The Secret Life of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw is scandalous and insightful. Each chapter features a distinct story, raw and vulnerable, from a black woman’s (or girl's) point of view. Some are sad ... a woman and her best friend rendezvous ever New Years Eve while the best friend laments not being married ... and others are mournful ... a grandmother reading her granddaughter's diary learning that the teenager has a crush on the pastor's wife. My favorite is a mistress’ rules for her suitors.
I chose Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson for two reasons - my favorite genre, WWII fiction, and author of one of my favorite books, The Gown. Set in 1940's Italy, Nina and Nico, never having met before, must leave their lives for the countryside with Nico's family in order to keep Nina safe. Their lives are soon consumed by farm chores (Nina is a city girl), small town judgment, and Nazi persecution. The bonds Nina forges with Nico's family and Nico's insistence on helping others are a heartening balance against the terrors they all face.
- Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore
- We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
- A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
- One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
- Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
- The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
- The Good Widow by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke
- The Joy of X by Steven Strogatz
