Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (2018)

I love Christina Lauren. This is a lovely, multilayered novel that wanders back and forth in time, telling the story of Macy and Elliot, childhood sweethearts who meet again many years after something separated them. Lauren does a beautiful job of keeping the suspense up of what separated them and in telling their story since then. 

Also, ELLIOT IS TOTALLY JASON MANTZOUKAS. He is TOTALLY Mantzoukas. That's all I'm saying. Sweet and romantic and endearing and emotional and complex. Love.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (2018)

Adore Simone St. James, and this book is wonderful. 

Going back and forth in time between a girl's boarding school in the 50s and the ruins of the school in contemporary times, with a few mysteries involved, this is a lovely, involving novel. 

I love Simone for her excellent characters, relationships, sense of time and place and for not wussing out on the supernatural. She brings it! Love her.

What To Do When I'm Gone by Suzy Hopkins, Hallie Bateman (2018)

Subtitled: A Mother's Wisdom to Her Daughter

This is a slight but lovely graphic novel memoir by a mother and daughter and the step-to-step, day-to-day instructions for the daughter in the event of the mother's death. Sigh.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen (2017)

I always love Sarah Dessen, despite her pastel covers and completely forgettable titles. 

Louna works for her mother's wedding planning business one last summer before heading off to college. She meets reckless, open-hearted Ambrose at a wedding and has to decide whether she is ready to open her heart again after her first love affair's tragic end. 

As always with Dessen, the characters are SO rich. Louna's mother, her godfather, Ambrose and her best friend--all practically leap off the page. And the fun inside look into wedding planning is also delightful. Beautifully done as always.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeycutt (2017)

This is one of those books that you want to stay home and read it without stopping until you reach the last page.

Eleanor is a 31-year-old accounts receivable clerk in Glasgow, who lives a solitary, alcoholic, socially unskilled life and talks to no one but her mother on the phone. When Eleanor and new coworker Raymond are walking from work, and old man collapses and things become more complicated but in a good way. Also, Eleanor has decided that she is going to pursue an attractive young musician and sets about changing her life. BUT, there is a dark, dark secret in Eleanor's past.

Eleanor is a fascinating character of Olive Kitteridge proportions, and this quirky but dark novel is incredibly compelling.

Can't Help Myself by Meredith Goldstein (2018)

I was listening to Goldstein's podcast called Love Letters, and decided to check out her book. Despite being a single woman unlucky in love, Goldstein began writing an advice column at the Boston Globe, which took off. Two things I love: romance and giving advice.

A nice blend of advice letters and her answers, combined with a memoir about her unluckiness in love and her mother's death from cancer. A bit slight but well-done.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus (2017)

A colleague's description of this book had me at "Breakfast Club but with murder."

A bunch of high school kids end up in detention together and suddenly, one (who just happens to write a poisonous gossip blog) suddenly dies of a deliberately triggered allergy. Each of the implicated kids, from the drug dealing burnout to the class princess to the jock with a secret are beautifully drawn and realistic.

And, apparently, there's a sequel: One of Us Is Next (2020).

Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London (2018)

Romance with a librarian? Yes, please. 

When notorious "Bad Bachelor" Reed McMahon and PR genius is recruited to help librarian Darcy Greer with her library's fundraiser, the sparks fly. Ugh. I can't believe I just wrote that. 

ANYHOO, There's this website called Bad Bachelors, which is like a Yelp for dating and Reed's reviews are seriously affecting his work and home life. It all works out, though, as these things tend to do. The first in a series.

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman (2017)

Picked this up off a cart at the library purely for the cover and the spine, which basically says "Ass Mom." (lol!)

Jen, formerly band groupie with two children, one of whom may or may not have been fathered by Michael Hutchence, is married with a five-year-old son and has been recruited as Max's class mom. She sends snarky emails to the parents, gets involved in kindergarten parent politics, and deals with the emotions of being an aging 'cool girl.' 

So readable, so delightful. Even though she's a well-off white woman without a job--which is a very tiring genre--I still liked it. Here's an example of the cuteness: She calls her husband's home gym "Ron's Gym and Tan." Anyhoo. Cute.

Update: Apparently, there are two more in this series. Who knew? Now I do!

Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard (2015)

Fascinating novel about a private detective (Carter) who gets a mysterious bequest of a bookstore currently run by the only surviving descendant of H.P. Lovecraft, who is also African-American. Carter moves to Providence to oversee his new bookstore, but quickly very mysterious and spooky things are happening in town. 

This book has some really chilling moments and I liked it a whole bunch until I got to the end and discovered that there was no ending and I had to read the second book. DANG IT. We'll see if I do. But again, good characters, nice suspense/horror vibe, and fascinating look at the legacy of Lovecraft.

Update: I did not read the second book. I rarely do.