Hush Little Fire: A Novel by Judith Newcomb Stiles

(Thank you to the author and TLC Book Tours providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

Secrets implode and generations of lies boil over into deadly consequences when a suspicious fire breaks out Christmas Night on Cape Cod.

This enthralling and darkly humorous debut novel of abortion, adoption, and long-buried truths will captivate readers who loved Lessons in Chemistry and Where the Crawdads Sing.

When Mary Newcombe dutifully returns to Cape Cod with her twelve-year-old son to celebrate Christmas with her adoptive mother, Birdie, the only part of the trip she looks forward to is digging beach clay for pottery to stoke her beloved kiln. But while she’s home, a suspicious fire destroys the town health clinic, and Mary becomes a leading suspect.

Mary can’t remember the night of the fire (too much eggnog) and, as always, her mother isn’t talking. Birdie has kept secrets from Mary her entire life, beginning with the truth about Mary’s birth mother. When Mary discovers her adoptive father socked away a small fortune performing pre-Roe v. Wade illegal abortions in the clinic that burned to the ground, she’s done with being kept in the dark. As the days tick by and pressures mount to find the arsonist, Mary digs deeper into Wellfleet’s history, and more secrets start to unfurl.

Meanwhile, Mary’s cousin Jimmy is acting strangely and suddenly, so is her son. As the FBI zeros in on Mary, and another fire burns in the harbor, it's time for Mary and Birdie to face a long brewing reckoning.

A cross-generational mystery told through the perspectives of four women living on the underbelly of Cape Cod, Hush Little Fire is the perfect read for fans of Bonnie Garmus and Dennis Lehane.

my thoughts:

Stories chock full of family drama are the BEST! Hush Little Fire by Judith Newcomb Stiles is most definitely one of the best. I loved it to bits!

It's Christmastime in beautiful Cape Cod and Mary is in town with her son to visit her mom, Birdie. She's looking forward to the holiday and ready to throw some pottery. Except a fire breaks out and destroys the local health clinic. Oh, and Mary is the prime suspect. Say, what? Yep, looks like Mary may have had one too many eggnogs and doesn't remember what happened. So, could she be involved? Well, it turns out her dad used to run the health clinic as an abortion clinic back in the day. Plus, Mary is adopted and the question of who her birth parents are weighs heavily on her mind. So, looks like Mary's trip to the Cape may have many more layers to it, then a simple holiday visit. Hmm....then again, who exactly are these folks she calls family and friends...can she trust them? Yikes! Looks like Mary will have to work hard and quickly to find out the truth, because another fire is burning and her time may just about be up. And, that is all I will share about this intriguing story filled with unlikeable characters that you can't help but fall in deep with. I know I enjoyed my time in Cape Cod with Mary and company. It was such a treat to read! Make sure to grab a copy and check it out!

Thank you to the author and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

Now I Surrender byÁlvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer

(Thank you Riverhead Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

Look what arrived in the post! Hurrah! I'm thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Enrigue's latest book. I just know it will be a treat to read. His writing is top notch and his storytelling is excellent. His books are a testament to his intelligence and creativity - I am in awe! I just know I am going to fall in deep with Now I Surrender and I can't wait!

So, what is this lovely new book about? Well, it's described as...

"A visionary novelist imagines the fiercely fought end of an epoch of almost unimaginable freedom and radically recasts the story of how the West was “won.”

In the contested borderlands between Mexico and the United States, a woman flees into the desert after a devastating raid on her dead husband’s ranch. A lieutenant colonel in service to the fledgling Republica, sent in pursuit of cattle rustlers, discovers he’s on the trail of a more dramatic abduction. Decades later, with political ambitions on the line, the American and Mexican militaries try to maneuver Geronimo, the most legendary of Apache warriors, into surrender. In our own day, a family travels through the region in search of a truer version of the past.

Orchestrated with a stunningly imagined cast of characters, both historical and purely fictional, their storylines playing out in multiple eras, Now I Surrender is Álvaro Enrigue’s most expanisveand impassioned novel yet. Part epic, part alt-Western, it weaves past and present, myth and history, into a searing elegy for a way of life that was an incarnation of true liberty—and an homage to the spark in us that still thrills to its memory." (according to Goodreads)

How incredible and fascinating does that sound? I know I'm excited - we get history, fiction, and a bit of a Western all rolled into one. Sounds like a creative triumph to me. Talk about literature at its very best!

Thank you Riverhead Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Ava: A Novel by Victoria Dillon

(Thank you to She Writes Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

For fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale comes Ava, a provocative blend of speculative fiction and social commentary that takes readers on a gripping, thought-provoking journey into the fight for women’s autonomy in a politically charged Southern landscape.

What if the only way to reclaim reproductive freedom was to rewrite the very nature of birth itself?

Ten years after Roe v. Wade is overturned, twenty-two-year-old biologist Larkin finds herself unexpectedly pregnant in a country where choice is no longer an option. Initially uncertain, she embraces motherhood—until a devastating diagnosis changes everything. Trapped by Tennessee’s strict abortion laws, she is forced to carry her baby to term, only to endure the heartbreak of losing her hours after birth.

Years later, Larkin joins a radical scientific movement that could change a groundbreaking technology that replaces gestation with incubation, allowing women true control over their reproduction. When she uses it to bring her second daughter, Ava, into the world, she believes she has finally reclaimed her autonomy. But as Ava grows and begins to question the very choice that created her, Larkin is challenged in ways she never imagined.

Ava is a powerful, emotionally charged exploration of motherhood, bodily autonomy, and the far-reaching consequences of restrictive legislation. In a future shaped by loss and innovation, mother and daughter must confront the ultimate what does it truly mean to have a choice?

my thoughts:

Wow! What an impressive and powerful story. Ava by Victoria Dillon is a definite must-read for everyone. It's speculative fiction at its very best. A smart and fascinating story about reproduction, women's rights, and feminism. I found myself getting lost in Larkin and Ava's story every night as I read it - it was just too damn good to put down. I mean who wouldn't be intrigued by this concept of incubation - a way for women to have children and maintain true autonomy over their bodies - WHOA! Talk about weird-sounding science. And yet,, the more I read, the more questions I had about so many of the important topics being explored in this book-  science and technology, reproductive rights, morality, and the mother-daughter relationship. It was all so fascinating. I wound up jotting down notes here and there, because I couldn't stop thinking about this story. It was disturbing, compelling, and unforgettable. I loved it. 

I would definitely recommend Ava to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will not want to miss out on this one. Make sure to grab a copy ASAP!

Thank you to She Writes Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

Konfidenz: A Novel by Ariel Dorfman

(Thank you Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

The political and the personal become blurred in a series of tense, tantalizing conversations about resistance.

A pared-back yet gripping psychological novel from the acclaimed author of Death and the Maiden and Allegro.

A woman travels to Paris to meet her lover. When she arrives at her hotel, however, she receives a call from a mysterious stranger claiming to be his friend, who somehow possesses intimate knowledge of their lives and why she fled her homeland. Over the course of nine hours, this man will draw her in, revealing details about her lover’s work, which could put him in grave danger, and the growing conflict that has ensnared them all.

A brilliant, mind-bending story told almost entirely through dialogue, Konfidenz upends what we think we know, painting an insightful portrait of manipulation and divided loyalties. Taking inspiration from his own experiences of political turmoil and exile after the 1973 coup that overthrew Chilean president Salvador Allende, Ariel Dorfman infuses this novel with a remarkable urgency and authenticity.

my thoughts:

Whoa! Konfidenz by Ariel Dorfman is an intriguing and unputdownable story. I found myself carrying this slim book with me everywhere I went, so that I could dip in and out of it whenever I had a spare moment. I was hooked by the dialogue-heavy story and the author's clever exploration of trust and loyalty. Plus, the simplicity of the set up was compelling - a man and a woman on a telephone call. Oh, the danger and truth of a tense political climate made the conversation somber, secretive, and unreliable. It was fascinating and unforgettable- I loved it!

I would recommend Konfidenz to fans of Dorfman and to anyone looking for their next great read. You won't want to miss out on this one!

Thank you Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

TBR List

I've just added this lovely to by TBR (to be read) List and can't want to read it.

So, what's the book about? Well, it's about a woman who leaves her life behind in the US, and escapes to Ireland to start over fresh. As the years go by, she's settled in nicely and has a family of her own, along with a talent for art. Unfortunately, it's her paintings that may be her own undoing - the spotlight on her artwork is leading to journalists asking questions. Yep, seems like the secrets from her past won't leave stay hidden. Yikes! Talk about drama!

Now, how intriguing does that sound? What are these secrets? Why did she have to leave her life behind? What happened? Why can't she be free from her past? I have so many questions! Plus, the story takes place in Ireland - how lovely! Such a beautiful country. I'm excited to find out who Saoirse really is and what her story is all about. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!