Staff Picks

Emily Rhode lives a fairly tame life, never one to commit to any one thing for too long. So, when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, she doesn’t hesitate to drop everything – her job at the law firm, the boyfriend she refuses to admit to loving, her entire life, essentially – to be her sole caregiver. In doing so, she is reunited with her father, a man that has been out of her life since the age of five. Davis, who was a writer for The Late Show with David Letterman, has a talent for finding the humor in just about any situation, and the topics touched on in this novel are no exception. Perfect for anyone looking for a quick read with lots of laughs.

Magic for Beginners is a collection of nine incredible stories, each of which focuses on a topic we can all relate to. This includes: a family who moves into their dream home only to watch their possessions slowly become haunted; a group of teenagers obsessed with a television show they may or may not star in; the issues that arise when one marries a ghost; a magic faery handbag containing an entire village of people who live under a hill; experimental C.I.A. pajamas inscribed with the diary pages of a strange woman; weekly apocalyptic poker parties; forbidden books, pirate-magicians, and of course, zombie contingency plans. One of my favorite collections of short stories. Ever. What are you waiting for? Read it! You know you want to.

I became a fan of Cathleen Schine years ago after reading The Evolution of Jane, so when I heard she had a new novel out I immediately got my hands on a copy and began reading what has become my favorite book of hers. The New Yorkers beautifully captures the lives of a group of individuals -- an insomniac music teacher, a divorced chemist, a restaurant owner, and a bartender to name a few -- who, along with their dogs, venture out into the city to become part of its diverse community. A great story that showcases the way our pets allow us -- force us, even -- to get out into the world, step out of ourselves, and become part of something greater.

“When I would hear people say that you can’t start over, that you cannot escape the past, I would think 'You can. You must.'” After her dad's sudden death, Clarissa Iverton learns that he was not in fact her biological father. This news sends her on a journey to the Laplands where she leaves behind the life she has known in hope of discovering the true identity of her father and to learn once and for all why her mother abandoned her years ago. This is one book I've had on my list for a very long time, I now wish I had picked it up sooner. What a beautiful, haunting tale of a woman trying to find herself after years of feeling lost and out of place! Not one to miss.

Throughout the years, there have been few books which have moved me the way this novel has. Loving Frank is one of those stories which leave you aching to know more about its characters, something I’ve spent quite a lot of free time doing ever since I finished reading it. You certainly don’t have to be a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright in order to appreciate the beautiful story behind his romance with Mamah Borthwick, though you will likely be curious to know more about a topic so rarely written about. An engaging read about an amazingly intelligent, passionate and fascinating woman.

"To belong nowhere is a blessing and a curse, like any kind of freedom." Leah Stewart tells a powerful story of love, loss, and regret through the friendship of Cameron and Sonia in The Myth of You and Me. Torn apart after an incident in college, the two part ways for nearly a decade only to be reunited at the request of historian Oliver Ducet, Camerons' one true companion since she and Sonia ended their friendship years earlier. A great pick for anyone who understands what it means to have a relationship more powerful than romance and what it means to lose the one person who knows you better than anyone.

NBC News correspondent Mike Leonard takes us on a fascinating cross-country adventure alongside his eccentric family in The Ride of Our Lives. Join three generations of a truly remarkable family as they journey to new, unexplored territory as well as revisit sites both memorable and significant to their family history. As immeasurably funny as they are honest, you will fall in love with each and every one of them, and then feel inspired to take a similar trip of your very own.