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New and recommended books with an uplifting message or an upbeat tone.
Updated February 8, 2024
RPL Staff
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Miss Eliza's English kitchen : a novel of Victorian cookery and friendship
Abbs, Annabel
Paper Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick * A Country Living Best Book of Fall * A Washington Post Best Feel-Good Book of the Year * One of the New York Times's Best Historical Fiction Novels of Fall In a novel perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor's A Memory of Violets...
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Other birds
Allen, Sarah Addison
Paper Book
The New York Times Bestseller From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home. Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of...
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Sunset Beach A Novel
Andrews, Mary Kay
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestselling AuthorDrue Campbell is down on her luck. When her estranged father, personal injury attorney Brice Campbell, shows up at her mother's funeral, it gets worse. He's remarried to Drue's frenemy, who is now his office manager. They offer Drue a job, which she begrudgingly...
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The travelling cat chronicles
Arikawa, Hiro
Paper Book
A book that "speak[s] volumes about our need for connection--human, feline or otherwise" (The San Francisco Chronicle), The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice that shows how the smallest things can provide the...
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No two persons
Bauermeister, Erica
Paper Book
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons is "a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives."* That was the beauty of books, wasn't it? They took you...
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Peg and Rose solve a murder
Berenson, Laurien
Paper Book
Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls in the award-winning author's brand-new series! Two cantankerous septuagenarians, opposites in every way, put aside their differences to stop a killer... if they don't throttle each other first! Rose Donovan looks for the...
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Yinka, where is your huzband?
Blackburn, Lizzie Damilola
Paper Book
"Yinka is a lovable and relatable disaster--which is to say, she isn't actually a disaster at all...I adore her."--Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers "Feel good, funny, and clever, it's got smash-hit written all over it!" -Josie...
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The collected regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of 2023 by NPR "This weird, lovely and sweetly satisfying novel [is] engaging and accessible...Clover's emergence from a shuttered life is moving enough to elicit tears, and Brammer's take on death and grieving is profound enough to feel genuinely...
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Mastering the art of French murder
Cambridge, Colleen
Paper Book
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child, will adore this magnifique new mystery set in Paris and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidante, and fellow American. From the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall, this...
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A tidy ending : a novel
Cannon, Joanna (Psychiatrist)
Paper Book
"A darkly funny tale with a gloriously sinister twist." --The Observer (London) The bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a "compellingly creepy" (The Guardian, UK) novel filled with unexpected twists about mysterious murders in a...
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What you wish for
Center, Katherine
Paper Book
"The story's message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth."--Kirkus (starred review)...
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The Paris Library A Novel
Charles, Janet Skeslien.
Paper Book
An instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller--based on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II--The Paris Library is a moving and unforgettable "ode to the importance of libraries, books, and...
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Community board
Conklin, Tara
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics delivers a wise, timely, big-hearted novel of unplanned isolation and newly forged community. Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart When the immutable facts of your life--the...
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Just haven't met you yet
Cousens, Sophie
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you picked up the wrong suitcase and fell head over heels for its mystery owner? Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura...
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The paper palace
Cowley Heller, Miranda
Paper Book
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE THE PAPER PALACE IS: "Filled with secrets, love, lies and a summer beach house. What more could you ask?"--Parade "A...
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The suite spot
Doller, Trish
Paper Book
From the author of Float Plan comes Trish Doller's The Suite Spot, about taking a chance on a new life and a new love. Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She's a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her...
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L.A. weather
Escando?n, Mari?a Amparo
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * 2022 INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR FICTION FORECAST: Storm clouds are on the horizon in L.A. Weather, a fun, fast-paced novel of a Mexican American family from the author of the #1...
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Curious minds : a Knight and moon novel
Evanovich, Janet
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Janet Evanovich, bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, teams up with Emmy-winning writer Phoef Sutton for a brand-new series of mysteries featuring Emerson Knight and Riley Moon, a dynamic duo with instant and undeniable chemistry. ...
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Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries
Fawcett, Heather
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north in this "incredibly fun journey through fae lands and dark magic" (NPR), the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. "A darkly gorgeous...
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Every summer after
Fortune, Carley
Paper Book
They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser that has felt too true for the last decade, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life. Until the day she gets a call that sends her racing back to Barry's Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek.For six summers, through hazy...
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One Two Three: a Novel
Frankel, Laurie.
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is, a Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Pick, comes a timely, topical novel about love and family that will make you laugh and cry...and laugh again.How do you let go of the past when the past won't let go of you?Everyone...
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Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Friedland, Elyssa.
Paper Book
In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what...
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Lessons in Chemistry A Novel
Garmus, Bonnie.
Paper Book
#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD * Meet Elizabeth Zott: "a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention" (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a ...
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The music of bees : a novel
Garvin, Eileen
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER! A Good Morning America BUZZ PICK | A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick | IndieNext Pick | LibraryReads Pick | Recommended by People ∙ The Washington Post ∙ Woman's World ∙ NY Post ∙...
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Maame
George, Jessica
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! * A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick * A February 2023 Indie Next Pick "Sparkling." --The New York Times "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys<...
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I hate you more
Gilmore, Lucy (Romance fiction writer)
Paper Book
Discover what makes Lucy Gilmore an instant fan favorite with this unforgettably funny enemies-to-lovers romcom starring- a grumpy dog show judge, a determined former beauty queen, and a Golden Retriever more interested in stealing bacon than winning Best in Show. Ruby Taylor gave up...
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The making of another major motion picture masterpiece
Hanks, Tom
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the legendary actor and best-selling author: a novel about the making of a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film...and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought...
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Cackle
Harrison, Rachel
Paper Book
After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie accepts a teaching position in a small pictoresque village. Then Annie meets beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologising and start living for herself. Annie...
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Unlikely animals
Hartnett, Annie
Paper Book
"This tragicomic novel is heartfelt, touching, and delightfully quirky. You'll fall in love with the offbeat cast of characters (both living and dead) and find yourself rooting for them right through the last page."--Good Housekeeping (Book Club pick) A lost young woman...
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Love on the brain
Hazelwood, Ali
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller A #1 LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis--with...
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Really good, actually : a novel
Heisey, Monica
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Every sentence of Monica Heisey's writing is a treat. No one makes me laugh like she does." --Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Know About Love Recommended by Los Angeles Times * Washington Post * GQ * Elle * Good Morning America...
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Happy place
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry. "The beach-read...
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Surviving Savannah
Henry, Patti Callahan
Paper Book
It was called The Titanic of the South. The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten--until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling...
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The five-star weekend
Hilderbrand, Elin
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket: After tragedy strikes, food blogger Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket. Hollis Shaw's life seems...
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This bird has flown : a novel
Hoffs, Susanna
Paper Book
This delightfully funny and steamy novel about music, fate, and love from beloved songwriter and Bangles co-founder Susanna Hoffs is "a total knockout" and "the smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn't know you needed" (New York Times Book Review).
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Flying Solo A Novel
Holmes, Linda.
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A woman returns to her small Maine hometown, uncovering family secrets that take her on a journey of self-discovery and new love, in this warm and charming novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over. "A...
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The fortunes of jaded women : a novel
Huynh, Carolyn
Paper Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL-GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR For fans of Amy Tan, KJ Dell'Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this "sharp, smart, and gloriously extra" (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee)...
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Mika in real life : a novel
Jean, Emiko
Paper Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA and READ WITH MARIE CLAIRE BOOK CLUB PICK! Named a best book by Glamour, Marie Claire, TIME, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and more! From New York Times bestselling Emiko Jean, a whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and utterly heartwarming novel...
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The Jane Austen society
Jenner, Natalie
Paper Book
* INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * "This novel delivers sweet, smart escapism." --People "Fans of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society... A charming and...
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A bad day for Sunshine
Jones, Darynda
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series--A Bad Day for Sunshine! "Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun."--New York...
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Miss Benson's beetle : a novel
Joyce, Rachel
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A beautifully written, extraordinary quest in which two ordinary, overlooked women embark on an unlikely scientific expedition to the South Seas."--Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand WINNER OF THE WILBUR...
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Chorus : a novel
Kauffman, Rebecca
Paper Book
For readers of Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and Claire Lombardo, Chorus shepherds seven siblings through two life-altering events--their mother's untimely death, and a shocking teenage pregnancy--that ultimately follow them through their lives as individuals and as a family
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The golden doves : a novel
Kelly, Martha Hall
Paper Book
Two female spies risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi in this sweeping, profound tale of bravery from the bestselling author of Lilac Girls. "A riveting story of two brave and amazing women who work in the French resistance during World War II . . . a triumph!"...
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Love Your Life A Novel
Kinsella, Sophie.
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher, an utterly delightful novel about a woman who ditches her dating app for a writer's retreat in Italy--only to find that real love comes with its own filters "Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the...
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The true love experiment
Lauren, Christina
Paper Book
Sparks fly when a romance writer and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the ultimate Hollywood love story--but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script--from the "divine" (Jodi Picoult) New York Times bestselling authors of The...
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The god of good looks : a novel
Mc Ivor, Breanne
Paper Book
An NPR best book of the year and recommended by Oprah Daily, Good Housekeeping, Zibby Mag, Lit Hub, Electric Lit, and Katie Couric Media! "A summer read with bite."--NPR Disgraced model-writer Bianca Bridge can't stand hotshot makeup maven Obadiah Cortland. And he lets her know the...
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The islanders : a novel
Moore, Meg Mitchell
Paper Book
"One of my own favorite writers." -Elin Hilderbrand Named a Best Beach Read of Summer by Vulture, PureWow, She Reads and Women.com J. Courtney Sullivan's Maine meets the works of Elin Hilderbrand in this delicious summer read involving three strangers, one island, and a season...
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Sunshine nails
Nguyen, Mai
Paper Book
A Real Simple Must-Read Book of Summer 2023 "Mai Nguyen has proven herself to be a real standout." --Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author A tender, humorous, and page-turning debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do...
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The mostly true story of Tanner & Louise
Oakley, Colleen
Paper Book
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick * A Marie Claire Book Club Pick for April * A Reader's Digest Book Club Pick for April * A LibraryReads Pick * One of Southern Living's Most Anticipated 2023 Releases * One of Today's Most Anticipated 2023 Releases An...
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The Thursday murder club
Osman, Richard
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment "Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining." --Wall Street Journal "Don't trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian...
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Killers of a certain age
Raybourn, Deanna
Paper Book
They've spent their lives as assassins in a clandestine international organization, but at 60 years old, four women find they can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this book by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie...
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The guncle : a novel
Rowley, Steven
Paper Book
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits. However, tragedy strikes and Patrick suddenly finds himself taking on the role of primary guardian....
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West with giraffes : a novel
Rutledge, Lynda
Paper Book
An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..." Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But...
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The kitchen front : a novel
Ryan, Jennifer
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *...
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The wishing game : a novel
Shaffer, Meg
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children's author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner's life in this absorbing and whimsical novel....
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Romantic comedy : a novel
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A comedy writer thinks she's sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions--a "smart, sophisticated, and fun" (Oprah Daily) novel from the author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep....
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Never too late : a novel
Steel, Danielle
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From Danielle Steel, a stirring novel about a woman striking out on her own after loss as her adult daughters try to find their own independent paths in life. Kezia Cooper Hobson, recently widowed, arrives in New York from San Francisco....
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Dial A for Aunties
Sutanto, Jesse Q.
Paper Book
"Sutanto brilliantly infuses comedy and culture into the unpredictable rom-com/murder mystery mashup as Meddy navigates familial duty, possible arrest and a groomzilla. I laughed out loud and you will too."--USA Today (four-star review) "A hilarious, heartfelt...
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Light changes everything : a novel
Turner, Nancy E.
Paper Book
"I adored stepping into to the world of the Prines through tough-as-rawhide Mary Pearl. Light Changes Everything is a novel as gritty and authentic as the women of the Arizona Territory. Nancy E. Turner brings the west and its people fully to life." -Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times<...
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Remarkably Bright Creatures A Novel
Van Pelt, Shelby.
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Soon to be a Netflix Film A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately...
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The breakaway
Weiner, Jennifer
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and a life-changing journey. Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead...
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Welcome to beach town : a novel
Wiggs, Susan
Paper Book
Beloved New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs returns with a compulsively readable tale of an idyllic California beach town forced to reckon with scandal when a high school valedictorian's speech reveals secrets that shake the town to its core. "Readers will savor sunny...
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All the ways we said goodbye : a novel of the Ritz Paris
Williams, Beatriz
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris' legendary Ritz hotel.
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Small world : a novel
Zigman, Laura
Paper Book
"[A] brave and heartfelt book of truths."--New York Times Book Review (A Group Text Pick and Editors' Choice) From bestselling author Laura Zigman comes a heartfelt novel about two offbeat and newly divorced sisters who move in together as adults--and finally reckon with their childhood<...
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