Shibby Magee

 

Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak. Cobyn, 2026. ****

Synopsis from the author - "When their mother, Vera Coffey, disappears after announcing she's a Traveller/Mincéir, Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah, are abandoned to a settled family already cracking at the seams. Under the iron rule of their viciously prejudiced grandmother, the two girls grow up on opposite tracks: Dorah, arrogant and bold; Shibby, bruised and quietly resilient.

As Shibby stumbles into adulthood, she's drawn to men who either abuse or dump her. She finds fleeting stability in the fast-paced chaos of a restaurant kitchen—but a question gnaws at her: is her future in the rooted life of the settled or on the open road to God only knows where? With the fierce support of a chosen few—Alice Duffy, housekeeper turned surrogate mother; Moochie de Barra, an affectionate stand-in for an emotionally absent father; and Kitty Dooley, a Traveller whose loyalty never wavers—Shibby begins to uncover hard truths about identity, family, and what she desperately needs to find where she truly belongs."

Billed as a tragicomedy, I loved this book!  Reading it stirred memories of my Irish Great-Grandmother and Godfather, the language, the sayings and the family situations. Shibby longs for her mother's love and doesn't understand how she could abandon her twin daughters. This is a story of loss, love, and families. Nanna Magee is all about appearances and holding her head high among the Parish Ladies even if her daughter-in-law is a Traveller. The reader is transported to another time and place, and it's easy to get lost in Shibby's story. I have been to Ireland and Kabak has captured the uniqueness of the Emerald Isle in her characters and dialog.  Fans of Claire Keegan will especially enjoy this book!

Irish recipes from Carrie Kabak - https://carriekabak.wixsite.com/home/copy-of-shibby-magee

Info on Irish Traveler's - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Travellers

https://phmuseum.com/projects/the-irish-travelers

I received a copy for a review.

From her website - Published by Penguin Random House, Carrie Kabak's novel, COVER THE BUTTER, was an Independent Booksellers' Pick, won an Audiofile Magazine award, and was nominated for a Quills Award. Her essays appear in FOR KEEPS and HE SAID WHAT? (Seal Press), EXIT LAUGHING (North Atlantic Books), FAITH (Simon and Schuster), and DUMPED (She Writes). Carrie's latest novels, SHIBBY MAGEE and EVERY MOLE AND FRECKLE, will be released in spring and fall 2026, and MALI MORGAN'S SUMMER in spring 2027. Carrie's a regular online visitor at a UCLA Personal Essay course, where she discusses the art of essay writing. ​For more info - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/488321.Carrie_Kabak

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#bookstagram #Irelandfiction #twinsfiction

Gone Before Goodbye

 

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 340 pages. ****

From Goodreads..."Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye"

This was the perfect read for a snowy weekend; I thoroughly enjoyed it. While author collaborations aren't always perfect, the story held together for me. I enjoy Coben's thrillers and there were enough twists and turns to hold my attention. The relationship that Maggie has with her father-in-law, Porkchop, a biker, is priceless. We all need that no matter what person who has our back especially when others are not who they seem to be. Reviews are mixed on this one, however, I found it to be entertaining and a perfect escape from the news channel and the snow!

Griefbots - https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2025/02/07/griefbots-blurring-the-reality-of-death-and-the-illusion-of-life/

Harlan Coben - https://www.harlancoben.com/reese-witherspoon-harlan-coben-novel/

Reese Witherspoon - https://reesesbookclub.com/

Interview on their Collaboration - https://www.npr.org/2025/12/31/nx-s1-5137288-e1/reese-witherspoon-and-harlan-coben-on-their-new-novel-gone-before-goodbye

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#bookstagram #medicalthriller #griefbotfiction #espionagefiction 

You Killed Me First

 

You Killed Me First  by John Marrs. Seattle : Thomas & Mercer, 2025. 381 pages. ***

Told in the alternating voices of three women, neighbors with secrets that include each other's families. It's November and one of the women wakes up tied and gagged in the middle of a wood pile for the neighborhood bonfire. The events leading up to her confinement set the stage for why there is a killer in their midst and how she has changed her identity to hide her past killings. No one is who they seem to be, and alliances are formed to protect their misdeeds. 

I really enjoy psychological thrillers and this is a complicated story with many twists and turns. At times, there were a few subplots that seemed to intentionally confuse the main plot. Fans of B. A. Paris will enjoy the psychology of the killer's intentions. 

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in Northamtonshire, England. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. 

For more info, https://www.johnmarrsauthor.com. 

Follow me on Instagram at flaming_books.

#bookstagram, #psychologicalthriller 

Skylark

 

Skylark by Paula McLain. New York: Atria Books, 2026. 464 pages. Good Morning America January Book Club pick.

I received two copies from the Publisher, Atria books, through the Little Free Library to share in my LFL. Stop by and claim one or check out the latest books. 

To watch this morning's GMA interview with the Paula McLain, click Here.

From Amazon - "1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette's efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.

1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized."

Ratings are 4.4 out of 5. 

Paula McLain is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. For more info on her, here.

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#bookstagram @paula_maclain @atriabooks @littlefreelibrary @gmabookclub

If you read Skylark, please leave a comment and let us know what you think!

One Word 2026 - Trust

 

(Jennifer Wagner at Inspitivity)

Choosing my "One Word" instead of a resolution for the next year sometimes comes easily and other years I must work at it. Grace was my word for 2025, and it was the perfect word for a challenging year. I learned that extending grace to myself as well as others provided calmer interactions with others. I will continue this practice. 

I seem to be overthinking everything I say or do lately and whining about life in general. Needing cataract surgery on my 'good" eye didn't help especially since the challenging eye still requires Eylea shots every 3 months. Losing any eyesight is frightening especially since my favorite activities are reading and quilting. Surgery went well and vision is good.

I started looking in the One Word 365 Community on Facebook for ideas and came across this post from 3 years ago:

My response jumped out at me,  and it seemed to fit. Sometimes I like to control situations and people instead of Trusting that everything will work out. As I age more things seem to be beyond my ability to change them. In my 70s everything seems to ache, hurt, interfere with sleep and cause me to worry. Is this the beginning of the end? Friends pass away (good people) who leave a large hole in my life and I am humbled by their impact on the lives around them. Their legacy is huge!

I am beginning to understand that the biggest things are the small actions in life - the kind gestures, promises kept, caring and sharing. I started keeping a list on my iPhone - "Good Things Are Always Happening to Me" as a reminder of the daily positive things that occur.

Trust is buying this Amaryllis encased in wax, knowing that it will grow and bloom!

This Pulitzer Prize Winner Trust by Herman Diaz will be my first read for 2026.

I love this quote attributed to John Lennon  " Everything's going to be okay in the end and if it's not okay then it's not the end." If I were going to get a tattoo, this might be it. Of course, it would have to have a flamingo with it. I'll pass at this time. 

Follow me on Instagram at kathy_nester or my book reviews at flaming_books. (now that my vision has improved, I hope to read and write more often.)

#trust #oneword2026 

Previous year's words: https://pennyformythoughts-nona.blogspot.com/2024/

Holy Crap

 Holy Crap by John J. Jessop.  JJJJJessop LLC, 2025. 978-1-7358178-9-7.  454p. ***

From Amazon...

"The private eye duo of Dr. Jason Longfellow and his nurse wife Chelsea are a hilarious hot mess. As a PI he's inept, while she's the real deal. In HOLY CRAP, Chelsea moves the family to the safety of the small city of Intoxication Junction where they open 'Chelsea Longfellow, PI, and Associate'. Chelsea sets up the PI office in their home so they can be there for their daughters. She even registers their girls in a private Christian school. What could possibly go wrong?" especially with a school named The Holy School of Purity and Goodness for Devout Young'uns, or HSPGDY.

In the course of their investigation into the death of a client's husband who was the accountant at their daughters' school, Chelsea and Jason are drawn into an illegal drug ring, Booze&Views bar, and the escapades of an escaped gorilla. Working with Deputy Dan Harbinger, Chelsea and her inept husband/associate, manage to uncover the murderer. 

The author sent me a copy to review.

While there are many funny episodes throughout the story, Chelsea smacking Jason in the head and Jason's addiction to chocolate donuts were a distraction for me. Slapstick, three Stooges type of humor has not been a favorite of mine, maybe my sense of humor is lacking. Some of the humorous attempts seemed forced and in your face. However, the book provides a respite from everyday life and the current political news climate. Jessop is very original in his pharmacological inventions - Sluggeroo (super -anabolic steroid for the purpose of increasing strength and endurance of the patient) and Permabooze (treatment of people with a drinking problem) developed by DrugsRGreat4U located in Intoxication Junction. Definitely worth a read if humor is your jam. 

From his website...John J Jessop, Ph.D., pharmacology, worked in pharmaceutical and medical biotechnology development (20 years at the FDA, 20 years on the industry side). Always an avid reader of mysteries, in retirement he has redirected his knowledge and experience towards writing the perfect murder mystery. For more info, click here.

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#holycrap #comedymystery #comedydetective #bookstagram #comedyfiction

Kathleen's Story Quilt

 

Kathleen's Story 

Marcus Fabrics is pleased to present its first Chunk-of-the-Month program, a fresh take on the BOM concept by Chris Schulte of Green Light Quilts. https://www.marcusfabrics.com/category/2-241474/kathleen-s-story/#link-item-241523

There are many Quilt Shops offering this "Chunk Of the Month Program"  All are not the same - some include backing; a discount for completing a "chunk" prior to the next month's release, etc.

A few that I have found:

Blue Hen Quilt - I preordered here, it's about an hour from my house

Keepsake Quilting

Sitchin Heaven

My Favorite Quilt Store 

The Quilted Boutique - very good explanation of the project

I have pre-ordered mine and the first payment is due on February 21st, 2026. I will blog as I go and I am still looking for a buddy to keep me motivated and sewing. Comment if you are interested....

Wait until you see the gorgeous fabrics included with the kit! I keep looking at them and can't decide which is my favorite. 

Follow me on Instagram at flamazing_books and Facebook at Kathy Morton Nester. 

#kathleensstory #chunkofthemonthprogram #marcusfabrics