Good Reads & Views

Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron
Nonfiction

About the Author: Delia Ephron is a bestselling author, screenwriter, essayist, and playwright. Her novels include Siracusa, The Lion Is In, and her movie credits include You’ve Got Mail and Hanging Up. Her play, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, written with her sister Nora Ephron, ran for two years off Broadway.

Reviewers say: “Ephron’s memoir is a heart-wrenching tale of second chances at life and love” (TIME Magazine).

You might also like: Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron or The Most of Nora Ephron by Nora Ephron

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Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins
Fiction

About the Author: Kristan Higgins is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels. She is the mother of two and she enjoys gardening. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, a dog, and a cat.

Reviewers say: “New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins welcomes you home in a funny, emotionally charged must-read novel about the complications of life, love and family” (Amazon).

You might also like: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center or Family Tree by Susan Wiggs

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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is Matthew Perry’s memoir about his addiction, his illness, and his paralyzing loneliness. He takes us through his “hell” but doesn’t wallow. Ultimately, this book is filled with hope for the future.  

Reviewers say:  “The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this ‘candid, darkly funny...poignant' memoir” (The New York Times).

You might also like: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey or Will by Will Smith

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Things you save in a fire by Katherine Center
Fiction

About the author:  She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including How to Walk Away and What You Wish For. The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel The Lost Husband hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel Happiness for Beginners is in production now as a Netflix original.  Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

Reviewers say: "A story about survival that is heartbreakingly honest and wryly funny, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Elizabeth Berg" (Kirkus).

You might also like:  First Comes Love by Emily Giffin or Evvie Drake Starts Over by by Linda Holmes  

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Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
Nonfiction

About the author: “Chelsea Handler is an accomplished stand-up comic and actress, as well as the bestselling author of My Horizontal Life. She was the star of her own late-night show on E!, Chelsea Lately; was one of the stars of Girls Behaving Badly; has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman; and has starred in her own half-hour Comedy Central special. Chelsea makes regular appearances in comedy clubs across America and lives in Los Angeles” (Amazon).

Reviewers say: "Ms. Handler's style is a friendlier, more workaday version of the haughty self-abasement practiced by Sarah Silverman, leavened by the everywoman spirit of Kathy Griffin... She seems like a cruel queen bee from an expensive college: There's something suspiciously sophisticated about how her jokes line up that suggests the moral austerity of a comic not of [Joan] Rivers's bad-girl school: Tina Fey" (New York Times).

You might also like: Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline or Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea Handler.

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When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
Fiction

Series alert: This is the third book in the Devil Wears Prada series. Read The Devil Wears Prada and Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns.

Reviewers say: “With rich people behaving scandalously on every page, this lemon is juicy and delicious… Having a kick-ass girl posse is not only great fun, but essential for survival in this town filled with moms obsessed with SoulCycle, trophy kids, and plastic surgery” (Kirkus Reviews).

You might also like: The Stylist by Rosie Nixon or According to a Source by Abby Stern.

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I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Nonfiction

About the author: “Michelle McNamara (1970-2016) was the author of the website Truecrimediary.com. She earned an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Minnesota, worked as a consultant for "Dateline NBC," and had sold television pilots to ABC and Fox and a screenplay to Paramount. She lived in Los Angeles and is survived by her husband, Patton Oswalt, and their daughter, Alice” (https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/michelle-mcnamara).

Reviewers say: “What makes McNamara’s work so compelling is her empathy and sensitivity toward the people touched by these crimes.... I wish I could read the next 10 books she would have written” (Kate Tuttle, Los Angeles Times).

You might also like: When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain or Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (Journalist).   

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The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction

What’s it about: Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is named the new general manager of the newly reopened Hotel Nantucket, trying to overcome its bad reputation, which it gained after a fire in 1922 that killed a chambermaid, Grace Hadley. While the hotel seems to be doing well, there is a lot of drama with both staff and guests including Grace, the ghost, gleefully haunting the halls.    

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:  Hotel Portofino by J. P. O’Connell or The Summer House by Jenny Hale.  

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The Return by Nicholas Sparks
Fiction

What it's about: Trevor Benson returns to his hometown of New Bern, NC to claim the dilapidated cabin that he inherited from his grandfather who recently passed away. While taking care of his grandfather's beloved beehives, he meets and falls for deputy sheriff Natalie Masterson and encounters the mysterious teenage girl, Callie. These two women have secrets that will change the course of his life. 

Reviewers say: "As much a family drama as it is a love story...If you, like Trevor, are looking to slow down and focus on what's really important, The Return is the heartwarming read you've been waiting for" (BookPage).

You might also like: One Summer by David Baldacci or The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry   

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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  

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