The Christmas Keepsake by Annie Rains

Another heartwarming gem by Annie Rains.  

Memories lost, but still there.

We meet amazing, sweet characters who give up things for themselves and take care of others and Nan who is suffering from dementia. 

Mallory is a nurse who works extra shifts so her Grandmother Nan can stay in the memory care unit.

Hollis works at a construction company that he really doesn't enjoy.  He likes his adopted grandfather's tree farm.

Nan leaves a journal for Mallory to read about her life along with an ornament to go with each entry.

Nan wants the ornaments to be placed on the tree that Hollis and Mallory put up in the community room at the memory care unit.

Mallory and Hollis have something they want to do in their lives but feel obligated to do what their relatives want them to do. 

Mallory and Hollis have always had feelings for each other, but they keep avoiding each other.

What will happen with Mallory and Hollis romance wise and doing what they want for themselves.

Find out what everyone does in this beautiful, heartwarming, and at times heartbreaking read that will definitely lift your spirits.

You can always count on an uplifting read with Annie Rains.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.   All opinions are my own.

Leta Pearl's Love Biscuits by Arlon Jay Staggs

What a fun read!!

The characters are delightful except for one who likes to cause all kinds of trouble. 

Trudy was the talk of the town when she was in high school since she got pregnant to the star quarterback and then after he died in an accident that they said was her fault.

You would think she would not want to come back into the limelight, but she becomes the chemistry teacher at her old high school and head of the cheerleaders.

She currently is engaged to Mr. Moody who is running for mayor, but the football coach keeps flirting with her.

Her mother Leta has special biscuits that she says will make Mr. Moody become so enamored with Trudy that he won't let her out of his sight.  

Leta was very upset when the football coach ate one - he can't have them - he can't fall in love with Trudy.

Will the biscuits work on Mr. Moody, will the coach win out, or will I love biscuits need to be used on someone else?

Find out the secret of Leta Pearl's biscuits in this sweet read that has you riding through some drama and Southern charm, but for the most part you will be laughing.  5/5

Thank you to the publisher and Books Forward for a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

Spotlight of The Hong Kong Widow Kristen Loesch

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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THE HONG KONG WIDOW

KRISTEN LOESCH

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF KAILA MUNDELL-HILL | PUBLICITY| BERKLEY |PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AND THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE.

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Alternating between 1930s Shanghai, 1950s Hong Kong, and modern day, the novel offers a ghost story brimming with Chinese lore and set within the walls of an infamous haunted mansion. Perfect for readers of historical fiction, horror and mystery/thrillers!

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October 7, 2025

Berkley Hardcover Original

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PRAISE FOR THE HONG KONG WIDOW:

“Impeccably researched, beautifully written, and completely terrifying, this book will appeal to readers of Tananarive Due and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.”—Booklist (starred review)

“The Hong Kong Widow is a tour de force: tense, emotional, poetic, and utterly unputdownable…. Kristen Loesch is a major talent, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

“This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! The Hong Kong Widow is gripping, suspenseful, terrifying, filled with shocking twists and turns. But it’s also exquisitely written and heartbreaking—a masterful, immersive work about mothers and daughters, trauma and healing, longing and vengeance. Unforgettable.”—Amy Chua, New York Times bestselling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

“A stunning, addictive, genre-bending book that will sink its claws into you from the very first page. I was utterly spellbound by this tale of a haunted house séance contest (!) that interweaves historical narratives of a child medium and a mother returning to her haunted past. I don’t know how Kristen Loesch does it but she has a new super-fan in me.”—C. J. Cooke, bestselling author of The Lighthouse Witches

“The Hong Kong Widow is a delightfully creepy shapeshifter of a novel. No one is who they seem in this braided narrative that’s part ghost story, horror tale, and gothic thriller set against a fascinating period of history. I dare you to read this before going to bed!”—Elise Hooper, author of The Library of Lost Dollhouses

“This is more than just a historical thriller; it’s a powerful testament to the enduring strength of women and the indomitable spirit of those who refuse to be broken by history. This is a beautifully crafted novel, unlike anything I have ever read.”—Amita Parikh, international bestselling author of The Circus Train

“The Hong Kong Widow is at once an eerie haunted house gothic and a deeply profound meditation on mothers and daughters, the mysteries we end up keeping from each other, and the healing power of empathy and togetherness as a way of confronting — and laying to rest — the ghosts of a painful past. Stunning prose, impeccable historical research, and page turning suspense. I absolutely devoured this book.”—Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, author of The Haunting of Moscow House

“A riveting tale where evidence confounds and emotions run high. From the first sentence to the last, The Hong Kong Widow ensnares you in plot twists and tensions between mother and daughter.”—Janie Chang, bestselling author of The Porcelain Moon

“I loved The Hong Kong Widow! The writing is superb, the historical detail fascinating, and the timelines skillfully woven to create a truly compelling story.”—Jacquie Bloese, author of The Secret Photographs

“I am utterly enamored with this beautifully written and profoundly moving tale about the search for meaning amongst the ruins of loss.…At the heart of this chilling story, Mei is navigating her path through a life devastated by war, proving that at the end of the day, it is love and survival that triumph. Masterfully told, this mesmerizing read should be on everyone’s to read list.”—Rebecca Netley, author of The Whistling

**PRAISE TAKEN FROM THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE**

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ABOUT THE HONG KONG WIDOW:

Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place.

The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…from the Edgar®-nominated author of The Last Russian Doll.

In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse.

Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life.

It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. 

Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . .

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE

PHOTO COURTESY OF:  © Samna Chheng-Mikula

Kristen Loesch grew up in San Francisco. She holds a BA in History, as well as a Master’s degree in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Her first novel, The Last Russian Doll, was a finalist for the Edgar Award and has been published in twelve territories.

She lives with her family in Switzerland.

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SOCIAL MEDIA:

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Goodreads

Website

Spotlight of Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA
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GUILTY BY DEFINITION

SUSIE DENT

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF BETH SOCHACKI, SENIOR IMPACT MARKETING MANAGER OF SOURCEBOOKS.

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A smart, gripping debut mystery set in the shadowy halls of Oxford and the Clarendon English Dictionary.

When Martha Thornhill takes a job editing the Clarendon English Dictionary in Oxford, she expects the usual etymological oddities.

What she gets instead? Anonymous, coded letters — and a possible clue to her sister’s decades-old disappearance.

 

This one’s got:

 Academic vibes

 Twisty, slow-burn mystery

 Secret societies & family secrets

 A big dose of word-nerd goodness

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September 30

Sourcebooks Landmark

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PRAISE FOR GUILTY BY DEFINITION:

"A tantalizing mystery...for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike." ―Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

"If you're like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent's impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary - it's a tantalizing mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief... all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike."―Janice Hallett, international bestselling author of The Appeal

"I read it with a great deal of pleasure. It’s very good. It’s a classic detective story, in that it has a puzzle and a missing young woman and an engaging detective (or three of them) and a setting that Dorothy L. Sayers would love to have thought of. The main characters are people I’d like to meet in real life; the Oxford types are convincing; the puzzle is well worked-out. And it kept me reading eagerly. I enjoyed it very much."―Philip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of the His Dark Materials trilogy

"What a delicious, genuinely page-turning and brilliantly written literary mystery novel this is. More please!"―Laline Paull, Women’s Prize-shortlisted author of The Bees

**PRAISE TAKEN FROM BETH'S E-MAIL AND NETGALLEY**

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ABOUT GUILTY BY DEFINITION:

She knew there'd be ghosts in Oxford, she just didn't think they'd make their way to the dictionary.

Oxford, England. After a decade abroad, Martha Thornhill has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family.

But the ghosts she had thought to be at rest seem to have been waiting for her to return. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, where Martha is a newly hired senior editor, it's rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the coded letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.

The date can mean only one thing: the summer Martha's brilliant older sister Charlie went missing. 

 

When more letters arrive, Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, and soon, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling.

Because it seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone may be trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth that will unravel the mystery of her disappearance.

But other forces are no less desperate to keep their secrets well and truly buried, and Martha and her team must crack the codes before it's too late.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated 30 years as a co-presenter and the resident word expert on [UK] C4's Countdown [The Dictionary Corner].

Susie has been a judge for the Costa Book Awards and on the Academy Excellence Awards, and she regularly delivers keynote speeches to major corporations on language and communication.

She attended Oxford University and worked for the OED, and she still lives in Oxford.

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FIND SUSIE:

Instagram

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The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

 

A well-planned vacation for Good Samaritans Tom and Alice turned out to be a nightmare.

They felt sorry for the hitchhikers and welcomed them to ride along with them.

That was the biggest mistake of their life.

The hitchhikers had just murdered two people and were on the run.

When Alice heard a news bulletin that perfectly described the hitchhikers, she became frightened and accidentally called one of the hitchhikers by her real name and things went from cordial to horribly wrong.

You will be so nervous  while reading this book, but you won’t be able to put it down.  I was as afraid as Tom and Alice were.

This is another edge-of-your-seat, very tense read by Chevy Stevens.

Fans of Chevy Stevens and thrillers do not want to miss this one. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

Jess Capodimonte Barratta divorced her husband and now lives in the basement of her parent’s house.

She is the caretaker of them when they are sick and also the cook for Sunday dinners.

She wants more. She’s tired of living in the basement.

When her Uncle Louie tells her they are going to Italy to meet the team who provide the marble for their business, she jumps at the chance.

Jess always wanted to go to Italy.

Will a trip to Italy still happen since uncle Louis passed away and left a mess for her to clean up about the business that she had no idea was going on?

Despite some of the sad things that happen, this book is hilarious.

If you are Italian or know an Italian family, you will enjoy it even more.

Thank you to the publisher and for a copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.