I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook),  a “delightfully quirky office comedy” (Publishers Weekly) 

33 year-old Jolene Smith, an administrative assistant at the regional office of Supershop, a Canadian supermarket chain, endures 8-hours of mind-numbing work alongside her insufferable boss and incompetent colleagues, sustained only by copious amounts of gin, vodka and wine, whatever is handy. 

A careless mistake lands her in mandatory anti-harassment training, under the supervision of the new (and very hot) HR guy Cliff. An IT mix-up that is meant to allow Management to monitor her every keystroke, instead grants her access to the entire office’s private emails and DMs. With layoff rumors looming, Jolene realizes this might just be the key to getting revenge and getting ahead in the company. 

“As Jolene gets to know her co-workers better, she sees that they all have their secret heartbreaks and struggles, just like her… A beautiful, honest, and often funny look at loneliness and the courage it takes to simply keep going.” (Kirkus Reviews)  Perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. 

The Love of My Afterlife (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Kirsty Greenwood, is “a boisterous death-defying rom-com.” (Publishers Weekly)

27 year-old Delphie Bookham never expects to end up in the afterlife waiting room choked on a microwaveable burger. If that’s not embarrassing enough, she is standing in her 'shine like a star' nightie in front of the hottest man she has ever seen, and their chemistry is undeniable. Unfortunately, he is not meant to be there.  Without hesitation, Delphie makes an impulsive deal with her romance-obsessed afterlife therapist, Merritt: Delphie gets 10 days to return to life and find the mysterious man. If she fails, she will spend eternity as the guinea pig for Merritt's afterlife dating agency.

“Returning to her quiet apartment with only 10 days to change her fate, Delphie learns that finding one's soulmate in the busy streets of London is challenging. More surprising is how Delphie's temporary new lease on life causes her to see her job, her friends, and her neighbors in new ways.” (Library Journal) 

Fans of The Good Place should snap this up.” (Publishers Weekly)

BONUS PICK

Shortlisted for the 2024 Kirkus Prize for Fiction, Margo's Got Money Troubles * * by Rufi Thorpe  (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is “a story of friendship, love, and family set in a different part of the big world of cyber-storytelling.” (Kirkus Reviews)

19 year-old Margo Miller, raised by a beauty-obsessed, self-involved single mother has her sights set on being a writer. A very brief affair with her junior college English (married) professor leaves her pregnant. After being fired from her waitressing job, and on the verge of being evicted, she is glad to take in her largely-absent father Jinx, an ex-pro wrestler when he comes knocking, in exchange for childcare. To generate income, Margo explores online porn work by posing on an OnlyFans account. Before she knows it, she has turned it into a runaway success… until her popularity leads to scrutiny and eventually a custody fight. 

“Thorpe infuses the portrayal of Margo and Jinx's relationship with sweetness, and she makes Margo a character to root for as the young mother learns how to support herself with help from her unconventional family.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The title is the only bad thing about this book. Terrific characters, rich worldbuilding, deep thoughts about fiction and morality, a love story, and a happy ending.” (Kirkus Reviews)

* * = 2 starred reviews

Ferdia Lennon’s Glorious Exploits * * * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is the 2024 winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. One of the judges called it “a riotous, exuberant treat of a novel, which celebrates the redemptive power of art, … madly ambitious and devastatingly affecting, but above all pure page-turning joy from start to finish.’’ 

412 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily. At the height of the Peloponnesian War, thousands of Athenian soldiers from a failed invasion were held prisoners in the limestone quarries on the outskirts of the city. Starved and left to broil in the relentless sun, the Athenians were eager to participate when 2 young Sicilians hatched an outrageous scheme. 

Our narrator, 30 year-old Lampo and his friend Gelon, two directionless, unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and wine, were admirers of the great playwright Euripides. To pass the time, they frequented the quarries, offering food in exchange for a few lines of poetry. Then the friends decided to enlist the prisoners in a full-blown production of Medea and The Trojan Women.  

“Glorious Exploits, is very much a story about the power of stories - and the spiritual and emotional succour they give.” (The Guardian)

“Exploring themes of friendship, loyalty, and the toll of war, Lennon evokes a time when it was common to relish and revere the art of Homer's poetry and Euripides' drama. Those with that appetite today are fortunate to have Madeline Miller, Emily Wilson, Pat Barker, and recently James Hynes' Sparrow. And Lennon. An entertaining and impressive debut.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 * * * = 3 starred reviews

The Ministry of Time * *  by British-Cambodian writer Kaliane Bradley (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a “fantastical combination of time-travel novel, spy thriller and slow-burn romance.” (BookPage) 

Near future, London. An unnamed translator for Britain's Ministry of Defence is offered a plum appointment in a secret government project that gathers “expats” from across history, in a time-travel experiment.  Our narrator’s task is to act as a “bridge”, assisting and orienting her assigned expat to resettle in the 21st-century. 

Her charge, known as "1847" or Commander Graham Gore died on Sir John Franklin's doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, arriving in the future sometime before his death, thus finding himself disoriented to be surrounded by outlandish concepts such as "washing machines," "Spotify," and the collapse of the British Empire. Over the next year, what began as a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic evolves into something much deeper.   By the time the true shape of the Ministry's project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. 

“... while this quasi-futuristic tale of time and tenderness never seems to take itself too seriously, it also offers a meaningful, nuanced perspective on the challenges we face, the choices we make, and the way we live and love today. This rip-roaring romp pivots between past and present and posits the future-altering power of love, hope, and forgiveness. “ (Kirkus Reviews)

For fans of The Time Traveler's Wife (2003) by Audrey Niffenegger , and Time After Time (2019) by Lisa Grunwald.

* * = 2 starred reviews

Inspired by East Asian mythology, Fathomfolk,*  first in the Drowned World series by Eliza Chan, (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is set in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawin where fathomfolks (sirens, seawitches, and kelpies) co-exist with humans. 

The novel opens with Mira, the newly promoted captain of the border guard, and the first female half-siren to reach the rank, intends to earn the trust and respect of her human colleagues despite centuries of prejudice and discrimination. Together with her partner, Kai, a water dragon from one of the few privileged fathomfolk families, they hope to bring reforms in the human-controlled government. But everything they work towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, Kai’s rebellious sister is banished to Tiankawi and falls in with a rebel group known as the Drawbacks. 

When the annual boat festival is sabotaged and humans are drowned, the government cracks down even further on fathomfolk rights. Mira and Nami find they must work together to save their city and their communities. 

“Chan floats beautifully between multiple point-of-view characters, and also between different facets of Tiankawi life, from the poor to the privileged. From Nami's well-meaning immaturity to Mira's complicated feelings about her dual identity, all the characters have fully realized perspectives and goals that clash with each other in both clever political plots and exciting action scenes.” (Kirkus Reviews)

A Letter to the Luminous Deep * * by Sylvie Cathrall (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a captivating tale of mystery and romance set in an enchanting underwater society.

The year is 1002, a thousand years after an event known as "the Dive," where sky dwellers now live in the ocean. E. Cidnosin, an introverted and anxious young woman is the sole caretaker of “Deep House”, an architectural marvel designed by her mother. Spying a mysterious sea creature outside her window prompts E. to begin a correspondence with renowned marine scholar Henerey Clel, hoping he will help her identify it. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other. Then E. and Henerey disappear after an explosion at Deep House. A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery. 

As Sophy and Vyerin delve into the letters left behind by E. and Henerey, they uncover clues about their relationship and the events leading up to their disappearance. Through these letters, a tale of love, friendship, and secrets unfolds, captivating readers with its whimsical charm and intriguing plot twist. “Cathrall skillfully addresses themes of mental health and anxiety, adding depth and authenticity to the characters' experiences. With its cozy-fantasy atmosphere and rich character development, A Letter to the Luminous Deep will appeal to fans of epistolary novels and readers who enjoy stories with elements of romance, mystery, and fantasy.” (Booklist) A late confession by Arvist, E. and Sophy's brother hints at further mysteries to be solved in a sequel.

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light, Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries and The House in the Cerulean Sea. 

 * * = 2 starred reviews

* = Starred review

R.J. Rozen (of the Lydia Chin/ Bill Smith series) teams up with comics exec John Shen Yen Nee to bring us the ”bewitching series kickoff that cleverly riffs on the Holmes/Watson dynamic,” (Publishers Weekly) in The Murder of Mr. Ma * *  (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook). 

London, 1924. When Chinese scholar Lao She was summoned by mathematician Bertrand Russell to take part in a dangerous bait-and-switch operation to free his friend Judge Dee Ren Jie, mistakenly arrested as a Chinese agitator, Lao was swept up in Dee’s murder investigation of  a Chinese merchant who served with him in the Chinese Labour Corps during WWI. Then more bodies turned up, all pointing to a killer using a rare butterfly sword.

“The intricate plot, which is bolstered by vivid period detail and playfully riffs on real-life figures in Chinese history (including Lao), is enhanced by healthy doses of humor and well-orchestrated action. Readers will be clamoring for a sequel.” (Publishers Weekly)  

“Fans of the Sherlock Holmes canon will appreciate this fast-paced, exciting novel.” (Library Journal)

How to Solve Your Own Murder * by Kristen Perrin (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) opens in 1965 as 17 year-old Frances Adams was told by a fortune-teller at an English country fair that one day she’ll be murdered, and one year later, her best friend Emily disappeared. The two events caused Frances to spend a lifetime compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. 

60 years have gone by, Frances, now an enormously wealthy woman, summons her grand-niece Annie, an aspiring mystery writer to the sleepy village of Castle Knoll. When Annie arrives she finds Frances dead in her library - murdered.  France’s will dictates that she will leave her entire estate to Annie, but only if Annie solves her killing. Thanks to Frances's lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. 

“Perrin juxtaposes timelines, detailing Frances's provincial life in the 1960s while Annie's investigation grows increasingly treacherous in the present. The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie's growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent.“ (Publishers Weekly)

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder * by C. L. Miller (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)  exposes the dark underbelly of the antiques trade. Forty-something Freya Lockwood is at a crossroad - a divorced empty-nester about to lose her London home, when the news reaches her that her estranged mentor Arthur Crockleford has died under mysterious circumstances. Returning to the quaint village where she was raised by her Aunt Carole upon her parents’ accidental death, she finds out they are to inherit Arthur’s antique shop,  thus thrusting her back into a life she had sworn to leave behind. 20 years ago Arthur was implicated in the death of Freya’s boyfriend when the two of them were investigating stolen artifacts and antique forgeries in Cairo. 

“A trail of clues left by Arthur leads Freya and Carole to an old manor house filled with antiques and populated by various mysterious guests, all of them with hidden agendas and exuding varying degrees of menace. The author, daughter of Judith Miller (Miller's Antique Price Guide), draws on her own knowledge of antiques to develop the backdrop of the mystery.” (Library Journal)

For Your Listening Pleasure

The Other Half, a “crackling debut” (Publishers Weekly) by Charlotte Vassell (also in downloadable eBook) which The Guardian called “smart, pacy and good fun.”

When Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp discovered the body of Instagram influencer Clemmie O’Hara on his morning run at Hampstead Heath, attention was immediately drawn to her boyfriend Rupert Beauchamp,(no relations to the detective) heir to a baronetcy, who the evening before, threw himself a tawdry black-tie 30th birthday bash at a London McDonald's, where guests washed down their fries with champagne and cocaine.

Clemmie’s death couldn't have been more timely or convenient for Rupert who was ready to dump her for Nell Waddingham, a publishing assistant. Friends since their uni days, Nell is still traumatized by what happened to her on their recent trip to Greece, and wants nothing to do with Rupert. 

“His (Caius’s) search takes him through a web of over-privileged suspects on whom the detective casts a half-contemptuous, half-envious eye, and eventually delivers him to the doorstep of a murderous, elite conspiracy.” (Publishers Weekly)

 * * = 2 starred reviews

* = Starred review

I Cannot Control Everything Forever : a memoir of motherhood, science, and art by Emily C. Bloom (also available in downloadable eBook and audiobook, read by the author), is an intimate and engaging memoir about navigating motherhood - the joy, the challenges, and lessons learned parenting an exceptional child.

In her late 30s, Emily gave birth to a daughter who is diagnosed with congenital deafness and later at 13 months, Type 1 diabetes. What follows are rounds of doctor’s visits, decisions regarding genetic testing and diagnosis, the latest technologies (cochlear implants), as well as a regimented daily routine. At one point, with a husband on a tenure track at a university-one-does-not-turn-down, she gave up her faculty appointment to care for their daughter. 

In lesser hands, this journey could have come across as bleak but in “trying to find a way out of the loneliness and individualism of 21st century parenthood, Emily finds joy in reaching outwards, towards art and literature-such as the maternal messiness of Louise Bourgeois (from whom Emily borrowed the title for this memoir), or Greek myths about the power of fate-as well as the collective sustenance of friends and community. With lyrical and enchanting prose, I Cannot Control Everything Forever is an inspired meditation on art, science, and motherhood.” (Library Journal) 

"Thoughtful reflections on technology and humanity amid difficult parenting experiences." (Kirkus Reviews)

Winner of the MSA First Book Prize for her academic title The Wireless Past: Anglo-Irish Writers and the BBC, 1931-1968 (2016), Emily's memoir is highly recommended for readers who enjoy nonfiction that reads like fiction. Raised in Ann Arbor, Emily lives in NYC and is a Mellon Public Humanities Fellow at Sarah Lawrence College.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives * by Hisaski Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood, the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize winner, (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook).

The first in an eight-book series, originally published in Japan in 2013, it introduces readers to Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare. On a quiet backstreet in Kyoto, behind the nondescript facade of an anonymous-looking building, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. There is no menu, no advertisement except for a cryptic one in an obscure food magazine. But that does not stop customers from seeking them out. Nagare, a retired and widowed Kyoto detective and 30-something Koishi are “food detectives,” offering their investigative services to find recipes so clients could recreate dishes from their treasured memories.   

Among their satisfied clients is one of Nagare’s fellow detectives, who is looking for the"Nabeyaki-Udon” recipe that his late wife created. A successful businessman is looking to recreate the "Mackerel Sushi, offered by a kind neighbor while he was orphaned at an early age. A piano teacher is looking for the beef stew recipe at a restaurant served to her 55 years ago when she rejected a young man’s proposal. A restauranteur's ex-wife is looking for the recipe her husband used to prepare for her now that he is dying.

“Though each of the six stand-alone chapters follows the same formulaic recipe, Kashiwai's unique blend of seasonings is more than enough to transform each into a five-star-worthy dish. Koishi and Nagare strive to re-create not only the precise dishes their clients want, but also to envelop them in a warm memory blanket of nostalgia.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Off-beat and charming, [with] more complexity of flavor than you might expect.”  (NPR – Fresh Air with Terry Gross)

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and those who binged on Midnight Diner:Tokyo Stories. 

* = Starred review

The Excitements * * *  by C. J. Wray (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) 

Nonagenarian sisters Josephine and Penny Williamson, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans, are constantly in demand at commemorative events. Always perfectly groomed and mentally engaged, they live independently in their London home cared for by their capable housekeeper Arlene; and devoted grand-nephew Archie who is tasked to provide them with constant “excitement”. The latest being an invitation to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur for their part in the liberation of France.

While Josephine is circumspect initially about making the trip, Penny is eager. Unbeknownst to the family and perhaps each other, both sisters are hiding secrets, “official” and otherwise. Now armed with newly unearthed information, they intend to revisit old haunts, settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist in the City of Light. 

“Switching between the 1940s and 2022, this book is utterly charming, with its lead characters a feisty mix of Madame Arcati, Miss Marple, Mata Hari, and Danny Ocean. It's gently humorous and full of twists, but it's the liveliness, verve, and charisma of Penny and Josephine, who are determined not to let old age slow them down one bit, that makes this such a satisfying read.” (Booklist) 

For fans of The Rose Code (2021)  and Killers of a Certain Age (2022).

* * * = 3 starred reviews

Greta & Valdin * *  by Rebecca K. Reilly, a Maaori novelist from Waitaakere, New Zealand, is a New York Times Editors’ Choice (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook). 

“We’re all strange, romantic emotional people in this family,” proclaims Linsh Vladisavljevic as he watches his two younger children navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the familial dramas big and small. 

Linsh, an Auckland university professor of Biology is Russian Moldovan while wife, Betty is Māori. Daughter G (Greta), a graduate student in literature, shares an apartment with her brother Valdin - a former astrophysicist with O.C.D. who now hosts a tv travel show. The novel opens when a missed directed package plunges Valdin (who goes by V) into melancholy, pining for ex-boyfriend Xabi who moved to Argentina, while G is smarting from her painfully unrequited crush on a fellow tutor and tentatively reaching out to a charming fellow student. Then work sends V to Buenos Aires where he has to decide whether to reconnect with Xabi and what the future will hold for them.

“The story follows the duo in alternating first-person chapters as they navigate bad dates, bouts of insecurity and even encounters with racism, and as they come closer to understanding themselves and their desires.” (New York Times)

“Reilly herself is of Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Wai descent. In the wrong hands this could all be quirk for quirk’s sake, or a half-baked hybrid of Schitt’s Creek and The Royal Tenenbaums. But Reilly’s humor is so riotously specific, and the many moments of true poignancy so gently infused with that same humor, that the Vladisavljevics seem like no one but themselves….Say hello to your new favorite fictional family.“ (Kirkus Reviews)

Green Dot by Sydney writer/critic Madeleine Gray (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) introduces readers to Hera Stephen, a 24 year-old comments-moderator for an online news outlet where she meets Arthur, a middle-age journalist (and her boss). With 3 arts-degrees, Hera is broke and living in Sydney with her lovely gay father. What started as message-based flirtation (hence the title, referencing the green dot that indicates a user is online) she soon finds herself falling into an all-consuming affair with Arthur though for years, she preferred women to men. Before long, Hera develops an obsession, which only grows stronger as Arthur refuses to leave his wife.

“As the book tracks the increasingly doomed love affair (including through the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic), the only thing keeping the narrative from devolving into something grim and cynical is Hera's dynamic and snarky voice….Her narration is peppered with references to music and pop culture, the things that define your personality in your 20s, when you're still searching, as Hera is, for some kind of identity.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

“Although ironic and flippant, Green Dot avoids nihilism, and is ultimately about the search for meaning through love. It vividly illustrates how someone can lose their perspective, principles and dignity in its name, ignoring overwhelming evidence of the probable conclusion.” (The Guardian)

Readers interested in examining why smart women expect their lovers to leave their wives, despite overwhelming evidence that the contrary is more likely, might be interested in Sally Rooney's Conversations With Friends, Imogen Crimp's A Very Nice Girl, and Laura Warrell's Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. 

 * * = 2 starred reviews

City of Laughter, * * a debut novel (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award winner Temin Fruchter is “a wondrous intergenerational story of queerness and Jewish folklore.” (Publishers Weekly)

Called “brainy and richly textured (The New York Times) the novel opens in 18th century Ropshitz, Poland where a holy jester whose job is to make wedding guests laugh, receives a visitation from a mysterious stranger. In present day New York, 32-year old Shiva Margolin, reeling from the recent death of her father and the breakup with her girlfriend, Dani found among her father’s things, photos of her enigmatic maternal grandmother, Syl, and great-grandmother Mira. But her mother Hannah refuses to talk about them. 

Frustrated with the generational silence, Shiva starts studying the work of Jewish folklorist S. Ansky, and enrolls in a master's program which presents her with an opportunity to visit Warsaw, only hours away from Mira's small town of Ropshitz. She hopes her family's mysteries will make more sense if she walks in their footsteps.

“This novel, like Shiva’s work, is a collection of beautiful scraps—scraps of folktales and memory, hidden family histories, love letters, accounts of strange happenings in the past and present—all tangled together and rewoven into a whole that’s strange, lush, imaginative and pulsing with life…As Shiva becomes more deeply immersed in the lives of her foremothers, those foremothers become more vibrant and detailed, in prose that moves from shimmering and dreamlike to sharply funny to wonderfully contemplative.” (BookPage)

Readers might also enjoy The Thirty Names of Night * * * * by Zeyn Joukhadar (2020), and The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (2022).

* * * * = 4 starred reviews

* * = 2 starred reviews