All Books Considered

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau Blurb from Goodreads : Nineteen-year-old Zippy can hardly believe she’s the newest and youngest salesgirl at I. Magnin, “San Francisco’s Finest Department Store.” Every week, she rotates her three spruced-up Salvation Army outfits and Vaseline-shined pumps; still, she’s thrilled to walk those pumps through the employee entrance five days a week as she saves to buy something new. For a girl who grew up in a one-bedroom apartment above a liquor store with her mother and her mother’s madcap boyfriend, Howard; a girl who wanted to go to college but had no help in figuring out how; I. Magnin represents a real chance for a better and more elegant life. Or, at the very least, a more interesting one. Zippy may not be in school, but she’s about to get an education that will stick with her for decades. Her fellow salesgirls (lif...

Set Piece by Lana Schwartz Blurb from Goodreads : A chance encounter leaves a breakout TV star and no-nonsense bartender wanting more, but life gets in the way. They find each other again five years later, while working on a movie set—but is there room in their lives for this second chance at romance? Even one year ago, no one would have recognized Jack Felgate at a bar. But after his steamy breakout TV role, he's surprised to be swarmed by fans during a night out with friends. When the practical bartender CJ intervenes to fend off his admirers, he's grateful—and more than a little eager to stick around for an after-hours drink–turned–tryst. Five years later, Jack shows up to set for his starring role in (yet another?!) adaptation of The Great Gatsby only to find CJ is the film’s production designer. But neither of them is the same person they were back CJ is a single mom with a four-year-old, and Jack is a bon...

The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus Blurb from Goodreads : When Bunny Linden abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne, in 1972, she knows Jayne will be the perfect mother. The mother Bunny, a teen runaway, could never be. As months turn into years without word, Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, strive to give the children the opportunity to flourish and feel loved. When Jayne and Rodger finally have a child of their own, a seemingly stable home is built. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives. As adults, their children try to reassemble the pieces and solve the mystery that has always haunted them. Who were their parents? What really happened between them? And who is ultimately to blame for the destruction? But will the answers they seek set them free - or lead to something far more damaging than...

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang Blurb from Goodreads : In this razor-sharp, diabolical debut thriller, a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied. Transforming into Chloe is easier than expe...

Fatal Brouhaha (Ground Rules #5)  by Emmeline Duncan Blurb from Goodreads : Twentysomething master barista and owner of Portland, Oregon’s popular Ground Rules coffee cart, Sage Caplin is ready to celebrate her growing business at a weekend long maker’s festival, complete with live music, a cornhole tournament, 4th of July fireworks—and murder . . . In addition to her beloved coffees, Sage is thrilled to be expanding her offerings in collaboration with the local whiskey company that is throwing the festival. And how better to launch their new product than with fellow entrepreneurs. But among the crowd of artists and creators, Sage is surprised to spot Left Coast Grinds owner Mark Jeffries, who has it out for Ground Rules. The distillery didn’t invite Mark and they apologize. But nothing can make up for the glare Mark aims at Sage and her co-owner, ...

A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz Blurb from Goodreads : Welcome to Goodnight, Kansas. Many Kansans, three New Yorkers, and one chance to save the place they love most With more wind chimes than residents, folks don't move to Goodnight when their lives are going well. That's why all eyes are on chef Sid Solvang and his family from the moment they turn down Emporia Road to the dilapidated Victorian they inherited. While Sid searches for work and a way back to Brooklyn, his daughter searches for answers to the cryptic messages her grandfather left behind to save both her family and the town. But then Sid makes an impulsive the fledgling May Day Diner, an iconic eatery under the threat of the wrecking ball. As the Solvangs search for their ticket out, they discover the truth of one of heart and tradition, of exploitation and greed, and n...