Beth Moroney

Although hard-shelled, Kay is also loving, empathetic, and loyal to her family and friends. She has had a life of challenges, disappointments, and danger, including a lengthy period of time in which she believed that her beloved husband, Benton Wesley, was dead. Her personal relationships with her mother and sister have been ruptured and mended time and again. Life for Kay is never an easy path.

Cross & Sampson by James Patterson and Brian Sitts. Little, Brown, 2026. For recreational reading, there is nothing like picking up an Alex Cross thriller by James Patterson. In Patterson’s latest book, Cross and Sampson, the 35th in the series, Cross’s best friend, John Sampson, gets equal billing in the novel’s title, and that’s because in this story each character shares the limelight.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella. The Dial Press, 2024. In 2000 my husband, daughter, and I were driving to Florida when I burst into laughter. My husband, who had been behind the wheel for hours, growled, “What’s so funny?” “It’s this book that I’m reading. Confessions of a Shopaholic. It’s hilarious. Shauna (our daughter) gave it to me to read.” For the duration of our trip, my daughter and I entertained my husband by reading the Shopaholic book by Sophie Kinsella aloud.