Moloka’i, Brennert’s first historical fiction in this series, has clear, die-hard fans (myself amongst them), so I knew I had to read the sequel to find out what happens to Ruth, Rachel’s daughter. But boy, did Brennert deliver far more than just Ruth. This novel felt like a saga and absolutely captivated me. I was so intensely invested in the characters that the pages and chapters flew by. My husband and kids would pass by me reading and I don’t even recall what they might have said to me. I was *deep* into this book until the very last page.

Golden Child, the debut novel by Claire Adams and second book produced by SJP for Hogarth, is an emotionally-charged and compelling novel that I’m still processing, nearly 24 hours after finishing the last sentence. I won’t delve too much into the storyline, as plenty of other reviewers have done so; rather, I offer my personal impressions.

Warning: Spoilers in the review

Kamali’s “The Stationery Shop” offers a “first-hand” (albeit through fictional characters) glimpse into the events and experiences of the people surrounding the 1953 Iranian coup d’etat (of which I didn’t know much until I read up on it as I read this book, check out the U.S.’s involvement online!), which was what originally drew me to this book. I love historical fiction, and in particular, books that explore periods of history not typically written about in historical fiction (i.e., the King Henry era, WWI and II).