I love historical fiction – and what an opportunity to get to know a bit about Margaret Jones. ~ Sheila
It’s 1646, and Thomas and Margaret Jones have left their life in London to escape suspicion of Margaret’s vast knowledge of herbal remedies. Moving to Boston, Thomas finds plenty of work with his skills of carpentry, and Margaret, in no time, is the one to call if you are having a baby or need a remedy for what is ailing you. She is whip smart on creating the perfect combination of herbs.
But soon, Margaret’s fiery personality and sharp tongue once again catch up with them, leading to townfolk using the word “cunning” when describing her, and men telling Thomas that he needed to control his wife. In this Puritan community, words and actions that seem to heal beyond what one would call normal processes lead to rumblings of witchcraft… words that you do not want in any way associated with you, as witchcraft means death.
When an upper-class young widow sets her eyes on Thomas, it’s all too easy to add her voice to the rumblings, adding fuel to a fire that, try as Margaret may, she can not put out.
I received this book through our Bookish Secret Santa Exchange. Loving historical fiction – and fascinated by the trials, this was a great pick! I dug into this as the first book I read while we traveled by RV to Florida these past few days.
Absolutely engaging, the historical fiction telling of Thomas and Margaret is one not to miss if this is a genre you enjoy. While in all historical fiction, the author is taking liberties to fill in the unknown, this book is inspired by actual diary entries and court records of Margaret, being the first woman to be executed for witchcraft in Boston.
I enjoyed the read immensely, still dumbfounded that women with skill could be accused and killed under the label of witch, and all of those innocent lives taken, Margaret being one of the early ones.
A few of my friends and I went to Salem in October of 2022 and toured where women were kept and learned more of this time in our history.
Rated: 4.5 out of 5 Read Author Before: No Read Author Again: I would
Themes: Witchcraft, Rape
Book Club Worthy – Absolutely. This would be a great discussion book – to review this time in our history, topics to dig deeper into surrounding the history of the witch trials, what traits a woman had to be accused, etc…
**While this is a prequel to We Were Liars, it is important to read that book first, as this one contains information that would ruin the absolutely devastating beauty of the first book.
Carrie Sinclair, the oldest of the four Sinclair sisters, is haunted by her past. The wealthy and privileged family she is a part of’s lies and secrets did not start with the sisters’ teenage children… but long before Cadence, Johnny, Miren, and Gat were born.
As Carrie looks back at her own teenage years on Beechwood Island, playing the same games that their children played, and living by those same raised bar Singlair standards… secrets come to light of addiction, a boy, betrayal, and mistakes.
They…. have always been liars.
Recently, finding the We Were Liars mini series on Amazon Prime Video, I had a renewed interest in this book that I read over 11 years ago. I had seriously forgotten how good this book was! Of course, coming fresh off the video series, I didn’t need to read the book again, but I was thrilled to find out that a prequel had also been written.
I jumped on that bandwagon quickly, and here we are.
Family of Liars continues from where We Were Liars ends, but is not future writing – but writing of the past. Told from the point of view of Carrie, the oldest of the Sinclair sisters, she is recounting the tragic secrets of her own past with the family on Beechwood Island. We go back to the 80’s when Carrie, Penny, and Bess were around the same age as their children were in We Were Liars.
What I appreciate about this book is that you are getting more to the story, and it really explains a lot about these – dare I say uptight sisters that are trying to live up to the high standards of being a Sinclair… but also… wanting to be teens doing all the crazy things that teens do. Privilege comes with a price.
Secrets are revealed in this book, and while not as good as the first book (honestly, few sequels/prequels are), it does what most prequels do – give you a little more to the story and allow you to hang out a little longer in a fictional world with characters you have enjoyed.
Rated: 3 out of 5 Read Author Before: Yes Read Author Again: Yes
Themes: secrets, betrayal, loss, murder
Book Club Worthy – If your book club has read the first book, absolutely! What a fun way to revisit. I don’t think my own book club has ever read a book that had a sequel/prequel that we also read together, but that seems like it would be a cool thing to do. So much to discuss in a continuing story, at the same time being able to revisit themes from the first book and how they tie together.
Just great snarky fun unfolding in a unique, engaging style ~ Sheila
When Poppy and Alex meet during a shared car ride home from college, they have nothing in common. Poppy is a free spirit, adventurous and daring – loving to push the narrative a little farther than perhaps she should… and Alex is most content to stay at home with a book, keeping his circle of influence small and comfortable.
Somehow, this odd match works, and they become the best of friends, taking an annual one-week vacation together where Poppy’s wild child persona pushes Alex to be a little more out of his shell, which they fondly refer to as “Vacation Alex“. This fun tradition continues with the friends for 10 years until a disastrous trip to Croatia creates a rift between the two of them, and they both agree that this will be their last trip together.
Two years later, Poppy is in a rut and can’t stop thinking of her once-best friend. She reaches out to Alex, convincing him to take one last trip together to see if they can bring back the magic they once had together, mixing the intoxicating combination of Poppy’s spirit with Alex’s need for stability.
What could possibly go wrong?
Full disclosure.. I have kind of been stocking people’s first book of the year selections and cherry – picking the ones I would like to give a try. This one looked fun, so in I went.
I love the layout of this read… it’s common in books today to have a present-time narrative as well as a narrative of the past… what’s unique ( and fun!) about People We Meet On Vacation, Is that this back and forth narrative takes us through Poppy and Alex’s past vacations – starting with the ride from college when they met, to their annual tradition sharing with us their bond together, leading up to the fateful trip that reveals to us the readers, what went down… all the while alternating with present time in their current trip.
It works.
I loved Vacation, Alex. The way Poppy draws out this playful alternative person, where they play act with strangers, pretend to be married with a hilarious back story of how they met to get perks at hotels and restaurants, and let go of all the inhibitions that you can when you are in a place that no one knows you, and most likely you will never see them again.
Highly enjoyable read. I didn’t know until I had started this book that it was also going to be a Netflix movie. Double Score!!!! My timing was kind of perfect, as the movie released on January 9th, and I finished the book on this day as well, and treated myself to a follow-up with the movie last night. The actors playing the roles of Poppy and Alex were perfect. They capture Poppy’s snarky, fun personality and her sense of adventure, as well as Alex’s more laid-back personality.
Highly recommend the book – and the movie. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy both.
Rated: 4.5 out of 5 Read Author Before: Yes Read Author Again: Yes
Themes: friendship, romance, nothing triggering
Book Club Worthy – Yes. Discussion can be centered around friendships, if men and women can just be close friends or best friends, and if anyone has (or had) this kind of relationship with the opposite sex… also, vacation is a fun topic, and if you do act differently when not around people you know – do we let go of inhibitions? Of course – vacation food pairings… the options are endless!
In May of 2014, I read the book We Were Liars by E Lockhart, and it blew me away. CRAZY good book! I raved about it in my review at that time, and well…
A lot has happened in my life personally since 2014, as well as a WHOLE LOTTA BOOKS… so, as I suspect most readers do as well… I forgot about it.
Over the recent holiday weeks, I had a little extra time and noticed that We Were Liars was a mini-series on Prime Video. I thought I had read the book, didn’t check here to verify, and actually, I am so glad I didn’t. 🙂 I remembered very little other than that our teenage protagonist, Cadence, had returned to the Island near Martha Stewart’s Vineyard for the summer as she had done every summer since she was young, but this time was different, as something had happened the previous year. There was an accident, and Cadence could not remember the details other than that she was found in the water and sent to the hospital. Now, back to where it all happened, spending time with her cousins and friends who were there every summer as well, and holding some secrets to what went down… Cadence is slowly piecing it together.
Crazy what you can forget. I was blown away as this came together, and two MEGA recommendations for you.
1) If you have not read this book – We Were Liars, get it. Read it. Do it now. I’ll wait. 2) If you have read this book, ABSOLUTELY watch the Prime Video series under the same title.
SO SO GOOD. And I can’t stop thinking about it.
I didn’t know until recently that there was a second book, written as a prequel – Family Of Liars, which I just started listening to on audio yesterday.
House hunting wars go to a new level in the suburbs of Washington DC for Margo and Ian Miyake. After 18 months of house searching and 11 failed bidding wars, Margo is feeling her dreams of the white picket fence and the tire swing in the back yard to raise their future children slipping from her grasp. Will they ever catch a break?
Then, just as she is about to give up, Margo gets a hot tip about a house that will be listed in the upcoming weeks… sworn to secrecy, Margo can not believe her luck – this house checks off all the boxes (including the tire swing!). But how will they beat out the other interested buyers… what can be done differently than what they have done before?
While Ian, an EPA Lawyer, is more level-headed and realistic, Margo has become obsessed with the house – HER HOUSE, and will stop at quite literally nothing to be sure that when the dust clears, it is her… err… their name on the title. After all, what’s too much when it comes to your dreams?
Honestly, you are getting a mixed bag of nuts on this one. When the book started – I loved it. It was just fun to watch Margo slowly lose it over the pressures of securing a home and then finding the holy grail. Months of trying and failing will do that to a person, and in the start, Margo’s wild antics are humorous, and for most of the book, I am all in.
Deeper in – the book takes a pretty dark turn – totally changing the feel of the book for me. Maybe it was because it was unexpected (I mean – I’ve read some pretty creepy psychological thrillers), maybe I was looking for something lighter – but it left things a little wonky in the end. Some things in the book felt unnecessary and did not add to the book; in fact, IMO, took away. I’m a little sad about this, as 3/4 of the way through the book, I thought I had hit on another 5-star read.
And the moral of this story – be careful what you wish for.
Rated: 3.5 out of 5 Read Author Before: No – this is a debut author Read Author Again: unsure
Themes: unhinged, infidelity, Going TOO FAR
Book Club Worthy – As much as I have mixed feelings about this, I think a good book club discussion could happen. Who hasn’t gone to great measures to get something they really wanted – even to the point of being a big unhinged ;P
What an absolutely beautiful book that will stay with me forever~ Sheila
When a mysterious older gentleman moves to Golden, Georgia, little is known about him other than that he goes by the name Theo. When in a coffee shop one morning, where 92 framed sketches of various residents are on display, Theo comes up with the idea to purchase each of these portraits and gift them to their “rightful owners” – the person in the frame. And what a wide variety of people! An accountant, a custodian, a landlord, a bookstore owner, a street musician, a one armed mixolist, a young girl, and a homeless woman, just to name a few. As Theo sets out on his mission, each sketched person is invited to meet. All Theo asks in return is that they sit with him and tell him about themselves… stories are told, long-lasting hurts are shared, treasured memories revealed, and in the process, lives are changed.
This is my planned first book of 2026. Only recently did this book draw my attention – and in an even shorter time, when a friend posted about this book on social media, the deal was sealed. Not only did I need to read this, but the timing, the beginning of a New Year, seemed to be perfect.
Having just finished this book yesterday afternoon, I am fresh from the words and all the feels. As I think about this today, I honestly don’t know if I can name another recent book that I have read that left me feeling this emotional, inspired, and with chills.
What a perfect book to start the year with. Beautifully and thoughtfully written. May we all take each day as a gift and a chance to quietly make a difference in a positive way. May we all long for Heaven the way that Theo does – and may we be the type of people that bring a little bit of Heaven to earth.
Absolutely read this book.
Rated: 5 out of 5 Read Author Before: No Read Author Again: Maybe – this feels so good I kind of don’t want to touch it 🙂
Book Club Worthy – YES, and if I have anything to say about it – it absolutely will be. There is so, so much that would make for great discussion here.
Happy New Year! It’s snowing here in Central Minnesota. I’m at my kitchen table with my COFFEE looking out the glass sliding door to the deck. This morning, I have spent time putting together this annual post. Thank you, friends, fellow book lovers, and Authors who sent me what book you are starting the New Year with. It’s so fun to see the variety – both new and old titles… hopefully some will get added to your TBR pile (mountain). Be sure to watch for the authors – Thank you to PJ Tracy, Cary Griffith, William Kent Krueger, Jill Hannah Anderson, Allen Eskens, Randy Sue Meyers, Lorna Landvik, Kao Kalia Yang, Barbara Claypole White, Heather Gudenkauf, Joshilyn Jackson, Adriana Trigiana, Julie Schumacher, Laurie Frankel, Nadia Hashimi, Erin Soderberg Downing, and Jenna Blum. So fun to see you in the mix and what you are reading 😀 If I missed anyone, please let me know.. pictures come to me by text, email, Facebook, PMs…. I can easily miss someone, so please resend, and I will get you added.
And with no further babbling from me – here are this year’s wide variety of First Books (titles linked below for easy access.
Note about my pick: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. As usual, I was back and forth on my choice… for a while there I felt certain I was going to go with a re-read (#comfort read) and then I recently was reunited with a book that I thought was a standalone and found out there are more and that this would be a great time to dig back in ( more about this later), there was also one I am intrigued by that a friend is also reading and I could not decide if it was for me now- or better to read once we travel to Florida when I can be all in when I have nothing but time over that three days of travel… – and then finally, Theo Of Golden caught my attention. This book was already in my peripheral vision as a “I need to read this,” and a recent post by a friend sharing her experience with this book sealed the deal.
If you missed this year’s participation deadline, feel free to send it today. I almost always have a few trickling in on New Years and I am happy to update to include your First Read.
Happy Happy New Year to you all! May 2026 bring JOY and Peace.
The age old adage with a knife twist …trying to have your cake… and eating it too. `Sheila
Wes Drake does not like to do anything small. As a wealthy Wyoming rancher and horse breeder at his and his wife Madeline’s sprawling ranch called Lone Tree, he is all about being seen, and of course, others want to be seen with them. When the couple hosts the party of the year, Pistols and Pearls, a gender reveal party so sensational that every A-lister wants to be invited, it makes headlines, not only before the party, but (in unfortunate ways) after the party as well.
When the vintage truck filled with colorful explosive powder blows up when shot, it leaves behind far more than the sex of the baby – it leaves several guests injured, and a good friend of Madeline’s dead.
As the police get involved to get to the bottom of what happened, things are revealed that make it clear that this was no random accident, but a premeditated plan… intended to keep some people quiet… But who was the intended target? And what are they hiding?
It’s no secret that I love me some Heather Gudenkauf. Known for engaging discussion-worthy thrillers, when this one popped up on my radar, it was a no-brainer to dig in. Heather did not disappoint. What a fun subject to plan a crime around – a Gender reveal? Excellent.
In her usual style, Heather brings us delightful, well-developed characters that make you feel like you were also a guest at this party-gone-wrong.
And trust me you are in for a treat as all is not as it appears, and when you think you know you know….
you don’t know… But you will 🙂
Rated: 3.5 out of 5 Read Author Before: Yes Read Author Again: Yes
Triggers: Marital abuse
Book Club Worthy – Yes! What a fun discussion to have around the whole gender reveal party trends – yay or nay – have you been to one? What was cool about it ( or not cool)? Would you do one/host one? In the book, they had some ideas for the catering team for after the reveal. If money were no objecy how would you plan a reveal? The history some of the characters have with one another – good/bad/indifferent
True Crime Podcaster, Harley Granger, shows up at Madeline Martin’s bookstore unannounced and apparently intent on digging up Madeline’s past – a decade-old past that Madeline would very much prefer remain buried.
Granger is known for some unethical practices to get the story, a style that has served him well in making his name, as well as his podcast, quite famous. And Granger is coming in fully loaded with questions for Madeline, with questions about the night that Madeline survived, and her best friend was killed by Evan Handy.
While Handy has been behind bars for a decade for this murder, as well as suspected to be involved in the disappearance of two young girls around that same time frame, more recently, three other young women have disappeared in similar circumstances… causing questions if Handy worked alone.
As Christmas nears, and a blizzard traps the town, another young woman goes missing…. and Madeline feels she must reopen the doors to the past if she wants to have any peace in her future.
Long-time fan of Author Lisa Unger, I was excited to pick up this book and see what she has been up to. And… with less than a week to Christmas, it seemed timely for this title.
I really do enjoy Lisa’s writing, and found this one to be no exception… well written – if anything, I would say it felt a little compact as there is much to unpack here with Madelyn’s back story creeping into her present… the missing girls of the past and the present… Yet a worthy little read for a cold winter night/weekend… curled up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a taser.
Enjoy!
Rated: 3 out of 5 Read Author Before: Yes, many times Read Author Again: Most likely
Book Club Worthy – Good question. I can pretty much make a discussion out of any book, so yes – topics such as trust, young infatuation, disobeying parents ( what insane things did you do as a teenager), and friendships could all be part of that discussion as well.
First Book is a long tradition that I have had long before I started sharing it with others to join in.
For me, there was always something fun about choosing the first book I would read in the New Year. It could be an old favorite I have been hoping to re-read, it could be a long awaited read that has been on my shelf or on my radar for far too long…. it could be just released…. or hundreds of years old…
You may ask – “Why is that a big deal, Sheila? I mean, it’s just another book. It’s just another day.”
Is it? IS IT?
The why is… I like traditions. I like having something special to look forward to and over the holiday weeks – even more so because, honestly, it keeps my mind busy during what for many of us can be harder days. And ( yes, there is more…) I enjoy seeing what others choose for their first book, and from what I hear, a lot of you like to see the books as well. For some, this becomes a reading list of sorts… it may remind you of a book you meant to read, and forgot about, or introduce you to a new book you were unaware of. I enjoy seeing the variety as well if there is a title or two that many have on their list to kick off 2026.
Does it mean you are reading through the night, crossing over from 2025 to 2026? Cool – but no… only if you want to 🙂 It means that you are reading this between the years, or it is the first book you are picking up in 2026. Refer to the rules above.
b) email me ( Put 1st Book in the subject line so I don’t miss it)
c) Text me if you have my number
d) Private Message me on Facebook
And – please, when you send in, send a picture of you with the book. It’s fun, and it makes for a great collage of readers all over the world 🙂 Here are some (not all) from last year to give you the idea:
Hope to see what YOU are planning for your first book of 2026 😀
Book Journey 