Spring is right around the corner! And we have 10 books written by women to keep on your radar.
’13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl’
Brainwashed by body dysmorphia, Lizzie thinks the only way to win over a man’s heart is to lose weight. Despite encouragement and compliments from her “skinny” and “pretty” friends, Lizzie grows up only to shrink down. Equally funny as it is heartbreaking, 13 Ways Of Looking At A Fat Girl depicts today’s body image-obsessed culture and one’s lifelong struggle of one’s reflection.
’25 Sense’
Aspiring TV writer, Claire Malone, wakes up on her 25th birthday with an alarming revelation: She’s in love with her married boss. Cue scandalous New York City industry adventures and dangerous repercussions of mixing business with pleasure. Claire’s quarter century life crisis compels her to navigate the complicated labors of love. Lisa Henthorn’s 25 Sense involves lights, camera, and a whole lot of action.
‘Appetite’
Returning from a year in India, Jenn brings home the souvenir of a surprise engagement to a young Bangalore guru. Her father, Paul, is highly suspicious of this “beggar” and her mother, Maggie, is worried of losing her sole focus in life, her only child. Jenn’s parents have one agenda, to prevent their daughter from uttering, “I do” by attesting how much they “don’t”.
‘Hold Still’
Debut author Lynn Steger Strong portrays the limitless boundaries of a mother’s love. Maya Taylor finds it best to uproot her 20-year-young daughter, Ellie, to Florida to rebuild her trouble-filled life. It seems that trouble follows Ellie wherever she goes, because even in the sunshine state she makes a mistake she can’t fix. Delivered both before and after the devastation, Maya and Ellie are forced to rebuild their tarnished relationship by reconciling their differences and surpass their similarities.
‘Somewhere Out There
Abandoned by their young mother, two sisters grow-up living disastrously different circumstances. Now, 35 years later, Natalie Clark and Brook Walker find themselves reunited, searching for answers to fill in the blanks surrounding their traumatic past. Highly acclaimed author, Amy Hatvany, digs deep into life’s sensitivities and how early experiences follow us into adulthood, whether we want them or not.
‘Parting Gifts’
With illness, financial burden and exotic dancing thrown in the mix, Parting Gifts describes three sisters’ search for love, acceptance and worth in unusual places. Ultimately, Catherine, Anne and Jessica are forced to reunite and reassess their lives when faced with an inexplicable loss.
‘The Assistants’
Tina Fontana, 30-year-old executive assistant, finds herself in a moral dilemma as a technical error regarding her boss’ finances presents an opportunity to pay off all her student loan debt. To Robert Barlow, CEO of the multinational media conglomerate Titan Corporation, it’s loose change, but to Tina, it’s steady cash. Rules were meant to be broken, right?
‘The Goodbye Year’
Melanie, type-A mom, finds herself completely distraught with only one year left to live vicariously through her slacker son, Dane. Sarah, mother of one, recently realized her college-bound daughter, Ashley, would no longer serve a temporary crutch to her abandoned relationship with her traveling husband. Meanwhile, Will leads a double life abiding to his wife’s calendar orders by day and sneaking around with his mistress Lauren by night, who, by the way, has a daughter in the senior class. Get wrapped up in The Goodbye Year’s weave of opinions from both the parents and the kids as they demonstrate peer pressure, post-school perplexities and transitional milestones.
‘The Heart’
Acclaimed breakthrough work of new literary star overseas, Maylis de Kerangal’s The Heart takes place over a 24-hour whirlwind of life, death and every fiber in-between. A serene Sunday morning surfing trip spiraled when a car crash sent one of three teenage boys through a windshield on their drive home. The hospital declared him brain-dead, yet his heart was still beating. Maylis de Kerangal reflectively navigates decisions of parents, doctors and nurses through a philosophical tale as life is taken from a young man and given to a woman of need.
‘Wreck and Order’
Self-destructive, irresponsibly in and out of love, and trapped in both a dead-end newspaper job and abusive relationship, Elsie is clearly stuck in a rut. Her intellect can’t seem to surpass her attraction toward bad decisions, so dramatic change is the only answer. Searching for meaning and purpose, Elsie uses her wealthy inheritance to travel to Paris and Sri Lanka, meets influential people along the way, while coming face-to-face with her own demons.
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