Celeste Ng is a rising talent in the world of bestseller authorship. She was published in a few anthologies and then she came out with her first novel, Everything I Never Told You, a massively popular pick for books clubs everywhere. Most recently, Little Fires Everywhere has been the “IT” book for the past few…
We Live in Water is a collection of short stories by Jess Walter. Though the stories are fictional, each of Walter’s characters feels very real. Characters whose traits you may see in yourself or people that you know. The stories are based in small towns, with everyday people trying to survive. Harper Perennial | February…
Swedish sensation Fredrik Backman has been providing the world with hearty laughs and tender smiles through his runaway international success in A Man Called Ove. It’s a favorite among book clubs and perfect for beach reads. And it helped get me out of a reading slump. Washington Square Press | May, 2015 | Paperback |…
Set in Maine and extending through New Hampshire and into Vermont, The One-in-a-Million Boy is a contemporary novel that focuses on a short but unique bond between a young boy and a feisty centenarian, parental grief, and new horizons. Thus far, it has been published in eighteen different languages. You can read about local Maine author Monica…
Recently released, The Lost Girls by Heather Young is a novel that switches between past and present and one that provides characters marked by disturbed minds rivaling those in Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train but with the added satisfaction of actually being believable. This is the story of a young six-year-old girl who vanished without a trace…
By Nightfall is a contemporary work of fiction by lauded author Michael Cunningham. It is a coming of age tale not only for the younger characters but for the middle-aged main character as well. The story is centered around Peter Harris and his wife Rebecca. Peter is an art dealer in New York City…
A New York Times Bestseller, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was one of the most popular books in 2014, easily becoming a GoodReads Choice Award Nominee for Best Fiction in 2014. Based on the life of a small town bookstore owner, it’s commonly lauded as the perfect fit for bibliophiles and book clubs. Algonquin Books | 2014 |…
Jean Hegland, the author of several books including Into the Forest, a personal favorite of mine, has put forth a new novel expected out in just a few days. I jumped at the opportunity for an advance look at Still Time, a contemporary novel of an academic struggling through Alzheimer’s Disease and his deteriorating memories of the…
Run by bestselling author Ann Patchett is the Portsmouth Book Club’s June pick. Published in 2007, this was the first time I’d heard of this book and it was my first introduction to Ann Patchett (hey – I usually wade around in scifi whirlpools). For you local readers, this book takes place in Boston and Cambridge….
We Are Water is a work of fiction by Wally Lamb. It is a story that focuses on how families cope after tragedy and big life changes. Lamb effortlessly weaves together the themes of tragedy, hope, love and redemption to create a compelling story. The story is told from the perspective of each member of…