Good Reads & Views

The Distancers: An American Memoir by Lee Sandlin
Nonfiction

About the author: Lee Sandlin is the author of Wicked River, Storm Kings, and The Distancers. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and book reviewer for The Wall Street Journal. Born in Wildwood, Illinois, he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He died in 2014.

What it’s about: Follows seven generations of the author's Midwestern family through The Great Depression, World War Two, and the dust bowl years, where he learned the value of family and the art of keeping one's distance.

Reviewers say: “A bit of general Americana and the ghosts of one family that settled comfortably for a while in a place between Chicago and the Mississippi provide an amalgam that now and again buttresses important matters known to all of us.” (Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2013)

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Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Fiction

About the author: Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of seven internationally best-selling novels. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and read by more than 14 million people worldwide.

What the reviewers say: “…Nine Perfect Strangers is a darkly comical novel that defies classification. It manages to be wildly funny and richly emotional at the same time, proving that the Big Little Lies author still has a lot to offer her readers.” ―Bustle

You might also like: The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen or A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

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Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Fiction

About the author: Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer. She is best known in the United States for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey. Something in the Water is her first novel.

For fans of: Motive by Jonathan Kellerman and Heartsick by Chelsea Cain.

Reviewers say: “With unreliable characters, wry voices, exquisite pacing, and a twisting plot, Steadman potently draws upon her acting chops. . . . A darkly glittering gem of a thriller from a new writer to watch.”— Kirkus Reviews (starred review).

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Rise: How a House Built a Family by Cara Brookins
Nonfiction

What it’s about: An inspiring true story of a family’s healing after the author escapes an abusive relationship but has nowhere to live. She does the unthinkable and builds a house from the ground up with her four children.

What the reviewers say: “An inspiring memoir of absolute determination.” --Kirkus Reviews

You might also like: Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Educated by Tara Westover.

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Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
Fiction

About the authors: Clare Mackintosh is an award-winning New York Times and international bestselling author. She spent twelve years on the police force in England and has written for the Guardian, Good Housekeeping, and other publications.

For fans of: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins and Liar Liar by Lisa Jackson.

Reviewers say: “[A] deliciously creepy tale of urban paranoia.”—Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10.

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Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks
Fiction

What the reviewers say: "Two by Two is a deeply moving tale not only about the love between a father and a daughter but also about the power of family and the courage we must find within ourselves as we face the unknown."―Booklist, starred review

About the Author: Nicholas Sparks has sold over 100 million copies of his New York Times and international bestsellers worldwide. His novels have been translated into more than fifty languages.

You might also like: We are Water by Wally Lamb, Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston and The Whole World Over by Julia Glass.

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I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Nonfiction

About the authors: Mother / daughter team who also write the column “Chick Wit” for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lisa Scottoline lives in Pennsylvania and writes three books a year.

Series Alert: This is the 9th book in “The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman” series. Mother and daughter narrate all nine titles in the series on audiobook.

Reviewers say: “True tales of how we live now from a mother and daughter who are best pals―and a very funny writing team.” ―People (“Best Beach Book”)

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The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney
Fiction

What the reviewers say: “Dazzling, startling, and above all cunning—a pitch-perfect novel of psychological suspense.”—Lee Child

Book Buzz: Soon to be a major motion pictures directed by Ron Howard.

For fans of: Girl on the Train by Paula McLain and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn./a>

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Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff by Chip Gaines
Nonfiction

About the author: Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna Gaines, are co-founders and co-owners of Magnolia Homes, Magnolia Market, and Magnolia Realty in Waco, Texas.

What’s it about: It offers readers an inside look at how Chip Gaines, through crazy antics and his willingness to take that first step, became a successful business man and entrepreneur.

You might also like: The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines

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A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock
Fiction

What the reviewers say: "An absorbing tale of art, deception, romance, and forbidden desire" (Publishers Weekly).

About the Author: Amber Brock teaches British literature at an all-girls’ school in Atlanta. She holds an MA from the University of Georgia and lives in Smyrna, GA. Her new novel Lady Be Good was published in 2018.

You might also like: Lynn Cullen’s Mrs. Poe or Kristina Riggle’s Things We Didn’t Say.

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