Murder at Keyhaven Castle (Book 3, Stella and Lyndy Mystery) by Clara McKenna – It’s hard to talk about the third book in a series, but oh my goodness if you are a historical mystery reader, be sure to check out this series (start with Murder at Morrington Hall). They are all excellent, and this one was simply outstanding with mystery and drama around every corner. There are 4 books out now (all available as audiobooks on Hoopla), with the 5th one publishing in late October–and it’s a Christmas mystery! The novels are set in 1905 England, and Stella Kendrick, a Kentuckian heiress has been shipped off to England for an aristocratic marriage to Viscount “Lyndy” Lynhurst. So much fun. 

When the Crow’s Away (Book 2, Evenfall Witches B&B) by Auralee Wallace – are you looking for some seasonal magical reading this autumn? Look no further than the Evenfall Witches B&B mystery series. There are two out and both are perfect for a season of witchy reading. The characters are so well developed and the mystery is suspenseful, without being too scary. So enjoyable. 

Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones – Middle grade fiction gold right here and one of the 23-24 Mark Twain Award Nominees. Just read this first line in the publisher’s description: “A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she’s the dead body.” Oh my gosh, right?!?  Readers meet siblings Rosie and Baker who are just trying to follow Great Grammy’s plan, but are in way over their heads, especially when Grandma (GRIM) Hester arrives to “save” the day. Who is Grim actually looking out for? This book is part adventure, part mystery and part family drama that had me holding my breath the entire time. And it’s also a beautiful story of life and death and grief. I loved it. 

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I let this sit on my shelf for a year, not sure I could really get into a story about tennis…I learned my lesson. Always trust TJR–she is a master storyteller. I was in from page one and finished less than 24 hours later because I couldn’t stop reading. Loved this so much.

The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz – More middle grade fiction gold right here. A coming of ages of sorts story with doughnuts…how can you not pick this up? This was absolutely delightful, and if you’re a fan of the Vanderbeekers series, I think you’d enjoy this story as well. Tristan enjoys his life in New York City. He may not be as smart as his sister Jeanine, but he’s got a best friend, basketball and baking. This all changes when his parents announce they bought an old house in a small, small town and they are moving as soon as their apartment in NY sells. Tristan is not impressed with their new town of Petersville–one street and no restaurants, what the heck?!? But he learns that the General Store used to sell life-changing chocolate cream donuts and he starts a quest to bring them back. There is so much heart in this story, as well as laugh out loud scenes. This would be a fun read aloud or a great audiobook for a family car ride. There’s also book two – The Doughnut King. 

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews – This was absolutely delightful. Here is my recommendation: go ahead and order yourself a copy as a gift to yourself (because let’s be real, we all deserve early Christmas gifts). And then, as Christmas approaches, take a break and open this little holiday treasure. Clocking in at just 288 pages, this novella is filled with wonderful characters, Christmas magic, and a whole lot of found family. If you’re a fan of feel-good Christmas movies, grab this. You’ll laugh and sigh and feel the magic of the season on every page. 5 sparkly Christmas trees for this read.