Peggy is a part-time bookseller, full-time reader who favors variety in her books. She loves a sad, messy, family epic that shows beauty coexisting with struggle. She also enjoys light, funny, well-told stories, and loves to peek behind the curtain with a good memoir.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris has us imagining those early days for newly freed slaves and returning Confederate soldiers immediately following the Civil War.
The Maid by Nita Prose is a fun, light-hearted murder mystery set in a boutique hotel with the most lovable protagonist. You will smile along as you enjoy this delightful read.
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara is complex in the best way, and thoroughly, thoroughly satisfying. Gorgeously imagined and exquisitely written.
Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson is a fun beach read set on a dude ranch for wealthy wives seeking divorce during the Depression.
This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor by Dr. Susan Wicklund is a first-rate illumination on a complicated and tight-lipped topic. An important read for all of us as our country grapples with Roe vs. Wade.
If you’re looking for a can’t-put-down-thriller-page-turner, look no further than American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.
In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom is a brave and honest book that makes you think deeply about what we would do for someone we love.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is a beautiful and sad tale of a lonely boy’s love for his alcoholic mother. Set in Glasgow during the 1980s.
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders is for lovers of learning and literature. A master class on seven great Russian short stories and why they work.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is a rags-to riches-to-rags novel set in the wealthy Main Line of Pennsylvania. An engaging brother-sister relationship and a beautiful old house are the primary characters.