Best of
Chick-Lit

2003

The Guardian


Nicholas Sparks - 2003
    Now, four years have passed. Still living in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, 29-year-old Julie is emotionally ready to make a commitment to someone again. But who? Should it be Richard Franklin, the handsome, sophisticated engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down-to-earth nice guy who was her husband's best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she's had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire

Change of Season


Anna Jacobs - 2003
    But he’s called away to deal with a crisis in Hong Kong and she’s left to settle into a new country on her own. One by one, her three grown-up children need help with major life problems and there’s only her to help them, because as usual, Paul puts his job first. Then she finds out that her husband's been unfaithful for years, and it’s the final blow to their marriage, especially as she’s met another man she finds attractive and kind. Her confidence grows as she wins acclaim as an embroidery artist and then she comes into an inheritance. Will her loyalty keep her with her husband, as it has before, or will Paul get more than he’d bargained for with the new, independent Rosalind?

Safe Harbour


Danielle Steel - 2003
    At eleven, Pip Mackenzie's young life has already been touched by tragedy; nine months before, a terrible accident plunged her mother Ophelie into inconsolable grief. But on this chilly July afternoon, Pip meets artist Matt Bowles, who offers to teach the girl to draw--and can't help but notice her beautiful, lonely mother.Matt Bowles senses something magical about Pip, who reminds him of his own daughter at that age, before a bitter divorce tore his family apart and swept his children halfway across the world. At first, Ophelie is thrown off-balance by her daughter's new companion--until she realizes how much joy he is bringing into their lives. As Matt confronts unfinished business from his past, and Ophelie is struck by a stunning betrayal, out of the darkness that has shadowed them both comes an unexpected gift of hope.

The Shop on Blossom Street


Debbie Macomber - 2003
    The owner of the shop and her three students produce more than blankets, knitting together bonds of solidarity, friendship, love, hope, and renewal. The book even includes the pattern for the blanket, which was created by premier knitting designer Ann Norling. When Lydia Hoffman, a cancer survivor and owner of A Good Yarn, starts a knitting class for her patrons, she forms a special friendship and bond with three extraordinary women--Jacqueline, Carol, and Alix--and together they share laughter, heartbreak, and dreams.

The Sparkling One


Susan Mallery - 2003
    There's only one hitch: the father of the groom, Zach Stryker, who is adamantly opposed to his son marrying so young. Now, despite her instant attraction to the handsome, arrogant attorney, Katie must approach with caution: Zach, who hired Katie for a major fund-raiser, holds the fate of her business in his hands -- and how can she trust a man who is willing to break her sister's heart? It will take a passionate battle of wills to determine if wedding bells will ring for a Marcelli bride, and to unlock the deepest desires -- for family, love, and home -- inside a strong-willed man's heart. Meet the Marcelli family in a wonderful series that's warm, witty, and stunningly sensual. Look for The Sassy One, The Seductive One, and The Marcelli Bride, all available from Pocket Star Books!

Sundowners


Lesley Lokko - 2003
    She just needs someone to pay for it...Then a chance encounter changes everything - and for Rianne and her friends, nothing is going to be the same again...

Between Sisters


Kristin Hannah - 2003
    Meghann is now a highly successful attorney, and has put all thoughts of love completely behind her – until she meets the one man who believes he can change her mind. Claire has fallen in love for the first time in her life, and as her wedding day approaches she prepares to face her strong-willed older sister. Reunited after two decades, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.Tender, funny, bittersweet and moving, Kristin Hannah's Between Sisters skilfully explores the profound joys and sorrows shared in a close relationship, the mistakes made in the name of love, and the promise of redemption."

A Perfect Day


Richard Paul Evans - 2003
    But when his thirst for success causes him to lose focus on his happy family life, ambition begins to consume him. When a stranger appears with a mysterious message about the brevity of his future, he discovers the truth about himself: who he has become, what he has lost, and what it will take to find love again.

Shopaholic Gift Set: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot


Sophie Kinsella - 2003
    An exclusive book-of-the-month-club edition of Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" novels.

Matthew and Son


Ruth Hamilton - 2003
    He was 16 when she died and he grieved as heavily as his father, Matthew, at her passing. He longed to prove himself to his father and offered to help with the family antique business, but his father seemed beyond help – obsessed with his loss. Tilly Povey watched the boy’s lonely existence with a heavy heart.Stella, Molly’s sister, had always loved Matthew and hoped that he would turn to her in need, but Matthew was gradually falling apart and not even those closest to him could help. But Tilly was determined to help this troubled family.

The Widows of Wichita County


Jodi Thomas - 2003
    But on a blistering day in early autumn four of the men pay the ultimate price—leaving behind one man who wishes he had.In one brief moment a tragedy binds Randi, Anna, Meredith, Helena and Crystal closer together than a lifetime of friendship. As they gather at the hospital, waiting to learn who among them will not have to bury her husband, they turn to one another for support. And so begins a journey of faith, of strength, of tears and of love.

The Breakup Diaries


Maya O. Calica - 2003
    Sure, breaking up is hard to do, but who knew it involved: - Denial, followed by desperate bid to get back together involving promises to do everything to make him happy - Sever loss of sleep, appetite and self-esteem - Acute paralysis - or maybe death - of good judgment - Compulsive tendencies to document every event, feeling and fantasy in a manner of reporter trying to make sense of things - More compulsive tendencies to over-examine relationship carcass and over-analyze cause of death as couple - Getting a lifeWhen her perfect boyfriend - college hoop star certified hottie and young hotshot eagle Itos Ongpauco - decided to call it quits, Monica, barista by day and dreamer by night, found herseld stepping out from behind the coffee counter and out of her comfort zone - into the mad world of magazine publishing.While starting out at the bottom of the food chain as the overworked, unpaid intern at "M" magazine can obliterate any trace of self-esteem, anything - including bitchy bosses, temperamental photographers, rather dull but oh-so-hot male models - is a welcome balm to her pains. Never mind that her freebie-obsessed boss treats her like an on-call, 24-hour proxy service. Never mind, that, sometimes, when she's had too much alcohol, male models become irresistible. Never mind that, despite having just had her heart broken, the possibility of love presents itself again.

Crazy for You/Tell Me Lies


Jennifer Crusie - 2003
    Her legion of fans who have helped make her a household name are a testament to her success. Now for the first time, St. Martin's Griffin is publishing two Jennifer Crusie romances in one book. In Crazy for You, Quinn MacKenzie's life spins out of control when she decides to adopt a stray dog. Now she's coping with dognapping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, and two men who are suddenly crazy--for her.... Tell Me Lies tells the story of Maddie Faraday, whose life would be perfect--if it weren't for her cheating husband, her distrusting daughter, her gossipy mother, her secretive best friend, her nosy neighbors, and that sexy guy she lost her virginity to twenty years ago.... Pick up this special volume and discover the wonderful world of Jennifer Crusie!

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Omnibus


Louise Rennison - 2003
    All four books in one big fat edition. Unlimited marvy zone stuff!

Brilliant


Marne Davis Kellogg - 2003
    She is an expert on paintings, furniture, and objets d'art, and so far has lived a perfectly happy life with things on her mind other than love. In fact, Kick rarely lets anyone into her private world. She prefers it that way. Kick doesn't need a man in her life, messing things up. But when American industrialist, scoundrel, and womanizer Owen Brace grabs the faltering Ballantine & Company in a corporate takeover, he turns Kick's world upside down, opening her eyes to large-scale love, romance, and sensuous pleasure. But something tells Kick that Brace's motives are anything but sincere. And when he gets near enough to threaten Kick's closely guarded life, Brace learns the dangers of underestimating this woman. From sophisticated London to cozy Provence, France, "Brilliant "is a playfully delicious novel of suspense, masterful revenge, and secrets of the multi-faceted kind...

Stars in the Southern Sky


Elizabeth Haran - 2003
    From its passionate people, to its mystic wildlife, the outback becomes its own character in Elizabeth Haran's novel about learning how to thrive in the face of adversity.London 1954: When Estella is abandoned by her lawyer husband, James, her life of luxury crumbles. Not only had he left his job and frittered away their savings, James was cheating on Estella - with her cousin Davinia. But the family secrets didn't end there.Heartbroken, Estella turns her back on England. Her distant uncle Charlie beckons her to Australia, where she accepts a new position - village veterinarian. She had studied veterinary medicine, but she'd never had a real job. As Estella sets off for the outback, she carries secrets of her own: she is pregnant with James' baby.Day one in the bush brings the young Londoner to tears. Kangaroo Crossing, population thirteen, was not what Estella had expected. Sweltering. Dusty. Fly-infested. From the gruff propeller plane pilot to the perpetually drunken town doctor, the locals eye the newcomer with suspicion.After a series of harrowing events, Estella strives to prove herself capable of the job. Just as the villagers of Kangaroo Crossing start to accept Estella - and a romance starts to blossom - her past catches up with her. She's been hiding things from them.Back in England, James has gotten wind of the baby. His new wife, Davinia, can't have children - but her lavish inheritance depends on an heir. James will stop at nothing to get what is his. Can Estella save her baby - and herself - from the wild Australian bush? Will she ever learn to love again?

Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Box of Love


Jill Conner Browne - 2003
    Also, free stuff sure to make any queen happy--each set includes temporary tattoos and one of the Queens' hilarious bumper stickers. Gift-giving opportunities are limitless: birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, divorces, and especially Worldwide Revirgination Day (February 14). It's the perfect gift for friends, sisters, aunts, cousins, Spud Studs . . . or even your own personal mother.

Sisterchicks on the Loose


Robin Jones Gunn - 2003
    All that changes when her best friend of twenty years, Penny, takes an impulsive trip to seek out her only living relatives in Finland -- and brings Sharon with her. The land of reindeer and saunas holds infinite varieties of zaniness for these two unlikely friends -- Sharon is a quiet mother of four and Penny was a motorcycle mama before she came to Christ -- who return home with a new view of God, a new zest for life, and a big impact on those around them for decades to come.

Lucia, Lucia


Adriana Trigiani - 2003
    Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year-old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is ripe with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman's department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris' honor is tested.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group


Neta Jackson - 2003
    Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn't even go to the Chicago Women's Conference--after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn't exactly my "comfort zone." But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" was born! When I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.

Frankie Says Relapse


Siobhan Curham - 2003
    Her health obsessed hubbie is more organic than orgasmic, her eight year old daughter wishes her mum was Britney Spears and her four year old son Frankie wants to be known as Daphne. On discovering her diary from 1984 Caitlan begins wondering what would have happened had she followed a different path and was still with her first love.As we dip in and out of the eighties via diary entries and memories we discover what changed Caitlan from fun loving teen to hard nosed cynic. Caitlan is also forced to confront her past and we are finally able to find the answer to the eternal question of 'what if?'

Bite: The Sharpest Contemporary Writing for Teens


Sarah Dessen - 2003
    10-volume Box Set Includes:This Lullaby - Sarah DessenReckless - Sue MayfieldBlood Money - Anne CassidySuperhuman - Matt WhymanLast Chance - Sarah DessenShades of Magenta (Magenta Orange) - Echo FreerVoices - Sue MayfieldBend it Like Beckham - Narinder DhamiGuitar Girl - Sarra ManningFestival - David Belbin

The Devil You Know


Louise Bagshawe - 2003
    uniting them now with one common passion: revenge.

Hidden Talents


Erica James - 2003
    Beth King is facing empty-nest syndrome as her only son, Nathan, leaves home for university; Jack Solomon, a local estate agent, is having trouble coming to terms with the shock of his wife leaving him for his best friend; Jaz Rafferty is an intensely private 17-year-old girl who writes to escape her large, boisterous family; Victor Blackmore is a know-it-all, who claims to be writing the blockbuster novel every publisher will be clamouring for. What they all have in common is a need to escape, as well as a desire to keep their lives as private as possible. As they grow more confident in their writing skills, friendships develop, and gradually they come to realize that a little openness isn't necessarily a bad thing.

On Sarpy Creek


Ira Stephens Nelson - 2003
    This novel about a family in a small, eastern Montana town overflows with memorable, well-developed characters. The author, who never wrote another novel, surprises the reader with profound insights into human emotions and behavior. Published in 1938 and not reprinted until now, an excellent novel to simply enjoy.

Summer People


Elin Hilderbrand - 2003
    But this summer will not be like any other. When Arch Newton, a prominent New York attorney, dies in a plane crash on his way home from a business trip, his beautiful widow Beth can barely keep things together. Above all, though, she decides that she must continue the family tradition of going to Nantucket, and at the same time fulfill a promise that Arch made before he died.Beth invites Marcus, the son of Arch's final and most challenging client, to spend the summer with her and her teenage twins Winnie and Garrett, who have mixed reactions to sharing their special summer place with this stranger. Always a place of peace before, Nantucket becomes the scene of roiling emotions and turbulent passions as Marcus, Winnie, and Garrett learn about loss, first love, and betrayal. And when they stumble upon a shocking secret from Beth's past, they must keep it from destroying the family they've been trying so hard to heal.

A Man Called Stan


Jay Henning - 2003
    You are about to discover a modern myth that will draw you in completely. Stan is an ordinary man whose story includes some quite unusual perspectives. His life flows along its turbulent course with rapids, twists and gentle stretches, while the man called Stan tries to stay afloat and to find some happiness and meaning. Every reader can relate to Stan as he flounders in the currents and seeks fulfillment while splashing about. The reader is held hostage by the tale, having no choice but to follow it avidly, the characters stepping out of the pages as they come alive. Most importantly, the strands of philosophy that tie the story together offer something substantial for the reader to take away. This is a gem that you will certainly enjoy, and it will leave you with more than a smile.

Jay DeFeo and The Rose


Jane Green - 2003
    Begun in the late 1950s, when DeFeo, a central figure of the Beat generation of San Francisco, was just starting to garner widespread national recognition, the visionary work occupied the artist for eight years. Massive in scale, layered with nearly two thousand pounds of paint, the overpowering painting was already famous before its first exhibition in 1969 at the Pasadena Art Museum. It was next exhibited in San Francisco, then stored at the San Francisco Art Institute, where it languished for twenty-five years before a historic conservation restored it to public view. The Rose now resides in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art.This volume is the first major study of The Rose in particular and of Jay DeFeo in general. In the collection, eleven distinguished art and cultural historians—Bill Berkson, Niccolo Caldararo, Richard Cándida Smith, Walter Hopps, Lucy R. Lippard, Greil Marcus, Sandra S. Phillips, Marla Prather, Carter Ratcliff, David A. Ross, and Martha Sherrill—unfold the story of the creation, as well as the tricky and painstaking rescue, of DeFeo’s radiant masterpiece. While providing new material on The Rose and exposing many myths surrounding both the artist and her great work, these essays also place Jay DeFeo in relation to artists of her time, including Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Lee Bontecou, and Eva Hesse. The book, which adds significantly to the scholarship of postwar American art, includes nearly eighty halftones, thirteen color plates, and Judith Dunham’s detailed Rose-related chronology.

French Kitty in Kitty Goes to Paris


Mighty Fine Inc. - 2003
    Fashionable New York City cat, French Kitty flies to Paris in search of the perfect hat! Immersing herself in French culture, cuisine and haute couture, Kitty's campy but impeccable style, joie de vivre and adventure should inspire and delight her fans.

Wings and Rockets: The Story of Women in Air and Space


Jeannine Atkins - 2003
    Wilbur and Orville Wright, who pioneered powered flight in 1903, knew how much they owed to Katharine. "When the world speaks of the Wrights," said Orville, "they should not forget our sister." Although Katharine Wright was among the first women to ride in an airplane, Blanche Stuart Scott was the first to sit at the controls. To achieve her dream, Blanche overcame sexism and other obstacles. The same can be said of every woman whose piloting career is highlighted here - Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Cochran, Ann Baumgartner Carl, Jerrie Cobb, Shannon Wells Lucid, and others. Their stories are sure to fire the imaginations of readers and encourage them to "follow their hearts into the sky" - or anywhere at all. This beautifully articulated history of American women who broke barriers to achieve an especially satisfying success is enhanced by clever, captivating halftone illustrations.

First Year


Barbara Schnell - 2003
    A good, good read...a book I would recommend to a friend." Writers' Digest Stevie O'Neill, a young LA actress, recklessly marries her new love, Robert Anderson, and follows him home to South Dakota. There, she discovers that her Hispanic/Irish ancestry doesn't bother her blue-eyed blond in-laws, but her lack of domestic skill does--a situation Mom Anderson is determined to correct. This orphaned, metropolitan smart-aleck becomes an unwilling Martha Stewart in a student trailer park--but her life is not all drudgery. In Los Angeles she's a grunt in an army of wannabe celebrities; in South Dakota she's a star because of a beer commercial. Her brief fame even gets her a teaching job at the University. Stevie's new existence is filled with adventures most city girls never experience--or want to. She goes pheasant hunting; she survives blizzards, she drives the Hereford Queen in the Homecoming parade. She's thrown into an extended family circle and learns to deal with family life. In the first year of an impulsive, hormone-driven marriage punctuated by misunderstandings and reconciliations, Stevie discovers that her Prince Charming has skid marks in his tights. Should she stick with him? At least for one more year? "...engaging and believable. Stevie is an appealing heroine." Kirkus Discoveries ****1/2 Fantastic--keeper "...sidesplitting comedy. Schnell's writing is guaranteed to generate smiles." Romantic Times "The 'epic' of the ordinary...very American, very universal, and very entertaining." James Koenig, Director/Founder of Scandinavia/LA Film Festival

Heart's Desire: Whispers of Grace Series


June Caedmon - 2003
    But an embittered quest to right the wrongs of the past soon threatens to destroy the peace and security of all who dwell there. Melinda Cartwright is determined to help the Elliott brothers catch the smugglers that threaten their pecan operation. And John Elliott is just as determined to stop her! As John watches his older brother, his aunt, and even their house-guests fall in love with Melinda, and her winsome ways, he battles his own conflicting feelings for her. Melinda is not immune to his charms. But she denies her feelings, certain a future with John would mean the sacrifice of her dreams. Then Melinda makes a sacrifice of another kind. One that could cost her very life. Ultimately God intercedes to show them that only by trusting Him can they receive the true desire of their hearts.

The Best of Animals


Lauren Grodstein - 2003
    This highly affecting debut story collection stars a cast of young men and women frozen in the headlights of oncoming adulthood. In nimble prose, Lauren Grodstein treats moments of human vulnerability with a smart mix of irony and compassion. Whether halfheartedly consolingand then fondlinga drunken friend after a breakup ("Lonely Planet") or trying to fill a dead mother's shoes at a father's birthday dinner ("Satellites or Airplanes"), the protagonists of these ten tales rarely say exactly what they mean or know exactly how they feel. Each has a propensity for social insecurity to which we can all relate, as we can to the public blunders and private triumphs that comprise their lives.

Sit Back and Relax: 25 Appetizers of Summer Fiction


Various - 2003
    

Searching For Sex In The City: How To Find Your Mr Big


Erin Kelly - 2003
    Big and navigating the man minefield, including pick-up joints (from Starbucks to Star Trek conventions), cool conversational come-backs, and sexual positions that flatter your figure.

Yours Truly, Skye O'Shea


Megan Shull - 2003
    Yours Truly, Skye O'Shea is capers starring sixth-grader Skye.