We checked in with New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Kleypas, to find out the five books she’s reading now. Kleypas’ highly-anticipated novel Rainshadow Road will be released Feb. 28.
A Discovery of Witches
by Deborah Harkness
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.
Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar, Diana Bishop, unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery.
After a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, where a horde of daemons, witches and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist, Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series — with an extra serving of historical realism.
The Lover’s Dictionary
by David Levithan
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.
If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it — you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.
How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves?
Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary, has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.
The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen
It’s the dubious distinction of 30-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam, built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina, has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal.
Willa has lately learned that an old classmate and socialite, Paxton Osgood, has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn.
But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.
Night Road
by Kristin Hannah
For 18 years Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own and it shows. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for a good life and out of harm’s way.
But senior year of high school tests them all, and on a hot summer’s night, one bad decision will change the course of all their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget… or the courage to forgive.
Vivid, universal and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope.
This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty and hope. It takes a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life… as only a dog could tell it.
More reading
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