The Book Bag

Monday, July 13, 2026

House of Teeth by Anne Shaw Heinrich ~ My Thoughts #HouseOfTeeth

House of Teeth by Anne Shaw Heinrich

(The Women of Paradise County #3)

Family Life Fiction, 344 pages

Published June 16, 2026 by Speaking Volumes LLC

Jules Marks and his five little sisters can finally relax. Their feckless parents from Shakey's Half are doing time in the Paradise County Jail, and their Uncle Larry, Aunt Sally and Aunt Clarice have swooped in to give them the safety and security they deserved all along.

As they settle into the closest thing to normal they've ever known, their neighbors and classmates are quick to remind them not to get too comfortable. Poulson's only dentist makes a generous offer to help the children fix their long-neglected teeth, but many folks object to the free treatment they receive.

Meanwhile, Jules is figuring out how to be a man as he holds onto an ugly secret involving his dear friend, Violet Sellers. When cancer strikes the family, Jules decides to right a wrong that's gone unchallenged for far too long.

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My thoughts about House of Teeth ~~

(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—"I never did have a love like Aunt Helly and Uncle Teddy. They held something special between them."

House of Teeth took me back to all the quirky, crazy characters I met in the first two books of this series. It was great to meet up with them all again and see what they were up to. And the introduction of new characters just made the story all that more interesting.

I loved the first two books and everyone I met in them. And who knew that there were even more people in this community that I would come to love?

A lot of this book centers on Jules Marks and his siblings. Boy, they really have been through it. Things do start looking up for them, but their lives are not completely without strife and drama. I was totally invested in their story and enjoyed watching their growth.

This is such a wonderful series, with very memorable characters and storylines. I highly recommend all three books!

I received an ARC of House of Teeth and this is my honest opinion of the book.

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Read my thoughts about God Bless the Child.

Read my thoughts about Violet is Blue.

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About the author

Anne Shaw Heinrich has written features and marketing copy for newspapers, the health and nutrition industries, higher education and not-for-profit organizations. A graduate of Eureka college in Eureka, Illinois with an English degree, she previously served as the society and entertainment editor for a suburban Chicago newspaper.

Besides reviewing local and national touring theater productions, she also interviewed celebrities such as Debbie Reynolds, Judy Collins, and Opera great, Beverly Sills. One of her essays, "Grandma's Big Secret" appeared in Marlo Thomas's book " The Right Words At The Right Time Volume 2: Your Turn!" ( Published by Atria Books, 2006).

In addition to her consulting work, Anne wrote a monthly column called " Small Talk" in the small town newspaper of Dwight Illinois, where she formally lived with her husband and three children. Anne has also contributed a chapter in " Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Cancer Book."

Anne is currently working in the fundraising/public relations department for City Academy. A private school that admits under privileged students on full scholarship. Anne also has two completed rough draft novels waiting to be published and several side projects are always in the works. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Anne

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 13, 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

The Women in White

by Sarah Pekkanen

eARC for review

Pub date ~ August 4

Songs of Willow Frost

by Jamie Ford

print from my TBR shelves

Published September 2013

The Calamity Club

by Kathryn Stockett

audio-book from my TBR collection

Published May 2026

What I recently finished

Everything We Carry

by Kerry Lonsdale

short story you can get for FREE here!

Published ~ August 10

The Life You've Imagined

by Kristina Riggle

print from my TBR shelves

Published August 2010

Big Summer

by Jennifer Weiner

e-book from my TBR shelves for a challenge

Published May 2020

What I am going to read next

(this is always subject to change)

😊

Class Reunion: Keep Your FRIENDS Closer

(Raising the Bar #2)

by Gail Ward Olmsted

eARC for review

Pub date ~ October 1

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Release Day! Working Class Hero by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #WorkingClassHero

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Kay

on the release today of

Working Class Hero!

Working Class Hero by Kay Bratt

(Hart's Ridge #16)

Saga Fiction, 328 pages

Published July 8, 2026 by Red Thread Publishing Group

Because in Hart’s Ridge, justice is personal.

In Hart’s Ridge, people look after their own. So when a late-night emergency shakes the town, everyone is quick to rally around the firefighters who risk everything to protect it, especially Fire Chief Alex Mercer, a man known for showing up when things fall apart.

Taylor Gray has learned that stories formed too quickly rarely hold the whole truth.

Small details begin to surface. Quiet fears. Secrets kept behind closed doors. A woman who may have been trying to change the course of her life. As Taylor pulls at loose threads, she finds herself standing against a tide of loyalty and silence that runs deeper than she expected.

Because some fires burn long after the flames are gone.

And sometimes uncovering the truth means questioning the people everyone else trusts.

My thoughts about Working Class Hero ~~

(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 lines—"The laundry had been folded twice already."

Working Class Hero is another page turning, thrilling read by Kay Bratt! I don't know how she does it.

A devastating house fire destroys so much. Taylor investigates, trying to determine if it was a horrible accident or if there was something more sinister and intentional going on. As she works the case and tires to prove her suspicions, she also has to look at the facts. The solving of this case took me to a place I did not see coming. I love when that happens!

One of the things I love about this series, along with each interesting case that needs to be solved, is the family dynamics that are covered in each story. The Gray family and their friends are a complicated bunch and each story gives us more of a glimpse into their lives. I've come to think of this group as my friends. I am fully invested in the lives of Taylor and her family members.

The Hart's Ridge series is an amazing set of stories, with memorable characters and interesting plotlines. I highly recommend Working Class Hero, as well as this whole series—it just keeps getting better and better.

And the author just keeps writing this series. Yay for us!!

Book #17, It's Only Love, is expected to be released on September 29, 2026!

I received an ARC of Working Class Hero from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Read my thoughts about Hart's Ridge, Lucy in the Sky, In My Life, Borrowed Time, Instant Karma, Nobody Told Me, Hello Goodbye, Starting Over, Blackbird, Hello Little Girl, So This is Christmas, Every Little Thing, Now and Then, Tell Me Why and Ticket to Ride.

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About the author

Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer

As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.

As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.

As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.

Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kay

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

The Architect by Joanne DeMaio ~ My Thoughts #TheArchitect

Congrats Joanne

on the recent release of

The Architect!

The Architect by Joanne DeMaio

Series: The Seaside Saga #27

Women's Saga, 207 pages

Published June 2, 2026, by Joanne DeMaio

From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes The Architect, Book 27 of The Seaside Saga.

As a noted coastal architect, Jason Barlow designs homes that evoke the sea. Gabled, shingle-style New England cottages are his forte. Cottages that beautifully weather in the salt air. Cottages with grand porches; and rounded turrets; and fortress-like stonework speaking of the land, as well as his father’s legacy. Cottages with floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in the sea, the sky, that his brother so loved. But it’s not only incredible homes Jason builds and restores—it’s relationships and friendships and histories, all set against the backdrop of a beach that’s defined him.

After his very life is threatened, however, Jason Barlow shares a simple request with those to whom he’s closest. A request that has an old friend turn to The Architect now more than ever.

And The Seaside Saga continues.

The Seaside Saga on Goodreads

The Seaside Saga on Amazon

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My thoughts about The Architect ~~

(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—"The diner goes quiet. Shane's words straight up stop them cold."

The Architect is another wonderful visit to the community of Stony Point. I love reconnecting with all of the people of the area, who have essentially become my friends. I love the camaraderie and drama that ensues among all of the members of this quaint little town.

I'm always excited to get the newest story in the Seaside Saga and quickly devour it, anxious for the next installment. I highly recommend this series and this author.

Book #28, The Novelist, is due out on September 2, 2026.

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If you're new to The Seaside Saga, the reading order is below. Written like an ongoing TV show, it's a revolutionary series following the same tangled group of beach friends from book-to-book.

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About the author

Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea.

Joanne’s books include the New York Times Bestseller Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans, the first in her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga. These eleven (and counting) novels journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters and their storylines from book-to-book.

Joanne’s winter novels have also received much acclaim. These heartwarming standalones are set in the same snowy New England town. Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes became a USA Today Bestseller, and has been featured in national magazines and Six Flags theme parks.

In addition, Joanne’s debut novel, Whole Latte Life, won first place in a competition at BookExpo America and was named a Kirkus Reviews Critics’ Pick. Her other novels have appeared in Redbook, First for Women magazine, Southern Living, USA Today and more. ~ Author's website

Connect with Joanne

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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