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A Lit Life

Books Full of Intrigue

I embrace mood reading. And when it’s colder, it’s rainier, the leaves are turning beautiful colors and the need for some intrigue and mystery is kicking in, I head to the books. Here’s a list of book full of intrigue to help you do the same.

You’ll find links to my Amazon and Bookshop affiliate stores below. Thanks for your bookish support!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime. But fate has other plans.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is killing it…except, she’s really not. A stressed-out single mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written; her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her; and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet. She soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

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Stephanie

A book-loving, notebook-hoarding bookologist on a mission to change lives one book and one notebook at a time.

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Stephanie's books

Paperweight
Paperweight
by Meg Haston
I read this hauntingly beautiful book on the recommendation of my teenage daughter. She told me it was powerful, told me I wouldn't want to stop reading it...and she was right. Meg Haston invites readers into the mind of Stevie, causing ...
The Gifts of Imperfection
it was amazing
The Gifts of Imperfection
by Brené Brown
I haven't stumbled across anything written by Brene Brown that I did not love and this book is no exception. Written so conversationally as if Brene was literally speaking directly, and only, to me, I could'n help bu be personally moved ...
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
it was amazing
I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
by Anne Bogel
True to its title, this book was simply delightful. I felt like I was talking with a long-lost friend, a fellow book-lover whose life was just as entangled with the plots, settings and characters of fictional books as they were those in ...
Some Places More Than Others
it was amazing
Some Places More Than Others
by Renée Watson
It was almost like I was reading a book that was written just for me, even though the daily lives and locations of the characters were vastly different. The theme of love, self-worth and family connection was prevalent on each and every ...
Touching Spirit Bear
it was amazing
Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen
This book shook me to my motherly core. I read this with my 13-year old twins as part of a school assignment and was swept into Cole's story of literally fighting for survival and for love. My children were drawn to Cole's story of survi...

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I believe books are medicine and I've teamed up wi I believe books are medicine and I've teamed up with @Holstee to explore how reading can make us feel better and make life better throughout each season of life.

Join us on September 15 at 2pm EST on Zoom to learn more!

Together we'll explore what happens to our bodies and minds when we read, how to find the right book in a hard season, and how to build your own book apothecary, a small collection you can reach for when you need it.

Whether you're a lifelong reader or someone whose reading life has gone quiet, you'll leave with a practice you can start the same night.

This special event is free and open to all.

Plus, there's a giveaway! RSVP and join us live for a chance to win a Holstee journal, winner's choice of The Daily Flourish or Reflect & Reset. You must be on the live call to win.

Message me for the link or copy or paste it from the comment below!
On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m ta On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m talking with Greg Howard about his newest book: THE TRAVELERS.

This middle grade novel blends mystery and a touch of time travel into a story about grief, friendship and the enduring bonds between generations. I hugged it when I was done reading it and the messages will stay with me for a long time.

Come listen as we talk about the personal connections Greg has to the story, the importance of writing real books with real issues for children, the important role the library plays in the book and why ALL readers need this book, even adult readers reading to their inner child. It’s that special.

https://kidlitlove.substack.com/p/e244-mystery-and-time-travel-the?r=azy11&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Books make Mondays better! This week, I'm reading Books make Mondays better!

This week, I'm reading THE MEMORY LIBRARY by Kate Storey.

The book stole my heart in the opening pages where readers experience the connection between mother and daughter as they explore the world of books together. 

Here's the publisher's summary:

For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library. Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.

Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew. She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow. All you have to do is turn the page…

Incredible, right?!

What books are making your Monday better?

#BooksMakeMondaysBetter
#ALitLife
#IMWAYR
On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m ta On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m talking with Cheryl Lawton Malone about her newest picture book: LITTLE KIT’S WISH.

This beautiful picture book is about Little Kit’s first blue moon and the first wish that comes along with it. Beyond that, it’s a story about going still to find your heart’s desire from within, making it perfect for readers of all ages.

Come listen as we talk about the inspiration behind the book from almost 16 years ago, the nature-inspired themes found throughout the pages and the conversations Cheryl hopes caregivers and readers have about their own hopes, dreams and wishes.

https://kidlitlove.substack.com/p/e243-finding-your-hearts-desire-little?r=azy11&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m ta On this episode of the KidLit Love podcast, I’m talking with Keith Negley about his newest picture book: THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEING A WIZARD.

This delightful picture book is the first in a new series focused on silly how-to themes. It enchants readers with a step-by-step guide to being a wizard and teaches readers about perseverance, too. Just wait until you get lost in these illustrations!

Come listen as we talk about the parenting spark that launched Keith into the world of picture books, the humor found on the pages that will not only appeal to young readers, but their caregivers too, and his hopes for inviting readers into a shared reading experience that will be remembered and enjoyed.

@keith_negley
#KidLitLove PODCAST LINK IN BIO
#PictureBooks
@
Books make Mondays better! This week, I'm reading Books make Mondays better!

This week, I'm reading THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali.

Here's the opening summary from the publisher:

Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living amid the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood stationery shop, stocked with books and pens and bottles of jewel-colored ink.

Can you see why I chose it?! I'm about halfway in and while at first, I was taken with the idea of a book connected to a stationery shop, I'm completely connected to the compelling storyline that I've found myself living in. 

So far, it's a story of love and loss, of family and found family, of new starts and learning. I know there's more to come, too. 

What books are making your Monday better?

@marjankamali7
#BooksMakeMondaysBetter
#IMWAYR
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