Book Review: "Murmuration" by TJ Klune

It’s no secret that TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors of all-time. Every book of his that I read is unique and touches my heart, and several of his books topped my year-end best lists over the last few years. Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

Mike Frazier owns a bookstore in an idyllic town called Amorea. There’s no crime. No hospital. No prison. No violence. And strangely, there are no parents or children. There’s just peace and routine.

Mike is in love with Sean, who is a waiter at the local diner. They’re both clearly smitten with each other—everyone in town knows it. To this point, he’s been afraid to admit his feelings, but he thinks he’s ready to take a leap.

But things are starting to unravel. Mike starts hearing arguments in his house, but there’s nobody there. Memories are starting to surface, tragic ones, but they don’t seem to be his. He’s even losing grip on his own identity: is his name Mike? And then there are the starlings…

It appears that Amorea isn’t quite the perfect town everyone believes it is. But Mike is determined to protect Sean from whatever bad things may come along.

This book is definitely a bit bleaker than many of Klune’s books. But the love story between Mike and Sean is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming. There’s so much to this book that needs to unfold for you, and it’s so worth it.

The book will publish 11/17.

Book Review: "Evie Walters Takes the Wheel" by Kathleen Fox

This was an utterly charming and heartwarming book about second chances and fighting for yourself. I found myself smiling so often while reading it.

“Women spend their whole lives taking care of others. It’s only when we’re older that we finally get to take care of ourselves.”

Evie’s husband Royce has just passed away. She’s spent so much of her life doing what was expected of her, but now she’s uncertain what to do. But she knows that she’s only 71 and she’s not ready to begin a slow descent into old age.

On the day of her husband’s funeral, she receives a very unusual flower—an egret orchid—but it was sent anonymously. However, Evie remembers receiving one of these flowers from a ranch hand back in Montana where she grew up. That young man, Novel Daniels, was her first love, and he believed she was one of the most courageous people he knew.

Years before, she and Novel dreamed of all the places they’d visit together. But the obligations and expectations of life got in the way. So on the spur of the moment, Evie buys a camper van and decides to head back to Montana to see if Novel might have sent her that orchid as a sign.

Evie’s journey from her comfortable life in North Carolina reminds her that she can do anything she wants. Of course, along the way she has to deal with the disapproval of her two oldest children, who wanted her to move into a retirement community. But she also befriends some tremendously unique and generous people. This really was such a sweet and enjoyable debut!