SAM&PAM's Book Radar

7 Days to Die by Wyatt Moore Genre: Paranormal Fiction Date of Publication: January 2025 This book follows Kelly Flores who finds herself in the afterlife after an untimely death. She is transported to Ravenwood, a city within Mesis, one of the three levels of the afterlife. While she awaits judgment day, she learns about the intricate rules and workings of this world, including the existence of m...

"The Art Thief" by Michael Finkel , published in 2023 . The book falls into the genre of true crime . It tells the story of Stéphane Breitwieser , who is argued to be the most successful and prolific art thief in history . He stole nearly 300 works of art , mainly from small museums, between 1995 and 2001. The book details Breitweiser's methods, motivations, and his unusual relationship with his m...

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a historical fiction novel published in 2023 . The story follows Martha Ballard , a midwife in the late 1700s, living in Hallowell, Maine. As Martha navigates the harsh winter and cares for her community, a murder rocks the small town. Amidst accusations and secrets, Martha must use her knowledge and intuition to uncover the truth. The novel explores themes of j...

All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley Genre: Memoir Publication Date: February 2023 "All the Beauty in the World" is a memoir by Patrick Bringley that recounts his decade-long experience as a museum guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bringley shares his journey from his initial days as a rookie guard, shadowing experienced colleagues like Aada, navigating different...

"Hillbilly Elegy" is a memoir by J.D. Vance published in 2016 available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EoPdfP The book recounts the author's personal experiences growing up in poverty in the Rust Belt of Ohio and the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Vance details the social and economic challenges faced by the white working class in these areas, exploring themes of poverty, addiction, family dysfuncti...

James : The Notebook of Daniel Decatur Emmett by Percival Everett and published in 2024 . It is a fiction novel . The story follows the life of James , a slave who embarks on a journey to find his wife and daughter after they are sold to another owner. During his adventures he encounters Huck, a white boy, and together they experience a series of challenges and moral dilemmas while navigating the...

"The Chinese Phantom: The Hunt for the World's Most Dangerous Arms Dealer" is a non-fiction investigative journalism book published in 2024 . The book is co-authored by: Christoph Giesen, the China correspondent of the German magazine Der Spiegel. Philipp Grüll, a weapons expert and editor at Germany’s leading public broadcaster ARD. Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer who won the Pulitzer Pr...

The Murder of Judith Roberts , by Chris Clark and Tanita Matthews, is a true crime book published in 2024 . The book investigates the unsolved 1972 murder of 14-year-old Judith Roberts in Wigginton, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. The book focuses on the wrongful conviction of Andrew Evans, a 17-year-old soldier, who confessed to the murder but later retracted his statement [8-10]. Evans sp...

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens It is a literary fiction novel and was published in 2018 . The story centers on Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family to fend for herself in the marshes of North Carolina in the 1950s. Nicknamed "The Marsh Girl" by the townspeople, Kya learns to navigate the harsh yet abundant wilderness, relying on her resilience and the lessons of nature. As she grows,...

The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf is a queer fiction novel by Isa Arsén, published in 2025. Margaret Wolf is a young actress trying to make a name for herself in the New York City theater scene in the 1950s. She escapes a difficult past and finds love and success with her husband, Wesley Shoard, a fellow actor. But Margaret’s world is turned upside down when she is offered the role of Lady Macbeth i...

The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a mystery novel published in 2020 . The story is set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland during a lavish wedding weekend. A storm hits the island, causing a power outage in the main marquee where the guests are celebrating. When the lights come back on, the guests are horrified to learn that there has been a murder. The novel follows multiple perspectives, i...

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab is a fantasy novel published in 2020 . The novel follows Adeline LaRue , a young woman who makes a deal with the darkness in 1714 to live forever. However, the price of her immortality is to be forgotten by everyone she meets . For centuries, Addie lives a solitary existence, unable to form lasting connections or leave a mark on the world. In 2014...

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid . It is a fiction novel published in June 2017 . It tells the story of Evelyn Hugo , a reclusive and aging Hollywood icon, who decides to finally reveal the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life [2]. She chooses Monique Grant , an unknown magazine reporter, to write her biography, leaving everyone, including Monique, wondering why....

Girl, Ultra-Processed , by Amara Sage , is a young adult novel published in 2025 . It follows Saffron, a young woman living in Bristol, England, as she grapples with societal pressures around body image and the pervasive influence of diet culture . Saffron's struggles are exacerbated by social media , where she encounters relentless messages about thinness as the ideal. To cope with her insecuriti...

Project Hail Mary a science fiction novel by Andy Weir , was published in 2021 The story follows Ryland Grace, a former scientist turned junior high school science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He eventually remembers that he is on a mission to save Earth from a dying sun, caused by an alien life form known as Astrophage. Along his interstella...

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover is a fiction novel published in 2022 . The story follows Kenna, who returns to the town where a tragic accident took place five years prior, hoping to reconnect with her four-year-old daughter, Diem. However, she is met with resistance from Diem's guardians, Patrick and Grace, who hold Kenna responsible for the loss of their son, Scotty. Kenna struggles to rebuil...

Black and Blue Widow by Rhiannon Rollness, is a dark fantasy romance novel published in 2024 [1]. The story is inspired by Roman history and mythology but is set on a different planet [2]. The book contains adult themes, including violence against women, murder, and torture, and is intended for adult audiences only. The novel follows the story of Luella , a serial killer who murders abusive men. T...

Title: Beg, Borrow, or Steal Author: Sarah Adams Genre: Romance Publication Date: January 7, 2025 Emily and Jack are elementary school teachers and rivals in the small town of Rome, Kentucky. After a series of unfortunate events, Emily finds herself needing Jack's help to retrieve a compromising email. Their rivalry eventually blossoms into a friendship, and they begin to help each other navigate...

"Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers" is a self-help philosophy book written by Massimo Pigliucci, Gregory Lopez, and Meredith Alexander Kunz . The publication date is 2025 . The book explores thirteen prominent philosophies from ancient Greece and Rome , with the goal of helping readers develop their own personal philosophy f...

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover is a romance novel published in 2022 . This book is a sequel to It Ends with Us and picks up right where the first book left off. The story centers around Lily Bloom and her former love, Atlas Corrigan , as they navigate their rekindled relationship. Lily is a single mother who is trying to rebuild her life after divorcing her abusive husband, Ryle. Atlas is a s...

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover is a romance novel published in 2016 . The story follows Lily Bloom , a young woman who moves to Boston and opens her own floral shop. She meets Ryle Kincaid , a neurosurgeon, and they begin a whirlwind romance. However, Ryle has a dark side and their relationship becomes abusive. Lily also reconnects with her first love, Atlas , who had a difficult childhood and...

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a self-help book focused on habit formation available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Er3Pv5 It explores how small changes can lead to significant life improvements through the compound effect of tiny decisions. The book introduces concepts such as Habit Stacking, the Two Minute Rule, and the Goldilocks Zone. It combines insights from psychology and neuroscience with in...

"The Lotus Shoes" by Jane Yang is a historical fiction novel. While the copyright is 2025, there is no publication date listed in the sources. "The Lotus Shoes" tells the story of Little Flower , a young girl sold into servitude as a muizai to a wealthy family in 19th-century China. Little Flower navigates the complexities of her life as a slave, enduring hardships while developing her exceptional...

Playworld , a novel by Adam Ross, was published in 2025 . The story begins in 1980 and follows Griffin as he navigates adolescence. Griffin's life is marked by a childhood fire that he believes he caused and his experiences in show business due to his father's career as an actor . The novel explores themes of family, guilt, and coming of age against the backdrop of 1970s and 1980s America. #Coming...

The book is titled "The Bright Side" and was written by Sumit Paul-Choudhury . It was published in 2025 , and is a non-fiction , pop-science book. This book explores the concept of optimism from various angles. It examines the psychological basis for our natural optimism and how this "positive illusion" benefits us. It also delves into the history of optimism and pessimism, from the philosophical...