Jane’s Pick: The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka This book surprised me – I began the book thinking it would be a quirky book about a community swimming pool. And it is for a while, but then the book shifts to the personal and becomes a heartbreaking, poignant story about a mother fading into dementia and…
Tag: Contemporary
A Happy Catastrophe
Sara’s Pick: A Happy Catastrophe by Maggie Dawson Severely burned in a fire while trying to save her, Patrick continues to deal with the death of his former fiancée. Still self-conscious about his severely burned face and hands, he is resistant to Marnie’s desire to have a child, believing he’s too awful to look at. Then a…
Matchmaking for Beginners
Sara’s Pick: Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson Two weeks into her marriage and Marnie discovers it’s a big mistake. Which is what her soon-to-be-ex, Noah, told her on their wedding day. Then his feisty, matchmaking great aunt Blix passes away, leaving Marnie her brownstone building in New York with the stipulation that she lives…
One Day in December
Sara’s Pick: One Day in December by Josie Silver Two strangers make a connection – one on a bus, the other on the sidewalk. Laurie’s not one to believe in love at first sight, but feels as though this unknown man is the one for her and spends the next year along with her…
You Were There Too
Sara’s Pick: You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley Artist Mia and her doctor husband Harrison have moved to a small town in Pennsylvania to start a family and escape some of the pressures of living in a big city. But Mia has her third miscarriage and Harrison isn’t so sure he wants to…
In Five Years
Sara’s Pick: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle Dannie Kohan has a good life. She’s a planner, a lawyer at a top firm in New York, has a boyfriend, soon-to-be fiancé and a wild and crazy best girlfriend, Bella. Dannie knows where she’s going and when and how. Then she has a dream, waking next…
The Flatshare
Sara’s Pick: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary After Tiffy Moore’s boyfriend throws her out of his apartment, she is desperate to find a new place to stay. Luckily Leon works the overnight in a health care facility and is looking for someone to share his flat. There are strict times for “co-habiting”: out of the…
You Think It, I’ll Say It
You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld I have enjoyed Sittenfeld ever since I picked up her first novel Prep in 2005 and this latest book of short stories did not disappoint. You Think It, I’ll Say It is Sittenfeld’s first collection of short stories and I am amazed at how “big” she…
Still Life with Monkey
Sara’s Pick: Still Life With Monkey by Katharine Weber This is the story of a young man, now a quadriplegic from a car accident, his wife and his helper, a tufted capuchin monkey named Ottoline. Architect Duncan and his co-worker Todd had gone to visit a construction site and when driving home were involved in…
America for Beginners
Cori’s Pick: America for Beginners by Leah Franqui An online summary describes this book as ‘…a funny poignant, and insightful debut novel that explores the complexities of family, immigration, prejudice, and the American Dream…’. My love for debut fiction made me reach for this book and the summary proved extremely accurate on all fronts. Pival…
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