Books I can’t wait to read in 2023

For my new post in the miscellaneous section I’m going to talk about books I can’t wait to read in 2023. 2022 is nearing its end since it is September after all. I probably should wait till December to write this but what would be the fun in that? I already know too much.

In the Q&A with Zibby Owens I did this past summer, she revealed to me that she is writing her upcoming book. From Owens words It’s called BLANK and it’s about a mother of two and writer living in L.A. who is facing some personal and professional challenges and comes up with an unconventional solution to solve them. I’m having so much fun writing it. It’s very light. Beach read! 

I love the idea that it’s about a mother of two and it has writing and it’s a beach read.

In the Q&A with Patti Callahan Henry she told me about her new novel The Secret Book of Flora Lea. We had such a grand time talking about it. Here is what Patti said in her own words.

I am so thrilled about this novel. I loved writing it. The story begins in September 1939 when fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated from their home in Bloomsbury, London during Operation Pied Piper. They find a haven in a village near Oxford. There, to allay their fear and loneliness, Hazel creates a magical storybook land for her small sister, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own: Whisperwood. Then in the fall of 1940, at the height of the Blitz, Flora goes missing on the banks of the Thames. Everyone is under suspicion, and lives are shattered. Flora is never found, and Hazel blames herself, her innocence lost. In March 1960, Hazel lives in London and works at the cozy, family-run Hogan’s Book Shoppe where she unwraps a parcel from the United States containing an illustrated children’s book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. She has never told anyone about her and Flora’s secret story, and now it exists in a collection of fairy tales written by an American author.

Could the survival of the story mean the survival of her sister?

I like that the topic is about World War II when the English children had to flee to the countryside during the bombings in London and then it goes to the 1960s. I also like the storytelling aspect about sisters who create magical stories to pass the time. There’s also a small mystery within this historical fiction novel? Does the story surviving mean the sister is alive after all? The novel will be on sale May 2^nd of 2023.

In my Q&A with Madeline Martin she told me about another World War II novel that comes out next year. It is another novel that takes place during World War II and has a bookshop in it.  

  I’m currently working on The Keeper of Hidden Books set in Warsaw, Poland during WWII where two friends are separated by the ghetto wall during the Nazi occupation, each fighting their own way to inspire hope amid despair – one by operating secret libraries within the ghetto and the other by participating in the Polish Home Army. Goodreads has a link up without a cover or blurb as yet, but you can add it to your Want to Reads and see updates taking place as I add more to the review I have up giving details on the book’s progress: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60317191-the-keeper-of-hidden-books 

I like the fact that this novel once again covers World War II and that there is a bookshop at the center of it. I know in history the Nazis did try to ban certain books. So it will be interesting to read about that period.

Pam Jenoff is another author I had the pleasure of doing a Q&A with. She is the New York Times Bestselling author of many World War II novels. Her upcoming novel is no exception though I like the topic of this one. In Pam’s own words this is what she had to say.

When Hannah’s ship is forced to turn back to Europe, she finds refuge with her cousin Lily in Brussels. There Hannah connects with Micheline, the leader of an escape line ferrying downed Allied airmen out of occupied Europe, who agrees to help Hannah leave for America in exchange for working with her. But when Hannah’s work results in the arrest of Lily and her family, Hannah is forced to risk everything to save those she loves.  CODE NAME SAPPHIRE was inspired by the true story of the attempt to sabotage a train that was headed to Auschwitz, as well as by the courageous women who helped evacuate downed Allied airmen from occupied Europe.

I like that the topic is based on true accounts about men and women in the resistance helping smuggle allied airmen out of Nazi occupied Europe. I had no idea though that there was an attempt to sabotage a train heading to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

 Alison Weir while I haven’t had a Q&A with her yet, she has posted about exciting projects for the future. Whether its new novels she’s writing or plans to write or Starz getting the rights to some of them to make limited series about famous queens that haven’t been done to death a thousand times. Next year in her Tudor Rose trilogy will be the second book about Henry VIII. While I don’t see myself buying this particular novel, it will be interesting to read a historical fiction book from his point of view about the wives, his reign and trying to get an heir.

Martha Hall Kelly while I haven’t done a Q&A with her yet, I have spoken to her many times. Her new book “The Golden Doves” comes out April 18^th of 2023. The novel takes place in 1950s Paris and two female spies reunite to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor. I remember when Martha first told me about this novel, that she was so excited about it since it takes place all over the world. After first telling me about it in 2020 Martha told me not to release the name since she didn’t want anyone stealing the title of her book. Now that she released the name of her novel it’s safe to talk about it again. Martha told me as it gets closer to the publication date of her novel that’s when we will be doing the Q&A. So when April comes along keep a look out.

Alex Michaelides was the second male author I spoke with, making Jake Adelstein the first male author that I’ve done a Q&A with. After reading and loving his second novel “The Maidens,” he has another murder mystery novel coming which has me excited.  In Alex’s own words

I’m finishing my next book now – it’s been a joy to write. I can’t reveal much about it just yet, as it has to be edited and won’t be out for a while – but it’s my favourite thing I’ve written. So watch this space!

While that doesn’t give me a whole lot of detail about what book 3 is about, it is a good sign when an author says that this novel has to be his favorite one to write yet. Once I know more I will update everyone with a newsletter.

Jake Adelstein and I spoke about a variety of topics obviously his books and the show being two of those topics. Next year the sequel to “Tokyo Vice,” titled “Tokyo Private Eye” comes out. “Tokyo Private Eye,” covers the period 2007-2014. To read the full press release of what “Tokyo Private Eye,” will be about and the various other subjects we spoke about, here is the Q&A link to that. https://booknotions.com/qa-with-jake-adelstein/  Also in Jake’s words he speaks about the novel “The Last Yakuza,” from 2017 being published in English.  Finally, one last piece of good news, The Last Yakuza which was published in French in 2017 will be published in English within the next year. It’s a very different book from Tokyo Vice and I’m delighted to see that it will be available to English readers in the near future. I look forward to your review.

Obviously I read everything whether it be fiction or non-fiction whatever tickles my fancy. I want to know about what Jake went through in Private Eye. I also want to read “The Last Yakuza,” and wonder how different that will be from “Tokyo Vice”. It was also nice of Jake to tell me he was looking forward to my review. Really it was so kind of him and any author to agree to do a Q&A with me in the first place.