Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

March was a great month for books, especially audiobooks with all the driving I did! Here’s a little about each book:

-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn � I listened to this classic, masterfully narrated by Elijah Wood, to have more context for James

-James by Percival Everett � The story of Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one that needed telling and was written to perfection

-Madwoman by Chelsea Baker � A woman’s picture perfect life unravels when the mother she thought was dead reemerges in her life

-The Garden by Nick Newman � An interesting dystopian about two elderly sisters whose lives are upended when a stranger shows up in their garden.

-ARC of The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurzman - a beautifully written and moving dual timeline set in the aftermath of WWII, inspired by the author’s family.

-The Dream Hotel by Leila Lalami � a terrifying look at what can happen if dreams are monitored and taken seriously and bureaucracy detains people for longer than needed.

-Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix � a wild ride of a book about pregnant young women whose cruel caretakers are in for some trouble when the girls find a book on witchcraft.

-Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt � A nonfiction that peels back the layers of Savannah’s residents in a way that is both fascinating and juicy - Lady Chablis was the true star of this book

-On Our Best Behavior by Elise Loehnen � The seven deadly sins in how they apply to women in history and in a contemporary setting

-Funny Story by Emily Henry � A fun, adorable romance about roommates who live together when their fiances leave them for each other.

-Starling House by Alex E. Harrow - a dark fairy tale for grown-ups with a gothic edge.

-The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo � a lushly written story in medieval Italy where a scullery maid possesses magical abilities that open to door to innumerable dangers�

What were some of your favorite March reads?

Psst to all the early reviewers out there...The Secret Book Society is officially up on NetGalley!



Early reviewers are such a huge part of a book's success. It truly means so much to us authors that you take the time to read ARCs of our books before they have been perfected by final round edits and for all the care you put into your heartfelt reviews.

Those reviews help to get other readers excited about our books and create wonderful buzz her and on social media and among your friends and family.

Thank you so much!! xoxo

This is a super special cover reveal!!

I’m BEYOND THRILLED to share that People Magazine is doing my official cover reveal for The Secret Book Society.

Bonus: This cover reveal includes an excerpt. The ARCs aren’t even available yet, so this is super exciting sneak peek at what you can expect from The Secret Book Society!

Set in Victorian London - a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.

Head over to People Magazine to see the cover now:

I really enjoyed so many books in February!! Here's a recap of them:

- The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang � A story of two women from different classes in 1800s China and was so good, I read it in two days

- Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez � a brave young nurse who speaks out for those who don’t have a voice in this power story (inspired by true events)

- Isola by Allegra Goodman � a riveting historical fiction about a young woman whose guardian abandons her on an island with her lover (inspired by true events)

- The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware � A fast-paced thriller about a woman who suddenly goes overboard on a luxury cruise even though all passengers appear accounted for.

- Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (wonderfully narrated by Caroline Lee) � about nine strangers who go to a health spa with some unexpected and questionable practices � such a great listen!

- The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (narrated by her as well) an inspiring nonfiction about how to let go of the things you can’t control and concentrate on the things you can.

- The Measure by Nikki Erlick (narrated by the immensely talented Julia Whalen) � a fascinating story of how the world changes when people receive strings that tell them how long they will live for.

- Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (with great narration by Stephanie Racine) � a thriller with a twisty past about a woman who is in a coma with a mystery to solve as memories of the days leading up to the accident slowly emerge amid a turbulent past.

- ARC of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton � such a fabulous book about books in this upcoming historical fiction told in three timelines about a book that connects them all in this delightful story that shares the importance of books and reading.

- Maame by Jessica George (fabulous narration by Heather Agyepong) � a wonderful coming-of-age story, told through an unfiltered lense. This was such a moving book and I was cheering Maddie on through the whole story.

What were some of your favorite books read in February?

I'm leaving this evening for a two week research trip in England for my 2026 release, A Time of Witches.
My focus is going to be the witch trials of the 1600s in England and I've spent months preparing for this trip.

Some things I do before travel:
- Reach out to local tour guides for ones run by locals and historians
- Pre-book museum tickets
- Reach out to museums for possible opportunities for individual tours
- Plan out a road map of all the places we're going

When I travel, I also always bring a space bag inside of my suitcase for all the books I buy LOL There is an amazing amount of literature to be found on-site that is difficult to find otherwise, so I ALWAYS stock up on all the books as I never know what might come in handy. So I leave with one bag and return with two.

We're also making a couple of stops along the way at some museums of my favorite historical figures:
- Anne Boleyn - we're staying a night at Hever Castle - she's my all time favorite woman in history!
- Jane Austen House - my favorite author in history! I cannot wait to explore her house museum!
- Charles Dickens museum - the museum will be just celebrating its 100 year anniversary and I can't wait to explore
- William Shakespeare - We're going to see a production of Cymbeline by candlelight at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

I can't wait for all the incredible history I'm getting ready to launch into! If you're so inclined, feel free to follow me on social media to join in my exploration:
Instagram:
Facebook:

I'll share more when I'm back! :)

xoxo,
Madeline

Did you join the 2025 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Reading Challenge this year?

I joined and I'm so excited! I kept my goal low to keep myself from feeling too much pressure, but I read some AMAZING books in January and am so excited to share a brief wrap up with you here:

- ARC of Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight - perfect for anyone who has ever silently (or not so silently) corrected anyone's grammar

- The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - a heartbreaking and beautiful story set in the Dust Bowl of the Great Plains during the Great Depression.

- The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery - life changes in the most unexpected ways when Valancy is diagnosed with a heart condition - utterly charming!

- Sandwich by Catherine Newman - the ultimate mom book, this one is both raw reality and like being wrapped in a nostalgic hug

- Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins - a twisty thriller about an island with a dangerous past and characters with dark secrets.

- The Arctic Fury by Greer McAllister - a novel of brave women who venture into the arctic and whose leader is on trial for murder.

- A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick - a compelling novel about a mail order bride who intends to kill her soon to be husband.

- ARC of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kirstin Harmel - a tale of a diamond bracelet with a heartbreaking history and a mystery that needs to be solved. Colette is such a quirky, plucky character and I love her!

- The Safe Place by Anna Downes - when a woman takes a job as a nanny and house cleaner, she never expects so many secrets...and they just might kill her.

What were some of your favorite books read last month?

Happy New Year!!

2024 was a truly incredible year and it was due largely in part to you <3 The Booklover's Library was received so warmly upon its release, hitting the USA Today bestseller list a couple of times and I absolutely loved getting to meet so many of you in person while on my book tour in the US and in Canada. And I've loved interacting with so many of you on social media as well - it's to fun to get to know all of you <3

Then having The Booklover's Library not only be nominated for the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice awards for Best Historical Fiction, but final and come in fourth place was such a high note to end the year on! Having over 30K votes for my book absolutely blew me away!!

I cannot thank all of you enough for making 2024 to wonderful and special.

Here we are in 2025 and I could not be more excited! The Secret Book Society ( /book/show/2... ) is coming out in September 2025 - my first ever Victorian fiction! I enjoyed writing it so much and hope you all enjoy reading it.

I also have a trip planned in February to go to England for research for the book that will be coming in 2026, tentatively titled A Time of Witches - a dual timeline (part will be modern day) based on the witch trials in England. I've spent the last two months in the discovery phase for that book (ALL the research!) and I've been enjoying it!!

And I'm also finally joining the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Reading Challenge! I always have an idea of books in my head, but haven't really logged them here. Every year, I'm in awe of everyone's book numbers and figured I'll start logging mine too, although I don't intend to include my research books.

There is so much to look forward to and I am so excited at how many of you I'll get to connect with in the many events I'll be doing this upcoming year.

I hope you have an AMAZING 2025, filled with love, happiness, and many wonderful books. xoxo

Sending you all my love,
Madeline

I am so pleased to announce that The Booklover's Library is a nominee for Favorite Historical Fiction in the 2024 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards!! I'm absolutely blown away by this honor and am so grateful for the love my book has gotten.

This book truly came from my heart and is based on so much of my own personal life, which makes this honor even more profound for me.

If you'd like to vote for The Booklover's Library, you can do so here: /choiceaward...

And THANK YOU <3

I'm heading out on my book tour soon for The Booklover's Library and have some amazing venues lined up with fabulous libraries and booksellers. I'll be in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and South Carolina. I love to chat with readers and having such a wide area means more of you to meet! :)

**Reminder: If you don't see your area listed here, please remember that I love to chat with book clubs over zoom and I am always happy to send indie bookstores signed book plates. :)

Check out the book tour list below - will I be near you?

� Sept 9 at 6PM EST - The BookMark in Neptune Beach, FL (Jacksonville) for a pre-launch chat with Jessica Hatch. More info:
� Sept 10 at 12:30PM EST - Story & Song Bistro in Fernandina Beach, FL for a launch party literary luncheon with Booklover's Library themed lunch. More info and registration:
� Sept 11 at 6PM EST - Writer's Block Bookstore in Winter Park, FL for a book chat with Kristin Harmel. More info and registration:
� Sept 12 at 7PM EST (6PM for VIP tickets) - Toledo Library in Toledo, OH for an author chat and book signing. More info and registration:
� Sept 13 at 7PM CST - Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville, IL for an author chat and book signing. More info and registration:
� Sept 14 at 1PM CST - Blue House Books in Kenosha, WI for a book chat with Renee Rosen. More info and registration:
� Sept 15 at 4PM CST - Boswell Books (at Shelly's) in Milwaukee, WI for an author chat.
� Sept 16 at 7PM EST - Cuyhahoga Library in Cuyahoga, OH for an author chat and book signing. More info and registration:
� Sept 17 at 12PM EST - M. Judson Bookseller (at Soby's Restaurant) in Greenville, SC for lunch and lit. More info and registration:
� Sept 18 at 11 AM EST - Litchfield Books in Pawley's Island, SC author chat and luncheon.
� Sept 20 at 6PM EST - The Island Bookshop in Venice Beach, FL for an author chat with Eliza Knight. For more info and registration, call: 941-416-5511
� Oct 1 at 4PM PDT - VIRTUAL event with Warwick's Bookstore in a chat with Rachel McMillan. More information and registration:
� Oct 6 at 2PM EST - San Marco Books & More in Jacksonville, FL for a 1940s themed book club for an author chat and signing. More information and registration:
� Oct 10 at 7PM EST - Ashland Public Library in MA for a VIRTUAL event to chat about The Booklover's Library. More info and registration:

See you there!! :)

xoxo,
Madeline

Confession: The Booklover’s Library is the most personal book I’ve ever written.

In The Booklover’s Library, Emma is a single mother to her daughter, Olivia. So much of this story is based on my own personal experiences as a single mother to my sweet girls.

In those years, there were so many times I felt overwhelmed with the world stacked against me. There were times when we were sick and I had drag us all to the store with fevers to pick up meds and buy food. There were times when I felt so desolately alone when facing obstacles. And there was a lot of judgment as a single mother - yes, even in this day and age.

However, there were so many amazingly beautiful one-on-one moments with my girls. Like family fun nights with dance offs and board games, or Mother’s Day teas and honor roll assemblies, or the annual pass to our local zoo and all the playground and splash park fun we had there. And even those quiet Saturday mornings when I turned on the TV and would have my girls snuggled up on either side of me while I sipped my coffee as we watched an episode of H2O.

My single mom years came to an end when Mr. Awesome and I moved in together. I’m so grateful for him every day, not just for being my partner in raising the girls, but for how perfectly he fits into our silly, happy, fun family.

As we get closer to the release of The Booklover’s Library, I’ll be sharing personal stories to offer insight on inspiration for scenes you’ll see in the book (don’t worry - no spoilers!)

And in just two months, The Booklover’s Library will be out!!

Have you added it to your Want to Read yet? /book/show/1...