Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane

WHALE HARBOR by Mary Beth Keane (Ask Again, Yes) is a very well-written work of historical fiction which spans several decades and continents to tell a story based on her own family history. Keane begins in rural Ireland in the 1960s and transports readers to Montana and New York and back to Ireland as she relates the life stories of eleven brothers. Poverty, alcoholism, and family deaths each play a part as the brothers are forced to separate by tragedy. Close ties, cultural influences (“[Consider] the parable of the loaves and the fishes. What was faith but knowing things would turn out all right in the end?”), and the guilt when one brother runs away and disappears are all beautifully portrayed (“They'd never have enough time. They'd never have enough money. They'd never say the perfect thing or react the right way. None of them, not one person on Earth, has ever done this before. Whoever knew what they were doing, what was best, until after the fact?”). Keane excels at describing pivotal moments and relating the impact of others’ kindness. WHALE HARBOR received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Highly recommended. 

The Liars' Book Club by Ellery Adams

THE LIARS' BOOK CLUB by Ellery Adams is number nine in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series and one of its most charming aspects is the many references to authors and book titles. There are so many, in fact, that Adams has included a list in the Appendix and publishes them on her website. Bibliophiles will enjoy that aspect as well as the bookstore setting (back in Miracle Springs, North Carolina), and the mystery where the main suspects are members of the Blind Date Book Club. Two members were to be married but a massive hurricane strikes, resulting in property damage and displacement – plus a missing bridegroom, theft of a valuable artifact, and another dead body. Bookstore owner Nora Pennington, her partner (and local Sheriff) Grant McCabe, and loyal members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society set out to solve the mystery and help the community overcome the storm’s devastation. Booklist says, “… works well as a stand-alone. A must for cozy collections.”

Cozy Little Christmas by RaeAnne Thayne

COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by RaeAnne Thayne (Snow Kissed) is a second chances holiday romance novel. It is a sweet, cute story that felt repetitive in places, but all is resolved in a happy manner. Main characters are Hannah, who practices music therapy with children and older adults in Shelter Springs, Idaho, and Wes, her former beau who is now a cop on leave from his K9 team assignment in Portland, Oregon. They are thrown together over the holidays, especially as Hannah ends up caring for two young children of a friend who is undergoing cancer treatment. Both deny their feeling for each other, but eventually they acknowledge the attraction. That is thanks in part to a push from friends and family and to a model like Wes’ grandfather Stanley who says, “I miss your grandmother every single minute of every single day. But I have not one single regret. Do you know why? … Because I know I spent every day we had together trying to make her happy. Trying to show her how much she meant to me.” The holiday setting, sociable animals, and cozy town add appeal.  Longtime fans of Debbie Macomber, Katherine Center, and Nancy Thayer will enjoy this.

Dead Before Tea Time by M. C. Beaton and R.W. Green

DEAD BEFORE TEA TIME by M. C. Beaton and R.W. Green is an Agatha Raisin Mystery, perhaps the first I have read although they have been around for quite a while. The first of 37 in the series was titled Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death and appeared in 1992 so Beaton (who died in 2019) and/or her co-author Green have been crafting about one a year for decades. That is in addition to the many, many other titles listed on her Wikipedia page.  In this cozy whodunit, Agatha and employees of her Investigative Agency face multiple mysteries: antique art fraud, missing classic cars, and the shocking Death of Lord Ancombe. He is the titular head of Ancombe Industries, owner of the local brewery and a real estate development business with plans to shut down the local village pub and redevelop the site. Numerous people disliked Lord Ancombe and therefore had possible motivation for killing him. Agatha and team investigate family members, Ancombe employees, and local residents which leads to a somewhat confusing story, particularly when the other (somehow related in the insular Cotswolds) cases are included. Still, Agatha reaches a more satisfactory conclusion than the local police and DEAD BEFORE TEA TIME received a starred review from Booklist.

Taking over for longtime narrator Dame Penelope Keith, Fenella Woolgar narrates the audiobook. She uses some different voices and does a credible job, although, again, this was a complicated and somewhat slow-paced story.

Penelope: A Love Story by Paul Bochner

PENELOPE: A LOVE STORY by Paul Bochner is a truly unusual book which chronicles the affection and communication over several years between Bochner and a wild, injured deer he thinks of as Penelope. Bochner is an award-winning filmmaker, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in painting, and has written for The New Yorker and The Atlantic.  Honestly, at first, I questioned if (despite good intentions) he was acting for the best outcome for the young, abandoned fawn, but as his writing progresses, I was amazed to see the parallels which Bochner drew to difficulties in his own life. He truly tried to make himself open and available and to act as a nurturer and protector. Called a “moving debut,” PENELOPE: A LOVE STORY received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“Bochner’s deep empathy for Penelope will prompt readers to consider the unknown complexities of animals, and his bewitching prose … will make them hope he picks up the pen again soon. This shines.”).

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MURDER by Ally Carter is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame title for October 2026. Her publisher describes Carter as someone who “writes books about people who fall in love (while trying to stay alive).” And that perfectly underscores the blend of romance and mystery in this holiday whodunit. Twenty-something Ella Chambers is overworked and destitute, trapped in a small town controlled by descendants of the Founding Four (Montgomerys, Ridgeways, Foxes, and Sherwoods). Liam Montgomery is Ella’s age and extremely wealthy due to his grandfather’s recent death. Now, it looks like someone is trying to kill Liam and Ella is the prime suspect. Throughout the current day story, Carter intersperses police interviews and flashbacks to Ella’s and Liam’s childhood and teen interactions. There are plenty of twists, sweet romantic moments, and holiday “feels,” making for a very enjoyable, if light, read. Library Journal says that Carter “layers in snappy dialog, heightened emotional scenes, and vivid characterizations. [Continuing:] Expect high demand and display it alongside The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, the first of Carter's Christmas novels.” Fans may also want to hunt for Carter’s movie, A Castle for Christmas, on Netflix.

Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray

RADIO FREE TEXAS by award-winner Libba Bray uses iconic songs (mostly from the 1970s) to title each chapter of this coming-of-age young adult novel. Bowie Jones and Comet Jensen are high school seniors in a rural Texas town who perform community service hours at a local radio station run by a Vietnam vet named Marlon Mardell. The station is behind on taxes and Bowie recounts the story of how he and Comet recruit a group of students (“An athlete. A brain. Stoner. Rebel. Socialite. Twin troublemakers. A leader. And whatever I was.” - think Breakfast Club, only more) to help convey the station’s importance to the community. Along the way, they explore first love, what it means to be a man, and the adapting one’s dreams in difficult circumstances. RADIO FREE TEXAS received starred reviews from School Library Journal (recommended for grades 10 and up) and Kirkus (“A powerhouse coming-of-age novel poignantly depicting the thrills, hopes, and uncertainties of growing up.”). I enjoyed the flashback to the high school class of 1981 and Booklist called RADIO FREE TEXAS “a must-read for teens and nostalgic parents alike.” Have fun making a playlist to accompany your reading.