Lists and Suggestions
6745151&oclc=)
1351395537&isbn=&issn=/MC.GIF)
List: Self-Care Fiction
Whatever Makes You Happy
Grunwald, Lisa.
With the normal patterns of her life turned upside down, Sally Farber finds herself searching for t... More
With the normal patterns of her life turned upside down, Sally Farber finds herself searching for the true definition of happiness in her life through her experiences of motherhood, marriage, an affair, writing, and home renovation. Less
Random Acts of Kindness
Higgins, Lisa Verge
Claire Petrenko always knew it was coming. Breast cancer has claimed the lives of both her mother a... More
Claire Petrenko always knew it was coming. Breast cancer has claimed the lives of both her mother and her younger sister. Now, as she cobbles the pieces of her own life back together, the devastating family legacy returns, and Claire receives the same diagnosis. So when her old friend Jenna Hogan suddenly shows up at her door -- like a fairy godmother offering to grant a wish -- Claire seizes the chance to revisit her past... and salvage her future. What begins as an impulsive trip soon becomes an odyssey as the women cross the country, gathering friends as they make their way to their childhood home of Pine Lake. There they discover that Jenna's random act of kindness has rippled out into the world like a stone dropped into a pond, surging back to transform all of them in ways they never expected. Less
Joy for Beginners
Bauermeister, Erica.
Six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer, where she strikes a ba... More
Six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer, where she strikes a bargain with them: to celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified her, but if she does, each of them will also do one thing that they'd find difficult. Less
Hector and the Search for Happiness
Lelord, François.
Hector keeps a list of observations about the people he meets, hoping to find the secret to happine... More
Hector keeps a list of observations about the people he meets, hoping to find the secret to happiness in his travels. Less
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny
Sharma, Robin S. (Robin Shilp), 1964-
This fable provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and... More
This fable provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. It tells the story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life. On a life-changing odyssey to an ancient culture, he discovers powerful, wise, and practical lessons that teach us to develop joyful thoughts, follow our life's mission and calling, cultivate self-discipline and act courageously, value time as our most important commodity, nourish our relationships, and live fully, one day at a time.--From publisher description. Less
Waiting To Exhale
McMillan, Terry.
Four African-American women are leaning on each other while "waiting to exhale", waiting ... More
Four African-American women are leaning on each other while "waiting to exhale", waiting for the one man who will take their breath away. Less
Breakfast with Buddha
Merullo, Roland.
At the behest of his sister, Otto Ringling finds himself reluctantly accompanying her guru, an enig... More
At the behest of his sister, Otto Ringling finds himself reluctantly accompanying her guru, an enigmatic Mongolian monk, on a trip through Middle America to their childhood home, introducing his passenger to some American "fun" along the way. Less
The Cake Therapist
Fertig, Judith.
"A fiction debut that will leave you wanting seconds, from an award-winning cookbook author. C... More
"A fiction debut that will leave you wanting seconds, from an award-winning cookbook author. Claire "Neely" O'Neil is a pastry chef of extraordinary talent. Every great chef can taste shimmering, elusive flavors that most of us miss, but Neely can "taste" feelings-cinnamon makes you remember; plum is pleased with itself; orange is a wake-up call. When flavor and feeling give Neely a glimpse of someone's inner self, she can customize her creations to help that person celebrate love, overcome fear, even mourn a devastating loss. Maybe that's why she feels the need to go home to Millcreek Valley at a time when her life seems about to fall apart. The bakery she opens in her hometown is perfect, intimate, just what she's always dreamed of-and yet, as she meets her new customers, Neely has a sense of secrets, some dark, some perhaps with tempting possibilities. A recurring flavor of alarming intensity signals to her perfect palate a long-ago story that must be told. Neely has always been able to help everyone else. Getting to the end of this story may be just what she needs to help herself"-- Less
The Story of Arthur Truluv
Berg, Elizabeth, author.
Truluv is a moving novel about three people who have lost the person they love most, and must find t... More
Truluv is a moving novel about three people who have lost the person they love most, and must find their way back to happiness. Arthur, a widower, meets Maddy, an angry and friendless teenage girl, while visiting his late wife at the cemetery, where he goes every day for lunch. Against all odds, the two strike up a friendship that pulls them out of a serious rut. They band together with Arthur's nosy neighbor Lucille, to create lives that are truly worth living. Proving that life's most precious moments are sweeter when shared, they go from strangers, to friends, to an untraditional but loving family. Betrayal, loneliness, romance and family are at the heart of this honey of a book, a must-read for fans of Elizabeth Berg's early work. This is a story about life being affirmed at all ages, old and young, and about finding hapiness when hope seems lost. Readers will laugh, cry, and love Truluv Less
Enchanted August
Bowen, Brenda, author.
Four individuals struggling with loss, disappointment and overwork rent a small summer cottage in Ma... More
Four individuals struggling with loss, disappointment and overwork rent a small summer cottage in Maine, where they find wholeness in regional comforts while sharing their respective stories and rediscovering their passions. Less
100 Days of Happiness
Brizzi, Fausto, author.
What would you do if you knew you only had 100 days left to live? So begins the last hundred days of... More
What would you do if you knew you only had 100 days left to live? So begins the last hundred days of Lucio's life, as he attempts to care for his family, win back his wife (the love of his life and afterlife), and spend the next three months enjoying every moment with a zest he hasn't felt in years. From helping his hopelessly romantic, widowed father-in-law find love, discovering comfort in enduring friendships, and finding new ones, Lucio becomes, at last, the man he's always meant to be. In 100 epigrammatic chapters, one for each of Lucio's remaining days on earth, it is as delicious as a hot doughnut and a morning cappuccino. Less
Love Walked In
De los Santos, Marisa, 1966-
Harboring romantic notions about golden-age Hollywood film stars, thirty-one-year-old Philadelphia c... More
Harboring romantic notions about golden-age Hollywood film stars, thirty-one-year-old Philadelphia café manager Cornelia Brown embarks on a too-good-to-be-true relationship with the debonair Martin Grace. Less
The Secret of Happy Ever After
Dillon, Lucy, 1974-
Michelle doesn't believe in fairy tales. She's a hard-headed businesswoman, making a fresh... More
Michelle doesn't believe in fairy tales. She's a hard-headed businesswoman, making a fresh start in a new town. And when she decides to take over a neglected book shop, she knows the perfect manager. For book-loving Anna, it's a dream come true--and not just because it gives her an escape from her three demanding step-children and their adorable but hyperactive Dalmatian. Although she's been thinking that her own fairytale ending hasn't really turned out the way she hoped, Anna's passion for the classics is transforming the shop. The customers, and even Michelle, are falling under the spell of the magical stories of romance, adventure, and lost dogs. But when secrets from her past threaten Michelle's new beginnings, and trouble strikes at the heart of Anna's household, can the wisdom and courage of the stories in the bookshop help the two friends--and those they love--find their happy ever after? Less
The Book Charmer
Hawkins, Karen, author.
A charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, an... More
A charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a magical friendship that will change their lives forever Less
The Library of Lost and Found
Patrick, Phaedra, author.
Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people--though not for ... More
Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people--though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she's invisible. All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend--her grandmother Zelda--who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda's past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever. Filled with Phaedra Patrick's signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending. Less
The House at the End of Hope Street
Praag, Menna van.
The house at the end of Hope Street is an enchanted, haunted house unlike any other--a house that fi... More
The house at the end of Hope Street is an enchanted, haunted house unlike any other--a house that finds young women in their time of need and takes them in. Each has 99 nights to use the wisdom bestowed by the house to turn her life around. Through the years it has offered refuge to a roster of women ranging from George Eliot to Beatrix Potter--many of whom have hung around to help newcomers find their way Less
The Sunday List of Dreams
Radish, Kris.
Sunday Jews explores a family united in blood yet divided by ideas. Charles, the eldest son, hopes t... More
Sunday Jews explores a family united in blood yet divided by ideas. Charles, the eldest son, hopes to be a Supreme Court justice; family beauty Nell has children by different lovers; art expert Erika has altered her appearance, yet clings to her role as custodian of the family's Jewishness; and artist Zach has two wives. Their mother, infamous in Israel, born of a well-to-do Boston family but no longer rich, is bound to a past that never quite dies. The buried history of this extraordinary - and very American - family comes to light unexpectedly when grandson Bert brings home as a wife the woman who, some years ago, joined the family circle and then mysteriously disappeared. Less
Garden Spells
Allen, Sarah Addison.
Successful caterer in Bascomb, North Carolina, Claire has always remained tied to the legacy of the ... More
Successful caterer in Bascomb, North Carolina, Claire has always remained tied to the legacy of the Waverley family, until her peaceful life is transformed by Tyler Hughes, an art teacher and new next-door neighbor, and by the return of her prodigal sister, Sydney. Less
Ladies' Night
Andrews, Mary Kay, 1954-
Cut off from her palatial home and checking account after an act of post-divorce rage forces her to ... More
Cut off from her palatial home and checking account after an act of post-divorce rage forces her to move in with her widowed mother and attend court-mandated group therapy, rising media star Grace Stanton bonds with three fellow patients who she helps plot respective pursuits of justice and closure. Less
The Hundred Gifts
Scott, Jennifer, 1972- author.
With the holidays around the corner, empty nester Bren Epperson realizes that for the first time in ... More
With the holidays around the corner, empty nester Bren Epperson realizes that for the first time in decades, she has no large family to cook for and no celebration to create. Her daughter has moved to Thailand, her son has ditched college to backpack around the world, and her husband has disappeared into the basement to indulge his midlife crisis. So Bren starts teaching a holiday cooking class, and it's a hit--until Virginia Mash, the old lady living upstairs, bursts in, complaining of the noise, the smells, and the mess. Rather than retaliate, Bren suggests that the class shower Virginia with kindness--that they give her one hundred gifts. So they embark on a plan to lift a heart. Along the way, amid knitting and making and baking, they'll discover that family celebrations can be reborn and that the very best gifts can't be bought--they're from the heart Less
