Book picks similar to
The Face Tells the Secret by Jane Bernstein


literary-fiction
judaica
possible-book-club-read
contemporary-fiction

Easy Peasy


Lesley Glaister - 1997
    Then she is told that her father has hanged himself. His death brings back intense memories of her childhood and all that remains unspoken in her family. Zelda hides much from her mother, even the lover she would give anything to keep. With questions she can no longer ignore, Zelda for the first time begins to search for her father's truth and pieces together clues to his suffering. And by confronting her dark and disturbing memories, she opens up to intimacy with her family, with her lover, with herself.

A Boss For The Holidays: Mason & Yuri


M. Keyes - 2020
    

The Wedding Party (Avalon Romance)


Elisabeth Rose - 2011
    Lindy has arranged a pre-wedding holiday week, Phoebe included, as a reunion for Alex and his two Best Men. Phoebe loves weddings and hopes for her own happily ever after.Brady Winters reluctantly leaves his luxury charter yacht company in the Mediterranean for a flying trip to Australia to be Best Man. A week is all he can spare and, as a confirmed and cynical bachelor, spending time with an overexcited group of women preparing for a wedding is the last thing he wants. But as Lindy's meticulous plans go awry, Phoebe's sense of duty almost halts the wedding, and a dental crisis forces Brady to stay on long enough for him to discover a wedding of his own might not be too bad after all. But will Phoebe have him?

Mad Woman: Love Drove Her Crazy


Lady Lissa - 2017
     After finding out that his wife is pregnant, his bond with her strengthens, while leaving Maddie alone again. But, Maddie refuses to just give up without a fight. How far is Maddie willing to go to sustain her relationship with Lincoln? Would she really stoop so low as to do the unthinkable? Find out just how crazy love can make you in the first episode of Mad Woman: Love Drove Her Crazy...

How my Gay Uncle F'ed up Christmas: The Legend of Sodomy Cat


Nicholas Black - 2008
    And now that his parents are gone the only one he can turn to is his uncle Gary—the legendary fetish-porn producer. Surrounded by new friends, a new school, and an environment that he could never have imagined, Trevor finds that the past he thought he knew was a well constructed lie. Little by little, the disturbing truth is brought to the surface and he finds that guidance and understanding can come from the most unlikely of people. Just when he thinks he is getting his life back together, tragedy strikes again. And then he is given the Diary. Be warned—this story is not for the faint of heart. It is an incredible mix of mystery and comedy, turmoil and suspense. Sodomy Cat has a way of getting under your skin. It'll knock on your door at 3 in the morning, sneak into your bedroom, and pull your panties down.

The Birthday Bid


Suzette D. Harrison - 2019
    How else would beauty influencer, Senaé Dawson, wind up at a bachelor auction? Whisked away without a say, her besties treat her to a birthday bid at an auction featuring decadent Black men. Inevitably infected by the hype, Senaé’s excitement hits hyper drive until the blindfold’s removed from her eyes. She’s dumbstruck to discover she’s just “bought” her ex-husband. Lexington “Lex” Ryde turned his love for cars into a multi-million dollar private transportation business serving Black Hollywood’s A-list. His line of work taught Lex to be prepared at a moment’s notice. But seeing his ex-wife face-to-face for the first time in twenty years leaves him feeling as if “sucker-punched by Tyson and Holyfield.” Thanks to their problematic past, neither is pleased with this bachelor auction “ridiculousness”, or the instant flare of hot, sexual attraction erupting between them. But being Mama Peaches’ first foster child, Lex can’t renege. He's stuck with the auction results...and the unpleasant truth that he's still in love with his ex.   Take the ride with Senaé and Lex! They’ll confront a painful past, consider their present, and encounter an unwanted admirer who must be dealt with.

Soft Maniacs: Stories


Maggie Estep - 1999
    Estep follows her first novel, "Diary of An Emotional Idiot, " with a set of linked stories that glimpses two women through the eyes of the men in their lives.

When the Yellow Mocker Calls (Two Feather's Legacy Book 1)


Lila M Beckham - 2016
    However, Charity soon discovers that her grandfather’s objective in making this trip is to get her married off and settled somewhere. Since her beloved grandmother’s passing several months earlier, her grandfather has worried about what would become of Charity should he, too, pass away. And, given his advanced age, he somehow senses that time is near; he does not want to die and leave young Charity alone and desolate. He and his wife reared Charity after her mother and father both died in a yellow fever epidemic when she was 3 years old. As they travel to Fort Charlotte, her grandfather tells her that before going to Fort Charlotte they will be making an overnight stop at his friend’s house. And, that a year or so earlier, he and his long-time friend, Eli Gulledge, talked about what would happen to Charity should both he and his wife pass away and have arranged for Charity and Eli’s son Henry to meet before that time comes to see if they will take a liking to one another. When Charity, who has never met Eli or his family, hears that, she threatens to act rude in order to make them not like her so that she can go back home with him, but her grandfather tells her that she cannot go back home with him and assures her that if young Henry doesn’t take a liking to her, he is sure that some young buck down in Fort Charlotte will be looking for a wife. Faced with the stark realization that her life is changing and she has no control of that change, many thoughts run through young Charity’s mind- she even contemplates running away, but doesn’t want to leave her grandfather alone. When her grandfather suddenly passes away that night at Eli’s house, that threat never comes to fruition. Young, Charity is forced to abide by her grandfather’s wishes and stay there with Eli’s family… When the Yellow Mocker Calls is based on my great-great-grandmother’s life; her spiritual journey, her never ending quest for knowledge, her love of family and storytelling, and, most importantly, her love for Henry…

Surviving Me


Jo Johnson - 2019
    Tom’s lost his job and now he’s been labelled useless. It’s surprisingly easy to set up a double life but rather harder to keep the deceit going. As Tom’s identity threatens to unravel, he starts to lose the plot… All the while, it turns out that one of Tom’s nearest and dearest has been leading his own double life – though for very different reasons.  This book tackles hard issues such as depression, dysfunctional families and degenerative diseases in an honest, life-affirming and often humorous way. It focuses particularly on the challenges of being male in today’s world and explores how our silence on these big issues can help push men to the brink.

Hunters and Gatherers


Geoff Nicholson - 1991
    The narrator, Steve Geddes, is a writer doing a book on collectors, especially those with "unlikely, bizarre, or exceptionally useless collections." His research leads him to the Havergals, a wealthy, eccentric couple. They "collect people"; that is, she does the "collecting" while he watches-"a bout of troilism," as Geddes calls it. By accident, Geddes learns that reclusive "cult author" Thornton McCain may have written a book that Geddes hasn't heard of. Geddes the observer becomes both obsessed collector and, for the randy Havergals, object to be collected. An insightful delight from start to finish; recommended for all fiction collections.

Everything To Lose (Everything Series-Book 3)


A.C. Taylor - 2018
    He wants to win back her heart. Melaina is ready to put her past behind her, but no one is making that easy. Even the ones that claim to love her can’t seem to stop hurting her. Determined to take control of her life, Melaina decides to invest in her dreams, and be the woman she’s always wanted to be. But, the moment she finds herself on solid ground, trouble comes knocking at her door…and he’s not leaving without a fight. Darien knows he screwed up. But, everything isn’t what it seems. The sooner he can get Melaina to see that, the sooner he can win her heart. Unfortunately, she’s not going to make it easy. To prove that he’s worthy of a second chance, Darien will have to step outside of his comfort zone. But, one misstep may cost him too much. In fact, it may cost him everything.

The Existential Worries of Mags Munroe


Jean Grainger - 2022
    My twelve-year-old daughter frequently moans that Ballycarrick is the most boring town in Ireland.Nothing ever happens here.She’s right.And as the local police sergeant, this is something I’m delighted about.I’ve enough to worry about - the polar ice-caps, the evil monster that’s shrinking my trousers, not to mention the hot flushes - without having to be like one of those gritty Netflix cops, chasing criminals down alleyways and busting drug deals.So, life is calm and fairly predictable.Until something unthinkable happens in our sleepy backwater.A crime, but not like anything I've ever seen before.It's a complete mystery.And it's up to me to solve it.

Fiona and the Whale


Hannah M. Lynn - 2019
    However, she’s certain that it's only a hiccup and he'll be back in no time, begging for forgiveness. Fortunately there’s a distraction of mammoth proportions swimming in the River Thames. Absorbed by the story of Martha the sperm whale, Fiona attempts to carry on life as usual as she awaits her husband's return. However, nothing can prepare her for the dramatic turn of events that throw her life into ever greater turmoil. The road ahead has many paths and for Fiona it’s time to sink or swim.Fiona and the Whale is a poignant and often hilarious contemporary fiction novel. If you enjoy topical tales, second chances and a little bit of romance, you'll love this new book from the Kindle Storyteller Award Winner, Hannah Lynn.

Evening


Nessa Rapoport - 2020
    Eve bears the burden of a secret: Two weeks before Tam died, Eve and Tam argued so vehemently that they did not speak again. Her sister was famous, acclaimed for her career as a TV journalist and her devoted marriage. But Tam, too, had a secret, revealed the day after the funeral, one that inverts the story Eve has told herself since their childhood. In the aftermath, Eve is forced to revise her version of her fractured family, her sister’s accomplishments and vaunted marriage, and her own impeded ambition in work and love.Day by day as the family sits shiva, the stories unfold, illuminating the past​ to shape the present. Evening explores the dissonant love between sisters, the body in longing, the pride we take in sustaining our illusions, and the redemption that is possible only when they are dispelled.

Sidekick to All the Light We Cannot See: by Anthony Doerr


Dave Eagle - 2014
     Warning: This is an independent companion to All the Light We Cannot See, meant to enhance your experience of the novel. If you have not yet bought All the Light We Cannot See , make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial Sidekick. Blind since early childhood, Marie-Laure is only twelve years old when she is forced to flee her home as the Nazis occupy France. Werner, a German orphan, has a talent for fixing radios—a talent that the Nazi government is all too eager to embrace. As Doerr sweeps us forward, backward, and forward again in time, the lives of these two individuals weave together, intersecting at the bombing of Saint-Malo. With this Sidekick, you’ll: • Discover some of the novel’s fascinating hidden gems • Spend some more time with the characters you’ve come to know and love • Learn what you might have missed on your first read of All the Light We Cannot See • Explore a possible alternate ending and imagine ideas for a sequel • Get a chance to discuss the book with other readers on our Facebook forum Sidekicks are entertaining and insightful reading companions, filled with delightful commentary and thought-provoking questions. Readers have raved that Dave Eagle’s Sidekicks "really put you in touch with the many layers of the novel," "keep you entertained even longer," and are "perfect if you want a vivid understanding of the story." Designed to be read side by side with the novels they complement, they’ll give you even more reasons to love some of today’s best books.