Kindle First

[JSWolf]

I chose This Terrible Beauty by Katrin Schumann and The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler.

If anyone is wondering how I was able to acquire to Kindle First Read eBooks, I can do so because my wife and I have linking our two accounts into a family account so we can share Prime.

[stumped]

I have been in this program, via my prime membership, for years. Every month I study the kindle first choices, pick the least bad one, and then mostly abandon it part way through.
Starting this month I think I will just pass and choose none, unless there's a genuine glowing recommendation
I could be wrong but I think all the kf books end up in kindle unlimited a couple of months later, so I can always read them when my next free trial comes along. Without the embarrassment of seeing them in my kindle library

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by stumped

I could be wrong but I think all the kf books end up in kindle unlimited a couple of months later, so I can always read them when my next free trial comes along. Without the embarrassment of seeing them in my kindle library

Not a couple of months later, but at release. So February First Reads will be in KU on March 1st. It has been a feature since sometime last year or earlier.

I pick them, even though my KU membership is prepaid until 2023 as of right now.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Not a couple of months later, but at release. So February First Reads will be in KU on March 1st. It has been a feature since sometime last year or earlier.

I pick them, even though my KU membership is prepaid until 2023 as of right now.

I suppose I could go though all of my kindle library and split it into 2 collections
1. Books I chose and paid for all by myself
2. (Crap) Books that I only chose because they were free
But collections on kindles are such a faff I have never bothered to learn how to set them up across all devices and apps

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stumped

I suppose I could go though all of my kindle library and split it into 2 collections
1. Books I chose and paid for all by myself
2. (Crap) Books that I only chose because they were free
But collections on kindles are such a faff I have never bothered to learn how to set them up across all devices and apps

Maybe you should get a Kobo where you can use Calibre to manage collections.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Maybe you should get a Kobo where you can use Calibre to manage collections.

I thought it was no secret that I have a kobo. 3 in fact. But I also have a kindle and a fire tablet.
This thread is about the kindle first program. It does not need kobo plugs.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Froide

I chose In An Instant, too.

I've started reading this one and so far it's pretty good .

[Wearever]

Thanks for posting this DrD123 !

[Manabi]

This month's Amazon First Reads selections are out, they are:

The Missing Sister by Elle Marr [Genre: Mystery]

In Paris, her twin sister has vanished, leaving behind three chilling words: Trust no one.

Shayna Darby is finally coming to terms with her parents’ deaths when she’s delivered another blow. The body of her estranged twin sister, Angela—the possible victim of a serial killer—has been pulled from the Seine. Putting what’s left of her life on hold, Shayna heads to Paris. But while cleaning out Angela’s apartment, Shayna makes a startling discovery: a coded message meant for her alone…

Alive. Trust no one.

Taking the warning to heart, Shayna maintains the lie. She makes a positive ID on the remains and works to find out where—and why—her missing sister is hiding. Shayna retraces her sister’s footsteps, and they lead her down into Paris’s underbelly.

As she gets closer to the truth—and to the killer—Shayna’s own life may now be in the balance…

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

If your twin sibling were in danger, would you know? Twins Shayna and Angela were incredibly close—but then their parents died and Angela moved to Paris. Over time they slowly began to grow apart. When she finds out Angela has been murdered, Shayna travels to Paris to pack up her sister’s apartment, where she finds a note from her sister, a note telling her she’s still alive. Then whose body is in the morgue?

Shayna recognizes she can’t trust anyone. Terrified, but determined to learn the truth, Shayna navigates the underbelly of Paris, using her shoddy French while avoiding the local police. As bodies pile up and she digs deeper into her sister’s disappearance, Shayna begins to learn things about Angela, things she doesn’t quite understand.

Marr’s depiction of Paris brings to life the sights and smells of the city, immersing me in the story and setting in a way that felt so real. The chilling suspense took me not only on a trip through the streets of Paris but also into the hearts of broken sisters whose bond might just set them both free. - Megha Parekh, Editor

The Other Family by Loretta Nyhan [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

From the bestselling author of Digging In comes a witty and moving novel about motherhood, courage, and finding true family.

With a dissolving marriage, strained finances, and her life in flux, Ally Anderson longs for normal. Her greatest concerns, though, are the health problems of her young daughter, Kylie. Symptoms point to a compromised immune system, but every doctor they’ve seen has a different theory. Then comes hope for some clarity.

It’s possible that Kylie’s illness is genetic, but Ally is adopted. A DNA test opens up an entirely new path. And where it leads is a surprise: to an aunt Ally never knew existed. She’s a little wild, very welcoming, and ready to share more of the family history than Ally ever imagined.

Coping with a skeptical soon-to-be-ex husband, weathering the cautions of her own resistant mother, and getting maddeningly close to the healing Kylie needs, Ally is determined to regain control of her life. This is her chance to embrace uncertainty and the beauty of family—both the one she was born into and the one she chose.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Is it possible to cheat on your parents? If so, Ally Anderson didn’t mean to. All she did was connect with an aunt she never knew she had. She found her aunt Micki through a DNA test. And she took the DNA test only because Ally is adopted and desperate to determine if her daughter’s mysterious illness could be genetic.

It all started so innocently...Ally loves her adoptive mother, but she’s always felt a bit adrift and alone in the world. With a crumbling marriage, a dwindling bank balance, and a chronically sick daughter, she can use all the family she can get. Aunt Micki is warm and kooky and has an equally warm and kooky family. So it’s no wonder Ally can’t resist getting pulled into their world. Which causes more than a few problems at home.

I love how Loretta Nyhan plays with the idea that we have the family we’re given and we have the family we choose for ourselves. For Ally, it turns out that the lines are blurred, the roles interchangeable. Which, if everything works out, can only be a win-win situation! Right? - Jodi Warshaw, Editor

Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan [Genre: Domestic Suspense]

Her children have a deadly secret. Can she uncover it before the police do?

Melissa Byatt’s life in Forest Grove seems as perfect as can be: a doting husband, three loving children and a beautiful house in a close-knit community. But appearances can be deceiving.

One evening, Melissa arrives home to the unimaginable: her husband lies stabbed on the kitchen floor, their children standing calmly around him…With horror, she realises that one of them is to blame. But which one? And why would they attack their own father?

Her loyalties torn, in a split second she decides to protect her children at all costs—even if that means lying to the police. But when someone in the neighbourhood claims to know more than they should, Melissa discovers that some secrets are beyond her control…

Can she find out the truth of what happened before the rumours spread? And can the family unite to escape the spotlight of scandal—or are none of them as innocent as Melissa insists?

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

With the power to surprise, this multilayered novel asks the question, “What would you risk to protect your children?”

Tracy Buchanan is a thrilling storyteller, and I’m delighted to be sharing this book with you. It begins with an arresting opening chapter where Melissa Byatt, mother of three, comes home to find her husband stabbed in the kitchen. Her children stand around the body, refusing to say a word.

As husband Patrick lies in a coma, Melissa must unravel the many layers of this mystery before the community’s whispers begin to take over. After all, an inexplicable attack on a popular charismatic man is hard to hide in a tight-knit town like Forest Grove...especially when family photos of the Byatts start appearing pinned to trees in the forest, two heart-stopping words etched into the bark above them: I know...

A master of page-turning suspense, Tracy has written a riveting new novel that I couldn’t put down. I read it in one sitting, and even now, long after I turned the last page, I still find myself thinking about how well we know the family members that surround us. Prepare for an engrossing read that repeatedly leaves you guessing! - Sammia Hamer, Editor

The Last Bathing Beauty by Amy Sue Nathan [Genre: Historical Fiction]

A former beauty queen faces the secrets of her past—for herself and the sake of her family’s future—in a heartfelt novel about fate, choices, and second chances.

Everything seemed possible in the summer of 1951. Back then Betty Stern was an eighteen-year-old knockout working at her grandparents’ lakeside resort. The “Catskills of the Midwest” was the perfect place for Betty to prepare for bigger things. She’d head to college in New York City. Her career as a fashion editor would flourish. But first, she’d enjoy a wondrous last summer at the beach falling deeply in love with an irresistible college boy and competing in the annual Miss South Haven pageant. On the precipice of a well-planned life, Betty’s future was limitless.

Decades later, the choices of that long-ago season still reverberate for Betty, now known as Boop. Especially when her granddaughter comes to her with a dilemma that echoes Boop’s memories of first love, broken hearts, and faraway dreams. It’s time to finally face the past—for the sake of her family and her own happiness. Maybe in reconciling the life she once imagined with the life she’s lived, Boop will discover it’s never too late for a second chance.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Dirty Dancing meets How to Make an American Quilt? Sign me up! The Last Bathing Beauty is a pitch-perfect blend of nostalgia and romance—a story of family, friends, and second-chance love.

Amy Sue Nathan has created such a vivid picture of life at a Lake Michigan resort in the 1950s that you’d think she actually lived it. Turns out, Amy is a native Philadelphian, and instead she found much of her inspiration for the book on a visit to South Haven, Michigan. It’s there that she met Charlene Klein, whose grandparents owned a hugely popular resort on the lake in the fifties. Coincidentally, when Amy and Charlene crossed paths, Amy had already started writing a book set in the same era about a young woman whose family owns a resort. How’s that for serendipity? Charlene’s stories about her teenage years and her present life inspired many of the twists and turns in the novel.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, and brimming with delightful period detail, this is one novel you won’t want to miss! - Jodi Warshaw, Editor

Rain Will Come by Thomas Holgate [Genre: Thriller]

A thrilling, page-turning debut about a twisted killer and a broken cop—both with nothing to lose.

Paul Czarcik, the longest-tenured detective in the Illinois Bureau of Judicial Enforcement, puts the rest of the team to shame. Ruthless and riddled with vices, Czarcik always gets his man. And fast. Until now…

A double slaying isn’t the open-and-shut case of urban crime he’s used to. Connecting it to a high-profile Texas judge, Czarcik realizes something bigger is going on. It’s the work of a serial killer for whom Chicago is just the beginning. Now he’s inviting Czarcik to play catch-me-if-you-can on a cross-country murder spree.

Going rogue, Czarcik accepts the challenge. But as the bodies pile up, he must come to grips with the fact that nothing—not the killer, the victims, or the rules—is what it seems in this bloody game of cat and mouse.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

What if you could rid the world of someone horrible? What if you could make someone pay for their crime? What if you could restore some balance and good in dark times? Would you do it?

In Rain Will Come, author Thomas Holgate taps into our deepest desire for justice—even if it comes outside the law. Our cop isn’t perfect. The vigilante he’s pursuing has baggage. His version of justice is messy. And even still, I couldn’t turn away.

For cop Paul Czarcik, the world is a dark place. He’s seen too much hurt, too much deception, and too much abuse. But he knows that he has to stay on this side of the law, however much it pains him. The killer he’s chasing does horrible things to his victims. He’s calculating and vicious, and as far is Czarcik is concerned, the killer is right. The victims got what they deserved.

I’m glad this vigilante is just a fictional character. He scares me. And I’m glad that Paul Czarcik isn’t a real cop. He isn’t the hero type. Nonetheless, this dark and twisted thriller makes for a propulsive read that will keep you turning pages and asking yourself how far you’d go for justice. - Jessica Tribble Wells, Editor

Now, Then, and Everywhen (Chronos Origins Book 1) by Rysa Walker [Genre: Science Fiction]

From the bestselling author of the Chronos series comes a page-turning novel of time travel, fast-paced action, and history-changing events.

When two time-traveling historians cross paths during one of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century, history goes helter-skelter. But which one broke the timeline?

In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.

In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.

As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

1960s America: A time of protest, war, and peace; space exploration; the Beatles; and bell-bottoms. Some even say pop culture was born during this pivotal era. If I had the ability to time travel, the sixties would definitely be at the top of my list. But what if history...didn’t...quite go as planned?

In the future world that bestselling author Rysa Walker imagines, where time travel is possible, there are those who study history by literally traveling to it. But, as historian Tyson Reyes finds out, there’s always the danger that one misstep could erase everything. When he encounters another traveler, one who could hold the key to the science of time travel itself, the two must join forces to figure out what, or who, may have caused a massive shift in the timeline.

Understanding our history is crucial to ensuring our world evolves the way we hope it will, avoiding previous mistakes, and charting a course to a civilization that makes our ancestors proud. As Walker blends our past and an imagined future, I began to realize just how precarious our present truly is, and I’m thankful that this novel’s characters are there to guide the way. - Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

Rosie: Stronger than Steel by Lindsay Ward [Genre: Children's Picture Book]

A brave tractor farms for freedom in a story inspired by women who acted with courage and strength in American factories and on British farms during World War II.

This is our Rosie,
stronger than steel.
She’ll plow all the land
with a turn of her wheel.

Built by women in the United States and sent to England to dig and plow alongside female farmers during World War II, Rosie the tractor does whatever is needed to support the war effort. She works day and night to help grow crops for the troops…even when she has to hide in the fields. This is because she knows, like the women who built her and the women who farm with her, that they all must do their part.

Inspired by the group of American women collectively known as “Rosie the Riveter” and the British Women’s Land Army, this is a story about taking action and coming together for the greater good.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Just in time for the seventy-fifth anniversary of V-E Day comes a picture book unlike any I’ve ever read. It’s one part plucky vehicle story, one part World War II women’s history, and one part reminder about coming together when it counts the most.

Because it weaves historical context into an entertaining, rhythmically told tale, Rosie will appeal to kids at different ages and levels of understanding. For the very youngest, it may simply seem a story about a little tractor that could, determined to do her best no matter how tough the job. Older readers will know that Rosie was built by American women and sent to England to work alongside female farmers during a war. An author’s note includes more historical information; adults can share whatever parts of it make best sense for their child.

Lindsay Ward wrote this book as a way to honor the courage and contributions of those who stepped into new roles to support the greater good across continents. I’m so glad she did—and I hope you and the children in your life enjoy this book. - Kelsey Skea, Editor

The Club King: My Rise, Reign, and Fall in New York Nightlife by Peter Catien [Genre: Memoir]

A behind-the-scenes look at the meteoric rise and stunning takedown of a nightclub empire, by the man who held the reins.

Limelight, Tunnel, Club USA, and Palladium—the cutting-edge, insanely successful, and notoriously decadent clubs that dominated New York City’s entertainment scene, their influences reverberating around the world. Across four decades, a single mysterious figure stood behind them all: Peter Gatien, the leading impresario of global nightlife. His clubs didn’t follow the trends—they created movements. They nurtured vanguard music acts that brought rock, house, grunge, hip-hop, industrial, and techno to the beautiful ones who showed up night after night to tear the roof off every party. But as Peter and his innovative team ramped up the hedonistic highs, Rudolph Giuliani was leading a major shift in the city. Under the guise of improving New York City’s “quality of life,” the club scene was targeted—and Peter Gatien’s empire became a major focus of the administration.

In this frank and gritty memoir, Peter Gatien charts the seismic changes in his personal and professional life and the targeted destruction of his nightclub empire. From Peter’s childhood in a Canadian mill town to the freedom of the 1970s, through the excesses of the 1980s and the ensuing crackdown in the 1990s, The Club King chronicles the birth and death of a cultural movement—and the life of the man who was in control of every beat.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Think back to the time when the internet mostly consisted of chat rooms, to the reign of baby-doll dresses and rugby shirts, of eight-ball jackets and those impossible to open CD jewel cases. Imagine those years when megaclubs threw massive dance parties every weekend and lines of young people would stretch around the block in order to spend the night packed shoulder to shoulder on a dance floor, the air humid with sweat, the energy electric.

Whether or not you can actually remember the scene, The Club King is going to give you a whole new understanding of that moment in time. Told through the eyes of the man who ran some of the most successful, iconic clubs of the era, this story caught me off-guard with its earnest depiction of a young boy who dreamed beyond his blue-collar Canadian town.

Peter Gatien went on to become an innovative entrepreneur, working over decades to learn the club business, push the right boundaries, and create an inclusive atmosphere where people could come together and let loose. And while there are police raids, and some drugs, and even a ham-fisted sting operation that punctuate Peter’s story, The Club King cuts through the sensational accounts and the parade of famous actors, musicians, and artists who funneled through the doors of his clubs, to focus on the vision, the talented team, and the relentless drive it took to create an unforgettable moment, night after night after night. - Laura Van der Veer, Editor

[DrD123]

Kindle First Reads for April - even has a scifi book this time!

Stay safe!

The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne (Thriller)

For a Florida police diver, danger rises to the surface in an adventurous thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.

Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars. He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.


Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg (Contemporary Fiction)

From the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of True Places comes a suspenseful novel of love, secrets, and obsession.

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thinks she’s over Harlan Crispin, her ex-lover and colleague. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and appallingly young. Worse, she’s the newest member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira, he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go.


What We Forgot to Bury by Marin Montgomery (Psychological Suspense)

Truth and deceit blur as one woman’s desperation twists into another’s desire for revenge in this mind-bending psychological novel.

Charlotte Coburn has a tragically dark past. But she’s safe now. She lives in a gated community, protected from danger. When teenager Elle knocks at her door looking for shelter during a particularly severe storm, the woman can’t help but think how lucky Elle’s been to have found someone as friendly as her. Except Elle chose her door on purpose…

She knows all about Charlotte’s secrets because they ruined her family and her life. And it is time that everyone else knew. But Charlotte’s past has left a dark void in her life, so she is concocting her own vicious plan, convinced that Elle can help fill that void.

As events unfold, the truth unravels and pulls both women into a dangerous game that will leave you wondering, Who’s the villain?


Love on Beach Avenue by Jennifer Probst (Romance)

True love is in the details for the Jersey shore’s premier wedding planner in this heart-swooning series about big dreams and happy endings from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

Avery Sunshine might not have a soul mate of her own, but she still believes in happily ever after—for her clients. Making dreams come true is her business at Sunshine Bridal, which she runs with her two sisters. When her best friend announces her engagement, Avery is thrilled to take charge of the giddy bride-to-be’s big day. Less thrilling? Her best friend's arrogant and demanding brother, who just so happens to be the man of honor.

Carter Ross’s first instinct: call 911. He promised to always take care of his impulsive little sister, and he honors that vow. Even if it means taking over her wedding, where he is sure Avery will fail. At best, Avery is unpredictable. At worst, if she’s anything like the spitfire of a college girl he remembers, the main event could run wild.

With Avery and Carter wrestling for control, tempers heat up. So does the spark of attraction they’re fighting with every kiss. As the wedding draws near, it’s time to reconcile a rocky past and make a decision that could change everyone’s lives. Because what they’re rebelling against looks a lot like love.


Little White Secrets by Carol Mason (Contemporary Fiction)

A daughter pushing the limits. A marriage ready to crack. A secret that can break them.

For Emily Rossi, life may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage to Eric and two wonderful children—tennis superstar Daniel and quiet, sensitive Zara. But when her fourteen-year-old daughter brings home a toxic new best friend, Emily’s seemingly perfect family starts to spiral out of control.

Suddenly Zara is staying out late, taking drugs and keeping bad company. And just when Emily needs Eric to be an involved father, he seems too wrapped up with his job in London to care. What’s more, he’s started drinking again.

When a dark secret from the past emerges, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Struggling to protect the people she loves, can she save her damaged family? Doing so may mean keeping a secret of her own…


In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir by Bobi Conn (Memoir)

A clear-eyed and compassionate memoir of the Appalachian experience by a woman who embraced its astonishing beauty, narrowly escaped its violence, and struggles to call it home.

Bobi Conn was raised in a remote Kentucky holler in 1980s Appalachia. She remembers her tin-roofed house tucked away in a vast forest paradise; the sparkling creeks, with their frogs and crawdads; the sweet blackberries growing along the road to her granny’s; and her abusive father, an underemployed alcoholic whose untethered rage and violence against Bobi and her mother were frighteningly typical of a community marginalized, desperate, and ignored. Bobi’s rule of survival: always be vigilant but endure it silently.

Slipping away from home, Bobi went to college and got a white-collar job. Mistrusted by her family for her progress and condescended to by peers for her accent and her history, she was followed by the markers of her class. Though she carried her childhood self everywhere, Bobi also finally found her voice.

An elegiac account of survival despite being born poor, female, and cloistered, Bobi’s testament is one of hope for all vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls caught in the cycle of poverty and abuse. On a continual path to worth, autonomy, and reinvention, Conn proves here that “the storyteller is the one with power.”


A Girl From Nowhere by James Maxwell (Science Fiction)

Surrounded by fire, a girl with mysterious powers and a young warrior search for safety.

Life in the wasteland is a constant struggle. No one knows it better than Taimin. Crippled, and with only his indomitable aunt to protect him, Taimin must learn to survive in a world scorched by two suns and frequented by raiders.

But when Taimin discovers his homestead ransacked and his aunt killed, he sets off with one mission: to seek revenge against those who stole everything. With nowhere to call home, his hunt soon takes a turn when he meets a mystic, Selena, who convinces him to join her search for the fabled white city. Taimin and Selena both need refuge, and the white city is a place where Taimin may find someone to heal his childhood injury.

As they avoid relentless danger, Taimin and Selena attempt to reach the one place that promises salvation. And they can only hope that the city is the haven they need it to be…


Bear and Fred: A World War II Story by Iris Argaman (Children's Picture Book)

I felt Fred’s small hand grab me.
He patted me and whispered,
“Bear, I won’t leave you here all by yourself.
You are my best friend.”

Based on true events and beautifully illustrated, this is the story of a friendship that will last forever—told by Fred’s best friend, his beloved teddy bear.

During World War II, Fred must leave his home and live in hiding, apart from the rest of his family, but he always keeps Bear by his side. Bear knows it’s his job to take care of Fred and make sure he doesn’t feel alone.

After the war, Fred and his family are reunited and leave Holland for the United States. And still Bear is with him. When Fred grows up, he and Bear part for the first time when Bear is sent to Yad Vashem—the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, where this book was first published—to show the power of hope, friendship, and love.

[Manabi]

Science fiction books in there two months in a row, I believe that's a record! I went with Now, Then, and Everywhen last month and A Girl From Nowhere this month.

[Manabi]

This month's Amazon First Reads selections are out, they are:

Don't Make a Sound by T. R. Ragan [Genre: Thriller]

Her own past could be a reporter’s biggest story in this twisting thriller about murder and family secrets by the New York Times bestselling author T.R. Ragan.

Plagued by traumatic childhood memories, crime reporter Sawyer Brooks still struggles to gain control of her rage, her paranoia, and her life. Now, after finally getting promoted at work, she is forced to return home and face her past.

River Rock is where she’d been abandoned by her two older sisters to suffer alone, and in silence, the unspeakable abuses of her family. It’s also where Sawyer’s best friend disappeared and two teenage girls were murdered. Three cold cases dead and buried with the rest of the town’s secrets.

When another girl is slain in a familiar grisly fashion, Sawyer is determined to put an end to the crimes. Pulled back into the horrors of her family history, Sawyer must reconcile with her estranged sisters, who both have shattering memories of their own. As Sawyer’s investigation leads to River Rock’s darkest corners, what will prove more dangerous—what she knows of the past or what she has yet to discover?

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Strong women, riveting suspense, and belated justice. These are the hallmarks of a T.R. Ragan thriller. She has written more than a dozen books from the point of view of gutsy women, and now she introduces us to Sawyer Brooks, an ambitious investigative reporter in Sacramento, California.

When Sawyer discovers what looks like a copycat murder in her small hometown, she immediately sees her chance for a major byline—and justice. The original crime changed Sawyer’s life—and her family—forever. This investigation will be the ultimate do-over, but it also means she must return to River Rock, a town she thought (hoped!) she would never see again. But Sawyer will stop at nothing to find the murderer. Her pursuit is a thrill ride from page one and doesn’t let up until she’s uncovered dark family secrets and cold, cold justice has been served.

And the thrills don’t stop here. We won’t have to wait long to see what Sawyer digs up next, with the second book in the series, Out of Her Mind, coming in November! - Liz Pearsons, Editor

If You Must Know by Jamie Beck [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Few authors capture family dynamics like Jamie Beck, and as she illuminates in her latest book, just because we’re bound by blood doesn’t mean those relationships come easy.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner couldn’t be more different. Amanda lives life by the rules, while Erin lives life on a whim; she follows her heart instead of any sort of playbook. Their opposing philosophies have always put them at odds, creating a fracture in the family that’s been impossible to overcome. But when Amanda’s perfectly orchestrated world falls apart, she has no choice but to turn to Erin if she wants to put the pieces back together.

Family is sometimes messy and often frustrating. But this heartfelt, emotionally charged story shows it’s the imperfections that allow us to learn from one another—and more about ourselves—if we’re willing to embrace them. - Chris Werner, Editor

Legacy of Lies (Bocephus Haynes Book 1) by Robert Bailey [Genre: Legal Thriller]

A small-town attorney takes on prejudice and corruption in this powerful legal thriller.

Small-town lawyer Bocephus Haynes comes home late one night to find District Attorney General Helen Lewis waiting for him. Her ex-husband has just been killed. She’s about to be arrested for his murder. And she wants Bo to represent her.

There’s a lot working against them. Just before his death, Helen’s ex-husband threatened to reveal a dark secret from her past. Bo has been in a tailspin since his wife’s death. What’s more, his whole life has been defined by a crime committed against his family, and he continues to face prejudice as the only African American litigator in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Bo’s back is against the wall, and Helen resigns herself to a dismal fate—but a stunning discovery throws everything into chaos. There’s a chance for justice, but to achieve it, the cost might be too much for Bo to bear.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Bo Haynes has lost everything. His life has been one of perseverance, hardship, and pain, but since his wife’s tragic death a year earlier, Bo’s life has fallen apart. He’s coming off his second suspension from the practice of law, losing custody of his children due to erratic behavior, not to mention he’s still trying to come to grips with a past defined by racism against him and his family.

After the custody dispute, Bo arrives home drunk to find his old professional foe, Helen Lewis, the district attorney general, waiting for him with a desperate plea. She’s been accused of killing her ex-husband and needs his help. Realizing that Helen’s murder trial is a chance to resurrect his career and life, Bo decides to take the case.

I’m so excited for readers to get their hands on this new legal thriller series from Robert Bailey. Returning readers of his McMurtrie and Drake series and new readers alike will be thrilled to see fan favorite Bo get his own story and witness his continued fight for justice. - Megha Parekh, Editor

Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause [Genre: Book Club Fiction]

A poignant and heartwarming novel about friendship, ghosting, and searching for answers to life’s mysteries.

When Mackenzie, Sunna, and Maude move into a converted rental house, they are strangers with only one thing in common—important people in their lives have “ghosted” them. Mackenzie’s sister, Sunna’s best friend, and Maude’s fiancé—all gone with no explanation.

So when a mangled, near-indecipherable letter arrives in their shared mailbox—hinting at long-awaited answers—each tenant assumes it’s for her. The mismatched trio decides to stake out the coffee shop named in the letter—the only clue they have—and in the process, a bizarre kinship forms. But the more they learn about each other, the more questions (and suspicions) they begin to have. All the while, creepy sounds and strange happenings around the property suggest that the ghosts from their pasts might not be all that’s haunting them…

Will any of the housemates find the closure they are looking for? Or are some doors meant to remain closed?

Quirky, humorous, and utterly original, Sorry I Missed You is the perfect read for anyone who has ever felt haunted by their past (or by anything else).

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Have you ever been ghosted—had someone disappear from your life without an explanation? Maybe it was a friend who slowly started drifting away over time, an ex, or a onetime date who ended the relationship without giving a reason? Well, I certainly have (and you know who you are). Regardless of who they were to you, one thing remains the same—closure can be difficult to come by when you don’t know why you were abandoned in the first place.

In Sorry I Missed You, this is exactly the situation that brings three housemates together who have absolutely nothing else in common—Sunna, Maude, and Mackenzie. Each woman has been ghosted by someone important to her, so when an unaddressed letter shows up at their rental building promising answers, each woman hopes desperately it’s for her. At the same time, weird things are happening around the rental house—almost enough to make them wonder if their pasts are the only things that are haunting them. Thus begins this quirky, hilarious, and endearing journey of unlikely friendship and the quest for closure.

In this charming novel, Suzy Krause has created a cast of characters that readers can’t help but fall in love with, a storyline that is completely fresh and original, and a heartwarming message that will resonate near and far—perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove. Sorry I Missed You may not give you the answers you’ve been waiting on from your own ghosts, but it will leave you with something even better—hope. - Alicia Clancy, Editor

Your Blue Is Not My Blue by Aspen Matis [Genre: Memoir]

From Aspen Matis, author of the acclaimed true story Girl in the Woods, comes a bold and atmospheric memoir of a woman who—in searching for her vanished husband—discovers deeper purpose.

Aspen’s and Justin’s paths serendipitously aligned on the Pacific Crest Trail when both were walking from Mexico to Canada, separately and alone—both using thru-hiking in hopes of escaping their pasts. Both sought to redefine themselves beneath the stars. By the time they made it to the snowy Cascade Range of British Columbia—the trail’s end—Aspen and Justin were in love.

Embarking on a new pilgrimage the next summer, they returned to those same mossy mountains where they’d met, and they married. They built a world together, three years of a happy marriage. Until a cold November morning, when, after kissing Aspen goodbye, Justin left to attend the funeral of a close friend.

He never came back. As days became weeks, her husband’s inexplicable absence left Aspen unmoored. Shock, grief, fear, and anger battled for control—but nothing prepared her for the disarming truth. A revelation that would lead Aspen to reassess not only her own life but that of the disappeared as well.

The result is a brave and inspiring memoir of secrets kept and unearthed, of a vanishing that became a gift: a woman’s empowering reclamation of unmitigated purpose in the surreal wake of mystifying loss.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Aspen Matis is one of those voices that intrigues, inspires, and can heal. While at its heart Your Blue Is Not My Blue is a memoir of self-discovery, resilience, and ultimately gratitude, it’s also a story about grief and loss and trauma and forgiveness. Her tale of inexplicable loss that became a transcendent reawakening completely broke me open and surfaced vulnerabilities I thought I had locked away with my childhood journals.

After a sexual assault, Aspen took to the Pacific Crest Trail, where she met fellow thru-hiker Justin. Three years later, she’s freshly married and on a deadline to complete her first book, Girl in The Woods, about the assault, her subsequent adventures, and the whirlwind relationship with Justin that followed. But when her new husband mysteriously disappears, she’s met with a new story—and to write it, she is compelled to investigate her husband’s history as well as confront her own complicated past.

Thoughtful and revealing, this follow-up memoir walks you through the streets of New York City and the forests of California with Aspen as she skips, stumbles, and spirals toward resolution.

Brave and honest, this poetic young writer doesn’t minimize the seemingly small things that happen to us as young women, which can color our view of the world as adults. Heartbreak can trigger deep existential thoughts, which can drive us toward either emptiness or wholeness. I am both grateful and deeply encouraged that Aspen’s story goes the way of the latter. - Erin Calligan Mooney, Editor

Golden Poppies by Layla Ibrahim [Genre: Historical Fiction]

From the bestselling author of Yellow Crocus and Mustard Seed comes the empowering novel of two generations of American women connected by the past and fighting for a brighter future.

It’s 1894. Jordan Wallace and Sadie Wagner appear to have little in common. Jordan, a middle-aged black teacher, lives in segregated Chicago. Two thousand miles away, Sadie, the white wife of an ambitious German businessman, lives in more tolerant Oakland, California. But years ago, their families intertwined on a plantation in Virginia. There, Jordan’s and Sadie’s mothers developed a bond stronger than blood, despite the fact that one was enslaved and the other was the privileged daughter of the plantation’s owner.

With Jordan’s mother on her deathbed, Sadie leaves her disapproving husband to make the arduous train journey with her mother to Chicago. But the reunion between two families is soon fraught with personal and political challenges.

As the harsh realities of racial divides and the injustices of the Gilded Age conspire to hold them back, the women find they need each other more than ever. Their courage, their loyalty, and the ties that bind their families will be tested. Amid the tumult of a quickly changing nation, their destiny depends on what they’re willing to risk for liberation.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

I love a story of hope—and Golden Poppies delivers. The book starts with a train trip to reunite two women—Mattie and Lisbeth—whose lives intertwined years before on a Virginia plantation. While enslaved, Mattie is forced by her overseers to leave behind her son to nurse and care for Lisbeth, the master’s daughter. Over time the two grow as close as mother and daughter, if not closer. Decades later, Lisbeth is determined to see Mattie before she dies and embarks on the arduous journey with her daughter, Sadie.

In 1894 a train trip from Oakland to Chicago took four days. Can you imagine traveling that long, not knowing if your beloved friend would still be alive when you arrived? The Pullman Strike complicates Lisbeth and Sadie’s return and shines a harsh light not just on the poor treatment of the porters but also on the blatant discrimination that the railways perpetuated. We see firsthand that not enough has changed nearly thirty years after the Civil War ended. Mattie’s family is deeply affected by the strike. Will progress be obstructed time and again?

But neither family gives up hope. Yes, they despair of things ever really changing. They still live in a world where women don’t have the right to vote, where many have to hide their ethnicity in order to secure employment, and where child labor is widely accepted. But each in their own way believes that if we fiercely fight for our beliefs, with every new generation we can and will become a better society. And that fervent hope has stayed with me long after finishing the book and continues to buoy me when I’m feeling the weight of the world. - Jodi Warshaw, Editor

The Refuge by Sandra le Guen (Author), Stéphane Nicolet (Illustrator), Daniel Hahn (Translator) [Genre: Children's Picture Book]

A story about finding refuge in a new friendship and a new home.

“There’s a new girl at school. She never stops looking up at the sky! She likes the stars and comets.”

Jeannette tells her mom about her new classmate, who also loves astronomy but seems sad. She realizes it’s not easy to move to a new place. So the next day, at recess, Jeannette asks Iliana to play.

At first, it’s a little hard to communicate because Iliana is learning a new language. The girls have to use their hands and their drawings. But they keep trying, and, soon, Iliana tells Jeannette about her difficult journey as a refugee who had to leave her country. Then their families meet, and Iliana’s parents share their story too. The girls’ friendship blooms, as limitless as the sky and their imaginations.

Originally published in France and brought to life with wonderfully expressive artwork, this is a book about sharing stories and finding refuge in friendship, family, and a new home.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

It’s hard to address a topic as complex as refugees in a picture book for young kids, but I love how this story tackles it through the lens of a child empathizing with a new friend. Jeannette and Iliana are two girls from two very different countries, but Jeannette immediately recognizes what they have in common: a love of the stars and the sky. And through the encouragement of her mother, Jeannette reaches out to Iliana. Iliana’s story shakes Jeannette’s world, and she’s compelled to share it with her family.

When I first saw this book, I was immediately captivated by the imagery—it drips with emotion and sensitivity and imagination and truly brings to life Iliana’s journey for the reader. This is a beautiful story that highlights the power of friendship and how sharing stories connects us. It’s also an important reminder that, as Iliana says, the sky has no borders, and it belongs to everybody. - Marilyn Brigham, Editor

A Man by Keiichiro Hirano (Author), Eli K.P. William (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

A man follows another man’s trail of lies in a compelling psychological story about the search for identity, by Japan’s award-winning literary sensation Keiichiro Hirano in his first novel to be translated into English.

Akira Kido is a divorce attorney whose own marriage is in danger of being destroyed by emotional disconnect. With a midlife crisis looming, Kido’s life is upended by the reemergence of a former client, Rié Takemoto. She wants Kido to investigate a dead man—her recently deceased husband, Daisuké. Upon his death she discovered that he’d been living a lie. His name, his past, his entire identity belonged to someone else, a total stranger. The investigation draws Kido into two intriguing mysteries: finding out who Rié’s husband really was and discovering more about the man he pretended to be. Soon, with each new revelation, Kido will come to share the obsession with—and the lure of—erasing one life to create a new one.

In A Man, winner of Japan’s prestigious Yomiuri Prize for Literature, Keiichiro Hirano explores the search for identity, the ambiguity of memory, the legacies with which we live and die, and the reconciliation of who you hoped to be with who you’ve actually become.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

In Japan, Keiichiro Hirano is not only a well-known literary writer, but he’s also something of a celebrity philosopher, due in part to a TED talk he did on self-love but also because of the deeply psychological themes he explores in his novels.

In A Man, Keiichiro grapples with the life reckoning that occurs in middle age. It’s a kind of psychological detective story about a lawyer’s obsessive investigation into the true identity of a dead man. The lawyer realizes that the dead man switched identities before becoming a happily married family man, beloved by his wife, children, and community—none of whom knew who he really was—and he becomes determined to provide the man’s widow with insight about who her husband was and why he chose to lie about his past. He’s driven by the idea that the dead man’s wife won’t be able to mourn him and move on until this strange mystery is solved.

The book explores the fantasy of taking on a blank identity without the weight of a legacy or heritage from family, ethnicity, or past scandal in a quest for the ultimate individuality. And it poses the question of whether, ultimately, any of these things that are outside of our control but can define us actually reflect anything about who we really are.

Some of the pertinent preoccupations that run through the story—such as the trauma of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 and the discrimination of Japanese with Korean ancestry—are specific to Japan, but we can all relate to the universal experience of reflecting on the person we have become and how it differs from the person we always thought we would be. Keiichiro’s detailed, meditative analysis of the psychology of his characters in their interactions with each other reads almost like parable, and helps make A Man one of the most interesting and compellingly original books I’ve come across in some time. I’m delighted to share it with English-language readers. - Liza Darnton, Editor