Tag Archives: man-women relationships

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

16 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by in Fiction, romance

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This modern take on the classic novel A Room with a View also follows a young woman named Lucie as she travels through Italy with her aunt, accepts a marriage proposal, and falls in love with the “wrong” person. This is a fun, charming story from the author of Crazy Rich Asians.

“A summer romp with a satirical sting”— NPR

“A deliciously fun romp from Capri to Manhattan and East Hampton. Kwan is in fine form, gleefully name-dropping luxury brands and socialites as he spins a heartfelt, satirical tale that observes the price of fame, fortune and following your heart.”
—BookPage

“True love will find a way, even among the status-obsessed and filthy rich… [With] irresistibly knowing humor and delightful central characters… While he’s engineering the timeless love story and continuing our postgraduate education in all the things money can buy, Kwan manages to take a few swipes against snobbery and racism. Nice. This is the only way you’re getting to Capri this year. Why resist?”—Kirkus 

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Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi translated from the French by Shaun Whiteside

10 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by in Fiction, murder, mystery

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A thrilling tale of murder that takes place in Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. The location provides a lush backdrop to this intricately plotted mystery that takes place over just 13 days in 2010.  The ending is astonishing and you’ll be desperate to find others to discuss the outcome!

One of France’s most celebrated crime authors and winner of more than 15 major literary awards, I rushed to read his first novel, After the Crash.

“A work of genius befitting the masterpiece by Monet at its heart…. Bussi cleverly breaks all the perceived rules of plotting in a story containing riddles within riddles…. But every loose thread is meshed neatly together in the final pages until the jaw-dropping big reveal at the end. The result is simply stunning.”―Daily Express (UK)

“Bussi’s portrait of the difficulties of investigating a closed community is fascinating, and the novel ends with one of the most reverberating shocks in modern crime fiction.”―The Sunday Times (UK)

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In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

28 Tuesday Apr 2020

Posted by in Comedy, Fiction, romance

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The same night that Dannie gets engaged, she has a dream that it’s five years in the future and she’s living with a different man. She tries to forget about it, until a few years later when she meets that same man from her dream. While this is partly a romance, it is also about Dannie’s life and career in New York City, and her relationship with her childhood best friend. Once you start, this is hard to put down.

“When smart, thoughtful writing pairs with a compelling, ingenious plot I am hooked and so very happy. It’s been a long time since I read a novel in two sittings, but as soon as I started In Five Years, I was a goner. Loved it! Brava, Rebecca Serle.” —ELINOR LIPMAN, author of Good Riddance

 “A heartwarming portrait of a broken heart finding a little healing magic.” —Kirkus Reviews

 “Heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic in all the ways that make a book impossible to put down, I fell in love with this story. In five years, I will still be thinking about this beautiful novel.” —JAMIE FORD, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

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Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

05 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, romance

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A great read on the lighter side – romantic, humorous, outrageous -unlike anything you’ve read before!  Delightful farcical cases of mistaken identity, disastrous proposals, Muslim-arranged marriages with a touch of Shakespeare and Austen thrown in.  An entertaining read guaranteed!

“Ayesha At Last is the modern Pride & Prejudice retelling I never knew I needed. Warm, witty, romantic, and relatable. Honestly, Darcy who? Khalid is everything.”—Alisha Rai, award-winning author

“There’s an overabundance of Pride and Prejudice retellings, but few are as thoughtful and creative as this stellar debut from an author to watch.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Jalaluddin cleverly illustrates the social pressures facing young Indian-Muslim adults…a highly entertaining tale of family, community, and romance.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce

23 Saturday Mar 2019

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Frank is a holdout in his small English city in 1988: he refuses to sell anything in his music shop except for vinyl, and he has a gift for matching people with the record they need. He belongs to a community of colorful characters, all of whom are affected by a newcomer’s arrival at the shop one day. This is a charming, heartfelt story without being too corny or sentimental.

“Whether on foot, as in her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, or track by track, on this unlikely musical odyssey, Joyce excels in enveloping readers in epic journeys of lost connections and loving reunions.”—Booklist

 “Joyce sets up a charming cast of characters, and her spirals into the sonic landscapes of brilliant musicians are delightful, casting a vivid backdrop for the quietly desperate romance between Frank and Ilse. From nocturnes to punk, this musical romance is ripe for filming.”—Kirkus Reviews

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Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash

02 Wednesday Mar 2016

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Rash, with his evocative prose and poetry, takes the reader to the Appalachian hills of his native North Carolina. He combines suspense with observations and insights, and tells a disquieting tale about the characters’ attachment to the land even as they abuse its beauty.

“[Above the Waterfall is] as rich and moving as his best. If you like detective novels, the plot twists are dizzying enough to keep you guessing. Fan or not, you’re going to find this one hard to put down.” (Charleston Post & Courier)

“Combining suspense with acute observations and flashing insights, Rash tells a seductive and disquieting tale about our intrinsic attachment to and disastrous abuse of the land and our betrayal of our best selves.” (Booklist (starred review))
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Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

17 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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I loved this story of a strong woman and her family, friendships, and faith. It’s beautifully written.  If you enjoy historical fiction, it’s not to be missed.

“Lilting prose, beautifully meted out folklore and historical references, and Hoffman’s deep conviction in her characters (especially those “willing to do anything for love”) make reading this “contes du temps passé” a total pleasure.”—Kirkus, starred review

“[A] rhapsodic blend of keenly observed historical elements and vibrantly fabulistic invention generates an entrancing saga of sacrifice, forbidden loves, betrayals, and family tragedies endured in a world fractured by religion, class, and race, and redeemed by art and by love. Hoffman is at her resplendent best in this trenchant and revelatory tale of a heroic woman and her world-altering artist son.” – Booklist, Starred Review

“Hoffman’s subject matter and her evocative writing style are a wonderful fit for this moving story, which illuminates a historical period and women whose lives were colored by hardships, upheavals, and the subjugation of personal desires.”—Publishers Weekly

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You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz

22 Monday Jun 2015

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Set in Manhattan with some side trips to the Boston area, the first third of this book is slow-paced and the characters are vague.  However, the reader will soon discover that as the details are filled in, all is not perfect in the life of the main character, Grace Sachs, a family therapist, who thinks she has a perfect marriage. Suddenly there is a murder, a mystery and a missing husband! You will read this book in a “New York minute”!

“This excellent literary mystery [unfolds] with authentic detail in a rarified contemporary Manhattan. . . intriguing and beautiful.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Korelitz does not disappoint as she chronicles the emotional unraveling of her heroine in this gripping saga…A cut above your average who-is-this-stranger-in-my-marriage-bed novel, “You Should Have Known” transforms itself at certain moments from a highly effective thriller into a nuanced novel of family, heritage, identity, and nurture.”—The Boston Globe
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

06 Monday Apr 2015

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The calm and quiet life of A. J. Fikry, a curmudgeonly widower living on an island off the coast of New England, is dramatically transformed when an orphan child is left in his bookstore.

In addition to a sweet and charming story about the love of reading, the reader will come away with a new list of books to read.  Zevin uses an unusual device to introduce new characters in her novel. Rather than describing people by their physical characteristics, she describes characters in terms of what they read and their personal reading experiences.  Which three books would define your character?

“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us what saves us all from a life of loneliness and isolation: our sense of empathy; our ability to love and be loved; our willingness to care and be cared for. Gabrielle Zevin has written a wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time.” —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“In this sweet, uplifting homage to bookstores, Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere.” —Booklist

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