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Book Brunch November 2025 |
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The Dogs of Venice
by Steven Rowley
After months of planning a romantic holiday getaway in Venice, Paul is blindsided when his five-year marriage suddenly unravels. Fueled by heartbreak, Paul endeavors to take the trip alone. Soon after arriving in Italy, he notices a small, scruffy, self-assured dog trotting alongside a canal with the confidence he so desperately wants for himself. When their paths cross again, Paul feels compelled to learn how his new four-legged friend thrives on his own. Amid the food, sights, and welcoming people of Venice, Paul's journey culminates in a magical encounter that leads him to feel real connection-to a dog, to a foreign city and, most importantly, to himself. Capturing Steven Rowley's signature wit, insight, and indelible characters, The Dogs of Venice offers another timeless story of love lost, and independence found-a holiday tonic for the soul--
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Maine Characters
by Hannah Orenstein
From beloved author Hannah Orenstein, this love letter to lake life is the Parent Trap for adults, the story of two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father's cabin in Maine after his unexpected death--
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Best Offer Wins
by Marisa Kashino
It starts out feeling pretty light and fun, but I promise you, you have no idea where this story is going. - Taylor Jenkins Reid, recommended for her Must-Read Book of 2025 in TIME Magazine An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino's darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success--and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams? Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian -- and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track -- Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it's publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand). A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners' lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged--but just when she thinks she's won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there's no boundary she won't cross to seize the dream life she's been chasing. The most unsettling part? You'll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief. Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.
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Murder by the Millions
by Daryl Wood Gerber
In a beautiful mountain community near Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients' favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success--if a murderer isn't a killjoy . . . If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie's business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await . . . Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie's best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan's prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie's tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it's the cat's meow.Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she's summoned to his estate for a meeting--and finds him dead. Once again Allie's landed in the middle of a crime scene. Worse, one of her earrings is later discovered near the body. And when police learn she was upset about the mall, she's suspect #1. Allie's blossoming sleuthing skills once cleared Tegan's name, but can she save herself--before a killer writes her a not-so-great Gatsbyesque ending . . .
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Wild Animal
by Joël Dicker
From the devious mind of New York Times bestselling author Joël Dicker --master of the plot twist--comes this gripping domestic thriller that transforms into an ambitious heist mystery involving a famed Geneva jewelry boutique.On July 2, 2022, two criminals set out to rob a jewelry shop in Geneva. But even with a foolproof plan, their perfect heist will prove far from uneventful. . . .Twenty days earlier, on a luxurious estate along the shores of Lake Geneva, Sophie Braun prepares to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Her life seems perfect: she has a fairytale marriage, two perfect children, and lives in a stylish modern mansion surrounded by lush forest. But her idyllic world is about to crumble. Her husband is becoming embroiled in petty schemes. Her neighbor, a policeman with a spotless reputation, is obsessed with her and spies on the most intimate moments of her life. Then, on her birthday, she receives a gift from a mysterious prowler that endangers her life.It will take many journeys into the past, far from Geneva, to unravel the origins of this diabolical plot from which no one will emerge unscathed, including readers. Told at a breathtaking pace, filled with nerve-jangling suspense, Wild Animal demonstrates once again why Joël Dicker--since the publication of The Truth About the Harry Quebert Case--reigns supreme as one of the most beloved contemporary mystery writers in the world today.Translated from the French by Robert Bononno
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Amity
by Nathan Harris
New Orleans, 1866. The Civil War might be over, but formerly enslaved Coleman and June have yet to find the freedom they've been promised. Two years ago, the siblings were separated when their old master, Mr. Harper, took June away to Mexico, where he hoped to escape the new reality of the postbellum South. Coleman stayed behind in Louisiana to serve the Harper family, clinging to the hope that one day June would return. When an unexpected letter from Mr. Harper arrives, summoning Coleman to Mexico, Coleman thinks that finally his prayers have been answered. What Coleman cannot know is the tangled truth of June's tribulations under Mr. Harper out on the frontier. And when disaster strikes Coleman's journey, he is forced on the run with Mr. Harper's daughter Florence--
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King Sorrow
by Joe Hill
Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll -- and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot -- is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library. Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others -- brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen -- don't hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world. But there's nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year -- or become his next meal.--
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Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida
by Gilbert King
From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King comes a chilling exploration of one of America's most haunting wrongful conviction cases. Based on the hit podcast, Bone Valley dives into the dark heart of rural Florida, where a young man's life was upended by a tragic miscarriage of justice. Captivating, enraging, and all too true. --Bob Kolker, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road Bone Valley is a work of rare moral clarity and deep compassion. Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking In 1987, Leo Schofield was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Michelle. Always insistent on his innocence, he was poorly served by his legal defense: the investigation was sloppy, the case flimsy, and numerous pieces of evidence were ignored. He was sentenced to life in prison. Over thirty years later, Gilbert King is tipped off to Leo's case and is astonished by what he found: layers of corruption, flawed evidence, and deep-seated errors. He can't shake the story and starts to get to know Leo and his family. Leo shows an incomprehensible amount of grace and love about his situation, which spurs Gilbert even more to tell his story. Bone Valley is at once a revelatory investigation into a murder, a chilling portrait of the criminal justice system, and a uniquely powerful story of grace and redemption. Gilbert King has written a new classic of narrative nonfiction.
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Wreck
by Catherine Newman
Wreck is a delight. What an absolute joy to be reunited with Rocky and her family, the characters we all fell in love with in Sandwich. Newman's prose is laugh-out-loud funny. It's also profound. I couldn't stop reading, even though I didn't want it to end.--J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of The CliffsWreck is the kind of book that pulls up a chair, pours the wine, and dives deep--equal parts hilarious, sharp, and achingly sincere. I didn't just read it--I felt known by it. A luminous, laugh-out-loud triumph.--Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding PeopleThe acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn't go as planned.If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry--and relate.) Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky's widowed father, has moved in.It all couldn't be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them--and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won't affect them at all.With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people--no matter how much you love them--are not always exactly who you want them to be.
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Recipe for a Perfect Wife
by Karma Brown
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERRecipe for a Perfect Wife is a bold, intoxicating, page-turner. Karma Brown has long been a favorite of mine and this book is proof she just keeps getting better and better. This is a thrilling, audacious story about women daring to take control.--Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six In this intriguing dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home's previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman's life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband--and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society. When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home's basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook's previous owner--1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook's pages Nellie left clues about her life--including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother. Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie's secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister--even dangerous--side to Nellie's marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.
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Every Note Played
by Lisa Genova
Unsparing in her depiction of the disease's harrowing effects, neuroscientist Genova also celebrates humanity. --People Sometimes it's easier to tell truth in fiction...And she tells it with heart and hope. --NPR Her juxtaposition of scientific detail with compassionate, heartfelt storytelling is unparalleled. --Bookreporter Every Note Played will grip and gut you. --The Boston Globe From neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice comes a powerful exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom, and what it means to be alive. An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago. Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce--his divorce. He knows his left arm will go next. Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn't moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it. When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard's muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it's too late. Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.
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A Forbidden Alchemy
by Stacey McEwan
This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals. Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere's test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city's grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive. And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren't born, they're chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone. In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war. Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick's rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn't forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina's first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.
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The Last Devil to Die: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery
by Richard Osman
Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die.
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The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories That Define Us
by John J. Lennon
In 2001, John J. Lennon killed a man on a Brooklyn Street. Now he's a journalist, working from behind bars, trying to make sense of it all. The Tragedy of True Crime is a first-person journalistic account of the lives of four men who have killed, written by a man who has killed. Lennon entered the New York prison system with a sentence of 28 years to life but after he stepped into a writing workshop at Attica Correctional Facility, his whole life changed. Reporting from the cell block and the prison yard, Lennon challenges our obsession with true crime by telling the full life stories of men now serving time for the lives they took. These men have completely different backgrounds -- Robert Chambers, a preppy Manhattanite turned true crime celebrity; Milton E. Jones, a seventeen-year-old coaxed from burglary into something far darker; and Michael Shane Hale, a gay man caught in a crime of passion -- and all are searching to find meaning and redemption behind bars. Lennon's reporting is intertwined with his own story, from a young man seduced by the infamous gangster culture of New York City to a celebrated prison journalist. The same desire echoes throughout the lives of these four men: to become more than murderers. A first-of-its-kind book of immersive prison journalism, The Tragedy of True Crime poses fundamental questions about the stories we tell and who gets to tell them. What essential truth do we lose when we don't consider all that comes before an act of unthinkable violence? And what happens to the convicted after the cell gate locks?
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Never Trust the Husband: A totally gripping psychological thriller packed with twists
by Jessica Payne
You look so happy in your wedding photo, gazing at your perfect new husband, glass of champagne held high in a toast. You chose to ignore the warning signs, but he hid more than one secret from you. And now he's gotten away with your murder... Every night I watch Benjamin and Gwyn in their gorgeous, glass-fronted Seattle home. Your ex-husband. Your best friend. Newly engaged, they're busy dreaming of their future. The official story is that you disappeared, but I know the truth. They killed you. I know Benjamin's new business is in trouble, that he desperately needs your money. I saw the way Gwyn looked at him at your wedding reception, finding any excuse to be close, to laugh too loudly at his jokes. After all, she always wanted your perfect life. But don't worry, Madeline. I won't let it end like this. I can see everything from my place in the shadows between the trees. With their house lit up, they are on display. I'll bide my time and worm my way into their home, their lives. They will never know the truth about who I am. You didn't get your happily ever after, and neither will they... Never Trust the Husband is a totally twisty psychological thriller that will have you glued to the pages late into the night! Fans of The Perfect Marriage, The Housemaid and Shari Lapena will be hooked. Readers love Jessica Payne: OMG!!! What an absolutely EXPLOSIVE, non-stop, action-packed, suspense-rammed thriller!!! I just could not put it down!!!... One of the best books I have ever read... Do not even think about picking this up until you have cleared your schedules as you will NOT be able to put it down!!! Absolutely amazing. Bookworm86, O.M.G!!... If I could give this book 100 stars I would! I am totally in love with this... Jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, nail-biting, totally twisted... Could not get enough!!... I was totally stunned, shocked, my jaw wide open speechless!... OMG I LOVED. Heidi Lynn's Book Reviews, 5 WELL DESERVED STARS! I was mad at life getting in the way preventing me from finishing this in one day!... Perfect, thrilling, heart-stopping... Once you start the first chapter you will not be able to stop! @cabingirlreads, What a blast this book is!... I couldn't put it down. I read way into the night because I could. not. stop. I am exhausted today and don't care. Totes worth it!! NetGalley reviewer, What. Just. Happened?! ... Shockers along the way that make you yell 'WHAT?'... My jaw did not stop dropping... A new fave author for me! @caffeinereadrepeat, THIS is the thriller we've all been waiting for... I honestly could not put this book down and read it well into the night. I had to know what happened next!... A pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thriller. A Couple of B's,
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Evensong
by Stewart O'Nan
The Humpty Dumpty Club is distraught when their powerhouse leader, Joan Hargrove, takes a bad fall down her stairs, knocking her out of commission. Now, as well as running errands and shepherding those less able to their doctors' appointments, they have to pick up the slack. Between navigating their own relationships and aging bodies and attending choir practice, these invisible yet indomitable women help where they can. They bake cookies, they care for pets, they pick up prescriptions, they sit vigil by the sick, and most of all, they show up for the people they've pledged to help. In the face of death, divorce, and the myriad directions our lives can take, the Humpty Dumpty club represents the power of community and chosen family.-- Provided by publisher.
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The Intruder
by Freida McFadden
There's someone at your front door--should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden!Who knows what the storm will blow in...Casey's cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she's a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.She's young. She's alone. And she's covered in blood.The girl won't explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.The girl has a dark secret. One she'll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.
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The Witching Tree: A Natalie Lockhart Novel
by Alice Blanchard
Burning Lake is a small, isolated town with a dark history of witches and false accusations. Now, a modern-day witch has been murdered, and Detective Natalie Lockhart is reluctantly drawn deep into the case--
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The Shadow Girls: A Natalie Lockhart Novel
by Alice Blanchard
Someone is playing deadly games. Lieutenant Luke Pittman lies in the hospital in a coma after being attacked by one of their own. Veronica Manes, Burning Lake's most respected modern-day witch, is dead, her murder left unsolved. Natalie Lockhart has become embroiled in a case with threads that become increasingly difficult to untangle. Now, a new horror is uncovered, one that shocks the town as never before, and the dark, shadowy path forward for Natalie is paved with challenges that haunt her past--Veronica's unsolved case. Her sister's traumatic murder. The long-lost disappearance of her old best friend. Natalie's obsession with finding the truth leads to a twisted, elemental struggle between good and evil--and nothing will ever be the same again. The woods have secrets. The trees are carved with curses. There's something wicked in Burning Lake--
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Hometown Vendetta
by Traci Hunter Abramson
Marine Captain Luke Steele and FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner must work together to unravel a deadly conspiracy before time runs out while also navigating their undercover fake relationship that is becoming all too real. When a terrorist attack grips the nation, Luke Steele, a military aide to the president of the United States, is reassigned to track down the suspect because the alleged bomber was spotted wearing a state championship ring from Luke's hometown. Luke has desperately tried to forget his high school years, but he can't run from them now. Instead, he must face his most formidable assignment yet: leave his post by the president's side, return to Pine Falls, Virginia, and face every demon from his childhood--including every person and every thought that told him he wasn't worth anything. FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner has spent years tracking domestic terrorism. When she catches a break that could pinpoint the key player in the antigovernment group responsible for dozens of needless deaths, she's willing to do whatever it takes to get the information she seeks--even if it means going undercover as Luke Steele's plus-one at his high school reunion. Though Amberlyn found Luke arrogant and aloof during their time together at Quantico, it doesn't take long for her to discover that there's much more to him than she realized. But even as the line between fact and fiction in their relationship blurs, the countdown to danger accelerates. Time is running out, and with the threat of another terrorist attack looming, the stakes are higher than ever.
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Victim #8
by Traci Hunter Abramson
Haunted by a failed mission, military aide Luke Steele teams up with FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner to investigate a journalist's suspicious death in Istanbul. They uncover a conspiracy threatening millions of US citizens, including the president, with nuclear destruction. Amid the danger, Luke must overcome self-doubt and trust in his budding relationship with Amberlyn as they work to stop the catastrophic plot in time--
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