Book Talk Recommendations - May, 2026
At our quarterly Book Talk event, P&P staff discuss their favorite new and upcoming releases of the season. Purchases and special orders that night receive a 10% discount!
Our last Book Talk was in May 2026, with Anderson, Mary-Bradley, Stacy, and Carolyn!
Here’s the list in case you missed it!
MUST READS
BRASSY BIT OF AGING CRUMPET: A MEMOIR IN PIECES by Mary Walsh
Braiding humor, sorrow, and hard‑won grace into a battle cry for late bloomers, Mary Walsh storms the page in this biting memoir‑in‑essays. She shares the exploits of a chaotic Irish Catholic upbringing in St. John’s, Newfoundland — years that left her feeling like an outsider steeped in shame. Her childhood struggles become comic gold, propelling her toward becoming Canada’s most famous satirist. Yet while she played fearless women for huge laughs, her real life was often in shambles…until it wasn’t. How she gets there is worth the read. With disarming candor, Walsh writes with a swagger she’s more than earned. —Stacy
LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Lake Effect is a messy family drama full of humor and heart — the kind of novel I love in the summer! It begins in the late 1970s and follows characters from two neighboring families through the next 20 years as they grapple with a major choice that changes their dynamics with one another. Sweeney does an amazing job exploring the emotional spectrum displayed by the characters with sensitivity and compassion. What makes the novel even more enjoyable is the cultural dynamics of the times — 1977 through 1998 in a traditional family neighborhood rooted in Catholicism. This has both personal and social consequences, making for a propulsive read! — Anderson
HONEYSUCKLE by Bar Fridman-Tell
This gothic debut novel is a reimagining of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd. The story centers around a little boy, Rory, and his best friend, Daye—a girl who has been woven together out of flowers. As seasons change and plants wither, so must Daye. Obsessed with keeping Daye alive and perfect, Rory makes it his purpose to sustain her by any means necessary. Honeysuckle is immersive, rich with lush prose, and slowly unfolds into an unsettling tale of autonomy, freedom, and obsession. —Mary-Bradley
New Releases
VENGEANCE: THE LAST STANDS OF CUSTER, CRAZY HORSE and SITTING BULL by Tom Clavin
Tom Clavin’s Vengeance is a clear‑eyed look at the creation of the American West and how national upheaval, expansion, and resistance clash on the Plains, leading to the epic Battle of the Little Big Horn. Clavin traces the American West to the hinge point of when the Civil War ends and the war for the frontier begins. Railroads and gold fever bring a river of settlers through, then to the Plains, ultimately forcing the clash of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Custer. The book balances enigma and legend with the reality of who these men were and their role as military strategists. Custer was ambitious and enjoyed a military hero status that he intended to keep. Sitting Bull was a brilliant politician who united the Plains Tribal Nations to a degree never seen before or since and he was an effective negotiator with President Ulysses S. Grant. Crazy Horse was Sitting Bull’s military might. All three men possessed the leadership qualities and charisma that keeps them fascinating 150 years later. The mythology is addressed and often debunked, yet the truth is actually better (and worse). — Stacy
THE BURNING SIDE by Sarah Damoff
I was undone by Sarah Damoff’s The Bright Years, but she has truly outdone herself with The Burning Side. It is the kind of story that will resonate with every reader. It is about the ebb and flow of family defined by intense love, simmering resentment, beautiful memories and deep regret. Damoff is exceptional at capturing the complexity of marriage, the sacrifices of parenthood and the emotional toll it takes to keep it all together. A powerful, emotional read that will stay with me. — Anderson
LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe
Keefe’s true‑crime story plunges into a mind‑boggling criminal rabbit holes so deep and illusions so grand that I could barely keep up. At its center is a family tragedy: the death of a 19‑year‑old son. In the early hours of November 29, 2019, MI6 headquarters captured surveillance footage of a young man leaping from the balcony of a luxury London apartment into the Thames. It looked like suicide. It wasn’t. As the investigation unravels, nothing—Zac, his friends, the high‑rises, the nightclubs, even London— is what it seems. It all fractures into darkness. The only constant is the family’s grief. Keefe, as always, writes with precision and finesse. — Stacy
KISSING THE SKY by Lisa Patton
This fun coming-of-age novel takes place in the summer of 1969 and follows Suzannah, a sheltered 20-year-old southern girl who finds herself sneaking out to join her ex-bestfriend on a trip to Woodstock. After experiencing the abuse from a restrictive father and worrying for her brother in Vietnam, Suzannah is ready to discover true liberation, love, and her own identity. A wonderfully colorful and immersive story of cultural revolution, drama, and finding your voice. — Mary-Bradley
THE COVE by LJ Ross
The ‘woman‑flees‑trauma‑to-a-seaside-village’ trope with teeth! This summer thriller taps into every commuter’s darkest what‑if. A serial killer is pushing women off London Tube platforms. Gabriella Adams is the only survivor, the only witness who can identify the killer. She survives the nudge that should have ended her, only to watch her life implode in the aftermath. She suffers crippling fear and can no longer function in her high-paced, high- end London life. Like any self-respecting heroine, she runs off to a sleepy picture perfect coastal village to reinvent herself selling books, drinking tea, and minding her own business. Soon though, Gabrielle realizes that the terror she escaped underground may have followed her into the sun. — Stacy
WORSE THAN A LIE by Ben Crump
Set in 2008 Chicago with Bryan Stevenson energy, Crump turns a real case into a propulsive legal mystery. It reads like a summer page‑turner, but has closing argument force behind it and the weight of lived experience. Part legal thriller, part social‑justice exposé, Worse Than a Lie tells the story of police veteran, Hollis Montrose who is pulled over for what seems to be a routine traffic stop, yet when shots are fired, it turns into much more. Hollis survives the shooting, but is accused of firing on a police officer. Ben Crump pulls you straight into the courtroom and the community weaving a terrific legal thriller yarn. — Stacy
Upcoming Releases
WHISTLER by Ann Patchett (6/2)
Absolutely remarkable! Whistler might be my all time favorite of Ann Patchett’s novels. A chance encounter brings a middle aged women face to face with her stepfather, a man she has not seen in decades. What unfolds is a quiet, beautifully written story about fathers and daughters, enduring love and found family. Bravo! —Anderson
THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson (6/30)
Bestselling author of Pineapple Street brings us another social zinger delving into a group of childhood friends that drifted into adulthood never having strayed from their clique. Set in a small affluent Massachusetts coastal community, a visiting writer becomes a threat to their longtime connection. —Carolyn
MARION by Leah Rowan (6/2)
Inspired by Hitchcock’s Psycho, Marion expands on the story of Marion Crane, a young, blonde, and beautiful girl who finds herself in some trouble alone. As expected, she’s about to be fatally stabbed in the infamous Psycho shower scene. But in this thriller, things take a turn. That horrifying evening isn’t Marion’s end, but a new beginning full of twists, suspense, murder, and will have you loving or hating a new blonde villain. —Mary-Bradley
LAND by Maggie O’Farrell (6/2)
Another remarkable novel from Maggie O’Farrell! Immersive and atmospheric, this magnificent story takes us on a journey through time as the fate of one Irish family is woven through the history and geography of the land on which they make their home. Spanning from Nordic invaders to English colonization, from the Great Famine to Canadian emigration, O'Farrell's gorgeous prose and rich descriptions beautifully capture the wonders and woes of Ireland and her people. A must read! —Anderson
THE HALF LIFE by Racheal Beanland (7/14)
In this historical novel from the author of Florence Adler Swims Forever, young lovers Eileen and Paul rush into marriage after deployment orders to a U. S. submarine base on a remote Italian island. Set in the 70’s and based on some real life events, Eileen is caught between being a “good navy wife” and following her values. —Carolyn
WASP’S NEST by Kat Stoddard (6/30)
Wow! I devoured WASP’S NEST, a wholly engrossing, messy family drama from Kat Stoddard. Set over the course of a week-long wedding at Cape Cod, this remarkable debut is an insightful, layered exploration of love, loss, disappointment and desire. Sharp, witty and impossible to put down! —Anderson
MURDER AT THE SPIRIT LOUNGE by Jess Kidd (6/16)
Nora Breen is back in a standalone— no spoilers and no background needed. For Matlock fans or fans of Shetland, come on! Once again we are in Gore-by-the Sea , this time with a spectral murderer afoot. When an evening with resident celebrity medium, Doreen Chimes ends in a spooky murder, all attendees find themselves in grave danger. Guided by clues that flicker like candlelight and vanish just as fast, this is a cozy‑creepy romp. Jess Kidd blends humor with haunt in a tale that’s equal parts séance and sleuthing. —Stacy
Larger than life characters and a narrative peppered with Irish and British idioms makes Murder at the Spirit Lounge so much more than a compelling mystery. —Carolyn
EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves (7/7)
Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts has all the feels…heartbreaking and hopeful, compassionate and wise. Told from the perspective of Death himself, it is a unique, thought-provoking story about the brevity of life, the importance of savoring every moment, and the unyielding power of love. —Anderson
OBSTINATE DAUGHTERS by Denise Kiernan - (6/23)
Bestselling author of The Last Castle, Kiernan reveals the stories of “Rebels, writers, and renegade women who ignited the American Revolution.” —Carolyn AUTHOR EVENT 7/9
UNGODLY RICH by Katherine McGhee (7/7)
Oh my goodness what a fun, satisfying read! I loved everything about Katharine McGee’s Ungodly Rich. It’s a unique, immersive story about love and family, status and secrets within a tangled web of Greek gods… who just happen to walk among us in the art galleries, restaurants and high society of New York. An addictive page-turner for grown-up fans of Percy Jackson! —Anderson and Mary-Bradley
BLOOD RIVER WITCH by T. J. Martinson (6/16)
A literary atmospheric crime novel set on the banks of Kentucky’s Blood River. A repeat of a years old occultist murder sets a small town on edge and suspicions of each other soaring. —Carolyn
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER by Shari Lapena (7/30)
The amazing Shari Lapena has earned her title as the Queen of the One-Sit read once again! Getting Away With Murder had me riveted from the first chapter to the very end. It has all the elements I love in Lapena’s thrillers — morally gray characters, diligent detectives and unpredictable twists. Good luck trying to solve the case before the last satisfying page! —Anderson AUTHOR EVENT 7/30