Book picks similar to
Please Don't Ask Me to Love You by Anne Schraff


read-them-before-high-school
realistic-fiction
godd_books
good-books-young-adult

That Part Was True


Deborah McKinlay - 2014
    Their friendship blossoms against the backdrop of Jackson's colorful, but ultimately unsatisfying, love-life and Eve's tense relationship with her soon-to-be married daughter. As each of them offers, from behind the veils of semi-anonymity and distance, wise and increasingly affectionate counsel to the other, they both begin to confront their problems and plan a celebratory meeting in Paris--a meeting that Eve fears can never happen.

The Dogs of Christmas


W. Bruce Cameron - 2013
    Bruce Cameron, the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel A Dog's Purpose, which is now a major motion picture!While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh's Colorado home. But Josh can't resist Lucy's soulful brown eyes, and though he's never had a dog before, he's determined to do the best he can for Lucy—and her soon-to-arrive, bound-to-be-adorable puppies.Soon in over his head, Josh calls the local animal shelter for help, and meets Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals. As Kerri teaches Josh how to care for Lucy's tiny puppies and gets them ready to be adopted through the shelter's "Dogs of Christmas" program, Josh surprises himself by falling for her.But he's fallen even harder for his new furry family, which has brought incredible joy into Josh's life. He barely has time to sit down, between chasing after adventurous Sophie and brave Oliver, but when he does, his lap is quickly filled by the affectionate Lola. And Rufus and Cody's strong bond makes Josh wonder about his own relationships with his family.With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh finds himself wondering if he can separate himself from his beloved puppies. At odds with Kerri, Josh isn't willing to lose her, but doesn't know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man's life?W. Bruce Cameron's The Dogs of Christmas is a charming and heartwarming holiday tale that explores the power of love, trust, and a basket full of puppies.

Best to Laugh


Lorna Landvik - 2014
    Every buffet line has a dessert section, however, and when a cousin calls with a Hollywood apartment to sublet, it seems as though Candy is finally offered something sweet. It’s good-bye to Minnesota and hello to California, where a girl who has always lived by her wits has a real chance of making a living with them. With that, the irrepressible Lorna Landvik launches her latest irresistible character onto the world stage—or at least onto the dimly lit small stage where stand-up comedy gets its start.Herself a comic performer, Landvik taps her own adventurous past and Minnesota roots to conjure Candy’s life in this strange new Technicolor home. Her fellow tenants at Peyton Hall include a female bodybuilder, a ruined nightclub impresario, and a well-connected Romanian fortune-teller. There are game show appearances and temp jobs at a record company and an establishment suspiciously like the Playboy Mansion, and of course the alluring but not always welcoming stage of stand-up comedy. As she hones her act, Candy is tested by humiliation, hecklers, and the inherent sexism that insists “chicks aren’t funny.”Written with the light touch and quiet wisdom that have made her works so popular, this is classic Lorna Landvik—sometimes so funny, you’ll cry; sometimes so sad, you might as well laugh; and always impossible to put down.

Life, the Truth, and Being Free


Steve Maraboli - 2009
    The select pieces included in this book span over a decade of Steve's words. Some pieces have been individually published around the world in more than 20 languages. This is a must-read celebration of the empowered mind. Reviews -"Radio star, Steve Maraboli's book, Life, the Truth, and Being Free, is a masterpiece of wisdom. Filled with pearls of insight on all areas of life, it speaks directly to the primary issue of our day: How to save this world without losing ourselves. Courageously, Steve maps out the only plan that works - Engage life, stay aligned with the truth, and find the freedom to create something better for those we touch every day." - James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy"In this book, Steve shares the brilliant ideas and empowering philosophies that have gained him international recognition as a leader in personal development. He lays out a practical guide to living your true beauty and potential." - Kristine Carlson, author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women"Steve Maraboli has done it again! No one journeys through the mucky water of life with such vibrancy for living as Steve. After reading this book, you will be ready to choose happiness and glide towards achieving all that you want in life. Steve shows us a masterful and magnificent way to have joy be second nature to us." - Dr. Pat Baccili, host of The Dr. Pat Show"Finally! No more having to quote Steve Maraboli from memory. This is pure inspiration and excitement, start to finish, Maraboli-style!" - Mary Anne Radmacher, Author - Artist - Trainer"Steve Maraboli is one of the great positive influences of our time. His book is filled with inspirational gems of spiritual wisdom, practical advice, and the poetry of our humanity." - John Welshons, One Soul, One Heart, One Love

Red Mountain


Boo Walker - 2016
    Otis Till, the area's visionary winemaker, has been known to howl at the moon--fully nude. Single mother Margot Pierce moved across the country to build an inn, but so far all she does is binge on gelato, the Hallmark Channel, and fantasies of murdering her ex. High school senior Emilia Forester is the daughter of celebrity parents struggling to build her own life outside of their shadow. And Brooks Baker is a man haunted by his past spent living on the streets as an orphan. Somehow, everyone lives together harmoniously, their lives intertwined like the vines in Red Mountain's beautiful and renowned vineyards.But in a place where everyone knows each other, secrets are like poison...and right now Otis, Margot, Emilia, and Brooks all have something to hide. When their secrets come to light, will their small mountain be stronger for it--or will lives be torn apart?Heartfelt and wonderfully descriptive, Red Mountain is the story of four complicated people living in a beautiful landscape unlike anywhere else. Told from multiple perspectives and rich with vivid descriptions of wine life, this novel will transport you from the first page to the last.Boo writes contemporary dysfunctional fiction for open-minded soul searchers that enjoy books by such authors as Pat Conroy, Liane Moriarty, Amor Towles, Jojo Moyes, and Celeste Ng. Look out for the sequel, Red Mountain Rising, coming soon!

Free to Scream (Katie Freeman Mysteries Book 6)


Julie Mellon - 2018
     An innocent outing lands FBI Special Agent Katie Freeman and her partner, Michael Powell, on the trail of a kidnapper whose greatest pleasure is torturing women. When a college freshman is reported missing, everyone assumes she ran away. But when her body turns up in a cornfield not far from where she went missing, a different story begins to emerge. Kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead, she clings to life, and now it’s up to Katie and Michael to uncover who did this to her. When a second woman goes missing, the two agents begin a search that has a very different ending. Finding the man responsible will take a combination of new investigative methods and Katie’s unfailing ability to piece together a puzzle - one that is as twisted as the corn maze that has become this perpetrator's hunting grounds.

Inauguration Day: A Thriller


Claude Salhani - 2015
    Together they race across three continents in this page-turning novel that is guaranteed to have you sitting on the edge of your seat.An all-powerful Mexican drug cartel, threatened by the newly elected US President’s promised initiative to wage a real war on drugs as soon as he takes the oath of office, finances a radical Islamist group to assassinate the President of the United States. The Islamists, with the help of Iran, place their deadliest agent, Omar, on a hands-free track with plans to strike on Inauguration Day at the height of the swearing in ceremony. Racing desperately to catch up to Omar, Laura and Chris struggle to apply knowledge only they can slowly acquire and risk their lives countless times to thwart the pending attack. Meanwhile, Omar is already deep undercover in Washington, ready to unleash his for-hire jihad in early January . . . but where exactly will he strike from and how?Inauguration Day, written by a journalist with years of experience in some of the deadliest conflicts in recent memory, is a gripping novel about terrorism, espionage, romance, and the terror-tinged world we live in.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Get Me Right Again: Shaniqua and Desmond


Diamond D. Johnson - 2017
    Two different personalities. Two mouths that just have to always have the last word all the time. Desmond isn’t the type of guy that Shaniqua is used to. Always spoiled by her father and her brother, she was used to getting her way. While Desmond is willing to give her anything that her heart desires, he is dishing out tough love to her as well. Desmond and Shaniqua could be Miami’s hood couple but it’s Desmond’s, baby mama Harlem who just won’t let that happen. We were introduced to the start of Desmond’s and Shaniqua’s relationship in Christmas in Miami, and now that we’ve started, the hardest part is trying to keep the two of them together.

Double the 007: Moonraker and Diamonds are Forever


Ian Fleming - 2012
    So why is Sir Hugo Drax cheating at cards? Bond has just five days to uncover the sinister truth behind a national hero, in Ian Fleming's third 007 adventure.Diamonds are Forever'The twentieth century looked out at him from the piece of newsprint and bared its teeth in a sneer'From the diamond mines of Sierra Leone to the jewellers of Hatton Garden, from race track to casino... Bond must infiltrate and destroy the criminal network of the Spangled Mob in Fleming's fourth 007 adventure.

Fantasy


Danielle Santiago - 2011
    An African American book filled with short stories dealing with lust-filled fantasies will leave you wanting to fulfill your own.The book has sexy and sensual tales. From kinky to just curious, or submissive to dominant, this will be sure to turn you on.

The Queen’s Restraint


majie dreams
    An abomination, that was Lilly.A girl who was born in a good family, from the most powerful pack.Who could have thought this girl would be wolf-less?

From Ashes To Dreams


Rashmi Trivedi - 2018
    Naina was at such a crossroad! An orphan, she did not have much to look forward to in life, until she fell in love. Love gave her wings and she started to fly, only to come crashing down as the wind beneath her wings turned into a storm. She tries putting an end to her now wretched existence, but fate has some other plans for her. She comes to know that she has limited time to live and decides to start living everyday instead of merely surviving. She lives every moment without worrying about the future she does not have or the past that could not be undone. She falls in love once again, this time with life! Will fate respect her fortitude?

The Red Kayak


John R. Weber - 2006
    Fortunately, he meets Nick Dietrich, the waterfront director, who helps him overcome his fears and eventually have enough confidence to pass his swimming test and learn to kayak. Jordan's first relationship with Nick is that of hero-worship. When Jordan helps Nick rescue two of Jordan's friends from the lake at night, Jordan's hero-worship turns into a deep friendship. Later, Nick takes Jordan on his first whitewater kayak trip in northern Wisconsin on the Wolf River. Jordan discovers that it's much harder to kayak on a moving river than on a lake and he is terrified of the rushing water. Early in the trip, Nick is seriously injured in an accident that Jordan thinks he caused. Since Nick can no longer paddle, Jordan must overcome his fears of the water and paddle by himself almost twenty miles to the take-out point to get help to rescue Nick. After Nick is rescued, Jordan must confront his guilt and somehow maintain his friendship with Nick.

All Wrapped Up


Holly Smale - 2015
    Also includes a BONUS previously unpublished GEEK GIRL short story TEAM GEEK!

Daybreak


Belva Plain - 1994
    But the doctor's words are searing: blood tests prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Margaret and Arthur Crawfield's beloved, dying son is not their child. Now they must face Peter's death and the shock of having a son they have never met. Grieving, yet compelled, they begin a search that will tear two families apart.Laura and "Bud" Rice share an elegant home and two children, brilliant, handsome Tom, and cherished, chronically ill eleven-year-old Timmy. But after nineteen years of marriage, Laura's respectable husband is a stranger—and the reason for Tom's escalating involvement with a group of campus bigots. Suddenly the Crawfields enter their lives and shatter their fragile world. As the Rices' quiet Southern town explodes with hate and violence, the two familes must embrace—or be destroyed by—the shattering truth.