Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski
OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION
In the humorous, heartfelt new novel by the author of THE NEXT THING ON MY LIST, a personal organizer must somehow convince a reclusive artist to give up her hoarding ways and let go of the stuff she’s hung onto for decades.
Lucy Bloom is broke, been dumped by her boyfriend, and had to sell her house to send her nineteen-year-old son to drug rehab. Although she’s lost it all, she’s determined to start over. So when she’s offered a high-paying gig helping clear the clutter from the home of reclusive and eccentric painter Marva Meier Rios, Lucy grabs it. Armed with the organizing expertise she gained while writing her book, Things Are Not People, and fueled by a burning desire to get her life back on track, Lucy rolls up her sleeves to take on the mess that fills every room of Marva’s huge home. Lucy soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva, who seems to love the objects in her home too much to let go of any of them.
While trying to stay on course toward a strict deadline—and with an ex-boyfriend back in the picture, a new romance on the scene, and her son’s rehab not going as planned—Lucy discovers that Marva isn’t just hoarding: she is also hiding a big secret. The two form an unlikely bond, as each learns from the other that there are those things in life we keep, those we need to let go—but it’s not always easy to know the difference.
Laugh-out-loud humor, heartfelt writing, relatable characters, and a charming premise all come together to make OBJECTS OF MY AFFECTION the next read for the fans of Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, and Allison Winn Scotch.
Southern Charm by Tinsley Mortimer
SOUTHERN CHARM
The entertaining first novel by socialite Tinsley Mortimer about a Southern Belle thrust into the frenzied world of high society in New York City.
Small town girl Minty Davenport always dreamed of skyscrapers and yellow cabs. So upon graduation from college, she bids adieu to Charleston and makes a beeline for the Big Apple. Landing a job at a PR firm, she crosses paths with the city’s elite, who are charmed by her vivacious personality and no-strings-attached sincerity. When she finds her picture in fashion magazines alongside A-list celebrities, Minty realizes that her future is in front of the camera, not behind it. But it’s a long way from the deb balls of Charleston to Fashion Week in Lincoln Center, and the gatekeepers to New York society upper echelons aren’t easily charmed.
At first, Minty’s attempts to apply etiquette lessons of a southern belle to big city life fail miserably—to comic effect. But she eventually morphs from the girl who alphabetizes the guest list to a boldface name, while also landing the city’s most eligible bachelor. When a fellow “It Girl” starts rumors that threaten to ruin Minty’s social standing, Minty is forced to reevaluate her values. Finally, she realizes that only by embracing her southern charm can she rule the city.
The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger
THE NEWLYWEDS
Nell Freudenberger
A powerful, funny, richly observed tour de force by one of America’s most acclaimed young writers: a story of love and marriage, secrets and betrayals, that takes us from the backyards of America to the back alleys and villages of Bangladesh.
In THE NEWLYWEDS, we follow the story of Amina Mazid, who at age 24 moves from Bangladesh to Rochester, New York, for love. A hundred years ago, Amina would have been called a mail-order bride. But this is an arranged marriage for the twenty-first century: Amina is wooed by — and woos — George Stillman online.
For Amina, George offers a chance for a new life and a different kind of happiness than she might find back home. For George, Amina is a woman who doesn’t play games. But each of them is hiding something: someone from the past they thought they could leave behind. It is only when they put an ocean between them—and Amina returns to Bangladesh—that she and George find out if their secrets will tear them apart, or if they can build a future together.
THE NEWLYWEDS is a surprising, suspenseful story about the exhilarations — and real-life complications — of getting, and staying, married. It stretches across continents, generations, and plains of emotion. What has always set Nell Freudenberger apart is the sly, gimlet eye she turns on collisions of all kinds — sexual, cultural, familial. With THE NEWLYWEDS, she has found her perfect subject for that vision, and characters to match. She reveals Amina’s heart and mind, capturing both her new American reality and the home she cannot forget, with seamless authenticity, empathy, and grace. At once revelatory and affecting, THE NEWLYWEDS is a stunning achievement.
In One Person by John Irving
IN ONE PERSON
His most political novel since THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY John Irving’s IN ONE PERSON is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself “worthwhile.”
Advance praise for John Irving’s IN ONE PERSON:
“This tender exploration of nascent desire, of love and loss, manages to be sweeping, brilliant, political, provocative, tragic, and funny — it is precisely the kind of astonishing alchemy we associate with a John Irving novel. The unfolding of the AIDS epidemic in the United States in the ’80s was the defining moment for me as a physician. With my patients’ deaths, almost always occurring in the prime of life, I would find myself cataloging the other losses — namely, what these people might have offered society had they lived the full measure of their days: their art, their literature, the children they might have raised. IN ONE PERSONis the novel that for me will define that era. A profound truth is arrived at in these pages. It is Irving at his most daring, at his most ambitious. It is America and American writing, both at their very best.” — Abraham Verghese, author of CUTTING FOR STONE and MY OWN COUNTRY
“IN ONE PERSON is a novel that makes you proud to be human. It is a book that not only accepts but also loves our differences. From the beginning of his career, Irving has always cherished our peculiarities — in a fierce, not a saccharine, way. Now he has extended his sympathies — and ours — still further into areas that even the misfits eschew. Anthropologists say that the interstitial — whatever lies between two familiar opposites — is usually declared either taboo or sacred. John Irving in this magnificent novel — his best and most passionate since THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP — has sacralized what lies between polarizing genders and orientations. And have I mentioned it is also a gripping page-turner and a beautifully constructed work of art?” — Edmund White, author of CITY BOY and GENET: A BIOGRAPHY
I Never Promised You A Goodie Bag by Jennifer Gilbert
I NEVER PROMISED YOU A GOODIE BAG
A warm, wise, and wholly original memoir of survival, renewal, and transformation, by one of New York City’s most successful and respected special events coordinators. With her top-level events company, Save the Date, Jennifer Gilbert has worked with Fortune 500 companies, broadcast media giants, international nonprofit organizations, and celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Bill Gates and beyond. Yet few of her clients or colleagues have known, until now, that Jennifer not only a self-made success: she’s also a survivor. After a random, near-fatal attack left her body in critical condition on a crowded city street, and left her with emotional wounds that would take years to heal, Jennifer embarked upon a journey to reclaim her life. This is her story, in her own words: I NEVER PROMISED YOU A GOODY BAG, an intimate, poignant, inspiring memoir of perseverance, rediscovery, and hope. Readers may also recognize Gilbert from her stint on the Real Housewives of New York.
The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri
THE COTTAGE AT GLASS BEACH
Heather Barbieri follows her acclaimed Gaelic-tinged drama THE LACE MAKERS OF GLENMARA with the resonant tale of a woman who, in the wake of scandal, flees to a remote Maine island to reconnect with her past—and to come to terms with the childhood tragedy that has haunted her for a lifetime. Set on the rugged New England coast, Barbieri’s THE COTTAGE AT GLASS BEACH strikes the perfect balance between high lit and mainstream women’s fiction, infusing a potent and unforgettable love story with unforgettable characters that will remain with you long after the final chapter. Richly evocative, Barbieri’s narrative of intimacy, struggle, and redemption will call out to readers of Joanne Harris, Alice Hoffman, and other modern masters of drama.
The Rock Star in Seat 3A by Jill Kargman
THE ROCK STAR IN SEAT 3A
It’s Hazel’s 30th birthday and she has everything she’s ever wanted: a kickass job at a video-game company, a dream New York City apartment, and the perfect boyfriend — who also happens to be a personal chef, and has just proposed in the most romantic way. With good food, video games and love, Hazel thinks she’s happy — but not ready to get married. So when her most far-fetched fantasy suddenly enters the realm of the possible, shouldn’t she drop everything to see it through? The morning after her birthday, Hazel leaves for a business trip and receives a surprise upgrade to first class, boards the plane, and sees the person in seat 3B: it’s her celebrity crush, rock star Finn Schiller. Just the night before, she had confessed her infatuation with Finn at her birthday party, and her boyfriend joked that she had a free pass if she ever met him. Hazel can’t believe fate has actually thrown them together. Even more unbelievable is the flight that follows, as they genuinely connect — even after he sees her vomit due to plane turbulence. Finn likes her uncensored cursing, wicked sense of humor, and that she’s not like all his groupies; Hazel likes his killer looks, ripped physique and soulful music. But what started as a fantasy quickly becomes a real attraction and after a dream date and taste of the rock-star life with Finn in Los Angeles, Hazel is forced to examine the track her life is on. Indulging in a passionate affair with a rock star seems crazy — but could she ever forgive herself if she walked away from her wildest dreams coming true? Seasoning with her signature wit and hilarious dialogue, Jill Kargman presents a fairytale romance with a twist.
