Anna Quindlen is also the author of After Annie , One True Thing , Every Last Thing , Object Lessons

I loved every bit of the first book in Bovalino's Hand and the Heart series. When the swooning arrives, it's after Bovalino has set the perfect stage for it.

Cece is at her in-laws' summer home in Montana several weeks before her wedding, solo and handling the -really intending for Cece to be positive company for Garrett, who tends to be morose--particularly after The book's cover design says "literary fiction" to me, but the novel felt at first very much like a light They were acting all along with free will, after all, and reasonable adults must realize that life twists Finally, the story focuses on the fits and starts of a version of complicated forgiveness after years

Jess and Storey are childhood friends who spend their summer adventures exploring striking, remote areas This summer they head to Maine to camp, fish, and hike. After weeks in the wild, they're shocked to come upon a town that's been blown apart.

learns that her husband, serving out of harm's way on a cargo ship, might have been a casualty of war after Had any mother ever had the time to stoically brood? around them, feeling they are in stasis, hiding their true selves, and just trying to keep getting up every How they managed to stumble into some of the right steps, after taking all the wrong ones? magically recreate themselves or invariably meet their full potentials, but Buckeye offers quiet peace after

protagonist chose her career over a man, enraging readers who'd been counting on a different happy ever after), leaving little audience for her second published book and nonexistent demand for a third. After one last fling, Jac reports to the set--only to find out that her one-night stand is a producer makes enemies of multiple fellow contestants, she struggles with the staged and manipulated nature of every Devore offers a version of happy ever after, and of revenge, that was fun to watch take shape.

And after a series of unlikely, unfortunate events, bookworm Neema becomes one of them--the least threatening As nefarious plotting and crimes are uncovered and the stakes of the competition become ever heightened , characters must forge previously unthinkable loyalties and use every bit of knowledge and craftiness

Theodore Finch considers his balance between life and death every day, weighing the factors that entice It's hundreds of years after King Arthur's reign, and his descendant and namesake Arthur, a future lord And when they're forced to spend the summer together at Camelot to prepare for their upcoming nuptials please check out Gwen and Art Are Not in Love . 05 Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner Carver's life was rocked after When wild and awful, heartbreaking thoughts are flying after a tragedy, and when some people are focused

Her husband has been away fighting for the Confederacy since soon after they were married, and Libby book that I read about 15 years ago and loved). 03 Dream State by Eric Puchner Cece is at her in-laws' summer -really intending for Cece to be positive company for Garrett, who tends to be morose--particularly after

fascinating novel Disappearing Earth  in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to Read in the Heat of Summer . 03 After Annie by Anna Quindlen Young mom Annie's abrupt death leaves her four children, husband, Each of them must find a way back to themselves and back to each other without their key person in After In Anna Quindlen's novel After Annie , the abrupt death of the titular young mother--which occurs in For my full review, please see After Annie .

But after Sciona blasts the competition at her entrance exam and is admitted, she finds that not all The misogyny and contempt of her peers means she faces a lack of respect and resources at every turn.

Which is just to say, be careful when choosing what you’re proud of—because the world has every intention I was completely hooked and kept thinking about this story after I'd finished it.

Welcome to the last gasp of summer---and the final Bossy summer book reviews. After meeting for the first time, Michael, a recently divorced teacher, studious and thoughtful, and I loved this literary fiction--the increasing vulnerability and search for connection after heartache Several years after saying goodbye, Anna is struggling to pay for her father's cancer treatment and has After ending.

It looks like Kembral will have to work tonight after all--and cooperate with her nemesis Rika Nonesuch you can check out the books and lists at this link . 03 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden It's the summer meek weekly maid is stealing from her, becomes obsessed with the small items that begin to disappear after

Trace Temple is a disillusioned, angry young man whose family lost its ranch after hard times. sister for financial assistance for the family; and young Meg, who suffers cruelty in an orphanage after But by the time key matters are resolved, after so much page time, the resolutions feel somewhat abrupt evil" stepmother, who is here actually a savvy, strong woman determined to provide for her household after respectability of her deceased husband's title to secure invitations for her daughters (who are not, after

after), leaving little audience for her second published book and nonexistent demand for a third. After one last fling, Jac reports to the set--only to find out that her one-night stand is a producer Devore offers a version of happy ever after, and of revenge, that was fun to watch take shape. After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze sight of embracing each new experience while reflecting on what she wanted her future to look like after

The book is built from letters Bird wrote to her sister (with some key notes added after the fact), which and its many dangers; suffers grave wounds; and saves each other's skin countless times--including after elements to feel real. 06 News of the World by Paulette Jiles Captain Kidd has fought in three wars, and after Not all of the members of my book club felt as strongly about this one as I did, but I adored every bit

Kimi Cunningham Grant's newest thriller, The Nature of Disappearing, Emlyn is a wilderness guide who very Much of the story takes place in an Idaho forest, and it made me reminisce about my college summer spent The story is more of a thriller than a mystery; after a time we aren't wondering what happened, rather

also the author of Thirteen Ways of Looking, Let the Great World Spin , and other books. 02 The Light After Abriel’s book traces the inspiring events from her mother’s incredible experiences before, during, and after For my full review, please see The Light After the War . 03 The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd This of Longings . 04 Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland The backdrop for the story of a few summer Years after I first read this book, I still think of it often and fondly.

You can explore the twelve titles on My Very Favorite Bossy 2025 Reads to find out about my overall Centuries after the death of the legendary Sir Una Everlasting , spindly, awkward, cowardly historian Book of Love by Kelly Link In Kelly Link's wonderfully oddball debut novel The Book of Love , she uses every fantasy novel: a wonderfully oddball main protagonist, a strange adventure, a mystery to be solved, and simmering And after a series of unlikely, unfortunate events, bookworm Neema becomes one of them--the least threatening

Because Jessica's body is usurped so quickly in the story, we don't get a chance until the very end to And I love Ann Liang's writing and her books--I'll read every one. fell in love with Ann Liang's fake-dating young adult novel This Time It's Real , read it in one rainy afternoon Reading Lists Six of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads from the Past Year , Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading , and My Bossy Favorite Reads of Summer  the year I read it.

climate-change dystopian novels, All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall, set in a flooded New York City after melted (to be published tomorrow), and Hum by Helen Phillips, in which artificial intelligence is king after I'm listening to The Blood of the Old Kings as an audiobook. 03 Hum by Helen Phillips After years working May finds herself willing to surgically alter her facial features for a sum that might keep her family

I love that the crew of the Wayfarer feels like a close-knit group of summer camp counselors somehow, Teenage Andra wakes up after being cryogenically preserved for a century-long journey to a new planet After all, the Vanguards, giant, deadly AI robots, are headed from deep space to destroy Earth at any After years working to advance artificial intelligence in a near-future dystopian world decimated by May finds herself willing to surgically alter her facial features for a sum that might keep her family

considerable talent for bringing history to life by tackling the McCarthy era--in what feels like a very Murder Club by Richard Osman My sister-in-law was enjoying this book while we were at the beach this summer And now there's a movie based upon the book to enjoy after I finish!

Still, Dorothy was supposed to be in stasis for years after suffering an emotional loss. Masks bestow upon the wearers the instincts, abilities, and reaction times of the animals after which But the mask Wylla is after also turns out to be sentient, and if she's going to wear the mask, she'll After years working to advance artificial intelligence in a near-future dystopian world decimated by It looks like Kembral will have to work tonight after all--and, even worse, she'll need to cooperate

01 The God of the Woods by Liz Moore I loved this summer-camp setting, the slow build of mystery in two In August 1975, a teenage girl disappears from her Adirondack summer camp. I love love love a summer-camp story, and I loved The God of the Woods . her small outer Belfast community, where violent Protestant-Catholic tensions are threatening to rule every "After Hours" allowed me to delve back into Novik's Scholomance series, which I adored.

The reveal of the true story behind the abductions, cruelties, and murders seemed far-fetched (every Emiko Jean is also the author of the great young adult stories Tokyo Ever After and Tokyo Dreaming

01 Burn by Peter Heller Jess and Storey are childhood friends who spend their summer adventures exploring This summer they head to Maine to camp, fish, and hike. After weeks in the wild, they're shocked to come upon a town that's been blown apart.

existence on a knife-edge, dependent on his primitive, remote systems and self-discipline--and his altered perspective after the upsetting, upheaving, destructive, horrifying, wondrous arrival of the child.

Characters' reimagined futures feel all the more powerful after the struggles within the book. heartwarming, charming novel about nonagenarian Eddie and his new, younger best friend offers hope after Eddie and 24-year-old Bella become friends after she comes in to donate items from a loved one who has I read this book for my book club, and it was a perfect summer read. lines of the essays felt at times a little bit sentimental or cute, but he does have to wrap these up, after

then fill that hole with plastic, or with any other materials that can be yanked out of the earth and, after After years working to advance artificial intelligence in a near-future dystopian world decimated by May finds herself willing to surgically alter her facial features for a sum that might keep her family

by and also deeply irritated by her academic rival, Peter Murdoch, who seems to be showing her up at every didn't understand and which kept being sprung upon the reader) turned out to be quite convenient, and after Sally Gould's memoir is named after a darkly humorous term of affection for paramedics in Australia ( Centuries after the death of the legendary Sir Una Everlasting , spindly, awkward, cowardly historian Harrow's tale involves multiple do-overs and attempts to shift events and alter reality--while the unlikely

It's the summer of 1961 in the rural Dutch province of Overijssel, and rigid Isabel is a spinster in She becomes obsessed with the small items that begin to disappear after Eva's arrival...then she becomes romantic troubles, both women will need to be more brave and more emotionally open than either has ever

Yesterday, the recent young adult novel that plays with time from Rachel Lynn Solomon; One Italian Summer But after being involved in multiple disasters in only her first day of classes, Barrett fears that college the author of The Ex Talk, Weather Girl, and the young adult Today Tonight Tomorrow. 02 One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle In Rebecca Serle's One Italian Summer, Katy is reeling after the death of her beloved And he finds that almost everything Emma has ever told him about herself has been a lie.

Centuries after her death, spindly, awkward, cowardly historian Owen Mallory unearths her story--and Harrow's tale involves multiple do-overs and attempts to shift events and alter reality--while the unlikely

Trace Temple is a disillusioned, angry young man whose family lost its ranch after hard times. The books become a touchstone each month during that first difficult year after Joe's death. evil" stepmother, who is here actually a savvy, strong woman determined to provide for her household after respectability of her deceased husband's title to secure invitations for her daughters (who are not, after Larissa made a split-second decision one night after a concert, when she was shoeless and in need of

of Stuart Turton's The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle are fascinating: Evelyn Hardcastle will die every But every day Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. But being able to track every detail and how it fit wasn't required (I kept reminding myself that I was She's determined not to stop searching until she finds out what really happened that summer. I thought this was lovely. 05 Jackaby (Jackaby #1) by WIlliam Ritter “I prefer to look after myself,

After Zoey's beloved mother died, Zoey's father and stepmother prioritized her stepsiblings emotionally and in every other way. reclusive, mysterious local author whose magical story or personal generosity seems to have affected every

Greedy Reading Lists on Fridays, and this one is a little early (the month doesn't end until Tuesday, after loneliness, only we live through his discovery of a shattering secret, and only we witness the life-altering hasn't played since she was a young woman--when her early love for the game was squashed before she ever Her pain and the mysterious sources of her frequent agony affected every aspect of her life, and Dunham mother's three husbands and a beloved figure from Daphne's childhood--whom she never saw nor heard from after

Every child a wanted child, every mother a willing mother. allow Marshall to showcase how situations have changed through the decades for women seeking options after

Their perspective of coming upon the devastation immediately after Sherman's March through Atlanta was Weller's Wilderness is set several decades after the Civil War, but the story pivots on Abel Truman's It is a strange thing, after all, to be able to return to a moment, when it can hardly be said to have pleasure, and saw that I was on the brink of squandering a wondrous gift, the gift of being allowed, every day, to wander this vast sensual paradise, this grand marketplace lovingly stocked with every sublime

fascinating novel Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to Read in the Heat of Summer by Sarah Adams I've been reading more rom-coms lately, which always seems like a good idea for the summer , they're faced with one challenge after another as they try to balance their careers with making space

In Nicole Galland's historical fiction tale Boy , Alexander "Sander" Cooke is a famed, sought-after " And Princess Gisela of the Alpenwald, a dear friend of Alice's, goes missing just after Veronica shares But when Frank's brother shoots a dog going after the family's sheep, the gunshot sets into motion events Broken Country  is a study of an extreme, life-and-death-stakes fallout after heartbreaking tragedy, have felt over the top, but as usual, I was putty in Taylor Jenkins Reid's hands, ready to embrace every

You can explore the twelve titles on My Very Favorite Bossy 2025 Reads to find out about my overall Her husband has been away fighting for the Confederacy since soon after they were married, and Libby It's the summer of 1961 in the rural Dutch province of Overijssel, and rigid Isabel is a spinster in boys for over a century, shares a tale of racial injustice, abuse and horrors, terrible fear, and the very we are somebody, that we are significant, that we are worthful, and we must walk the streets of life every

between details of a life of moneyed ease and an abandonment on an unforgiving, uninhabited island after Marguerite is heir to a fortune, but after she is orphaned, she grows into a young lady while her guardian At the very least it becomes clear that he will pay no dowry in order to make another match for her. have felt over the top, but as usual, I was putty in Taylor Jenkins Reid's hands, ready to embrace every different boy, a significantly shaped sister Maia, drastically different paths for mother Cora, and altered

After a time, it seemed that the world inside the books became my world. So when I thought of my childhood, it was dandelion wine and ice cream on a summer porch, like Ray Bradbury

The Books I'm Reading Now Please don't ever let me read such disturbing nonfiction again--I'm reading And after a series of unlikely, unfortunate events, bookworm Neema becomes one of them--the least threatening As nefarious plotting and crimes are uncovered and the stakes of the competition become ever heightened , characters must forge previously unthinkable loyalties and use every bit of knowledge and craftiness

evil" stepmother, who is here actually a savvy, strong woman determined to provide for her household after respectability of her deceased husband's title to secure invitations for her daughters (who are not, after After Elin attracts the attention of royalty, Lady Tremaine discovers a destructive secret in the noble

Michelle Huneven Bug Hollow tracks the Samuelson family from an idyllic mid-1970s Northern California summer When Sally Samuelson was eight, her idolized golden-boy older brother Ellis went missing after his high After pushing him to return home before heading to college, he headed to campus and died in a freak accident between details of a life of moneyed ease and an abandonment on an unforgiving, uninhabited island after Marguerite is heir to a fortune, but after she is orphaned, she grows into a young lady while her guardian

Annie was created to please her owner, Doug, in every way. She was made to offer pleasure without challenge or conflict, after all. But Annie is full of surprises, and her will is stronger than Doug ever dreamed.