Book picks similar to
Inshallah by Sybil Powell


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The Space Between Us


Thrity Umrigar - 2006
    Set in modern-day India, it is the story of two compelling and achingly real women: Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife whose opulent surroundings hide the shame and disappointment of her abusive marriage, and Bhima, a stoic illiterate hardened by a life of despair and loss, who has worked in the Dubash household for more than twenty years.

A Cure for Madness


Jodi McIsaac - 2016
    But when she receives news of her parents’ murder, she’s forced to return to the quiet town of Clarkeston, Maine, to arrange their funeral and take legal guardianship of her unpredictable and mentally ill brother, Wes.While Clare struggles to come to grips with the death of her parents, a terrifying pathogen outbreak overtakes the town. She is all too familiar with the resulting symptoms, which resemble those of her brother’s schizophrenia: hallucinations, paranoia, and bizarre, even violent, behavior. Before long, the government steps in—and one agent takes a special interest in Wes. Clare must make a horrifying decision: save her brother or save the world.

Merit Badges


Kevin Fenton - 2011
    There is Quint, whose rebellion frays into self-destruction; Slow, who struggles to become the world’s first teenage father figure; Chimes, who fears losing his friends while picking up a 7-10 split; and Barb who escapes the conformity of Minnisapa only to find herself returning by dark of night. You will feel as if you’ve always lived in Minnisapa, Minnesota. And you will never underestimate nice kids from the Midwest again.

Tara's Healing


Janice Holt Giles - 1951
    Tara had returned from Europe to study medicine and start a practice, only to collapse with a severe nervous breakdown.

Pieces of Happily Ever After


Irene Zutell - 2009
    When her attorney husband lands a trophy client – box-office queen Rose Maris – things begin to look up. Then Alex starts working late – a lot. He crunches his paunch into a six-pack and trades his Gap ensembles for Armani everything.Soon, Rose and Alex's affair blazes in the tabloids and Alice is plunged into trash-gossip hell. Her life crumbles around her as she navigates her newly single self through suburban LA --a place rife with porn stars, psycho soccer moms and nutty neighbors.Is there a chance to wrest Alex from the Sexiest Woman Alive? And if so... would Alice want him back? And what about George--her college sweatheart? Or Johnny, a walking charm-bomb paparazzo? As Alice inventories the rubble of her life, she desperately searches for her bearings and is forced to ask herself what she really wants from life, love and herself.

Gone Girl Parody: So Far Gone, Girl


Luke Young - 2014
    Supported by his sister whose own behavior is inappropriate at best, a pair of lunatic detectives and in-laws with questionable motives, Rick Dunce tries to navigate the tricky waters of exactly how one should act when the woman he absolutely can’t stand disappears without a trace. If this Husband-of-the-Year is truly responsible, did he act in self-defense or did one too many bizarre quiz questions or inane treasure hunt clues finally push him over the edge? Whether Winnie is missing, dead or just hiding out, the only thing that's certain is she's so far gone that it's not even funny— except that it is. A parody of, Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's acclaimed and runaway bestselling masterpiece, So Far Gone, Girl, will leave you doubled over with laughter, gasping for breath and checking to see if your own ottoman can really balance on its side like that.

Deacon


Paige Notaro - 2015
     But my plane was grounded, and this guy...he looked like he could take me places. He had gorgeous grey eyes, a tongue that cracked like a whip and a body stacked with purpose. One sleepless night should have been enough. But he won't leave my mind. After everything I've been through, that's the surest sign I need to walk away. Problem is, he's not just some businessman. He's rich. The sort of rich that makes the Kennedys look middle-class. And he's not done with me. A sexy, wealthy playboy trying to make you his? It's every girl's dream. And it's the last thing I want. Now someone tell my body that. DEACON: My family's been trying to cram a silver spoon in my mouth since the day I was born. I just keep spitting it out and do things my way. When business goes really well, I allow myself a treat. And this girl, she was a feast: curvy hips, tender lips, sultry brown hair. Plus, a brain backing it all up. She's the most perfect creature I've ever met. She thinks I'm gonna let her slip away after one taste? Not a chance in hell, sweetheart. Nothing's going to keep her from me. Not work, not family. Not even her. Deacon is a sexy-sweet standalone novel with a well-earned HEA. It features sizzling banter, steamy sexual situations and intense drama. Mature audiences only! Please note, this title was previously published under a different name.

Holy War


Mike Bond - 2014
    Neill, a war correspondent on a secret mission for Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, is trying to find Mohammed, a Hezbollah terrorist leader who may be willing to stop the slaughter and destruction. André, a French commando, is also looking for Mohammed, to kill him in revenge for the death of his brother, blown up with over 400 US Marines and French paratroopers by Hezbollah. For Rosa, a remorseless and passionate Palestinian guerrilla, Mohammed is one of the few hopes left for her people, and she will give her life to protect him. And for lovely Anne-Marie, André is the only one who can rescue her from Hell. Based on Bond’s own experiences in Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East, Holy War has been praised for its portrayal of battle and its journalistic and political realism, and for its evocative descriptions of men and women caught in a deadly crossfire. “Bond does it again – A gripping tale of passion, hostage-taking and war, set against a war-ravaged Beirut.” − Evening News “A marvelous book – impossible to put down.” − London Broadcasting “Master of the existential thriller - BBC “A profound tale of war…Literally impossible to stop reading.” − British Armed Forces Broadcasting “A supercharged thriller. . A story to chill and haunt you.” − Peterborough Evening Telegraph

In the Name of Love


Katie Price - 2012
    Instantly attracted to each other, they have a passionate affair, until he walks out with no explanation. It is only then that she discovers that Felipe is related to the Spanish royal family, is a brilliant rider and the lynchpin of the Spanish Eventing team.Back in London, Charlie puts her heartbreak behind her by going out on the town. Until Felipe returns and turns her life upside down again. Soon they are the golden couple of sport, followed by the press wherever they go.But not everyone is happy to see the two together: his disapproving mother for one, and the anonymous person that is waging a hate campaign against Charlie at work. And as the pressure on the couple mounts, a dark shadow from Charlie’s past comes back to haunt her.Will Charlie be able to overcome her past in the name of love?

My Dearest Love


Emilie Loring - 1954
    The Bradford family were leaders of metropolitan society, a rich, powerful clan.Hardly had Beth taken her place in New York's busy social world than Chris told her that someone was trying to steal the million-dollar formula her father had given him. And then Beth discovered that more than the Gilbert formula was at stake. A human life was involved!

Bufflehead Sisters


Patricia J. Delois - 2007
    In kindergarten she meets Sophie, a strange and imaginative girl with a troubled family life. As friendship grows between the two girls, Janet believes her prayers have been answered, especially when members of her family embrace Sophie as one of their own. Sophie's troubles continue to follow her through high school, and Janet stands by her "sister" until, in adulthood, she learns of a devastating secret Sophie has kept from her. Janet's world is turned upside down-and she discovers there may be a limit to what sisters should share.

The Blue Orchard


Jackson Taylor - 2009
    Her employer takes inappropriate liberties, and as Verna matures, it seems as if each man she meets is worse than the last. Through sheer force of will and a few chance encounters, she manages to teach herself to read and becomes a nurse. But Verna's new life falls to pieces when she is arrested for assisting a black doctor with "illegal surgeries." As the media firestorm rages, Verna reflects on her life while awaiting trial. Based on the life of the author's own grandmother and written after almost three hundred interviews with those involved in the real-life scandal, "The Blue Orchard "is as elegant and moving as it is exact and convincing. It is a dazzling portrayal of the changes America underwent in the first fifty years of the twentieth century. Readers will be swept into a time period that in many ways mirrors our own. Verna Krone's story is ultimately a story of the indomitable nature of the human spirit--and a reminder that determination and self-education can defy the deforming pressures that keep women and other disenfranchised groups down.

Bread Alone


Judi Hendricks - 2001
    Desperate for a change, she moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of the time she aprenticed at a French boulangerie, when her passion for bread-making nearly led her to leave college and become a baker.Once again, the desire to bake bread consumes her thoughts. When offered a position at the bake shop, Wyn quickly accepts, hoping that the baking will help her move on. But soon Wyn discovers that the making of bread—the kneading of the dough—possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power—one that will ultimately renew her heart and her soul.