To Read or Not To Read

The highly anticipated third novel in the Rajes series by the beloved romance author Sonali Dev comes the story of Yash Raje and India Dashwood. Yash, having been a background character for his sisters' stories before him, finally gets centerstage as Dev explores Yash's story of love, loss, trauma, and more. India Dashwood, too, gets an introduction to the Raje world we've come to love in the series. Incense and Sensibility , an entertaining retelling of Austen's classic, tackles more than just romance—incorporating elements and themes of politics, health, complicated family dynamics and more, there is something for everyone in Dev's newest release.  Yash Raje, California's first Indian American gubernatorial candidate, has always known exactly what he wants—and how to use his privileged background to get it. He attributes his success to a simple mantra: If you control your feelings, you can control the world. But when a hate crime at a rally critically injures

A loose retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion , Sonali Dev writes an enjoyable and thoughtful romance novel with a contemporary twist. Not only does Dev incorporate the long lost lovers reuniting trope (the one that makes Persuasion the famed novel it is today), but she examines the miscommunications and missed connections between daughters and their mothers, allowing for an analysis of culture and the patriarchy and its effects on individuals and relationships. A deeper and heavier read than one may expect, Recipe for Persuasion pays homage to its source material while also standing out as original.  Award-winning author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after. Sonali's novels have been named best books of the year by NPR, Library Journal , the Washington Post , and Kirkus Reviews , and they regularly garner multiple starred reviews. She lives in the Chica

Sonali Dev's first novel is a masterpiece of a retelling—both playing homage to its beloved classic inspiration while weaving through new original storylines and threads makes Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors a new kind of retelling. With characters who examine the classic themes in modern settings and a whole cast of lovable characters and a storyline that keeps you hooked, it's clear that Sonali Dev is doing more than just telling DJ's and Trisha's stories—she's hooking us early and convincing us that we need more.  Award-winning author Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in happily-ever-afters. Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband, two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world's most perfect dog. You can find Sonali at sonalidev.com or @sonali.dev on Instagram. You can find more of my reviews of

In this haunting and brilliant tale, Donna Tartt brings to life a story about guilt, obsession, intrigue, and more. The dark academia book you've been waiting to uncover is The Secret History , full of murder, suspense, and beauty. An intoxicating read, one that will have you checking your back when walking out a little after dark, and will make you wish to start studying the classics, The Secret History pulls you in, and refuses to let you go until its last haunting scene.  Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels  The Goldfinch  and  The Little Friend , which have been translated into thirty languages. You can find more of my reviews of Donna Tartt's works here.  Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporarie

In this haunting and smart novel, Donna Tartt reveals the truths about existence, in a way that can be hard to swallow. Not for the faint of heart, this epic that follows Theodore Decker from his teenage years into adulthood grapples with the questions of life, love, loss, and existence that we all—at one point or another—philosophize about. For fans of truly literary books, and of stories that aren't quite what they seem, The Goldfinch is the perfect novel on that lonely rainy day.  Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend , which have been translated into thirty languages. You can find more of my reviews of Donna Tartt's works here.  Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new life and tormented

A remarkable story, The Song of Achilles is a fresh and transcendent retelling of one of the world's oldest tales. Both philosophical and vivid, Miller weaves a tale of two of Greek mythology's oldest heroes and remakes them anew, leading to a story that is thrilling, heartbreaking, introspective, and a classic in its own right.  Madeline Miller is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Circe . She grew up in Philadelphia, has a BA and MA from Brown University in Latin and Ancient Greek, and has taught in both languages. She also studied at the Yale School of Drama, specializing in adapting classical tales to a modern audience. The Song of Achilles is her first novel. You can find her at madelinemiller.com . You can find more of my reviews of Miller's works here .  Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful—irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkwa

A quick read, Lincoln in the Bardo is not one for the faint hearted. A story about death, loss, grief, family, and more, this novel has the potential to be hard-hitting if one chooses to stick with it to the end. While I have no doubt of its literary brilliance according to literary critics, the book leaves something to be desired as far as form, creating a story that while emotional and thoughtful, bounces around too much to entirely keep track of. George Saunders is the author of eight books, including the story collections Pastoralia and Tenth of December , which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He has received fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2006 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. In 2013 he was awarded the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and was included in Time 's list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. He teaches in the creative writing p

An explosive finale to a series that has captured the hearts of many across the world, The Empty Grave brings the Lockwood & Co. series to an exciting and fitting end. Full of plot twists that will genuinely make you fear for your favorite characters' lives and revelations that will shock, readers will be delighted by the ending of the Lockwood & Co. series as both an action-packed page-turner, as well as one that ties up all the loose ends.  Jonathan Stroud is the author of four previous books about Lockwood & Co.:  The Screaming Staircase,   The Whispering Skull , The Hollow Boy   and  The Creeping Shadow .  He also penned   the internationally   bestselling Bartimaeus books:  The Amulet of Samarkan, The Golem's Eye, Ptolemy's Gate,  and  The Ring of Solomon;  as well as the novels  Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege,  and  Buried Fire.  He lives in England with his wife and three children. You can find Stroud at  www.jonathanstroud.com . You can f

In this captivating penultimate novel in the beloved Lockwood & Co. series, nothing is what it seems . . . When Lucy teams back up with her old colleagues, she's determined to get in and get out—that is, until the biggest mystery of all sucks her back in and causes the entire team to question the world around them. For those who have been wondering since book one how, exactly, it is that the Problem began, this is when you start to get your answers—just as the world around our favorite characters is coming undone.  Jonathan Stroud is the author of five Lockwood & Co. books:  The Screaming Staircase ,   The Whispering Skull , The Hollow Boy , The Creeping Shadow and The Empty Grave He also penned   the internationally   bestselling Bartimaeus books:  The Amulet of Samarkan, The Golem's Eye, Ptolemy's Gate,  and  The Ring of Solomon;  as well as the novels  Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege,  and  Buried Fire.  He lives in England with his wife and three