Links & Lit

a 5 star unexpected read, The Tell memoir controversy, mothers on the brink & great links

Hello!

I hope you’re having a great weekend. I can’t believe next week will be the start of October. As I write this, it’s hot and sunny in Ohio, so decidedly not October weather. I’ll take it though because I’m not at all ready for cold or snow. My fall seasonal mood reading continues. I finished the book I had proclaimed my September “wild card” pick in the end of the summer podcast episode I did with

Katie - Basic B's Guide

. Going solely off the synopsis, I wasn’t sure what I’d make of Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo, but I absolutely loved it and I’ll tell you why below.

I’ll also share a couple hot off the press 2026 releases I just found out about and some of THE most interesting articles I read this week—between strong opinions on Oprah‘s Book Club and the buzzy NYT article about Amy Griffin’s memoir The Tell¹, there’s quite a lot here I consider food for thought. Hope you enjoy reading:)

Recent Reads

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf (out Nov 4) **Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the complimentary ebook Bookshop.org

This was one of my most anticipated fall reads as Heather Gudenkauf is a trusted auto read author for me—I loved her book The Overnight Guest. This new thriller is about a wealthy couple, Madeline and Wes, who go all out and over the top for a gender reveal party which goes very wrong and someone ends up dead. The story is set entirely in Wyoming and the family involved live in the mountains on a large ranch which is a setting that gave me all the fall vibes. I flew through this and loved it. I’d like to also add that we finally get a 2025 thriller that feels fresh, the gender reveal party was the perfect set up for this murder mystery. Bottom line: this is atmospheric, smart, and well plotted!

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Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo **Thanks to St Martin’s Press for my complimentary ebook Bookshop.org

Gabriel Fisher was born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. No one in Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. When circumstances lead to Gabriel being taken in by his devout Amish grandparents, they disapprove of all the attention and hide him away from the English world. But one day, the English world will come calling and nothing will ever be the same for anyone in this small town

Ok, that is THE most basic synopsis and one I changed so nothing is given away. I mostly listened to this because the audio narration has several narrators and they truly brought these characters to life². The story is told in alternating perspectives—we have main characters like the town vet Thomas Kennedy, Hannah Fisher (Gabriel’s grandma), Billy the local bar owner, and then we also hear from other townspeople.

This narrative structure was gold. I love a small town midwestern story and if you do too I think you’ll like this. It’s the story of Gabriel’s life yes, but it’s also about people starting over, women grappling with their place and voice within their families and belief systems, the price of fame, and you guessed it, life and death.

If I was forced to find any criticism it would be that I was left with a couple questions about two things that really didn’t matter, I just wondered about. I did learn quite a bit about the Amish community which I appreciated, especially as we frequently see Amish families around the lake community we visit regularly. This one is getting 5 very bright stars from me and I just might have to buy a print copy for my 5 star favorites bookshelf. PS tissues were needed and that was also unexpected- I love when that happens.

Hot Off the Press 2026 Releases

Both of these will be most anticipated reads for me next year!

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout - May 5, 2026 from Random House

The story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life—a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, parenthood, and the importance of truth in a capsizing world.

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Land by Maggie O’Farrell - June 2 from Knopf

A soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before and after the Blight. A novel about separation and reunion, tragedy and recovery, colonization and rebellion. It is a story of buried treasure, overlapping lives, ancient woodland, persistent ghosts, a particularly loyal dog, and how, when it comes to both land and history, nothing ever goes away

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A Great Listen This Week

Do Dog’s Really Love Us? with Oprah and Dr Carl Safina - This was a great conversation. I listened while on a walk with my dog Vinny:) I might try Dr Safina’s book someday. Also available on YouTube

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From the Archives

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Links I Loved

• The Billionaire, the Psychedelics and the Best-Selling Memoir - As I said, I loved the book, but the article makes valid points. I hope we hear from Amy and Oprah too (NYT Gift Link)

• The User Engagement Jackpot - again, food for thought from

  Leigh Stein
  Attention Economy on Substack

• Celebrity Book Clubs Are No Longer Tastemakers - I’ve been enjoying

  Kathleen Schmidt
  ’s Substack and this is one of my favorite essays from her - Publishing Confidential on Substack

• 3 Novels About Mothers on the Brink - Publisher’s Weekly

• A Definitive Ranking of Every Single Nora Ephron Movie Harper’s Bazaar

• Uninhabitable Houses in Fiction: 7 Novels to Explore - These could make great atmospheric October reads, plus I’ve already downloaded Unsettled Ground from Claire too - Clairefuller.com

• The 46 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2025 - Roofman, After the Hunt, A House of Dynamite, and Jay Kelly are a few on my must watch list Time

• 31 Fall Salad Ideas Bon Appetit

Have you read, watched, or listened to anything great this week?

1. I listened to this when it came out and loved the book. I thought it was compelling and well written.

2. I ran out of Spotify audiobook hours at 93% and was soooo mad!