RECOMMENDED READS

LITTLE GREAT ISLAND, Kate Woodworth

On Little Great Island, climate change is disrupting both life and love

After offending the powerful pastor of a cult, Mari McGavin has to flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she’d never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island’s summer residents, now back himself to sell his family’s summer home. Mari and Harry’s lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies.

Little Great Island Illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.

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ONCE AGAIN, MORE LIKE YOU, Catalina Margulis

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner, Again, Only More Like You offers a poignant and humorous look at friendship and reinvention at 40.

She hadn’t turned 40 yet, and already she was over it…

Dumped. Pregnant. Fired. For best friends Carmen and Ally, the approach of their 40th birthdays is anything but a celebration. Yet, it might be exactly what they need to set their lives on the right path.

In the bustling heart of New York, Carmen has it all—a high-profile career, a loving family, and a home straight out of a magazine. But as her 40th looms, her life begins to unravel. A surprise pregnancy, a shocking job loss, and the unwelcome sight of crow’s feet force her to rethink her perfect life and what it means to truly have it all.

Meanwhile, in the quiet of Maine, Carmen’s best friend Ally, a spirited marine biologist, confronts her own crisis as she faces the fallout from a doomed affair with her boss. With her romantic life in shambles and her professional life no better, Ally relocates to Portland, Oregon, hoping for a fresh start and one last chance at love.

As their individual journeys to happiness lead them in different directions, the strength of their friendship is tested. Tragedy strikes, bringing hidden resentments to the surface and forcing them to confront their past—and each other. In the process, they must answer a pivotal question: Are their best years really behind them, or is turning 40 just the beginning of their greatest adventures?

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Imagine a Door: A Writer’s Guide to Unlocking Your Story, Choosing a Publishing Path, and Honoring the Creative Journey, Laura Stanfill

If you want to get your manuscript published, read this book.

There’s no secret handshake or golden key in these pages, but Imagine a Door offers a more equitable and empowering prize: information delivered with gentleness. Author and publisher Laura Stanfill started working on this project in 2016, ultimately interviewing more than seventy-five authors and industry experts, including Wendy Chin-Tanner, Tove Danovich, Omar El Akkad, Erin Harris, Ari Honarvar, Juhea Kim, Dan Lazar, Fonda Lee, Emme Lund, Daniel A. Olivas, Rosanne Parry, Keith Rosson, Amy Stewart, Sonja Thomas, Addie Tsai, and Lidia Yuknavitch.

Is a writing routine worthwhile? How do you pinpoint the why behind your storytelling? What exactly is distribution? Can we reframe success in a less capitalistic way than defining it by sales numbers? While prioritizing genuine community over platform building, Imagine a Door intersperses case studies, sidebars, and checklists with personal stories about writing, revising, and the emotional complexities of sending your work into the world. Foreword by Beth Kephart, author of Handling the Truth.

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DANCING ON MY OWN TWO FEET, Jenn Tolding

An inspirational book club read of one woman’s journey of taking the bold step to leave her disabled—and volatile—spouse and moving across the country in search of adventure, tango, and love.

At the tender age of twenty, Jenn faces a pivotal moment when her boyfriend, Morey, proposes marriage after only a few weeks of dating. Her intuition urges her to say no, but she’s spent the entirety of her teenage years caregiving for family; she yearns for adventure, and she thinks relocating to California with Morey will give her the freedom she craves. So she says yes—only to find herself back in the caregiver role after he becomes disabled a few years into their marriage. But it’s Morey’s volatile personality that ultimately leads Jenn to make a brave decision: it’s time to leave.

Dancing on My Own Two Feet takes a poignant turn as Jenn relocates to New York City after her divorce. Here, she rediscovers a long-forgotten passion for dance and embarks on a transformative journey that transcends the physicality of movement. Each dance becomes a channel to tap into her inner wisdom, providing the courage to explore the world and embrace new adventures. Then Jenn encounters Gable, a potential suitor, prompting new questions to arise for her: Is she better off on her own? Or could Gable be the love and dance partner she’s been longing for?

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THE MARRIAGE DEBT, Christina Consolino

Sex is never just about sex.

From the outside, Nika Stewart’s life looks perfect: two loving kids, a fulfilling job as an elementary-school librarian, and a wonderful second marriage to Ethan, her sexy husband. The only problem? She doesn’t want to have sex with him.

Maybe it’s the harrowing hot flashes and formidable fatigue, or maybe it’s trying to juggle a weed-junkie dad, an onerous stepsister, and the avalanche of responsibilities that have left sex just another chore to cross off the to-do list.

When an honest conversation with her best friend leaves Nika worried her aversion to sex might drive Ethan away, she begrudgingly agrees to see a sex therapist. But as the sessions go on, Nika discovers that talking about sex with a therapist isn’t the same as facing the problem with her husband and that sex with Ethan might not be the only problem after all.

Filled with humor, candor, and at least one pair of role-playing chaps, The Marriage Debt examines the hard truths about sex that overbooked women face in their forties, as well as the joys still to come once a woman knows who she is and how to ask for what she wants.

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EVERY PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE THING, Barbara Davis

A mother and daughter try desperately to reconcile just as a decades-old secret threatens to shatter their relationship forever in this powerful story from the bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books.

For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face—and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.

Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the terminally ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship.
But hidden among Helen’s mementos are the keys to her past…and a terrible secret that threatens to destroy the fragile new trust between them forever.

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FINE, I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON, Lisa F. Rosenberg

This funny mother-daughter caper story stars 73-year-old, overweight former beauty, Aurora, who is a perpetually broke, eccentric divorcee living in the wealthy enclave of Marin County. When Aurora discovers her father’s widow has died, she decides to drive to Los Angeles to see if this means money for her.

Enter Aurora’s high-strung and estranged daughter, 43-year-old Leyla, who spends her days keeping up with the other Marin uber-moms, manically pursuing perfection. When she overhears a conversation and suspects her husband is embarking on an affair, she decides to sneak into a Cannabis business conference he is attending, also in LA, to spy on him.

Aurora and Leyla’s separate quests simultaneously intersect and enmesh in Los Angeles over the course of a weekend provoking hijinks and chaos, and yes, even some healing.

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TOUGH TRAIL HOME, Mary W. Watts

“Tough Trail Home is a delightful read about a family coming to terms with each other and their new lives.” –Pamela Stockwell, author of A Boundless Place

The Dunwhitty family is flying high until their carefully choreographed life falls apart during the 2008 Great Recession. Lisa’s firm goes belly-up while Michael’s shuts down after selling faulty heart valves. Desperate, Lisa insists they regroup by seeking refuge in rural Central Texas on land she inherits from a distant relative she barely knows.

It’s not the ranch Lisa remembers, but a ramshackle money pit. Michael and their teenage son, Andrew, despise the place. Only their young daughter, Jessica, is happy. After a bitter argument, Michael moves to the city. As his job search drags on, Lisa begins to plant roots; friendships develop for her and the children. With the help of Michael’s parents, her neighbor, and the remains of her savings, she begins to return the ranch to its former glory. The couple continues to drift further apart, Michael turning his attention to another woman.
A call from the sheriff’s department that their son is in custody jolts the couple to the core. Can they repair their relationship for the sake of their son? Or is it too late?

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THE TROUBLE WITH POSSIBILITIES, Nancie Abuhaidar

The trouble with possibilities is they are as unexpected as they are infinite.

Del thinks possibilities are the trouble.
When tragedy forces her (literally) to pull the plug on her unhappy marriage, her family is in shambles. Desperate to escape and regain control over her spiraling life, Del boards a flight to Africa.
New continent. New Del.
No more temper. No more impulsivity. Armed with spreadsheets and an impeccable plan, she steps into her future– straight into the world of Ben Mahoney. The celebrity orphanage founder makes her heart stutter. Sure, he’s handsome and charming, he’s a Hollywood heartthrob, after all. Easy for Del to resist.

Except, Ben shares Del’s passion for education and appreciates her bold ideas to improve the school. He also possesses an uncanny ability to catch her off guard.
He’s a living example of her mother’s mantra. What’s worse? In spite of her damage, he seems to like her.

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CHICK SINGER,  Lorraine Devon Wilke

Rock & roll stardom is something you dream about when you’re young, but for Libby Conlin the ‘80s and all their wild promise are ancient history. What pulls her attention now is the unexpected arrival of Bridget, her newly divorced daughter, home again despite their historically fractious relationship and the chaos it inspires. Life quickly turns upside down when Bridget’s application to a local art school involves anonymously posting Libby’s old music online, music that’s good enough to garner the attention of industry gatekeepers.

When Libby’s mysterious past—and all its dark secrets—comes roaring into the present, the reconfiguration of everything and everyone in her orbit is both bittersweet and life changing. Chick Singer explores a complex mother/daughter relationship against the backdrop of music, dreams, and love—and the art of redefining all three.

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JOURNEY TO EVERLAND BAY, Lynne Shaner

“A beautifully engaging fantasy teeming with dragons, fae, magic, and the importance of family and friendship. A joy to read from beginning to end!” -Julie Boglisch, author of the Elifer Chronicles, the Requiem of Stones series

Jemma Avalon is the daughter of a gentle part elf-fae mother and a father with fiery dragon blood, an unusual combination even in the magical world.

Ten years after her mother’s sudden death, Jemma is working at a major museum in DC, where magic is all but outlawed. Her father wants her to assimilate and live without magic, but Jemma is determined to fully embrace her heritage. She longs to return to Everland Bay, the enchanting world where her Grandmother Annalyn lives, and find a way to join the renowned magical research institute there, like the women in her family before her.

An ordinary day at the museum takes an extraordinary turn, rocketing Jemma to an Everland Bay Institute under violent siege, where dark-arts mages threaten everything important to her. She and her companions work feverishly to overturn their foes, knowing that it may already be too late.

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GIRL IN A RED SILK SARI, Sharon Maas

Madras, India. Caroline steps off the plane into the searing heat, senseless with worry. So much has changed since her first visit. This time, a piece of her heart is missing. This time, she is here to find her daughter…

Caroline Mitchell has never truly made peace with her past—and the circumstances that led to her separation from her beloved child. And when thirteen-year-old Asha vanishes without a trace, she faces every parent’s worst nightmare.

Desperate to find her, Caroline returns to India determined to do whatever it takes. The search will mean reconnecting with her estranged husband Kamal, and burying the memories of everything that happened between them. It will lead to the darkest corners of Mumbai’s infamous red-light district—a world of shadows, secrets, and unspeakable horrors. There, she discovers her precious daughter has been caught in a trafficking ring that preys on vulnerable children.

As Caroline navigates the labyrinthine streets and corrupt systems of Mumbai, she must find the strength to become the mother she has always wanted to be. Her mission will test her in ways she could never have imagined—but can she reach Asha in time, and save her from a terrifying fate? And if so, will she finally be able to heal the wounds of the past.

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YOU GO, GIRL! Elaine Insinnia

You Go, Girl! is a fictional tale based on real-life experiences. It offers a nostalgic glimpse of growing up in 1959 and centers on heartwarming stories about a grandmother’s past and her granddaughter’s present.

During a week-long visit, twelve-year-old Suzie agrees to read her grandmother Elaine’s journal from 1959, curious about life in the “old days” before cell phones and social media. As Suzie delves into the journal, she peppers Elaine with questions about the restrictions imposed on girls in the past, sparking discussions about gender norms and empowerment.

Through their shared stories, secrets are unveiled and a deeper bond between generations emerges. Suzie learns valuable lessons on facing bullies and fighting for gender equality, inspired by her grandmother’s resilience and spirit.

As the week comes to an end and Suzie prepares to return home, both she and Elaine are transformed by their time together, forever changed by the revelations and connections forged across generations.

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WRONGFUL, lee Upton

When the famous novelist Mira Wallacz goes missing at the festival devoted to celebrating her work, the attendees assume the worst-and some hope for the worst. Ten years after the festival, Geneva Finch, an ideal reader, sets out to discover the truth about what happened to Mira Wallacz. A twisty literary mystery dealing with duplicity, envy, betrayal, and love between an entertainment agent and a self-deprecating former priest, Wrongful explores the many ways we can get everything wrong, time and again, even after we’re certain we discovered the truth.

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TWICE THE FAMILY, Jullie McGue

Growing up as an adoptee and identical twin, Julie McGue will take you on her journey for identity and individuality, searching for answers through tragedy and adversity.

In this coming-of-age memoir, set in Chicago’s western suburbs between the 1960s and ’80s, adopted twins Julie and Jenny provide their parents with an instant family. Their sisterly bond holds tight as the two strive for identity, individuality, and belonging. But as Julie’s parents continue adding children to the family, some painful and tragic experiences test family values, parental relationships, and sibling bonds.

Faced with these hurdles, Julie questions everything—who she is, how she fits in, her adoption circumstances, her faith, and her idea of family. But the life her parents have constructed is not one she wants for herself—and as she matures, she recognizes how the experiences that formed her have provided her a road map for the person and mother she wants to be.

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THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR, Nicola Kraus

From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful novel about family, the weight of secrets, the choices we make, and the repercussions of the decisions made for us.

When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny, a teen runaway, could never be.

As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.

As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free—or lead to something far more damaging than anyone imagined?

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THE SILENT COUNT, E.A. Smiroldo

She’s determined to stop climate change before it’s too late…

Nuclear engineer Dara Bouldin’s life is a mess. She’s paying off her dad’s gambling debts, reeling from a broken engagement, and practically invisible at the energy research agency where she works. Meanwhile, her ex Jericho’s latest single is racing up the charts and her handsome new colleague Dmitri is friendly with everyone but her.

All around them, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters have become the norm. But Dara has an audacious plan to reverse climate change, if only someone would listen.

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THE DOGWOOD DAYS OF SUMMER, Laurie Beach

Should she choose love or freedom?

After years of committing her life to a man she knew wasn’t right for her, Brooke Warter found the backbone to quit that relationship—and now she’s back in Goose Island, South Carolina, sharing a house with her squabbling parents and kooky grandmother.

On the other hand, she has a job working with her best friend at the local winery, and she has space to figure out what comes next. Brooke just needs to keep moving forward and a solid future will automatically follow.

So when old summer camp friends return to her life, she’s not gung-ho on going backward. Especially since she never really let go of her first love—Nathan Daugherty, whom she met when he showed up to camp with his clothes in a Wal-Mart bag. After all, childhood fantasies don’t always equal good adult choices, and she needs to stop defining herself based on her relationship status.

But what if a second chance with Nate could offer a whole lot more?

Fans of Susan Sands and Mary Alice Monroe will find themselves charmed with Goose Island!

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CHASING SHADOWS,  A.C. Adams

When renowned professor Dr. Aidan Ryan vanishes without explanation, he leaves behind a haunting message revealing he has a new life and can never return. His devastated daughter Sofia embarks on a global search to uncover the truth behind her father’s disappearance. What she finds is more shocking than she could have imagined—a web of family secrets and lies that challenges everything she thought she knew.

After clues lead her to Italy, Sofia reconnects with her estranged mother, Ella, who reveals a hidden past of trauma and deceit. When they discover Aidan’s ties to The Brotherhood, an elusive, powerful society that operates in the shadows of world affairs, Sofia and Ella become ensnared in a deadly conspiracy. Trapped in ancient catacombs beneath the Roman countryside, they must confront their mysterious captors and fight for their lives. But as they edge closer to escape, one question remains: Will Aidan choose his family or The Brotherhood?

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THE VERSAILLES FORMULA, Nancy Bilyeau

‘A masterful work . . . the reader treads a thrilling path which keeps you on the edge of your seat.’ Bestselling author Griff Hosker

Genevieve Sturbridge thought she’d left danger behind in London. Now she lives a quiet life in the countryside with her husband and son. But an invitation to dine at Sir Horace Walpole’s eerie Gothic estate pulls her back into a deadly world of deception, espionage and murder.

At the mysterious dinner party, Genevieve uncovers a shocking secret — a rare pigment of pure blue is being produced again. Coveted by royalty, chemists and spies, its formula is priceless . . . and lethal.

Some will kill to possess it. Others will kill to keep it buried.

Only Genevieve can recognise the formula and stop it falling into the wrong hands. But when a ghost from her past resurfaces, Genevieve must determine who she can trust. Years ago, this secret nearly cost her and her husband their lives. Now, someone is willing to kill for it once more.

Genevieve must discover the truth before time runs out, because this time the price of failure will cost more than just her own life.

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EMPEROR AND HIEROPHANT: Book Three, Arcana Oracle Series, Susan Wands

The next installment in the thrilling Arcana Oracle series finds heroine Pamela Colman Smith kidnapped, imprisoned, and fighting to protect her tarot deck from Aleister Crowley once again.

On tour with the Lyceum Theatre in Manchester, Pamela Colman Smith is kidnapped by a mysterious force. In captivity, she begins a relationship with her mute keeper, a strange creature at the beck and call of her nemesis, Aleister Crowley. Experiencing visions and visitations from other ethereal beings, Pamela works to escape her prison before Aleister harms another one of her muses over the ownership of her magical tarot deck.

Meanwhile, her guardian and mentor, Bram Stoker, tries to find her as he tours with the stars of the Lyceum Theatre, Pamela’s muses for the Magician and Empress cards. Alerted to Pamela’s plight, Ahmed Kamal, Pamela’s Egyptologist friend, joins Bram to come to her aid. Plotting against the mysterious forces who abducted her, Pamela must outwit and out magic Aleister, as he tries to destroy her muses and tarot deck. Learning the lessons of her Emperor and Hierophant, she must free herself and command the power manifesting from her tarot deck.

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THE ARTIST OF BLACKBERRY GRANGE, Paulette Kennedy

For a young caregiver in the Ozarks, an old house holds haunting memories in a ghostly novel about family secrets, sacrifice, and lost loves by the author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport.

In the summer of 1925, the winds of change are particularly chilling for a young woman whose life has suddenly become unbalanced.

Devastated by her mother’s death and a cruel, broken engagement, Sadie Halloran learns that her great-aunt Marguerite, a renowned artist now in the throes of dementia, needs a live-in companion. Grasping at newfound purpose, Sadie leaves her desolate Kansas City boardinghouse for Blackberry Grange, Marguerite’s once-grand mansion sitting precariously atop an Arkansas bluff. Though Marguerite is a fading shell of the vibrant woman Sadie remembers, Marguerite is feverishly compelled to paint eerie, hallucinatory portraits of old lovers—some cherished, some regretted, and some beastly. All of them haunting.

With each passing night, time itself seems to shift with the shadows at Blackberry Grange. As truth and delusion begin to blur, Sadie must uncover the secrets that hold Marguerite captive to her past before reality—and Marguerite’s life—slips away entirely.

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HOME AND AWAY Poetry, Stories & Art, The Pathfinder and Pops Clubs

The young artists of The PATHfinder and POPS Clubs whose poetry, stories, and art are represented in Home and Away let readers in on their vulnerability and longing, their tenderness and understanding. They write of dreams of bright futures and of challenging pasts. With each piece, we are invited to dive more deeply into their truths.

And in this powerful collection we learn that when youth feel safe, seen, nourished, and respected, they can fully express themselves. These creators’ lives have been impacted by carceral systems, and because their clubs offer spaces where they are seen, heard, and respected, they have breathed extraordinary life and light into their creations.

“Home and Away is a beautiful collection of stories, poetry, and art created by extraordinary youth. Offering important lessons on belonging and marginalization, it will simultaneously expand, touch, break, and mend your heart.”
—Naomi Ackerman, founder and Executive Director, Advot

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DEEP TIME, Susan Sizer Bogue

For adventurous fiction lovers, this debut novel tells the story of a young geologist working with ancient rocks who finds herself in present mortal danger when Mount St. Helens erupts with catastrophic power.

After an inspiring trip to the Grand Canyon, Lauren Brown falls in love with geology—so much so that she convinces her husband, Kenny, to follow her from Philadelphia to East Texas, where she enters a male-dominated graduate program at Texas Polytechnic. Lauren thrives on the adventure geology affords her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples—but at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.

When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. The dream event of a lifetime is at hand. On a Saturday in May, she and Kenny, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens.

The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life

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INSANE POSSIBILITIES, Carol Plum-Ucci

The night before his eighteenth birthday, Toby Kellerman fell ninety feet down a well. Seven weeks passed in what he describes as “suspension h***,” a rotating bed for spinal cord injuries compounded by bone breaks. Able to move only his arms and watch life through an adjustable mirror, Toby had plenty of time to think about how he got there. Somebody had pushed him.

He could clearly remember running footsteps as he stared into the black well with his two younger sisters. They’d been on family vacation. Nobody knew them. There was no motive.

An Anglican priest, on an evening stroll past the site, saw the brother and two sisters but nobody else. It had been dark. The police started to believe the attempted murderer could have been one of Toby’s sisters. Grace was a bouncy, bubbly 15-year-old with a ton of friends. Trinity was “special.” With a stratospheric IQ, the 11-year-old had trouble talking and was considered a cutter, thanks to a compulsive habit of scratching her face. But Toby had developed a special bond after she’d been mauled by a dog six years earlier.

With the help of a girl on his rehab ward, Toby begins to see that the accident smells of a haunting. He never paid much attention to local Lake Indor rot about a witch with a meat hook, but investigation has him realizing that the 18th century orphan likely died falling down a well…and likely the same well he went down.

It’s not a comfortable position, being totally confined, while things start to move around the room, drawers begin to open and shut by themselves, and someone or something keeps pulling off the sock in his blind spot and scratching his leg.

Where is the truth? Has he unwittingly picked up a malevolent spirit, or is he imagining it all to protect his beloved youngest sister?

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