We all love a relatable read…and what’s more relatable than a protagonist who loves books? These books are all about bookworms like you and me. If you have a favorite literary reader, let us know in the comments below!

Creating the perfect wedding can definitely reveal a lot about you, and not just when it comes to your flower choices for the bouquet! Plan your perfect wedding below, and we’ll give you a book that you absolutely have to check out.

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Gothic. The word conjures visions of looming castles, old Hammer horror films, bad behavior between siblings, and women in white nightgowns running from something. But what do we mean by Gothic when we speak of Gothic novels? The simplest definition of “gothic” is good but lacking—gothic is romance plus horror. But Margaret Atwood, a gothic author herself, said it much better: “I’m interested in the Gothic novel because it’s very much a woman’s form. Why is there such a wide readership for books that essentially say, ‘Your husband is trying to kill you’?”

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Books can be a great comfort in times of loss. Here are 5 books that deal with grief and overcoming overwhelming challenges. Do you have a book that helped you through a hard time? Let us know in the comments section!

Does the changing of the season and the (eventual) return of the warmth give you wanderlust? Many people are starting to make their summer travel plans, but even if you’re only going as far as your nearest bookstore, there’s plenty of travel and adventure to be found there, as well.

Taking place across global destinations, these eight new books will lead you on an international journey, igniting your imagination and perhaps inspiring an adventure of your own.

Apologies in advance for the effect these fantastic reads may have on your early-spring wanderlust.

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When Such Dark Things’ Dr. Corinne Cabot goes to sleep, her dreams are haunted by a night she’ll never forget—even as she’s troubled by the number of details she can’t remember. For Corinne, a successful doctor with a wonderful marriage and an enviable lifestyle, finding her father next to the bodies of two people he had murdered remains the most horrific and puzzling event of her life. But as she struggles to fill in the holes, other issues start to surface, forcing Corinne to reexamine everything around her that she thought was real and secure—everything that will lead her on a path to the truth about that night so many years ago.

In Such Dark Things, author Courtney Evan Tate leads Corinne—and readers—on a thrill ride where memory is a hall of mirrors and no information is reliable for long. And for true fans of psychological thrillers and their unreliable narrators, once we’re in that hall of mirrors, we resist the urge to run through as quickly as possible, preferring to scrutinize the dark spaces, altered reality and infinite versions of an image in an attempt to find the truth reflected in a million shards of glass.

Take a walk down this hall of mirrors with these four other thrilling, fast-paced reads and see if you can spot the original, the true image, before the lights go dark—and then decide if you believe what the reflection actually shows you.

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If you’re looking to take a journey back in time, these books are the perfect way to experience a world different from your own. No matter what time period interests you, we promise there is a read below you need to add to your bookshelf.

Tales from World War II

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.

Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another—or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | Indiebound | Goodreads

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Prepare to be creeped out! These stories featuring some unnerving homes will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.

For those looking for a story all about the bonds of family, The Brightest Sun should be the latest addition to your bookshelf. Featuring three very unique women as they struggle to deal with relationships, motherhood, and their role as women.

About The Brightest Sun:

An illuminating debut following three women in sub-Saharan Africa as they search for home and family

Leona, an isolated American anthropologist, gives birth to a baby girl in a remote Maasai village and must decide how she can be a mother, in spite of her own grim childhood. Jane, a lonely expat wife, follows her husband to the tropics and learns just how fragile life is. Simi, a barren Maasai woman, must confront her infertility in a society in which females are valued by their reproductive roles. In this affecting debut novel, these three very different women grapple with motherhood, recalibrate their identities and confront unforeseen tragedies and triumphs.

In beautiful, evocative prose, Adrienne Benson brings to life the striking Kenyan terrain as these women’s lives intertwine in unexpected ways. As they face their own challenges and heartbreaks, they find strength traversing the arid landscapes of tenuous human connection. With gripping poignancy, The Brightest Sun explores the heartbreak of loss, the struggle to find a sense of belonging and the surprising ways we find our family and home.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | Indiebound | Goodreads

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Thanks to books like the pioneering domestic thriller, Gone Girl, breakout podcasts like Serial and shows like Making a Murderer, crime seems to be on everybody’s must read/must watch/must listen lists right now.

But what is it about this fascinating and frightening genre that keeps fans coming back for more and more and more? It could be that these stories make our pulse race, and for better or for worse, that’s exciting. It could be that it introduces us to some of the most complex storylines or characters a reader or media consumer could ever encounter.

Or is it that confronting the scary parts of the world through safe filter of a book, movie or podcast, makes us feel a little bit more in control of the unknown?

Whatever it is that makes you unafraid of the dark, it probably also means that your appetite for the genre is voracious. Maybe your bookshelf is filling up and you’d like to try out a new binge-watch. Maybe you podcast queue is hours long and you’re ready to settle in with a movie for the night. If you’re ready for a new spine-tingling obsession, check out these bundled multi-media recommendations.

It would be a crime not to.

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In Damian Dibben’s Tomorrow, and immortal dog seeks out his master across some of the greatest cultural milestones in history. From the court of King Charles I to nineteenth-century Venice, this dog has seen things that us readers could only dream of experiencing. So to show our appreciating for both history and man’s best friend, here are five works of historical art featuring dogs that we love!

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Will you be taking a walk in the park today? We recommend bringing these wonderful nature reads along for the trip!

From Moby-Dick to The Old Man and the Sea, books about life on and around the water have always fascinated readers. There is endless mystery, mythology and romance associated with exploring and understanding the world’s oceans, possibly because there is still so much exploring and understanding left to do. That we rely so heavily upon something so dangerous, beautiful and at times, merciless, only adds to its allure.

Nabakov wrote that, “The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea,” and neither can one book, so take a look at these five stories of life on, in and from the water.

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Some people think that cat memes and homemade dog treats are silly. Those are not our people. Our people know that any video featuring a baby goat is a good video, that being a dog walker is a dream job and that the best books feature animal protagonists right alongside—and sometimes in place of—their human counterparts.

Our people will love this list of five recent fiction and non-fiction titles that feature four-legged friends.

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Author Keziah Frost imagines what the cards might have in store for Holden Caufield, Elizabeth Bennet, and Hamlet, if they were to visit the Good Fortune Café for a card reading from Norbert Z…

Holden Caufield

Holden Caulfield stopped by the Good Fortune Café in the charming tourist town of Gibbons Corner, New York, to have the local psychic, Norbert Z, read his cards.

Standing by the purple-and-gold sandwich board announcing that “The Fortune-Teller Is In,” Holden commented, “I kinda know fortune-telling is phony and all, but the trouble is, it kills me when I see a corny old guy in a café, waiting to chew the fat with somebody. I mean, I feel lousy for him.”

The café was buzzing with the cheerful, caffeinated din of chatting pairs of friends and the squall of the latte machine. The elderly fortune-teller sat in a booth at the back. As Holden approached, the old man looked up at him with eyes that were deep and kind.

“Please shuffle and hand me one card off the top,” instructed Norbert. “Continue shuffling and handing me the top card until we get seven cards.

Norbert absently ran one hand around the remaining half-ring of white hair at the back of his head as he relaxed into his card-reading calm. He studied Holden, taking in the youth’s prematurely gray hair, thin body and nicotine-stained fingers.

When he began, Norbert’s voice was gentle and hypnotic.

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It’s the most adorable day of the year! These five canine-oriented reads are the perfect way to celebrate National Puppy Day. Are you a pet owner? Let us know what your favorite animal books are in the comments below.

We all know that a good belly laugh is hard to come by, especially these days, but these seven authors deliver the smiles in spades. Pad your TBR pile with books that know how to show you a good time. Who says women aren’t funny?

 

Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz

As Emily’s wedding day approaches, she knows there will be issues to solve and worries to overcome, but she’s ready. The only pesky problem she seems unable to fully control is her family—her mother who cannot get out of therapist mode; her sister who, it seems, shuns anything traditional these days; and her recently divorced brother, who may be enjoying the single life just a little too much. But just maybe they can put the “fun” in dysfunction and get through the wedding in one piece.

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Are you ready for wedding season? Whether you’re planning your own big day, part of the wedding team for a friend, or just feeling love in the air, we’ve got everything you need to plan the perfect bridal party-themed book club with your besties! Be among the first readers to enjoy a hilarious new novel with five advanced copies of Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz, then meet up to discuss the book over champagne and snacks on us, plus other bridal party goodies!

A book club is the perfect opportunity to step away from whatever is stressing you out and bond over wedding season with your best friends – so what are you waiting for? Enter now!

Enter to Win a Bridal Party Book Club Kit!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Purchase or acceptance of a product offer does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes opens 03/21/2018at– 12:01 PM EST and closes 03/28/2018 at 11:59 PM EST. Enter online at https://www.bookclubbish.com/?p=9041. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) above the age of majority. Void where prohibited by law. Void in Quebec. One prize will be awarded with ARV: $250 USD. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Official Rules available online at https://www.bookclubbish.com/bridal-party-book-club-sweepstakes/. Sponsor: Harlequin Enterprises Limited.

The Soul of a Thief is the latest book by author Steven Hartov, set during World War II…but it is so much more than a war story. Keep reading to discover more about this fantastic book and to win a copy of your very own.

What is your new novel, The Soul of a Thief, about?

The Soul of a Thief is an adventure, a war story, a romance and a coming-of-age novel, all set during the year of the Allied invasion of Europe during World War II. The story centers around a 19-year old Austrian boy of partial Jewish heritage, Shtefan Brandt, who finds himself as the adjutant to a colonel in the Waffen SS, Erich Himmel, and must not only protect his potentially mortal secret but survive the horrors of combat. To add to his conundrum, our young hero also falls in love with Colonel Himmel’s young French mistress, Gabrielle Belmont, who is also of “questionable” heritage. When Shtefan discovers that Himmel intends to escape from Germany’s inevitable defeat and enrich himself by robbing an Allied paymaster train, the boy plots to betray the colonel by stealing both his mistress and his fortune.

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This month’s Cover Love is all about books about libraries, photography, bookstores, and the amazing covers that go with them!

 

The Little Clan by Iris Martin Cohen

This simplistic cover has a classic feel that evokes old libraries and the smell that comes with them. The Little Clan is a coming-of-age story following 25-year-old Ava, the librarian in residence at the Lazarus Club. In modern Manhattan, the Lazarus Club is an arts society that seems to belong to a long-forgotten era, which is what Ava loves about it. When Ava’s friend Stephanie returns from a year abroad she convinces Ava that creating a literary club at the Lazarus is the key to achieving Ava’s dream of becoming a writer. 

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Everyone needs a fresh start sometimes. Here are 6 books about overcoming hardships and beginning life anew. What books have helped you move on from hardship? Let us know in the comments section!

We may not have flying cars yet, but the future—in literature, at least—is here and full of surprises both great and small, not to mention a technological revolution that even H. G. Wells may not have seen coming.

Like H. G. Wells, the authors featured here have projected a near future that feels at once well within reach yet beyond most people’s wildest imagination. Sometimes the result is a landscape of those flying cars we’ve long been promised, but sometimes the result is a subtle, significant tweak of our biology, a realization that the tools we use day to day have become more sophisticated than we understood, a realization that we have become beholden to those tools—manipulated by them and reliant on their existence for our own.

Maybe the future isn’t so far off after all.

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My grandmother, Helen, was a great storyteller, and she always went on about the war and the soldiers and all the events that happened in and around their tiny little town of Honoka’a. But what stuck out most in my mind, was the lion.  That the soldiers managed to bring an African lion to Hawaii always intrigued me.  So, my idea for the book started with Roscoe and unfolded from there.  Books are like that for me, a tiny spark that burns into a whole story.  I also have a fondness for pies, as one of my favorite thing to do here on the Big Island is to go off into the wild and pick blackberries, ohelo berries, lilikoi or apples and bake fresh pies. We did it as kids and we do it now, and I love how it becomes a group effort, bringing everyone together.  Even the men get involved.  In Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers, it only seemed natural to have the women band together to bake pies for the soldiers.  Sometimes the littlest things make the biggest difference.

 

SWEET POTATO PIE

I love everything about sweet potatoes. Their vibrant color, their sweet and earthy flavor, their whopping health benefits.  I found this recipe years ago in Vegetarian Times and altered it slightly to my liking.  An American classic with an island twist, this purple sweet potato pie is comfort food at its finest.

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In the opening scene of my novel Here We Lie, a woman stands behind a podium, addressing a crowd of reporters. She takes a shaky breath and tells the story of a horrific assault that happened fourteen years earlier, at the hands of a man now running for US Senate.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

This scene was a regular occurrence in 2017— yeah, I’m looking at you, Moore, and Franken and Franks and Conyers and Fahrenhold, not to mention the disgraced men from movie and recording studios and news anchor desks. And there’s no reason to suspect that 2018 won’t bring fresh horrors, as the #MeToo movement gains momentum, and more people come forward, liberating themselves from decades-long shame and fear.

Advance reviews of Here We Lie have talked about its timeliness, its pertinence to a world that, ready or not, is finally listening to the stories of women.

As one reviewer on Goodreads asked, “Ms. DeBoard, do you have a crystal ball?”

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As the song goes, “Que será, será. Whatever will be, will be.” But, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun trying to predict what the future has in store for us. Author Keziah Frost has her own method of uncovering the future, using playing cards to craft an elaborate look at what the future may hold.

Interested? Click here for Norbert Z’s Guide to Fortune Telling to learn more.

What are your hopes for the future. Are you hoping to travel the world? Get a raise? Meet that special someone? Enter now for a chance to win your very own Guide to Fortune-Telling, plus a custom set of playing cards and a copy of The Reluctant Fortune-Teller by telling us your predictions for the future in the comments below!

Giveaway: Answer the above question for your chance to win! Open to residents of the US and Canada, excluding Quebec. Contest closes March 19, at 11:59 p.m. ET. One (1) winners will be selected from all on March 21. For full official rules, click here.

Update this contest is now closed.

March is Women’s History Month, highlighted by International Women’s Day on March 8. Around the world there will be marches, protests, celebrations and acknowledgment of the struggles women have both overcome and still continue to fight.

As readers, we can celebrate the work of women who are changing the world by changing the narrative, by reading diverse voices in literature and listening to the stories that haven’t always had a chance to be told.

From fantasy to fiction and countless genres in between, the bookshelf space for new writers is infinite. So this International Women’s Day, make some space for a new voice, a new perspective and potentially, a new favorite author.

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Rosie Colored Glasses is a heartfelt, coming of age story about a girl’s changing perspective on her parents after their divorce. It’s an emotional read that you won’t be able to forget, which is why it’s our book of the month. Keep reading for a note from author Brianna Wolfson, an excerpt from the book, and more!

A Note From Author Brianna Wolfson

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A few days ago, I got an email via my website, from a woman who had recently moved to Taos and picked up my book on a whim. She wrote:

“I felt such a kinship with your characters and their journey. Yes, the erotic explorations Eve experiences are compelling, but Eve’s personal arc in the novel was so startlingly similar to what is happening to me right now as a 50 year old woman having “run away”  that I feel a little unhinged by it in the best possible way. I actually copied a particular passage into my journal from chapter 12 , ‘Do I need someone to be of use to justify my existence? Do I need someone to desire me, in order to feel alive?’ Startling. Transformative. Thank You. Revelations are actually pretty rare so I appreciate it so much when they come.”

This is why I write! – To speak from my heart out into the world, in the hope of connections exactly like this. Thank you, Tess, for opening your heart to Eve’s and mine.

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What are you doing for March break this year? Even if you aren’t taking some time off, we still want to give you a reason to celebrate, with an early look at some upcoming books we think you’ll love!

   

   

 

 

So tell us, what would you do with a week off? Go on vacation? Binge a series on Netflix? Spend it buried under a mountain of books? Let us know in the comments section and you could win Advanced Reader Copies of Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz, Tomorrow by Damian Dibben, Such Dark Things by Courtney Evan Tate, The Cactus by Sarah Haywood, The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd, The Longest Silence by Debra Webb, Last Seen by Rick Mofina, and a finished copy of Find Me by J.S. Monroe.

Giveaway: Answer the above question for your chance to win! Open to residents of the US and Canada, excluding Quebec. Contest closes March 12, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Five (5) winners will be selected from all on March 13. For full official rules, click here.

Fans of the Netflix hit Black Mirror love the show for its techno-dystopian insight, stand-alone format reminiscent of classic shows like The Twilight Zone and its various nods to vintage noir/sci-fi themes.

Over the course of four seasons, Black Mirror has forced us to look at some of the darkest corners of our collective fears and deepest desires. And like the best science fiction, fantasy and horror novels out there, it reminds us that nothing is impossible—at least, in our imagination.

We’re still unsure of whether or not there will be a season five of our favorite baleful binge-watch, but thankfully, there are plenty of books out there to satisfy our need for more Black magic.

Take a look at these recommendations based on popular Black Mirror episodes, and start a binge of a different sort.

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It’s Oscar season, and one of the films generating a great deal of buzz is Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, a coming-of-age story featuring the often tempestuous relationship between a mother and her college-bound daughter. The moments of discord between the two are intense, but so are the points of connection: they each struggle to figure the other out while also trying to acknowledge the transitions taking place within themselves. In the tug of war between attachment and separation, we see how the mother-daughter relationship seems never to simplify; the complexities simply evolve.

If you loved Lady Bird or just can’t get enough stories featuring every woman’s first—and often most complicated—relationship, these six books take an intimate look at the bonds between a mother and daughter, as well as the forces that stretch those bonds to the limit.

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Any book lover who has ever had to move into a new home knows the struggle of packing up bookshelves, and the BookClubbish office is no different. We’re clearing out our shelves as we get ready to move to a fancy new location next month, and we want to send one of our book boxes to you! Tell us what books have traveled with you through the big moves in your life in the comments below for a chance to win.

Giveaway: Answer the above question for your chance to win an amazing BookClubbish prize pack. Open to residents of the US and Canada, excluding Quebec. Contest closes March 5, at 11:59 p.m. ET. One (1) winner will be selected from all on March 6. For full official rules, click here.

Update This contest is now closed.

Friendships can be the cornerstones of our social lives, but sometimes they can take a turn to the dark side. Here are some friendship dramas that will keep your eyes glued to the page!

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Every month we look at books with covers that draw us in and match the wonderful books that they adorn. With winter still before us and spring feeling so far away, it’s common to have the February blues. Looking on the brighter side of that feeling, here are 8 great books that you won’t be able to put down.

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In As You Wish, the last book in Jude Devereaux’s enchanting Summerhouse series, three women of differing backgrounds, experiences and even generations, wind up at a vacation house in Maine at the same time. Each of the women are nursing personal regrets and disappointments, but despite feeling alone, come to trust and find strength in one another. Forging a bond that transcends age and time, the three lift each other up, help each other out and won’t let each other down. Not a bad way to spend a vacation.

It is through stories like this that we get to understand the strength that weaves through women’s relationships. In both intimate glances and bold gestures, the fierceness of female friendships is saluted, celebrated and honored. And like the very strongest of female friendships, the books featured here are ripe with humor, tension, love and above all, a loyalty that will jump from the page and have every reader reassessing their fictional friend squad goals.

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Grumpy characters can be some of the most fun to read about. Here are 6 books featuring lovable curmudgeons that you’ll absolutely love.

If you’re a fan of true crime, you’ll definitely want to check out our February book of the month! Written by the late Michelle McNamara, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer recounts the crimes of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California for over a decade.

About I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.

“You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark.”

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

At the time of the crimes, the Golden State Killer was between the ages of eighteen and thirty, Caucasian, and athletic—capable of vaulting tall fences. He always wore a mask. After choosing a victim—he favored suburban couples—he often entered their home when no one was there, studying family pictures, mastering the layout. He attacked while they slept, using a flashlight to awaken and blind them. Though they could not recognize him, his victims recalled his voice: a guttural whisper through clenched teeth, abrupt and threatening.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelle’s lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic—and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | IndieBound | Goodreads

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Our favorite non-official holiday is coming up, and while the day for “ladies celebrating ladies” may have begun as a sitcom joke (thank you for all you have given us, Leslie Knope), February 13 has become Valentine’s Day’s antithetical sister holiday; a day that every gal can enjoy whether or not she’ll be receiving flowers from a romantic partner on February 14.

In other words, who needs Valentine’s Day when you have your girlfriends—and these seven books that show us in so many different ways, how a sisterhood is sweeter than any box of chocolates. Though we’d take the chocolates, too.

Happy Galentine’s Day, and happy reading.

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BookClubbish was thrilled to share a booth with our friends at HarperCollins at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference earlier this month. As Canada’s largest library trade show, this was an exciting opportunity to connect with passionate and fearless readers and spend a jam-packed two days doing what we do best: talking about books!

Our shelves were full of great reads and the aisles were crowded with committed book lovers, eager to get advanced reading copies signed by their favorite authors.

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We’re celebrating Black History Month with these six fantastic reads. What are you reading?

Are you and your sister(s) like the March girls, close and cooperative in times of great struggle or are you more like the put-upon Bennett sisters, trying to thwart their mother’s efforts to marry them off to the most eligible bachelor? Hopefully you and your sibs don’t have the worries that the Blackwood sisters do, or maybe your family dynamic is a tad less dramatic, like it is for the rivalrous, yet loving Beezus and Ramona.

Take a look at these six sets of sisters and find your literary-to-lifelike match—and don’t worry, we won’t tell your sister which set you chose.

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I’m part of a film club and we choose our movies by theme—a chase, for example, or notable art direction. Recently we picked badass females as our theme and found that beyond the handful of obvious action films, we were in new territory. The women we admired in more realistic filmmaking genres were truly multifaceted—tough on one plane, tender on another, smart, sharp, determined. Like Frances McDormand’s character in Fargo—a woman supporting her family, protecting her community and facing down a band of criminal non-masterminds, all while obviously pregnant. In other words: badass.

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The days can be dull, the nights bone-chillingly long and the winter, seemingly never-ending. But even if the calendar offers no relief, these books will whisk you away from the dreariness to a winter escape like no other.

Who needs an all-inclusive resort when you have stories that can transport you to unimaginably warm and beautiful locales? Ok, fine, we’d take the all-inclusive, but until someone tells us to pack our bags, we can open our books and find refuge from the bleak mid-winter there.

From intrigue in the tropics to a European love affair, these six stories have everything you could possibly want from a cold weather escape. Book now.

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I came to reading early, and I loved it. I was voracious. Books were my refuge; they made me laugh, moved me to tears, made me think. Or, you know, made me throw them across the room in outrage. All of my reactions to reading were both personal and larger than life—and that hasn’t changed much. What I react to? That’s changed. But the place books have in my heart and mind hasn’t.

It’s why I wanted to work in a bookstore so badly. Think: I walk into work and I’m surrounded by books. Which seemed to me to be a version of heaven. And I would get paid to be there! Ahem.

I did not learn a lot about writing while working at bookstores; I learned about bookselling.

But some of those lessons were nonetheless important to my writing career.

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These books are definitely worth rereading! What books to you like diving back into over and over again? Let us know in the comments section!

 

One fateful summer, three very different women find themselves together in Summer Hill, Virginia, where they discover they have much more in common than they realized…

Though Olivia, Kathy and Elise each wind up at the Summerhouse for separate reasons, it’s not long before they begin to open up about their regrets, their wishes and their dreams. And when they’re presented with the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to right the wrongs of their past—all three discover what can happen when dreams really do come true.

Celebrate friendship and second chances with the launch of Jude’s brand new Summerhouse novel, As You Wish! Enter the Sweepstakes below for a chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card, tote bag and a custom mug, notebook and pen.

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A family fractured by addiction; children torn from their parents and sold to other homes; a surprising tale of friendship during World War II—these are just some of the must-reads for those who want a good, cathartic cry with their literature this season.

Like a moody, grey day punctuated by a beam of sun, these stories create an ambiance of interwoven sadness and solace, with moments of both pure angst and true beauty. So let the tears flow like a February rain and rejoice in the power of a book that can whisk you out of the gloom and make the mid-winter blues feel redemptive. There’s no better reason for an ugly cry as you wait for spring to arrive.

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