The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne

 aired the week of May 13, 2024

The Wicked Sister by Karen Dionne is a thriller set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  Rachel has spent the past 15 years in a psychiatric hospital after the murder-suicide of her parents.  She knows she is responsible because of her vivid dreams.  But, when she finds proof that she was not the person that pulled the trigger she wonders why her family let her stay locked away for so long.  Who is the person responsible for their deaths and why have they never been brought to justice?  For fans of Megan Miranda, Mary Kubica and Paula Hawkins.

A Collection of Poems by Alfred Tennyson

 aired the week of May 6, 2024

A Collection of Poems by Alfred Tennyson is a large collection of poems by England's Poet Laureate during the reign of Queen Victoria.  Tennyson has several easily recognizable poems including The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Lady of Shalott, and Crossing the Bar.  Tennyson's poem In Memoriam A.H.H. is mentioned several times in Alex Michaelides thriller The Maidens, which makes for a fun mini literature study.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

 aired the week of April 29th, 2024

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is a gripping investigation of the Reign of Terror against the members of the Osage Nation.  Grann examines a string of murders that took place against Osage people who had gained wealth due to oil in their land, and the subsequent FBI investigation.  Fascinating and sobering, this is a must read for true crime or history buffs. 

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

 aired the week of April 22, 2024

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel is a work of narrative non-fiction.  Over a 10 year period Stephane Breitwieser a young Frenchman carries out over 200 heists taking more than 300 works of art worth an estimated $2 Billion from museums and churches all over Europe.  Michael Finkel has recreated the timeline from interviews with Breitwieser, the police and friends to piece together this fascinating story of an art thief.  For those who enjoy books by Sebastian Junger and Jon Krakauer  or The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

aired the week of April 15, 2024

The Maidens by Alex Michalides introduces group therapist Mariana Andros who is struggling to come to terms with her husband's death.  Her niece Zoe is in college at Cambridge when Zoe's best friend is found dead in a field near the college.  Zoe is convinced the killer is a professor that was having an illicit relationship with her friend and Zoe asks Mariana to come help investigate.  The more Mariana looks the less things are what they seem.  For fans of A.J. Finn, Gillian Flynn and Wendy Walker.

How to Keep House While Drowining by KC Davis

 aired the week of April 8, 2024

How to Keep House While Drowning is by KC Davis a licensed professional counselor and creator of the mental health platform Struggle Care. Her videos are very popular on TikTok and this book came out of that series.  She gives non-judgmental tips on housekeeping and self care.  Even if you don't struggle with keeping house this is just a good read.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

 

 aired the week of April 4, 2024

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is the story of a dog, a man, and life.  Enzo is a dog who is learning how to be human so he can come back in his next life as a man.  He is studying what it means to be human by watching his owner, a race car driver named Denny, move through the ups and downs of life.  Garth Stein was a former race car driver who uses his knowledge of driving to create a beautiful analogies for life, humanity, and adaptability.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

 aired the week of March 25, 2024

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is the last major work of fiction to be published during Hemingway's lifetime.  This 1952 novella follows an elderly fisherman named Santiago who has not caught a fish for 84 days.  On day 85 he encounters a huge blue marlin and an epic battle ensues.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

 aired the week of March 18, 2024

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen is the first title in a projected new series.  Maggie Bird is a retired spy who has moved to the small town of Purity, Maine.  She is happy to leave that life behind.  Now there is a dead body in her driveway and it looks like the world of espionage isn't done with Maggie yet.  For fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series or Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age. 

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

 aired the week of March 11, 2024

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a laugh out loud funny sports romance.  Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in Chicago except his star player Clint Garrett wants to fire him for interfering in his love life.  When Brett runs into Clint's sister Rory the two team up to locate Clint after they find Clint's girlfriend Ashley dead in front of his house.  They both know Clint didn't do it, but where is he and who could have killed Ashley?  For fans of Jane Anne Krentz, Susan Mallery, Julie James and Jennifer Crusie.

Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn

  aired the week of March 4, 2024

 Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn

Tilda Sherwood is part of the most magical family in the world, but was born magic-less.  Gil is undercover, observing her for a secret government agency.  Despite the fact that they hate one another, they keep getting set up on blind dates with each other.  When Tilda glitches her sister's spell and freezes her family, they are forced to work together.  Tilda begrudgingly starts to fall for Gil, and Gil realizes that Tilda is much more powerful than anyone realized. 

Falling by T.J. Newman

 aired the week of February 26, 2024

Falling by T.J. Newman is a debut thriller by former flight attendant Newman. Pilot Bill Newman has picked up a routine Saturday flight from LAX to New York City only it is anything but that when he receives an email with a picture of his family being held hostage.  The terrorist calmly tells Bill that if Bill tells anyone or sends anyone to his home his family will die.  Bill must crash the plane or his family will die, the choice is his.  For fans of John Nance, Harlan Coben or Brad Parks.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

aired the week of February 19, 2024

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni is a stand alone novel by mystery author Dugoni.  Sam Hill is born with ocular albinism which makes his eyes appear red.  He is bullied and shunned for his looks but his mother has always told him he is extraordinary.  As an adult Sam becomes an optometrist.  In his practice he meets a young girl who is going blind.  Her circumstances mirror events from his own childhood and maybe he will be able to help young Daniela.  For fans of The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout or Fannie Flagg's The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

 aired the week of February 12, 2024

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is a twisty story with in a story mystery.  Freddie Kincaid is trying to work on writing her novel at the Boston Public Library when everyone hears a scream.  A woman has been murdered in the library.  This event brings together Freddie and the three other twenty-somethings sitting at her table as they try to solve the murder themselves.  For fans of Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 aired the week of February 5, 2024

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Nora is unsatisfied with her life, filled with regrets from the choices she's made.  She finds herself in a place called the Midnight Library where she has an opportunity to undo any choice she made and see how her life would have changed with different decisions.  As she explores new lives, she is faced with the question: what makes a happy life? If you are participating in the Great Reading Challenge, this book would meet February's challenge of reading a book with "library" or "librarian" in the title.

aired the week of January 29, 2024

Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff follows 10-year-old Fish and his best friend Bread.  The boys decide to disappear into the woods of northern Wisconsin after shooting Bread's abusive father.  Fish's grandpa and the local sheriff take out tracking the boys into the woods hoping to find them and bring them back before something awful happens to them.  A coming of age story for those who enjoyed Ivan Doig's Last Bus to Wisdom, William Kent Krueger's This Tender Land or Amor Towles' Lincoln Highway.

 aired the week of January 22, 2024

Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker is a thriller that will appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn, B.A. Paris and Mary Kubica.  Molly Clarke sometimes wonders if her family would be better off without her.  6 years ago she was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of her 9 year old daughter Annie.  When a hurricane hits and Molly runs out of gas her car has found abandoned.  Did she make good on disappearing or has something more sinister happened to her?

 aired the week of January 15, 2024

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett introduces Lara Nelson who is riding out the pandemic on her family's cherry orchard in northern Michigan.  As Lara and her adult daughters pick cherries she tells them about the summer she spent at Tom Lake portraying Emily in a theater production of Our Town with famous actor Peter Duke.  A family story for fans of Anne Tyler, Sara Gruen and Celeste Ng.

 aired the week of January 8, 2024

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty is a middle grade novel introducing Lucy Callahan who after being hit by lightning has genius level math skills.  Even though she has completed high school through homeschooling her Nana wants her to go back to public school.  So Lucy finds herself enrolled in 7th grade.  Now she has to get through a school year, make one friend, and participate in one activity if she wants to go to college early.

 aired the week of January 1, 2024

Carrie's Top 10 Books for 2023

1.  Vanishing in the Haight by Max Tomlinson

2.  Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man by Emily J. Edwards

3.  The Bangalore Detective's club by Harini Nagendra

4.  Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

5.  Burying the Lede by Joseph LeValley

6.  Lexington by Kim Wickens

7.  The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

8. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Mu8rders by Jesse Q. Sutanto

9.  The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland

10. The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons

 aired the week of December 25, 2023

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons introduces Gertie Bingham and her bookstore. Gertie and her staff are working hard to help their community keep their chins up during the bombing of London and all the danger during World War II.  For fans of Jennifer Ryan and A.J. Pearce.