It’s the new year and that means new books to look forward to. Will some of these end up on the best of lists or win prizes? We’ll have to read them to find out. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copies.

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong. Katrina Kim may be broke, the black sheep of her family, and slightly unhinged, but she isn’t a stalker. Her obsession with her co-worker, Kurt, is just one of many coping mechanisms. But when Katrina finds a cryptic message from Kurt that implies he’s aware of her surveillance, her tenuous hold on a normal life crumbles. Out on 1/10/23

The Blue Window by Suzanne Berne. From the Orange Prize–winning author of A Crime in the Neighborhood comes a riveting novel about a therapist whose attempts to unlock the most difficult cases of her life—those of her son, and of her mother—reveal that the bigger the secret you’re concealing, the more it conceals you. Out on 1/10/23

Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Céspedes, translated by Ann Goldstein. Valeria Cossati never suspected how unhappy she had become with the shabby gentility of her bourgeois life—until she begins to jot down her thoughts and feelings in a little black book she keeps hidden in a closet. Set in Rome after WWII. Out on 1/17/23

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon. On the surface, Emerson, Massachusetts, is just like any other affluent New England suburb. But when a young woman is found dead in the nicest part of town, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. Out on 1/17/23

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges. From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. I always wanted a dollhouse when I was little so I’m all in for this one! Out on 1/24/23

Central Places by Delia Cai. A young woman’s past and present collide when she brings her white fiancé home to meet her Chinese immigrant parents in this vibrant debut from an exciting new voice in fiction. Out on 1/31/23

If I didn’t have several books going on right now I’d pick up one of these. Any one they all sound so good. What about you, which one would you choose?

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your first week of the year has been off to a great start.  I’m trying to get back to a more regular blog posting schedule so a perfect way is to join in on The Sunday Salon. Thank you to Deb at Readerbuzz for hosting the chat.

What I’m watching: We are flying through Breaking Bad and are now at Season 4. I can’t believe I resisted watching this show for so long. It’s wonderful.

What I’m reading: I’ve got several books in progress but one that is just so sweet is The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa; translated by Philip Gabriel. I chose this one for the Japanese Literature Reading challenge and it’s a delightful story with a cat as the narrator.

What I’m enjoying: My Legend Planner. I’ve always used planners but I like this one because it has a habit tracker and it makes me think a bit more about my weekly goals, etc. I used a Legend Planner last year but started it a bit after the beginning of the year so it’s nice to have a fresh start.

What I did: I quietly closed my Etsy Shop, Bookgirl’s Studio at the end of the year. It was a dream to have my little online shop and then to do craft shows and have my journals in different boutiques. I never planned on anything like that so it was very exciting. However, the past couple of years between my job and more caregiving responsibilities, it just became another source of making me feel overwhelmed so I decided it was time to close. Thank you to all of you who supported my crafty adventures. And, by no mean are my crafty adventures over. I still love bookbinding and making books and who knows maybe in a few years I’ll decide it’s time to return.

What is my quote for the week: “Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” ~ Helen Keller

Happy weekend and hope you have a great week ahead!