The Book Bag

Thursday, April 30, 2026

New Release! The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson ~ My Thoughts #TheMountainsWeCallHome

Congratulations Kim Michele

on the recent release of

The Mountains We Call Home!

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson

(The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek #3)

Historical Fiction, 384 pages

Published April 21, 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek comes a triumphant tale of a librarian's fight to bring literacy to the prisons of Kentucky and the underserved neighborhoods of downtown Louisville, revealing a story of fierce love, quiet strength, and the healing power of books.

When Cussy Lovett, a Packhorse Librarian famed for bringing books to the people of Appalachia, is unjustly incarcerated, she finds a new calling as a prison librarian, bringing hope to downtrodden women and voiceless city residents alike, finding a home even while separated from those she loves. A vivid portrait of mid-century Kentucky, from the hills and hollers of Appalachia to a vibrant city neighborhood on the cusp of urban renewal, The Mountains We Call Home explores the effects of criminalization and incarceration on the poor and powerless, while tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds.

Gritty, heartbreaking, yet infused with hope, The Mountains We Call Home is an authentic American tale and a powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the written word.

My thoughts about The Mountains We Call Home ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Somewhere among the nestled fissures and cradling dark-blue bluffs, between towns such as Hazard, Hell-fer-Sartain, Kingdom Come, and Troublesome, comes the Book Woman."

This whole series is such an amazing set of stories. And now in The Mountains We Call Home, the reader is taken back to the strong and wonderful women that we met in the previous books. Book one is all about Cussy Lovett and her struggles to bring books to the people of Appalachia. Book two continues with her daughter, Honey, taking over the mission when her parents are thrown in jail.

The Mountains We Call Home takes us back into Cussy's storyline, as she endures prison life and all that that has thrown at her. I didn't realize how much I missed being a part of her life until I started reading this book and it all came back to me. Cussy once again shows her resilience and strength as she endures the unthinkable, and just keeps going, never losing her beliefs and goals.

The Mountains We Call Home is a beautifully written, heartwarming story about strong women and the lengths they will go to to overcome adversity. This is a must-read for all lovers of books and reading. I highly recommend it, as well as this whole series.

I received an ARC of The Mountains We Call Home from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

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About the author

The NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kim Michele Richardson is a multiple-award winning author and has written five works of historical fiction, and a bestselling memoir.

Her critically acclaimed novel, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a DOLLY PARTON RECOMMENDED READ, a Goodreads Choice award nominee, and has earned the 2020 PBS Readers Choice, 2019 LibraryReads Best Book, Indie Next, SIBA, Forbes Best Historical Novel, Book-A-Million Best Fiction, and is an Oprah's Buzziest Books pick and a Women’s National Book Association Great Group Reads selection. It was inspired by the remarkable "blue people" of Kentucky, and the fierce, brave Packhorse Librarians who used the power of literacy to overcome bigotry, hate and fear during the Great Depression. The novel is taught widely in high schools and college classrooms.

Her fifth novel, The Book Woman’s Daughter, an instant NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and INDIE NATIONAL bestseller, is both a stand-alone and sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

Kentucky-born native, Kim Michele Richardson, lives with her family in the Bluegrass State and is the founder of Shy Rabbit, a writer's residency scholarship. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kim Michele

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak ~ My Thoughts #ShibbyMagee

Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak

Sibling Relationships, 326 pages

Published February 20, 2026 by CORBYN

☘️ A character-driven Irish tragicomedy threaded with wit, heartbreak, and bittersweet redemption.

Echoing the tones of the TV series Fleabag, Shibby Magee is wry and wickedly irreverent, while reflecting the sharp, dark dynamics of The Banshees of Inisherin. For readers of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, and Donal Ryan’s The Queen of Dirt Island, Shibby Magee offers a warmer—but no less incisive—portrait of a woman shaped by childhood abandonment and social prejudice, following her across two defining life stages as she struggles toward dignity, love, and self-possession.

When their mother, Vera Coffey, disappears after announcing she's a Traveller/Mincéir, Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah, are abandoned to a settled family already cracking at the seams. Under the iron rule of their viciously prejudiced grandmother, the two girls grow up on opposite tracks: Dorah, arrogant and bold; Shibby, bruised and quietly resilient.

As Shibby stumbles into adulthood, she's drawn to men who either abuse or dump her. She finds fleeting stability in the fast-paced chaos of a restaurant kitchen—but a question gnaws at her: is her future in the rooted life of the settled or on the open road to God only knows where? With the fierce support of a chosen few—Alice Duffy, housekeeper turned surrogate mother; Moochie de Barra, an affectionate stand-in for an emotionally absent father; and Kitty Dooley, a Traveller whose loyalty never wavers—Shibby begins to uncover hard truths about identity, family, and what she desperately needs to find where she truly belongs.

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My thoughts about Shibby Magee~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"While it's freezing outside, the Gubbeen's kitchen is like a little corner of hell. A pit of ceaseless clamor and blistering heat."

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Shibby Magee. The cover definitely intrigued me. And then I was drawn into the life of Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah. What a tragic life they lived, with their mother leaving them at such an early age and being left with an abusive grandmother and a questionable, loving father.

The story of Shibby is told in two timelines—one when she and her sister are young and just trying to survive life, and then later in their lives when they are supposed to have it all figured out. I felt very connected to Shibby, not that I lived the same kind of life, but rather because I felt all that she was going through and empathized with her and her rough life. This was a story that opened my eyes to the life of the underprivileged and how the struggle to find happiness and peace is real for everyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed Shibby Magee and look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a copy of Shibby Magee from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Praise for Shibby Magee

“Carrie Kabak follows the indelible, indefatigable Shibby Magee during two crucial years in her life, one in girlhood and then another at midlife womanhood, as she struggles against prejudice, cruelty, and abandonment in her search to find her true place in an increasingly confounding world, be it in a bustling restaurant or on the road as an Irish Traveller—an extraordinary, wily community I’d never heard of before and was delighted to encounter. Warm, wise, with dashes of wit, Kabak’s novel is just magnificent.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, With or Without You, and Days of Wonder

“In this captivating and insightful novel, Carrie Kabak introduces the unforgettable Shibby Magee, who navigates adulthood in search of love and stability while grappling with the enduring shadows of childhood abandonment. Filled with multi-dimensional characters and evocative imagery, this is a heartfelt and poignant story that lingers long after the final page.”—Holly Kennedy, Edgar Award Nominee and Giller Prize Longlisted author of The Sideways Life of D

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About the author

Published by Penguin Random House, Carrie Kabak's novel, Cover the Butter, was an Independent Booksellers' Pick, won an Audiofile Magazine award, and was nominated for a Quills Award. Her essays appear in For Keeps and He Said What? (Seal Press), Exit Laughing (North Atlantic Books), Faith (Simon and Schuster), and Dumped (She Writes). Carrie's latest novels, Shibby Magee and Every Mole and Freckle, will be released in spring and fall 2026, and Mali Morgan's Summer in spring 2027.

Alongside her writing, Carrie works as a book cover artist for major publishers after working for many years as a production designer at Hallmark Cards. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Carrie

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Release Day! This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack ~ My Thoughts #ThisWeekendDoesn'tEndWellForAnyone

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Catherine

on the release today of

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone!

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack

(The Vacation Mysteries #3)

Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction, 343 pages

Published April 28, 2026 by Minotaur Books

The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas.

Eleanor Dash can never catch a break. Not only has she had to solve two real-life murder plots in the past year, but both times it was when she was meant to be on vacation. Now she’s finally got a ticket to a relaxing weekend—an all-inclusive resort at the Bahamas where she’s speaking at a conference for murder mystery writers—but she arrives to find a body on the floor of her hotel room. Because of course she does.

With plenty of familiar faces at the resort, any one of them could have been the intended target or the culprit behind it all. Was it Oliver Forrest, Eleanor’s dashing boyfriend who’s in danger of getting dropped by his publisher because his sales are dwindling? Or Connor Smith, Eleanor’s infuriating ex-lover-turned-bestselling-rom-com-author with a sordid past of his own? Or her sister Harper, whose own stilted writing career has been a sore point for years as Eleanor’s has soared? Perhaps it’s one of the other writers also in attendance, as friends, frenemies and foes from Eleanor’s past all seem to be invited to the island.

Surrounded by mystery writers who know all too well the many ways to craft the perfect crime, Eleanor is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and do whatever it takes to get out of this weekend alive.

My thoughts about This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"HOW TO WRITE A MURDER by Eleanor Dash -- In this murder, we'll follow a three-act structure broken down in three sequences."

I've been a huge fan of this series from book one! I love the characters and the humor that this author has created. And to be privy to the thoughts and strategy of writing a murder mystery is over the top entertainment. I love the little sidebars and insights that the main character shares with the reader. And I have to mention the footnotes. So much fun!

Eleanor and her merry band of hilarious characters are at it again. This time they travel to the Bahamas for a mystery writers conference. And guess what? Dead bodies start falling all over the place. Ha! Who would have thought? Oh, Eleanor!

I love this story so much and loved revisiting all the zany, suspicious people in Eleanor's world. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone is laugh-out-loud fun and I am so ready for the next escapade. I highly recommend this book and this whole series!

I received an ARC of This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone and this is my honest opinion of the book.

Vacation Mystery Series

Read my thoughts about book #1 here and book #2 here.

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About the author

Catherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script.

A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Catherine

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Monday, April 27, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 27, 2026 #IMWAYR

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week.

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading