Welcome to June! Reader Mailbag: Book You Blindly Recommend
In the May 2025 newsletter, we asked readers what book they blindly recommend to others, regardless of a persons interests.
Here are the responses:
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Order of Ellen Marie Wiseman Books
Ellen Marie Wiseman is an American author of coming-of-age/historical fiction novels. She is a New York Times bestselling author. Ellen realized she loved both reading and writing when she was in first grade, which interestingly enough was in one of the last surviving one-room schoolhouses in New York state. Ellen lives with her husband and their dog, and has adult children and grandchildren. (more…)
Order of Stephen L. Carter Books
Stephen L. Carter is an American author of thriller novels and non-fiction books. He is a New York Times bestselling author. Stephen earned his B.A. in history from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. He has been the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale Law School, where he has taught courses on contracts, evidence, professional responsibility, ethics in literature, intellectual property, and the law and ethics of war. His novel The Emperor of Ocean Park won the 2003 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Fiction and the 2003 BCALA Literary Award. (more…)
Order of Elif Shafak Books
Elif Shafak is a Turkish author. She is known for her novels exploring identity, belonging, and cultural conflict. Shafak’s writing often tackles controversial issues such as gender violence, political oppression, and historical memory. Born in France and raised in Turkey, Shafak holds a Ph.D. in political science and has taught at universities in Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K., including the University of Oxford. She has faced legal challenges in Turkey for the political themes in her work, most recently a plagiarism accusation in 2024, which she is appealing. A vocal advocate for women’s rights and freedom of expression, she now lives in London, where she continues to write and speak on global human rights issues. (more…)
Order of David Wilson Books
David Wilson is an American author of post-apocalyptic fiction. He writes the Lone Star Odyssey series. David grew up in the Ozarks learning traditional skills from his grandfather like fishing, hunting, and making handmade shingles. At 17, he joined the Marine Corps as an 0341 rifleman and later transitioned to Counterintelligence, retiring in 1998 as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 after over 20 years of service. Since retiring, David has worked with various government agencies and as a contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. (more…)
Order of Ann Hood Books
Ann Hood is an American novelist, short story writer, and memoirist. She has written fourteen novels, four memoirs, a short story collection, a ten-book middle reader series, and a young adult novel. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, Ploughshares, Tin House, and The New York Times. Ann was born in West Warwick, Rhode Island. She earned her BA in English from the University of Rhode Island and studied American Literature at New York University. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a flight attendant for TWA. (more…)
Order of Ann Hazelwood Books
Ann Hazelwood is an American author of cozy mystery novels. She writes the Colebridge Community series, the Door County Quilts series, and the East Perry County series. Ann is a former shop owner from St. Louis, Missouri, and a certified quilt appraiser. (more…)
Order of Grace Livingston Hill Books
Grace Livingston Hill was an American author best known for her inspirational romances featuring young Christian women. Born in Wellsville, New York in 1865 to a writer mother and a Presbyterian minister father, she began writing as a child, contributing to her aunt’s children’s magazine. After the death of her first husband, Hill turned to writing full time to support her family, eventually publishing over 100 novels and numerous short stories. Though her early works were overtly religious, she later adapted her style to reach a broader audience. (more…)
Order of Gillian McAllister Books
Gillian McAllister is a British novelist of thriller novels. Raised in Tamworth, England, she studied English at the University of Birmingham, earning a 2:1 Honours degree before pursuing a law degree at the College of Law. She later practiced law professionally while writing fiction in her spare time. During a bout of glandular fever, she completed her first novel, which remained unpublished – but it marked the beginning of her writing journey. Now a full-time author known for her suspenseful, emotionally layered thrillers, Gillian lives in the UK with her husband and son. (more…)