Time to share about some new book releases this month. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copies.

Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin. A romantic comedy about a new bookshop owner who prefers movies and an author who is a hopeless romantic. How can I resist a book set in a bookstore?

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. Set in a close-knit Pennsylvania suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.

The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick. What if you could write a new ending for yourself? This is the story of literary secrets, a family curse and the lengths women will go to take charge of their future.

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor. This is the first short story collection by this author and this one features time slips, doomsday scenarios and killer butterflies. Be ready for some scary stuff.

I Am the Light of this World by Michael Parker. In  the  early  1970s,  in  Stovall,  Texas,  seventeen-year-old  Earl—a  loner,  dreamer,  lover of music and words—meets Tina, the new girl in town. Two  days  later,  Earl  is  being  questioned  by  the  police  and soon  he  is  sentenced for a crime he did not commit.

Foster by Claire Keegan. It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again.

Any of these sound good to you? Have a wonderful weekend and more book talk soon!

On Sunday we went to the Texas Book Festival and although I didn’t make it to the author events, my main goal was to check out the exhibitor tents. I had such a good time despite the heat. Good grief I was sweating and by the end of the afternoon was desperate for a cold coffee. Anyway, let’s talk about the books I found!

I stopped by the Deep Vellum table and was recommended two books by the wonderful staff onsite. The New Adventures of Helen by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya; translated by Jane Bugaeva. This book of “fairy tales” asks deep questions about gender, love and the past. Beautiful cover too isn’t it? The other book I got was The Love Parade by Sergio Pitol; translated by G. B. Henson. A historian sets out to solve the mystery of a murder committed in the building where he lived as a ten-year-old in Mexico City. I’ve had this author on my radar for a while.

Next time I visit Dallas I’ll be sure to check out their shop!

My next visit was the Hablemos, escritoras table. If you like to read in Spanish or interested in Spanish language literature written by women this is a fantastic resource. They do offer books in English and actually you can find books that you would probably have a hard time finding at a local bookshop. Anyway, I did buy Mar de Piedra by Aura García-Junco. Another book set in Mexico City but this is a city of the future. I’ve not read any dystopian fiction set in Latin America so I’m excited about this one.

Finally I was was looking forward to stopping by the Writer’s League of Texas table and visit with Dixie Evatt and Helen Currie Foster. Dixie is a member of my mystery book group and the author of two mystery series (which we’ve read in our book group) and Helen is the author of the Alice MacDonald series. I was very exited to get my copy of Ghost Daughter autographed and looking forward to reading it for an upcoming book group meeting.

It was wonderful to see this event in person again and I’m already looking forward to next years.