The New York Times Best Sellers

“This is an intriguing story, part family saga, part social commentary, about twin sisters whose lives diverged into two very different directions. Desiree and Stella grew up in Mallard, Louisiana, a place that didn't show up on any map and a community that in the 1960s was racist in a peculiar way: the population was almost exclusively very light-skinned African Americans, many of whom could pass for white. Fourteen years before the story begins, Desiree and Stella suddenly left home together to find work in New Orleans. Shortly afterwards, Stella disappeared without a trace. Desiree married, had a child, and in 1968 decided to return to Mallard to her mother's house to escape an abusive husband. Skipping ahead ten years to 1978, we meet Stella, who has also married and had a child, and now lives in California in an exclusively white upscale neighborhood where not even her husband knows about her African American blood. In a coincidence that the author makes seem believable, the twins' daughters meet, and Stella's secret is in danger of being exposed. Bennett's characters are well-developed and provide a clearly-drawn portrait of race, gender, and the ties that hold families and relationships together.”

“This is one of the best books I’ve listened to in a long time. The historical time period is the backdrop to an outstanding story about the evolution of a woman. The character development is incredibly heartfelt and the words that flow through each narration are beautifully expressed. This book, and the main character Elsa, has stayed with me for days. Definitely worth the time.”

“No one really needs my blurb to help sell this book, but I wanted to give it anyway, especially for the audiobook, narrated by Barack Obama himself. If you want to know his incredible knowledge and wisdom that guided him through major decisions, and also hear him drop a few F-bombs, you need to listen to this fantastically written book. ”

“I was really impressed with Kate Quinn's newest work, The Rose Code, following three women during their turn as codebreakers at Bletchley Place during WWII. The novel jumps back and forth between their BP days, where we witness their blossoming friendships as well as falling out, and the period leading up to Queen Elizabeth's royal wedding when the three must come together to uncover a traitor. There was some great character development and I loved the focus on a slightly lesser known side of England's WWII history. Beth in particular stood out as a character that had a great arc, standing up to her religious bully of a mother and really coming into her own. The inclusion of Osla Kendall and her relationship with Prince Phillip pre-marriage was SUPER intriguing as well (and had me flashing back to The Crown season 1). I also enjoyed the discussion of gender roles and how men who worked at BP were often bullied and alienated for "not participating in the war effort" because they weren't enlisted but also couldn't divulge their secretive roles. I listened to the audiobook which was expertly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I am always floored by the number of accents and personalities Maarleveld can bestow on her characters and she shone in her interpretation of Mab, Osla, and Beth. I turned into this book at literally every free moment I had because Maarleveld and Quinn kept the suspense up throughout and really reeled you in. Kate Quinn does it again with The Rose Code and I highly recommend it to any historical fiction fan. I pre-ordered 2 copies for both of my grandmothers before even finishing because I just knew it would be a stunner even 100 pages in!”

“I read this book non-stop for a week, underlining, reading passages to my friends & recommending it to anyone with a pulse. There are many great stories inside, but their charm & power, really, is all Glennon. She is a spiritual seeker & leader who loves reality tv, a formidable activist on the global scale who gets anxiety sweats when the doorbell rings. Equal parts poetic & conversational, memoir & manifesto. Her love story will make you swoon. Her shamelessness & relentless self-interrogation will make you feel deeply exposed. This is not a "you can do it, girl!" book. It's more like a spiritual marathon that invites you to jump the guardrail & take off.”

“Klara and the Sun is a parable, a warning, a neatly-crafted story that fits into an Artificial Friend-sized box, which—make no mistake—is not to say that it’s ordinary. Ishiguro explores the ethics of creating artificial intelligence that’s indistinguishable from humans, at least ideally. But Klara and her owner, Josie, are kindred spirits with vastly different fates. Is love still love when its object is replaceable, nay, disposable? Are some people more valuable than others; can grief ever be inappropriate? This seamless story examines our increasingly automated world, our obsession with usability, and the things that get left behind.”

“I adore our former president and I miss him. Yet I cannot help but be ecstatic that Michelle is coming out with a book about her own life so that I can learn more about this powerful, intelligent, and singularly awesome woman. Barack would be the first to say that his wife is a superstar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Becoming to read about her in her own words.”

“This first novel by nature writer Delia Owens has something for everyone. Fans of poetry, natural history, murder mysteries, southern food, and romance will be caught up in the deeply moving prose and memorable characters. Plus, the narrator adds in the North Carolina accents, too!”

“This is an audio experience. Malcolm Gladwell talks about it a bit in the beginning. He chose to use audio recordings of interviews, etc., wherever available instead of just reading the quotes himself. There’s music spattered throughout. It’s kind of a book/podcast. It is not just a direct reading of the text. Also, Malcolm Gladwell has a soothing voice but covers some unsettling topics, so you can definitely listen to this one and not fall asleep. I won’t say I enjoyed this book, because how can you enjoy something that talks about all the unpleasant side effects of misinterpreting interactions with strangers? But it was incredibly interesting. We hear about what went wrong with Amanda Knox, the Brock Turner trial, and Sandra Bland, amidst many other examples. I love books like this that examine psychology through real life things. I definitely feel like I learned something from Talking to Strangers, and for me, that’s really the best way to judge a nonfiction title.”