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.

Evie Walters Takes the Wheel by Kathleen Fox

EVIE WALTERS TAKES THE WHEEL by Kathleen Fox is another road trip adventure which I thoroughly enjoyed. Evelyn (Evie) Walters’ husband of almost fifty years, Royce, has died recently and her adult children (Melony, Wells, and Tessa) are pushing her to move to an assisted living facility even though she is only seventy-one. Inspired by a chance encounter with two young women (called Buns and Braids), Evie decides to buy a camper van and hit the road.  Her destination is Montana where she grew up and met her first love, Novel Daniels. He was a ranch hand who also grew orchids, and she received a rare, special one on the day of her husband’s funeral, furthering solidifying her decision to travel. Life on the road is an adventure, of course, as Evie meets new friends, including a waitress, a billionaire, fellow campers, and a rescue dog named Mrs. Brown. Filled with surprises and growth opportunities (“Do what you've always dreamt of doing because we have a lot fewer tomorrows than yesterdays”) for Evie and her family, EVIE WALTERS TAKES THE WHEEL is a fun, entertaining read. Book Club Questions are included; my favorite is “When the Birdies [her friends and golfing buddies] discuss what they might have done differently, it opens the door to forward dreaming instead of backward regret. What's a “coulda, shoulda, woulda” you still have time to do? Share a dream you haven't crossed off yet. (No limits--dream outrageously.)”

The Last Best Place on the Internet by Richard Cooke

THE LAST BEST PLACE ON THE INTERNET by Richard Cooke, an award-winning Australian journalist, describes “A Human History of Wikipedia.” And it seems particularly relevant as we transition to an age dominated by AI when even Wikipedia’s own entry page now notes that they are receiving fewer visitors. This book feels like more than the history of the past quarter century for this massive site (“the largest and most read reference work in history,” per its own Wikipedia page entry). Cooke has produced almost an elegy to Wikipedia’s human-centered, volunteer efforts, (e.g., he notes its early “radical shift” of including “Talk” and History” sub-pages for articles) and a ban on advertising. He also highlights the controversies surrounding questions about its accuracy and systemic bias (e.g., discussing the efforts to encourage more female editors) while splitting the text into different parts which address questions concerning What is Wikipedia? Where did it come from? Why does it work? What has been the Struggle? and What is the Future? Reading this rather dense and detailed work will encourage reflection on how (subconsciously for me at least) our use of Wikipedia has changed (e.g., “One figure showed that the click-through rate to Wikipedia from AI chatbots was only 0.33 percent; for search engines, it had been closer to 9 percent” and (Cooke refers here to another researcher’s observations), “what we’re witnessing is something more profound: a generational shift in how people relate to knowledge itself. Younger users don't search. They scroll. They don't read articles. They consume fragments.”). The Notes section comprises roughly fifteen percent of the text and Cooke conducted an extensive series of interviews. Library Journal gave THE LAST BEST PLACE ON THE INTERNET a starred review, saying, “Cooke leaves no stone unturned, and the result is a wide-ranging, eye-opening, and entertaining survey of the weird and wonderful world of Wikipedia.”

For a fun exercise in appreciating the numbers of people working on Wikipedia and the frequency of edits, visit Listen Wikipedia which is explained here.

The Mother-in-Law Book Club by Kate Hash

I read THE MOTHER-IN-LAW BOOK CLUB by Kate Hash in two days because I found the characters to be so positive, friendly, and welcoming to each other. The story starts out quite differently when Andi (Andrea Elizabeth Walker, consultant and a soon-to-be-divorced thirty something) can’t resist ranting at two non-stop complainers on her flight to Durham, North Carolina. One of the older women, named Marilyn, invites Andi to her weekly book group and soon Andi is sharing intergenerational relationship advice with the other members (Gale, Rose, Nancy, Tessa). Feeling like an adopted daughter, Andi joins in with the family holiday celebrations and settles into life in Durham; this life “reset” is complete with new work friendships and a new, somewhat secret romance. This is an uplifting story about fate: “It's not always easy to find the people who we are truly meant for in this life. Not just the soulmates and romantic partners, but the friends -- and the friends who become family. Sometimes the universe wants you in a place, not just physically, but emotionally, before it gives you the ultimate gift.” THE MOTHER-IN-LAW BOOK CLUB is a fun, entertaining read recommended for fans of Annabel Monaghan or Kat Mackenzie.

Live Like a Citizen by Eric Liu

LIVE LIKE A CITIZEN by Eric Liu (A Chinaman’s Chance and You’re More Powerful Than You Think) is subtitled “8 Ways to Change Your Mindset and Our Country.” Those eight ways are to see; listen; feel; join; fight; change; imagine; and commit. Liu patiently devotes a chapter to each one, providing a more detailed analysis (e.g., about the differences in listening like a citizen, like a caregiver, a documentarian, a judge, and an immigrant) and giving multiple examples, often sharing stories from his family or his teaching experience or from seminars conducted by Citizen University (where he is CEO). Liu is a former speech writer and well-respected author on civic engagement whose TedTalks on citizenship and democracy have millions of views. Particularly in these times (and as we approach a crucial election), LIVE LIKE A CITIZEN is a rich, fascinating read and one that I found deserves to be digested slowly. I intend to return to this thoughtful book and look forward to recommending it and discussing it with others. LIVE LIKE A CITIZEN received a starred review from Library Journal (“an outstanding example of the many efforts dedicated to overcoming polarization, isolation, and hostility in American society”) recommending it as an “excellent companion” to Putnam’s updated Bowling Alone.