Kym recommends...

Joshilyn Jackson is one of my favorite authors. I would swear that I hear her clear, Southern voice telling me her stories in my head while I am reading. Her latest features Rose Mae Lolley, a character we met (briefly) in her first book, gods in Alabama. Roe is married and lives a picture perfect life -- until she meets an airport gypsy who informs her that her beautiful, abusive husband will kill her if she doesn’t kill him first. If you are looking for a great read, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed!

I was hooked from the beginning - once the Whitney family were described as "quirky" and five generations of crazy. Towner Whitney, the main character and self-confessed unreliable narrator, is so captivating and I followed her story with amazement. Brunonia captures such a sense of place in Salem, the beautiful old homes and gardens, the wild offshore islands where Towner's mother and aunt live, and the rich history of both sea captains and witchcraft. The ending is an absolute stunner!

Taking place in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 this story of three women - Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter is powerful and impossible to put down. Skeeter, a white is just back from college and determined to be a writer. She embarks on a clandestine project to interview the black women who raise the white children in town. Aibileen is a black maid, raising her seventeenth white child. Aibileen's best friend, Minny, is the sassiest woman in Mississippi, and goes through jobs like water. Told through each woman's view, you get a picture of how their lives were living so close yet so separate. I loved this book and can't wait for more from this talented author.

At long last, another unforgettable book from the author of The Shadow of the Wind takes us back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, the Sempere and Son bookshop, and the winding streets of Barcelona's old quarter, in a masterful tale about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the human soul.

I have always been a huge fan of Elizabeth Peters' Egyptian mysteries featuring Amelia Peabody. For the first time in more than a decade, Elizabeth Peters brings beautiful, brainy Vicky Bliss back into the spotlight for one last investigation. But this time the peerless art historian and sleuth will be detecting in Amelia Peabody territory, searching for solutions to more than one heinous offense in the ever-shifting sands of Egypt's mysterious Valley of the Kings. Great fun!

Laurel lives a seemingly perfect life in the suburbs with a loving husband, daughter, and beautiful home. Until the night she is summoned by the ghost of Molly Dufresne, who leads her to the backyard where the real Molly has drowned in Laurel’s pool. Laurel reunites with her dramatic sister Thalia, when she asks her to come stay with her and figure out the mystery of Molly's death. I adore Joshilyn’s writing - unforgettable characters, enthralling story and very satisfying ending.

From the author of Bel Canto, the emotionally precise story of a fateful night and day that will change everything for one Boston family. Set over a period of twenty-four hours beginning with an argument on a snowy night, Ann Patchett weaves the stories of her unforgettable characters together with a stunning ending.