Good Reads & Views

You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn
Nonfiction 

What’s it about: The star of movies and television recounts why he rejected the advice of family and his high school guidance counselor and, instead of pursuing a degree in the sciences, he majored in theater, film and sociology. He has confronted racism in Hollywood, met his NASCAR loving future husband, and took a sabbatical from acting to work in the Obama administration. Kal Penn narrates the audiobook himself and it’s amusing and candid.

Reviewers say: “An incredibly joyful and insightful experience for the reader . . . Kal Penn’s journey is unique and special and demands respect. He delivers his story with a kind of compassion and humor we simply do not usually see. I recommend this read to anyone and everyone” (Kiefer Sutherland).

You might also like: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey or My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper  

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
Fiction

Reviewers say: “A witty modern love story in the age of cohabitation, blended families, and second chances, this is a compassionate, absorbing tale. Moriarty has crafted an incredibly likable heroine in Ellen, the hypnotherapist who can solve her clients’ problems but can’t seem to keep her own life from spiraling into soap opera. Readers who enjoy Jennifer Close and Marian Keyes will adore Moriarty’s wit and warmth” (Booklist - starred review).

You might also like: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks or The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston
Nonfiction

Reviewers say: “This splendid, moving, heartbreaking memoir is doubly triumphant. It regales and entertains while at the same time providing inspiration and practical wisdom. A truly gifted storyteller, Cranston captures the reader's imagination and emotions from beginning to end” (Doris Kearns Goodwin).

About the author: Bryan Cranston is a television and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Walter White in the crime drama series Breaking Bad which ran for 6 seasons.

You might also like: Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama by Bob Odenkirk or Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
Fiction

About the author: Emily Giffin is the author of nine bestselling novels. She graduated from Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law and lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

Reviewers say: “Giffin’s novel has style and substance…Truly excellent" (The Washington Post).

Try this next: Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

31 Days to Better Genealogy by Amy Johnson Crow  
Nonfiction

Why you should read it: If you’re stressed out and overwhelmed by your genealogy research journey. The book follows a day-by-day structure that will relieve that stress with helpful tips and valuable resources to better manage your genealogy without having to devote a lot of time.

Further reading: Research Like a Pro by Diana Elder or Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher by Drew Smith

About the author: Amy Johnson Crow is a nationally recognized genealogy educator, a Certified Genealogist, and she holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Science. Amy has been doing genealogy since the early 1990s. 

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
Fiction

What it's about:  Sophie Honeywell inherits the house of her ex-boyfriend’s Aunt Connie, located on the fictional Scribbly Gum Island. The island is famous for an unsolved mystery, the disappearance of Alice and Jack Munro, known as the Munro baby mystery. Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family, where it seems everyone has a secret.

Reviewers say: “A stunner…[Moriarty’s] prose turns from funny through poignant to frightening in an artful snap” (Publishers Weekly).

You might also like: Starting Now by Debbie Macomber or Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Fiction

What it's about:  Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle are thirty-three-year-old triplets.  Together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow them, but apart, each is dealing with her own share of ups and downs. In this novel you will follow the Kettle sisters through one year in their life as they deal with sibling rivalry, secrets, revelations, and unthinkable decisions.  

Book Buzz: “The funny, heartwarming, and completely charming first novel from Liane Moriarty, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Nine Perfect Strangers and Big Little Lies.”

Reviewers say: "Three Wishes is a funny, light novel drawing on themes that anyone who has struggled with their identity as part of, and separate from, their family will thoroughly enjoy” (Good Reading - Australia).

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Fiction

Book Buz: #1 New York Times Bestseller & Amazon Best Book of September 2021

Reviewers say: “Liane Moriarty devotees, rejoice!” (CNN).

You might also like: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney or All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner  
Fiction

What it’s about:  Jennifer Weiner’s new book is considered a beach read but it is not light and fluffy. Daisy Shoemaker, wife, mother, and cook, starts receiving emails intended for a stranger named Diana. After Daisy contacts her, they quickly hit it off and decide to meet. A friendship forms between them, but Diana has a secret that involves Daisy’s husband Hal. The book is about the #metoo movement, friendship and family. 

Reviewers say: "Weiner's storytelling skill is such that she paints an uncompromising, complicated portrait of the insidious dangers of the patriarchy that is also a lot of fun to read. Weiner's latest is a summer banger with a ripped-from-the headlines plot, which is sure to garner lots of attention" (Booklist).

You might also like:  First Comes Love by Emily Giffin or Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction

What it’s about: “In this satisfying page-turner from "the queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine), a Nantucket novelist has one final summer to protect her secrets while her loved ones on earth learn to live without their golden girl” (Amazon).

Reviewers say: "In her 25th novel, Hilderbrand gets everything right and leaves her ardent fans hungry for No. 26. Hilderbrand sets the gold standard in escapist fiction" (Kirkus Reviews).

You might also like: Now that you mention it by Kristan Higgins or The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult.

Visit Roseanne’s My Librarian Page