Fiction-wise
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
"Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos. But then a virus...has appeared in the city, and...Finn...has to stay behind. Reluctantly, she goes [alone]. Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different."
I'm a maybe on this one.
If You Believe by Kristin Hannah
"Mariah Throckmorton was hiding from a past filled with scandal. Mad Dog Stone was a drifter looking for a few days’ work. He walked into her life, threatening Mariah’s peace of mind and stirring emotions she tried to hide. Their love was born against all odds, difficult to count on, impossible to hold. Together they would learn the bittersweet truth—that love only exists if you believe."
Mad Dog Stone? Another maybe.
The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
Sophie moves onto [Scribbly Gum Island] and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family, where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions. As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around—and come up with your own fairy-tale ending."
This one sounds like a good choice for me. How about you? Might be worth a look just to find out more about the name Scribbly Gum.
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
"It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl’s pretty yellow dress can’t quite hide the ugly scar on her chest. Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives."
Oh, yeah. This is a good one!
The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle
"Sixteen years ago, Gia’s father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now that he’s back home and dying of cancer, Gia must care for him and reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town’s most infamous murderer. Gia’s old wounds are ripped open as protesters show up on the lawn and death threats are hurled at her, turning her own personal tragedy, once again, into front-page news. As the past unravels before her, Gia finds herself torn between the stories that family, friends, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth—and all the lies that came before—may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated." Another good one!
Give the gift of books!
The Beatles: Get Back by Kristen Britain
"Legend has it that these sessions were a grim time for a band falling apart. However, as acclaimed novelist Hanif Kureishi writes in his introduction, 'In fact this was a productive time for them, when they created some of their best work. And it is here that we have the privilege of witnessing their early drafts, the mistakes, the drift and digressions, the boredom, the excitement, joyous jamming and sudden breakthroughs that led to the work we now know and admire.' Half a century after their final performance, this book completes the story of the creative genius, timeless music, and inspiring legacy of The Beatles."
There and Back: Photographs from the Edge by Jimmy Chin
"Filmmaker, photographer, and world-class mountaineer Jimmy Chin goes where few can follow to capture stunning images in death-defying situations.
There and Back draws from his breathtaking portfolio of photographs, captured over twenty years during cutting-edge expeditions on all seven continents—from skiing Mount Everest, to an unsupported traverse of Tibet's Chang Tang Plateau on foot, to first ascents in Chad’s Ennedi Desert and Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land."
Humans by Brandon Stanton
"Brandon Stanton created
Humans of New York in 2010. What began as a photographic census of life in New York City, soon evolved into a storytelling phenomenon. A global audience of millions began following HONY daily. Over the next several years, Stanton broadened his lens to include people from across the world."
Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors by Amber Share
"
Subpar Parks, both on the popular Instagram page and in this humorous, informative, and collectible book, combines two things that seem like they might not work together yet somehow harmonize perfectly: beautiful illustrations and informative, amusing text celebrating each national park paired with the one-star reviews disappointed tourists have left online. "
(All book descriptions are quoted from Amazon.)
