Simon&Schuster

I leapt into this book not knowing anything about it, and I was so surprised and fulfilled by the remarkable story. It was darker than I expected, but Cleave has a way of getting into each character's head that stayed with me for a long time after I was done reading. It's an insightful look into the terrifying situation of illegal refugees in the UK, told through Little Bee's unwaveringly hopeful eyes.

Lonesome Dove is one of those quintessentially sweeping epics that stands as a shining star of the historical fiction genre.. Reading McMurty’s beautiful prose fills me with such an overwhelming desire to travel the country, sleeping under the stars, that I want to pack a tent tonight and take off.

Hemingway's last and supposedly unfinished work is often overlooked, but I was mesmerized and haunted by this unique and sparsely beautiful tale of a relationship rapidly disintegrating for bizarre and mysterious reasons. Easily read in one sitting, and well worth every moment.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It never drags, and its pages are populated by endlessly engaging characters, both villainous and sympathetic. From despots to parrots that spout leftist poetry the Hotel Matador is a melting pot of intrigues and assignations, ambitions, revenge, and heartbreak. The only thing certain about this story's ending is that you will not want it to happen.

Tim Whyman’s house was full of life: children, cats, chickens and a dog. Then
came the mini-pigs, adorable and tiny. Hilarious adventures unfold as Tim
struggles to balance work from home with a growing brood. I laughed out loud at
the pigs’ antics and the author’s solutions and couldn’t wait to turn the page.

This is the book that taught me to love history, in all its fascinating study. We grow up, learning stories that don’t seem to have anything to do with us. But the history we learn is just that: stories. The “facts” are twisted, rewritten, or simply left out to create a narrative that has everything to do with how we perceive our world and ourselves. Eye-opening.

I know that book groups might be hesitant to read a book that falls into the Young Adult genre, but truly I think any story that can depict childhood and coming of age in a way that can immerse both young and adult readers, is a story that is well worth discussion. In When Things Come Back 17 year-old Cullen narrates what happens when his small town suddenly becomes a hotspot after what was thought to be extinct woodpecker is spotted. Cullen is both impressed and mortified by his town's transformation—suddenly his peers are sporting woodpecker inspired haircuts and bird-watching becomes an ideal date. But then when his 15-year-old brother goes missing amidst the chaos, Cullen’s surprise turns to something more vigilant and shadowed. The gift of this YA novel (which was the winner of the coveted Michael Printz award) is the way that regret, surprise, and humor are all interweaved. Layered and remarkably unique, this novel calls to mind how ordinary and extraordinary are only a coin’s throw apart.

It is 1918, and having survived the horrors of the First World War, Tom Sherbourne enlists as a lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock, the last point of land where two oceans diverge. Thawed by the seclusion and ritual of this life, Tom meets and falls in love with his wife Isabel on a trip to the mainland. The two return to the lighthouse and begin an intimate and almost sacred homemaking. But when Isabel suffers multiple miscarriages, the island’s seclusion starts to feel precarious and haunted. Until a day comes when a boat carrying a dead man and a screaming baby washes up on the shore. Isabel and Tom make a decision that enters them into that gray area when there is no clear right or wrong. The ripple effect of this decision becomes a pulsing force, and ultimately the novel questions life, the beauty and ugliness of it, the light and dark of it, and the shades in between.

Where are you going to take your vacation this year? Disneyland’s too crowded, and Paris is overdone. Wait-how about a when, instead of a where? Oh, well, I guess a where and a when. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got the perfect guide too. Local customs, idioms, the best food, where to stay–read this and it’s like you’d actually lived there. Where do you want to go this summer?

This interlocking collection of short stories swept me up and firmly invaded my heart. Each story features women attempting to deal with serious experiences, and sheds light on the inner struggles that we don't always share and sometimes won't even admit to. There's humor here, lurking in the shadows of their hearts. Schappell moves you through their lives with ease, beauty and honesty.