“It’s interesting to note that there are two groups of people who are rarely, if ever, suspected of murder. These groups are elderly women and little girls.”
Mad Mabel is a charming and surprising novel from best selling Australian author Sally Hepworth.
Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old and has lived quietly in her home on a narrow inner-city lane in Melbourne for decades. Though she exchanges a few polite, and the occasional cross, words with others on the street, she generally prefers to keep to herself, cultivating her reputation as a curmudgeonly eccentric nobody. But when the irritating dog of Elsie’s immediate neighbour, and nemesis, won’t stop barking, Elsie hauls herself over their dividing fence only to find the elderly owner dead, and suddenly everybody knows who Elsie is, or at least who she used to be: ‘Mad Mabel’.
While Elsie reckons with the loss of her anonymity as the police investigate her neighbours death in the present, her memories of how she earned the moniker of ‘Mad Mabel’, recounted to two eager podcaster’s, will break your heart. To avoid spoilers, I’ll simply say that Elsie endured a difficult childhood and adolescence before becoming the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder.
The truth about Elsie is revealed with perfect pacing so that the mystery of who she is and what she has, or has not, done, keeps the reader guessing. Elsie will earn every bit of sympathy you can spare and make you laugh out loud. Hepworth effortlessly balances humour and heartbreak, creating a heroine who feels both deeply authentic and wonderfully larger than life.
Elsie expects that upon learning about her past she will be shunned by her neighbours but instead the street, except from Joan across the way, rally around her. Seven year old Persephone, who is an absolute delight, is Elsie’s staunchest defender, and despite her grumbling, Elsie adores the feisty little girl and, it turns out, will also do anything to protect her.
Wonderfully told with humour and heart, Mad Mabel is a poignant character driven mystery that celebrates resilience, friendship, and community. I highly recommend it.
#bookreview Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth #read #book #review #fiction #contemporary #mystery #cloakdaggerchal #2026NewReleaseChallenge #AussieAuthor #MadMabel Learn more at Book’d Out
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
July 14: Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors (Share books from your to-read list that are written by authors you’ve never read before.)
This list of books I want to read by new to me authors is a mix of some titles I have coming up for review which I haven’t featured previously, and random picks from my TBR shelf. I’d guess around 70% of the books I read each year are from new to me authors. What do you think your ratio is?
Select the cover to learn more at Goodreads
Theodora’s Tea Shop is an atmospheric 1920s-inspired fantasy novel about magic, friendship and, of course, tea. It features twists and turns, found families, monstrous women, many heartfelt and cosy moments, and a creepy daemon who owns a department store.
Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, this is a story of the most famous witch trial in Iceland – where one woman stands up to the patriarchal forces against her.
A plant-loving librarian and a standoffish witch team up to cure a botanical curse in this whimsical and charming fantasy?
When the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not what it seems
Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle’s estate… and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws… and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all…
In a London that insists women remain quiet, dutiful, and dull, two unlikely conspirators discover a secret that awakens everything society tells them to suppress…Because once women taste freedom, no amount of decorum can force it back in the bottle.
Emma Rogers Li’ is penniless, hopeless and adrift following her ex-fiancé bankrupting their publishing company then fleeing the country. Until a job listing to run a bookstore in the small town of Heart’s Hope Crossing, Vermont winds up in her inbox, that is.
Becky Chambers’ series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in this next magical novel
A Japanese rendition of The Office set in a bookstore, following a young bookstore employee’s fight for stability despite her infuriatingly oblivious manager, while against all odds clinging to her passion for books.
Have a terrific Tuesday!
Today is Top Ten Tuesday #TTT hosted by @artsyreadergirl #books #bookblogger This week I’m sharing books I want to read by new to me authors. Learn more @ Book’d Out
My darling eldest daughter who knew how eager I was to read The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy, because of my love for The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley, showed up unprompted with a copy on release day which I promptly read (after she had gone home of course!) While it didn’t delight me in quite the same way, it was still a fun read and a satisfying conclusion to the duology. I’m probably not going to write a review for it because I’m still not caught up with my backlog, but I would recommend it.
I know most of you in the Northern hemisphere are hot and sweaty but the cold weather has really set in here, now particularly at night. It’s 3°c here at the moment so I’m huddled under my heated throw on the lounge.
I know I swore to watch less television but well it’s cold, so to feel slightly more virtuous about it I took some inspiration from #ParisinJuly2026 hosted by Emma at Words and Peace. This week I’ve binged Seasons 1 & 2 of Saint-Pierre, a Canadian police procedural set on the French Collective island of Saint-Pierre, and Season 14 of Death in Paradise, which is set in the Caribbean on a fictional island with a French Colonial history. I also finally watched Project Hail Mary which was charming, though not quite as good as the book.
What I’ve Read Since I last Posted…
The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley ★★★★
When Lila Dixon gets a call that her mother has gone missing, she initially brushes it off—Mattie’s disappearances are a part of life, like earthquakes in their dusty California hometown. But this time the prime suspect is Lila’s larger-than-life the one-time baseball star, local hero, and fatal charmer John “Dix” Dixon. Dix’s main accomplishment as a dad was finding new ways to disappoint his daughter, but even Lila knows he’s not behind this. And when they uncover a $250,000 deposit to Mattie’s bank account, and someone slips a threatening note under Lila’s motel door, they realize Mattie may be in real danger. Now they’re heading down a trail marked by unsavory Russian thugs, fat-cat farmers, and an unseen enemy who’s always a step ahead. With crackling banter and characters that leap off the page, Get Lost is a fast-paced and emotionally layered mystery. Justin Halpern tells a story that’s by turns hilarious and about fractured families, grudges that last a lifetime, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to the people we thought we’d lost for good.
The real story of science isn’t a triumphant breakthrough. It’s messy, mysterious, and deeply human. In Lost in Curiosity, award-winning journalist Roberta Kwok pulls back the curtain on what scientific discovery actually looks like… Not a Eureka moment, but a fraught, often chaotic pursuit of truth. Chronicling researchers’ struggles and hopes in the field and lab, Kwok documents it all: fending off relentless snowfall on a remote Greenland glacier, desperately searching for an elusive frog in the rainforests of Borneo, and scrambling to capture fleeting signals of a faraway moon outside our solar system. These are the untold stories of devoted young scientists and restless minds who are chasing nature’s riddles, without knowing what they’ll uncover. Through vivid reporting and moments of unexpected emotion, Kwok reveals the inner lives of researchers who care profoundly about understanding our world and saving what’s left of it. From enigmatic fossils and mind-bending physics to the puzzling behavior of wild animals, Lost in Curiosity is a journey through the questions that keep scientists up at night—and the sometimes strange, always illuminating paths they take to answer them.
A sharp, emotional novel about a tough-minded bar owner who makes a deal with a devil of a cowboy—and might just get burned… Moving to Montana to buy a dive bar with her two best friends sounds like a can’t-miss idea to Charly Henwood. The scenery is breathtaking, and the cowboys aren’t bad-looking either. Not that Charly’s interested. Her heart is as unmovable as the surrounding mountains. After her cheating ex-boyfriend destroyed their relationship and their nightclub, she’s determined to take care of herself, her friends and their bar. But it turns out the regulars resent newcomers swapping their craft beer for an extensive cocktail menu. One is particularly not happy—The Naked Moose’s previous owner, Jaxon Reed. The last thing Charly needs is a cocky cowboy telling her how to run her bar, or her life. But maybe she can use Jaxon to her advantage. If he’ll agree to be the prize in a charity auction, Charly will make the bar a little more cowboy-friendly. When that plan backfires, Charly finds herself doing battle with the biggest temptation in Timber Falls. A man who has made it his mission to win her over, using every infernal means at his disposal. And if her resolve goes up in flames, her heart is sure to follow…
Thanks for stopping by!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR @bookdatereads #SundayPost @caffienatedreviewer #SundaySalon @debnance I’m #reading #GetLost #TheDevilinBlueJeans #LostInCuriosity
It is a sad truth that I have a finite lifespan (and budget) yet a desire to read all the books. The books on my Reading Schedule (click the link to view) largely represent those I’ve been privileged to select from offerings by a range of generous publishers, and therefore are my priority, but they don’t embody my every bookish desire or interest.
I’ve noticed a trend for limiting to-be-read (TBR) and/or want-to-read (WTR) lists (the distinction for me being those already on my physical or digital shelves vs those that aren’t), but I’ve never felt the need to temper my book lust. If I see a book that interests me, I add it to my WTR without a skerrick of guilt, at the moment my WTR shelf at Goodreads has over four thousand books on it.
As I currently feature my TBR in my monthly Bookshelf Bounty post, Book Lust will be a monthly post featuring a handful of already published books I’ve recently added to my WTR.
What books are you lusting after? Do you have any of these on your TBR/WTR list? And please feel free to share your links in the comments if you have reviewed them.
(Covers are linked to Goodreads)
WHY?: There’s a lot of buzz about this book so FOMO I guess
Travis is Death in the modern world. He wears jeans and a T-shirt and lives in a small, grey town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life. He’s stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite everything he knows. He’s young and handsome, despite who he is. Each death he witnesses is meaningful to him; he listens, never judges, and most importantly, never tries to change anyone’s fate. He knows that every life must eventually end to maintain the balance of the universe and he respects the cycle.
Then he meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall. As Dalia and Layla come to embrace Travis, it becomes more difficult to maintain the detachment that’s allowed him to function for so long. Their time together teaches him what’s truly important in life—and what might be irrevocably lost in death.
Written with radiant warmth, wisdom, and compassion, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is a timeless story about appreciating life, accepting its end, and finding our place in the universe—especially when it feels most impossible—that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost or worried at time’s passing.
WHY? The premise is appealing and the author is an Australian I haven’t read before
After Tina Lamb loses her family home in a bitter divorce, she finds herself living in a caravan on the city’ s fringes. Having raised four children and nursed her dying mum, she was not anticipating making a new start alone or from scratch. And while some of her new neighbours are welcoming, she soon finds herself getting far more attention than she bargained for. When Tina finds work caring for a wealthy elderly woman, it is a welcome break from an ageist, sexist job market. But Mrs Bell is anything but predictable. Highly educated, acerbic and intimidating, she is not the straightforward charge that Tina had hoped for. As the two women form an unlikely friendship, they soon discover that financial security is about more than having money. Topical and absorbing, People Like Us celebrates the power of female friendships and the promise of new beginnings found in unexpected places.
WHY? Love the Miss Scarlet and the Duke TV series (especially the Duke) so I’d like to see how this compares
The first original novel inspired by the hit MASTERPIECE Mystery! series Miss Scarlet and the Duke
At the height of VIctorian “Egyptian Mummymania,” when illusion and obsession captivate London society, a discovery defies all reason – the body of a recently murdered woman found inside a sarcophagus sealed for thousands of years.
For Eliza Scarlet, the case offers a chance to prove herself once again in a world that continues to underestimate her, but as she delves deeper, she uncovers a troubling pattern – women vanishing, lives dismissed, and a mystery that reaches further than anyone is willing to admit. At its center is a name spoken in Jebediah Griffin.
As Eliza follows the truth into increasingly perilous territory, Detective Inspector William Wellington is never far behind. He is bound to her by loyalty, by history… and by something neither of them is willing to face. Each step deeper into the case tests not only their resolve, but the fragile line between partnership and something more.
WHY? I’ve previously enjoyed a book by this author. Above are the Australian/UK and US covers respectively
In 1920, seventeen-year-old Maddie Bright is thrilled to take a job as a serving girl on the royal tour of Australia by Edward, Prince of Wales. She makes friends with Helen Burns, the prince’s vivacious press secretary, and Rupert Waters, his most loyal man, and is in awe of Edward himself, the boy prince.
For Maddie, who longs to be a journalist like Helen, what starts as a desire to help her family after the devastation of war becomes a chance to work on something that matters. When the unthinkable happens, it is swift and life changing.
Decades later, Maddie Bright is living in a ramshackle house in Paddington, Brisbane. She has Ed, her devoted neighbour, to talk to, the television news to shout at, and door-knocker religions to join. But when London journalist Victoria Byrd gets the sniff of a story that might lead to the true identity of a famously reclusive writer, Maddie’s version of her own story may change.
1920, 1981 and 1997: the strands twist across the seas and over two continents, to build a compelling story of love and fame, motherhood and friendship. Set at key moments in the lives of two of the most loved and hated figures of the twentieth century, in Maddie Bright, a reader will find a friend, and by novel’s close, that friend’s true and moving story.
WHY?I saw this on someone’s blog (I forgot to note who) and was intrigued by the blurb
In Cork, Ireland, a derelict Victorian mental hospital is being converted into modern apartments. One passerby has always flinched as she nears the place. In another time, she might have found herself held within those walls.
She notices a sign, the first of many. Guided by an irresistible impulse, she follows them. FOR SALE. The letter L, broken free from a pane of stained glass. Whispers from the river. She trespasses, steals, absconds from the routines of her life—mother, spouse, daughter—as she hears a chorus of insistent voices. They murmur from archives, old casebooks that recorded their progress and failures—no change. They slip through stairwells and walls. They are the women who knew this place best, and with them—with one in particular—she feels a connection. She is drawn out; she knocks on a door in the night. Will this investigation, this journey, this haunting, take her too far into the past or will it bring her to a new understanding of what she might yet make of the future?
A work of intense attention and tenderness, Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s Said the Dead breaks boundaries between past and present, the imagined and real, history and fiction, to make something new and lasting. An investigation into the dangers of knowing our selves and the past, it is an experience like no other—a ghost story and a reclamation.
Book Lust is a monthly post featuring a handful of published #books I’ve recently added to my #WTR #read #TBR #bookblogger #booklover #bibliophile #BookLust Learn more at Book’d Out
Written by Korean author Song Yu-jeong and translated by Shanna Tan, The Memory Bookshop is a short contemporary novel layered with magical realism.
Kim Jiwon is drowning in guilt and regret when she stumbles into an unfamiliar bookshop to escape a raging storm. Immediately enveloped in silence and sunshine, Kim is quick to realise that this is no ordinary bookstore. She’s poised to leave when a young woman, offers her a cup of coffee and three chances to travel back to her past. There is a catch though, unless Kim is able to effect a change in her life during these visits, she will forfeit time proportionate to how far back in the past she travels at the risk of her life.
I’m going to be brief here because though I don’t think of myself as cynical, I have to confess that I found The Memory Bookshop to be mawkish rather than profound.
I liked the general idea of the bookshop existing as a liminal space and it serving as a repository of memories. It’s not a unique idea, but it is appealing to imagine such a place.
I wasn’t unsympathetic to the protagonists state of mind, or her desperate journey through her memories in the hopes of preventing her mother’s death, but I was a bit impatient with the extremis of her grief.
The author’s overall messages about not taking loved ones for granted, and remembering the good rather than dwelling on the bad memories are thoughtful and sincere but not exactly subtle or revelatory.
Given the Author’s Note I feel a little guilty of my rather indifferent reaction to The Memory Bookshop, but I appear to in the minority so you may well find it more moving than I.
#bookreview The MemoryBookshop by Song Yu-jeong @WilliamMorrowBooks #read #book #review #fiction #contemporary #magicalrealism #translation #SpeccyFicChal#2026NewReleaseChallenge #TheMemoryBookshop Learn more at Book’d Out
In the year ending September 2025, police in England and Wales recorded more than two million serious crimes. Most of these cases required some form of forensic involvement, whether from crime scene officers, forensic scientists, or other specialist experts, each contributing to the investigation from the crime scene to the courtroom.
In An Expert Witness: Forensic Science on Trial, Dame Sue Black, an internationally renowned forensic anthropologist with more than thirty-five years of experience giving expert evidence in UK and international criminal courts, explores the evolution of the forensic expert witness and their vital role within the justice system.
A forensic expert witness is a specialist who applies scientific expertise to legal investigations, analysing evidence and providing objective, evidence-based opinions for the courts. Their work spans several disciplines including forensic pathology, anthropology, toxicology, and digital forensics.
Drawing on fascinating historical and contemporary cases, Black examines both the strengths and limitations of forensic science and those who practise it. She explains the distinction between investigative evidence and probative evidence, showing how forensic science can eliminate suspects without necessarily identifying the offender. She also discusses the dangers of pseudoscience or “junk” science, and considers the opportunities and challenges that emerging technologies, including AI, may present for the future of the discipline.
Given the significant influence expert testimony can have on the outcome of a trial, forensic scientists must provide contextual, reasoned, and scientifically defensible interpretations of the evidence. Black reflects candidly on her own experiences in the witness box, describing the stress and frustration of enduring rigorous cross-examination that can challenge not only an expert’s qualifications and methodology, but also their personal credibility.
Taking a tone somewhere between a university lecture and an impassioned conversation, An Expert Witness is an interesting and thought-provoking read for anyone curious about forensic science and the law. I also think it would be a valuable resource for students entering the field, such as my daughter, who is currently completing her Master’s in forensic science.
One of the key conclusions I drew from An Expert Witness is that while forensic science is an invaluable tool in both criminal and civil investigations, no one should ever be convicted, or exonerated, on the basis of a single piece of scientific evidence. As Black demonstrates throughout the book, the use of forensic science in the courtroom is at its most powerful when it forms part of a broader body of evidence, interpreted with rigour, integrity, and appropriate caution.
#bookreview An Expert Witness by Sue Black @PenguinUKBooks #read #book #review #nonfiction #ReadNonFicChal #readingchallenge #truecrime #SCIENCE #law #2026NewReleaseChallenge #AnExpertWitness Learn more at Book’d Out
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend.”
Most Ardently Yours is a romantic comedy with a magical literary twist from Freya Sampson.
Aspiring romance author Zoe Knight unwittingly conjures Mr Darcy after stealing a copy of Pride and Prejudice from a bookstore in a fit of pique when its owner, Nick, declares romance novels to be “toxic”. With her most beloved book boyfriend now inexplicably sleeping on her sofa, Zoe starts to believe a happy-ever-after could be within her grasp after all, but it soon becomes clear that Darcy needs to return to his own world, and that Zoe needs Nick’s help to make that happen.
This is the third book I’ve read in as many weeks in which a fictional character is magically transported into the real world (see my reviews of Romantic Hero and If Books Could Kill), and unfortunately, despite its appealing premise, I think Most Ardently Yours suffers somewhat by comparison.
Firstly, I think Sampson made it difficult for herself by choosing Mr Darcy. Even with the most generous interpretation of his character, I can’t imagine him being so blasé about the modern world. It’s kind of fun to picture Darcy in a shell suit, glued to RuPaul’s Drag Race while being fed falafel by Zoe’s Lebanese landlady, but likely? No.
Secondly, even with Sampson directly acknowledging the “fated mates” trope, there simply isn’t enough space to develop a convincing connection between Zoe and Nick. I’m not sure they even spend the equivalent of twenty-four hours together over the course of the novel, and personally, I need more than that to become invested in a romance.
Thirdly, while I like the message Sampson imparts about self-belief and taking responsibility for your own happiness, there’s an element of the ending (which I can’t reveal without spoilers) that I found both ridiculous and unnecessary.
Despite these flaws, there were elements of Most Ardently Yours that I enjoyed, particularly the humour and the character dynamics. The magic that allows Zoe to read Darcy out of the book, step into it herself, and deal with the repercussions is a creative idea.
If you can’t get enough of Pride and Prejudice, or count Mr Darcy among your book boyfriends, then you may well enjoy Most Ardently Yours more than I did.
#bookreview Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson @bookmarked @Sourcebooks #read #book #review #fiction #romance #romcom #romanticfantasy #SpeccyFicChal #2026NewReleaseChallenge #MostArdentlyYours Learn more at Book’d Out
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
July 7: Book Titles That Include the Word “_____” (Pick a word and share ten book titles that include that word!)
I made the assumption that ‘book’ will be a popular word choice for this week’s theme so I’ve decided to go with the word ‘out’, obviously drawing inspiration from the name of my blog.
I was somewhat surprised to find I have only reviewed a handful of books that include ‘out’ in the title, it’s actually more common that it is part of a compound word (like The Fallout, Hideout, Outback Secrets etc) so this list includes books I have both reviewed and that are on my TBR.
{Follow the links to learn more}
Cooper Not Out by Justin Smith: There’s so much uncomplicated joy in this story of an unassuming Aussie bloke from a dusty country town, a man with ‘no obvious skill or talent’ who nevertheless winds up playing cricket for Australia.
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson: This quirky, funny and clever novel follows the adventures of the endearing Swedish centenarian, Allan Karlsson after climbing out of the ground floor window of his nursing home to avoid the fuss of his 100th birthday celebration.
Fly In Fly Out by Georgina Penney: A sweet and passionate romance featuring thirty something year old Jo Blaine, an engineer who lives in Perth, Western Australia but works on an oil rig off the coast of North Africa.
Out of the Silence by Wendy James: Set at the turn of the last century in Australia, Out of the Silence is a compelling blend of historical and crime fiction. Based on a true story it draws from historical record and the imagination of Wendy James to explore the fate of two women, working class Maggie Heffernan and genteel immigrant, Elizabeth Hamilton at a time when the suffragist movement, led by Vida Goldstein, was gaining ground in Victoria.
Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald: This is the last book by Fleur McDonald to feature her popular rural detective Dave Burrows as he investigates the murder of a cattle farmer in the South Australian outback.
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore: It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and 19 year old Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens thirty-two years in the future in her fifty-one-year-old body where she learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins Oona Out of Order…
Last One Out by Jane Harper: This is an atmospheric tale of suspense where a mother searches for answers about her son’s disappearance in a dying outback Australian town.
Burnt Out by Victoria Brookman: She lost everything in a bushfire and became the celebrity face of climate change. But is fame and living with a billionaire all it’s cracked up to be? A warm and witty story for our times.
Today is Top Ten Tuesday #TTT hosted by @artsyreadergirl #books #bookblogger This week I’m sharing book titles that include the word OUT. Learn more @ Book’d Out
The deadline for submissions related to my work drama passed on Tuesday. Our office has now done all we can in hopes of survival and a final decision will be announced in a few weeks. It’s unlikely to be favourable sadly, but I’m crossing my fingers anyway.
I know I said last week I needed to watch less TV but I put Off-Campus, based on Elle Kennedy’s book series, on for background while I was working and binged the entire season in one night. I don’t even know why, I just couldn’t look away, even though it made me blush! Have you watched it?
I have The Great Food Truck Race playing now (I think Season 16), and it’s making me hungry. When I was a teenager I had a weekend job working in a food caravan at a market, firstly in one that sold mostly fried foods like donuts, hot chips, battered sausages etc, which I hated (I still have a scar or two from the deep fryer) and so I eventually switched to a Doner Kebab truck (aka Gyros or Yeeros) run by a lovely Turkish couple. Kebabs are still my absolute favourite fast food. I make my own from scratch too
For lovers of The Midnight Library and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop , discover a spellbinding novel about a mysterious bookshop that exists outside of time and space, where the past is only a page away… If you’re lost or grieving, you’ll find The Memory Bookshop. Where the shelves are endless. The books, strangely familiar. And memories are bound in pages. Jiwon’s life has been slowly disintegrating since her mother died. Until one day, caught by a sudden downpour, she stumbles into a mysterious bookstore. Inside, she is met by Manager K and offered no explanation, only a mysterious hourglass and a rare to travel back to three chapters of her life. But returning to the past isn’t without risk. In exchange, Jiwon must give up time in her future. As she wanders between the shelves, the bookshop humming with memories and regrets, she must ask can the past truly be rewritten? Or does the real magic lie in the life she’s yet to live? Warm, wise, and full of wonder, The Memory Bookshop is a story about the journey of grief and the power of books to carry us home.
On her fourteenth birthday, Caiti NicNeven discovers her true mother is the queen of the Sidhe, the faery folk who dwell beneath Scotland’s hollow hills. Bound by ancient grievance, the faery queen demands Caiti become the instrument of her revenge against the mortal crown stolen a thousand years before. Drawing on a dangerous magic she barely understands, Caiti flees. She finds refuge at the treacherous court of Mary, Queen of Scots. As fear and religious fervour grip the country, Mary is pressured into passing an Anti-Witchcraft Act, placing every woman – and every whispered spell – in peril. Watching from the shadows, the faery queen tightens her hold. When Caiti falls in love with Robbie, the son of a local laird, her mother strikes, cursing him to dance himself to death beneath the faery moon. To save the man she loves, Caiti must cross into the faery realm and confront the mother who would destroy her – and claim a wild, dangerous magic of her own. Inspired by the true story of Scotland’s first witch-hunt, The Changeling is a spellbinding tale of witchcraft, forbidden love and defying fate.
You can change your name. But you can’t change your past . . . Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick lives a quiet life in the suburbs. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, few would suspect she harbours a secret she’s worked hard to bury. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick – once a little girl and now an old lady – has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end. When an elderly neighbour is found dead, no one suspects a thing – until they uncover Elsie’s true Mad Mabel, the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder, over sixty years ago. The police are asking questions. The media is circling. Has the past finally caught up with Mad Mabel? Or is it time for her to finally set the record straight?
Thanks for stopping by!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR @bookdatereads #SundayPost @caffienatedreviewer #SundaySalon @debnance I’m #reading #TheChangeling #TheMemoryBookstore #MadMabel
Each month I highlight some of the reviews shared for the challenge in the linky
Don’t forget to link each book you read as you read during the year!
I encourage you to support all participants who have shared what they are reading for the challenge. Give them a like, leave them a comment, share their posts on your social media channels using #ReadNonFicChal
IN JUNE…
[MEMOIR]
“I loved this book which was both informative and incredibly readable…..Late Light is a very personal reflection on the state of the natural world in the UK and I think that makes it more powerful than a more impersonal text might have been.”
“I saw this at the library and had to grab it. Look how beautiful it is! And the illustrations inside are just as gorgeous….This book was interesting yet full of horrible stories.”
“The book is an eye opening account of one family’s attempt to overcome the past. Snippets of the actions of foreign governments is interspersed throughout the book adding to the horror of the era. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars and think this will be my book of the year for 2026. Remember Us to Life is a must read.”
“Highly recommend both these titles, as long as you are ok with the swearing. As much as I enjoyed the audiobooks, I think the physical copies of the books might be more useful. There are checklists at the ends of the chapters and finding specific tips would be easier to track in a book. If you are looking around your space and thinking to yourself that you really need to get organized but don’t know where to start, these books might just do the trick.”
2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight for JUNE #readnonficchal #readingchallenge #nonfiction #bookblogger #books #read #join See what people have been reading at Book’d Out
Book’d Out 
