whatsleahreading

  Lewis and Wren are unlikely newlyweds. Lewis--the artist, the actor, the dreamer; and Wren--the realist, the stable one, Lewis' anchor. Together, they harmonize perfectly and set their sights on a long life together. Then, out of the blue, Lewis is diagnosed with a rare but rapidly-progressing mutation that will turn him into a great white shark. I haven't lost you, have I? Please tell me I haven't lost you. Because over the course of 9 poignant, poetic months, Lewis' transformation from man into shark in "Shark Heart" can only be described as masterful. Set against the backdrop of Lewis and Wren's marriage, Habeck pens a story that is part novel, part play, and part poetry; a curious amalgam of metaphors and magical realism, but one that is utterly spellbinding. The characters of Wren and Lewis (and later, Angela, but wait for Act II for her) are imbued with such a delicate, familiar humanness that it almost took my breath away, what I expected to b...

  On the seemingly idyllic cul-de-sac of Alton Road, not a single house is exempt from suburban secrets. Alex's evening glass of wine comes earlier and earlier each day--sometimes a glass, sometimes a bottle. Her sister Emily is holding on to her marriage for dear life, that fresh start not as fresh as she's let the neighbors think. Recently-widowed Brooke hardly seems to be mourning the loss of her husband Jerry. As the residents of Alton Road know, it's all just harmless gossip, though. Until someone ends up dead at the Memorial Day block party. An sizzling, explosive summer suspense, "The Block Party" is everything you could want in a domestic drama. A well-defined cast of characters, secrets galore, and a slow-burn fuse that's lit in the first chapter and comes to a shocking conclusion by the end, readers looking for an escapist read that's not your usual Nantucket romance are bound to love this story. By no means a perfect novel and a little heavy...

  For Ava Dowling, the quaint, seaside town of Driftwood, Alabama holds the promise of a new life--one that's far away from her life in Vermont, where tragedy and grief had become her constant companions. On a spontaneous whim, Ava packs up for Driftwood after a mysterious letter arrives with a help-wanted ad for an in-home caretaker. Enter Magpie's: otherwise known as the coffee shop of curiosities. Before long, Ava finds herself enveloped by the small-town, quirky community of Driftwood. She's not only part-time caretaker to Desmond Brightwood, but ends up a barista at Magpie's--owned by Desmond's daughter, Maggie--too. With Driftwood's streets teeming with gossip, stories, and just a little bit of magic, it's not long before Ava wonders if something more than coincidence brought her into its midst. Without a doubt, "At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities" has a Sarah Addison Allen-like draw with its promise of a memorable cast of characters and ma...