Book Review: Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead

Gilda is 27-years-old, loves animals, is a lesbian and an atheist. Gilda is very depressed, suffers from anxiety and hypochondria and has reoccurring thoughts about death and the pointlessness of life. As a result, she has been avoiding day-to-day essential activities like cleaning her apartment, showering and showing up to work, and her personal relationships are disasters. After she loses her latest job, she finally decides to seek help. But when Gilda ventures into a Catholic church that advertises therapy sessions, she is misunderstood and is instead hired as their new office secretary. Gilda must now pretend she’s straight and Catholic in order keep a job she didn’t know she wanted.

Despite this recent “good” fortune, Gilda’s problems still feel insurmountable. When she learns that Grace, the elderly lady who previously held her job, has died and may have been murdered, Gilda becomes obsessed by the idea of learning the truth.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin is a moving portrayal of its character’s struggles with mental illness and loneliness, and at the same time, also is a laugh-out-loud, quirky story that buzzes with a frenetic energy that makes it impossible to put down. This quick read allows a peek into the mind of a person suffering from mental illness as they try and find a way out of their despair, and it brings the reader out the other side with empathy. Place your hold for this amazing novel today.

-Carol

What We’re Reading Now- Summer Edition

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 

The story centers around Tova, a widow and night janitor at an aquarium; Cameron, a young man looking for his long-lost parents; and Marcellus, a wily octopus with a penchant for escaping his tank.  These characters paths cross suddenly and unexpectedly.  An interesting novel about finding closure and clarity after loss.  Bonus- full of interesting facts about octopi! Lisa 

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher 

“After archaeoentomologist Sam Montgomery’s dig gets put on hold, she drives to her deceased grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina to spend some time with her mom. The vulture waiting for her on the mailbox doesn’t seem like a good omen, nor does the strange absence of insect life; her mother’s anxious, odd behavior; or Sam’s new, mysterious bouts of sleep paralysis. Sam digs into her family history in the hopes of discovering medical information and scientific explanations for the weirdness—but instead she finds deeply buried horrors that are out to destroy Sam and her mother.” Linnea 

All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky 

Poet Madievsky’s debut novel follows an unnamed narrator’s meandering mishaps in the LA bar scene as she continually tries and fails to free herself from the toxic sisterhood and intergenerational trauma that, ironically, seem to be all she has.     Annelise 

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo 

Wandering cleric Chih returns in the third adventure in the Singing Hills Cycle, this time taking a journey into the wild riverlands. Accompanied by a motley crew of fellow travelers who may be more than they seem, Chih learns that there is always more than one side to a story. A feminist, wuxia-inspired fantasy from prolific author Nghi Vo. Shannon 

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Wes and Ivy were almost the picture-perfect couple in college, moved in together after graduation, and slowly small irritants became big issues causing them to part ways, so began their cycle of breaking up and making up. And then Ivy reported a stalker to the police, with Wes as the prime suspect. Considering their past relationship, could Ivy’s concerns be true, or did she just go too far in the troublesome game they like to play.  If you enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and you don’t mind deeply narcissistic characters, this was a fabulously wild ride! Enjoy!! Stacey 

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue.  


Rachel and James become fast friends working at a bookstore in Cork during the Irish recession. Young and broke, they decide to move in together, chasing love and lust as you can only do in your early 20s. When James falls for Dr. Burns, Rachel’s English professor, hiding the secret threatens to ruin their dreams. Laugh out loud funny, touching, and really well-written, it’s a delight that you won’t want to end. Dori 

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

August Salt vowed never to return to Saorise Island off the coast of Washington state, but his mother’s last wishes changed that. He returned to the place where his first love, Emery, still lives, and where he is still suspected of the murder of a teenage girl and hated by most of the residents. He intends to spread his mother’s ashes and be on the ferry back to the mainland as soon as possible, but the island, an ancient place full of secrets and forces that some of the stronger women can tap into, has different ideas. August must face Emery, who he has never stopped loving, the murder, and the evil secrets that run deep in Saorise while fighting to survive. Sara

Quietly Hostile Essays by Samantha Irby 


The most recent collection of essays from writer Samantha Irby does not disappoint. Quietly Hostile. Irby shares her wide range of experiences; everything from writing for the HBO Just like That to challenges to adopting a dog during the pandemic. Another hilarious collection from Samantha Irby. Greg 

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H (memoir) 

A queer, Muslim, coming of age story about never fully being accepted in any community until they find the strength to make their own community. Christine

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens 

In this traditional Western, Bridget finds herself, her queer sexuality, and her destiny.  Christine 

Book Review: My Murder

Lou, short for Louise, is the most recent victim of serial killer Edward Early. Early has been arrested and is incarcerated for life. 

But, strangely enough, Lou is alive. Deemed worthy of a second chance by public outcry, Lou and the four other women Early murdered have been brought back to life as clones, reanimated through a governmental project. Now, they meet weekly as members of a serial killer’s survivors group as they acclimate to their former lives.

Lou mostly feels like she is same person as she was before her murder, and knows she should be happy for her second chance, but this new life feels unstable. And there are holes in her memory. What happened in the weeks leading up to the night of her murder? Why did her former self have a bag packed hidden in her closet? Can she trust the government agency responsible for her renewed life? Can she trust her husband? 

As Lou searches for answers, she examines her complicated feelings about her new role as a mother, how victims and killers are sensationalized in the media, and the idea of reinventing oneself.

My Murder by Katie Williams is set in the near-future and is a genre-bending mystery novel with twists and turns, strong female characters, dark humor, and a surprising and satisfying conclusion. You’ll want to read this super-creative, original novel in one sitting. Place your hold today. 

-Carol

Spectacular Historical Fiction

It’s 1956, and 19-year-old Marion Brooks is living with her widowed father and sister in Bronxville, New York, teaching ballet to children. Marion has always dreamed of becoming a professional dancer but knows it is her father’s wish for her to marry and settle down. When she learns that Radio City Music Hall is looking for new Rockettes, Marion secretly auditions, is selected and decides to take the job – even though she is promptly kicked out of her father’s house. Work begins immediately and complex routines need to be learned and then performed, perfectly synchronized four times a day. Marion is exhausted but exhilarated, happy to be living her dream and making fast friends with her dance troupe. Deep down, though, she wishes for her family’s support.

Meanwhile, New York City is under attack. For sixteen years, the “Big Apple Bomber” has been planting bombs in crowded public places, causing mayhem, and eluding the police. The night the bomb explodes in Radio City Music Hall, Marion witnesses it firsthand from the stage as it takes away someone she loves. She also is witness to the suspicious man who she believes planted the bomb. When the police turn away her assistance, Marion enlists the help of her blind-date Peter Griggs, a psychiatric resident at a local hospital who is interested in the new art of criminal profiling, to find the bomber.

If you are in the mood for engrossing, well-researched historical fiction that brings the glitz and glamour of Radio City, theatre, and New York alive, pick up this perfect blend of family drama, a suspenseful murder mystery and a smidge of romance. Aptly named, The Spectacular by Fiona Davis is so good, it just might make you dance with joy.

-Carol

Set the Stage for Summer Reading

Happily married schoolteacher Amy Trevino lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Amy is ready to enjoy her summer break, spending time with her daughter Sam, a former Disney star turned disgraced TikTok influencer, who has finally returned home. Amy doesn’t even care what secret Sam is hiding from her and promises not to google her.

Amy’s brother, famous actor Timothy Fleming is also home for the summer, a short ferry ride away on nearby Block Island. Timothy, in town to direct a production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” secretly fears he is washed up.

When Timothy asks always-reliable Amy to step in to manage the production, old resentments resurface. Amy has never gotten over walking in her famous brother’s shadow and the fact he whisked her daughter away to Hollywood at a young age –not to mention his absence when their mother died. With tensions already high, Sam asking to stay with her Uncle Timothy in his rented home rather than with her parents’ sets the stage for a rough opening night indeed.

Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore transports its readers to the beaches of Rhode Island, and is filled with family drama, secrets and love. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand should place their hold today and get ready for the beach.

-Carol

Book Review : The Soulmate

Pippa and Gabe Gerard are a gorgeous, happily married couple – the type that everyone envies. They have two beautiful daughters and live in a cliff-side cottage outside of Melbourne, with amazing ocean views and a dramatic drop down to the jagged rocks below. Unfortunately, this dramatic spot attracts all sorts of attention – the worst being people who come there to end their lives. Gabe has talked seven people down from the drop since moving there a few years previously, and the local paper declares him a hero.

Things change the day Amanda Cameron comes to the cliff. After talking with Gabe, she falls to her death. Gabe is more than a little shaken afterwards, and Pippa begins to suspect foul play. When Pippa learns that Gabe has a past connection to Amanda, she begins to question to how well she truly knows her husband, her supposed soulmate, after all.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth is perfectly executed domestic suspense that you will want to clear your schedule for. Alternating between the past and present and told from both Pippa and Amanda’s perspectives, this novel slowly peels away layers as it exposes the flaws in both women’s marriages. The Soulmate explores the ideas of fidelity and loyalty and will keep you on edge of your seat the until its satisfying end. Place your hold today.

-Carol

Book Review : Go As a River

After the death of her mother, Torie Nash, a teenager in the 1940s, runs the household on her family’s successful peach farm in Iola, Colorado. Torie’s life is consumed by backbreaking work and caring for her father, brother and uncle, until her head is turned by drifter Wilson Moon, a Native American displaced from his tribal land. Torie is drawn to Wilson’s unique perspective and beauty, but soon discovers that the small-minded neighbors in her small town don’t appreciate people who are different – or those who associate with them. When tragedy occurs, Torie makes a decision that will that forever change the course of her life.

Based on a true historical event––the intentional flooding and destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado, Go As a River by Shelley Read explores the ideas of home, racism and the loss of childhood and innocence. Set against the often-harsh landscape of mountains and forests that eventually become Torie’s home, this beautifully descriptive and sometimes heartbreaking novel will be enjoyed by fans of Where the Crawdads Sing. Place your hold today.

-Carol

A Perfectly Plotted Puzzler

Steven Smith has a heartbreaking story. A difficult upbringing sent him down the wrong path and he ended up in prison for ten years, due to his involvement with the notorious criminal Harrison family. Upon his release, Steven becomes obsessed with the disappearance of Miss Iles, a former teacher who went missing after taking his class on a field trip 40 years previously. Steven believes that on that trip, Miss Iles was investigating prolific children’s author, Edith Twyford and a secret code she supposedly had written into her books. Steven also believes that if the code is solved, it will lead to hidden treasure. When Steven goes missing searching for that treasure, all that remains are audio files that have been recovered from his iPhone 4.

Written in transcript form, this unique mystery lets the reader follow along Steven’s many misadventures as he investigates and finds other people who are searching for the code and even more who will stop at nothing to keep him from it.

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallet is a multilayered read that will thrill fans of puzzles, acrostics and word play. Place your hold today and prepare to be amazed.

-Carol

Book Review : The White Lady

It’s 1947 and Rose and her husband Jim Mackie flee to the quiet country English village of Kent with their three-year-old daughter Susie, in search of a life away from London and Jim’s family of ne’er-do-wells. When they are offered work and a place to live by a local couple, Rose thinks they can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

A war-weary 41-year-old, former government operative, Elinor White is also looking to live out her days peacefully in Kent. Upon meeting newcomers, Elinor makes it her business to know their business. When she learns that the Mackie brothers have visited, threatening Rose and Susie if Jim doesn’t return to assist with their next big job, Elinor decides that violence against women and children just won’t do. Coming out of hiding, Elinor vows that she will protect the young family and uses her Home Office connections in to attempt to take on the dangerous and powerful London Mackies. Unfortunately, she may get more than she bargains for when events from her own past catch up to her along the way.

The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear is a departure from her beloved Maisie Dobbs’ series. This mystery introduces readers to a deeply affected and damaged, yet likeable and intelligent character in Elinor White, a woman who began a life in espionage while still a teen in Belgium and who is conflicted about her need to commit violence in order to protect others.

Told through alternating time lines, The White Lady is emotional and suspenseful, well-researched historical fiction with plenty of twists that will keep you turning its pages. While the author has said this book is not the start a new series, this reader is left wishing for a bit more time spent with the fascinating Miss White.

Don’t believe me; investigate on your own! Place your hold on The White Lady today and see what you think.

-Carol

A Story You Can’t Refuse

Five-year-old Dante, son of a wealthy family, is kidnapped from the town square in 1810 Palermo, Sicily, but the corrupt local police refuse to investigate. Gaetano Catalano, a young lawyer and member of the Beati Paoli, a secret society of aristocrats who work in the name of Saint Paul, decides to look for the child – in a search that consumes him for decades.

Meanwhile, power-hungry Franco Fiorvanti, the lemon grower who orchestrated Dante’s kidnapping at his boss’s behest, is tired of working for others. Franco dreams of owning his own orchard and invites his twin Roberto to work alongside of him. The two, along with a host of men who swear blood oaths to them begin to offer protection to orchard owners, becoming what we know today as the “Mafia.”

Set against the backdrop of a mostly lawless Sicily over two decades and starring a wide cast of characters whose lives are upended by the Fiorvanti’s family’s ruthlessness, Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline is well-written historical fiction to savor. This novel about heartbreak, loss, revenge and justice is a departure from Scottoline’s legal thrillers but contains all the trademarks her fans love, including interesting characters, the overarching theme of good versus evil, and a satisfying ending. Place your hold today and prepare to be swept away to another time and place.

-Carol