Three Queens by Rebecca Connolly

 

 

Three Queens by Rebecca Connolly. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. Historical fiction. 

    Marie Antoinette, Abigail Adams, and Queen Charlotte of England never met in real history. But, in this insightful historical fiction novel. they meet in Calais and find they have much in common. All have powerful husbands, but little power themselves. All have lost children. All wish for more for themselves and their families in a world of turmoil and wars. They form an unlikely bond and communicate with each other through letters.

     Connolly has done a good job with the research on each woman.  A bibliography is included. Beautiful young Marie Antoinette is about to be part of the French revolution. Commonsense filled Abigail Adams wants to be home with her husband but must support him as he looks for political alliances in Europe. Dignified Queen Charlotte must deal with her husband, the King, who suffers from mental problems and her son who wants to take over and is not ready to be a king. Their letters are believable, their situations dire. Most moving is the plight of Marie Antoinette who clings to these two women friends even as she knows her end is coming.

The Royal Insider by Paul Burrell

 

 

 The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King, and Princess Diana by Paul Burrell. Sphere, an imprint of Little, Brown, 2025. Memoir.

     In his sixties now, Paul Burrell is ready to tell the story of his life. Growing up poor, he tells how he got a job at Buckingham Palace and worked his way up to serving the Queen herself. After some years, he chooses to work for Charles and Diana. Paul has married Maria, a maid for Prince Phillip and they want to settle down with their two little boys. Highgrove would enable them to have their own place.  He works for Diana after she and Charles split up. 

      Much later, after the death of Princess Diana, Paul Burrell is charged with stealing some of her treasures and belongings. Only the Queen helps him. Paul tells of how he met and married his husband Coop. He has been on celebrity reality shows in England and has undergone treatment for prostate cancer. He tells all honestly and truly still believes in the royalty he spent so much of his life serving. His perspectives on their current situations is enlightening. 

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

 

 Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet. Sarah Barley Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing Division, 2026. Young adult fiction.

     The March sisters from Little Women are back in a contemporary mystery! Their father has written a novel about his daughters and has killed off Beth. The whole family is now on the news and famous. Apparently, the father has taken off to Canada to let the whole situation cool down. 

     If you are familiar with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, the girls, mostly high schoolers, will seem like old friends, but different, too. They have been updated with modern touches. Mom is a nurse. Rich Aunt March promises to send one of the sisters to study at a tony private school. One wants to study in Paris but doesn't have the money. Beth has a boyfriend, Henry Hummel, while Theodore Laurence still lives next door. Meg is a student at Harvard, still likes John Brooke and rooms with Sallie Gardiner. When Sallie throws a wild party, tragedy happens for real. But, who is responsible? 

     Definitely readers will want to read the original Louisa May Alcott before this novel in order to appreciate the twists and turns here. Creative, bold, and definitely a mystery for young adults, this work is well written. This is Bernet's debut novel and we can only look forward to more by her.

You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate

 

You With the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate. Little Brown and Company, 2026. Memoir. 

Best known for her acting roles in Married With Children, Samantha Who?, and Dead to Me, Christina Appegate tells of her life. Two of her proudest accomplishments are her role on Broadway in Sweet Charity and her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 Diagnosed with breast cancer, she underwent a mastectomy. Now, diagnosed with MS, she has become a spokesperson for living with the disease and has launched a podcast on the subject.

This is not a tell all memoir. Applegate does not give names for some of the main characters who have influenced her life. She does not detail all of the early abuse shown to her. But, it is an honest tale, told from her heart. Journal entries and family tales are part of her journey shared here. Her grit and determination shine through every page.

All the Little Houses by May Cobb

 

 All the Little Houses by May Cobb. Sourcebooks, Landmark, 2026. Adult fiction. Mystery.

Charleigh Andersen is the queen bee in Longview, Texas. She and her handsome husband have money, the big house, and one teenage daughter, Nellie, a truly spoiled brat. When a back to the prairie type family moves in, the Andersen family equilibrium is totally unended. From the beginning, readers know someone is dead and the book builds the story until the very end. Teen angst, adult drama, gay attraction, and small town intrigues are all here. Chapters alternate narration from some of the characters. Details show the 1980's setting.

If you read to find an inspirational figure or to learn something, this is not the book for you! If, on the other hand, you read for a peek into perhaps the way others might live and get revenge, try this one! 

The Museum of Lost Things by Sam Kean

The Museum of Lost Things: True Tales of Fabled Treasures, Legendary Cities, and Mythical Creatures Lost to Time by Sam Kean. National Geographic Books, 2026. Nonfiction. (review from prepublication copy)

The title of this intriguing book really tells it all. Explorer, historian,  and author Sam Kean is known for his deep dives into interesting historical events, people, and artifacts. This title is divided into chapters such as lost cities, lost people, lost civilizations, and lost art. He writes smoothly and no doubt all readers will find some things to learn! It's easy to pick and choose favorite topics, but reading from the beginning to the end is satisfying, too. Who knew that U.S. Representative Sam Houston helped fight a fire at the Library of Congress in December, 1825? Kean does an admirable job of bringing readers up to date on recent discoveries and newer technologies by archeologists, scientists, and others.

The Ghostly Quilts on Main by Ann Hazelwood

 

The Ghostly Quilts on Main by Ann Hazelwood.  Adult fiction. 5th in the Colebridge Community series. American Quilter's Society, 2014.

The main character in this Missouri set series is Anne Brown Dickson. The first books follow Anne as she sets up a gardening store on Main Street in the small community of Colebridge. Anne starts out living with her mom and not really looking for love, but finding it anyway.

In this fifth novel in the series, Anne and her husband, Sam Dickson, live at 333 Lincoln Hill and have redone a big historic home. Anne hopes to write a history of the house and its former owners. Fall is approaching and the Main Street shop owners hope to host an outdoor quilt show to get more people into their shops before the annual holiday season. As always, family plays a big part in the story. There's always a mysterious element to the stories, too. 

Quilted Lilies by Ann Hazelwood. Adult fiction. 6th in the Colebridge Community series. American Quilter's Society, 2014.

Business is brisk at Brown's Botanical Gardens. Anne and Sam decide to purchase a property neighboring their home and hope to build greenhouses and expand the business. Unexpected events dramatically change their plans. Anne is faced with some big decisions, but supported by family, friends, and merchants along Main Street. An inherited white quilt plays a big part in comfort and family connections in this sixth novel in the series.

A Colebridge Quilted Christmas by Ann Hazelwood. Adult fiction. 7th in the Colebridge Community series. American Quilter's Society, 2015.

Family is number one with Anne Dickson, but new connections are being made, new friends found, and the possibility of new adventures await. Christmas is coming and the Main Street shops are decorated to the max, but someone keeps cutting the lights at the Mistletoe Market. Can the little group figure out the mystery? Anne hosts the first big Christmas party at 333 Lincoln and enjoys the experience. A new pastor at the local church becomes integrated into the community.