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The first female Faroese writer to publish in English has written truth about women caretakers the world over. The main character is a woman in her 60’s who is caring for her grandchildren and mothering her own aging mother. She is waiting for a nursing home for her mother, but her name doesn’t come up. As she is caring for others, she remembers scenes of her youth and caring for her own children when they were small. Even though this story is told from the Faroe Islands, it is the same story played over and over. She honestly even thinks of feeling angry at her ancient mother for growing old and feeble. Love and caring are displayed with the work and worry of caretaking.

On the Other Side Is March by Sólrún Michelsen, (List Price: $18.95, Transit Books, 9798893380491, June 2026)

Reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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Take a deep, slow breath and prepare for Rowley’s unique combination of tenderness, longing, sorrow, and humor. The biggest mystery isn’t how a man disappears into a beam of light; it’s the human vulnerability of moving on, facing mistakes, and naming losses. Every character has hidden stories. Getting a ringside seat to their journeys is the best gift any reader could want.

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley, (List Price: $30, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593851494, May 2026)

Reviewed by Jan, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

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Barbara Kingsolver has once again claimed the status of THE VERY BEST in my reading world with this beautiful novel. She deftly writes about class, isolation and abandonment, music, and so much more. Can we overcome the traumas we experience as children? Do we forget the first love? Is obsession really love? Do we outgrow our hometowns or does time and wisdom show us the very best of our places that root us to who we are? The writing is gorgeous. The musical connections are beautiful (even though many of the references were over my head). The characters are flawed and fascinating. I’m still wrestling a bit with the ending and how it all fell into place. But I will always read a Kingsolver work and praise it.

Partita by Barbara Kingsolver, (List Price: $32, Harper, 9780063577541, October 2026)

Reviewed by Christina, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, AL

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“What was your childhood like? You never talk about it.” Brad asked his grandmother to tell him about her life….how many of us wish we had someone to listen to us or that we had asked questions before loved ones died? With the astonishing beauty of the sixty-three national parks containing all the flowers and plants and wild creatures, readers will sit in the back seat and hear all the joys and tumult of this family’s life. The author and grandson Brad Ryan is a veterinarian who lives with the agony of his solitary life and the pain he carries from his childhood. Grandma Joy is not a woman who shares feelings and loves, but in her 90 years has experienced many of life’s tragedies. Reading this book forces readers to see all the resplendence and majesty of the parks while trodding up countless steps for viewing and sleeping and snoring on an air mattress in a tent. All will long remember the journeys of Brad and Grandma Joy and think about completing them with a 90-year-old relative. It is quite the adventure.

Grandma Joy and Me by Brad Ryan, (List Price: $29, Simon & Schuster, 9781668099261, June 2026)

Reviewed by Nancy, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA

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“From the live-fire kitchen of Ci Siamo comes Ammazza!, the definitive guide to the soulful, high-impact cooking that made Chef Hillary Sterling a New York icon. Blending her Brooklyn Jewish roots with elite Italian technique, Sterling delivers a masterclass in seasonal flavor. With over 100 recipes—from rustic pastas to surprising global feasts—this is more than a cookbook; it’s an invitation to cook with confidence, curiosity, and a healthy dose of smoke. In Rome, Ammazza! means ‘Wow.’ In your kitchen, it means ‘I’m definitely having a third bowl of pasta, and no, I don’t want to hear about your keto diet.'”

AMMAZZA! by Hillary Sterling, (List Price: $40, Scribner, 9781668068717, May 2026)

Reviewed by Mevelyn, Square Books in Oxford, MS

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I don’t know anything really about surfing, but I super loved this memoir by former Obama speechwriter David Litt. In the throes of pandemic-lockdown-induced doomscrolling, Litt found himself desperately in need of something to pull him out of his slump, and that something was surfing. Join him on his journey from foamy-riding newbie to surviving Hawaii’s infamous North Shore. Along for the ride – perhaps begrudgingly at first – is his brother-in-law, with whom Litt has next to nothing in common, except the hunt for the perfect break. The joy and mental growth that comes from learning a hard new thing – and finding common ground with someone at polar opposites – is inspiring and so very funny.

It’s Only Drowning by David Litt, (List Price: $19, Gallery Books, 9781668035368, June 2026)

Reviewed by Amanda, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, FL

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Today We’ll Be Eaten is NOT as scary as it sounds! Two best friends, Ladybug and Dragonfly, get into an unfortunate accident and decide this is the end of the road. However, they end up making unlikely friends and learn that the journey is wayyyy more important than the designation!!

Today We’ll Be Eaten by Alan Barillaro, (List Price: $19.99, Rocky Pond Books, 9798217004362, June 2026)

Reviewed by Jennifer, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, NC

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This is an incredible “whodunit” murder mystery packed full of family drama. When a billionaire is found dead at the lavish ball he was hosting, all suspects are locked in the mansion as they are slowly worked out of the equation. Everyone who was at the ball is hiding something, and the web of lies is complex. I could not put this book down!

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, (List Price: $20.99, Feiwel & Friends, 9781250326997, June 2026)

Reviewed by Jordan, A Novel Romance LLC in Louisville, Kentucky

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Darcy tries to keep her head down and stay under the radar in her high school. No one can ever know that she’s the person behind Locker 89, the place her schoolmates write for anonymous relationship advice. Handsome and popular Alexander Brougham catches her collecting letters one afternoon and turns to blackmail – he will keep her secret if she helps him win back the girl that broke his heart. Desperate to keep her past less-than-great advice to her BFF (with whom she’s secretly in love) under wraps, she goes along with the scheme – with surprising results. This is a sweet, funny book about queer love and facing up to mistakes to try and be a better person. It’s the perfect snuggly read for cold winter months when you’re too stressed to read anything too heavy.

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales, (List Price: $13, Wednesday Books, 9781250830081, December 2022)

Reviewed by Andrea, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA