David Sedaris’ books are favorites of mine. Several of his books are in the style of epistolary writing. This books is as well and consists of his diaries over a span of nearly 30 years. The diary entries are his usual somewhat humorous style of dry and ironic tales—often sad, although you will still laugh. I always get his books on audio because you absolutely have to have him as the narrator to enjoy his work. If you are a fan, you’ll find this the perfect antidote to help you endure any kind of dreary and boring day that you might otherwise be having.

He broke the chains. Then he broke the world…. A decade ago Darrow led a revolution, and laid the foundations for a new world. Now he’s an outlaw. Cast out of the very Republic he founded, with half his fleet destroyed, he wages a rogue war on Mercury. Outnumbered and outgunned, is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will he become the very evil he fought to destroy?

This book is a modern-day twist on one of my all-time favorite movies, The Parent Trap (original Haley Mills, not the remake with Lindsay Lohan!). Avery and Bett are the daughters of single gay dads who have fallen in love. They are first pushed together and later torn a part. Then the tables turn and they are covertly pushing their parents together! This is a sweet story of friendship and of families that are built with the people we choose.

It’s rather rare to find a novel so well-written and compelling that it stays with you long after you’ve finished. I read about this book in an article in the Rotarian magazine. The columnist mentioned the book as one he continues to read over and over because of its many layers and how he has a different experience every time he reads it. If character development in a book something you like, I highly recommend “Stoner.”

Wow, the last pages brought me to tears, but I won't tell you how it ends! Macomber brings together the stories of the three Palmer sisters. Being an abused wife, Cassie fights for her survival, sanity and family with determination. Receiving a grant from Habitat for Humanity and meeting Steve throws her world topsy-turvy. Getting a phone call from her sister about inheriting some of her parents' furniture, and reconnecting her to her sisters "puts the icing on the cake!"

He was told he'd never walk again. She was losing hope that she'd ever feel whole again. This is their miraculous true story of defying the impossible.

Spinning Silver is a subversive retelling of Rumpelstiltskin which follows the lives of three women of different social standings. Set in a fantastical world much like 17th Century Eastern Europe, our story weaves together myth and fairy tale to tell us about the power of fate and choice. This is a must read for fans of Robin McKinley or Sarah J. Maas.

A novel in verse, this twist on the myth of Theseus and Minotaur is a must read for not only fans of Greek myths but also fans of Hamilton and Hadestown. Elliott does a fantastic job of giving each character their own voice through the use of various types of prose. This hilarious, quick, read is a must for anyone interested in creative retellings.

Thomas writes with the authentic voice of urban youth through Bri. This sixteen-year-old with big dreams of being a hip hop star just wants to help her family. Getting credit for her own talent seems impossible as she lives in the shadow of her deceased father, a rap legend. Empty cupboards, unemployment, and racism are hurdles that sixteen-year-olds should never have to face. When she channels her frustrations into her music, the effect propels her into a spotlight she isn't ready to deal with.

NY Times bestselling author Bill Geist gives us a witty "coming of age" type of memoir chronicling his summers during high school and college, working at the Arrowhead Lodge on the Lake of the Ozarks. In the 1960s, the Lake of the Ozarks, while a destination for many Midwesterners, hadn't really been commercialized like it is now, which gives us a somewhat romantic picture of the way things were "back then."