5 more books to add to your reading list

In case you didn’t have enough to choose from in yesterday’s post — ha ha ha! — here are five more books to add to your reading list.

You’re welcome 🙂

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to love – LOVE – this book. You will laugh and cry and laugh some more, then you’ll think about everything that’s happened and repeat the cycle. Liane Moriarty has become one of my favorite authors – I consider What Alice Forgot an absolute classic in the “marriage” category – and this is one of her best. The story revolves around Pirriwee Public School in Australia, where the parents are behaving worse than their kids, but it could just as easily have taken place on the Upper East Side of Manhattan or Anytown, USA. We learn right away that someone has been murdered, then we’re taken six months back in time to start counting down to the Trivia Night, when everything went so wrong. The dialogue is often laugh-out-loud funny but the humor belies the profound and poignant insights into subjects like bullying and domestic violence. This is a story about the lies we tell each other and ourselves simply to get by, and it’s likely to become one of your favorites. And that’s the truth.

Us by David Nicholls

You may remember how much I adored David Nicholls’ One Day. That bestselling tale of finding true love was as messy and unpredictable as life itself, and it left me an emotional wreck. So the idea of reading Nicholls’ take on long-term marriage and becoming empty nesters – the stage I am smack in the throes of – filled me with a kind of happy dread. And, wow, the man didn’t disappoint. “I was looking forward to us growing old together,” 54-year-old Douglas says to his wife. “Me and you, growing old and dying together.” Connie replies, “Douglas, who in their right mind would look forward to that?” And we are off and running. Will Douglas’ wish come true? Will their last family trip before their son leaves live up to everyone’s expectations? You know I’m not going to tell you. All I can tell you is Nicholls knows how to get to me. This is a realistic, plainly-told story that is always honest and often achingly beautiful. The fact that it’s told from the man’s point of view just makes it more interesting because it’s so rare to hear that voice. Note to Hollywood: please do not ruin this by making a movie.

‘Til The Well Runs Dry by Lauren Francis-Sharma

This gorgeous debut will plant you in Trinidad, where 16-year-old Marcia, is raising two little boys and making ends meet as a seamstress. When a young policeman falls in love with her, her life completely changes and her long-held secret becomes harder to hide. We watch Marcia grow into a strong woman who, through heartbreak and joy, manages to survive. The story is told from three perspectives, and the lilting language rolls off your tongue, making you want to read it out loud. Thanks to a true command of setting, this is a book that grabs you by the senses; you can feel, smell, practically taste the culture of this island, from the music to the voodoo. It’s also a book about immigration and the lengths human beings will go to in order to take care of their families. It puts a human face on the statistics – and it’s a face that will stay in your mind and your heart.

Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

I have to admit I was never a big fan of Goodnight Moon (I’m sorry. I know that sounds sacrelige.) but I found this novel, in which Sarah Jio imagines the inspiration for the beloved children’s book, delightful and endearing. The story follows June, a young, overworked executive who decides to drop everything and move across the country when her beloved great-aunt dies, leaving her the children’s bookstore she founded back in the 1940s. June discovers letters written between her aunt and author Margaret Wise Brown, and sets out to piece together their history. I have a special place in my heart for books about bookstores, and this one is no exception. It made me want to open one of my own and feature this charming novel in a place of honor.

The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch

Allison Winn Scotch writes books that I breeze through but that always leave a lasting impression – to the point that, after I read The Song Remains the Same, I wrote a piece about the soundtrack to my own life. Here, she writes about Willa, whose whole life has been overshadowed by her famous father, the author of a self-help phenomenon entitled Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Life May Be Out of Your Control. When her own life starts spinning out of control – her husband proposes a short break in their marriage, she loses her job, she gets an unexpected houseguest – she decides to take her friend’s dare and prove her dad’s theory that everything happens for a reason is wrong. Her journey is painful yet often hilarious, and as we root for her, we’re also empowering ourselves.