Too busy to read? Studies show those who read live longer and are smarter! Carve out some time in your busy schedule for some SHELFcare. We’ve curated a list for those who don’t have time to pick a book!
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By Tara Conklin
If you’re in the mood for: The bond of siblings, modern family secrets, a redemption story, survival after failure
Most readers will relate to this story of survival within a family. The four Skinner siblings are bound by a defining (and tragic) time in their childhood, which they later refer to as “the pause.” This “pause” began after their mother had difficulty coping with the death of their father, forcing the Skinner children to raise themselves for a few years. The Last Romantics follows the sibling’s bond through multiple decades. They share (and hide) love, loss, addiction and secrets. If you’re a fan of family dramas that dig deep into the love and wounds of a family, Conklin’s The Last Romantics is for you!
By Josie Silver
If you’re in the mood for: love and loss, finding yourself, romance, suspended reality, wit, a rom-com
Lydia Bird is engaged to Freddie, the man of her dreams – until an unexpected accident takes his life and her dreams. Left mourning her true love (and the life she envisioned), Lydia must redefine her life. Josie Silver creates a charming cast of characters: family members and co-workers who support Lydia as she tries to piece her life back together. But Lydia has a secret. When she sleeps, she lives an alternate life where Freddie survives and her life continues as if there’d never been an accident. With its wit, warmth and personal growth, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a romantic comedy movie waiting to be made!
If you’re in the mood for: the meaning of truth, race and class preconceived notions, the meaning of truth, star-crossed teens, inevitability
Widow Valerie Alston-Holt and her bi-racial teen son Xavier live in a South Carolina suburb in a nice but modest home. When their neighborhood becomes the next “up and coming” place to be, the wealthy Whitman family moves in next door. After the Whitman’s construction projects kill Valerie’s beloved oak tree, the ripple effects of both families’ actions put into motion a seemingly inevitable chain of events. Soon, the entire neighborhood is questioning truth, race, social status and exactly what kind of neighborhood they’re living in. Therese Anne Fowler’s A Good Neighborhood uses real and complex characters to tackle real and complex issues facing modern-day American communities.
If you’re in the mood for: plot twists, cursed love, sabotage, mystery, a beach read, wedding drama, a page-turner
Emily is in love with Adam. Their new relationship is everything she always dreamed of, until she meets Pammie, his mother. Fast-paced and full of twists and turns, The Other Woman takes sabotage to a whole new level. Emily’s future mother-in-law is a master of deception and manipulation. And Adam doesn’t see it! Is Pammie as evil as she seems? Is Emily paranoid, or could she be going crazy? A Reese Witherspoon Hello Sunshine Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller, The Other Woman is a perfect “fun read” to toss into your beach bag or enjoy on the patio with a drink.
*Originally posted October 18, 2020