Good Reads & Views

True Biz by Sara Novic
Fiction 

What’s it about: Three students at the River Valley School for the Deaf have gone missing. Told through multiply points of view, the reader starts in the present day and travels back to go through the days and events that lead to the students going missing. A coming-of-age story of teenagers who are struggling to find themselves and learn about what it means to be deaf and the culture that surrounds it.  

Why this book: This is a great book to read if you are interested in learning more about the Deaf community. Sara Novic does an excellent job of exploring Deaf Culture and showing the struggles the Deaf community faces in a hearing world. Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction 2022. 

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The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Fiction

What’s it about: “Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who
could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is,
she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect
superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker” (Amazon).

Reviewers say: Katherine Center's The Bodyguard is “My perfect 10 of a book. As funny and
sweet as all the very best nineties rom-coms, but with Center’s signature heart-tugging depth. I
wish I could erase it from my mind just to read it again for the first time. A shot of pure joy” (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers).

You might also like: The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall or Not the Girl You Marry by
Andie J. Christopher.

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Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Fiction

What it’s about: Frank Drum looks back on the summer of 1961, when he was twelve. Events during this fateful summer greatly affected his family and other denizens of the small community of New Bremen, Minnesota.

Reviewers say: “The small-town milieu is rendered in picturesque detail, accurate down to period-appropriate TV programs, for what becomes a resonant tale of fury, guilt, and redemption” (Publishers Weekly); “A novel that transforms narrator and reader alike” (Kirkus Review)

Good to know: This coming-of-age novel is also excellent on audio. For more from this award-winning author, try his Cork O’Connor mystery series, which is highly recommended.

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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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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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Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick
Fiction

What it’s about: This is a big, folksy story about a Texas ranch family, the joys of quilting, and strong generations of women. Mary Dell and her sister Lydia Dale join forces to become a quilting duo, as they weather and overcome heartache in their personal lives. Their large and often quirky family adds warmth and coziness to a story about marriage, motherhood, and reinventing oneself.  

Why you might like it: If you like heartwarming but realistic family stories, this first-book-in-a-series will pull you into the rhythm of ranch life. It’s also an inspiring story of a woman who finds her own strength and develops her creativity.  

You might also like: Jennifer Chiaverini’s The Quilter’s Apprentice is another warm story of a woman for whom quilting is a refuge. If you like stories of sisters and ranch life, check out The Wilder Sisters by Jo-Ann Mapson. 

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Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins
Fiction

What it’s about: Lillie Silva is steeling herself to send her son and only child off to college when another blow falls: her husband of 20 years wants a divorce so he can “find joy.” Turns out “joy” is living near by with Melissa, a young rich widow who just came to town. Lillie lashes out with pranks like setting a skunk loose in Melissa’s spotless home, but eventually she turns to her network of friends and family who take her side, and she comes out stronger. You’ll feel hopeful for her by the end of this funny, poignant story.

Reviewers say: “A beautifully told blend of grief, hope, and humor that showcases Higgins at her best” (Kirkus); “This will be satisfying for readers who like to see a strong woman thrive during times of trial” (Library Journal).

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The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Fiction 

What it’s about: Indie rock darling Greta James hasn’t been able to make music since she had an onstage meltdown after the sudden death of her mother. She reluctantly agrees to take her mother’s place on an Alaskan cruise with her father, hoping to mend their broken relationship and recover her lost creative drive. She doesn’t expect to connect with the ship’s guest lecturer, but the erudite and charming Ben Wilder might be just the balm she needs. 

Why you might like it: This is a warm and tender examination of parent/child relationships, resolving differences, and coping with grief—all tempered with a little light romance. The writing is thoughtful, and the story is sentimental in a good way and is filled with characters to care about. The descriptions of the Alaskan scenery are vivid. You may not be surprised by the ending, but it is handled with delicacy and grace.  

You might also like: One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle, Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes, and Float Plan by Trish Doller 

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Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 
fiction

Starring: Caterer Claire, who works magic with food; Claire’s sister Sydney, who works magic with hair; and Sydney’s 5-year-old daughter Bay, who always knows exactly where everything belongs.

What happens: The Waverley sisters are long estranged, but when Sydney and her daughter are on the run from an abusive boyfriend, the one place Sydney knows they will be safe is her old childhood home.

Reviewers say: “... the blending of horticultural folklore, the supernatural and a big dollop of Southern flavor should find favor with a wide swath of readers” (Publishers Weekly); “Spellbindingly charming, Allen's impressively accomplished debut novel will bewitch fans of Alice Hoffman and Laura Esquivel” (Booklist).

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Fiction

For readers who enjoy: Heart-warming, relationship focused reads; stories about family, community, and overcoming loneliness and loss; and charming and wise characters.

What it’s about: Marcellus is a misanthrope, but after 1299 days of captivity, who could blame him? Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus, an unwilling resident of a small-town aquarium in Washington state, a keen observer of the humans around him, and one of the narrators of this quirky and heartwarming first novel. The one person Marcellus does like is Tova, the grieving widow who cleans the aquarium every night—she shares her deepest thoughts with him, and on more than one occasion has rescued him when his secret nightly raids on other tanks have gotten him into trouble. Tova is mourning the recent loss of her husband as well as the disappearance of her son more than 30 years earlier. When newcomer Cameron—in town seeking his long-lost father—joins Tova on the night shift, Marcellus realizes that his two human friends may be able to help one another.

Reviewers say: “Van Pelt has written an irresistibly wonderful, warm, funny, heartbreaking first novel, full of gentle people (and one octopus) bravely powering through their individual scars” (Library Journal).

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