THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST: I’m really enjoying this fun and exciting novel by Allison Pataki of Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. It moves along quickly through her epic life and really draws the reader in to her extraordinary journey. — Tammy

SMALL WORLD: Two sisters, both in their fifties, find themselves living together after years of estrangement. Informing their lives, both now and in the past, is the influence their third sister, dead at age ten, had over their family. — Robin

HOW THE WORD IS PASSED: This brilliant book by poet and journalist Clint Smith is a welcome addition to the historical canon of the country's story. Lyrical, timely, and filled with important stories, I quickly consumed this deeply researched read and highly recommend to all. — Brianna

EVERYTHING CALLS FOR SALVATION: Heartbreakingly excellent, this slim volume chronicles a week in the life of a young man committed to an asylum by his family. The tender care with which his fellow companions are illustrated and the narrator's questioning of the fine line that surrounds "normal" and makes for a compellingly poignant read. — Page

ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY: Dana Schwartz’s Anatomy is an engrossing YA novel set in 19th century Edinburgh. It follows 17-year-old Hazel Sinnett who dreams of becoming a surgeon. This gothic tale contains grave robbers, dark magic, mysterious disappearances, and a budding romance. The sequel comes out on Feb 28th! — Rita

MARGOT: Margot is a charming coming of age story about a wealthy girl in the 1950s and 60s. Think Lessons in Chemistry! Wendell Steavenson is praised for her “intelligent and heartfelt fiction” (Kirkus Reviews).

A great read. —Sally

MAAME: A wonderful story that follows a young woman living in London and caring for her ailing father. Love, family, racism, and friendship are all covered in a tender and charming

way. — Tatum

ROSES IN THE MOUTH OF A LION: I really enjoyed this coming of age book about female friendship and queer love, while growing up Pakistani in Corona, Queens NY. — Yvette

STILL LIFE: I thought Tin Man by Sarah Winman was a small masterpiece, so when my book group suggested we read her latest novel, Still Life, I said a loud yes! Still Life opens in Italy in 1944 and unfolds over the next four decades taking us to London and back to Italy with Evelyn Skinner and Ulysses Temper and his family. It’s a story of art, love and war written in Sarah Winman’s beautiful prose. — Rosanna

EVERYONE IN THIS FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE: The Cunninghams have a bad reputation. One brother is in jail for murder, the family's patriarch was killed by a cop mid-robbery and the rest of the lot have each committed their own sins. Ernie Cunningham, the writer of how-to-write-mystery books tells the tale as the bodies pile up at a family reunion at a ski resort in Australia. — Dorothy

THIS OTHER EDEN: In the late 1700’s, a former slave, Benjamin Honey, and his Irish wife find refuge on an island off the coast of Maine. For more than a century their descendants and a few other families shared a hardscrabble, isolated existence, in harmony with each other and the natural world. But when Matthew Diamond, a retired teacher with a missionary bent, arrives on the island, the delicate balance is upended. His connection with the mainland attracts the attention of the authorities who, under the theory of eugenics, believe that the islanders, inbred and of mixed race, need to be forcibly evacuated and institutionalized. In beautiful, nuanced writing, Harding brings to life a cast of unforgettable characters as they grapple with the cruelty of strangers. — Sheila

CODE NAME SAPPHIRE: Inspired by actual events, Code Name Sapphire is an intriguing story of courage and sacrifice. The novel tells of three women whose paths converge in Nazi-occupied Belgium with devastating results. Micheline, Hannah, and Lily are each struggling through the war when fate brings them together. The challenges they each, and collectively, face will test their faith, strength, and resilience. Jenoff has delivered another thought-provoking look at World War II full of brave, determined, and complicated characters. — Libby

If you haven't yet chosen your next book club pick, may we suggest a dark and daring thriller to get the blood pumping? In this sexy twister of a mystery, lives are on the line and you'll be on the edge of your seat until the very end! Julia will be joined in conversation at Barrett Bookstore by freelance journalist and mystery writer Kat Rosenfield. Wine and light bites will be served.

ABOUT JULIA BARTZ

Julia Bartz is a Brooklyn-based writer and practicing therapist. Her fiction writing has appeared in The South Dakota Review, InDigest Magazine, and more. The Writing Retreat is her first novel. Follow her on Twitter @JuliaBartz and Instagram at @JuliaBartz.

ABOUT THE WRITING RETREAT

The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.

A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female friendships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.

“Darkly satirical and action-packed, The Writing Retreat brings a breath of fresh air to the locked room mystery. . . . The writing is flawless and the plot adeptly woven. An absolutely splendid debut!”

— Wendy Walker, nationally bestselling author of DON'T LOOK FOR ME

"The book's pacing—a slow roll of dread and horror—is exceptional . . . A perfect winter night's haunting."

— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An audacious psychological thriller debut...Boldly drawn characters complement Bartz’s gleefully twisted plot....Sara Gran fans, take note."

— Publishers Weekly

"Julia Bartz’s shrewd, suspenseful debut takes the typical writer’s anxieties and obsessions and transforms them into a pulse-pounding, impossible to put down thriller. THE WRITING RETREAT is bonkers in the best way, and it left me with a brutal case of author envy."

— Layne Fargo, author of THEY NEVER LEARN

"A wild ride into the pressures of publishing that is equal parts nightmare and erotic fantasy as five would-be writers are pulled deeper into the secrets of Blackbriar and its inhabitants. In THE WRITING RETREAT, Julia Bartz captures the hunger to have our stories told and the desperate measures some will take to cut through the noise."

— Jennifer Fawcett, author of BENEATH THE STAIRS

"THE WRITING RETREAT is a sexy, thrilling, compulsive mediation on art and competition amongst women who ought to be sisters, only something malignant gets in the way. I couldn't put it down."

— Sarah Langan, award-winning author of GOOD NEIGHBORS

"THE WRITING RETREAT will keep you up all night with its intriguing premise and gasp-worthy twists. A suspenseful story of ambition and envy, friendship and survival, this novel asks how high a price will one pay to achieve their dreams. THE WRITING RETREAT  is the very definition of a page turner, and a remarkable debut from a gifted writer."

— Kirthana Ramisetti, author of GMA Book Club pick DAVA SHASTRI'S LAST DAY

"NIGHT FILM meets THE SECRET HISTORY in Julia Bartz’s bold, brilliant, and genuinely scary debut. THE WRITING RETREAT masterfully delivers everything thriller readers crave: palpable atmosphere, sinister characters, full-body chills, jaw-dropping twists, and stay-up-all-night suspense. I am obsessed with this book. I never wanted it to end."

— Megan Collins, author of THE FAMILY PLOT

We are thrilled to partner with our friends at the Darien Community Association and WSHU Public Radio as we host NPR cohost of All Things Considered Mary Louise Kelly in Spring 2023. This event will take place at the DCA. Each ticket will include access to a reception and a copy of Kelly's forthcoming book. 

About Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly has been reporting for NPR for nearly two decades and is now cohost of All Things Considered. She has also written suspense novels, Anonymous Sources and The Bullet, and is the author of articles and essays that have appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among numerous other publications.



A Georgia native, Kelly graduated from Harvard University with degrees in government and French language and literature and completed a master’s degree in European studies at the University of Cambridge in England. She created and taught a graduate course on national security and journalism at Georgetown University. In addition to her NPR work, Kelly has served as a contributing editor at the Atlantic, moderating news-maker interviews at forums from Aspen to Abu Dhabi.

(photo credit: Mike Morgan/NPR)

About It. Goes. So. Fast.



Operating Instructions meets Glennon Doyle in this new book by famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly that is destined to become a classic—about the year before her son goes to college—and the joys, losses and surprises that happen along the way.

The time for do-overs is over.

Ever since she became a parent, Mary Louise Kelly has said “next year.” Next year will be the year she makes it to her son James’s soccer games (which are on weekdays at 4 p.m., right when she is on the air on NPR’s All Things Considered, talking to millions of listeners). Drive carpool for her son Alexander? Not if she wants to do that story about Ukraine and interview the secretary of state. Like millions of parents who wrestle with raising children while pursuing a career, she has never been cavalier about these decisions. The bargain she has always made with herself is this: this time I’ll get on the plane, and next year I’ll find a way to be there for the mom stuff.

Well, James and Alexander are now seventeen and fifteen, and a realization has overtaken Mary Louise: her older son will be leaving soon for college. There used to be years to make good on her promises; now, there are months, weeks, minutes. And with the devastating death of her beloved father, Mary Louise is facing act three of her life head-on.

Mary Louise is coming to grips with the reality every parent faces. Childhood has a definite expiration date. You have only so many years with your kids before they leave your house to build their own lives. It’s what every parent is supposed to want, what they raise their children to do. But it is bittersweet. Mary Louise is also dealing with the realities of having aging parents. This pivotal time brings with it the enormous questions of what you did right and what you did wrong.

This chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home, of losing her father, as well as other curve balls thrown at her, is not a definitive answer―not for herself and certainly not for any other parent. But her questions, her issues, will resonate with every parent. And, yes, especially with mothers, who are judged more harshly by society and, more important, judge themselves more harshly. What would she do if she had to decide all over again?

Mary Louise’s thoughts as she faces the coming year will speak to anyone who has ever cared about a child or a parent. It. Goes. So. Fast. is honest, funny, poignant, revelatory, and immensely relatable.

Praise for It. Goes. So. Fast.

"It. Goes. So. Fast. is a moving and funny account of the deals we cut with ourselves: what we sacrifice, what we gain, and what we really want (which is everything). By holding up a mirror to her own choices, Mary Louise Kelly gives us tremendous insight into how we struggle to be true to ourselves and the people we love, and how we're never going to get it exactly right. This book is the voice of solidarity. It is a gift."

—Ann Patchett

"This compelling account of the divided heart of a dedicated journalist and devoted mother is tender and gritty and remarkably relevant."

—Hilma Wolitzer, Author of Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket

“Mary Louise Kelly has written an achingly honest memoir that reflects the joys, regrets, pitfalls and triumphs of the modern working mother. Humor, heart, and humanity bounce off every. single. page. I felt like I was having a bottle (or two) of wine with a close friend whose balancing act very much resonated with mine—and probably yours too.”

—Katie Couric

"A book for everyone who has to get through the sweet agony of raising children and letting them go. Kelly describes the interior shifts of this and other milestones with candor, vulnerability and wry humor. "

—Katty Kay, BBC Correspondent and New York Times bestselling author of The Confidence Code