The Bucolic Bookshelf

#BookBlogger #NetGalley www.thebucolicbookshelf.com Obsessed with historical victory gardens and vintage cookware

[bucolicbook]

Marion: A Novel by Leah Rowan

pub date - 6/2/26

Hitchcock fan here and I really wanted to read a Pyscho reimagining with Marion coming out on top.

Marion is the reimagining I wanted. Family love, loyalty, and twists abound. Feminist rage and murder kept me turning the pages and I read this in one day. I’m looking forward to listening to this on audiobook and reading more by Ms Rowan.

An excellent debut and it’s a recommendation from me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Marion: A Novel by Leah Rowan

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Man of My Dreams: A Novel by Olivia Worley

pub date - 6/2/26

A mixed up, mashed up rom com meets twisty thriller.

Other readers may enjoy this, but I didn’t love this.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Man of My Dreams: A Novel by Olivia Worley

[bucolicbook]

The Final Target by Nora Roberts

Pub date - 5/26/26

I’ve been reading Nora Roberts since junior high when Heather Bennett recommended her copy of Public Secrets and I’ve been hooked ever since, 42 years later and I got to read an early copy of The Final Target and it was an extremely fun and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the main character, Arden, a lot; I found her interesting, likeable, and sympathetic. I love how well Ms Roberts writes dogs (as with Stephen King’s, I always adore Nora Roberts’s fictional dogs), her friends and family, the actual love interest, his wonderful grandpa. They’re people you like.

Add in the unhinged stalker (and a Nora Robert’s bad guy isn’t something to be missed) and a ton of everything going on while you’re trying to build a new community in a new place, The Final Target was another bulls-eye read for me as it brought me from Ohio to Oregon and took me away from world worries for a while.

I had a great time reading this, full recommendation from me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did 🙂

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

The Final Target by Nora Roberts

[bucolicbook]

Maybe Marilyn: A Novel by Lois Cahall

Pub date - 5/26/26

A fantastical dandelion’s wish of a concert, which I was taken by the appeal of, and wish this is what had happened. But the execution of the story never landed for me.

With every page I read, I was just disappointed.

Thank you to Post Hill Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Maybe Marilyn: A Novel by Lois Cahall

[bucolicbook]

The Shippers by Katherine Center

Pub date - 5/19/26

Wonderfully written and executed, this HEA is heartwarming, charming, and emotional. A warm hug of a romance novel from beginning to end.

And the longing from Cooper? Perfection.

I love Katherine Center’s novels and can’t wait to read more. Recommended!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

The Shippers by Katherine Center

[bucolicbook]

It’s Hard to be an Animal by Robert Isaacs

Pub date - 5/19/26

I adored this Dr. Dolittle-esque debut and all it’s characters. I knew immediately that I wanted to read this and was so gratified by this wonderful world that Robert Isaacs created. Henry, Molly, Yaryk, Gracie, the betta fish, everything.

This was one of the most unique and enjoyable stories I’ve read.

Recommended!

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

It’s Hard to be an Animal by Robert Isaacs

[bucolicbook]

Get on Board! Interviews with The Soul Train Dancers 1971-1975 by Stephen McMillian

Pub date - 5/19/26

What a terrific trip down memory lane! I remember being a little girl and watching Soul Train, and adoring the dancers who all seemed so effortlessly cool.

The research the author underwent shows and the chapters each let us learn about a dfifferent dancer, their early lives and now. A very enjoyable read.

I would recommend this to every fan of the show and for anyone who remembers watching this show on Saturdays.

Thank you to Indigo River Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

Get on Board! Interviews with The Soul Train Dancers 1971-1975 by Stephen McMillian

[bucolicbook]

The Last of the Old Breed: An Oral History of the Final Marines from World War II by Scott Davis

Pub date - 5/19/26

I’ll admit that I wanted to read this book for multiple reasons. History and not forgetting its starkness, admiration of the Marines, and for the personal because my beloved grandfather was a Marine in the South Pacific in WWII. Who is no longer here, and who never once, within my hearing, spoke about any of his experiences.

The stories within this book are terrifying, heartbreaking, extremely important and should never be forgotten.

I was impressed by the author’s research and writing. Recommended.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

The Last of the Old Breed: An Oral History of the Final Marines from World War II by Scott Davis

[bucolicbook]

Violent Femmes’ Violent Femmes (33 1/3) by Nic Brown

pub date - 5/14/26

I’ve loved and been listening to the Violent Femmes since this album came out (which I remember getting at Sam Goody in 1983 on cassette when I was 10) and I loved reading this deep dive into the history of this record.

The book is engaging and I would definitely recommend this one to fans.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for the DRC

Violent Femmes’ Violent Femmes (33 1/3) by Nic Brown

[bucolicbook]

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

pub date - 5/12/26

This book didn’t work for me. I found the story far too contrived to come across as realistic, the writing style didn’t lead to feeling anything for the characters (all of whom felt quite one dimensional with the exception of Quinn), and I was underwhelmed by the ending.

Other readers may like The Anniversary but I ultimately found it more disappointing than enjoyable.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

[bucolicbook]

Good Joy, Bad Joy: A Novel by Mikki Brammer

pub date - 5/5/26

After 89 years of being a “good girl”, Joy embarks on a life altering course of being true to one’s self, and discovering a little bad can make life more joyful and purposeful.

I loved Joy’s story.

A definite recommendation!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Good Joy, Bad Joy: A Novel by Mikki Brammer

[bucolicbook]

The Duke: A Novel by Anna Cowan

Pub date - 4/28/26

I had such high hopes for this. It has so much of what I love - historical romance, titled aristocracy, and sapphic to boot, but I was just bored throughout.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

The Duke: A Novel by Anna Cowan

[bucolicbook]

Zine Making and Bookbinding: A Beginner’s Guide in 25 Projects by Lauren Simkin Berke

Pub date - 4/28/2026

If there are four words in the English languages combined together that are of immediate interest to me (still) they are “zine making and bookbinding” so when I saw this title on NetGalley, I snapped it right up, grateful to have the opportunity to visit two of my favorite activities since the late 80’s. The synopsis appealed greatly so I perused and read this eagerly.

I enjoyed this, was definitely inspired while perusing, and appreciated the supportive, how-to instructions in layman’s terms with handy illustrations, the author’s laid back vibe in writing, and the different projects.

This is a guide I would get for my own bookshelf, would definitely suggest to libraries with maker spaces, art rooms, and as a newly retired homeschooler, this is a book I would definitely grab for arty older elementary age children and up (adults can find a lot within these pages as well!).

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the temporary PDF

Zine Making and Bookbinding: A Beginner’s Guide in 25 Projects by Lauren Simkin Berke

[bucolicbook]

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

pub date - 4/21/26

Clever, slow burn, twists, and in the middle of it all is Mabel, an 81 year old, who I loved. The story flows and moves about through timelines in ways that really add to the overall experience.

I adored this story; a definite recommendation from me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke

Pub date - 4/21/26

*Family business / Mafia

*arranged marriage

*age gap

*found family

Daisy’s inner monologue was amusing at first but it grew old (and repetitive) quickly. I found this more inconsistent and lacking chemistry and spice.

This one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

Married to the Mafia by Lucy Smoke

[bucolicbook]

The Smallest of Joys: How to Create Your Own Magic, Let Your Best Be Enough & Find Contentment Exactly as You Are by Diane Schiffer

pub date - 4/14/26

*Grandma vibes *cozy and encouraging *the little things that encourage gratitude and joy

I’m not much of a social media person and hadn’t heard of the author, and was wonderfully pleased by the audiobook’s contents. Moments shared with heart and openness, this was a lovely listen.

I lost my own grandma in 2019 and I miss her everyday; Diane is closer to a peer than a grandma for me, but I loved the grandma aura to this all the same.

Recommended for anyone who is looking for soft encouragement with a cozy and vintage backdrop.

Thank you to Hay House LLC and NetGalley for the ALC

The Smallest of Joys: How to Create Your Own Magic, Let Your Best Be Enough & Find Contentment Exactly as You Are by Diane Schiffer

[bucolicbook]

The Children: A Novel by Melissa Albert

pub date - 6/2/26

Atmospheric, slow moving and character driven, The Children is most definitely one to read.

Gorgeously written, with twists, parental neglect, the fans and sycophants who thrive off nearness to Edith and Llewellyn, Guinivere and Ennis are all each other really has. After the death of their parents, and a long estrangement, Ennis is putting on an a new art show titled ‘Mother’, and well, no more on that part, but know that I was obsessed with reading. I couldn’t stop thinking about this when I wasn’t reading, and now that I’ve finished and sat with my thoughts after, I’m still pondering.

This one is bound to be a big read this summer and I can’t recommend it enough!

Read this and thank me later 🙂

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC

The Children: A Novel by Melissa Albert