This month, it’s a real mix of books. Two of the authors will be familiar to my readers, Laura Morelli’s latest novel, The Keeper of Lost Art, set in WWII Tuscany tells the story of the unsung heroes who kept Italy’s most treasured art safe from the Nazi’s. The second book on the list, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano, is the fifth book in the series (and not the last)!
Next, The Magician’s Daughter is one of the first memoirs that I’ve reviewed, and for lovers of history, those interested in the family dynamics of magicians will enjoy this inside look into the world of show. The last book for the month is a future release full of family drama titled High Season. While the book won’t be released until August, I would get this one preordered as soon as possible. It will keep you guessing until the final reveal.
The Keeper of Lost Art | Laura Morelli
Whether you are an art lover, lover of all things Italian, or a lover of both, reading Laura Morelli’s latest novel set in the hills of Tuscany, this is a book you’ll want to check out. Releasing this month (4/22) The Keeper of Lost Art is a fictional story, about a very real villa that was used to house some of the most famous paintings from the Uffizi Galleries. Stella, who was sent to her relatives in Tuscany while her mother continues to work in Torino and live underneath the city streets like many who remained during WWII, finds herself struggling to fit in, especially since her aunt doesn’t seem to like her. Once the family starts taking in refugees, Stella meets Sandro, a talented young artist who is losing his sense of sight.
Keep an eye out for the Q&A coming soon!
Rating: A
During World War II, a girl makes an unbreakable connection with a boy sheltering in her family’s Tuscan villa, where the treasures of the Uffizi Galleries are hidden. A moving coming-of-age story about the power of art in wartime, based on true events.
As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera.
With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents—and the fact that her father, who is currently fighting at the front, has been largely absent from her life.
When a wave of refugees seeks shelter in the villa, Stella befriends Sandro, an orphaned boy with remarkable artistic talent. Amid the growing threats, Sandro and Stella take refuge in the villa’s “treasure room,” where the paintings are hidden. There, Botticelli’s masterpiece and other works of art become a solace, an inspiration, and the glue that bonds Stella and Sandro as the dangers grow.
A troop of German soldiers requisitions the villa and puts everyone to forced labor. Now, with the villa full of German soldiers, refugees, a secret guest, and hundreds of priceless treasures, no one knows who will emerge unscathed, and whether the paintings will be taken as spoils or become unintended casualties.
Inspired by the incredible true story of a single Tuscan villa used as a hiding place for the treasures of Florentine art during World War II, The Keeper of Lost Art takes readers on a breathtaking journey into one of the darkest chapters of Italy’s history, highlighting the incredible courage of everyday people to protect some of the most important works of art in western civilization.
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave | Ellie Cosimano
I could not be more excited that there will be a 6th and 7th book in the Finlay Donovan series, especially given the fact that book number 5 ended in a serious cliffhanger. Just when you thought everything was finally going in the right direction for Finlay Donovan and her trusty ‘nanny/partner in crime’ another bomb drops.
For all those who have enjoyed the Finlay Donovan series, if you haven’t read last month’s release of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave, this is your sign to go and pick up your copy now. It is so good!
Rating: A
Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there’s not a body in her backyard.
Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.
Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case―or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.
When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?
New Release
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris | Evie Woods
‘A delicious book that I couldn’t resist devouring in one sitting. It was a delight to lose myself in the world of Edie and the mysterious baker. I would recommend to pastry lovers and book lovers alike!’ Sally Page, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Stories
Nestled among the cobblestone streets of Compiègne, there existed a bakery unlike any other.
Rumours were whispered through the town that its pastries offered a taste of magic, chasing away the darkest of sorrows. Just one bite of a croissant might bring luck, unlock a precious memory or reveal hidden longings.
But dark clouds were looming on the horizon…
For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn’t require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that’s how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn’t in Paris – and neither is Edie.
The Magician’s Daughter | Katy Grabel
The Q&A with author Katy Grabel (aka The Magician’s Daughter) will be releasing on Friday this week, and I can’t wait for you all to get an inside look into the book. She shares about what was the most cathartic part about writing her memoir, when she first decided to tell the story of life on the road, and how her experiences shaped who she is today. While this is my first memoir that I’ve reviewed, it definitely won’t be the last. For all those who enjoy real life stories, this is definitely a book that you’ll want to add to your list.
Rating: A
Never before has the daughter of a great magician written with such candor and beauty about magic’s backstage-and onstage-world, where even the most outlandish dreams are possible.
The Magician’s Daughter-A Memoir is a coming-of-age story set within the motion and light of a traveling magic show. Fourteen-year-old Katy is the daughter of Lee Grabel, a former professional magician stuck behind a desk in the suburbs who yearns to rekindle the past fame of his old magic show. When he decides to hit the road again in a grand bid to be a Las Vegas headliner, Katy has her chance for the spotlight she yearns for as his stage assistant. With a truck full of wonderments, the Grabel family and their crew go on tour across the western states, where trouble quickly ensues along with the increasing unhappiness of her mother -The Beautiful Helene-who is disenchanted with the magic show even as she runs it with military precision from her table stage right. Setting up, performing, and packing out of town after town, tensions mount, and betrayal is in the air.
Through error and misstep, Katy struggles to free herself from the show’s intoxicating spotlight. Meanwhile, the Grabels and their crew are getting closer to their booking at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where the show’s ultimate fate will be determined.
Readers will be captivated by this page-turner where Penn & Teller meets Mission Impossible. It’s a tale that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the enduring power of love, set against the backdrop of a mesmerizing magic show
Releases May 13th
High Season | Katie Bishop
Releasing this August, High Season is for those of you who are interested in true crime podcasts (this is entirely fictional, but through the podcast and the dual timeline reveals, we find out the true culprit). Set between 2004, when Tamara Drayton drowns in the pool of her family’s home in Cote d’Azur, where Josie, the babysitter, was charged and sent to prison for her murder, and 2024.
The only witness to Josie’s supposed crime, was five-year-old Nina Drayton, who no longer has any memory of what really happened that night. Now that Nina is an adult, she returns to the family home after receiving an email about the podcast that promises new evidence has been discovered. She is determined to find out who killed her sister, no matter the cost.
Rating: A+
On a beautiful summer’s night twenty years ago, troubled seventeen-year-old Tamara Drayton was found floating face-down in the pool of her family’s idyllic mansion in the south of France, leaving her twin brother, golden-boy Blake, to pick up the pieces of their shattered family.
Also left behind was their sister Nina who, at six years old, became the youngest person ever to testify in a French murder trial. Because she’s the only one who saw what happened―who watched as her babysitter, Josie Jackson, pushed Tamara under the water, and held her there until she stopped breathing.
Didn’t she? Twenty years later, Nina’s memories have faded, leaving her with no idea of what really transpired that night. When a new true crime documentary about her sister’s murder is announced, Nina thinks this might be her chance to finally find out.
But the truth always comes at a cost. Who will pay the price?
Set over two unforgettable summers two decades apart, High Season is a dark, tense exploration of the nature of memory, the enduring power of truth, and all the gray areas in between.
Releases August 12th
New Release
Three Cousins | Jessica Levine
It’s 1976, the second wave of feminism is in full swing, and three cousins share an apartment at Yale. Two are seniors; the third is starting graduate school. Each is seeking her own path in both love and work—but all three women, not quite knowing how to use the new freedoms available to them, alternate between supporting and undermining each other in their efforts.
Julia, the most conventional of the three, wants the security of her monogamous relationship with Ben but is attracted to other men. Anna plans on traveling the world to escape her boyfriend and alcoholic mother. Robin, who is bisexual, has various partners as she dreams of open relationships. All fall under the spell of a charismatic musician, Michael, who is too wounded to be available. By the end of a year of experiments and necessary mistakes, the cousins will make crucial decisions that will determine the course of the rest of their lives.
Books
April Recommendations
