reunited with the Languoreth and her brother Lailloken, known to the history books as Merlin. Action packed and meticulously researched, this captivating series is perfect for readers for historical fiction looking for something different. Author coming on December 5th!
OTHER STAFF FAVORITES
Disturbing The Dead by Kelley Armstrong ~ Anderson’s pick
“An unputdownable mystery that combines forensics & Time travel to 1860s Scotland!”
The Majestic Leo Marble by R.J. Lee ~ Jules’ pick
“Eternal opyimist Leo Marble takes tackles the gay Civil Rights movement in New Orleans in the 70s. A story that needed to be told—Leo & his friends walked so my generatio could run.“
Holly by Stephen King ~ Stacy’s Pick
“Another masterful tale! character & place-driven. I loved being immersed with these characters & their lives. Wonderful!!“
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo ~ Ezra’s Pick
How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley ~ Leigh’s Pick
“My ‘to read next‘ Authenticity project!!“
The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill - Ezra, Carolyn and Cindy’s Pick
The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song ~ Cindy and Anderson’s pick
“Loved this! Epic fantasy with twists— Who do you trust? Could not put it down!!“ -Cindy
The Square of Sevens by Laura SHepherd-RObinson ~ Carolyn’s pick
“Each chapter pulls you along to the next as you follow the mystery. One of the most satisfying reads ever!!“