November 2022 Novel Ideas: 23 Quick Lit Reviews

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

This might just be the best thriller of 2022. I was on the edge of my seat as Steadman expertly guided me through the twisted games of the Holbeck family. This NYC society clan may seem like an untouchable, elite group with everything, but inside their homes, dark and dangerous things are at play.

I loved watching Harry interact with her fiancé, Edward’s family for the first time. Seeing the Holbecks through her eyes was the perfect way to approach the story.

I couldn’t listen to this domestic thriller fast enough as each game unfolded, ending on a bloody Christmas Eve. If you read only one thriller book this year, let this be it! We cannot recommend this pick from ultimate beach reads 2023 more!

The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones

I read the 1619 project during the banned book month of our 2022 reading challenge. Created at first for The New York Times Magazine, this collection of essays was expanded upon for the book.

I enjoyed listing to this full-cast audiobook featuring many of the writers themselves doing the reading! With essays on sugar, capitalism, music, healthcare, and even traffic, I learned so much about how much of American society is built around racist ideals.

Someday, Maybe by Onki Nwabineli

November 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Wow. This was a searing and emotional look at the grief surrounding the loss of a spouse. Eve opens the book by explaining that her husband, Quentin, has committed suicide and she is picking up the pieces of her own life.

We are taken through the days and months immediately following his death as Eve navigates a mother-in-law from hell, reentering society, and a surprise left behind by Quentin.

Her feelings were all over the map and felt so deeply true to the grief process. I loved Eve’s Nigeran family and how they came together to try to put her back together. This is one book about grief I will recommend over and over again.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

I was expecting a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone’s love story from the description – I was not expecting a book like Fifty Shades of Grey!

WHEW… this was one STEAMY story! I wasn’t quite prepared for how devious Hades was in this version. I did love seeing Olympus in a modern setting and I really enjoyed how Hades and Persephone outwitted the rest of the 13.

While I liked the story a great deal, if you aren’t into erotica, you won’t want to pick this one up. This is the first in a series of greek mythology retellings and is a great urban fantasy romance book.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapalke-Dale

Rachel Kapelke Dale does it again with her newest novel, The Ingenue, featuring a musical prodigy who has fallen from grace.

Back home to deal with the recent death of her mother, Saskia is expecting to inherit the famed Elf House that she grew up in. But when her mother’s will stipulates Saskia’s former lover is the recipient, Saskia goes in search of answers – unlocking the trauma of her past in the process.

Sprinkled throughout with vignettes of feminist retellings of fairytales, this searing story explores the mother-daughter relationship and examines the dark truth behind sexual predators. I was transfixed by her writing and rooting for Saskia to slay her demons like a true fairytale heroine. This heart-thumping novel about music was a best book of 2022 pick for me.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

October 2022 Read with Jenna Book List Pick

This family saga tells the story of Christobel and her siblings as they grow up from children playing at the Whalebone Theatre to young adults navigating WWII.

I found Christobel to be an enchanting protagonist as I watched her develop into a strong woman. From theatre director to a spy on the front lines of war, her journey was one that I eagerly devoured.

Whiteout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany B. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

You know a book is going to be fire when this many heavy-hitting authors are involved.

This story, written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, is the perfect ya romance to read on a snowy winter day.

It’s set in Atlanta during a rare snowstorm and features multiple love stories set on the same night and interconnected when a group of friends is trying to help their besties get back together.

I was swept by each of the love stories and I loved the warm and fuzzy feelings this book gave me. Save this to read in front of the fire when it snows and you won’t regret it!

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

I read this one just after Halloween and I rather wish I had started it a few days before the holiday. It’s truly a perfect Halloween book!

It’s also a classic retelling as we get to see the story of Dr. Frankenstein with a twist. This story has his younger sister, Angelika, at the heart of the story as she improves upon his creature with an invention of her own.

The problem is that she has fallen for her monster! Will their love be able to survive?

The Women of Rothschild by Natalie Livingstone

Natalie Livingstone laid out the rise of the Rothschild family through the lens of the women in the family. Each of the women profiled left an indelible mark on their legacy and success.

Meticulously researched, and spanning two centuries, this non-fiction book had me yearning to watch Downton Abbey or another period drama to immerse myself in the various eras.

The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy

Everyone told me to go into this story blind and I’m so very glad I did. The story was completely unique and because I didn’t know much, I was shocked at the various twists and turns.

Adam Hamdy is truly a gifted storyteller. I was swept away by David’s telling of why he was separated from his son, Elliot. The mystery unfolded in a way that had me utterly captivated. We do not want to ruin any part of this pick from summer reads 2023 by telling you too much.

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Various Authors

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series was my first introduction to mysteries. I was thrilled to see some of my current favorite mystery writers take a stab at all-new Miss Marple stories.

Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Leigh Bardugo are just a few of the dozen writers who wrote a short story for this compilation. I thought it was very well done and as full-cast audiobooks go, it was wonderful too. Dame Agatha would be proud of this classic retelling!

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

I always love a great gothic suspense novel and what could be better than one set in an Italian villa?

Emily’s husband filed for divorce and she cannot seem to get her life and career back on track so when her childhood best friend and hugely successful writer, Chess. suggests they spend a summer together in an Italian villa where they can write and reconnect what could go wrong?

Oh, did I mention the mansion has a history that includes murder? This pick is one of the best books for summer 2023, no contest!

Well Traveled by Jen Deluca

Lulu is a total workaholic who has had enough. When she throws her phone into a tub of water and quits her job on a whim, she has to figure out what she is going to do with herself. Luckily for her, she is at a renaissance fair where they are more than happy to have her tour with the Dueling Kilts and their very handsome group member named Dex.

Sparks fly but when the summer is over, will Lulu go with her heart or head back to the corporate world?

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

November 2022 Read With Jenna Book Club Pick

Ann Stilwell is desperate to escape her small town and her painful past. She arrives in New York City where she is supposed to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Met. When she arrives, she is informed her supervisor is gone for the summer and she does not have a job. Luckily, she is able to get an assignment with The Cloisters, a gothic museum, that is known for its medieval art collection.

Ann suddenly finds herself entwined with a small group of students with secrets of their won. When she finds a 15th-century deck of tarot cards, she is reluctant to share her findings and this starts a dangerous game that Ann is not prepared for. This is one of the dark academia books you will not want to miss and is an alluring pick from our books about secret societies.

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

This is the much-anticipated follow-up of the amazing Atlas Six, a dark academia must-read. Six magicians with amazing and unique gifts were given a chance to become members of an elite society. Only 5 would make it. Now, the five remaining magicians must pick a side. The secret society is not what they were let to believe.

The book starts out slowly as each character has to figure out their path. While much of the action happens at the end of the book, I found it hard to read through so much of the book to get there. I am still undecided about whether I will read the third book but, as is so often the case, I am invested in the characters and want to see how the story ends.

Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey

Sandy Macintosh thought that she would be with her high school sweetheart, Hank Tillman, forever. But, Hank was always meant for great things, and Sandy stayed in her small hometown. Sandy was heartbroken went Hank left.

Now, 15 years later, Hank is a very successful musician and he has come home. His presence is disrupting Sandy’s stable, existence as a store owner and she begins to question if she is actually as happy as she has been pretending to be.

This one is on our list of novels about music and I could not put it down.

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis

Natalie Fincher was living a life she loved until her new husband died in an accident leaving her with a fixer-upper of his dreams. Two and a half years later, Natalie is still feeling lost and depressed. She spends her free time playing piano in the tube.

When she finds music in the piano bench meant for her, Natalie starts to feel a spark. Her inner musician comes aloe for the first time since her husband’s death. Who is leaving her husband’s favorite music?

Of all the novels about music, the main character in this one had the most emotional journey.

The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch

Frankie and Ezra were inseparable during college and it all ended in an epic breakup a decade ago. Now, they are seeing each other for the first time since at their friends’ New Year’s Eve of Y2K wedding.

When they wake up in bed together with wedding rings on their fingers and NO memory of what happened, they find themselves in search of answers. And all this has to happen before Ezra’s girlfriend shows up at the wedding because Ezra is planning on proposing.

This romance is a hilarious glimpse into the past and an adorable romance on this list of New Year’s Eve books as well.

The Body Guard by Catherine Center

Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (a bodyguard) who looks more like a Kindergarten teacher. When is given her next assignment to protect Jack Stapleton, a movie star with a stalker, she is less than pleased. After all, this is not how to best use her talents.

When Jack’s mom gets sick, he needs to go home to visit but, he cannot worry and he must bring Hannah with him. The solution? Hannah has to pretend to be his girlfriend for the duration of the visit.

Katherine Center never fails to deliver a great book. This adorable romance put a smile on my face and is a great pick from our list of ultimate beach reads 2023.

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

Frankie is a 16-year-old aspiring writer and loner whose life changes forever when she meets Zeke. He is an artist who has moved into his grandmother’s house while his parents sort out their marital difficulties. When they decide to make a poster and hang it everywhere in town, they can not anticipate the craziness that will follow. “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us”.

Frankie and Zeke never tell anyone that they are the ones responsible for the posters. Now, twenty years later, a reporter calls Frankie and somehow knows about the posters. This is a unique book that could only be written by Kevin Wilson