A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

 

Title:  A Founding Mother

Author:  Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Narrated by:  Cassandra Campbell

Publisher: William Morrow

Length: Approximately 17 hours and 20 minutes

Source: Audiobook from NetGalley and physical book review copy from William Morrow Books.  Thank-you!

What is your ultimate go-to reading snack or beverage?

Abigail Adams was the second first lady of the United States and the mother to another president.  She married John Adams when she was young, and she raised their young family often alone as John worked towards American independence.  Through their correspondence, Abigail let John know what her thoughts where on issues including the importance to her of the rights of women.  How will their relationship survive the stress of loss, war, separation and financial woes?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in July to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the United States of America.

·       In order for John Adams to do what he did for our country; he needed a strong woman behind him to talk through his ideas and who kept the home and family going when he couldn’t be there.

·       The loneliness of John being gone for so long would be hard.  Their kid were also left for years without their parents.  It makes me wonder what impact it had on their children.

·       Alcoholism ran in the family, and it was divesting for Abigail to see the impact on her children.  It made this family very relatable.

·       It was gruesome that Nabby had her breast removed because she had breast cancer . . . without anesthesia!

·       I love the cover and beautiful dress.

·       This was a July 2026 Reese book club pick.

·       I loved learning more about Abigail Adams.

·       This was great on audiobook with a fabulous narrator that I always enjoy - Cassandra Campbell.

·       The book takes place from 1760 to 1814.

·       This is a biographical historical fiction book. 

·       The book is told from Abigail’s perspective.

·       It was sad that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson went from being friends to enemies that Abigail got caught up in it as well.

·       Abigail did get some adventures traveling with John after they had so many separations.

·       There was a great and very detailed author’s note at the end on the real history behind the book.

Overall, A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie was a fascinating historical fiction look into the life of Abigail Adams.

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau

What classic novel do you think needs a sequel?

Thank you to @tudorscribe, #admiralroadbooks, and @greatreadsbookpromo for the gift copy of The Heiress of Northanger Abbey.

Twenty-two years after the events in Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland is a respectable pastor’s wife, married to Henry Tilney.  Catherine and Henry live a happy life with their two daughters in a small village near the family estate of Northanger Abbey.  Henry’s brother Frederick and his wife Aurelia are childless and Henry and Catherine’s oldest daughter Phoebe, is presumed to be their heiress.  When Phoebe runs across the Thorpe family in Bath, Catherine is afraid that history is repeating itself.  When Catherine chaperones Phoebe on a trip to Isabella Thorpe’s estate, is her imagination playing havoc with her again or are they in danger?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is one of the October book club picks for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  I look forward to discussing it.

·       I loved that this was a sequel to a Jane Austen novel that does not often get sequels, Northanger Abbey.  I love the original book and it’s fun to see what happened to its characters after the end of the original novel.

·       Author Nancy Bilyeau did a great job of capturing the spirit and characters from the original novel.

·       I felt for Catherine and her trials trying to parent a strong-willed teenage daughter having one myself.

·       The story is told through the first-person point of view of Catherine.

·       I loved seeing that Catherine and Henry have a long and happy marriage.

·       I don’t want to spoil the story, but I also loved the Gothic elements.  It’s a perfect read for the fall.

·       I have enjoyed author Nancy Bilyeau’s novels in the past and have been greatly looking forward to this book. It did not disappoint.

·       Now I want to read The Vampyre by John Polidori as it is part of the plot. It’s an interesting look into how Gothic novels were changing during that time period.

·       Catherine and Phoebe like to discuss books together and I loved their discussion on Mary Shelley.

·       I would classify this book as a sequel, historical fiction, suspense, Gothic, and Regency.

Overall, The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau is an enjoyable Regency Gothic historical fiction novel that is a sequel to Northanger Abbey.  It’s got great historical elements a well as a good look into the Gothic fiction of that time. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

Title:  The Book Thief

Author:  Markus Zusak

Narrated by:  Allan Corduner

Publisher: Listening Library

Length: Approximately 13 hour and 57 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What makes a book a classic?

Liesel has lost her family in 1939 Germany.  At her brother’s funeral, she picks up a copy of The Gravedigger’s Handbook that was accidentally left behind.  Her new life as a lover and stealer of books has arrived.  She is taken care of by a new foster family and grows up learning the complexity of trying to do good in a world that has forgotten its humanity.  Will Liesel, her friends, and foster family make it to the end of the war?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This is a powerful story.  This was a powerful book when I first read it fifteen years ago and was just as powerful on a reread, this time on audiobook.

·       This was the @dees.reads Classic Buddy Read for May, but I finished it up in June.  I am behind on my buddy reads!  I am still thinking about this book months later.

·       Liesel’s foster father, Hans Huberman, didn’t have much, but his kindness and care for others meant so much in troubled times, especially as so many ignored the suffering of others.

·       It was disturbing how many people blindly followed Hitler, and how many people didn’t want to say anything and rock the boat, even when they knew it was wrong.  It’s disturbing how much this is paralleled in modern times.

·       Allan Corduner was a powerful narrator on the audiobook.  Have your tissues handy as you listen to this one.

·       One major theme was how do you keep your humanity during terrible times?

·       The book was beautifully written and unique to have the story narrated by death.

·       Liesel has everyday cares and friends, but she lives during extraordinary times.

·       This book is classified as a young adult novel, but it is an important story that all adults should read as well.

Overall, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a must-read historical fiction classic that sticks with you long after you turn the last page.

The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Title:  The Labours of Hercules

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser 

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 43 minutes 

Source: Purchased from Audible

Do you read short stories?  Do you have a favorite short story?

In this Hercule Poirot collection, the famous detective takes on twelve mysteries in the twelve short stories.  Each one is related to the Labours of Hercules in Greek mythology.  Poirot wants to solve these cases before he “retires.”  Since he spends fifty years coming in and out of retirement, I’m not sure that solving these mysteries will put him over the edge.  

My thoughts on this collection:

• I read this in June for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  “Best short story collection” was the theme for the month.

• I enjoyed this collection and found it to be very entertaining.  I like the links between the stories and how each case was unique.

• I listened on audiobook and Hugh Fraser was a great narrator as usual.

• The stories were very loosely connected.

• In the first story, Poirot finds a missing dog which I enjoyed.

Overall, The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie was an entertaining short story mystery collection.  Was it the best Christie short story collection?  I guess I need to read all the rest of her short story collections to decide for myself.

The Lost Perfumes of Paris by Christine Wells

 

Do you have a favorite perfume?  I love the smell of perfume but have sensitive skin, so it has been a while since I have worn any.  My daughter loves perfume.

Elodie Limeaux works at her family’s perfume company in the south of France.  She is a lowly assistant chemist but has developed a perfume through the years that she believes will turn the company’s fortunes around. When her father rejects it, she is stunned. She proposes entering the Essence of Paris competition to keep their investor, Monsieur Caspari from sending production to America.  Elodie wants to she follows her late mother’s, Aurore’s, footsteps as a premier perfumer.  With the help of Monsieur Caspari’s son, Marcelo, will she be able to win the contest?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was a delightful and engaging book that I could not put down.

·       I loved how plucky Elodie was with her love and obsession for perfumery.  It was in her blood, and she couldn’t be happy without it. 

·       There was a great romance between Elodie and Marcelo.  I loved that he shared her passion for perfumery.  He supported her and let her shine in her own accomplishments, unlike her father. 

·       Wonderful Paris setting in 1956.  The descriptions were fantastic.  I felt like I was there!

·       I loved Elodie’s grandmother and how she took Elodie shopping for a complete Parisian makeover.  I also loved the descriptions of the gowns.

·       I didn’t know much about the development of perfumes, and I enjoyed learning more about it.

·       Elodie’s father was a terrible person.

·       I like how Elodie found her mother’s perfume journals and was able to learn more about her.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end that described how women had a hard time establishing themselves in the world of perfume even in their own family companies.

Overall, The Lost Perfumes of Paris by Christine Wells was an enchanting historical fiction novel with great characters set in the vivid world of 1950s France perfumeries.  I greatly enjoyed it.

Book Source: Thank-you William Morrow for the review copy!

The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih

 

Happy #bookbirthday to The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih! What is the job of the main character in your current read?

Song Holloway’s life is defined by hardship.  Her family survived Black Sunday in the dust bowl in 1935, but they had to leave their farm to travel east to live with her aunt.  Her father died working for the CCC and as a highschooler, she works on a farm and watches the skies for plans to help in the WWII effort.  When she graduates high school, her science teacher recommends her to work on a top-secret project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  Song meets many new people, learns new skills, and wonders what exact top-secret project she is working on.  When she is asked to spy on her friends, what will she do?  Will the new GI she met turn into more than a fleeting romance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked the look at a life from the dust bowl as a little girl through WWII as a teenager and young adult, and then early married life after the war.  It was a good cross section of a life and showed how the greatest generation had to live through a lot of tough times.

·       I liked the family, friend, and acquaintance that Song met along the way.  She was able to make some deep connections with a lot of interesting people.

·       There is a great authors notes at the end of the novel on author Tara Lynn Masih’s inspirations for this book. She did a lot of great research to put this together.

·       I loved learning about the atomic city, Oak Ridge Tennessee and the unique life that the inhabitants lived.  Song’s job inspecting pipes for leaks is based on real job there.

·       Black Sunday during the dust bowl is vividly described.  One of my favorite quotes, “Song watched the blackening wall, like ballooning mountains, descend on them.  Mesmerized.  It was almost beautiful, with balls of dust in the curtain of what was now all fluffy black.”

·       I loved the theme of being able to heal and move on with life. Scarred, but moving forward.

·       I enjoyed that it wasn’t just a happily ever after story but was realistic look at what returning GIs had to face as well as women who had to leave their important war time jobs.  I would love to read more of Song’s story.

·       This would make a great movie!

Overall, The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih is a fascinating historical fiction novel with great characters.

Book Source:  Thank-you Storm Publishing, Tara Lynn Masih, and Get Red PR for the review copy of this book!

 

A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

 

What is your favorite book/movie/show featuring witches?  I always loved watching Bewitched on reruns growing up.

Lilith has been having strange things happen to her lately including a reoccurring nightmare about being burned at the stake.  She feels called to visit Brackenmere Manor in England.  There she can see and interact with the past.  Her ancestress Sybil has been accused of being a witch in 1645.  She is an educated wealthy widow who helps others with her herbal medicines.  When she refuses to marry the local magistrate who has used violence against her in the past, he accuses her of witchcraft. Will Lilith be able to save Sybil?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I couldn’t put this book down – it was the most engaging book I’ve read in recent months.

·       It is a dual timeline novel set in current day and 1645 England.

·       I would classify this book as fantasy, historical fiction, historical fantasy, witches, Halloween, and magical realism.

·       It was horrifying and scary to see how the women accused of witchcraft were treated.  It seemed to be a way to punish women who wouldn’t do what a man wanted, a way to get your neighbors property, or just a way to punish a woman who used herbal remedies or was an old woman living on her own.

·       I enjoyed the Last Bookshop in London by this author.  I need to read more of her works.

·       There is a wonderful author’s note at the end detailing the real witch trials. Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England was the site of witch trials in 1645.

·       The romance between Lilith and Asher in the present timeline was nice. I liked how they seemed to be fated to be together.

·       The women in prison in the past supported each other through the most difficult of times. I enjoyed their camaraderie.

·       There was a bit of a twist at the end that I enjoyed.

·       I loved the characters such as Lilith’s best friend Cassie, who is always there for her.  She was also part of a plot point that reminded me of Back to the Future as Lilith seems to fade from the present as she can’t get past events changed.

Overall, A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin was a very engaging dual timeline novel that is an especially perfect read for fall.

Book Source:  Thank-you @angelamelamud and Hanover Square Press for the review copy.

The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz

 

Title:  The Heiress and the Woodsman

Author:  Christine Hill Suntz

Narrated by:  Cassandra Campbell

Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Thank you to, @christinehillsuntz, @tyndalehouse, @crazy4fiction, and @greatreadsbookpromo for the gift copy of physical version of The Heiress and the Woodsman.  I purchased the audiobook copy from Audible.

What is the setting of your current read?

Charlotte Carruthers is trying to hold her family estate near Toronto together.  Her mother died years ago, and the family fortunes have foundered.  Her brother Simon left, and rumor has it that he has joined the rebels.  Reputation is everything to Charlotte’s ailing father, the famed hero Major Carruthers of the Battle of Waterloo.  Charlotte runs off into the wilderness to find her brother to bring him home to help restore the family’s fortunes and standing.  She hires guide, Joshua Robertson.  Joshua needs the money to buy out his brother’s indentured servant contract.  His farm in the bush is not producing enough to afford this extra expense.  Will Charlotte find her brother?  Will Joshua free his brother?  Will these two find a connection?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked Joshua and Charlotte’s relationship through the story.  They slowly grew to know and understand each other.  They are both caring people that like to help others.

·       I enjoyed the novel The Lawyer and the Laundress last year and I liked that some of the characters from that novel made an appearance in this novel.

·       The setting is 1830s Canada near Toronto and the wilderness north. I was very interested in the Canadian history.

·       I would label this book as a historical romance, adventure, clean read, and inspirational.

·       I liked the look at community and how it is important.  I also enjoyed the look at what makes a family.

·       I loved the relationship between Charlotte and Scarlett the horse she raised.

·       This book had great characters.  I liked Fulton.  He works at Charlotte’s family estate and helps to care for her.

·       I listened to audiobook, and it was very engaging.

·       I do wish there was a map in the physical version. I would have liked to track their travels through the wilderness.  I know where Toronto is, but I wasn’t sure where the bush or wilderness discussed where at.

·       I liked the journey in this book and also enjoyed the aftermath.

Overall, The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz is an engaging historical romance adventure set in the wilderness of Canada in the 1830s.  I recommend it!

A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O’Neal

 

Title:  A Thousand Painted Hours

Author:  Barbara O’Neal

Narrated by:  Sneha Mathan

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Length: Approximately 15 hour and 22 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @barbaraonealauthor @amazonpublishing @tlcbooktours for both the audiobook and physical review copies.

Do you have a favorite artist?  I enjoy art, and Monet’s paintings have always been “happy place” art that lifts my spirits.

Elsie Turner grew up in India in the early 1900s and was separated from her great love Tanveer, when her parents moved back to England during her teenage years.  The one bright spot was that she was able to go to art school and make new friends.

In a second timeline in 1940, the London Blitz is ongoing and Elsie remembers the past and what has led her up to that moment in time.  Will Elsie survive?  And can she thrive and have the future she longs for?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The novel was written in short chapters which I found easy to read.  Many of the chapters were letters written primarily between Tanveer and Elsie.

·       Tanveer and Elsie had an epic love story that stretched through time, distance, and marriage to other people.  They respected each other’s minds, while also being wildly attracted to one another.

·       I loved the descriptions of India, especially the tigers.  It was a great setting.

·       The Blitz was horrifying and seemed to parallel Elsie’s careful life imploding with her precarious relationship with her husband and mother.

·       It was an interesting look into the prejudice at the time that would not allow a relationship between an Indian man and an English woman.

·       I loved how all the pieces of the puzzle of Elsie’s life came together perfectly at the end.

·       I listened to about half the book on audio and read half of the book in the physical copy. Both were enjoyable and I liked the audiobook narrator.

·       The book included discussion of the Indian independence movement which I enjoyed.

·       I would classify this book as slow burn, character driven, first love, historical fiction, and historical romance.

Overall, A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O’Neal was a beautifully written novel set in India and London during the first half of the 20^th century that told the story of an enduring forbidden love.

A Mismatch Made in London by Melanie Dickerson

 

What is the last book you read in a day?  I didn’t quite finish A Mismatch Made in London in one day while on vacation, but it was close!

Thank you to @melaniedickerson123, @bethanyhousefiction, and @greatreadsbookpromo for the gift copy of A Mismatch Made in London.

Amelia Moore has been invited by her aunt to the social season in London.  As the oldest of twelve, it would help her family if she made an advantageous marriage.  She immediately makes a new friend, Juliet, but Juliet’s older brother, Jeremy, questions her motives for the friendship.  He is the most eligible bachelor of the season.  Is Amelia befriending Juliet to get closer to Jeremy?  Amelia is offended and vows not to talk to him again.  Will Juliet and Amelia find their matches?  Will Jeremy and Amelia mend their differences?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was an enemies-to-lovers story.  It reminded me of Pride and Prejudice with an initial misunderstanding and dislike which eventually became friendship and love.  I enjoyed Jeremy and Amelia’s relationship. 

·       The novel had an interesting dual narrative structure.  Amelia narrated most of the book in first person and Jeremy narrated part of the book in 3^rd person.

·       I greatly enjoyed the friendship between Juliet and Amelia.  It felt like a real relationship.

·       This was a good story of forgiveness.

·       A subplot in the novel made me think about how easily it was to ruin a woman’s reputation and make it so she couldn’t marry, especially if a woman didn’t have male protection.

·       I just loved this story – it was a great escapism read.

·       I would classify this novel as slow burn, regency, historical romance/fiction, clean read, Christian, inspiration, and enemies to lovers.

·       I loved the snippet at the end of the book of “A Proposal Reconsidered” which looks like a great second chance romance and I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, A Mismatch Made in London by Melanie Dickerson is great escapism reading with a lovely Pride and Prejudice inspired regency romance story with great characters and world building.

What the Trees Remember by Abigail Cutter

 Where was the setting of the last book that you read?  I am intrigued by the Appalachian mountain setting in this book.

In 1969, an old woman Dora Minor, awakens to a terrible flood.  Clinging to her dogs and riding out the storm, Dora thinks back over her life.  She was born a Quaker in that very house on a mountain in Virginia. Her grandmother, Alma, raised her after her mother’s death from childbirth and her father’s mysterious death.  What secrets will the flood waters reveal?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a beautifully written novel.  It created a visual picture in my mind to describe the mountain and its inhabitants.

·       It was a great story with well-developed interesting characters and an intriguing and unique storyline.

·       This story was set in the post-Civil War era primarily with some flash forwards to 1969.

·       This novel showed the social unrest that happened after the Civil War as people were trying to come up with the new normal.  A tragic event occurs in the novel and sadly the detailed notes at the end describe how it was based on a true story.

·       Dora’s father Tom taught a school with a formerly enslaved woman, Ginny, for black children.  There was a need for education and unfortunately the townspeople would not provide it.

·       I keep thinking about this book and the trying times after the Civil War.  It took so much work and time for formerly enslaved people to really receive the full rights of citizens. 

·       The flood in 1969 was devastating and based on a real event.

·       I had some maternal ancestors that were Quakers and lived in the Appalachian mountains so this was extra intriguing to me imagining what their lives were like.

·       I loved the friendships in the novel and how they stuck together through good and bad times.

·       Sometimes doing what is right is dangerous.  True freedom was built on the sacrifice of many.

Favorite Quote:  “She’s read what St. Thomas of Aquinas had said about sin; the greatest was turning a blind eye those who most needed help.”

Overall, What the Trees Remember by Abigail Cutter was a beautifully written southern historical fiction novel that truly captured the story of social unrest after the Civil War.  I will be thinking about this story for a long time. 

Book Source:  Thank-you to Get Red PR, Abigail Cutter, and She Writes Press for a review copy of the novel as part of the book tour.