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This may not be a pity memoir, but it is captivating.

One day author Abi Morgan’s partner and father of their teenaged children collapsed due to a rare medical condition. After months in a medically induced coma where survival was often touch and go, he awakens only to believe Morgan an imposter posing as his partner. It’s not just that he didn’t recognize her, he knew who she was supposed to be, he recognized and accepted the rest of their family and friends, but actively disbelieved she was who she said. Who even knew that could happen?!

In This is Not a Pity Memoir play and screenwriter Abi Morgan chronicles with touching strength, honesty, and intimacy, her and her family’s experience with rare medical tragedy turning their lives upside down. It’s beautifully written and definitely one you should pick up if you appreciate this kind of memoir.

Thanks to Mariner Books for the advanced reading copy!

Life, death, love, and hope in small town Connecticut depicted through a series of interconnected character vignettes a la Love Actually.  Some characters get more time on page than others, but a range of messy human experiences are shared.

A Little Hope is an engaging and comfortable read despite challenging topics.

Content note: death in many forms including stillbirth, substance abuse, illness/cancer, adultery

Set primarily in 1968 Scarlet in Blue follows 15-year-old Blue and her artist mother Scarlet who have recently moved to a small lakefront town in Michigan after years on the run from “HIM”.

Blue has never seen the man her mother fears but has spent her entire life living in his shadow.  Scarlet has brought them to this new town specifically to connect with a psychoanalyst named Henry in hopes of curing her trauma.

The story is told from the perspectives of Blue, Scarlet and Henry. It becomes clear pretty quickly Scarlet has sought out Henry for more that just psychoanalysis, though her motives aren’t transparent, nor is her mental state, though this isn’t what I’d consider a typical unreliable narrator story.

Author Jennifer Murphy has a background in art which she uses to add a really interesting layer to this story. I think the plot could have been tightened up a little bit, at close to 400 pages I felt the story ran a little long, but overall a solid psychological suspense thriller.

I’m surprised I’m not hearing more about this one. Though Scarlet in Blue is a very different book, and it should not be directly compared, the vibe reminded me quite a bit of The Silent Patient.

Three adult sisters grapple with drama in their own lives while sorting out the estate of their recently deceased mother who has specified they sell their beloved vacation home in Maine.

I was really looking forward to reading It All Comes Down to This because I’ve enjoyed author Therese Anne Fowler in the past. I found this book to be quite a departure from her previous novels even though each one is unique in its own right. Fowler suggested she just wanted to write something fun and entertaining and I think she’s done that.

It All Comes Down to This is a serviceable family drama though I didn’t find it to be a stand out among similar stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced reading copy.

I just want to know how tomorrow is going to be any different if we still can’t agree on what happened yesterday over three hundred years later. You know?

Good night! Sleep tight! Beware the secret police! I love you with all my heart!

Horrific and hilarious and horrifically hilarious Be Here to Love Me at the End of the World is quite possibly the weirdest book I’ve ever read, and you all know I love a weird book.

Sam and Eleanor are two people just trying to live and love as the world falls to pieces around them. Affirmingly realistic, reassuringly absurd, and also dappled with accurate U.S. history (plot twist?)

Author Sasha Fletcher has a background in poetry and it shows. The darkly ludicrous humor of the omniscient narrator speaks to me.

This bizarre story is somehow just what I needed at this moment in time.

A short story collection from Godshot author Chelsea Bieker, Heartbroke is a messy, gritty, exploration of life, family dynamics, and hardscrabble women surviving if not thriving.

There are a lot of characters doing terrible things, but Bieker manages to write them in a nuanced way, offering grace and sometimes a measure of redemption. I love Bieker’s writing style and the themes explored in Heartbroke. I really enjoyed this collection.

Cleo and Mack unexpectedly and reluctantly find themselves sharing a small cabin on a remote island in Ireland. Cleo is a burned out Londoner columnist who writes about the pitfalls of searching for true love. She’s on the island on assignment for a schticky “self-coupling” ceremony where she’ll pledge to forever love and cherish herself. Mack is an American photographer seeking a return to his ancestral roots on the island, reeling from his wife dissolving their marriage. Mack and Cleo will have unexpected impacts on one another’s lives.

One Night on the Island is not just about Mack and Cleo as a couple, but also as individuals at crossroads finding their way forward on their own paths. I love how Josie Silver’s stories are always something a little outside the norm, featuring imperfect people and complicated situations. I found myself wholly invested in Mack and Cleo and loved the charming island setting.

A sweet, steamy, and satisfying escape from the author of One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.

Pub Date: 2/15/22

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for honest review.