Whether you will be under a cozy blanket in front of the fire, or under an umbrella in front of the sparkling, blue ocean, nothing beats getting lost in a good book! From heart warming to heart wrenching, here are some recommendations for February.
The Heart by Maylis De Kerangal
Published on Valentine’s Day in 2017, this award winning, French novel was praised by Atul Gawande (Being Mortal), Lionel Shriver (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Sandeep Jauhar (Heart A History), Anita Shreve (The Stars Are Fire) and recommended by Bill Gates. It is about a deadly accident and a heart transplant, and according to the book jacket, “With the precision of a surgeon and the language of a poet, Kerangal has made a major contribution to both medicine and literature with an epic tale of grief, hope, and survival.”
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
A Today Show, Read With Jenna Book Club Choice, this novel centers on two ministers and their wives and the Third Presbyterian Church. It is a story of faith, love and friendship, and takes place in Greenwich Village in the 1960s during a time of social change.
Heart A History by Sandeep Jauhar
In this nonfiction book, the author, a practicing cardiologist, shares with us his personal health scare along with many stories of scientific discovery and medical technology related to the heart. Beautifully written, touching and informative, I learned so much and highly recommend it. Here is my review.
This moving memoir by Glennon Doyle Melton tells the author’s emotional story of personal self discovery after the ending of her marriage to Craig Melton in 2016. The book was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club that year, (here is a video), and several months later, Doyle entered a relationship with soccer player Abby Wambach. In 2017 they married.
Rouge by Richard Kirshenbaum
A fun and fast paced novel centered around the rivalry of 20th century cosmetic industry pioneers. Writer and ad executive, Kirschenbaum takes us on a wild ride inside the beauty industry with strong, competitive and backstabbing women striving to be number one. Loosely inspired by Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyle
Beginning in the 1940s in Ireland, Boyne takes us on Cyril Avery’s coming of age journey, where homosexuality is a crime. From the Catholic Church, to illegitimate children, IRA violence, the AIDs crisis, Amsterdam, Dublin and New York City, this is an epic story with turbulence and humor. If you missed it, now is the time to pick up a copy!
For more books to take on vacation, check out these ENGAGING BEACH READS.
