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I have been on a bit of a Geraldine Brooks kick lately. Having recently read Horse, I decided to immerse myself in an earlier novel of hers, Caleb’s Crossing (2011).

I really enjoyed The Wandering Season (2025) by Aimie K. Runyan for its blend of magical realism, historical elements, and vivid descriptions of food. Veronica Stratton, a specialty food broker, goes home to visit her family for Christmas and when her sister gives everyone DNA test kits, Veronica receives confirmation of what she has long suspected: she was adopted as an infant.

The Sisters Brothers (2011) by Patrick deWitt is a dip into Westerns that I wasn't expecting to take.

Saving Sophie by Ronald H. Balson is a complex and captivating suspense thriller with great characterizations. It is filled with rich historical details and insights into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It takes you on a journey from Chicago to Hawaii to Israel, as Jack Sommers goes to any lengths to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

The Australian author Geraldine Brooks is known for her sweeping historical novels. A meticulous researcher, she infuses her characters, settings, and plots with a wealth of detail and insight. She typically picks subject matter that has yet to be explored by other novelists, which makes her work interesting and enlightening too.

A Far Better Thing (2025) is a darkly whimsical retelling of A Tale of Two Cities, in which the main characters are 'Mortal Servants of the Faerie Realm', stolen as babies, and their changelings, the people who took their place, their names and their lives.

Emma Donoghue’s latest work of historical fiction, The Paris Express (2025), takes place in 1895 during a single, doomed train ride in fin de siècle France. As the train prepares to depart from Normandy, a large cast of characters is introduced, including both railroad employees and passengers from all walks of life.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (2018) by Robert Dugoni  is one of my favorite books. I became so attached to the characters that I didn’t want the book to end. The main character, and narrator, Sam Hill, was born in 1957 with a condition called ocular albinism, which made his pupils red. In school, he was ostracized and given the nickname “Devil Boy”.

If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced mystery with heart, humor, and a teapot full of charm, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) (2025) by Jesse Q. Sutanto should be at the top of your reading list.

In this compelling historical adventure, siblings Lizzie (14) and Jakob (19) contribute to the war effort in 1940s England while also investigating what happened to their mother. Told in alternating points of view, reserved Jakob and precocious Lizzie share how they arrived at Bletchley Park, the epicenter of Allied codebreaking efforts to unlock the German Enigma machine (hint: one was recruited at school and the other evaded efforts to send her to America).

Golden Girls and cozy mystery = match made in heaven! The first in a new series by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Murder by Cheesecake takes us back to 1980s Miami for a clash of cultures as Rose’s family from St. Olaf, Minnesota arrives in town for a family wedding.