The September House by Carissa Orlando

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

“Why run from a haunted house when you can stay and ignore the ghosts? Just when you thought you’d seen everything a haunted house novel could do, The September House comes along and delivers an eerie, darkly funny, and emotionally grounded book about the ghosts that haunt houses and marriages.”– Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. 

Margaret is not most people. 

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

My Review

This was a creepy book that had my face twisted in repugnance along the way. This is a haunted house story that has you questioning the narrator and her story the entire way through. Would you stay in your haunted house if it really only tormented you one month of the year? What if during that month, you were in grave danger; where there is dripping blood on the walls and the ghosts of past “residents” attacked you and wanted you to go into the basement where the Master of the house resides?

This was Margaret’s dream house. She came from a life of instability and was thrilled to be able to finally get a house of her own, especially one that looked the way this one did. Things were great at first but then, that first September, strange things started to happen. Was Margaret’s mental health deteriorating or did others see what was going on?

I gave this book 3 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek.

“This is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”—Jodi Picoult

“A brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery that is as much about language and storytelling as it is about a missing father. I loved this book.”—Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“I fell in love with the fascinating, brilliant family at the center of this riveting book.”—Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful

“We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the electric first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.

Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything—which is why she isn’t initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don’t return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia’s brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak.

What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing-person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.

My Review

What a beautifully written story. I loved every moment of the time I spent reading this. Angie Kim researched her materials so thouroughly that it showed in every word. The characters were relatable and sincere in their actions.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time. One of my favorites of the year for sure!

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One Friday in Napa by Jennifer Hamm

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Description from the Publisher

A captivating story told in alternating perspectives a half-century and perfect for fans of The Dutch House and The Paper Palace, Hamm’s debut explores the pains and joys of devotion as two women learn the price of loyalty, the power of secrets, and the meaning of sacrifice.

Vene and her mother Olivia have always had a strained bond—even as a child, the word she used to describe her mother was “cold.” When she learns her mother is dying, Vene returns to her family’s home in Napa to see if she can nurture their neglected relationship, only to find Olivia as harsh as ever, seemingly unreachable.

Then Vene stumbles on Olivia’s old cookbook in which she discovers a passion within her mother she didn’t know existed. The clipped tone and quick judgments of her mother don’t match the young woman whose voice she finds between the pages—one that tells a story of romance, longing, duty, and aching heartbreak. Curiosity consumes Vene, and she embarks on an intimate journey to learn about the Olivia she never got to meet—before it’s too late.

About the Author

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jennifer Hamm graduated with a BA in English at UCLA and began her writing career developing screenplays for movies and television. As a travel writer, she has covered the globe on assignment for various magazines and brands. She also writes It’s Only for A Year, a long-running blog chronicling her adventures raising her four boys in two countries. Hamm currently splits her time between London and Los Angeles. Friday in Napa is her first novel.