Loigman’s latest is a gem. A scrappy Jewish teenager newly arrived in 1920s New York struggles to follow her calling as a matchmaker––seventy years later, her cynical divorce-attorney granddaughter realizes she has very inconveniently inherited the family gift for matching soulmates. Both funny and moving, The Matchmaker’s Gift made me smile from start to finish.” ––Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code
Is finding true love a calling or a curse?
Even as a child in 1910, Sara Glikman knows her gift: she is a maker of matches and a seeker of soulmates. But among the pushcart-crowded streets of New York’s Lower East Side, Sara’s vocation is dominated by devout older men—men who see a talented female matchmaker as a dangerous threat to their traditions and livelihood. After making matches in secret for more than a decade, Sara must fight to take her rightful place among her peers, and to demand the recognition she deserves.
Two generations later, Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney, representing the city’s wealthiest clients. When her beloved Grandma Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. But among the faded volumes, Abby finds more questions than answers. Why did Abby’s grandmother leave this library to her and what did she hope Abby would discover within its pages? Why does the work Abby once found so compelling suddenly feel inconsequential and flawed? Is Abby willing to sacrifice the career she’s worked so hard for in order to keep her grandmother’s mysterious promise to a stranger? And is there really such a thing as love at first sight?
Review
Abby is a divorce attorney and she is very close with her grandmother, Sara. When her grandmother passes away, she leaves Abby her journals about her life as a matchmaker. Abby soon realizes she has not reached her full potential and maybe being an attorney is not what she is supposed to be.
This is a story told in two different timelines. It follows Sara in the early 1900s and her granddaughter, Abby, in present day. This has happened to me on the past couple of dual timelines books I have read, I love the present day more. This is unusual and I may have to explore why later. But, I digress.
This story has a bit of everything, Jewish history, romance and a bit of drama! I enjoyed every minute. I loved the characters! Sara is calm cool and collected and very intelligent. Abby is smart and has more empathy than a divorce attorney should have!
Need a fabulous story which will take you away and keep you there…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
From an early age, Kyomi’s life was filled with emotional difficulties—an adulterous father, an overreliant mother, and a dismissive extended family. In an effort to escape the darkness of her existence in Japan, Kyomi moved to the States in February 1990 to start a new life as a researcher working at NIH in Bethesda, MD. Soon, she fell in love with her husband-to-be: Patrick, a warm, charismatic British cancer researcher whose unconditional love and support helped her begin to heal the traumas of her past. Eventually, their journey together led them to change their careers and move to San Diego, CA, where they dedicated themselves to a Buddhism practice that changed both their lives—aiding them in their spiritual growth and in realizing their desire to help others.
Then Patrick was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic melanoma in the brain—and, after a fierce, three-year-long battle against his cancer, died on July 4, 2016. Devastated, Kyomi spent a year lost in grief. But when she one day began to write, she discovered that doing so allowed her to uncover truths about herself, her life history, and her relationship with Patrick. In the process, she surfaced many old, unhealed wounds—but ultimately writing became her daily spiritual practice, and many truths emerged out of the darkness. After many years of struggle and searching, Kyomi finally found the love and light that had existed within her all along.
2022 Firebird Book Awards First Place Winner in Mind/Body/Spirit and Multi-cultural Nonfiction 2022 Firebird Book Awards Second Place Winner in Grief
“ . . . a beautiful sense of introspection . . . . [O’Connor’s] prose effortlessly encourages readers to invest emotionally in the author’s life, and there are many lessons imparted throughout the journey that readers can – and should – take away and implement in their own lives. Overall, A Sky of Infinite Blue is a book written with no small degree of bravery . . . . I cannot imagine someone reading it from cover to cover without feeling moved and enlightened by the experience.”—Readers’ Favorite
“Quiet, meditative, and graceful, A Sky of Infinite Blue intertwines a spiritual journey with the personal pursuit of freedom.”
—Foreword Reviews, 5/5 stars
“An engaging and poignant immigrant account with sharp, sincere, and tenderly insightful writing.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Kyomi O’Connor deftly weaves personal narrative with spiritual guidance in her unforgettable memoir. Powerful and heartrending, A Sky of Infinite Blue is a soaring account of self-examination and resilience in the face of overwhelming grief, a lantern of spirituality illuminating the darkness.”
—Ly Tran, the author of the highly acclaimed memoir House of Sticks
“A remarkable account of a life filled with trials, ultimately leading to spiritual growth, love, and warm-hearted wisdom. I had trouble putting this book down. Kudos to Kyomi O’Connor for a well-told tale of forgiveness, strength, and staying in the moment. I highly recommend A Sky of Infinite Blue.”
—Lindsey Salatka, award-winning author of Fish Heads and Duck Skin
“Kyomi’s poetic and beautiful memoir is a deeply authentic story of her journey to become whole, to claim herself. Her story invites us all to go into the core of our Being and find the spiritual truths that guide us through dark nights of the soul, allow us to see the light.”
—Linda Joy Myers, President of the National Association of Memoir Writers,author of Don’t Call Me Mother and Song of the Plains, and two books on the craft of memoir
“A Sky of Infinite Blue is like a beautiful piece of music, complex in its harmonies as she peels back the layers of her psyche and her relationship to her beloved husband. Her writing is courageous; she never shies away from telling the truth about her personal struggles and the difficulties of her marriage.”
—Cindy Rasicot Author of Finding Venerable Mother
“A Sky of Infinite Blue is a poignant weaving of the difficult and the delightful. Her decision to live in America led her to risk love in her relationship with Patrick, an immigrant from England. Their unfolding life story shows how transformation happens through a mixture of deep love, painful loss, and devotion to faith and community that offers support when life also dismantles you.”
—Gail Warner, author of Weaving Myself Awake, therapist, and founder of Pine Manor Retreat Center
About the Author
Hello and thank you. This is Kyomi O’Connor, the author of “A Sky of Infinite Blue- A Japanese Immigrant’s Search for Home and Self.” This memoir is about my life-long search to live in peace and truth. Starting in my childhood, my life in Japan was filled with emotional difficulties and painful events. Almost like an act of abandoning my life in Japan, I moved to the States in February 1990 as a post-doctoral researcher at the NIH. Soon, I fell in love with my husband-to-be, Patrick, an English cancer researcher with Irish heritage. Initially, his unconditional love and support helped me heal the wounds from my past and regain my own Self.
Our journey together led us to change our careers, move to San Diego, and practice Buddhism. We grew spiritually together in our pursuit of a better life, and also in our desire to help others. Patrick and I became “the best-est” friends, inseparable partners to each other through the many hardships we faced together as life partners.
However, Patrick fell ill in the summer of 2013. With the diagnosis of stage IV metastatic melanoma in the brain, he was prognosed only to live for a few months. He lived for over three years with my tireless care until he died on July Fourth, 2016. After his death, I was a wreck, my life was felt like an old broken torch in the midst of the rubbles.
Writing my memoir has had the power to help me rediscover and reclaim light in my life. As a devout writer and Buddhist, my writing has been a powerful transformative daily practice. I invite you to this space, and to experience alongside me this sometimes painful yet ultimately hopeful and inspirational story of one woman’s journey to finding Self.
I’ve lived in San Diego with my two cats, Tommy and Omi. I’ve recently retired from pediatric dentistry after working and teaching students in the local University-affiliated free clinics for several years. I’ve enjoyed a life of being a Buddhist with lots of activities like writing, reading, yoga, cooking, meeting friends, theatrical plays, and music. Thank you very much!
Filled with humor, family hijinks, and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club features a messy group of people trying to save their local Indie bookstore — and who might just save each other along the way. This heartwarming, wildly entertaining novel is both a celebration of found family, and a love letter to booksellers and librarians everywhere.
Elliot, co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookshop in Minneapolis, started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader” – because he believed that it only takes the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover. Now, after they’re all reeling after Elliot’s sudden death, his business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Especially since Irma won’t explain why she’s so intent on selling.
Irma’s daughters and Thom conspire to save the bookshop. Even if it takes some snooping, gossip and (minor) sabotage, they won’t give up without a fight.
Review
Irma’s business partner, Elliott, has recently passed away. Irma waste no time in selling their book store. This sends red flags to Irma’s daughters, Laney and Bree, and Elliott’s partner, Thom. These three decide to investigate and find out exactly what Irma is hiding!
The cast of characters in this book cracked me up, especially Laney! She is snarky and she takes no prisoners where her mother is concerned. When these three get together and start investigating, I found myself laughing out loud at some of their antics!
This story started out strong and I was hooked on the book references and the snarky comments. I found myself grinning and reminiscing about authors I read growing. However, it did slow down a bit in the middle.
Need a good book with great book references…this is it! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
GRETCHEN ANTHONY is the author of Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, which was a Midwestern Connections Pick and a best books pick by Amazon, BookBub, PopSugar, and the New York Post. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Medium, and The Write Life, among others. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.
From the winner of the National Jewish Book Award—Ronald H. Balson’s An Affair of Spies tells of a spy mission to rescue a defector from Germany and prevent the Nazis from creating an atomic bomb.
Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin in the 1920s, the son of a homemaker and a theoretical physicist. His idyllic childhood was soon marred by increasing levels of bigotry against his family and the rest of the Jewish community, and after his uncle is arrested on Kristallnacht, he leaves Germany for New York City with only his mother’s wedding ring to sell for survival.
While attending an evening course at Columbia in 1941, Nathan notices a recruitment poster on a university wall and decides to enlist in the military and help fight the Nazi regime. To his surprise, he is quickly selected for a special assignment; he is trained as a spy, and ordered to report to the Manhattan Project. There he learns that the Allies are racing to develop a nuclear weapon before the Nazis, and a German theoretical physicist is hoping to defect. The physicist was a friend of his father’s, and Nathan’s mission is to return to Berlin via France and smuggle him out of Europe.
Nathan will be accompanied by Dr. Allison Fisher, a brilliant young scientist who can speak French; he travels to her lab at the University of Chicago for a crash course in nuclear physics, then they embark on their adventure. Nathan and Allison soon develop feelings for one another, but as their relationship deepens they move ever closer to their dangerous goal. Will they be able to escape Europe with the defector and start a new life together, or will they fail their mission and become two more casualties of war?
An Affair of Spies is an action-packed tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil. Author Ronald H. Balson has applied his unmatched talent for evocative and painstakingly authentic storytelling to the high-stakes world of espionage and created his most thrilling novel yet.
Review
Nathan escaped Germany and is now in the United States Army. He is called to leave his regiment and become a spy for the atomic bomb program. He is being sent back to Germany with a civilian scientist to find out exactly what the Germans have achieved with their bomb program. But, it turns into a more dangerous mission than he first thought possible.
Nathan is a stand up guy and I fell for him! I love his protective instincts. And, let me tell you, when the situation gets tough, Nathan is a man you want on your side. And believe me, this situation gets tougher and more dangerous by the minute.
I was introduced to this author when I read Defending Britta Stein. This book is not as good as that one, in my opinion. But it is still a very good read. I loved the intensity and the drama. It was just a bit slow in places.
Need a story which will make you wonder what actually happened in Germany over the atomic bomb…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Adele has had a colorful romantic past, but she’s finally found her soulmate in Tom. They’re engaged, and she’s looking forward to a future of blissful happiness.
But then she realizes her ex-boyfriends are turning up dead.
At first, the deaths seem accidental, but soon a sinister pattern emerges. All of Adele’s former partners are being killed off—in the order she dated them. As the body count grows, Adele has to figure out who is doing this and why.
Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time until the killer gets to Tom…
Review
When Adele’s previous boyfriends start to die, she starts to question. She cannot imagine they are all dying and no one is causing it. But the police do not believe her…until they do! Then life changes and she must protect her fiancé!
I liked Adele’s tenacity. She knows something is going on but she just can’t nail down who or why. The author did a twist on me and added a new character at the end. I was all over the place guessing who did what to whom. I should have known I didn’t have all the information!
This is a wonderful chase! I enjoy a book which has me wondering and guessing and this one did just that!
The narrators, Lorna Bennett and Chris Devon made a fabulous tag team. I really like a book when there are two narrators. It just makes the voices more real!
Need a good who done it!!! THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Set against the rich but often troubled history of Blacklands, Texas, during an era of pandemic, scientific discovery, and social upheaval, the novel offers a unique—yet eerily familiar—backdrop to a universal tale of triumphing over loss.
Even as dementia clouds other memories, eighty-three-year-old Leola can’t forget her father’s disappearance when she was sixteen. Now, as Papa appears in haunting visions, Leola relives the circumstances of that loss: the terrible accident that steals Papa’s livelihood, sending the family deeper into poverty; a scandal from Mama’s past that still wounds; and Leola’s growing unease with her brutally bigoted society.
When Papa vanishes while seeking work in Houston and Mama dies in the “boomerang” Influenza outbreak of 1919, Leola and her young sisters are sent to an orphanage, where her exposure of a dark injustice means sacrificing a vital clue to Papa’s whereabouts. That decision echoes into the future, as new details about his disappearance suggest betrayal too painful to contemplate. Only in old age, as her visions of Papa grow more realistic, does Leola confront her long-buried grief, leading to a remarkable family discovery that could offer peace, at last.
Review
Leola is a young girl when her father has a tragic accident and loses his arm. Life changes immensely for her. Her father leaves to go to Houston to find a job then disappears, then her mother dies. She and her sisters are placed in an orphanage and Leola struggles overcome what life has thrown at her.
This story is full of loss, family secrets and strength of will. Leola is a character in which you root for incessantly. And life just keeps crashing down on her but her strength roars through these pages and she never gives up hope!
I could not help but be captivated by all the tragedy and the life situations surrounding this family. This novel had me crying and wanting to come through the pages and protect everyone involved!
Need a book which will have you thinking about it long after it is over…THIS IS IT ! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In the vein of the Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, Sandie Jones’s heart-pounding new novel The Blame Game will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.
Games can be dangerous. But blame can be deadly.
As a psychologist specializing in domestic abuse, Naomi has found it hard to avoid becoming overly invested in her clients’ lives. But after helping Jacob make the decision to leave his wife, Naomi worries that she’s taken things too far. Then Jacob goes missing, and her files on him vanish. . . .
But as the police start asking questions about Jacob, Naomi’s own dark past emerges. And as the truth comes to light, it seems that it’s not just her clients who are in danger.
Review
Naomi is a therapist specializing in domestic abuse. She tends to get overly attached to her clients. And when her clients receive threats or feel threatened, Naomi gets way too involved and it puts her life and her husband’s life in danger. So, when one of her clients disappears under strange circumstances, Naomi becomes a suspect.
I am not a big fan of Naomi. I found her decision making skills a bit lacking. But, because of her lack direction, the story took many dramatic turns. This did keep the story moving, if at a slower pace than I like.
I have read another of this author’s books The Guilt Trip. And I had the same feelings about that book as I do this book. It is just an ok read. It is a bit slow to get to the point. BUT! There is a twist. So, hang in there! The twist is worth it.
The narrator, Karissa Vacker, is what kept me in this story. She did a wonderful job with all the characters and the plot twists.
Need a read which will have you asking questions…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In a sparkling social history, Skirts traces the shifting roles of women over the twentieth century through the era’s most iconic and influential dresses.
While the story of women’s liberation has often been framed by the growing acceptance of pants over the twentieth century, the most important and influential female fashions of the era featured skirts. Suffragists and soldiers marched in skirts; the heroines of the Civil Rights Movement took a stand in skirts. As women made strides towards equality in the vote, the workforce, and the world at large, their wardrobes evolved with them.
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell’s Skirts looks at the history of twentieth-century womenswear through the lens of game-changing styles like the little black dress and the Bar Suit, as well as more obscure innovations like the Taxi dress or the Pop-Over dress, which came with a matching potholder. These influential garments illuminate the times in which they were first worn—and the women who wore them—while continuing to shape contemporary fashion and even opening the door for a genderfluid future of skirts. At once an authoritative work of history and a delightfully entertaining romp through decades of fashion, Skirtscharts the changing fortunes, freedoms, and aspirations of women themselves.
Review
Well y’all! Let me just say, this book was pretty dang good. And that is a shocker for me. I am not a nonfiction fan except for biographies. So, when I was sent this book for review, I just went…hmmmm. I mean, it is just a book about skirts. Since it was audible, I said…why not. And I am glad I did!
This is very well researched and I am amazed that one little change on a dress or a skirt could send the world into a tail spin. I loved learning all of this! Plus, this brought back quite a few memories from my early childhood. I never knew a lot of this while it was happening. So, I enjoyed learning and how some of these changes brought so much freedom!
The narrator, Sarah Welborn, is excellent, especially for a non fiction book. Very matter of fact and straight forward.
Need just a good book about the history of skirts…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Lizzy “Overachiever” Chung, Esq. doesn’t know the meaning of “can’t.” That is, she doesn’t until she passes out from a panic attack during her first trial. Her law firm gives her paid time-off to “relax,” but she has no clue how. Jack Park, her childhood friend, wants her to rediscover the iridescent joy she had pre-law school and college and convinces her to stay with him in Weldon. He’s been planning to move away from his parents’ loving but overprotective gaze and, more specifically, away from Weldon and his family’s brewery, but that can wait a few more weeks until his friend finds her footing again. But when an unexpected attraction flares between them while Lizzy tries to resuscitate a failing bookstore on Weldon, the two must choose between past dreams or their forever together. Sometimes the path to the rest of your life has been in front of you all along.
Review
Lizzy is an attorney. She just won her first case. But, she is not enjoying her work at all. She decides to take a much needed vacation and she runs to her childhood best friend, Jack. Jack has plans of his own though. He has a secret. He is applying for a job close to where Lizzy lives. Hopefully if he succeeds, he and Lizzie will finally become more than friends
I have always had a problem with this author’s characters. She creates these smart individuals but then they are so stupid in their decision making. I really wanted to snap Jack bald headed during parts of this book. He has carried his torch for Lizzie for over 10 years…10 YEARS! And this went on for several chapters and I was like…YOU ARE A GROWN MAN…STEP UP! This is just one example of my frustration with this book.
Now, if I had physically read this book, it would have been a DNF. But I have more patience with audiobooks. So, I did finish it. Basically because of Lizzie’s love of books and the narrator, Cindy Kay.
Need a romance with a bookstore and a sweet setting…this is it! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes a tale of lost souls, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.
Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it’s named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.
When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother’s apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn’t yet written.
When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she’s thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.
Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways.
Review
Zoey has recently left her father’s home to go to college. She has moved to a condo she inherited from her mother on Mallow Island, South Carolina. She meets all the weird neighbors and absolutely falls in love with the place. But, can she heal and overcome her past?
I fell for Zoey on the very first page. She is so young, but yet, she has some wisdom about her and she is so full of kindness. She is just one of the many characters which create this lovely story. I loved them all! They each bring their own tragedies and insecurities into this tale but they also bring their strengths.
No one does magic like Sarah Addison Allen. I have loved this author since her very first book and if you have not read her…you are missing out! All her books have characters which are damaged in some way or another. And there is alway just a touch of magic which just helps everyone see where life is supposed to lead them. This book tops the list!
Need a book which will make you smile and tug at your heartstrings…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
