The Night Swim by Megan Goldin ~ a Review & Excerpt

by MK French

Rachel Krall elected to follow a rape trial as the focus for her third season of a true-crime podcast. It comes down to "the he said, she said" between the golden boy training to be an Olympic swimmer and the girl that had left an impromptu party while intoxicated. In addition to this, Rachel received a letter from Hannah, whose sister had died in 1992 in that town. Hannah knows her sister was murdered after a summer of harassment, but it had been dismissed as a drowning and she had been shuffled into foster care after her mother died. Rachel now is tied to both cases and finds a connection between them that she didn’t expect.

Best of the Bunch - July 2020

Have you read any good books this month? We have read many, many good books, which makes it difficult to name our favorite read. Because there are so many good reads we like to attempt to pick one, sometimes two or three, that we think was the best of the bunch that way if you are feeling overwhelmed by all the offerings you will know which books you might not want to miss. What book did you read this month that is your favorite?

A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science by Rita Colwell and Sharon Bertsch McGrayne ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Women have been overlooked and harassed for many years in many industries. Even the systematic discrimination they have experienced has often been swept under the rug and denied. History of Marie Curie's contributions to our understanding of radioactivity has been rewritten to acknowledge her work, but how much of her struggles to be recognized have been glossed over? The #MeToo movement has brought gender inequality front and center to our social awareness. However, long before the movement was named, women and their male allies have steadily chipped away at the male dominance in the ivory tower of scientific study. 

Someone's Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass ~ a Review

by MK French

Faith Finley is a psychologist that published books and has a successful radio show. Her marriage to food critic Liam Finley is perfect until the day he disappears. Police either suspect her or think she's crazy, and she gets notes with phrases from her books advising women how to leave abusive partners. This escalates, and the mystery of Liam's disappearance intensifies.

6 Books of Nonfiction to Read

by Susan Roberts

One of my personal reading goals for 2020 is to read 10 or more non-fiction books. I haven't deliberately avoided non-fiction books but I haven't read many of them in the last couple of years. As of the end of June, I've read 7 so I think this is a goal that I'll be able to meet. Can you suggest other non-fiction books that will help me meet my 2020 goal?

Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I'm a relatively new fan of Jenn McKinlay, but she has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. So I was eager to try her new novel Paris Is Always a Good Idea, especially since it was not a cozy mystery.

Glimpses of Time and Magic: A Historical Fantasy Anthology ~ a Review

by MK French

What if aspects of history were actually due to magic? There are tragedies and Big Questions from history that we don’t always know how to answer. The nine stories in this collection take place in different locations and time periods. Pompeii; Roanoke, Virginia; London, England; or the great potato famine of Ireland all feature here.  All the proceeds from this set will be going to Feed My Starving Children.

4 Books for Fans of Women's Fiction

by Susan Roberts

Women's fiction is an umbrella term for women-centered books.  Some of the books that I've reviewed are very different but all fit under the umbrella.

A Hot Month of Reading

by Donna Huber

Here we are at the end of July though I've been having trouble remembering it is July. I told someone the date the other day and I said it is June. It's been hot and I've been spending the weekends at my parents' pool (and eating a lot of ice cream). Other than going to my parents' house, a couple of grocery pickups, and a trip to the office I haven't left the house. I love living the recluse life.