Author: The Bookish Librarian

Adult Fiction

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Greta James is a famous indie guitarist promoting her sophomore album when she recently and unexpectedly loses her mother. Due to this, Greta has a public meltdown on stage, and it goes viral. Needing a restart and craving time away from her career, she decides to accompany her estranged father on a week-long Alaskan cruise that he was meant to take with his wife for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Will the two heal old wounds or will the trip of a lifetime prove disastrous for them both?  

Adult Fiction, Latinx

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

It’s 2017, and Puerto Rico has just been hit with the most devastating hurricane in its history.  Olga and her brother Pedro live their lives in New York City in the public eye and everything seems to the rest of the world that it’s all sunshine and roses, but upon closer inspection, that’s not the case. Their mother Blanca abandoned her children when they were young, and they were raised by their grandmother. Twenty-seven years later, she is back in their lives. Olga Dies Dreaming examines political corruption, family life and the American dream. 

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

The first in the London Calling series, Boyfriend Material follows Luc O’Donnell, who is the child of rock stars who have recently made a comeback, leaving Luc in the public eye. To clean up his image, he must present as being in a normal relationship. Soon he finds himself in a fake dating situation with Oliver Blackwood, who is as normal as they come. However, the two have nothing in common. As the two work on their fake relationship, they find themselves having a lot of real dating scenarios. Fun and romantic, Boyfriend Material is sure to put a smile on your face!  

Adult Fiction

Fake by Erica Katz

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Katz’s sophomore novel follows Emma Caan, an art forger who specializes in nineteenth century paintings. However, she’s not a criminal, but instead someone who is commissioned by museums and uber-wealthy collectors who want to protect their investments. Then she meets Leonard Sobetzky, an art collector who offers her a new, better paying job, which would greatly help support her recently-widowed mother. Of course, everything comes with a price, but is Emma willing to pay?   

Adult Fiction, Romance

Mika In Real Life by Emiko Jean

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Thirty-five-year-old Mika’s life is in shambles after her recent breakup, she just got fired, and on top of that, her roommate might be a hoarder. Not only is she disappointed in herself, but so is her traditional Japanese mother. Then everything changes when she receives a phone call from Penny, the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. Penny is determined to create a relationship with her mother, and by the same token, Mika wants to be someone Penny is proud of. What starts out as a little lie becomes so much of a fabrication that Mika struggles to keep her story straight as time goes on. Can she continue the stories and keep Penny in her life or will she lose the one thing that matters most to her? 

Memoirs, Nonfiction

Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

This book is part memoir and part true crime, and hooked me right from the beginning. Krouse has one of those faces; the kind of face that makes people – complete strangers – come right out and tell her their darkest secrets. She has no idea why, and doesn’t know what to do about it, until the day she meets Grayson, a lawyer who also tells her a secret…and then asks her to work for him as a private investigator. Her first case is a big one, and she’s determined to crack it wide open.    

Memoirs, Nonfiction

Corrections In Ink by Keri Blakinger

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Perfect for fans of Orange Is the New Black (the book or the show), Corrections In Ink is Blakinger’s memoir about her experience as a competitive figure skater and her time in prison. Once she stopped skating, she got into all kinds of trouble, and finally got arrested by the cops for it, ultimately spending time behind bars for two years. Upon her release, Blakinger became a reporter and dedicated her career to exposing the flaws in our prison system. 

Adult Fiction

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Yinka is still single in her thirties, and her Nigerian aunties are dying to find her a husband. Some of her friends think she’s too traditional in that she’s saving herself for marriage, and others tell her she *needs* to get over her ex, stat! Yinka believes she will find her love when the time is right, and she takes comfort in that. However, when her cousin Rachel announces her engagement, Yinka becomes frazzled and focuses on finding a date for the wedding. Will she find someone in time? 

Adult Fiction, Humor

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Jen Dixon has two college-aged daughters by two different fathers, and a son, Max, in kindergarten. She is his class mom, and she is all set to kick butt at it. Her snarky emails and wise-crack comebacks don’t make her popular with the other moms, but makes for a relatable mom and a character in general.  Class Mom is the first in this series about Jen and the gang, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny!  

Adult Fiction, Mystery

The Forgotten Girl by Daco S. Auffenorde

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+

Blue Bishop wakes up in a hospital bed after being in a coma and knows nothing about herself but her first name. Eventually she learns that she fell from a fourth floor hotel window. But did she really fall or was she pushed? She is determined to find this and lots more answers in the following days and beyond. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Blue didn’t gain her memory back for most of the book which is usually not the case for these types of books, at least in my experience. I was kept guessing until the end. The book was fast-paced and intriguing! I look forward to reading more from Ms. Auffenorde in the future. 

Thanks to the author for a review copy of this book.