Good Reads & Views

Forever Wild, Forever Home by Melanie and Mark Shellenbarger
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Today more than 460 rescued animals enjoy peace, comfort, and contentment in enormous habitats on thousands of acres of prairie and canyonlands. This is the story of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.

Why it's significant: Animals at the sanctuary are rescued from mostly horrific situations and the thousands of people who visit, support, work, and volunteer there know that this is the place where hope begins for all of the animals who end up there. They are survivors.   

About the authors: Melanie and Mark Shellenbarger visited The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado and because of the impact that the place had on them they set out to commemorate its 40-year history by writing this book. Melanie is an architectural historian and retired faculty member of the Department of Architecture at the University of Colorado. Mark is a retired business executive. They live in Denver, CO.

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Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld
Nonfiction

Reviewers say: “Fans of Seinfeld will eat this up, and aspiring comics will want to study how he shapes his seemingly effortless humor” (Kirkus Reviews).

What it’s about: Since the author began his standup comedy career in 1975, he has always written his own material. He wrote his ideas and jokes on big yellow legal pads and saved them “in one of those old school accordion folders.” In this book he goes through those legal pads, selects his favorite material, and shares forty-five-years’ worth.   

You might also like:  I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart or A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost.

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The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand  
Fiction  

Reviewers say: "Engaging family relationships mixed with vivid landscape descriptions create an effortless read" (Library Journal).

What it's about:  A tale of identical twins who are raised on separate islands after their parents’ divorce. They are now 39 years old, they don’t get along, and the book explores complications caused by twinship and small island worlds.

You might also like: The Summer Girls by Mary Alice Monroe or Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer.

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The Weight of a Piano by Chris Cander
Fiction

What it's about: A novel about a Blüthner piano, which for eight-year-old Katya becomes her love and passion until the family emigrates to America. Fifty years later, twenty-six-year old Clara inherits the same piano, but never learns to play and decides to sell it. In doing so she learns about its unique history.

Reviewers say: “Strong characterization and attention to detail, whether in the manufacture of a piano or in the desolate beauty of Death Valley, elevate Cander's tale about learning to let go of the past” (Booklist).

About the Author: Chris Cander graduated from the Honors College at the University of Houston, in the city where she was raised and still lives, with her husband, daughter, and son. Her first novel, 11 Stories, won the Independent Publisher Gold Medal for Popular Fiction, and her most recent, Whisper Hollow, was long-listed for the Great Santini Fiction Prize by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.

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Island Girls by Nancy Thayer  
Fiction  

Reviewers Say: “In this touching summer read, forgiveness benefits both the person bestowing it and the recipient” (Kirkus Reviews).

You might also like: Beautiful Day or Here’s to Us - both by Elin Hilderbrand

About the Author: Nancy Thayer grew up in Kansas and got her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from the University of Missouri at Kansas.  She moved to Nantucket Island 33 years ago after visiting a friend who introduced her to island life. She has published over 30 novels. 

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Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Fiction

Reviewers Say:  "Weiner brilliantly crafts this heart wrenching multigenerational tale of love, loss, and family . . . Weiner's talent for characterization, tight pacing, and detail will thrill her fans and easily draw new ones into her orbit. Her expert handling of difficult subjects will force readers to examine their own beliefs and consider unexpected nuances. Weiner tugs every heartstring with this vivid tale" (Publishers Weekly - starred review).

About the Author: Jennifer Weiner is the bestselling author of seventeen books.  She is a graduate of Princeton University and a contributor to the New York Times Opinion section. She lives with her family in Philadelphia.

You might also like: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See or The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.     

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The Lies that Bind by Emily Giffin
Fiction  

Reviewers say: “Giffin [has a] trademark ability to capture the complexities of human emotions while telling a rip-roaring tale” (The Washington Post).

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

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

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Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Fiction

Reviewers Say:  "If you love Jennifer Weiner, you’ll love this one. And if you’re a newbie, start here" (Kirkus Reviews).

About the Author: Jennifer Weiner is the bestselling author of seventeen books. She is a graduate of Princeton University and a contributor to the New York Times Opinion section. She lives with her family in Philadelphia.

You might also like: Starting Now by Debbie Macomber or The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand     

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Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
Fiction  

Author Alert: Ghosts of Harvard is her first novel.

Reviewers say: “Every time I thought I knew where Ghosts of Harvard was heading, I turned out to be wrong. Part mystery, part ghost story, part psychological thriller, this novel is all entertainment” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult).

You might also like: Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline or Let me Lie by Clare Mackintosh.

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Me for You by Lolly Winston
Fiction

Reviewer’s say:  "The story uses quiet prose and unexpected moments of gentle humor to illustrate the importance of human connection during trying times. … [A] poignant story about loss, unexpected connections, and the circuitous path toward healing” (Kirkus Reviews).

About the author: Lolly Winston was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. She has an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is the author of New York Times bestselling novels Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately, the latter of which is being developed as a film.

You might also like: One Summer by David Baldacci or Rescue by Anita Shreve     

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