In this beautiful, pastoral novel, the main character Bo lives on his own in the small house he was born in, with only his dog Sixten and his caregivers for companions.  Bo is in the late stages of his life and just barely managing to live independently.

With our matching names and home states, I have always supported Lily King’s books, and a little clue in the dedication makes me think we also both have a daughter named Eloise! King reliably balances an inventive and surprising plot with a  romantic view of her protagonists and an insightful perspective on human nature. Heart the Lover is the latest in her wonderful collection.

I love books with intelligent female protagonists whose adventures are compelling and whose emotional development feels real. And when the story is also historical fiction and I can learn something new, I can’t buy these books fast enough.  Austen at Sea checks all these boxes and is so much more. It is entertaining and smart, while also telling a breathlessly suspenseful story.

I had never heard of How to Read a Book or its author, Monica Wood when my friend Pam recommended that I read it.  I am so glad that she did.  Wood has a great premise for her novel and she develops her characters beautifully.  But it is her clear, straightforward writing style that really stands out. 

You all know from our many reviews of the Hogarth series and others (read reviews here) how much we love a Shakespeare adaptation. So when I saw Lady Macbeth at the checkout of a bookstore in Stratford, Ontario, it wasn’t just the hot pink-edged pages that caught my eye.

Continuing with my all-Irish-author reviews this month, I want to praise Tana French’s The Hunter, which is absolutely riveting.  French’s genre is entirely different from Williams’: The Hunter is a mystery that may or may not involve a murder.  Where she and Williams are alike is in setting their books in small Irish towns and creating memorable characters who are so authentic and believable that they add to the sense of place the authors so expertly develop.