Say Never


Janis Thomas - 2014
    But when her brother calls to ask for Meg’s help with his three kids, she is forced to do the unimaginable: go home and step into the dreaded role of ‘parent.’ With no maternal skills whatsoever, Meg is thrust into a world of diapers, tantrums, and projectile vomit, and her decision not to procreate is stunningly validated—she could never be a mom. But as the days go by, and she starts to connect with her nieces and nephew, Meg discovers that her family is not the nemesis she feared, and she might not be the person she always thought she was. Sassy, sexy, and poignant, Say Never is a hilarious roller coaster ride of self-discovery that will keep you laughing long after you put the book down.

Crushed


Ivy Symone - 2018
    May seem inconsolable and difficult to recover from…Heartbroken. While living vicariously through her friends’ enviable relationships, Tanya has grown weary of the single life. After being friend-zoned by every man she grows close to, her son’s father’s sudden interest in her gives her an inkling of hope. Her friends disapprove and say Tyrell doesn’t want her; he only wants the lifestyle Tanya can afford him. Will she see what they see and curve him, or will her insecurities cause her to settle? With the way things stand between her and Eli, Cassie never knows what their status is on a day to day basis. After the birth of their son, Cassie thought things would only improve between them; however, she didn’t expect for her and Eli to end up in a co-parenting situation. They have differences that need to be worked out, but with a little conflict, it doesn’t seem that working things out will be in Cassie’s favor. What’s a girl to do? For the past few years, Jazmin’s world couldn’t be better. With the shameful pain of the past behind her, she has established a wonderful life with her husband, Jah. At this point, nothing strong enough could disrupt their union…Or could it? There’s some shocking news that may disturb the discord of her household if Jah ever decides to reveal it. What’s Jah keeping from his Juicy? You asked for an update, so here they are: the old gang from the Crush series and If You’re Willing. Can’t say that I didn’t warn you, but everything can’t remain peaches and cream forever. Enjoy though!

Failure to Protect (Dre Thomas & Angela Evans, #4)


Pamela Samuels Young - 2019
    What Really Goes on Behind School Doors? When the classroom is no longer a safe space for her child, a grieving mother is determined to seek justice for her bullied daughter. Enter hard-charging attorneys Angela Evans and Jenny Ungerman. From the very start, the two lawyers face more than an uphill battle. An ambitious school principal is far more concerned about protecting her career than getting to the truth. She flat out denies any knowledge of the bullying and prefers to sweep everything under the rug. But just how low will she go? As the battle enters the courtroom, the attorneys fight hard to expose the truth. But will a massive coverup hinder their quest for justice?

Me and Carlos


Tom Perrotta - 2020
    But Digger is pretty happy with life in the middle of Warfield High’s pecking order. Then he strikes up a friendship with Carlos, a new student from Honduras, who faces his own set of difficulties beyond the dramas of adolescent life. Everyone loves Carlos: he’s a welcome addition to the team and to Digger’s tight friend group. Digger and Carlos are inseparable—until Digger, who’s focused on his own future, thinks maybe Carlos is getting too popular.

His Love is More Than Enough


Mel Dau - 2018
    Through hard work and perseverance, she has accomplished a major goal, being accepted to her college of choice on a full athletic scholarship. A night that was supposed to be a celebration turns into one of the most detrimental nights of her life. Will she be able to move past the hurt of that night to one day love and trust? Adonis Mercer is the epitome of his name with is remarkable looks. A Star College Athlete with a street edge from Richmond, Virginia, he is what all of the women on NCA&T campus want. What happens when his academic world collides him with a stilled beauty. Will she allow him to show her a love that she never knew existed or will other factors deter her from accepting a love that may be enough to heal her blemished heart? Will love prove to be strong enough to bind these two together or will a secret so large be the boulder needed to sever the bond of young love? Find out in this Novella, His Love is More Than Enough.

Swift Arrow


Josephine Cunnington Edwards - 1997
    They were riding north and moving quickly. So many Indians moved along the path that George, who rode near the front of the line, could not see the end when he turned around to look. The farther they went, the more unhappy George became. For with every step, Neko (his faithful pony)took him farther and farther from his home and from Ma and Pa. Even the fluttering leaves seemed like little hands waving good-bye all the day long. So begins chapter seven of this beloved classic by Josephine Cunnington Edwards. George, a young pioneer boy is captured by Indians and raised as the son of a mighty chief. He spends his time learning the ways of these native Americans, and yearning for the day that he might find a way to return to his loving family.

Spring Music


Elvi Rhodes - 1999
    She had to leave the comfortable home she had shared with Edward and their three children, now all grown-up, and move into a small flat in the middle of Bath. The dramatic change in her lifestyle threatened to overwhelm her. But gradually Naomi began to appreciate the changes, and even to enjoy them. For the first time in her life she could do what she liked, and make her own friends. If these included men friends - well, why not? Unfortunately her children could think of many reasons why not, and Naomi began a battle to establish her own independence, and to persuade her family that she had moved into the springtime of a whole new life. In this warm and inspiring new novel, Elvi Rhodes's wonderful storytelling skills are used to explore a dilemma faced by many women today.

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.

Warm Moonlight


Joseph Wurtenbaugh - 2012
    It's a thrilling story of adventure and rescue, of escape and revenge, set in New England in the early days of Prohibition. Written in the great storytelling tradition, 'Warm Moonlight' has all the intensity of a got-to-hear-how-it-ends campfire yarn, but with a decidedly adult sophistication and sensibility. The ending is unique and satisfying, but leaves the audience, like one of the characters in the story, wondering - how much of it was true? How much invented? Can such things be? Maybe it's a ghost story or . . . . maybe it isn't.

We Are Animals


Tim Ewins - 2020
    He’s in Goa, dreaming of the passport-thief who stole his heart (and his passport) forty-six years ago. Back then, fate kept bringing them together, but lately it seems to have given up.Jan has not. In his long search he has accidentally held a whole town at imaginary gunpoint in Soviet Russia, stalked the proprietors of an international illegal lamp-trafficking scam and done his very best to avoid any kind of work involving the packing of fish. Now he thinks if he just waits, if he just does nothing at all, maybe fate will find it easier to reunite them.His story spans fifty-four years, ten countries, two imperfect criminals (and one rather perfect one), twenty-two different animals and an annoying teenager who just…His story spans fifty-four years, ten countries, two imperfect criminals (and one rather perfect one), twenty-two different animals and an annoying teenager who just…Will…Not…Leave.But maybe an annoying teenager is exactly what Jan needs to help him find the missing thief?Featuring a menagerie of creatures, each with its own story to tell, We Are Animals is a quirky, heart-warming tale of lost love, unlikely friendships and the certainty of fate (or lack thereof). For the first time in her life the cow noticed the sun setting, and it was glorious.

The Fall of Night


Christopher G. Nuttall - 2014
     Britain – and the European Union – is struggling to remain civilised. Unemployment is high, ethnic and religious tensions are rising sharply, crime is skyrocketing, the value of money is falling and the whole system is on the verge of collapse. Across the continent, united only in name, countless individuals struggle to keep themselves afloat and survive for a few more days. But weakness invites attack and covetous eyes set their sights on the remains of Europe’s industry and trained population. As a military juggernaut descends on an unprepared continent, the remains of Britain’s once-proud military must fight to defend their country ... or watch helplessly as Britain falls into darkness. [As always, my books are DRM-free. Samples of this title (and others) can be downloaded from my website: www.chrishanger.net. Reviews and comments are always welcome.]

Code of the Forest


Jon Buchan - 2012
    Wade turns for help to Kate Stewart, a young lawyer who has left a large law firm for a fresh start on her own in Georgetown. These two fiercely independent souls form a wary alliance for the legal battle that follows. It s a fight that shows them the power of connections good and bad to change their lives forever.

The Story of a Million Years


David Huddle - 1999
    Marcy, Allen, Uta, Jimmy -- each becomes the hero of his or her own story, as all mine the past for evidence of goodness. David Huddle moves with remarkable agility from the imagination of a precocious adolescent girl, to the fears of a man in midlife, to the longings of a wife whose reserve cloaks aching depths. Each of these convincing voices asks the questions central to all our lives: What stories are so important that you'd never reveal them to another person in a million years? How do secrets come to define us, for better or for worse? Honest, accomplished, and wonderfully subtle, THE STORY OF A MILLION YEARS portrays the basic human desire to love and be loved unconditionally.

Salt Rain


Sarah Armstrong - 2004
    Set within Australia's lush rain forest at the height of the rainy season, Salt Rain is an absorbing debut about sifting through the complicated stories that shape us, and ultimately reclaiming them as our own.

Great Days


Donald Barthelme - 1979
    This new collection of stories marks a departure in Barthelme's work with the introduction of a new mode in which he abandons all forms of characterization other than dialogue in an attempt to shift and alter reader expectations and perceptions