Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
A young adult novel that embraces friendship and the realm of feeling young and free. This story features Fiona Lin and Jane Shen, who have remained friends from the 2nd grade well into their teenage years. Sexuality, heartbreak, identity, and friendship are explored as the two Asian women dare to seek change in America. While Jane admires Fiona for her ambition to leave Los Angeles in pursuit of greater things, Jane can’t help but feel worried that her best friend will leave her behind. Fiona leaves for New York to care for a friend who is grieving a breakup with her boyfriend. Back in California, Jane is mourning the loss of her father’s death and not having Fiona by her side. As the distance comes between them, how will they return to each other? As their friendship is a remembrance of home and everything they lost, this might be harder than they both thought.
About the Author: Jean Chen Ho was born and raised in Taiwan and California. She received her doctoral degree in literature and creative writing from the University of Southern California, and holds a master of fine arts from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Jean has taught creative writing workshops and literature seminars, and is currently a board member of Kaya Press, an independent publishing company from Diaspora, which is located in the Asian Pacific Region.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A quiet fishing village called Barkley Cove steers clear from the “Marsh Girl”, whose name is Kya Clark. As she is abandoned and wild, Kya is immediately suspected for the shocking murder of Chase Andrews. The locals may point fingers at her, but Kya is much more than what the town makes her out to be. She makes her own lessons, adapting to live alone quite quickly. But there comes a time when you need more than just grits and fish. Kya yearns to be loved, causing her to become drawn to the two men in town who pay her any mind- until the unthinkable happens. This coming-of-age story follows a haunting mystery, sure to hold readers on the edge of their seat, fighting to reach the last chapter.
About the Author: Delia Owens earned her bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Georgia, as well as a PhD in animal behavior at the University of California. She conducted scientific research during her stay in Africa for 23 years. Her journey led her to write books about her life as a wildlife scientist- Cry of the Atlantic, Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savannah. These writings gained her international bestselling success.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
This book will leave you speechless and unable to get the words out of your head. The novel begins by introducing a young woman named Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling aspiring writer. Unexpectedly, she gets the opportunity to pursue the job of a lifetime by completing the remaining books of Jeremy Crawford’s wife, Verity. Verity Crawford is a bestselling author, but she is unable to finish her current series due to an injury. When Lowen arrives, she uncovers secrets and things she was never intended to witness. Verity created an autobiography that her husband, Jeremy, was never meant to read. Page after page, Lowen uncovers chilling facts about Verity’s life, including the death of her daughter. Lowen hides the manuscript from Jeremy because she knew it would devastate him to know the gruesome truth about his wife. As her feelings for Jeremy grow, Lowen realizes that confessing Verity’s words will put an end to Jeremy’s love for her.
About the Author: As of 2022, Colleen Hoover has sold more than 20 million book copies worldwide. She is the author of well-known books such as Ugly Love, Reminders of Him, Regretting You, and It Ends With Us. She is known for her work in the Young Adult and Romance genres. Her books can be found at Barnes&Noble, Target, Amazon, and more. Recently, her books have especially received notice and gained popularity on TikTok. Next time you take a visit to the bookstore, make sure to look for the “BookTok” table to find many of her most popular books, as well as several other novels making waves on social media.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo is prepared to give a tell-all account on her scandalous and exclusive life in Hollywood. Everything takes a turn when she hires Monique Grant in a magazine reporter position. Monique is not Hugo material, but she is dedicated to using the opportunity to get a great start within her career path. When she arrives at Evelyn Hugo’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens to Evelyn in absolute astonishment as she tells her story- especially the part about the seven husbands she collected throughout the 50s-80s. Evelyn covers friendship, love, and ambition as Monique absorbs her fascinating life in Hollywood. She doesn’t know why she was chosen for the role, but Monique begins to feel and understand Evelyn. As their connection forms, the conclusion of her story correlates the prospect that maybe the two women aren’t that different after all.
About the Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid is the bestselling author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, Maybe in Another Life, and many more. Taylor lives in Los Angeles, where she holds book events to meet fans and sign copies of her books. (She has an upcoming event on November 5, 2022, at the Portland Book Festival.) Her books have been recognized by many organizations such as Reese’s Book Club, Read With Jenna, Indie Next, and Book of the Month. Her book Daisy Jones & The Six is also being adapted into a limited series on Amazon.
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