Book picks similar to
Not Just For Christmas (Open Door) by Roddy Doyle
fiction
ireland
christmas
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Bruiser
Neal Shusterman - 2010
Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can’t be explained. I know, because they're happening to me."When Brontë starts dating Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins – the guy voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” her twin brother, Tennyson, isn’t surprised. But then strange things begin to occur. Tennyson and Brontë’s scrapes heal unnaturally fast, and cuts disappear before their eyes. What at first seems like their good fortune turns out to be more than they bargained for…much more.
Boarded Window
Isaac Marion - 2011
It's significantly less heartwarming than most holiday specials.
All is Bright (Christmas Lights Collection Book 4)
Kari Trumbo - 2019
Jacob loves finding the perfect gift for everyone. When Scrooge and Santa volunteer at a local thrift store together, will the mix be Holly Jolly?Toni Shiloh- I'll be Home: What could be worse than being laid off right before the holidays? For Starr Lewis that would include returning home jobless, single, and, oh yeah, just in time to attend her sister's wedding on Christmas Eve... to Starr's ex-boyfriend. In the midst of it all, her brother's best friend soon has her wondering if she can take another chance on love.Cathe Swanson- Season of Change: Charlea’s ready to sell Serenity Hill, but Drew is back in town, 15 years after their dream date ended in disaster, helping her mother and daughter turn the old commune into a commercial Christmas wonderland. Between poinsettias and sleigh rides, angst and romance collide in this Christmas second-chance romance!Chautona Havig- The 12 Dates of Christmas: When Reagan runs into Alex, her high school nemesis, he is stunned to discover that's how she saw him. It'll take twelve dates and a lot of forgiveness on both sides to even hope for a Christmassy-ever-after.Brighten your day with these four lighthearted novellas today!
Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me
Javier Marías - 1994
When her two-year-old son finally falls asleep, Marta and Victor retreat to the bedroom. Undressing, she suddenly feels ill; and in his arms, inexplicably, she dies.What should Victor do? Remove the compromising tape from the phone machine? Leave food for the child, for breakfast? These are just his first steps, but he soon takes matters further; unable to bear the shadows and the unknowing, Victor plunges into dark waters. And Javier Marías, Europe's master of secrets, of what lies reveal and truth may conceal, is on sure ground in this profound, quirky, and marvelous novel.
Fetch
Jordan Taylor - 2013
Now Fetch has even bigger problems than discovering a new house and family: there’s a wild smell in the yard and a dark, mysterious creature inside, watching her.Fetch brings vividly to life that unforgettable first day home with a new pet—from a puppy’s point of view.Stories in the Angel Paws series celebrate the unique bond between canines and humans with heartfelt, moving, and insightful tales for anyone who has ever loved a dog.
Live for Me
Emma Thomas - 2021
Although she's had her ups and downs, life is good now: she lives with her twin brother, Onyx, and another friend in an artsy community in Cincinnati and is pursuing a master's degree in psychology. An avid reader, Ophelia likes everything to be orderly, including her job at a nearby bookstore. But when a good-looking stranger ends up in her apartment-invited to crash on their couch by her brother-her life begins to change forever.Brax Smith arrives to Cincinnati with nothing other than his van, having left Florida to start a new life, escaping the memories of losing his mother to cancer and dealing with his drunk father. A recovering alcoholic himself, Brax meets two guys at a group session in an eclectic area of Cincinnati when he gets to town. He feels grateful to have a place to stay but also comes face-to-face with the sister of one of his new friends, who is less than excited to have an additional roommate. Can he win her over, despite the fact that she has no interest in being his friend?In this novel, the lives of two struggling people collide and take them on a roller-coaster journey of good times and bad, ultimately leading to true love, devotion, and tragedy.
Tales of Ordinary Madness
Charles Bukowski - 1967
Lawrence, Chekhov and Hemingway, Bukowski's writing is passionate, extreme and has attracted a cult following, while his life was as weird and wild as the tales he wrote. This collection of short stories gives an insight into the dark, dangerous lowlife of Los Angeles that Bukowski inhabited.From prostitutes to classical music, Bukowski ingeniously mixes high and low culture in his 'tales of ordinary madness'. These are angry yet tender, humorous and haunting portrayals of life in the underbelly of Los Angeles.A .45 to pay the rent --Doing time with public enemy no. 1 --Scenes from the big time --Nut ward just east of Hollywood --Would you suggest writing as a career? --The great Zen wedding --Reunion --Cunt and Kant and a happy home --Goodbye Watson --Great poets die in steaming pots of shit --My stay in the poet's cottage --The stupid Christs --Too sensitive --Rape! Rape! --An evil town --Love it or leave it. A dollar and twenty cents --No stockings --A quiet conversation piece --Beer and poets and talk --I shot a man in Reno --A rain of women --Night streets of madness --Purple as an iris --Eyes like the sky --One for Walter Lowenfels --Notes of a potential suicide --Notes on the pest --A bad trip --Animal crackers in my soup --A popular man --Flower horse --The big pot game --The blanket
The Afternoon of a Writer
Peter Handke - 1987
As the nameless writer confronts his fears, he goes on with his life in one of the most original and provocative works from a contemporary writer.
Evening in Paradise: More Stories
Lucia Berlin - 1981
It was a New York Times bestseller; the paper's Book Review named it one of the Ten Best Books of 2015; and NPR, Time, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and other outlets gave the book rave reviews.Evening in Paradise is a careful selection from the remaining Berlin stories--a jewel box follow-up for Lucia Berlin's hungry fans.Foreword: The story is the thing / by Mark Berlin --The musical vanity boxes --Sometimes in summer --Andado: a Gothic romance --Dust to dust --Itinerary --Lead Street, Albuquerque --NoeÌ⁸l. Texas. 1956 --The adobe house with a tin roof --A foggy day --Cherry blossom time --Evening in Paradise --La Barca de la Ilusion --My life is an open book --The wives --NoeÌ⁸l, 1974 --The pony bar, Oakland --Daughters --Rainy day --Our brother's keeper --Lost in the Louvre --Sombra --Luna nueva --A note on Lucia Berlin
A Son for Always
Amy Clipston - 2015
Carolyn was just a teenager when she had her son, Benjamin, and she still feels solely responsible to secure his future. As Joshua watches Carolyn struggle to accept his support, he knows he has to find some way to convince her that she--and Ben--will always be taken care of.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Robert Dugoni - 2018
Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.
The Mistake
Douglas Kennedy - 2013
Sometimes things are not always what they seem and the heart can often blind us to the truth. Gitte is a forty-something successful French lawyer in Paris. Beautiful, intelligent, captivating and athletic. Who wouldn't fall in love with her? But...often we only see that which we want to see.
Finding Mrs. Klaus
J.A. Armstrong - 2020
Holly is the Meathead to Carol’s Archie Bunker. The one thing Holly has always desired is a family. For years, Carol called Holly, Santa Klaus—a hopeless romantic who believed in Christmas magic. Heartbreak and disappointment have turned the once, Holly Jolly, into a bit of a Grinch. Carol tries to convince her best friend to go in search of Mrs. Klaus, someone who can restore Holly’s hope and Christmas spirit. Holly opts for the company of her faithful Jack Russell Terrier, Potter. Love guarantees loss, and Holly has no desire to experience heartbreak again. But when Carol dies, life for Holly takes more than a few unexpected turns. On a walk with Potter to clear her head, Holly meets a little girl named Ali. Potter’s immediate affection for the youngster is rivaled only by Holly’s curiosity about Ali’s mom, Delaney. A new friendship is welcome. Romance? Love? Holly gave up on those ideals long ago—or has she? Navigating the sea of grief amid growing affection for Delaney will prove challenging for Holly. Can Holly learn to let go and love again? With the help of her friend, Mo, and a few gentle nudges from Carol’s voice, Holly might find her Christmas spirit again. We only grieve because we have loved. Holly Murphy is about to discover that there is one thing more magical than being Santa; Finding Mrs. Klaus.
The Christmas Baby Bundle
Barbara Lohr - 2014
For five years they’ve worked at starting their family. Timed lovemaking and failed fertility treatments drain the romance from their marriage. Then Connor’s sister McKenna, a Chicago midwife, links them up with Angie from her natural childbirth class. Young and unmarried, Angie is looking for a home for her baby, due shortly after Christmas. At the same time, the couple begins working with Dr. Logan Castle on a new in vitro technique. But Amanda is afraid to hope her dream might finally come true, irritating the heck out of Connor. They’re at odds when heavy snow almost cancels the baby shower organized by the Kirkpatrick clan. Amanda’s parents haven’t even responded to the invitation. Have they given up hope as well? As Amanda and Connor teeter on the brink of Christmas hope, life bestows a surprise that could bring everything back into focus. The Christmas Baby Bundle is a heartwarming holiday novella.