The Book Bag

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Release Day! A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James ~ My Thoughts #ABoxFullOfDarkness

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Simone

on the release today of

A Box Full of Darkness!

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

Ghost Thrillers, Paranormal Suspense, 344 pages

Published January 20, 2026 by Berkley

Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York: A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie the final straw was their little brother's shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. Now after nearly two decades it’s time for a homecoming—because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared.

My thoughts about A Box Full of Darkness ~~

(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 lines—"When I wake in the middle of the night, I don't always see darkness."

What can I say about A Box Full of Darkness? I absolutely loved it!

I am a huge fan of Simone St. James and love her stories. This one takes the reader to the dark world of Fell, NY, where lots of mysterious things and deaths have happened over the years. Is it all a coincidence or is there something really evil in the town?

Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie are 'called back' to their hometown and they all reluctantly go. They need to solve the mysterious disappearance of their little brother Ben once and for all. But what they discover is not pleasant for anyone. Do they have the strength and belief in themselves to conquer the evil that they uncover?

This was a gripping, creepy story that I devoured, just like I have all of St. James' other tales. It kept me on the edge of my seat while pushing me to the exciting ending. I highly recommend A Box Full of Darkness, especially if you like creepy suspense thrillers. This is a definitely a good one!

I received an ARC of A Box Full of Darkness and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases, The Sun Down Motel, The Broken Girls and The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time.

She lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

Connect with Simone

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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Release Day! The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia ~ My Thoughts #TheFairWeatherFriend

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Jessie

on the release today of

The Fair Weather Friend!

The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia

Thrillers, Mystery, 320 pages

Published January 20, 2026 by St. Martin's Press

The next gripping domestic suspense novel from Jessie Garcia.

It's always sunny in Detroit for Faith Richards. The popular TV meteorologist, endearingly referred to as "The Fair Weather Friend" by her viewers, has the world by the tail. But one night, Faith leaves work on a dinner break and never returns. Her body is found the next morning.

The town is reeling, suspects emerge, and long-buried secrets are uncovered. While her allies rally, her list of adversaries also grows. Little does anyone know that only the deepest secrets will expose the truth.

In this riveting thriller from the author of The Business Trip, Jessie Garcia's signature multi-POV, rapid-fire style will propel you into the heart of a mystery no one could have forecasted.

My thoughts about The Fair Weather Friend ~~

(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 lines—"June 1 and 2. When television viewers in Detroit sat down to watch the eleven o'clock news on Channel 9 that Friday, they expected to see the usual:..."

Expect a twisty storyline with a lot of interesting, possibly guilty, characters. When Faith, the very popular online weather person, goes missing, it seems that everyone might have a motive and their own opinions about what happened to her. It turns out, Faith might not be the beloved person everyone thought she was. The twisty part is that with each new point of view, you will be wondering if that person is the guilty one.

This was a fast read as I wanted the mystery to be figured out and find out for sure what happened to Faith. The ending is not what I expected, a total surprise. I love when an author can do that for me. The Fair Weather Friend was in intriguing read that I enjoyed very much!

I received an eARC of The Fair Weather Friend and this is my honest opinion.

I also read Jessie's book Business Trip.

Read my thoughts here.

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About the author

Jessie Garcia knew she wanted to be a writer or a reporter from about the age of 8. After growing up in Madison, WI she attended college at Boston University, gravitating to television journalism.

Jessie spent over 25 years on the air as a sportscaster and became the sideline reporter for the Green Bay Packers as well as a host of NFL coach's shows. She then got into TV management and now oversees a newsroom of journalists.

Jessie also taught journalism at four universities and produced a documentary on a little-known piece of track and field history.

She has several award-winning non-fiction books out but recently turned to fiction. She has always been drawn to mysteries and thrillers and is excited to be bringing you The Business Trip.

Jessie has two adult sons and lives in Wisconsin with her husband. Their two animals truly rule the house: a savvy cat who simply appeared in the front bushes one day, and a dog who won their hearts at the Humane Society.

Follow her on Instagram at jessiegarcia_author for behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Connect with Jessie

Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! Remember to Eat and Other Stories by Meryl Ain ~ My Thoughts #RememberToEat

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Meryl

on the release today of

Remember to Eat!

Remember to Eat and Other Stories by Meryl Ain

Multigenerational Fiction, 224 pages

Published January 20, 2026 by SparkPress

For fans of Hilma Wolitzer and Jhumpa Lahiri comes a collection of short stories about a mother and daughter as they navigate their changing roles through tumultuous times.

Following a Jewish family from before World War II to the not-too-distant future, this collection of loosely linked short stories explores the experiences of Marjorie, a baby boomer; her mother, Alice; and the friends and family that make up their community over the decades. As they each pursue higher education and choose career paths, both mother and daughter encounter challenges as they make choices within a changing society—from in-law problems to illness to antisemitism and beyond.

Sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, Remember to Eat takes on themes including patriarchy, technology, the changing role of women, the challenges of raising children, the COVID-19 pandemic, complex family relationships, and what it means to be a Jew with empathy and insight. Ultimately, the twenty-two stories contained in these pages offer not only an intimate journey into these women’s lives but also an illuminating portrait of the times in which they live.

My thoughts about Remember to Eat ~~

(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 lines—"Margaret got pregnant on the first try only a few months after she and Eric married"

Remember to Eat is an entertaining, insightful saga of multi-generational women. There are funny, humorous incidents as well as beautiful, heartwarming moments as these individuals try to figure out life.

I relished all of the stories and felt each one flowed easily into the next one as I came to know Marjorie and Alice. Their lives were interesting, while their experiences could be stories you might hear from your family members or your neighbors.

Remember to Eat is a collection of stories that will stick with me a long time. There was entertainment and well as food for thought.

I received an ARC of Remember to Eat and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Meryl Ain is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. Her new collection of short stories, Remember to Eat, will be published on January 20. The Takeaway Men, her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel, was published in 2020. The sequel, Shadows We Carry, was published on April 25.

Meryl's articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications, and she is the author of two non-fiction books. She is the host of the podcast, People of the Book, and the founder of the Facebook group, Jews Love To Read!

Connect with Meryl

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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Release Day Spotlight! A Tiny White Light by Linda Bass #ATinyWhiteLight

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Linda

on the release today of

A Tiny White Light!

A Tiny White Light: A Memoir of a Mind in Crisis by Linda Bass

Memoir, 312 pages

Published January 20, 2026 by She Writes Press

From an author with a psychology background, a candid memoir about the interior of her own psychotic episode and its origins in guilt, lost purpose, conflict between mothering and career, and the ambiguity in her relationship with her therapist.

Just after Linda, nineteen, and her brother Brian, eighteen, move from their tiny country town in Wisconsin to the tumult of Los Angeles in 1967, the Summer of Love, their parents decide to divorce—and for the first time, the two teenagers find themselves truly on their own. Forced to fend for himself, Brian’s life quickly spirals He hitchhikes around the country, lands in psychiatric hospitals and jails, and, finally, commits an irrevocable act. Plagued with guilt over her role in Brian’s deterioration, Linda loses her own sense of purpose, gives up a promising career in psychology, and finds herself in a life she never envisioned—poor, alcoholic, an accidental parent in an unhappy marriage, feeling invisible and alone.

When Linda’s husband, Jake, urges her to see Sam, a psychologist, for help in quitting smoking, Sam quickly becomes a touchstone for what she has her sense of self. Feeling truly seen, she falls in love with him, and she believes he might return her feelings. But he offers her only mixed messages, and the ambiguity triggers her descent into a psychotic episode—one that echoes her dreams, Brian’s experience, and Sam’s own phobia.

Will she follow her brother’s path—or will she find her way back to herself and create the life she longs to live?

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Advance Praise for A Tiny White Light

"Through poetic and thought-provoking prose, [Bass] examines the human need for companionship and connection with refreshing candor, not shying away from describing the darker aspects of her own impulses and behavior . . . the work’s exceptional prose and unflinching honesty make for an engaging read . . . A skillfully written personal exploration.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Exquisitely written with vivid imagery, this enthralling memoir takes one on a harrowing journey to madness and back.”—Bonnie R. Strickland, PhD, former president of the American Psychological Association and author of Leaving the Confederate Closet

”An evocative memoir that immerses the reader in the author’s descent into psychosis. With unflinching vividness, Bass translates the logic of madness, the distortions of perception, and the sensory overload of a fractured mind not just as an experience, but as a surreal world with its own internal consistency. For anyone interested in how the mind works, this story is critical and relevant.”—Rosie McMahan, EdM, author of Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation

”Brave, bold, illuminating, and well-written, this memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in the human mind and overcoming adversity. It is especially relevant for those touched by mental illness and clinicians seeking to understand the lived experience of psychosis from the inside."—Julie Savitch, EdD, author of My Other Kids: A Memoir of Child Advocacy and the Power of Showing Up

“Truly the most authentic, disturbing and riveting description of psychosis I’ve ever read, barring perhaps Jack Kerouac’s depiction of alcoholic psychosis in his memoir Big Sur.”—Dori Ostermiller, author of Outside the Ordinary World

“A Tiny White Light is a lyrical memoir in which living is treated as a continual search for meaning and self-worth . . . A revealing memoir about hitting rock bottom and digging one’s way out . . . toward a triumphant ending.”—Foreword Clarion Review

”Burdened by a life marked by trauma, neglect, and solitude, Bass begins to experience a psychotic episode during psychotherapy. This book shows how what she calls “craziness” is a strategy for survival in the face of deep hurt—and a catalyst for confronting life’s challenges in a new way.”—Stijn Vanheule, professor of clinical psychology at Ghent University and author of Why Psychosis Is Not So Crazy

“Spanning time, place, and people, A Tiny White Light provides a compelling portrait of mental illness and the long, winding road of recovery.”—Maria Galano, PhD, assistant professor of clinical psychology, UMass Amherst

“A brave, brilliant and beautifully written book.”—Michele Orwin, author of Waiting for Next Week

About the author

Linda Bass holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in psychology from UC Berkeley. She worked in the workforce development field for thirty years, most recently as the executive director of a regional workforce board in Cambridge, MA. Now retired, she devotes her time to writing, painting, solving puzzles, reading, singing (to herself), enjoying friends and family, and feeling grateful for the life she has now. She currently lives in South Hadley, MA, and is working on a second book.

Connect with Linda

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

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Monday, January 19, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 19, 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