Books with category đź’ť Heartwarming
Displaying books 49-96 of 442 in total

Ved Maya

What happens when destiny wants to bring two people together? And what happens when one of them accepts this as a gift of God, while the other refuses to bow down to destiny?

Ved, a young man who climbed the success ladder with sheer hard work and determination, is as attached to his roots as ever. A humble, helpful, and gentle soul who is loved by all…except by the one woman he loves with all his heart.

Maya, a young and vivacious girl, who has been challenged by fate time and again. From being left motherless at the tender age of three, to being shunned by her family at 22, Maya didn’t have it easy.

While Ved opens his heart for Maya, she makes it clear to him that the only feeling she will ever have for him is hatred.

Come and embark on this journey of emotions, misunderstandings, love...and be a part of their emotional rollercoaster ride.

All My Puny Sorrows

2019

by Miriam Toews

Miriam Toews is beloved for her irresistible voice, mingling laughter and heart-wrenching poignancy like no other writer. In her most passionate novel yet, she brings us the riveting story of two sisters, and a love that illuminates life.

You won’t forget Elf and Yoli, two smart and loving sisters. Elfrieda, a world-renowned pianist, glamorous, wealthy, happily married: she wants to die. Yolandi, divorced, broke, sleeping with the wrong men as she tries to find true love: she desperately wants to keep her older sister alive.

Yoli is a beguiling mess, wickedly funny even as she stumbles through life struggling to keep her teenage kids and mother happy, her exes from hating her, her sister from killing herself, and her own heart from breaking. But Elf’s latest suicide attempt is a shock: she is three weeks away from the opening of her highly anticipated international tour. Her long-time agent has been calling, and neither Yoli nor Elf’s loving husband knows what to tell him. Can she be nursed back to “health” in time? Does it matter?

As the situation becomes ever more complicated, Yoli faces the most terrifying decision of her life. All My Puny Sorrows, at once tender and unquiet, offers a profound reflection on the limits of love, and the sometimes unimaginable challenges we experience when childhood becomes a new country of adult commitments and responsibilities. In her beautifully rendered new novel, Miriam Toews gives us a startling demonstration of how to carry on with hope and love and the business of living even when grief loads the heart.

Olive, Again

Olive, Again continues the life of the beloved character Olive Kitteridge, a creation of Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout. Olive's journey is a profound exploration of human nature, filled with both empathy and brutal honesty.


In the town of Crosby, Maine, Olive interacts with a variety of characters: a teenager grappling with the loss of a parent, a young woman on the brink of motherhood, a nurse revealing a long-held secret, and a lawyer dealing with an unwanted inheritance. Through these stories, Olive's unique perspective offers insights into the complexities of life and relationships.


With her prickly demeanor and candid nature, Olive is a compelling force who challenges and inspires those around her. Elizabeth Strout masterfully animates the ordinary with an astonishing force, making Olive, Again a poignant reminder of the power of empathy in our lives.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

2019

by Charlie Mackesy

Enter the world of Charlie's four unlikely friends, and discover their story and their most important life lessons. The conversations of the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse have been shared thousands of times online, recreated in school art classes, hung on hospital walls, and even turned into tattoos.

In Charlie's first book, you will find his most-loved illustrations and some new ones too. This book offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox, and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship, and love.

The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.

Frankie the Ferret

Do you have a pet? Maybe a dog, or a cat, or a gold fish? Lots of people do, but not many people have a pet like Frankie the Ferret. A lovable, mischievous, and comical little fellow, Frankie fills his family home with love and laughter, and his family wants to share that with you!

Do you want to meet him? Then let’s go!

Heartstopper: Volume Two

2019

by Alice Oseman

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the second volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon.

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn't. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.

Heartstopper is about friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us. This is the second volume of Heartstopper, with more to come. Volume two collects all of chapter three from the ongoing web series.

Far from the Tree

2019

by Robin Benway

Being the middle child has its ups and downs. But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

This is a moving novel that addresses such important topics as adoption, teen pregnancy, and foster care.

Caged Lions Never Roar

David O’Malley is a former Minor League baseball pitcher turned Anglican Priest who is fed up with the pettiness and hypocrisy of organized religion. He’s conflicted about his priestly vocation.

Hannah and David fall in love when they join forces to save two neglected lions from a roadside zoo. But when Hannah’s profession becomes known, the Church orders David to end his relationship with her.

Will David choose passion or the priesthood? Can love be a gateway to freedom for two people who are both imprisoned by their own loneliness?

The Princess

2019

by Lori Wick

In the Land of Pendaran, Shelby Parker lives a humble but good life. Her special qualities are eventually noticed by the king and queen of the House of Markham, who seek a new wife for their widowed son, Prince Nikolai.

To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart.
Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

2019

by Glendy Vanderah

In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again.

After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past.

Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.

Book One: Sporadic Memories

2019

by Ali Marsman

Book One: Sporadic Memories is a novel about a lifestyle that needs to be read about. Within the first few pages, you will realize there has been a loss. It is not sad, though; the narrator expresses with great enthusiasm the life they lived, which makes it nice during the times when it becomes difficult to read.

By the first few pages, I hope you can hear the narrator has been alive for a long time, explaining the way it is written. There is no distinction between the characters’ genders, which offers a personal experience for the reader. The part that remembers the time they gave bracelets to each other brings about another way of joining together in marriage … following how their courtship developed, and the apple tree that is depicted throughout the novel using its fruit in traditional family recipes.

It gets sad for a bit after this, but notice that it gets sad because there is so much more to why the one lost is worth writing about. It is partly a love story. You know for sure it is when you get to the parts about the piano played and songs written … you should at first read to the first song. The memory at the exhibition and recalling times in the rain and snow are next.

They traveled a lot together and you will read of a place if you read a little past the description of the surroundings of their home. If you read to the first birthday mentioned; you will find a recipe worth trying, a poem worth reading, and fireworks. The narrator is a playwright, so there is a play that is broken down throughout the novel … it is a difficult read, but it is important in showing how the two brought their work together, and what positive influences they made upon those they met.

Things are repeated to show how important positive repetition is, which helps to move past pain while remembering the passion. This novel is full of passion, carried throughout the life they had for each other, their work, and their friends … you might want to read through first until you hear about their friends. This novel completes the story as the pages turn; putting certain pages together will bring the memories in order. It is an easy read. It is written poetically, which gives it justice. It begins the way it ends …

A Christmas Date

2018

by Camilla Isley

No one wants to be single at the holidays. Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year. December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion. And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever.

Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency. So what’s a girl to do? Nikki has the perfect solution: to hire a fake boyfriend. Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from. But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy, and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date...

A fun, festive romantic comedy with lots of bad behavior and Christmas spirit. Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously hilarious novel down. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne, and Jo Watson.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

2018

by Hiro Arikawa

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends.

He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break...

One Day in December

2018

by Josie Silver

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead, they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Dear Martin

2018

by Nic Stone

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

The Storyteller's Secret

2018

by Sejal Badani

From the bestselling author of Trail of Broken Wings comes an epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing, and the invincible desire to dream.

Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family’s past.

Intoxicated by the sights, smells, and sounds she experiences, Jaya becomes an eager student of the culture. But it is Ravi—her grandmother’s former servant and trusted confidant—who reveals the resilience, struggles, secret love, and tragic fall of Jaya’s pioneering grandmother during the British occupation.

Through her courageous grandmother’s arrestingly romantic and heart-wrenching story, Jaya discovers the legacy bequeathed to her and a strength that, until now, she never knew was possible.

Autoboyography

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Whisper Me This

2018

by Kerry Anne King

Single mother Maisey Addington has always fallen short of her own mother’s expectations—never married, a bit adrift, wasting her high IQ on dead-end jobs. The only thing Maisey’s sure she’s gotten right is her relationship with her twelve-year-old daughter, Elle…until a phone call blows apart the precarious balance of their lives.

Maisey’s mother is in a coma, and her aging father faces charges of abuse and neglect. Back at her childhood home, Maisey must make a heartrending life-or-death decision. Her confused father has destroyed family records, including her mother’s final wishes. Searching for answers, Maisey uncovers one unspeakable secret after another when she stumbles upon a shattering truth: a twin sister named Marley.

Maisey’s obsession with solving the mystery of her sister forces her to examine her darkest memories and triggers a custody battle with Elle’s father. Will Maisey’s love for her daughter be strong enough to break a cycle of abuse and create a new beginning for them all?

If I Was Your Girl

2018

by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo is a big-hearted novel about being seen for who you truly are.

Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she's determined not to get too close to anyone.

When she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can't help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past.

But Amanda is terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it. Because the secret that Amanda has been keeping? It's that at her old school, she used to be Andrew. Will the truth cost Amanda her new life, and her new love?

This is a universal story about feeling different and a love story that everyone will root for.

Matchmaking for Beginners

2018

by Maddie Dawson

Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.

When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.

And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.

In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer

In In My Hands, surgical oncologist Dr. Steven Curley shares the empowering lessons he's learned over 25 years from his cancer patients' unique stories of struggle, perseverance, and triumph.

As Chief of Surgical Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Steven Curley has worked with cancer patients for over two decades. While his life's work has been to help his patients live longer lives, he found that they helped him in ways he never could have expected.

In My Hands is a rare, often emotional look at some of Dr. Curley's real patients and real situations in modern cancer care. These stories of resilience, hope, and determination changed and inspired Dr. Curley, and he uses these same stories to encourage patients dealing with the fear and uncertainty coupled with a diagnosis of cancer.

Every story in the book has a theme inspired by his patients: Hope, Courage, Strength, Determination, Wonder, Cooperation, Creativity, Diligence, Service, Perseverance, Wisdom, Grace, Consideration, Gratitude, Discernment, Reverence, Resourcefulness, Faith, Beauty, Acceptance, and Empathy.

Some are positive messages, reminding us of the importance of maintaining balance between family, work, and leisure activities. Others are examples of the remarkable resilience of the human spirit when facing the reality of and the surgical risks that accompany a cancer diagnosis.

Realistically, despite remarkable advances in multidisciplinary cancer care, some remind us cancer is still a potentially lethal and destructive disease affecting patients and the family and friends supporting them. While many people are told that there is no hope in their situation, Dr. Curley's patients taught him to always provide hope, to push the envelope and give people a chance, and that hope is a critical component of treatment and care.

In My Hands is medical narrative at its finest, and provides insight into medicine and patient care along with fascinating details about one of our most feared diseases.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

2018

by Robert Dugoni

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was often called “Devil Boy” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother's devout faith, his father's practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.

Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God's idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

Girl in Pieces

Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen, she’s already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm.

You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.

Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.

A deeply moving portrait of a girl in a world that owes her nothing, and has taken so much, and the journey she undergoes to put herself back together. Kathleen Glasgow's debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to look away from.

Whale Talk

2018

by Chris Crutcher

There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team.

The bad news is that they don't have a pool.
The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway.

A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket—exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High—will also be an effective tool. He's right. He's also wrong. Still, it's always the quest that counts.

And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they'll fight for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment's inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.

Searching

2017

by C.S. Johnson

There is no surrendering your will without giving up your heart.

Long before she took up the title of Starry Knight, Raiya Cole knew she was different. Ever since she survived the car crash that killed her parents, the truth about her supernatural powers—and her destiny as a fallen Star—shaped her life, preparing her for a battle she knew would come one day. With the help of Grandpa Odd, her beloved mentor, Raiya works to maintain control over her power and train as a Starlight Warrior.

But the battle she prepared for is not the first one she must face. As her seventh grade year begins, Raiya’s resolve is put to the test when her power unexpectedly—and exponentially—grows, threatening the fragile life she has managed to build over the last six years. Can Raiya embrace a duty that demands not only her life, but her heart as well? Can she survive paying the price that comes with her power?

Searching is the prequel to The Starlight Chronicles, an epic fantasy adventure series from C. S. Johnson.

Hometown Girl After All

2017

by Kirsten Fullmer

Julia lost everything while she was ill. Self-conscious and alone, she's moved to Smithville, determined to hide away in her rundown Victorian house. Little does she know, she can't hide anything in a small town, including her interest in the deliveryman.

Resolved to keep his life simple, Chad has his hands full running his delivery business and supporting his adopted family. So why can't he get that withdrawn city girl, Julia, off his mind?

Will the eccentric but well-meaning Smithville folk push Julia and Chad to open up, or will the emotional toll drive them both back into seclusion?

All Those Things We Never Said

2017

by Marc Levy

A romantic comedy set in a world that is larger than life...

As far back as Julia Walsh could remember, she always had a difficult relationship with her father. They hardly ever saw each other, hardly ever spoke, and on the rare occasions they did, they never seemed to agree on anything.

Three days before her wedding, Julia receives a phone call from her father's personal secretary. Just as Julia had predicted, Anthony Walsh will not be able to attend his daughter's wedding. However, for once, Julia has to admit that her father's excuse is irreproachable. He's dead.

Julia cannot help seeing the tragic-comical side of the situation. From one second to the next, her nuptial dreams transform into funeral plans. Even beyond the grave, it seems, Anthony Walsh has his own particularly effective way of disrupting his daughter's life. But the day after his funeral, Julia discovers that her father has one last surprise in store for her.

Without a doubt, the journey of a lifetime, and an opportunity to say, at last, all those things they had never said.

With this novel, Marc Levy creates a world of mischief and suspense. At its heart lies the relationship between a father and daughter, and a tale of first love, the kind of love that never dies.

Lovers Like Us

Twenty-seven-year-old Farrow Keene lives by his actions, and his actions say he’s the best at whatever he does. As a 24/7 bodyguard and the new boyfriend to Maximoff Hale, protecting the headstrong, alpha billionaire has never been more complicated. And one rule can’t be bent: Keep your relationship secret from the public.

Farrow is confident he’s the best man for the job. But a twist in Maximoff’s fast-paced life sticks them with the rest of Security Force Omega and their clients. On the road. In a sleeper tour bus. For four rocky months.

Sexual frustrations, check. Road trip drama, check. Awkward bonding, check. But Farrow couldn’t have accounted for a high-risk threat (identity: unknown) that targets Maximoff before the ignition even turns. And it hits Farrow — someone has it out for the guy he loves. Every day, Maximoff & Farrow's feelings grow stronger, and together, they'll either sink or swim.

The Like Us series is a true series, one continuous timeline, that follows a family of wealthy celebrities and the people that protect them.

I Have Never

2017

by Camilla Isley

Twenty-nine-year-old Blair Walker is a girl with a plan, or more a girl with a list. A list of dos and don'ts to live the perfect life, land a dream career, and marry Mr. Right. But when Blair loses her job and gets dumped by her boyfriend all in one day, she starts to wonder if she's had it all wrong. And what better way to find out than experience everything the list forbade?

  • Never Lie
  • Never Pick a Fight
  • Never Make a Scene
  • Never Make the First Move
  • Never Make Impulse Decisions
  • Never Mix Business and Pleasure

With hilarious consequences, Blair will discover some items are trickier to tick off than she'd thought...

The Silent Boy

2017

by Lois Lowry

Precocious Katy Thatcher always knew she wanted to be a doctor like her father. She joins him on his rounds and has a keen interest in the people around her. She's especially intrigued by Jacob, a gentle, silent boy who has a special sensitivity toward animals. While Jacob never speaks to or looks at Katy, they develop an unusual friendship and understanding.

The townspeople dismiss Jacob as an "imbecile." Katy just thinks of him as someone special who has a way of communicating with the animals through his sounds and movements. And only Katy comes to realize what the gentle, silent boy did for his family. He meant to help, not harm. It didn't turn out that way.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean

2017

by Jenny Han

Lara Jean is having the best senior year. There's so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then, she'll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.

Life couldn’t be more perfect! At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks... until she gets some unexpected news. Now, the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans. But when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Made You Up

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion.

Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him?

Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

Anything is possible

Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout is a novel that delves into the intimate dramas of small-town life, exploring the full range of human emotions. The story revolves around a compelling cast of characters, each grappling with their own struggles and desires.

Two sisters are at the heart of this narrative: one trades self-respect for a wealthy husband, while the other discovers a kindred spirit in the pages of a book, transforming her life. Meanwhile, a grown daughter yearns for her mother's love, even as she comes to terms with her mother's happiness in a foreign land.

After a long absence of seventeen years, Lucy Barton returns to her hometown to reconnect with her siblings, setting the stage for a story filled with deep family bonds and the hope of reconciliation.

With its heartfelt storytelling and exploration of self-discovery and family dynamics, Anything Is Possible offers readers a chance to reflect on their own lives and relationships.

Landfill Dogs book

Landfill Dogs, as featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (2013) and CNN (2015), shines a light on some of the most overlooked dogs from a county shelter in Raleigh, NC. Through this touching photography project, more than 160 dogs have found homes or been sent to rescue.

This book tells the story of who the Landfill Dogs are, featuring a compilation of their portraits at Landfill Park and individual adoption stories. It's a must-have for any animal advocate!

Note: All proceeds go directly toward helping shelter animals.

The Upside of Unrequited

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back. There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

The Way I Used to Be

2017

by Amber Smith

In the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.

Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.

Lincoln in the Bardo

2017

by George Saunders

In his long-awaited first novel, American master George Saunders delivers his most original, transcendent, and moving work yet. Unfolding in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by a dazzling chorus of voices, Lincoln in the Bardo is a literary experience unlike any other—for no one but Saunders could conceive it.

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returned to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy’s body.

From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul.

Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices—living and dead, historical and invented—to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?

Finding the Rainbow

2017

by Rachel McGrath

Finding the Rainbow is a fascinating and honest insight into a world that most would find difficult to understand, and many would be quietly thankful not to need to. Rachel McGrath tells the story of her battle to conceive and carry a baby, with unrestricted honesty, leaving the reader in no doubt as to her thoughts and feelings, and the courageousness with which she deals with a very difficult period in her and her husband's lives.

This emotive account draws attention to some of the otherwise unknown aspects of infertility and miscarriage, whilst still leaving room for humour, happiness and philosophy. The first book for Rachel McGrath, she writes about her battle with her body, her mind and the health service, whilst showing an incredible amount of inner strength, elegance and poise.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies

2017

by Louise Gornall

At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.

But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.

Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?

Revel

Michael Indemaio is a modern master of pointed love poetry, and Revel is a collection of cogent wit wrapped in hope.

A book with an endless supply of heart.

The Heights of Perdition

2016

by C.S. Johnson

Falling in love was out of the question ... until it was the answer.

There is nothing Aeris St. Cloud wants more than to win her father's love and the acceptance of her family by joining the Military Academy at New Hope. But after she is captured by the fearsome space pirate, Captain Chainsword, Aerie is certain falling in love with her nation's arch enemy is the last possible way to earn their coveted esteem.

Driven by vengeance, Exton Shepherd never set out to save anyone. As he circles the war-torn world in his pirated starship, the Perdition, he only sees his father's ghost lurking around every corner and the looming darkness on the horizon. When Aerie unexpectedly tumbles into his life, he finds he cannot trust her, any more than he can ignore her. But just like the raging war down on Earth, it's tempting to think he can...

When the war ascends to the heights of the Perdition, Aerie's loyalty, and Exton's heart, are put to the test. But will love be enough to save them—and others—from certain destruction?

The Heights of Perdition is the first book in the Divine Space Pirates trilogy, a futuristic romance series where family, faith, and freedom all take center stage.

Holding Up the Universe

2016

by Jennifer Niven

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.

Crashed

2016

by K. Bromberg

When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?Life is full of moments. Big moments. Little moments. And none of them are inconsequential. Every single moment prepares you for that one instance that defines your life. You must overcome all your fears, confront the demons that chase you, and cleanse the poison that clings to your soul or you risk the chance of losing everything.Mine started the minute Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet. She made me feel. Made me whole when all I thought I could ever be was incomplete. Became the lifeline I never knew I needed. Hell yes, she’s worth the fight…but how do you fight for someone you know you don’t deserve?Love is full of ups and downs. Heart stopping highs.Soul shattering lows.And none of them are insignificant. Love is a racecourse of unexpected twists and turns that must be negotiated. You have to break down walls, learn to trust, and heal from your past in order to win. But sometimes it’s the expected that’s the hardest to hold on to.Colton has healed and completed me, stolen my heart, and made me realize our love’s not predictable nor perfect—it’s bent. And bent’s okay. But when outside factors put our relationship to the test, what lengths will I have to go to prove to him that he’s worth the fight?Whoever said love is patient and love is kind, never met the two of us. We know our love is worth it—have acknowledged that we were meant to be—but when our pasts crash into our future, will the repercussions make us stronger or break us apart?

Ghosts

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for BahĂ­a de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea.

As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in BahĂ­a de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them.

As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake—and her own.

Fueled

2016

by K. Bromberg

Fueled, book #2 of the Driven Trilogy, dives into the tumultuous relationship between two souls intertwined by an unexpected connection. Colton and Rylee find themselves caught in a whirlwind of emotions, fighting to keep what they never knew they wanted. Colton, who crashed into Rylee's life, ignites feelings within her that she thought had died forever, sparking a passion she never knew could exist.

Rylee, emerging from that fateful storage closet encounter, changes Colton's life forever. Despite seeing the darkness within him, she stands by him, fighting for their love. She embodies the saint to his sinner, challenging him to accept the love he never thought he deserved. However, their journey is not without its challenges. Colton's reluctance to let Rylee in, fueled by the secrets of his past, and Rylee's struggle with his defiances, pose a significant threat to their budding relationship.

Their story is one of need and desire, pushing the boundaries of what they thought possible. But the question remains: is their love strong enough to crash into forever? Fueled explores the depths of love and the strength it takes to fight for it, even against all odds.

Behold the Dreamers

2016

by Imbolo Mbue

Behold the Dreamers is a compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream. It tells the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy.

Jende Jonga, a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem, has come to the United States to provide a better life for himself, his wife, Neni, and their six-year-old son. In the fall of 2007, Jende can hardly believe his luck when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. Clark demands punctuality, discretion, and loyalty—and Jende is eager to please. Clark’s wife, Cindy, even offers Neni temporary work at the Edwardses’ summer home in the Hamptons.

With these opportunities, Jende and Neni can at last gain a foothold in America and imagine a brighter future. However, the world of great power and privilege conceals troubling secrets, and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades. When the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the Jongas are desperate to keep Jende’s job—even as their marriage threatens to fall apart. As all four lives are dramatically upended, Jende and Neni are forced to make an impossible choice.

Nectar in a Sieve

Nectar in a Sieve tells the story of Rukmani, married as a child bride to a tenant farmer she never met. Together, they work side by side in the fields, battling against the harsh realities of nature—droughts, monsoons, and insects.

With remarkable fortitude and courage, Rukmani faces the challenges of changing times, poverty, and disaster. Her life is a gallant and persistent battle to care for those she loves. This beautiful and eloquent story presents a simple peasant woman in a primitive village in India, whose whole life is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Rukmani's unwavering love for her husband, Nathan, becomes a beacon—a nectar that sustains them through hardship. Amidst the harsh realities of poverty and change, this novel weaves a tapestry of love, loss, and endurance.

Kamala Markandaya's prose captures the essence of rural India, portraying the hopes and aspirations of a young nation, surmounting many obstacles along the way.

Avalanche: A Love Story

2016

by Julia Leigh

An intensely personal narrative of loss, hope, and longing for a child. In this brave and lucid account, Julia Leigh broaches a challenging life event often left undiscussed: how the struggle to have a child can take an agonizing toll.

Leigh’s experience at the vanguard of medical science is acutely rendered, both physically and emotionally, transmitting what it feels like to so desperately wish for a child while knowing that the odds are stacked against you. From the daily shots she puts herself through at home, to hopes raised and dashed, and finally to the decision to stop treatment, Avalanche bears witness to Leigh’s raw desire, suffering, strength, and, in the end, transformation—a shift to a different kind of love.

The reader looks behind the scenes of a clinic and discovers how things really work: reality is a far cry from the slick marketing of the billion-dollar infertility industry. As for so many women, Leigh’s treatment failed, but her ghost child lingers in memory.

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