Book picks similar to
Defective by Susan Sofayov
fiction
mental-health
giveaways
contemporary
Kiss the Earth
Neal Sehgal
KISS THE EARTH is a collection of poetry, prose, and photography that explores the bliss of falling in love, perseverance through adversity, finding peace within one’s self, and reverence for all that this life has for us to experience.
Family Affairs
Pamela G. Hobbs - 2015
The chance to take her mind off what still feels so raw, so recent in her screwed-up life. Filling her time with lots of things to do but no thinking time – that had to be good. But then there’s the gentle reminder of those dreaded emails, the feeling of being watched.Never far away, pain is always lurking beneath the surface. A random shooting? Unlikely . . . And it’s only a matter of time before she’ll have to face it, grieve for her losses and deal with the constant fear that follows her. But is she ready to go there? Can she really be responsible for his death? Something prickles her memory, her fears very real . . . Then the penny drops. A shared past.Her stomach jumping like a grasshopper on speed and used to faking it, her past fears come back to haunt her, having witnessed something no child ever should. Their relationship fiery and strained, can she learn to trust Dev? Always relied on to be the one who centres her, he throws her off-centre completely. A complication she really doesn’t need, will the cold light of day become her great leveller? Or will she succumb?As for Dev, photographer at large – pals? Who is he kidding! His affection for Frankie goes much further . . . her voice an arrow to the groin. But will she ever think of him as anything but a “brother”? Or is he doomed to remain just a shoulder to cry on?Murder, sex and intrigue, this book will keep you guessing.
The Sweeney Sisters
Lian Dolan - 2020
But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.
That's My Sister (That's Our Family Book 1)
Roxanne Rhaman - 2019
Having one who’s on the cover of magazines and is loved by all? Torture. For single mom Marie Stephens, all she wants is to survive her new business, provide for her children, and ignore the intense feelings she has for her married neighbor. When her famous sister, Sadie, shows up after a five-year absence, Marie’s normal life ceases to exist. Add in their celebrity-obsessed mother, it’s no wonder they can’t get along. The most important thing Sadie and Marie will learn? Accepting your sister can change your life.
The Mother's Promise
Sally Hepworth - 2017
In The Mother’s Promise, she delivers her most powerful novel yet: the story of a single mother who is dying, the troubled teenaged daughter who is battling her own demons, and the two women who come into their lives at the most critical moment. Alice and her daughter Zoe have been a family of two all their lives. Zoe has always struggled with crippling social anxiety and her mother has been her constant and fierce protector. With no family to speak of, and the identity of Zoe’s father shrouded in mystery, their team of two works—until it doesn’t. Until Alice gets sick and is given a grim prognosis. Desperate to find stability for Zoe, Alice reaches out to two women who are practically strangers, but who are her only hope: Kate, her oncology nurse, and Sonja, a social worker. As the four of them come together, a chain of events is set into motion and all four of them must confront their sharpest fears and secrets—secrets about abandonment, abuse, estrangement, and the deepest longing for family. Imbued with heart and humor in even the darkest moments, The Mother’s Promise is an unforgettable novel about the power of love and forgiveness.
Rock the Boat
Beck Dorey-Stein - 2021
She knows she won't be home for long; she's got every intention (and a three-point plan) to win back everything she thinks she's lost.Meanwhile, Miles Hoffman--aka "The Prince of Sea Point"--has also returned home to prove to his mother that he's capable of taking over the family business, and he's promised to help his childhood best friend, Ziggy Miller, with his own financial struggles at the same time. Kate, Miles, and Ziggy converge in Sea Point as the town faces an identity crisis when a local developer tries to cash in on its potential. The summer swells, and white lies and long-buried secrets prove as corrosive as the salt air, threatening to forever erode not only the bonds between the three friends but also the landscape of the beachside community they call home.Full of heart and humor--and laced with biting wit--Rock the Boat proves that even when you know all the back roads, there aren't any shortcuts to growing up.
The Simple Soul of Susan
Noel Branham - 2017
Will she still cling to the simple, small-town life she has always cherished, or will she chart a new path by overcoming this unforeseen trial?Calder Hurtz hopes to escape his dumpy Texas town for a promising career and life away from the dusty dirt roads...and even farther away from his family’s tragic loss. In his escape, he intends to leave behind his simple childhood ideals of family and love, but perhaps he will learn that redefining one’s identity isn’t that simple after all.Can two hospitalizations, two confessions of love, and one betrayal bring two simple souls together?Compulsively readable, The Simple Soul of Susan is an engaging, soul-endearing romance and a mesmerizing debut.“I don’t remember ever smiling so much while reading a book.”-Melanie, Paperback Darling“...a literary gem that must be experienced.” -Nicole, Christian Fiction Girl
Faster
Deana Birch - 2018
The junior producer knows she's dodged a bullet. Because, despite his melt-your-heart chocolate eyes and rising fame, Jake Riley is not boyfriend material. And those messages he sends in the middle of the night get filed under, "drunk text, best to ignore," without delay.Twelve grueling years of paying dues has finally resulted in a hit song for Jake. But, knowing the new zeroes in his bank account come with as many ways to blow it, he craves stability. So, stocked with an arsenal of charm and a reminder of what happened against her front door, he persuades Louana to see him again the next time he's in town. Now, certain he's found the calm to his storm, he asks her for the previously unthinkable-monogamy.
The Tattoo Artist (Women of Redemption #3)
Lori Lacefield - 2020
An unknown and unstoppable outlaw. When their paths cross, all clues point to a killer. Reno, Nevada. Nine years after her mother’s still unsolved murder, former homeless teen Zoë Cruse has found stability with a husband, child, and a career as a tattoo artist. But when a biker comes in and asks for new ink, Zoë can’t help but draw comparisons between one of the images on his back and her mother’s death. Worse, his other ink appears to represent a deadly pattern, one that may indicate he’s a serial offender.Determined to unearth the truth despite her husband’s disbelief, Zoë researches the images and infiltrates the man’s notorious motorcycle club in search of evidence. But with the police, federal agents, and a rival gang all in pursuit of the same outlaw, her quest for closure may end with more than one person in the morgue…including her family.Can she unravel the mystery and find justice before she ends up six feet under?The Tattoo Artist is the chilling third book in the Women of Redemption suspense thriller series, featuring women who may not be perfect, but perfectly kick-ass when given a second chance. If you like strong female characters, fast-paced plots, and tension-filled pages, then you’ll love Lori Lacefield’s spine-tingling tale.
Seal of Confession
Michele Pace - 2021
A young priest on the other side of the screen is shaken by what he learns. A former college athlete with an MBA from a prestigious university, Father Joe Russo is not your typical man of God. Nine years earlier, his own life took a tragic turn and he gave everything up, committing his life to the church. Now his peaceful existence is being tested, and he finds himself questioning the God he serves, the vows he made, and someone he left behind.In this gripping thriller, a priest and an FBI agent work to uncover secrets and expose hidden crimes, but when it seems they have it all figured out, everything they think they know will be questioned.
It All Comes Down to This
Therese Anne Fowler
Marti has ensured that her modest estate is easy for her family once she’s gone––including a provision that the family’s summer cottage on Mount Desert Island, Maine, must be sold, the proceeds split equally between the three girls.Beck, the eldest, is a freelance journalist whose marriage looks more like a sibling bond than a passionate partnership. In fact, her husband is hiding a troubling truth about his love life. For Beck, the Maine cottage has been essential to her secret wish to write a novel––and to remake the terms of her relationship.Despite her accomplishments as a pediatric cardiologist, Claire, the middle daughter, has always felt like the Geller misfit. Recently divorced, Claire’s unrequited love for the wrong man is slowly destroying her, and she’s finding that her expertise on matters of the heart unfortunately doesn’t extend to her own.Youngest daughter Sophie appears to live an Instagram-ready life, filled with glamorous work and travel, celebrities, fashion, art, and sex. In reality, her existence is a cash-strapped house of cards that may tumble at any moment.But when C.J. Reynolds, an enigmatic southerner with his own hidden past enters the picture, the future of the Maine cottage––and of the sisters themselves––will take on an entirely new dimension.
How I Came to Sparkle Again
Kaya McLaren - 2012
She’s going to hold out for love. The only problem is, love might come in the form of her ski bum best friend, who lives next door with his ski bum friends in a trailer known as “the Kennel.” Cassie Jones, at age ten, has lost her mother to cancer and no longer believes in anything anymore. She knows her father is desperately worried about her, and she constantly looks for messages from her deceased mother through the heart-shaped rocks they once collected in the streams and hills of Sparkle. Three people at the crossroads of heartbreak and healing. Three lives that will be changed one winter in Sparkle. One tender, funny, tear-jerking novel you won’t soon forget.
The Plainswalker
M.A. Rothman - 2021
When the experiment leaves him stuck in a place he can’t escape, Peabo realizes just how unprepared he is for his new mission.-------STAG, the Special Technologies Analysis Group is a clandestine government operation headquartered fifty feet under Marine Base Quantico, and they’re looking for someone with the right stuff.Peabo Smith, an ex-Special Forces soldier volunteers to participate in a mission that gives him an opportunity to maybe get back into the action.THE PLAINSWALKER is a story about a former soldier asked to participate in a science experiment that rivals the audacity of the moon landing.When things don’t go quite like Peabo had planned, he realizes that the experiment may end up changing his life forever.
Someone's Story
B.A. Bellec - 2020
A. Bellec has crafted a masterpiece of emotive and well-rounded young adult fiction.”K.C. Finn – Author“A gripping story of teenage life and the many problems they face. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.”The Wishing Self Book Awards“The variety of personages, situations, and mental illnesses represented allows all readers to relate to this book and take something away from reading! This novel is on our list of all-time favourites!”International Girls and Books“B.A. Bellec has truly created a masterpiece that deserves worldwide recognition, awards and so much more.”Rebecca Ryan – ReedsyIn his debut endearing coming-of-age book, B.A. Bellec writes about a group of weirdos that find and save each other from the dark depths of their minds. Someone’s Story is literally Someone’s story, as in a first-person narrative of a teenager that calls himself Someone. As he struggles to find a new footing in a new space, we encounter the many ups and downs of modern teenage life, the difficulties that adjusting to adult feelings bring, and a few tear-jerking surprises along the way.Littered with music, mental health, friendship, loss, meditation, advice, pop culture, and even inspiring an EP, there is so much nostalgia, inspiration, and depth here it is hard to absorb it all. Cozy up somewhere warm and enjoy!