Fiction
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: Riveting sci-fi about a lone astronaut who wakes up from a coma without any memory of who or where he is; and, little-by-little, begins remembering details of himself and his mission. As his memory begins to come back he has to overcome many obstacles in order to complete that mission. Just as in Weir’s first book, The Martian, he forges on using math and science skills to be successful, because failure is not an option. There’s action/adventure, deception, and a bit of a twist as well, in this horrifying sci-fi thriller.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller: A story of summer, secrets, love and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, is about the woman who helped JP Morgan create the Morgan Library in NYC.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, is about female code breakers at Bletchley Park during WWII. Joining the elite Bletchley Park codebreaking team during World War II, three women from very different walks of life uncover a spy’s dangerous agenda years later against the backdrop of the royal wedding of Elizabeth and Philip.
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish: Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history.
Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks, a collection of short stories
Non-Fiction
On Animals by Susan Orlean: Examining animal-human relationships through captivating stories she has written over the course of her career, the author, in this book that is equal parts wonderful and profound, celebrates the cross-species connections that grace our collective existence.
The happiest man on Earth : the beautiful life of an Auschwitz survivor by Eddie Jaku
Movies
12 Mighty Orphans: The true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes, or even a football, to playing for the Texas state championships.
Here today: When veteran comedy writer Charlie Burnz meets New York singer Emma Payge, they form an unlikely yet hilarious and touching friendship that kicks the generation gap aside and redefines the meaning of love and trust.
The father: A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality.
The Park Bench: A sweet story about a tutor and aspiring librarian, Emily, her American Lit tutee, Mateo and their evolving relationship.
The Windermere Children: a true story about children who were rescued from the Holocaust and taken to safety in England.
eBooks or Audiobooks
Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I get Old by Steven Petrow: “Soon after his fiftieth birthday, Petrow began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old”-mostly a catalog of all the things he thought his then seventy-something year old parents were doing wrong. That list became the basis of this rousing collection of do’s and don’ts, wills and won’ts that is equal parts hilarious, honest, and practical.”