My kids LOVE this and keep telling me to read it, but adults have also chosen it as a fave for What Should I Read Next. The Penderwicks follows four sisters as they roam the gardens, attics, and have adventures with a very interesting boy named Jeffrey on a sprawling estate in Massachusetts. The sisters range from ages 4-12, making this a great series to read aloud with the whole family. Each of the four sisters typifies a character trait, often drawing comparisons to the March sisters. Each book takes place in a different part of New England, and the Penderwicks timeless adventures bring about a sense of nostalgia. With five books in the series, there’s plenty of sweet childhood scenes to endear readers. The publisher calls this: "Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day." More info →

I loved this emotionally resonant debut about class, culture, regret, and the road not taken so much that I included it on the Summer Reading Guide; it deserves more attention than it's gotten. After twenty years abroad, the Zhens return to their native China to take up residence among Shanghai's nouveau riche. But deep unease lies behind the façade of their pampered lifestyle: husband Wei finds no satisfaction at work, wife Lina spends her days shopping and lunching, and both miss their daughter, who attends school in America. When Wei's long-lost brother reappears, he stirs up a host of long-buried emotions, forcing Lina to revisit past choices she hid from her husband. The backdrop of contemporary Shanghai and a national festival highlights how the family embodies China's current conflicts and complexities: rich vs poor, urban vs rural, old vs new values. More info →

We get a lot of messages about what we "should" be prioritizing over the season, but have you stopped to ask yourself what matters most to you? With her five Lazy Genius principles, my friend Kendra will help you live according to what matters and let go of the stuff that doesn't. I make much use of her "decide once" principle when times get stressful, and her guide has helped my whole family plan around what matters most to us. With her friendly voice and style, Kendra illustrates each principle with stories from her own life. More info →

Hugely popular among readers who love books about language, this inventive story takes on a big challenge. In the quaint, imaginary island of Nollop a special council of government bans the use of specific letters from the alphabet, leaving its citizens to hilariously and courageously find new ways to communicate. As each letter falls from grace amongst the council, so do they fall out of the novel completely. You read that right: the author tasked himself with a seriously tough obstacle in writing entire chapters without certain letters. Within these creative constraints lies a lovely tale of freedom, linguistics, and epistolary fun. More info →

Allende is prolific: her earliest works might be considered modern classics, yet her recent releases feel fresh. This sweeping epic begins on a stormy day in 1920. The titular heroine is born in the midst of the Spanish Flu—and tumultuous times have just begun for her family. Told in epistolary form, this novel almost reads like a juicy autobiography, following Violeta’s love affairs, heartbreaks, and responses to historical events. If you’ve never read any Allende, you can absolutely start here, then work your way back to see how she's influenced the historical fiction genre. More info →

This contemporary fiction includes wild game, complex family relationships, and an interesting narrator experiencing the highs and lows of life. Emma Starling drops out of medical school and returns home to Everton, New Hampshire in order to care for her father who developed a rare brain condition. She starts substitute teaching, reconnects with an ex-boyfriend, and learns that her former best friend has gone missing. Meanwhile, her father sees animals where there were no animals and the ghosts of dead townspeople offer up their commentary on the goings on. Annie Hartnett is a master at combining the heavy with the light. There are serious topics present, like dementia, depression, and the opioid crisis, but it’s light in tone overall. Hartnett said she was raised to find humor in difficult or dark situations and that’s the case here. More info →

What’s a feisty young lady to do when an eligible bachelor is murdered at the local ball? If you’re Beatrice Steele, you use your secret true crime knowledge to investigate, of course! This hilarious debut cozy mystery-comedy set in the English countryside has it all: games of whist, a disgusting swamp, dashing gentleman, needlepoint, bioluminescent frogs, footnotes, a guest list of quirky characters, and scones. Imagine What We Do in the Shadows meets Jane Austen with dashes of The Addams Family. The dark and stormy weather, crumbling old estate, laugh-out loud moments, and fun twisty turns make the audiobook read by Fiona Hampton a fabulous pick for fall! Whispersync narration available. More info →

From the publisher: "From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December. Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is not what dating columnist Cleo Wilder wanted, but she plans a solo retreat―at the insistence of her boss―in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some self-care while she figures out the next steps in her love life and her career. Mack Sullivan is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul-searching has brought him to the same Irish island to explore his roots and find some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both have reserved the same one-room hideaway on exactly the same dates. Instantly at odds, Cleo and Mack don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would." More info →

From the publisher: "Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies—good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates—The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!—it’s a break too big to pass up. Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone—much less 'a failed, nobody screenwriter.' Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script—it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme. But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter—even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules—and comes true?" More info →

Powerful and jarring. Publisher's description: "The novel that inspired Robert Redford’s Oscar-winning film starring Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore. In Judith Guest's remarkable first novel, the Jarrets are a typical American family. Calvin is a determined, successful provider and Beth an organized, efficient wife. They had two sons, Conrad and Buck, but now they have one. In this memorable, moving novel, Judith Guest takes the reader into their lives to share their misunderstandings, pain...and ultimate healing." More info →