Here, I’ll be sharing some books in my collection that I think you may like. This list will be added to as time goes on and is in no particular order so keep checking back! I’ve been reading a whole lot lately and as I continue to add volumes to my own personal library, I hope you will find something here to add to your own.
I tend to bounce around genres and I am not a “trend” person. I like something because I like it, not because it’s super popular or whatever. While I may still read them, that’s not what draws me to a book. Basically, I like a little this, a little that and hope you do too!
I’ll be adding titles all over so make sure to scroll so you don’t miss anything! I am hoping to somewhat organize this list into something managable one day, but for now, let the scrolling begin!
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Please ignore the ‘sponsored content’ you see on my site. I am not affiliated with these ads.)
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Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol: My favorite book of all time. You may have seen several versions of the movie, but when was the last time you actually read the book? I have a tradition of reading this every year starting on Thanksgiving night through Christmas Eve. Not just for Christmas lovers young and old, it is the ultimate ghost story and the definitive story of redemption.
If You Only Knew: Kristan Higgins This book was my introduction to Kristan Higgins body of work and this one grabbed me right from the beginning. I have soft spot for local Connecticut authors and I just enjoyed the hell out of this one. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley of NY and now living in CT, I could easily place the areas she had described in this one, but all that aside, the story had very relatable characters and a story that kept me hooked from word one. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Taylor Jenkins Reid What an incredible book this is. As a lover of the old Hollywood regency era, this book had me picturing all of the grand parties of the time. It was also the first time I have ever yelled out loud while reading, “omg this book is incredible!” (Yes, I really did do that.) Beach Read: Emily Henry I absolutely loved this book. I’m late to the Emily Henry books and so glad I’ve jumped on board with them! As a writer myself, I love books that revolve around bookshops and writers and this one, about two writers living next door to each other in upper Michigan had me from the first page. This one had some great rom-com moments, but while many consider this a rom-com, I personally don’t. The romance was there, the humor had its moments, but it also had a depth to it that I enjoyed greatly.Famous in a Small Town: Viola Shipman I read this just before Beach Read (above) and it was my first introduction to upper Michigan. Because of this book, I now have the Tunnel of Trees, the Good Hart General Store and the annual cherry festival (all real places btw) on my bucket list. This was a wonderful, wonderful book. It made me feel absolutely everything and not going to lie, I needed tissues. This book is about family, friends and is in itself a love letter to the Good Hart area and its people. One more quick note, Viola Shipman is actually the pen name of Wade Rouse who is from this area. You won’t go wrong with this one.The Lost and Found Bookshop: Susan Wiggs This book had been in my ‘save for later’ on Amazon for a long time. with my love of books set in bookshops, the list in there was/is pretty long. But this one kept calling out to me and so glad I listened! This one is a bit darker in theme…but then again, saving a beloved shop after a tragedy shouldn’t be all roses and hallmark-movie-like. The characters in this were deep, real and all with their own stories that rounded out the story so well. There is also a little girl in this that I found myself thinking, “I would totally adopt her if she were real.” This was a wonderful introduction to Ms. Wiggs’ books and so glad I finally added this one to my personal library.Sugar and Salt: Susan Wiggs Ok so where to begin with this one. Like the above title, Sugar and Salt takes place mainly Perdita Street and the city of San Francisco. In fact, Sugar is the bakery that supplies the Lost and Found Bookshop with it’s daily goodies for their coffee bar. So when I had seen that in the synopsis, I was excited to revist the area since I loved Lost and Found so much. This book however, is nothing like I thought it would be. Is that a bad thing? No. Not at all. For this isn’t a series book, it just happens to rotate within the same world space as the other. This one is much darker, much deeper with subject matter. It is the first book I’ve read where there is a trigger warning page as the main character has survived a horrible trauma. It also spans across two time periods, the turbulent protest times in San Fran during the Vietnam War and the present day. It also spans the generations of the two and has redemption written write into it. There are mentions of the characters from the bookshop across the street, but that’s as far as it goes. If you are looking for something with more meat to it, this is it. But it is a darker road than some of the lighter reads I have listed on here.The Boardwalk Bookshop: Susan Mallery I absolutely love the premise of this book! Three women, all with their own businesses looking for a new location, decide to open one large spot encompassing all three. One has a bakeshop, one a gift shop and one, of course, a bookshop! The three become fast friends, sharing their lives, their families, their goals and every Friday at sunset, a bottle of champagne. While the other characters lend a great dynamic to this book, it’s the women trying to deal with their lives outside of the shop while trying to keep a successful business thriving that is truly the best part of the story.Book Lovers: Emily Henry My second of Emily Henry’s books was so good, I’m almost sorry I read it so quickly! I didn’t want this one to end at all. Not only was there a bookshop in this one but the two main characters are in the publishing world…boxes checked! The rom-com aspect is alive and well in this one and there were times I laughed so hard, I had to put the book down until I stopped. (the sister singing will never leave me, nor will the phrase: Bigfoot Erotica) I have now added this one to my TBRA (to be read again) pile as I am sure to revist this one again and again.Out of the Clear Blue Sky: Krisan Higgins I chose this one to be my second Kristan Higgans book and glad I did. This one had moments I never saw coming with characters that I was really rooting for. It was also quite a love letter to Cape Cod as well. While I read this over the Summer (call it a vacation between the pages) this is a year round book that can take you up to this coastal town of Massachusetts any time you need an escape. Really an enjoyable one!
Julia McCoy: Woman Rising incredibly inspirational story of how one woman escaped her father’s insane cult and horrific abuse and went on to create highly successful content marketing companies. This book will stick with you even years after you read it. Her story is amazing.
Long Lost: Jacqueline West This book was an accidental buy and I mean that in the best way possible. I had read the story synopsis, mysterious town, local legends and local history pride. Checked all the boxes. Had no idea, even while reading it, that this book was meant to be a Y/A book! Honestly, it had me from the start, didn’t read like it was meant for the younger set and had me jumping a few times with the strangeness of the townies and the ghosts that have stuck around. I of course read this in October, the spookiest of the months and gotta say, I enjoyed the hell out of it!Happy Place: Emily Henry Well, I think you know by now looking at this list that Ms. Henry’s books have become favorites of mine! This one was no exception. Going to date myself here, but one of my favorite all time movies is The Big Chill and this reminds me of that for a new generation, except funnier. Six friends from college who go away together to the same Maine cottage every year are about to start their yearly trip. Except this will be the last year there as the cottage has been sold. They vow to make the most of the trip but there’s a glitch…the main couple of the group broke up months ago and haven’t told the others yet. Only one was supposed to show up for the trip and both end up arriving. What’s worse is, they have to share one of the rooms! Of course because life is life, each one of the six is going through their own issues and this is the one group where lives can be shared with each other, or is it? I had so much fun reading this and there is one chapter that had me laughing so damned hard I had to keep putting the book down until I stopped laughing. Great to read when you need to just let go.The Bookshop by the Bay: Pamela Kelley There is a scene in the beginning of this book that had my jaw dropping and I knew I’d be hooked from that moment on. In a nutshell, two old friends join up together at a crossroads time in their lives to start over. Their daughters are also looking for something new as well and together the four of them have a chance to form new bonds with themselves and each other. Bookshops, coffee and friends, this is escapism between the pages.
Doris Kerns Goodwin: The Presidential Biographies: The definitive books on Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft, FDR and Lincoln (the latter is what the movie Lincoln was based on.) The TR/William Taft book is amazing and as a writer, also gives wonderful insight into the turn of the century (18-1900’s) days of political journalism.
The Bookshop of Yesterdays: Amy Meyerson I absolutely love this book. So much so, I’ve already read this a few times. I love stories that are place in bookshops. They tend to have great characters and storylines. This one has that as well some interesting twists and turns that will have you thinking right along with the main character. It was while reading this book the first time that I became inspired to finally begin writing my own novel. Authors inspire each other…Thanks Amy!
All is Not Forgotten: Wendy Walker psychological thriller by very local (she’s from my town!) author, Wendy Walker. Great read from the perspective of someone you wouldn’t expect. I also currently have Don’t Look for Me as well and plan on going through more of her work as time goes on. Ps. If you get to see her live, please do. Took a class by her here in town and learned so much about getting published and more!
Verity: Colleen Hoover yes, I have jumped on the Colleen Hoover bandwagon and couldn’t be happier about it! For me, it all started with Verity. This thriller and me hooked from page one and read it in one night. I then went on to Layla, Confess, Heart Bones and the list continues to grow!
Troublemaker: Leah Remini yes, THAT Leah Remini. The actress’s autobiography about her time in Scientology will wake you up to the cult’s practices, abuses and how they can accrue a fortune under the guise of religious tax exemptions. Something of note here, besides her continuing crusade against this so called “religion”, she sheds light on the fact that while she became a successful celebrity, she had no formal education past a certain low grade. She grew up in it and their own ‘schools’. As I continue to follow her journey through her award winning tv show about Scientology, I’ve also been amazed at how she’s made it such a priority to go to schools, graduate from high school and enroll in college. Just an inspiration to so many.
The Echo of Old Books: Barbara Davis this is possibly the first thing I’ve ever bought because a Facebook ad caught my attention. As I say above, I love books whose stories take place in bookstores, so admittedly, the title and cover caught my attention. I clicked, I ordered, I read, I loved. Its story had me from page one.
Hidden History of Connecticut: Wilson H. Faude as someone who studies and writes about local history, (please check out my page here: Stamford History) I particularly look for the odd and the parts of history that you may not know about. For my fellow Nutmeggers, this book is a great addition to have on your bookshelf.
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New Chapter Cove 