We Are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman

A dedicated nurse, Stella finds comfort at the hospice where she works the late shift, especially since her husband returned from Afghanistan—cold, distant, and shattered by painful memories he refuses to share. The hospice at night is another world, where the dying receive closure by creating the letters that Stella helps them write. The pages are filled with love and humor, sometimes regret, and, occasionally, even instructions for a perplexed husband on how to run appliances. There’s one rule: The letters are mailed only after the patient has passed.

Suddenly Stella is faced with a dilemma: A woman under her care, Grace, has written a confession to the son she abandoned many years before. The letter clearly needs to be read before Grace dies. But if Stella mails it now, she breaks the rule—and risks tampering not only with Grace’s wishes but also with fate.

Navigating passion and grief, loyalty and loss, and a marriage threatened by silence and secrets, Stella discovers that letters hold a special power: granting solace, saving memories, nurturing relationships. As the words endure, love redeems.

342 pages. (July 2016)

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Title Read-alikes: And Again by Jessica Chiarella; Me Before You by Jojo Moyes; The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey; Bearing the Body by Ehud Havazelet; The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth; Nora Webster by Colm Toibin; Tempting Fate by Jane Green; On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins; A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber; Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt; and Ned's Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher.

Root, Petal, Thorn by Ella Joy Olsen

"Provocative in the way it explodes and expands the category of historical fiction." —Salt Lake Tribune

 

In this beautifully written and powerful debut novel, Ella Joy Olsen traces the stories of five fascinating women who inhabit the same  historic home over the course of a century—braided stories of love, heartbreak and courage connect the women, even across generations.

Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the  home, Ivy is captivated by its quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially  an heirloom rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms.  Called the Emmeline Rose for the home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.

Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. Day by day, as she attempts to rebuild her house and her resolve, she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey. For every story has its sadness, but there is also the possibility of blooming again, even stronger and more resilient than before…

Ella Joy Olsen lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a century old brick bungalow with her husband and three children. She has spent nearly a decade on the Board of Directors for the Salt Lake City Public Library system (and even more years browsing the stacks), and is a member of Women's Fiction Writers and the best book club ever, (SLC Bibliophiles).

294 pages (August 2016)

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13 Book Club Questions to Energize Any Meetup from Bustle

 

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Title Read-alikes: Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen; Blessing in Disguise by Danielle Steel; Two from the Heart by James Patterson; A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber; The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman; The Friendship List by Susan Mallery; Someday Home by Lauraine Snelling; Fly Away by Kristin Hannah; The Scoop by Fern Michaels; Echoes of Family by Barbara Claypole White; The Language of Sisters by Cathy Lamb; The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall; and Letters from Skye by Jessica Blackmole.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet lovable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others.

337 pages (July 2014)

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"The Man Behind ‘A Man Called Ove'" from The New York Times

Book Trailer (Mooresville (IN) Public Library):

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Title Read-alikes: Elling by Ingvar Ambjørnsen; Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam; The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune; The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old by Hendrik Groen; The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey; The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg; There Must Be Some Mistake by Frederick Barthelme; The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons; Elevation by Stephen King; Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior; Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson; Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman; and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

In this striking literary debut, Carol Rifka Brunt unfolds a moving story of love, grief, and renewal as two lonely people become the unlikeliest of friends and find that sometimes you don’t know you’ve lost someone until you’ve found them.

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

360 pages (June 2012)

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To find a discussion guide for this book in the NoveList Plus database, go to the Library's website, click on Novelist under "We Recommend" → "Book Services". Click on "Book Discussion Guides" in the right sidebar on NoveList's home page. Then, either enter the title in the Search box or search for the title alphabetically. (You will need your Salt Lake County Library card number to access this resource outside a county library.)

 

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Meet the Author: Carol Rifka Brunt (Darien Library):

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Title Read-alikes: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving; The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay; Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt; Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett; Faithful by Alice Hoffman; The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez; Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens; Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell; The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt; That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam; The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett; The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey; and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.