The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace

The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace is an amusing British cozy mystery. This is the first in a planned series featuring the WISE Women Detective Agency.  These female detectives are WISE because they are from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England respectively. Henry Twyst, the eighteenth duke of Chellingworth, discreetly employs the detective agency to discover whether his mother, the Dowager Duchess, actually saw a corpse in her dining room. Has the Duchess gone senile? One of the WISE detectives is a family friend, the Honorable Christine Wilson-Smythe, who just so happens to be the only daughter of a Viscount and Viscountess. Christine and her friends discover what really happened that night in the Duchess’ dining room. This book is a clever beginning to a fun and entertaining genre series.  

If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Jenny Tate is a wedding dress designer. She's in the business of happily ever after, so imagine her surprise when she finds out that her perfect doctor husband is no longer in love with her. Unable to say goodbye to her ex-husband Owen, Jenny stays friends with him, his new beautiful wife, and their adorable baby. Sensing this isn't helping her move on, Jenny decides to move to her hometown to be closer to her sister. After moving into a flat, Jenny begins to develop feelings for her Julliard graduate, piano playing landlord, who continues to tell her that he's emotionally unavailable.

Jenny's sister Rachel has the perfect life. Modeling her relationship after he parents perfect marriage is what she's wanted to do since she was a child. She's married to a lawyer, has beautiful triplet girls, has the home of her dreams, and doesn't think life can get much better, until she realizes that her husband has been sexting and cheating on her with a co-worker. After devoting much of her life to being the perfect wife and mother, Jenny realizes that enough is enough. For the first time in her life, Rachel has reached her breaking point, and those around her better watch out.

Kristin Higgins' If You Only Knew is a humorous book about finding true love when least expected it, standing up for oneself, and the special bond between sisters.

The Comic Book Story of Beer by Jonathan Hennessey and Mike Smith

It's Milwaukee. That said, beer is just a part of our history and culture, so why not enjoy an entire graphic novel all about beer? Hennessey and Smith's The Comic Book Story of Beer is a fascinating read if you're interested in the science of beer brewing, the history of various ales, and how beer became one of the all-time most popular drinks. Hennessey, the writer of several other graphic novels and Smith, a longtime beer brewer have researched the history of beer dating back to the beginning of time (roughly 7000 BC), through the rule of the Romans, the era of exploration, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, World War I and II and up until the present. They trace the brewing science from barley, to mash, to bottle, and finally to consumption. With mention of major breweries like Miller, Pabst, and Anheuser Busch as well as newer craft breweries and beer pubs, Hennessey and Smith are clearly beer experts. For avid beer drinkers, home brewers, and historians, this is a fascinating look at an iconic beverage that has changed the world.

Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell

Due to the high number of causalities and disabled veterans, World War I forever changed England. One of the more positive transformations reflected in Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell is the breaking down of class barriers. At Lady Phoebe Renshaw’s family estate, Foxwood Hall, the Marquis of Allerton is missing. Though he is a thoroughly unpleasant man that no one misses except his mother, he must be found. The local police suspect a footman, but Lady Phoebe believes the young man innocent. Lady Phoebe joins forces with her maid, Eva Huntford to find out what exactly happened to the Marquis of Allerton. This is a charming historical mystery with two strong female characters and an authentic sense of time and place. Recommend to Downton Abbey fans!

The Annotated Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Edited by John Matteson

Little Women--it's the classic children's story of the March sisters living in Concord in the 1860-1870s, figuring out their place in a world dominated by men. If you haven't read (or seen any version of the movie), The Annotated Little Women might be the version you want to pick up. Not only does this rather large book contain all of Alcott's Little Women, but the margins of this classic are peppered with notes, observations, and interesting facts about the story. Included are images from the movies, photographs of some of the individuals Alcott mentions in the story, and interesting tidbits of history that even the brightest historian won't know. Fans or first time readers of this version of Little Women will be fascinated by the information contained in this book.

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of this book is the introduction by John Matteson. He spends quite a bit of time explaining how Little Women became the classic that it is today. Much emphasis is given to the time period, and the fact that Alcott's father raised his daughters to be enlightened thinkers, a rarity for the time. Matteson's forward also sheds light on how much the members of the March family were modeled after the Alcotts. Filled with fascinating stories about Louisa May Alcott, this annotated version is for true Little Women fans.