Tuesday, June 9, 2020

iTunes Store: Top 25 Books in Fiction & Literature 2020-06-09

Debbie Macomber - Twenty Wishes artwork Twenty Wishes
Debbie Macomber
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $2.99
Publish Date: January 14, 2019
Publisher: MIRA Books
Seller: Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Come back to Blossom Street! Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber for this hopeful story of enduring friendship and starting over. What do you want most in the world? What Anne Marie Roche wants is to find happiness again. At thirty-eight, she’s childless, a recent widow. She owns a successful bookstore on Seattle’s Blossom Street, but despite her accomplishments, there’s a feeling of emptiness. On Valentine’s Day, Anne Marie and several other widows get together to celebrate…a sense of hope. They each begin a list of twenty wishes—including things they’d always wanted to do but never did. Some of the items on Anne Marie’s list: learning to knit, falling in love again, doing good for someone else. When she volunteers at a local school, an eight-year-old girl named Ellen enters her life. It’s a relationship that becomes far more involving—and far more important—than Anne Marie had ever imagined. As Ellen helps Anne Marie complete her list, they both learn that wishes can come true…but not necessarily in the way you expect! Originally published in 2008



Danielle Steel - Daddy's Girls artwork Daddy's Girls
A Novel
Danielle Steel
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $16.99
Publish Date: June 09, 2020
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

In Danielle Steel’s riveting novel, three women raised by their father on a sprawling California ranch now confront difficult truths about their past.   Decades ago, after the death of his wife, Texas ranch hand JT Tucker took his three small daughters to California to start a new life. With almost no money, a will of iron, and hard work, he eventually built the biggest ranch in California. But when he dies suddenly at the age of sixty-four, the ranch is inherited by his three daughters—each of them finding it impossible to believe that this larger-than-life figure is gone from their lives.   JT’s relationship with each daughter was entirely different. Caroline, the youngest and most reserved, was overlooked by her father for her entire life and fled to become a wife, mother, and writer in Marin County. Gemma, his declared favorite, sought out Hollywood glamour and success and became a major television star. Kate, the eldest, stayed at home with her father to do his bidding as a ranch hand, without thanks or praise, forsaking marriage and a family of her own for the love of him.   Now, upon JT’s death, the paper trail he leaves behind begins to reveal much more than the three sisters ever guessed about who he really was. It will turn their world upside down, and each of them must grapple with a new reality, strengthening their relationships with one another, and discovering who they are now as grown women, in spite of him.   Set against the magnificent backdrop of the West and the drama of a family in turmoil, Daddy’s Girls is the story of three remarkable women and their unique bond to each other—the daughters of a complex, many-faceted, domineering father who left his mark on each of them.



J. Robert Kennedy - Rogue Operator artwork Rogue Operator
A Special Agent Dylan Kane Thriller
J. Robert Kennedy
Genre: Action & Adventure
Price: $0.99
Publish Date: February 13, 2016
Publisher: J. Robert Kennedy
Seller: J. Robert Kennedy

“Dylan Kane leaves James Bond in his dust!” ★★★★★ FROM AWARD WINNING USA TODAY & MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY ★★★★★ IN ORDER TO SAVE THE COUNTRY HE LOVES, DYLAN KANE MUST FIRST BETRAY IT. Three top secret research scientists are presumed dead in a boating accident, but the kidnapping of their families the same day raises questions the FBI and local police can’t answer, leaving them waiting for a ransom demand that will never come. Central Intelligence Agency Analyst Chris Leroux stumbles upon the story, and finds a phone conversation that was never supposed to happen. When he reports it to his boss, the National Clandestine Services Chief, he is uncharacteristically reprimanded for conducting an unauthorized investigation and told to leave it to the FBI. But he can’t let it go. For he knows something the FBI doesn’t. One of the scientists is alive. Leroux makes a call to his childhood friend, CIA Special Agent Dylan Kane, leading to a race across the globe to stop a conspiracy reaching the highest levels of political and corporate America, that if not stopped, could lead to war with an enemy armed with a weapon far worse than anything in the American arsenal, with the potential to not only destroy the world, but consume it. Award winning USA Today and million copy bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy introduces Rogue Operator , the first installment of his newest series, The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers , promising to bring all of the action and intrigue of the James Acton Thrillers with a hero who lives below the radar, waiting for his country to call when it most desperately needs him. Get your copy today, and meet one of America's secret heroes: Special Agent Dylan Kane. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DYLAN KANE SERIES ★★★★★ “The action sequences are particularly well-written and exciting, without being overblown.” ★★★★★ “I love how the author explains what's needed but doesn't just ramble on in narrative.” ★★★★★ “The events in this adventure are so real and so heart pounding you can't put it down. Mr. Kennedy is by far my favorite writer.” ★★★★★ “Don’t mess with Kane, he takes no prisoners, especially when you target his friends.” ★★★★★ “This is one of the best stories I have ever read. The action and plot is believable and exciting and of course the climax is nail biting stuff. This author sure knows his stuff - if not, he does a great job of convincing his reader that he does!” ★★★★★ “Fast paced international spy thriller with good old American values among its main characters. I'd like to think we really do have agents like Kane.” About J. Robert Kennedy: With over one million books sold, award winning and USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is a full-time writer and the author of over forty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers. He’s married, has an adult daughter, and is likely hard at work on his next book.



Robin Pilcher - An Ocean Apart artwork An Ocean Apart
A Novel
Robin Pilcher
Genre: Literary
Price: $8.99
Publish Date: February 04, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Seller: Macmillan

For six dreadful months, David Corstorphine has tried to come to terms with his young wife's death, while caring for his three motherless children. Try as he may, David is unable to return to work, and his only form of solace comes from working in the garden of his parents' estate in the Scottish countryside. Dispatched unexpectedly to New York, David's family hopes that the impromptu business trip will help him get back on his feet. But the journey proves both disastrous and heartening. David finds himself settling in comfortably among the strangers of a seaside Long Island town, and takes a job as a gardener. But it is the people he meets, the pain he confronts, and the joy he is able to once again experience that prove to be magically transformative-- and as David learns to accept his enormous loss, he is able to open his heart to love once again. Writing with deep sensitivity to human frailty, desires and joys that readers of his mother, Rosamunde Pilcher, have come to cherish, Robin Pilcher's An Ocean Apart will be embraced by generations of readers now and in years to come.



Noah Gordon - The Winemaker artwork The Winemaker
Noah Gordon
Genre: Historical
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: June 05, 2012
Publisher: Barcelona Digital Editions
Seller: OpenRoad Integrated Media, LLC

New York Times –bestselling author: In 19th-century Spain, the son of a vineyard owner builds a life for himself, but a dangerous plot threatens it all . . .   Josep Alvarez is a young man in the tiny grape-growing village of Santa Eulália, in northern Spain, where his father grows black grapes that are turned into cheap vinegar. Joseph loves the agricultural life, but he is the second son, and his father’s vineyard will be inherited by his brother Donat, the firstborn. Josep needs to keep his hands in the soil. He yearns for a job growing grapes and for an opportunity to marry Teresa Gallego. In Madrid, an assassination plot, conceived against the political leader of Spain by men of wealth and power, creates a storm of intrigue that sucks into its vortex a group of innocent young farm workers in Santa Eulália. How Josep’s life is changed drastically by these events, and how, ironically, they gradually turn him into an inspired vintner with an evolving vision of life, is the fascinating story of The Winemaker .



Nora Roberts - Hideaway artwork Hideaway
A Novel
Nora Roberts
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $15.99
Publish Date: May 26, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Seller: Macmillan

"Reading Hideaway is like a mini vacation, as Roberts transports you from the sun-drenched mountains of Big Sur to the rolling hills of Ireland to the bustling streets of New York City." - Associated Press A family ranch in Big Su r country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for Nora Roberts’ emotional new suspense novel, Hideaway . Caitlyn Sullivan had come from a long line of Hollywood royalty, stretching back to her Irish immigrant great-grandfather. At nine, she was already a star—yet still an innocent child who loved to play hide and seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur. It was during one of those games that she disappeared. Some may have considered her a pampered princess, but Cate was in fact a smart, scrappy fighter, and she managed to escape her abductors. Dillon Cooper was shocked to find the bloodied, exhausted girl huddled in his house—but when the teenager and his family heard her story they provided refuge, reuniting her with her loved ones. Cate’s ordeal, though, was far from over. First came the discovery of a shocking betrayal that would send someone she’d trusted to prison. Then there were years spent away in western Ireland, peaceful and protected but with restlessness growing in her soul. Finally, she would return to Los Angeles, gathering the courage to act again and get past the trauma that had derailed her life. What she didn’t yet know was that two seeds had been planted that long-ago night—one of a great love, and one of a terrible vengeance…



Laura Munson - Willa's Grove artwork Willa's Grove
Laura Munson
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $0.99
Publish Date: March 03, 2020
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Seller: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

You are invited to the rest of your life. Three women, from coast to coast and in between, open their mailboxes to the same intriguing invitation. Although leading entirely different lives, each has found herself at a similar, jarring crossroads. Right when these women thought they’d be comfortably settling into middle age, their carefully curated futures have turned out to be dead ends. The sender of the invitation is Willa Silvester, who is reeling from the untimely death of her beloved husband and the reality that she must say  goodbye  to the small mountain town they founded together. Yet as Willa mourns her losses, an impossible question keeps staring her in the face: So now what? Struggling to find the answer alone, fiercely independent Willa eventually calls a childhood friend who happens to be in her own world of hurt—and that’s where the idea sparks. They decide to host a weeklong interlude from life, and invite two other friends facing their own quandaries. Soon the four women converge at Willa’s Montana homestead, a place where they can learn from nature and one another as they contemplate their second acts together in the rugged wilderness of big sky country.



Sally Rooney - Normal People artwork Normal People
A Novel
Sally Rooney
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: April 16, 2019
Publisher: Knopf Canada
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

L ONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE: A wondrously wise, genuinely unputdownable new novel from Sally Rooney, winner of the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award (at 26, tied with Zadie Smith for the youngest-ever recipient)--the quintessential coming-of-age love story for our time. Connell Waldron is one of the most popular boys in his small-town high school--he is a star of the football team, an excellent student, and never wanting for attention from girls. The one thing he doesn't have is money. Marianne Sheridan, a classmate of Connell's, has the opposite problem. Marianne is plain-looking, odd, and stubborn, and while her family is well-off, she has no friends to speak of. There is, however, a deep and undeniable connection between the two teenagers, one that develops into a secret relationship.      Everything changes when both Connell and Marianne are accepted to Trinity College. Suddenly Marianne is well-liked and elegant, holding court with her intellectual friends while Connell hangs at the sidelines, not quite as fluent in language of the elite. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle each other, falling in and out of romance but never straying far from where they started. And as Marianne experiments with an increasingly dangerous string of boyfriends, Connell must decide how far he is willing to go to save his oldest friend.      Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a novel that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the inescapable challenges of family and friendships. Normal People is a book that you will read in one sitting, and then immediately share with your friends.



Celeste Ng - Little Fires Everywhere artwork Little Fires Everywhere
A Novel
Celeste Ng
Genre: Literary
Price: $9.99
Publish Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

The #1 New York Times bestseller! Now a Hulu original series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. “I read  Little Fires Everywhere  in a single, breathless sitting.” —Jodi Picoult “To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” —Reese Witherspoon “Extraordinary . . . books like Little Fires Everywhere  don't come along often.” —John Green From the bestselling author of  Everything I Never Told You , a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides.  Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs. Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster. Named a Best Book of the Year by:  People, The Washington Post, Bustle, Esquire, Southern Living, The Daily Beast, GQ, Entertainment Weekly,  NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads, Library Reads, Book of the Month,  Paste ,  Kirkus Reviews ,  St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  and many more... Perfect for book clubs! Visit celesteng.com for discussion guides and more. 



Kristan Higgins - Always the Last to Know artwork Always the Last to Know
Kristan Higgins
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: June 09, 2020
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

Sometimes you have to break a family to fix it. From New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins, a new novel examining a family at the breaking point in all its messy, difficult, wonderful complexity. The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other...who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters-- Barb's favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John's darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn't be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough. Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down. Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad--and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she's spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks. And now Barb and John will finally have to face what's been going on in their marriage all along. From the author of Good Luck with That and Life and Other Inconveniences comes a new novel of heartbreaking truths and hilarious honesty about what family really means.



Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing artwork Where the Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens
Genre: Literary
Price: $14.99
Publish Date: August 14, 2018
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING PHENOMENON More than 6 million copies sold A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade  "I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!"--Reese Witherspoon "Painfully beautiful."-- The New York Times Book Review For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing  is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.



James Conroyd Martin - Fortune's Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora artwork Fortune's Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora
James Conroyd Martin
Genre: Historical
Price: $4.99
Publish Date: October 24, 2019
Publisher: James Conroyd Martin
Seller: Smashwords, Inc.

From a very young age, Theodora, daughter of a circus bearkeeper in Constantinople, sets her sights well above her station in life. Her exquisite beauty sets her apart on stages and in the eyes of men. Stephen, a Syrian lad of striking good looks, is sold by his parents to a Persian wizard, who teaches him a skill in languages that will serve him well. By the time Destiny brings them together in Antioch, Theodora has undergone heartrending trials and a transformation, while Stephen has been sold again . . . and castrated. Discover the enduring bond that, however imperfect, prompts Theodora—as Empress—to request palace eunuch Stephen to write her biography. KIRKUS REVIEWS: "A historical novel set in sixth-century Constantinople charts the extraordinary ascent of a woman from poverty to royal power. Martin's command of the historical period~not just the chief political events, but also the nuances of its cultural mores~is masterful. Furthermore, he conjoins that scholarly rigor with novelistic excitement~the entire tale is intelligently conveyed with great emotional poignancy. [It is] a meticulously researched historical account presented in the form of a thrilling political drama." "James Conroyd Martin not only unfurls the vast canvas of history, but he paints the deeply personal side of the men and women who lived it. His settings and characters come to life in meticulously researched detail. I felt like I was there." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Before We Were Yours" "Fortune's Child" is a treasure for historical fiction fans—richly detailed, immersive, and heart-pounding. Martin paints a vivid and satisfying portrait of one of history's most remarkable women." -Olivia Hawker, bestselling author of "The Ragged Edge of Night"



Jeanine Cummins - American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club) artwork American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club)
A Novel
Jeanine Cummins
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $15.99
Publish Date: January 21, 2020
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Seller: Macmillan

#1 New York Times Bestseller OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK “ Extraordinary .” — Stephen King “This book is not simply the great American novel; it’s the great novel of las Americas . It’s the great world novel! This is the international story of our times. Masterful.” —Sandra Cisneros También de este lado hay sueños. On this side, too, there are dreams . Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia —trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte , Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed. It is a literary achievement filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times. Already being hailed as "a Grapes of Wrath for our times" and "a new American classic," Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.



Meg Keneally - Fled artwork Fled
A Novel
Meg Keneally
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $1.99
Publish Date: July 09, 2019
Publisher: Arcade
Seller: Simon & Schuster Canada

The outlaw who became a folk hero for her daring sea voyage to escape oppression in the penal colony that was Australia—"Keneally's Jenny is a powerful personality" ( Daily Mail ). Soon to be a major movie. Based on the life of an incredible historical heroine, Fled retells the story of a harrowing journey in search of love, justice, and freedom, told by the daughter of best-selling author Thomas Keneally ( Schindler's List ). Jenny Gwyn has proven herself a survivor. Faced with destitution after the death of her father, she toughens her skin to become a highwaywoman in order to support her impoverished family. But one fatal mistake leads to her arrest, and the king’s justice demands her death. Rather than beg for mercy, Jenny condemns the system that would have her choose between obeying the law and dying, and breaking it for a chance to live. Her ferocity convinces the judge to spare her life, sentencing her and dozens of other convicts to a transport across the world to help settle England's newest colony in Australia. After being contained on a filthy ship and selling her body for protection, Jenny is horrified to learn that her struggles have only just begun. The harsh landscape of Sydney Cove isn't welcoming to its new settlers with its arid climate and precious little fresh water, and despite the lack of shackles or bars, she and the others are still prisoners under the strict watch of Governor Edward Lockharty, and no amount of cunning can earn his favor. Jenny refuses to submit to the governor or to the barren land unable to support the growing population. Determined to find a better life for herself and her children, she braves the sea, and a journey of over three thousand miles in a small rowboat, for a chance at a future worth fighting for. Based on the true story of Mary Bryant, an iconic figure in the foundation lore of Australia as Great Britain's penal colony, Fled is a sweeping, heart-wrenching account of one woman's life-long search for freedom.



Jennifer Weiner - Big Summer artwork Big Summer
A Novel
Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: May 05, 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Seller: Simon & Schuster Canada

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Sexy and satisfying, Big Summer is the perfect quarantine read.” — USA TODAY “The beach read to end all beach reads.” — Entertainment Weekly “Big fun, and then some. It’s empowering and surprising—a reminder to put down the phone and enjoy each moment for what it is.” — The Washington Post A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant, and simply unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all life’s ups and down. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever , Big Summer is the perfect escape with one of the most lovable heroines to come to the page in years. Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song. A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.



Bienvenue Press - Hometown Heroes artwork Hometown Heroes
Bienvenue Press
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $0.99
Publish Date: December 04, 2018
Publisher: Bienvenue Press
Seller: Draft2Digital, LLC

Community. Courage. Compassion. Hometown Heroes brings you five Christmas romances that celebrate everyday heroes. From paranormal to contemporary to historical, there's something here to fill everyone with the spirit of the season. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cajun Navy Relief, an organization dedicated to helping neighbors in distress. "Courtship and Courage" by Carrie Dalby Witnessing the race riots before the soldiers left for Cuba during the summer of 1898 didn't stop Claire O'Farrell from opening her heart, but it prevented her from wanting to share it. The stormy Mobile Bay winter proves the right catalyst for Joe Walker to prove his devotion to the woman he loves, though Claire is determined her choices have made her unworthy. "When Time Stood Still" by Chelsi Arnold and J D Boudreaux Jacqueline Jones needs a change. Abandoning her Upper East Side apartment, she's looking for an adventure, or maybe a challenge that will make her heart race. Nick Lapointe, once a member of the Cajun Navy, bids the bayous farewell, seeking less destruction and more beauty in the world. Together in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee she has her hands full with the tall, handsome, and infuriating Nick. As for him, the five-foot-two beauty may be just what he needs, if he can survive "Hurricane" Jacqueline. "Hobbes House Noel" by cj petterson Merrill Cowper rents her beloved Hobbes House lakefront cabin to a stranger and becomes an unlikely hometown heroine when she saves his child from a watery death. This will be the year she learns that the best Christmas gifts don't always arrive wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow. Sometimes they don't even fit under the Christmas tree. "Talking in Code: A Christmas Homecoming" by E.A. Hale In 1919, as a suffragette for equal rights, Evelyn Thompson arrives at the ammunition factory for her regular supervisor shift. She learns that she's been terminated for the flimsiest of reasons: to make room for a war veteran whose battlefield heroics have earned him celebrity status in Oklahoma. When her father hosts a Christmas gala with the Choctaw Code Talkers as guests of honor, she is drawn to the courageous and dashing Lieutenant James Clayton, until she discovers that her job at the factory was handed over to him! An accidental explosion tears apart the factory but brings Evelyn and James together in a selfless display of heroics that has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with love. "Safe Haven" by Jolie St. Amant Letting go is never easy, and for Haven Cross, it's almost impossible. Every year at Christmas, she returns to the Chateau Rouge and relives the moment her fiance' proposed and the grief she felt when he was killed in action. This year, however, the enchanting hotel has other plans for her and for the charming musician, Chance Montgomery. Will Haven be brave enough to leave the past behind and embrace a new beginning?



Wendy Clarke - What She Saw artwork What She Saw
A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-pounding twist
Wendy Clarke
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $4.99
Publish Date: May 01, 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Seller: StoryFire Ltd

How far would you go to keep your daughter safe? Everyone knows Leona would do anything for her daughter, Beth: she moved to Church Langdon to send Beth to the best school, built a business to support them and found the perfect little cottage to call home. They hike together, shop together, share their hopes and fears. It’s the relationship every mother dreams of. But Leona never talks about why they moved to the Lake District. She’s never told Beth anything about her father. She says Beth should never speak to strangers. She says Beth doesn’t need friends. She’s only trying to protect her daughter. But sometimes the person closest to you is the person you shouldn’t trust.  What She Saw is a gripping psychological thriller with an incredible twist that will make your jaw drop. If you love The Girl on the Train , Gone Girl  or anything by B. A. Paris you’ll be consumed by this. What readers are saying about What She Saw : ‘ Wow, wow, wow! What an amazing novel! ... Secrets, lies and terrible events galore, this is a real rollercoaster of a ride throughout. Twists and turns keep you on your toes right through to the end. Raced through this one on a lazy Saturday.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Had me flying through the pages to find out what happens… I cannot praise this book enough! I finished it in a matter of days… My heart was racing as I was reading. It kept hitting me with twist after twist… I have to say it's the best thriller I've read this year .’ Ramblings of the Book Addict, 5 stars ‘An addictive, clever and suspenseful thriller that will keep you totally absorbed and page-turning from the very beginning to the climax with its moments of high drama and nail-biting tension… Definitely 5 stars!! ’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘ Wow what can I say! I should be sleeping now but I was so gripped by this… I just couldn’t put it down. Wendy thank you for this book it was bloody marvellous !’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘ Will have you tearing through the pages … a gripping story, and my spine tingled more than once with tangible tension. There are just enough twists and surprises to make this a fun, yet nail-biting read.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘This was an exciting thriller that I will not soon forget . Had some difficulty falling asleep having read it … I highly recommend this amazing book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘ Wow what an exciting read! ... Still thinking about this one now! Absolutely brilliant!... Really gets you gripped and keeps you reading, snippets here and there to tease and want to know more…. Definitely an easy 5 stars from me! Super awesome book!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘A dark thriller full of twists, turns and an overall creepy feeling I'm struggling to let go of! The characters are very likeable and believable which is rare in a thriller!... Highly recommended .’ Goodreads reviewer ‘An enjoyable and gripping mystery thriller with plenty of surprising twists and turns… very addictive… I finished in less than a day because I couldn't put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘ Absolutely brilliant, five stars plus for me. I was gripped from the very first chapter… full of twists and turns as the story developed, just loved it and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘ What She Saw is cleverly plotted and skilfully written… Dramatic and riveting … I did not anticipate all the twists and turns in this story.’ Goodreads reviewer



Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt - Variations énigmatiques artwork Variations énigmatiques
Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $4.99
Publish Date: June 01, 2012
Publisher: Albin Michel
Seller: ADILIBRE

Qui aime-t-on quand on aime ? Sait-on jamais qui est l'être aimé ? L'amour partagé n'est-il qu'un heureux malentendu ? Autour de ces éternels mystères du sentiment amoureux, deux hommes s'affrontent : Abel Znorko, Prix Nobel de littérature qui vit loin des hommes sur une île perdue de la mer de Norvège où il ressasse sa passion pour une femme avec laquelle il a échangé une longue correspondance, et Erik Larsen, journaliste qui a pris prétexte d'une interview pour rencontrer l'écrivain. Mais pour quel motif inavoué ? Quel est son lien secret avec cette femme dont Znorko se dit encore amoureux ? Et pourquoi un tel misanthrope a-t-il accepté de le recevoir ? L'entrevue se transforme vite en un jeu de la vérité cruel et sinueux, rythmé par une cascade de révélations que chacun assène à l'autre au fil d'un suspense savamment distillé. Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt renoue dans ses Variations énigmatiques avec l'étincelante et cruelle dialectique qui a porté au triomphe son précédent ouvrage, Le Visiteur , joué dans le monde entier et déjà considéré comme un classique.



Ken Follett - A Column of Fire artwork A Column of Fire
A Novel
Ken Follett
Genre: Historical
Price: $1.99
Publish Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.”  —The Washington Post As Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? #1  New York Times  bestselling author Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent new epic,  A Column of Fire . A thrilling read that makes the perfect gift for the holidays.   In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love.    Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.   The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.   Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history,  A Column of Fire  is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.



Brit Bennett - The Vanishing Half artwork The Vanishing Half
A Novel
Brit Bennett
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $16.99
Publish Date: June 02, 2020
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick!  “Bennett’s tone and style recalls James Baldwin and Jacqueline Woodson, but it’s especially reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s 1970 debut novel,  The Bluest Eye.”  —Kiley Reid,  Wall Street Journal   “ A story of absolute, universal timelessness …For any era, it's an accomplished, affecting novel. For this moment, it's piercing, subtly wending its way toward questions about who we are and who we want to be….” – Entertainment Weekly From  The   New York Times -bestselling author of  The Mothers , a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing . Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. As with her New York Times -bestselling debut The Mothers , Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.



Emily Giffin - The Lies That Bind artwork The Lies That Bind
Emily Giffin
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $16.99
Publish Date: June 02, 2020
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

In the irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted , a woman is falling hard for a man she's just met when he disappears without a trace on 9/11. It's 2 a.m. in a dive bar on the Lower East Side, May 2001. Cecily figures it's the perfect place to order a beer and try to forget that she's just been dumped by the man she suspects she'll always think of as The One Who Got Away. Her best friend warned her to hunker down and avoid any risk of late-night drunk dialing, and she should have listened, because she's so tempted. . . . "Don't do it," says the guy on the barstool next to her. "Don't call him." He talks her off the ledge, and they have another beer. Then at last call, they toast to "moving on" before going their separate ways. Except as she's about to say goodbye, she decides to ask his name instead. And just like that, her life is changed forever. But has she found her soulmate only to lose him a few months later?



Alena Dillon - Mercy House artwork Mercy House
A Novel
Alena Dillon
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $11.99
Publish Date: February 11, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Seller: Harper Collins Canada Limited

“Never underestimate the power of a group of women. Fierce, thoughtful and dramatic—this is a story of true courage." —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author She would stop at nothing to protect the women under her care. Inside a century-old row house in Brooklyn, renegade Sister Evelyn and her fellow nuns preside over a safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Gruff and indomitable on the surface, warm and wry underneath, little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Mercy House will be investigated by Bishop Hawkins, a man with whom she shares a dark history. In order to protect everything they’ve built, the nuns must conceal many of their methods, which are forbidden by the Catholic Church. Evelyn will go to great lengths to defend all that she loves. She confronts a gang member, defies the church, challenges her own beliefs, and faces her past. She is bolstered by the other nuns and the vibrant, diverse residents of the shelter—Lucia, Mei-Li, Desiree, Esther, and Katrina—whose differences are outweighed by what unites them: they’ve all been broken by men but are determined to rebuild. Amidst her fight, Evelyn discovers the extraordinary power of mercy and the grace it grants, not just to those who receive it, but to those strong enough to bestow it.



Lisa Wingate - Before We Were Yours artwork Before We Were Yours
A Novel
Lisa Wingate
Genre: Historical
Price: $13.99
Publish Date: June 06, 2017
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Seller: Penguin Random House Canada

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times ,  USA Today,   Wall Street Journal,  and  Publishers Weekly  Bestseller Look for Lisa Wingate’s powerful new historical novel,  The Book of Lost Friends,  available now! “Poignant, engrossing.”— People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain Memphis, 1939.  Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Publishers Weekly’s  #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017  •  Winner of the Southern Book Prize  •  If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection This edition includes a new essay by the author about shantyboat life.



Raphaëlle Giordano - Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une artwork Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une
Raphaëlle Giordano
Genre: Fiction & Literature
Price: $15.99
Publish Date: October 07, 2015
Publisher: Édito
Seller: GALLIMARD LIMITEE

- Vous souffrez probablement d'une forme de routinite aiguë. - Une quoi ? - Une routinite aiguë. C'est une affection de l'âme qui touche de plus en plus de gens dans le monde, surtout en Occident. Les symptômes sont presque toujours les mêmes : baisse de motivation, morosité chronique, perte de repères et de sens, difficulté à être heureux malgré une opulence de biens matériels, désenchantement, lassitude... - Mais... comment vous savez tout ça ? - Je suis routinologue. - Routino-quoi ? Camille, trente-huit ans et quart, a tout, semble-t-il, pour être heureuse. Alors , elle n'hésite pas longtemps : elle fonce. À travers des expériences étonnantes, créatives et ripourquoi a-t-elle l'impression que le bonheur lui a glissé entre les doigts ? Tout ce qu'elle veut, c'est retrouver le chemin de la joie et de l'épanouissement. Alors quand Claude, routinologue, lui propose un accompagnement original pour l'y aider elle n'hésite pas longtemps : elle fonce. À travers des expériences étonnantes, créatives et riches de sens, elle va, pas à pas, transformer sa vie et repartir à la conquête de ses rêves...



Kate Elizabeth Russell - My Dark Vanessa artwork My Dark Vanessa
A Novel
Kate Elizabeth Russell
Genre: Literary
Price: $14.99
Publish Date: March 10, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Seller: Harper Collins Canada Limited

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  “Russell manages a brutal originality. . . . [an] exceedingly complex, inventive, resourceful examination of harm and power.” —The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice “To call this book a ‘conversation piece’ or ‘an important book’ feels belittling . . . [it] is so much more than that. It’s a lightning rod. A brilliantly crafted novel.”—The Washington Post A most anticipated book by The New York Times • USA Today • Entertainment Weekly • Marie Claire • Elle • Harper's Bazaar • Bustle • Newsweek • New York Post • Esquire •  Real Simple • The Sunday Times • The Guardian  Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer. 2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher. 2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed? Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.