Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch

 aired the week of January 12, 2026

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch has a dual narrative, told from the point of view of Pony and his former owner Penny.  Pony has never gotten over being left by 12-year-old Penny and he is searching for her to exact his revenge.  Penny who is now a teacher has just been arrested for a murder that happened when she was just a girl.  In fact, that was the last day she ever saw Pony.  Pony is the only one who can save Penny, because he knows what really happened that day.  Will Pony be willing or able to help her?  Recommended for fans of Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie mystery series and Rita May Brown's Mrs. Murphy mystery series.  

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

 aired the week of January 5, 2025

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is a thriller that introduces Evie Porter who has just moved in with her perfect boyfriend Ryan Sumner.  They are planning their future together but what Evie hasn't told Ryan is that she isn't really Evie.  Her past is fabricated.  Ryan is just a job and once she knows what her objective is she will complete it and disappear.  Only, she is starting to fall for Ryan and someone is trying to sabotage her operation.  Recommended for fans of Mary Kubica, Sarah Pekkanen and Frieda McFadden

Carries Top 10 Titles for 2025

aired the week of December 29, 2025

Carrie's Top 10 Titles for 2025

These are in no particular order other than the order read:

1. Foster by Claire Keegan (fiction / novella)

2. Love & Saffron by Kim Fay (fiction / novella)

3. Keeper of Stories by Sally Page (fiction)

4. Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao (historical mystery)

5. Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee & S.J. Rozan (historical mystery)

6. Breadsong by Kitty & Al Tait (non-fiction)

7. An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin (thriller)

8. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (thriller)

9. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (mystery)

10. How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley (fiction)

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

aired the week of December 22, 2025

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery is not your typical schmaltzy Christmas romance.  Julie Parker is planning on a quiet Christmas with her new boyfriend until her adult children decide they need to celebrate together to bring closure after their father's death earlier that year.  Add in Julie's younger boyfriend Heath's two young children, his ex-wife who just got dumped, Julie's new daughter-in-law, her uncle and the mother she is fighting with along with a family friend and you have one cabin full of chaos.  Throw in a couple of arguments, one meltdown, a trip to the ER and a couple of difficult personalities and you have a recipe for a family Christmas no one will ever forget!

Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer

 aired the week of December 15, 2025

Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer is set on Nantucket  Island.  Christina owns a toy shop but is afraid she won't be able to keep it open if the rent is raised.  She gets help from a young girl named Wink after she catches Wink trying to shoplift.  Maybe she can help Wink out so she can buy the item she wants.  Christina really enjoys the young girl's company but when Wink's angry mom shows up saying Wink isn't a charity case, Christina finds out that Wink is the granddaughter of her new landlord.  Will this be Christina's last Christmas running the toy shop or will she and Wink be able to save the store?

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carolson

 aired the week of December 8, 2025

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson is a Christmas novella introducing Madison McDowell who has just returned home from working in Mongolia. She returns home to help her younger sister Addie run the family's Christmas tree farm.  Addie wants to sell but Madison wants to keep the farm.  They agree to one last season to see how it does. Not only are the sisters in disagreement over the farm but then their new next door neighbor was Madison's high school flame.  Now Addie has him in her sights.  Will the sisters make it through the holiday season? 

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Sebastian Henn

  *aired the week of December 12, 2025

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Sebastian Henn. Carl Kollhoff has worked at City Gate Bookshop for decades, and despite the changes in ownership, he has a delightfully consistent routine where he delivers books to the same customers at the same time everyday. He loves the consistency, until a nine-year-old in an alarmingly bright yellow coat shows up. She calls him the Book Walker, and says she has seen him walk by every day. Despite Carl's protests, she demands to know where he walks to every day. Once he finally relents, the small change in his routine creates a snowball effect showing how books can bring people closer together, and how important the bonds we have with those in our community are. If you liked A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman or the Last Chance Library by Freyan Sampson, try this one out!

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

aired the week of November 24, 2025

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner introduces seventeen-year-old Rosie who works for the Calvert family at their California vineyard.  When Rosie turns up pregnant Mrs. Calvert has her sent to the Sonoma State Home for the Infirm because of the pregnancy and because when Rosie hears sounds she also sees colors associated with the sounds.  Set against the backdrop of World War II Rosie's story has eerie similarities to those being imprisoned because of their differences.  Will Rosie be able to get out and find her daughter who was taken from her at birth and fight for the rights of those who don't fit societal norms?  Recommended for fans of Lisa Wingate, Kristina McMorris and Diane Chamberlain.

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin

aired the week of November, 17, 2025

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin introduces average lawyer Charlie Webb who gets involved in a murder case when his court appointed burglary defendant is accused of murder. Charlie is representing an artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini and believes he is the reincarnation of a renaissance artist. When liberating his painting from a restaurant Guido steals something very valuable to powerful people and now Charlie Webb is his only line of defense.  This fast paced thriller is recommended for fans of Thomas Perry and David Rosenfelt.

Invisible Kitties: a Feline Study of Fluid Mechanics or the Spurious Incidents of the Cats in the Night-time by Yu Yoyo

 aired the week of November 10, 2025

Invisible Kitties by YuYoyo is the story of a young couple who live in a high rise apartment in a large city. They young woman wonders why they don't have a cat and then one day a mischievous ball of fluff appears in their flat.  Each chapter in this delightful book is a self-contained glimpse into the lives of kitties.  For the cat lover we also have the following titles:  Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, Cat's People by Tanya Gurerero and The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

aired the week of November 3, 2025

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is a heartwarming collection of letters between Helene Hanff and Marks and Co., a bookseller in London, England. What starts as a response to an ad becomes a friendship across the ocean, lasting through a lifetime. This is a one-sitting, delightful read about friendship, love, and what brings people together. 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

 aired the week of October 27, 2025

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving is one of the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity.  Written in 1820 the story is set in 1790 in the Dutch Settlement of Tarry Town.  Ichabod Crane is a school teacher who hopes to win the hand of the local farmer's daughter Katrina Von Tassel. When golden boy Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt tells the story of the headless horseman Ichabod believes he is being chased by the headless horseman as he leaves the community gathering.

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee & S.J. Rozan

 aired the week of October 20, 2025

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee & S.J. Rozan is the first in a series that is a Chinese version of Sherlock Holmes.  Set in London in 1924 academic Lao She teams up with Judge De Ren Jie to track down the killer who is systematically killing men who served in the Great War with Judge Dee.  This twisty mystery with likeable characters and a well drawn historical setting is recommended for fans of Nilima Rao's Disappearance in Fiji, the Bangalore Detective Club series, the Perveen Mistry series and the Jane Wunderly series.

1. The Murder of Mr. Ma (2024)

2. The Railway Conspiracy (2025) 

Breadsong by Kitty & Al Tait

aired the week of October 13, 2025

Breadsong by Kitty & Al Tait is more than a cookbook for bread, it is the story of how Kitty Tait got her life back after a long fight with debilitating depression.  Kitty and her dad Al share how learning to bake bread and share it with friends in their small English village of Watlington was the start of a whole new life for fourteen-year-old Kitty and her entire family.  This is a story of overcoming and how a community rallied together to help their friend and neighbor.  Pair this with other food stories like Ruth Reichl's My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life and Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World by William Alexander.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

 aired the week of October 6, 2025

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig is a thrilling gothic fantasy which follows Elspeth Spindle. When she was nine, Elspeth caught the infection that gives people magic that will eventually kill them. However, no magic showed up for her until she touched an exceedingly rare magic card called the Nightmare Card. Now, the monster from the card is in her mind and refuses to be ignored. When Elspeth draws the attention of the King's family, she wind up in the middle of a dire plot of treason, magic, and secrecy. As much as she wants to ignore the Nightmare in her mind, she may not be able to any longer. This is the first book in the Shepherd King duology and is perfect for anyone who wants a spooky book for Halloween that isn't too scary.

All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley

 aired the week of September 29, 2025

All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley is a beautifully written autobiography about Bringley's time working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  After Brignley's brother dies from cancer Bringley quits his job at the New Yorker Magazine and seeks solace and meaning in the most beautiful place he can imagine.  He answers an ad and becomes a guard at the Met.  Join Bringley for a behind the scenes tour of one of the most iconic art museums in the world.  Recommended for those who enjoyed Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air, Randy Pauch's Last Lecture, and Margaret Renkl's The Comfort of Crows.

Novel Threat by Traci Hunter Abramson

 aired the week of September 22, 2025

Novel Threat by Traci Hunter Abramson introduces CIA financial analyst Kimber Seidel.  Kimber has been writing novels but too shy to submit her manuscript to a publisher.  Now one of her coworkers has submitted her book and the CIA is using it as cover to infiltrate a publisher who might be funding a terrorist organization.  Kimber is no field agent and she is afraid she will blow the cover of the agent already in the organization.  Imagine her surprise when she finds out Brandon whom she met on a flight is the other agent.  Recommended for fans of Lynette Eason and Karen Cleveland.

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman

 aired the week of September 15, 2025

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman tells the story of Christine Boltz a young German woman in love with a Jewish neighbor.  The Nazi party is rising to power and it has become illegal to have anything to do with Jews so Christine and Isaac must sneak around.  This powerful story told from Christine's point of view brings home what it was like to be a German citizen during World War II.  Recommended for readers of Pam Jenoff and Ronald Balson.

A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao

 aired the week of September 8, 2025

A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao is the first in a historical mystery series featuring Police Sergeant Akal Singh who is of Indian descent but stationed on the island of Fiji.  Akal seems to always be on the bad side of the Inspector-General so is surprised when he is given a new case.  A coolie has disappeared from one of the plantations and a local priest has talked to the newspaper claiming she was kidnapped.  It is Akal's job to get to the bottom of things and make this problem go away.

1. A Disappearance in Fiji

2. A Shipwreck in Fiji 

A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne

 *aired the week of September 1

A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne is a charming book full of humor, adventure, and love. Reyna and Kianthe are tracking dragon eggs, but along the way they get roped into dealing with a pirate problem. It become quickly apparent that the pirate and the constable chasing her know each other, and Reyna and Kianthe jump at the chance to live their pirate fantasies and play matchmaker. This is the second book in the Tomes & Tea series, but the story is independent enough that it could be read on its own. If you want puns, comfort, and just a touch of magic, this is the perfect book for you.