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In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant and thoughtful portrait of life, love, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them.
MORE DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP
More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Set again in the beloved Japanese bookshop and nearby coffee shop in the Jimbochi neighborhood of Toyko, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop deepens the relationship between Takako, her uncle Satoru , and the people in their lives. A new cast of heartwarming regulars have appeared in the shop, including an old man who wears the same ragged mouse-colored sweater and another who collects books solely for the official stamps with the author’s personal seal.
Satoshi Yagisawa illuminates the everyday relationships between people that are forged and grown through a shared love of books. Characters leave and return, fall in and out of love, and some eventually die. As time passes, Satoru, with Takako’s help, must choose whether to keep the bookshop open or shutter its doors forever. Making the decision will take uncle and niece on an emotional journey back to their family’s roots and remind them again what a bookstore can mean to an individual, a neighborhood, and a whole culture.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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An insightful, propulsive, and deeply sexy debut novel about a young Black writer whose world is turned upside down when she loses her coveted job in media and pens a searing manifesto about racism in the industry.
HOMEBODIES
Homebodies by Tembe Denston-Hurst
“[A] sharp, charming and passionate debut.” —New York Times Book Review
A Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Elle, USA Today, Bustle, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, PopSugar, New York Post, The Skimm, and The Millions.
A Best Book of 2023 by Marie Claire, Esquire, Vogue, them, Autostraddle, Betches, Gay Times, and Cosmopolitan.
Mickey Hayward dreams of writing stories that matter, but, for now, her days are filled with listicles about lip gloss and click-bait articles about celebrity haircare. Still, the job is flashy and her girlfriend is steady and supportive. The path may be long, but Mickey’s well on her way, and it’s far from the messy life she left behind in Maryland. Everything finally seems to be falling into place—until she finds out she’s being replaced.
Distraught and enraged, Mickey fires back with a detailed letter outlining the racism she’s endured as a Black woman in media, certain it will change the world for the better. But when her letter is met with overwhelming silence, even from her usually-encouraging girlfriend, Mickey is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt. Forced to reckon with just how fragile her life is, she flees to the last place she ever dreamed she would run: her hometown.
Back home, Mickey is seduced by the simplicity of her hometown—and the flirtation of a former flame—but she soon learns that you can’t outrun your past. In the newfound quiet, she is forced to reflect on the sacrifices she’d made for an industry that never loved her back and pick up the pieces of the life she thought she’d left behind for good. After all, when the walls of success you’ve carefully built around yourself come crumbling down, what—and who—are you left with?
A meditation on identity, self-worth and the toll of corporate racism, Homebodies is a portrait of modern Black womanhood with a protagonist you won’t soon forget.
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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A nuanced, passionate exploration of the life and work of one of the most misunderstood writers of the twentieth century.
LOVING SYLVIA PLATH
Loving Sylvia Plath by Emily Van Duyne
Sylvia Plath is an object of enduring cultural fascination?the troubled patron saint of confessional poetry, a writer whose genius is buried under the weight of her status as the quintessential literary sad girl. Emily Van Duyne?a superfan and scholar?radically reimagines the last years of Plath’s life, confronts her suicide and the construction of her legacy. Drawing from decades of study on Plath and her husband, Ted Hughes, the chief architect of Plath’s mythology; the life and tragic suicide of Assia Wevill, Hughes’s mistress; newly available archival materials; and a deep understanding of intimate partner violence, Van Duyne seeks to undo the silencing of Sylvia Plath and resuscitate her as the hardworking, brilliant writer she was.
Purchase Links
W. W. Norton | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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A mysterious vigilante abducts powerful abusers and exposes them in a twisted “Show Game,” in this psychological thriller by the author of The Preserve.
SHOW GAME
Show Game by Steve Anderson
The pandemic may be over, but the world is not safe for those who prey on the innocent. A vigilante known by the alias “Alex” knows what these transgressors have done. And taking them captive is only the first step toward vengeance. In order to be set free, they must first play the Show Game . . .
A predatory priest, a double-dealing politician, a fraudulent philanthropist—Alex has ways of making them confess, on camera, for all the world to witness. But the Show Game is building toward a darkly personal finale: exposing society’s most notorious and evil abuser.
Purchase Links
Open Road Media | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Sometimes you’re so busy writing other people’s stories that you lose the plot of your own.
THE SUMMER OF YES
The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh
This wasn’t how Kelsey Worthington’s day was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to be picking up Starbucks for her smarmy boss. She wasn’t supposed to get hit by a car that jumped the curb. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to wake up in a hospital room next to Georgina Tate—the legendary matriarch of New York City businesswomen.
Kelsey and Georgina couldn’t be more opposite. Kelsey’s a dreamer, a writer who questions her own skill. And Georgina is a confident businesswoman whose years of shouldering her way into boardrooms and making her voice heard have made her far too outspoken for the faint of heart.
But now, when Georgina’s failing kidneys force her to face some big regrets about the way she’s lived her life, the two women recognize they share a common thread. Maybe it’s time to confront a few things. They must ask themselves: What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to?
With Georgina as her companion, Kelsey soon finds herself doing things she’s never done before. Eating street food. Swimming in the ocean. Matchmaking for Georgina with the help of Georgina’s handsome son. And writing her own romance—both in book form and in real life.
So begins the Summer of Yes.
- Stand-alone novel
- Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter and Rachel Linden
- Book length: 100,000 words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Purchase Links
TNZ Fiction | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Beth McCord, widely known as Your Enneagram Coach, shows how motherhood is divinely intended to be a transformative journey where moms not only help paint a portrait of their family, but also cultivate resilience, self-awareness, and deep connections with God, their spouse, and their children.
THE ENNEAGRAM FOR MOMS
The Enneagram for Moms: See the True Colors of Yourself and Your Children as God Intends by Beth McCord
Beth McCord takes women on a transformative journey through motherhood, blending Enneagram wisdom with practical insights to foster authentic and healthy family dynamics. Beth unveils a guiding metaphor that brings clarity to the intricate art of parenting: diverse colors on a divine palette, graciously used by God to create the beautiful messiness of family life, all the while empowering and redeeming our contributions as parents. These colors represent the unique motivations and strategies reflective of each Enneagram Type.
God alone is the Master Artist intricately involved in every brushstroke, so moms can find rest and confidence in knowing that the outcomes of His masterpiece are in His capable hands. Gaining deeper understanding of their own inner world (and not just their kids’, which is what many parents seek the most), The Enneagram for Moms will help mothers:
- find healing for their emotional patterns and personality, allowing them to be healthy and positive influences in their children’s lives;
- discover how their distinct shades already color their parenting approach;
- gain valuable tools to help their children navigate their own emotional landscapes with self-awareness and resilience;
- see themselves and their children as God intends, breaking free from the cycles of mommy shaming and mommy guilting; and
- recognize that each child already possesses a unique blend of colors, reflecting God’s infinitely beautiful design.
This essential resource speaks directly to the heart of every mother, caregiver, or concerned adult seeking guidance and peace. Moms no longer need to strive for perfection or conform to society’s expectations or their own insecure standards of comparison. Instead, they can rely on God’s providence and guidance as they navigate the beautiful messiness of family life.
Purchase Links
Faith Gateway | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Where do you turn in seasons of despair? What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
IN OUR SUFFERING, LORD BE NEAR
In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near: Prayers of Hope for the Hurting by Ben Locke
Ben Locke is no stranger to suffering, and in his darkest hours of sorrow, he took his suffering to Jesus. The prayers that poured out offer a road map for you to take your sorrows, grief, and troubles to God, knowing He will meet you in your time of suffering.
Hardship and adversity touch everyone—illness, grief, accidents, trauma, loneliness, relationship struggles, financial crises, sin, addiction, life stressors, and so much more can make people feel lost and hopeless. In Our Suffering, Lord Be Near can be a light in the darkness if you ever:
- Feel like questioning, yelling at, doubting, or even denouncing God
- Want to separate from the church
- Wonder if God is listening to your prayers and cares about your troubles
- Do not know what to do with your anger
- Fear that life will be this way forever
You are not alone. In Ben Locke’s darkest valleys, he was determined to tell God exactly what he thought. He poured out his agony and anger—and was met with God’s grace, love, forgiveness, strength, and eternal mercy. He discovered in those moments that God can handle it. All of it.
The psalm like prayers borne out of these experiences will meet you in your own moments of suffering. But they are more than prayers. They’re cries for help and explosions of anger, mourning, weeping, grieving, celebrating, rejoicing, and praising. They’re liturgies to heal your soul, balm for your wounds, and tender mercies for your heartache. This book will help you know that:
- God is with you, even if you don’t feel Him or understand what is happening
- God offers you grace and mercy, no matter what
- God delivers you and gives you strength
Let these words help you articulate your own sorrows, bring you to your knees, encourage you to confess your insufficiency, and express your most genuine emotions. God can handle your suffering. So, tell Him.
Purchase Links
Faith Gateway | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Please fill out our super short registration form (click the “Enter Now” button above) by July 31st for a chance to win a set of up to ten copies of one of these great books for your book club! We will randomly choose a winner at the end of the month. This giveaway is open to clubs in the US only (our apologies to friends in other countries).