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Back to topTerry's Favorite Reads of 2022
These are some of Terry's favorite books of 2022:
There are so many great new books this year!
The central theme of this stunning debut by Lelchuk is saving the people you care about, which is both a lingering psychosis as well as a lifestyle for Nikki Griffin Nikki is a bookstore owner and savior of young women in abusive relationships. She is also almost superhuman in her intellect and her survivor skills. Her intelligence lends itself well to solving mysteries that elude the average human. Her skills in self-defense and weaponry get her out of some pretty tight corners. But it is her book knowledge, loyalties, humor, and flawless timing that draw to a character we hope to see again and again.
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This book lived up the hype. Once you pick it up, it is impossible to put down. We still have a few copies in the store. Come check it out for yourself
Social commentary, great characters, beautiful writing. This contemporary story of a Boston Women's clinic and help line bridges our undstanding of both sides of the issues.
Filled with humor and honesty, Lease on Love and this debut author are definitely worth following. Sadie is an original. She heads into every situation with gusto and good cheer, while simultaneously doubting herself and casting those doubts out to anyone who will listen to her self-deprecating outbursts. Having lost her finance job due to one of these pre-mentioned outbursts, Sadie heads back into the world to bring her own spin to the floral business she loves and agrees to move into a brownstone in Brooklyn that promises to be easier on her savings while she stars her new business. Her landlord and roommate, Jack is a somewhat mysterious, but likable soul … and we can all see where this is heading. Sadie and Jack's journey is full of laughs and heart. I can’t wait to see what Ballard does next!!
This debut surprised and delighted me, and I was engrossed from beginning to end, savoring the storytelling of this talented writer. Kit Walker grew up with every disadvantage possible as an orphan in a string of foster homes. When she finally escapes from that life, she finds herself in a relationship she could not possibly understand as she came of age under the influence of Manny Romero who picked her up when she was just 13. The two of them went on a crime spree for 5 years until they were finally caught, and Kit escaped (again!), knowing she was pregnant and could only have the baby if she was on her own. Alternating between the 1970s and 1990s in Texas, each narrative brings us closer to Kit and to cherishing her and her journey as a single parent. Heartwarming and difficult … this is a book not to be missed.
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I am completely captivated by this book about a present day fictional first lady, very thinly disguised as the wife of our previous president. It is the glimpse behind the curtain revealing her life and her past that will keep you turning the pages, but it is also a multilayered story about her biographer and the impact of their relationship on her life.
This is the book I have been waiting for! It feels like Brooks is talking directly to me throughout this ground-breaking work which describes the path that some of us must take to move on to our next chapter in life. Granted, this is a book for people of “a certain age” but there are lessons here for all of us. As we all know (or think we know), change is difficult; from living and thinking one way (with great success) to a new reality and new options as we reach a certain point in our lives. From Strength to Strength specifically addresses what happens after a successful career when you reach a point where you no longer have the same satisfaction and success in your life that you once had. From there, it is up to us to move forward, give up some of what we currently know and love to move toward a future that makes more sense for us … and that may even lead to greater happiness. It turns out, that it is up to us!
Written by a master, this is about a re-examined life, the choices we make, and the roads not taken. Listening Still takes place in a small Irish Town where one family of undertakers has a gift. They can hear the dead speak. I loved everything about this book.
Great Cover. Great fun. Great premise.
Lian Dolan is a great storyteller of families lost and found and her latest title is no exception. Joan Blakely is the daughter of a world-famous model/photographer and a renowned artist who died on an airplane on September 11, 2001. Joan also works in the artworld and is married to a photographer until the day he confesses that he has another family, and they quickly divorce. Joan has always wanted to spend more time in Paris so when a work opportunity pops up, she leaves her current life and moves on to new possibilities. But when she gets to Paris, things don’t go as planned and that is when the real fun begins!
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Entering the world of Arlo Dilly, a DeafBlind man, is a priceless experience. Taking a journey with him to regain control over his life is another one! Fell is very familiar with this world, as he has been an ASL interpreter for the deaf for almost 30 years. We can trust that he knows is subjects well and he does an amazing job putting us right in the middle of a life of experiences we can never truly imagine. There is heartbreak and break throughs, not only for Arlo, but for those who enter his world. To top it off, the ending of this book is perfection. Highly recommended.
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Politics, family disfunction, drug addiction, bad behavior. What could possibly go wrong?
This extremely readable novel about a New York City political family will grab you right away and may be the perfect antidote to today’s headlines. Nancy Harrison has served in the US Congress for over 20 years and is up for re-election. Her daughter is missing in Paris and has created a huge media crisis for her mother. Her son has given up care-taking his mother’s career and is striking out on his own, as far away from the family business as he can get. Nancy is in an emotional war with her mother-in-law, not that this is new information, but it certainly heated up after her husband was killed in a car accident following a fight between them. All of this adds up to a page-turning experience with lots of surprises in store.
For all of us who admire and respect our Mothers, this memior hits the perfect notes.
Philpott is an eloquent writer who shares her journey in life and with us ... don't miss this one.
From the first sentence, I knew I was in for something special. By the end of the first chapter, I knew I was reading one of the best books of 2022.
This is a stunning portrait of American history and the financial innovators at the beginning of the 20th century. Diaz uses a truly unique approach to finding the truth about his central characters by incorporating four separate “books” into one narrative. The first is a fictional account of Benjamin and Helen Rask, the very successful and wealthy couple whose captivating story takes us from NYC to Europe and is called Bonds by Harold Vanner. The second is a parallel account about the actual successful Wall Street legend, Andrew Bevel, a descendant of the wealthy Bevel family, told in the form of an incomplete autobiography. The third book is a memoir by a writer in her 70s who worked for Andrew Bevel after his wife died and is now called upon to unlock the mysteries of Mildred Bevel. The fourth entry reveals many of the answers and may even break our hearts.
Each layer adds depth to this story as Diaz’s prose dazzle throughout and the mysteries are revealed. This is one tops my list of the best books of the year, and I am thrilled to be hosting Hernan Diaz on Monday, May 16 for Ladies, Lunch & Literacy.
I am a big Armstrong fan beginning with her Otherworld series and continuing through her ventures into detective fiction and beyond. In A Rip Through Time, Armstrong adds time travel to historical fiction and enhances it with present day humor and characters you will be drawn to. Mallory Atkinson is a homicide detective in 2019 who suddenly finds herself transported to 1869 Edinburgh in the body of a housemaid serving the local undertaker and medical examiner, Dr. Gray. Her curiosity is immediately aroused in a current case delivered to her employer and she is determined to solve the mystery of a serial killer jumping through time even as she tries to figure her way through the intricacies of living in Victorian times.
Tracy Flick is back in high school, not something she ever would have predicted when she was running for school president and aiming for law school in Perrotta’s previous blockbuster, Election. She is now a single Mom, the Vice Principal at her old alma mater, and has no interest in any relationship, romantic or otherwise. What she has a great interest in is the soon to be vacant job of Principal. She appears to be the most viable candidate, or so she is told, but nothing is ever easy for Tracy. Her prior classmates, fellow school employees, and a cast of memorable characters who live (or lived) in the small town of Green Meadows, New Jersey round out this narrative, which is at once an unputdownable portrait of small-town politics, an upending of past wrongs, and a story of redemption and understanding. Simply another hit from Perrotta.
I could not be more enchanted by Iona Iverson and the community she builds on her commute to and from work in Carriage #3 on a London Train. She is a woman of a certain age who is undervalued at the magazine where for the past 30 years she has written an advice column. Her standout personality and her purse, in which she carries beverages for each segment of her trip and contains an assortment of items that may be needed along the route, never fails to attract attention. And, when she begins to befriend David, Piers, Emmie, Martha, and Sanjay, we know their lives will never be the same. In no time and before she even realizes it, Iona’s need to help anyone who needs assistance has garnered her an audience and a fan base and it becomes harder and harder to find a seat on Carriage 3. Don’t miss this ride!
This is a wonderful novel about the strength of women, friendship, family, and dedication. Recommended.
I was charmed by this story about love, marriage, family, and self-discovery. Taking place during the pandemic, Barb and Ethan find their marriage on the rocks and their very different personalities pulling them apart. This becomes particularly apparent when two young Russion orphans enter their lives and their home.
Barbara is an outgoing acedemic who has been writing and thinking about lonlienss for her entire acedemic carreer. Simon is (probably) on the spectrum, brilliant in everything he does, from household chores to technology to work. He has had a successful career reverse engineering products for lawsuits and he co-founded a tech company that reaches its potential during this pivotal time. In fact, both spouses have timed their interests perfectly with the issues and problems of the pandemic. But the pandemic takes its toll on this family and its foundation begins to crumble.
And then this novel becomes something else entirely. I will leave you to discover how this touching novel takes a turn and in turn, creates a poignant and beautiful whole.
This debut is the first novel being published by the newly formed publisher, Spiegel & Grau and it forsees great reading to come.
This enemies to lovers’ story is filled with truth and fun and some great messages about taking care of yourself before taking care of others. Nina Lyon is successful chef and Cooking Show host, pared with Leo O’Donnell, who is her nemesis, on screen and off. Leo runs a chain of restaurants in the aftermath of the death of his father. He has dealt with the pressures of both jobs by baiting Nina, and in the end going too far. When her publicist thinks they should try fake dating to bolster booth of their carriers, they find much more to like about each other than they ever thought possible. Then their internal demons get the best of both of them and finding common ground and addressing their growing feelings begins to look impossible. Getting to a HEA is difficult for both of them, but worth the wait.
A delectable, easily digestible summer confection. I loved every minute of it
This multilayered, multigenerational historical-speculative novel introduces us to descendants of Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to arrive in America in 1834. Her experiences and those of generations of her daughters results in trauma that becomes part of their shared DNA. Their journeys toward healing result in a fascinating and satisfying read. Meet Jamie Ford on Thursday, September 15 to find out more about The Many Daughters of Afong Moy.
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Even though this might read like a perfect Sandra Bullock movie, there is heart here and tons of laugh out loud moments that make this entry a standout. Perfect vehicle. Unputdownable entertainment.
This book is as devastating as it is difficult to put down. I had no idea when I first met Frida and Kirby Lowe during an incoming hurricane in Rudder, Florida that I would be reading a book about the future of our climate crisis and its destructive realities. Given the hurricanes that area currently taking place, the possibility of this future seems increasingly likely.
The light pirate is Wanda, the daughter of Frida and Kirby’s, named because of the storm during which she was born and a prophesy of her resilience. She is the product of her environment, one that is falling apart as she grows up, teaching her how to change and prepare for survival and loss. Wanda also has a special gift, one that allows her to make her way through the darkest of times. Read this book so that this is not our future.