Read ON! Volume 29, March 2021

We now have a special Monthly Highlights shelf on Goodreads, where you can get full information on the books listed below. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and sharing with your friends!

The Lost Apothecary

by Sarah Penner

n the depths of eighteenth-century London, women across the city whisper of a mysterious apothecary named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when a precocious twelve-year-old customer makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

For more information, please visit Sarah's website.

Meet Me in Paradise

by Libby Hubscher

A sisters’ spa weekend on the island of Saba turns into a trip of a lifetime for a cautious older sister when her wild younger sister doesn’t show up, forcing her to face her worst fears. As she explores the island with an intriguing stranger, she learns to open herself up to the possibilities of life and love.

For more information, please visit Libby's website.

Wild Women and the Blues

by Denny S. Bryce

1925: Honoree Dalcour is willing to dance every night to reach the top. But Chicago is awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose. 2015: Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree. Piece by piece, she reveals her past and her secrets in a story of courage and ambition.

For more information, please visit Denny's website.

Joyous Lies

by Margaret Ann Spence

Maelle, a botanist, believes plants communicate and nurture their own kind. Living on her grandparents’ commune after her mother's death, she felt safe, if lonely. Then she falls for Zachary, who, like her, lost a parent young. He stuns her by claiming his father and her mother died together in his father’s medical research laboratory. Investigating, Maelle must confront the commune’s lies and asks, if plants can protect their young, why can’t humans do the same?

For more information, please visit Margaret Ann's website.

Women's Fiction: Celebrating Women's History Month

What better way to celebrate Women's History Month than curling up with a book that celebrates the incredible diversity and strength of women?

Uncovering

by Lorelei Brush

The Engineer's Wife

by Tracey Emerson Wood

The Eternal Conductor

by Debbie Garneau Griffin

The Mountains Sing

by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Pathfinding Women

by Tam May

Wildland

by Rebecca Hodge

All the Silent Voices

by Elena Mikalsen

Hunting the Devil

by Suanne Schafer

Sky Queen

by Judy Kundert

Duty and Desire

by Anju Gattani

Hear Us Roar! Debut Author Podcast

Mary Helen Sheriff is the author of southern women’s fiction, Boop and Eve’s Road Trip, and a co-founder of Bookish Road Trip. After 14 years in classrooms teaching elementary school, middle school, college, and professionals, Mary has taken a break from the classroom to focus on writing. She has an MFA from Hollins University, an MA from ODU, and a BA from UVA. She lives in Henrico County in Virginia with her two children, two cats, and one husband.

Listen to the interview with Mary Helen.

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Sharon Ritchey, Vice-President, Communications | [email protected]

Jacki Kelly, Vice-President, Programs | [email protected]

Nancie Abuhaidar, Co-Editor, Read ON! | [email protected]

Lita Harris, Co-Editor, Read ON! | [email protected]