This month you get to pick one free book. There are eight choices. Note that you can access more than one book if you use the “share” feature in the Family Library.
All of the books have a “look inside” feature, which makes choosing a suitable selection far easier. I always recommend you peek inside the book to see if the author's style is to your liking.
This month's books fall into the following categories:
- book club fiction
- suspense
- historical fiction
- psychological suspense
- science fiction
- police procedural
- literary fiction
- children's picture book
These are particularly well written:
- Light to the Hills
- The Union
- Hidden in Snow
- An Impossible Return
Let's look at each in turn.
THE VIBRANT YEARS by Sonali Dev (book club fiction) 4 stars
Established author alert! Sonali Dev is an Indian American writer (as in India Indian) who specializes in “Bollywood-style love stories” with happy endings. Her books have done well with a limited audience; her average rating is 4 stars. In this book, we follow three generations of women from an Indian family; chapters alternate in sequence between the three women. If you want a fun light read that's a bit different from your usual fare and will provide a window into another culture, this may be the book for you. It strikes me as a bit of a beach read and is not really for me.
THE WIDOW by Kaira Rouda (suspense) 4 stars
Established author alert! Kaira Rouda specializes in contemporary fiction. Her books have done well with a limited audience, although her book The Next Wife really took off. Her average rating is 4 stars. Chapters from different perspectives are interspersed with gems from such publications (presumably fictional?) as “Little Tips from New Congressional Spouses”. It's a fast easy read. It takes a bit to get going, but stick with it for a bombshell which will have you anxious to keep reading.
LIGHT TO THE HILLS by Bonnie Blaylock (historical fiction) 5 stars
This is the author's first novel. She is a veterinarian. While this book opens in 1936 Appalachia, from the opening words it reads more like literary fiction than historical fiction. Absolutely excellent.
ONE OF THOSE FACES by Elle Grawl (psychological suspense) 3 stars
This is the author's first novel. She is an attorney. Well written, but just didn't grab me.
THE UNION by Leah Vernon (science fiction) 5 stars
This is the author's third book. Her first book is unavailable, and her second book was about body positivity. Chapters alternate between Saige and Avi in a future in which a wealthy black elite rules all. This book is interesting; basically, it reverses the slavery dynamic of this country with blacks at the top, whites at the bottom, and mixed race (with the threat they pose to the top) lowest of all. Set all that 1,000 years in the future, and it makes for a very interesting read. It definitely gives off a YA vibe, though, which is just fine. I loved The Hunger Games. Some language will offend some readers.
HIDDEN IN SNOW by Viveca Sten (police procedural) 5 stars
Viveca Sten is a well-established Swedish writer who has sold millions. It's extremely well written, but there is an occasional odd turn of phrase likely due to the fact that it's a translated work. “Christian fulfills every masculine norm.” instead of “Christian checks every box.” Some language will definitely offend some readers.
AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN by Caroline Laurent (literary fiction) 5 stars
Caroline Laurent is a bestselling Franco-Mauritian author. This book was originally written in French. If you want to leave this month's First Reads experience smarter than when you started, read this book. There are a number of well-written books this month, but this one really stands out. Completely different from anything you've read before. You will learn about a part of the world you likely know nothing about and a period in recent history that is rarely covered. This is the one I chose in my account.
BRIGHT WINTER NIGHT by Allie Brydon and Ashling Lindsay (children's picture book) 4 stars
Allie Brydon has written a number of well-received children's books. Ashling Lindsay's books have also done well with reviewers. In Bright Winter Night, all the animals work together to build a sleigh to get them to the Northern Lights. It's a delightful little rhyming tale with not much to it, but the illustrations are lovely and there are multiple animals to learn about.
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![An Impossible Return: A Novel by [Caroline Laurent, Jeffrey Zuckerman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51pEezgmKHL._SY346_.jpg)
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