The first novel in The Land of Stories series, this adventurous tale follows twins Alex and Conner as they (literally) fall into a favorite book from childhood and find themselves face-to-face with classic fairy tale characters. In The Land of Stories, happily-ever-after is not as peaceful as it seems: Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive, and the Evil Queen has escaped from her prison. Desperate to get back to reality, the twins set out on a quest, collecting magical items for a special spell to send them home. With six books in the series (the complete stories are on sale as a set), these are great for families who love a twist on classic fairy tales. More info →

From Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale: "Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young, raised two daughters, and weathered the storms of youth as they built a family. From a distance, their lives look picture perfect. But after the girls leave home, Jack and Elizabeth quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job, Elizabeth puts her own needs aside to follow him across the country. Then tragedy turns Elizabeth's world upside down. In the aftermath, she questions everything about her life—her choices, her marriage, even her long-forgotten dreams. In a daring move that shocks her husband, friends, and daughters, she lets go of the woman she has become—and reaches out for the woman she wants to be." More info →

This book is amazing. Read it and you'll totally understand why people say everyone should read this once. From the publisher: "Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose." More info →

This is the story of beautiful, privileged people, and the insecurities that lay beneath the surface, threatening to ruin their seemingly perfect relationships. Its haunting and wistful tones suit the themes of love, longing, and growing up. Fitzgerald said of Tender, "Gatsby was a tour de force, but this is a confession of faith." Set in the French Riviera of the 1920s: if I can't go back in time, I'll settle for the Riviera. The version on sale features an introduction by Amor Towles. More info →

I can't believe I didn't read this book years ago, because now that I've read it, it reminds me so much of my all-time faves Wallace Stegner, Wendell Berry, and Marilynne Robinson. I don't want to say too much, but I found this up-close look at an unlikely relationship between two long-time acquaintances in small-town Colorado completely absorbing, and Haruf hits just the right tone with his light touch. Listen to me recommend this book in Episode 84 of What Should I Read Next? to Shawn Smucker. This is definitely one of those books where the flap copy doesn't do it justice. This was my first Haruf novel, and I'll be reading more. More info →

From the publisher: "Nearly a decade ago Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he burst onto the literary scene with Angela's Ashes. Now, here at last, is McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. Teacher Man is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. McCourt creates a lasting impact on his students through imaginative assignments (he instructs one class to write 'An Excuse Note from Adam or Eve to God'), singalongs (featuring recipe ingredients as lyrics), and field trips (imagine taking twenty-nine rowdy girls to a movie in Times Square!)." More info →

This is one of my my favorite rereads. Family stories are commonplace in fiction, but I love this one for its intricate plotting, nuanced characters, true-to-life feel, and ultimate hopefulness. This is the story of an unlikely but successful marriage between a floundering American professor and a British film star who hated the limelight so much she faked her own death and disappeared ... until an unexpected bit of news, twenty years old but newly discovered, threatens to unravel everything they've built together. If you want to hear me talk more about this story, told in interlocking scenes from different viewpoints, occurring between 1944 and 2016, it's the subject of One Great Book episode 8. More info →

An in-depth account of the devastating Chernobyl disaster and its reverberating effects. Higginbotham combines piles of research with interviews and firsthand accounts in this compulsively readable report. Starting at the beginning, in the nuclear power plant control room, the reader follows the tragedy from early mistakes, to government lies, to worldwide disaster response. The political, social, and scientific implications of this event are fascinating and terrifying. This is a must-read for any history-lover or nonfiction fan. More info →

Rovelli's writing is elegant and poetic, and attainable for the non-scientist. From the publisher: "Why do we remember the past and not the future? Do we exist in time or does time exist in us? For most readers this is unfamiliar terrain. We all experience time, but the more scientists learn about it, the more mysterious it remains. We think of it as uniform and universal, moving steadily from past to future, measured by clocks. Rovelli tears down these assumptions one by one, revealing a strange universe where at the most fundamental level time disappears. Weaving together ideas from philosophy, science and literature, he suggests that our perception of the flow of time depends on our perspective. Already a bestseller in Italy, The Order of Time offers a profoundly intelligent, culturally rich, novel appreciation of the mysteries of time." More info →

In a wide assortment of essays, lists, quotes, recipes, and musings, Matt Haig shares his “life rafts,” the things he turns to for comfort and reassurance when he’s feeling low. As someone who has lived with depression and suicidal thoughts for many years, Haig collects snippets to cling to when it feels like life has thrown him overboard, such as an ode to peanut butter toast, 10 books that helped his mind, or an essay titled “Ferris Bueller and the Meaning of Life,” and shares them here with tenderness and wit. More info →