My sister, Karen, and I started out our third day at SIBA with the Gallery Writers Breakfast and heard Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Lynn Cullen, and Kristin Harmel speak and it was a treat.
- Monroe spoke of her connection with the environment and animals. Horses are featured in her latest book, THE SUMMER GUESTS (Gallery Books; June 11, 2019) and it took her a little while to form a connection with them. Once she did, though, she was smitten.
- FEELS LIKE FALLING by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Gallery Books; April 28, 2020) is the story of a young woman whose life falls apart when her mother passes away, her husband cheats on her, and her sister cuts her out of her life. She decides to help out another young woman who’s down on her luck and the two help each other in unexected ways. This sounds like the perfect beach read!
- Cullen infused THE SISTERS OF SUMMIT AVENUE (Gallery Books; September 10, 2019) with lots of historical detail. Set in the 1920’s, it’s about two sisters whose lives go in completely opposite directions.
- Harmel’s THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE (Gallery Books; August 13, 2019) combines two stories – one in the past and one in the current day – and features champagne! I bet the research for this book was a lot of fun!
After breakfast, we headed to the trade show floor to look around some more. I picked up several more books and these are some that stand out to me.
- When I mentioned I enjoy nonfiction, I was told ALL BLOOD RUNS RED (Hanover Square Press; November 5, 2019) by Phil Keith with Tom Clavin is a must read. It’s the story of Eugene Bullard and he sounds amazing. Not only was he the first African American to be a military pilot during World War II, he owned a nightclub, was a spy for the French Resistance, and helped in the American battle for civil rights.
- STRUNG OUT: ONE LAST HIT AND OTHER LIES THAT NEARLY KILLED ME (Park Row Books; February 25, 2020) by Erin Khar is about Khar’s addiction to opiods, a subject that has fascinated and distressed me lately.
- THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS (Atria Books; November 5, 2019) by Lisa Jewell is about a young girl who finds out who her birth parents are and learns that she inherited their mansion all on the same day. It’s by Lisa Jewell – need I say more?
- The cover of the ARC of NOBODY WILL TELL YOU THIS BUT ME (Knopf; March 17, 2020) by Bess Kalb is very busy so it didn’t appeal to me but I took a second look because it came so highly recommended. It’s the story of the relationship between Kalb and her grandmother and it sounds delightfully heartwarming.
We called it a day and headed home with our arms full of books and smiles on our faces. We’re already thinking about SIBA 2020!
