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Saturdays at the Café

September 9, 2023 10:00 am

 


Saturdays at the Café is a weekly feature hosted here to talk about and discuss the books I’ve discovered during the past week, added to my shelf and am excited about reading. They may be new/scheduled releases I’ve seen on NetGalley, at the library, or from publishers or they may be older titles my friends have reviewed and shared on Goodreads or blogs.


From bookfluencer and host of the BAD ON PAPER podcast, a riotous holiday rom-com about four friends in NYC who hold onto their unconventional Christmas tradition even when their paths diverge–but the changes they fear might be exactly what they need…

Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since they were sophomores in college. Neither has anywhere else to go–Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their first makeshift Christmas kicked off a tradition of offbeat holiday adventures that grew only more outrageous as the years passed. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the crew, solidifying a found family that provides the sense of belonging they’ve always craved.

But ten years into their tradition, Finn announces he’s moving to L.A., meaning that this Christmas will be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her seemingly perfect boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind–namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. What will this Christmas look like to friends who are doing their best to stay together even as they learn, finally, to grow up?

I learned of this from the publisher’s newsletter and knew instantly I wanted it on audio.  It’s scheduled for release later this month and is a library audiobook hopeful.

Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever…

When her beloved grandmother, Ilse , is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon , Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately?

Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her Szymon .

Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed?

As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything…

Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis.

A trusted Goodreads friend wrote a compelling review of this story. It’s a library audiobook hopeful.


Bernadette, Eleanor Oliphant, Rosie, Ove… meet Amazing Grace Adams, the funny, touching, unforgettable story of an invisible everywoman pushed to the brink—who finally pushes back.

Grace Adams gave birth, blinked and now suddenly she is forty-five, perimenopausal and stalled—the unhappiest age you can be, according to the Guardian. And today she’s really losing it. Stuck in traffic, she finally has had enough. To the astonishment of everyone, Grace gets out of her car and simply walks away.

Grace sets off across London, armed with a £200 cake, to win back her estranged teenage daughter on her 16th birthday. Because today is the day she’ll remind her daughter that no matter how far we fall, we can always get back up again. Because Grace Adams used to be amazing. Her husband thought so. Her daughter thought so. Even Grace thought so. But everyone seems to have forgotten. Grace is about to remind them …and, most importantly, remind herself.

This is the September selection by the Today show’s Read With Jenna book club. I’ve had great success with her choices and found the description appealing. Thanks to my library for coming through with the audiobook.

In this Regency rom-com, when a Duke and a reporter team up to uncover his family’s secrets, their search brings up more than they bargained for—including their feelings for each other.

Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain—not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common—the secrets they can’t risk escaping.

When Giles’ father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son’s birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined—and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…

Never Rescue a Rogue, the next book in the Merriwell Sisters series, is filled with whip-smart banter, swoony romance, hilarious mishaps, and twisty reveals that will make you gasp and laugh in delight; Virginia Heath’s latest is one you won’t want to miss.

Patience paid off as this second book in the series finally showed up at my library.


In this “high-octane spy thriller in the Ian Fleming mold” (CrimeReads), a British spy has twelve hours to deliver her asset across London after Russia hacks the city’s security cameras. Can she make it without being spotted . . . or killed?

Nothing about Emma Makepeace is real. Not even her name.

A newly minted secret agent, Emma’s barely graduated from basic training when she gets the call for her first major assignment. Eager to serve her country and prove her worth, she dives in headfirst.

Emma must covertly travel across one of the world’s most watched cities to bring the reluctant—and handsome—son of Russian dissidents into protective custody, so long as the assassins from the Motherland don’t find him first. With London’s famous Ring of Steel hacked by the Russian government, the two must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras that document every inch of the city’s streets, alleys, and gutters.

Buses, subways, cars, and trains are out of the question. Traveling on foot, and operating without phones or bank cards that could reveal their location or identity, they have twelve hours to make it to safety. This will take all of Emma’s skills of disguise and subterfuge. But when Emma’s handler goes dark, there’s no one left to trust. And just one wrong move will get them both killed.

Thanks to Tessa @ Tessa Talks Books for featuring the second book in the series in her WWW Wednesday & Book Haul post. She compared this one to the Orphan X series and that was enough for me. I’m in a short library queue for the audiobook.

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming story about the choices we make and the love we let into our lives…

Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting isn’t on the list. However, she’s a sucker for the underdog and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she’s created her own inner circle, a motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.

With a farm-to-table café as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it’s the best home she’s ever known. But when the owner Silas, who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under control of his investment manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes….and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.

Now Luna’s carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she—along with some help from her friends—has to dig deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.

I didn’t know another book in the series was scheduled for release (January) until I saw it featured by Anne @ Books of My Heart in her Sunday Post. It’s a library audiobook hopeful.

 


When I open my eyes, I see my sister’s pillows are still plump on the bed next to mine, her striped blanket still straight. With cold trickling down my spine, I jump up and open the closet. Her clothes are gone…

Eleven years ago, my sister Lola vanished from my aunt’s cottage. Now I’m back for the first time, still trying to understand why she ran away. As I go through the house, my mind fills with memories. I should have taken better care of her. If I had, she might have trusted me.

What did I miss that summer? What secrets was she keeping?

I pore over the photos I took, searching for answers. Lola was so angry, so secretive—laughing with her new friends on the beach, but refusing to meet my eyes.

Then a body is discovered hidden in a cave below the cliffs where I walked that summer. No one knows how long it’s been there, and I am forced to did Lola run away at all?

The police won’t tell me anything. Then I come home to find my front door open, my bed made, my camera missing. Who is watching me?

I won’t stop until I know what happened, but am I ready to face the truth about my family?

And if I learn what happened to Lola, will I be in danger too?

Another $.99 deal I discovered because of a Bookouture alert! I’m collecting the books in the series.

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a charming, internationally bestselling Japanese novel about how the perfect book recommendation can change a readers’ life.

What are you looking for? So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.

A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother tries to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose.

In Komachi’s unique book recommendations they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection. This inspirational tale shows how, by listening to our hearts, seizing opportunity and reaching out, we too can fulfill our lifelong dreams. Which book will you recommend?

I hadn’t heard of this until it showed up at my library. I stumbled upon the review by Yvo @ Its All About Books and was immediately captivated! I’m in a fairly long queue but I think my library may add more books.

What books did YOU add to your shelves this week?

 

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Posted by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

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20 Responses to “Saturdays at the Café”

  1. I hope you enjoy Alias Emma as much as I did Jo. I loved the second book as well, and I’m sharing my review on the blog tour tomorrow! btw the comment box isn’t working so I’ve done this through the WP reader.

    Liked by 1 person

    By nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog on September 9, 2023 at 10:15 am

    1. Thanks, Nicki💜 That’s great feedback!

      Did you try and type something in the comment box and it didn’t work? It was grayed out until I began typing.

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 11:16 am

      1. I could type my comment but there was no button to press once I’d finished. Really strange. 🤔

        Liked by 1 person

        By nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog on September 9, 2023 at 12:55 pm

  2. I hadn’t heard about it before but Amazing Grace Adams goes on the list, it sounds too good to pass!

    Liked by 1 person

    By Inge | The Belgian Reviewer on September 9, 2023 at 11:17 am

    1. I thought so, too, Inge💜

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 11:21 am

  3. What a great collection of books you’ve added! I hope that you enjoy them all!

    Liked by 1 person

    By Jodie | That Happy Reader on September 9, 2023 at 12:22 pm

    1. Thanks, Jodie💜

      Like

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 1:27 pm

  4. I have some Rachel Abbot which I haven’t read yet. I wouldn’t say Alias Emma is like Orphan X at all but I did enjoy reading it. I’ve got the second one coming up this next week – The Traitor.

    Anne – Books of My Heart

    Liked by 1 person

    By Northwoman on September 9, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    1. I’ve collected two of Abbott’s series and hope to start at least one of them soon!

      Like

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 1:29 pm

  5. I’m on a wait list for Amazing Grace as well. I read What You Are Looking For …quirky and endearing but I wished the author had written a conclusion.

    Liked by 1 person

    By Carol on September 9, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    1. Thanks for the feedback, Carol! Hope you enjoy Amazing Grace Adams💜

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 3:31 pm

  6. Ha Yvo got to you too, did she 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    By Kelly on September 9, 2023 at 3:37 pm

    1. Yep, always does😏

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 9, 2023 at 3:49 pm

  7. I really enjoyed Never Rescue a Rogue and hope you do as well, Jo. I also just read a good review of What You Are Looking for Is in the Library and my library has the audiobook through Hoopla, so just added it to my favourites shelf. You have a few others here that intrigue me, so I’m off to see if my library has any of them. Enjoy all your upcoming reads.

    Liked by 1 person

    By Carla on September 10, 2023 at 8:47 am

    1. Thanks for all of that great feedback, Carla💜 Glad you see some interesting titles here.

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 10, 2023 at 9:06 am

  8. Hope you enjoy all of them. I always look forward to a new Jill Shalvis book. Have a great week!

    Liked by 1 person

    By Hooked By That Book on September 11, 2023 at 2:00 pm

    1. Thanks, Rolé💜

      Like

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 11, 2023 at 2:27 pm

  9. I love the sound of so many of these… And it’s great to see What You Are Looking For Is In The Library on here! It’s such an unique read, and I always love a bookish angle. I hope you will enjoy them all!

    Liked by 1 person

    By Yvonne (It's All About Books) on September 12, 2023 at 10:43 pm

    1. Thanks, Yvo💜 I’m very grateful for your review because it was a tipping point.

      Liked by 1 person

      By Jonetta | Blue Mood Café on September 13, 2023 at 10:36 am

      1. ❤

        Liked by 1 person

        By Yvonne (It's All About Books) on September 18, 2023 at 10:50 pm

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