historical fiction

Sunlight Finds You

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by Laura Moriarty
First sentence: “I’m named Eleanor because I was born a week after Eleanor Roosevelt came to Kansas City to campaign for her husband.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: August 4, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some mild swearing, talk of extra-marital sex, as well as some off- page sex, and some spousal abuse. It will be in the Fiction section of the bookstore.

Nora is an outgoing teenager. Leonard is a shy one. He’s an only child from a wealthy family in St. Petersburg; she’s from a working-class blended family. It’s an instant attraction. But that’s just the beginning. As they get older, both Nora and Leonard get trapped in lies that their parents tell them, discraces that they did nothing to earn, and choices that they made with the best of their knowledge they had at the time.

It’s really hard to describe the plot of a book that covers 16 years.

My coworker tried to sell me on this one by saying it’s a romance. Except that it’s not. Sure, there’s a love story – Nora and Leonard have a Passion, and yet Well=Meaning Adults tell them NO, and yet they defy them to live their passion (sort of) (but throw in the Korean War) (and an abusive husband). It was… fine. It was well-written; Moriarty knows how to tell a story. The problem was I didn’t care. (Well, I cared enough to finish.) I wanted to feel something for Nora and Leonard. I wanted to feel the tragedy of their situation, the heartbreak of so many lies being told to them, the joy when they eventually found a way to live together. But it all felt so impassive. So distant. Even though it was told from a first-person perspective (Nora’s). Maybe it was because she was reflecting on things when she was older, and there was distance between the events and the narration. But whatever it was, I didn’t feel anything when reading this.

So, in the end, it was just fine. Which is sad because it could have been more.

Audiobook: How to Fake it in Society

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by KJ Charles
Read by Will Watt
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen on Libro.fm
Content: There is some swearing, including multiple f-bombs, and some fade-to-black sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Titus Pilcrow is the fifth son of a wealthy (now dead) English landowner, and so has had to make his own way in the world. He was given an apprenticeship in making paints for artists, something he has come to love, and even has his own ship. Except that his landlord (a former lover) is raising the rent. Titus is pretty despondent, and when he goes to collect a bill from a wealthy customer, he is roped into her dying wish: marry her, inherit her fortune, so she can cut her despicable nephew off.

The problem was: she was going to marry Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte. So when Nico comes back from a business trip to find the woman dead and another man in his place, he’s a bit… upset. Especially since he and his cousin owe a money lender 2,000 pounds. So, of course, he’s going to find his way into Titus’s good graces. What he didn’t expect was to fall in love.

There was so much silliness in this one, and I found it absolutely delightful. Titus goes from a beleaguered and battered man – a terrible father and older brother as well as a cruel lover will do that to a man – to a more confident person because of Nico’s influence. And Nico learns to trust. And in between there are fabulous clothes, art, outrageous French accents, and a whole lot of delight. I really enjoyed this one a lot. It was silly, yet there was an undercurrent of seriousness (especially when Titus’s former lover was trying to blackmail him) and the reminder that not even wealthy people are exempt from people taking advantage of them.

An absolute delight of a book.

Our Sister’s Keeper

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by Jasmine Holmes
First sentence: “Lucas Fulton was Marah’s least favorite client.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Release date: June 9, 2026
Content: There is a lot of Black trauma in this one – lynchings, abuse, racism, general violence – and a lot of violence against women, both overt and passive. It will be in the Horror section of the bookstore.

On the surface, East Cobb, Mississippi, sounds like heaven. It’s a Black town where everything is perfect: men have good jobs, there are good homes, and best of all, there isn’t any violence. It should be the perfect place for newlyweds Thea and Kidd Elliott to make their home. Except, once they get there, Thea starts to realize that not everything is as it seems. There is a patriarchal order that she is uncomfortable with; everyone in town, both men and women alike, looks down on her for wanting to be like Ida Wells and make a living writing and reporting. She’s supposed to be supporting her husband and having babies, right? And then, when she starts to see and hear things – women screaming, lynchings, echoes of crimes past – the women in town start gaslighting her: there are no ghosts. There isn’t anything wrong. You’re just going crazy, dear.

Marah, on the other hand, is trapped as a carrier in East Cobb – a woman to takes away, literally, the burdens of the men in town. She – and the other carriers – are “experiments” of a white doctor, and of the Black mistress who runs the house. Then, after a couple of the girls die under suspicious circumstances, Marah starts trying to figure out how she got to be a carrier and how to break out of the prison she is in.

There was so much anger baked into this book. Anger at the way Black people are treated. Anger at the way women are treated. But there is also a lot of hope: the community of Black women who band together (instead of hiding and giving into the patriarchy) is Strong, and not only are they survivors, they will Flourish despite all that has been done to them. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I felt like I was witnessing the anger of Black women and the retribution that will (eventually) come.

I was thinking when I started that this would be Mexican Gothic-like, but as I went on, I found it was less Horror and more speculative fiction. The “magic” of the carriers was never really explained, which I didn’t mind, but I also wasn’t terrified by it all. It’s a good work of historical fiction, and I appreciated looking at what an all-black town could be like. It’s also a warning, though: if we don’t heal from the past, there is no way to have a good future.

All this to say: it wasn’t what I expected, but I am glad I read it.

A Prince Among Pirates

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by Katie Abdou
First sentence: “Canon fire before breakfast is obscene – and waking up to it an atrocity.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: June 16, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some violence, and lots of drinking (well, they are pirates). There are inferences to sex, but none actual. It will be in the Young Adult section of the bookstore.

Kit – otherwise known as Christopher-Henry – has spent his whole life living under his father’s thumb and in his shadow. The last thing he wants to do is marry the woman his father has picked out, even if she’s of a higher station than he is, and would increase his status in the English upper crust of the 1700s. So, he does the only thing he can think of: he runs away to the port and picks the first ship he sees to board. He charms (of sorts) his way on and convinces the crew that he can be of use. Two problems, though: 1 – the ship is captained by the charming and desirable Reggie Swan, and Kit finds himself smitten. And 2 – it’s a pirate ship. Kit finds a home and friends on the ship there, and will do anything to help and protect his shipmates, especially when his past catches up with him.

I picked this one up because the markup notes mentioned Our Flag Means Death, and oh, this scratched that itch. It’s not deep, it’s not historically accurate (it’s accurate-ish), it’s mostly just a lot of fun, which is exactly what I wanted out of it. I liked Kit’s growth arc, and the characters of all the pirates on the ship. I’m also here for any book that has me sailing around the Caribbean, experiencing the open air and the sea. It’s a delight of a book, and one that will make a perfect summer romance read.

Thistlemarsh

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by Moorea Corrigan
First sentence: “The war did not bring the Faeries back to England.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: April 21, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is talk of war, some mild swearing, exactly one (well-placed) f-bomb. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

It’s after World War I, and Mouse is returning home to England because her uncle – Lord Dewhurst – has died and reluctantly left his Faerie-blessed house, Thistlemarsh Manor, to her. Only because his son was killed in the war, and her brother, the next-logical heir, is incapacitated with PTSD, and doesn’t recognize his surroundings. Mouse is reluctant to take on the taste of being Lady of the manor, especially after she hears her uncle’s conditions: restore the house and grounds to their former glory in one month (or get married), or the house goes to a distant (and despicable) cousin. It is an impossible task, except that Mouse is offered help by the faerie Thornwood. It’s tricky to bargain with a faerie, but Mouse is desperate. The question is: what will she uncover?

On the one hand: I haven’t read a sweeping faerie story like this in a long time. It reminded me of books I’d read 15-20 years ago (was that just the early 2000s?), where the fae were cruel, but not unreasonable. Where deals could be made between the fae and humans, and kindness would win out in the end. It has a luxury to it – it only takes place over a month, and yet the pace is slow enough to allow the reader to luxuriate in the setting. I liked Mouse as a character (even though I have quibbles with the ending; but I suppose a human woman couldn’t take on the fae all alone, no matter how smart she is). I just didn’t love the writing. It was basic. Pedantic. Maybe it’s because I just finished A River Has Roots (also a faerie story), where the writing was so lovely, that I felt its lack. That said, while I didn’t utterly love it, I liked it enough to finish, and if you’re looking for a decent faerie story, this is a good one to read.

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

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by Heather Fawcett
First sentence: “I paused on the threshold of the shop to stamp the frost from my boots.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: February 17. 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher
Content: There are some dangerous situations, including murders. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

Agnes is a widow who has had one dream: to run a cat shelter for the feral cats of Montreal, Quebec. She and her husband operated the struggling shelter until his death, and she’s been attempting to keep it going. But after a magical disaster (two magicians were dueling in the street and her shop was in the crossfire), she’s been forced to find a new home for her store (and cats). It proves difficult until she stumbles on a really cheap place for rent. It’s perfect, until she realizes that it’s a front for possibly the most notorious magician in Montreal, and his dealings in magical artifacts. Things get even more complicated when his nemesis finds him, breaks through the wards, and attacks Agnes (and the cats!). How is she supposed to deal with this? Even better: how is she supposed to deal with his clutter?

This has the same tone and whimsy as the Emily Wilde books, and I did like it, just not as much as I adored Emily Wilde. Maybe it was the cats (so many cats!), or maybe it was that Agnes was a widow mourning the loss of her husband. I do like the human and magical being pull, and Agnes was feisty enough to keep me entertained. I guess it just wasn’t everything I was hoping it would be.

Still worth reading, though.

Audiobook: All the Crooked Saints

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by Maggie Stiefvater
Read by Thom Rivera
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There’s some swearing, including a couple of f-bombs. It is in the Young Adult Science Fiction section of the bookstore, but younger kids might be interested in it.

I’m not really going to sum up the plot, since I did that when I first read this book eight years ago. I did enjoy Rivera’s narration, though. And maybe I enjoyed this better as an audiobook. It felt like Rivera was sitting there telling me this tall tale about family and love and miracles. It’s the least Stiefvater-y book of all the ones I’ve read this year, but I still loved it. And yeah, while I see it’s problematic that Stiefvater is exploring a culture that isn’t hers, I still liked the way she wove religion and myth with Latinx culture and 1960s. It was a delightful audiobook to listen to.

Highly recommended on audio, especially.

The Unselected Journals of Emma Lion, Vols 2 and 3

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by Beth Brower
First sentence (vol 2): “Aunt Eugenia’s mandate was waiting with a degree of importance when I awoke this morning.”
First sentence (vol 3): “A noise woke me from my dreams this morning.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy them there!
Others in the series: Vol 1
Content: There is nothing untoward in the books (maybe a bit of drunkenness). They are in the Fiction section of the bookstore.

One of the nice things about the journals is the next one picks up right where the last one left off. Which is why I ended up buying them all; I didn’t want to wait! Volume two is May and June – in which Emma goes on an Adventure and rescues Jane Eyre (the book) from the clutches of the strict headmistress of the school for girls she used to go to. We also learn a bit more about her relationship with Maxwell (who has been killed in Afghanistan). There are increasing connections (which continue in volume 3) with The Tennant (Mr. Pierce) the Duke of Islington, Roland, and Young Hawkes (the parish rector). Of course, there is Aunt Eugenia compelling Emma to be the foil for the lovely Arabella, /money woes, and always Cousin Archibald being his usual nasty self.

I think Volume 3 delighted me more – there was a ridiculous scavenger hunt for tickets to an impromptu Julias Cesar (so silly!) in mid-July, and a couple of delightful parties. Emma deepened her relationship with Mr. Pierce (going back the early 2000s – which team am I on?), and Cousin Archibald hilariously falls down the stairs and breaks a leg.

The most delightful thing about these is that, even though there is not much plot, the characters are SO delightful, Emma is such a charming narrator, the setting – St. Crispain’s – is such a quirky, fun, silly place that I can’t help but be charmed on every page. I know I will be sad when I reach the end of the eight volumes, but for now, I’m thoroughly enjoying this!

Red River Rose

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by Carole Lindstrom
First sentence: “‘Hurry up, Delia, I want to stop at the ferry on the way,’ said Rose, trying not to tug her sister’s arm too hard.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: March 17, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.R

Rose is a Métis girl living her beset life in Batoche, Saskatchewan in 1885. She helps take care of her sister, she goes hunting with her father and uncle, she enjoys watching the ferry on the river. However, one day, she overhears the elders talking about how the Canadian government want to come take their land – and that they should resist. Rose agrees: she doesn’t want to lose the only home she’s ever known, but as a 12-year-old girl, how can she help her people stand up against the government?

In the author’s note at the end, Lindstrom mentions that she wanted this to be a Native Little House on the Prairie, and I think she succeeded. It has the same quiet tone, an engaging and relatable heroine, and an insight into what life might have been like for the Métis in 1885. It was a bit simplistic (but it’s for kids!), but overall, I loved the storyline, I loved how Rose wanted to help her family and her neighbors, and I admired her willingness to take chances. Lindstrom created a great heroine, and I would love to experience more of her story.

It’s an important book – there always needs to be more stories of historical events from the Native perspective – but it’s also a good one.

Wolf Worm

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by T. Kingfisher
First sentence: “The rail station was very new, the paint still bright on the lettering that read Siler Station.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: March 24, 2026
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There are some pretty gross moments, so it’s not for the squeamish stomach. I will be in the Horror section of the bookstore.

Sonia Wilson is a naturalist and an artist, but since it’s 1880 and she doesn’t have a husband, and her father recently passed, she doesn’t have many options for work. She grew tired of teaching at a girls’ boarding school, and so when a job opened up in rural western North Carolina with a naturalist looking for an artist to complete his book, she took the job. What she got, however, was much more than she bargained for.

(Read: There’s something very creepy going on in the woods.)

I don’t read horror. I don’t like being creeped out, I don’t like being grossed out. And yet, I adore Kingfisher. I haven’t read any of her horror before (maybe I will after this one), but when this one came across my desk, I couldn’t say no.

On the one hand, it was very creepy, and VERY gross. A lot of that gross was natural grossness; if you are made squeamish by bugs, this may not be for you. But it did get pretty disgusting. On the other hand, Kingfisher (like always) gave us a heroine who was smart, practical, independent, and a critical thinker. Sure, she was probably too curious for her own good, but she was a delight. And it was shot through with Kingfisher’s wit and the way she is able to create a sense of place. It’s not a delightful read, but it is a compelling one.

Just don’t read it at night.