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Saoirse by Charleen Hurtobise

April 1, 2026

saoirse

A teenage girl in fear for her life steals both money and a passport to get out of the U.S. and into Ireland in the 1990s. This is the beginning of the novel Saoirse, but it’s nowhere near the beginning of the life of Sarah, the main character. That unspools slowly throughout the book as the years pass and Sarah morphs into Saoirse. She goes from a toxic childhood to a woman ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, debut, Ireland, literary

Lucky Girl

February 17, 2026

lucky

What is life like when you have an extraordinary gift? When you’re a child with an ability that goes far beyond your years and you have the determination to see it grow? For Lucy, the ability was dance and her ambition so fierce it takes her to the heights of commercial success in Lucky Girl, an insightful novel about coming-of-age and what happens after dreams come ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, coming-of-age, debut, literary

Crux by Gabriel Tallent

February 4, 2026

crux

Life in a nowhere town in the Mojave Desert should be torture for teens, but Daniel and Tamma are rock-climbing freaks and the area is filled with challenging boulders. Best friends since childhood they spend every waking moment not in school out on the rocks, but as Crux opens it is senior year. Daniel is a gifted student likely to be accepted at the best schools while Tamma ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: coming-of-age, friendship, literary

Home of the American Circus

August 21, 2025

american circus

Home of the American Circus begins with Freya’s rent being overdue and her appendix bursting. These two events give her no choice but to leave Maine where she lives and head back to her hometown in New York. And not just the town, but her childhood home which was left to her by her parents. Once there she reunites with her best friend, a troubled musician who is also living ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, childhood, family, literary

What Kind of Paradise

July 22, 2025

paradise

Jane has lived her entire life in a 700 square foot cabin near Bozeman, Montana; her contact with the modern world significantly limited. Her father is stern, but loving, a Luddite zealot who raves against technology in any form and writes copious screeds that no one reads, except Jane. Until he realizes that, with her help, the new expanse of the internet is the perfect place ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1990s, coming-of-age, historical

The Bright Years

April 29, 2025

bright years

Four generations of one Texas family unfold on the pages of Sarah Damoff’s intimate debut, The Bright Years. What begins with the simple act of falling in love turns into something deeper and more profound as secrets and addiction pull apart the loving trio of father Ryan, mother Lillian, and daughter Georgette (Jet), leaving each to manage the fallout. The novel is told in ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, family, literary

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