Booknerdia
Seasonal Reads
Whether it's Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter, we share books that reflect seasonal vibes.
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Our book list will change often, so check out the current ones listed before they disappear on the wind!​
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Have you read a seasonal book that was SO GOOD that you'd love to share the title with other readers?
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Email us at booknerdians@gmail.com and include the title and season it fits, and we might post your suggestion to this page!
Spring & Summer Reads
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Whether you're looking for a book about new life and renewal or something with warm weather vibes to read by the pool or with your feet stuck in the sand, these titles will be a breath of fresh air.
High school guidance counselor Nora Jenkins has her hands full. Her new student, Ivy Ryman, has been wreaking havoc at Oakland High and has occupied all of Nora’s work hours. With his busy schedule, music producer Blaze Ryman can’t get a handle on his daughter. But Nora has a soft spot for the girl who’s lost her mother and is now living with her mega-famous father.
When summer break finally arrives, Nora packs up and heads for the turquoise Gulf Coast to soak in the sparkling surf and sip on cocktails until she falls asleep, wrapped in sunlight on the warm beach.
She’s just about to get her wish. Until Ivy and her father unexpectedly show up at her beachfront doorstep.
When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.
Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she's even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days...and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with-with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.
Blythe Benedict is content. Her life didn’t end when her marriage did. In fact, she’s more than happy living in her comfortable house in Boston, working as a middle school teacher, and raising four wonderful children. With three of her kids in the throes of teenagerhood and one not too far behind them, Blythe has plenty of drama to keep her busy every single day.
But no amount of that drama could change the family’s beloved annual summer trip to Nantucket. Blythe has always treasured the months spent at her island home-away-from-home, and has fond memories of her children growing up there. But this summer’s getaway proves to be much more than she bargained for.
Yes, there are sunny days enjoyed at the beach. But Blythe must contend with teenage angst, her ex-mother-in-law’s declining health, and a troubling secret involving her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Blythe reconnects with her first love, her former high school sweetheart Aaden. But their second-time-around romance becomes complicated when another intriguing man enters the picture.
It’s all a bit out of Blythe’s comfort zone. This particular island summer may not be as relaxing as Blythe had hoped, but she’s never felt that life has given her more than she can handle—especially when she has the love and support of her family around her.
As a child, Phoebe Manigault developed the gift of premonition after she was struck by lightning in the creek near her Charleston home. Plagued throughout her life by mysterious dreams, and always living in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Addie, Phoebe eventually moves to the West Coast, as far from her family as possible. Now, years later, she is summoned back to South Carolina, to help Addie care for their ailing mother.
As Phoebe’s return lures her back into deep-rooted tensions and conflicts, she is drawn toward Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing years ago. Their connection, woven through shared losses and hope, brings comfort to Phoebe, while Celeste’s adult grandson Liam resurrects complicated emotions tied to Phoebe’s past.
But the longer Phoebe spends in her childhood home, the more her recurring nightmares intensify—bringing her closer to the shocking truth that will irrevocably change everything. Unfolding against the lush backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry, That Last Carolina Summer is an unforgettable family drama and mystery about the unbreakable bonds of family and the gift of second chances.
Lila Kennedy has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Her career is in freefall and her love life is . . . complicated. So when her real dad—a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood thirty-five years ago—suddenly appears on her doorstep, it feels like the final straw. But it turns out even the family you thought you could never forgive might have something to teach you: about love, and what it actually means to be family.
Fall Reads
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Fall is a gorgeous time of year! The air is crisp, the colors are vibrant, and food are laced with pumpkin spice. It's the perfect season for snuggling under a blanket in a sweatshirt or PJs and losing yourself in a book.
Lost and guarded after getting out of a toxic relationship, Noli Kasper follows her older sisters to idyllic Cashmere Cove to get her life back on track. But when she’s pulled over on the way into town by a police officer who turns out to be her insufferable new boss, her dreams of an uncomplicated fresh start feel dead on arrival.
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Collin Rattler has spent his whole life trying to live up to his cop dad’s expectations and reputation. Now, Collin has his sights set on earning the title of county sheriff—something even his father never accomplished. When early polls show Collin’s playboy habits are hurting his chances, his team makes a suggestion: settle down with a nice, respectable woman for the year leading up to the election to prove he can commit. The problem? Collin doesn’t do relationships.
Yet when he lets slip his team’s preposterous plan to Noli, a woman he finds as self-righteous and enigmatic as she is beautiful, he’s not sure what’s more shocking—that she offers to help him or that he finds himself falling for her in the process.
When a mysterious man turns up at Grace’s family-run inn, there's instant attraction. But she’s already got a lot on her plate: running the Bluebell Inn by herself now that her siblings and co-owners have moved on, getting her new store Blue Ridge Outfitters off the ground, and coping with a childhood event she’d thought was long past.
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A gunshot wound has resurrected the past for secret service agent Wyatt Jennings, and a mandatory leave of absence lands him in Bluebell, North Carolina. There he must try and come to grips with the crisis that altered his life forever.
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Grace needs experience for her new outfitters business, so when Wyatt needs a mountain guide, she’s more than happy to help. As their journey progresses, Wyatt begins opening up to Grace, and he finds himself drawn to Grace’s fresh outlook and sense of humor.
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There’s no doubt the two have formed a special bond, but will Wyatt’s secrets bring Grace’s world crashing down? Or will those secrets end up healing them both?
When overworked marketing executive Emily Bennett returns to the charming seaside town of Seabreeze Haven to renovate her late grandmother’s house, she plans to finish the project quickly and get back to her busy city life. But as autumn paints the town in golden hues and the crisp sea breeze fills the air, Emily finds herself enveloped in the warmth of her childhood memories and the close-knit community she once knew.
Enter Jack Turner, her high school sweetheart turned dependable town handyman. With his rugged good looks and kind heart, Jack offers to help Emily with the renovations, sparking both humorous mishaps and touching moments. As they work side by side, old feelings resurface, and Emily begins to question the life she left behind.
Caught between a lucrative project with her job in the city and the growing pull of Seabreeze Haven, Emily must navigate challenges and make a decision about her love for both the town and Jack. Through pumpkin-carving contests, cozy evenings by the sea, and the magic of the Harvest Festival, Emily discovers that sometimes, the path to happiness leads you right back home.
Abandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she’s never lived. When a private investigator crashes into her world, she finds herself heading to a tiny seaside town in Maine to meet a woman named Maggie, who’s searching for the granddaughter she lost decades ago.
If not for Maggie, Neil MacKean might still be back in Scotland, bereft and alone. Instead, he has a full life in Muir Harbor with an adopted family he loves and a blueberry farm to run. But the farm is struggling and strange occurrences have him concerned. Worse, Maggie’s once again caught up in the past, convinced she’s finally found her long-lost granddaughter.
Worried for Maggie, Neil is suspicious of the city girl who shows up at the farm. But there’s something about Sydney that tugs on him, drawing out secrets he never meant to share. While Neil grapples with the future of the farm, Sydney wrestles with a past that’s messier than ever. Together, they’re pulled into a mystery complete with a centuries-old legend, unexpected danger . . . and a love as deep and wild as the sea.
Christmas Reads
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Authors target Christmas for new releases, which means there's a Santa's sack full of fresh holiday reads every year between October and December. It's impossible to read them all in time for Christmas, but it's still fun to read them after December 25. Save some for Christmas in July, too. A cozy, festive read is perfect for any time of the year that you need an extra dose of cheer.
Dr. Terry McBride is thrilled to come back to her hometown of Mistletoe Meadows to take over the practice of the town's retiring physician. Unfortunately the tight housing market has her sharing a duplex with quiet and mysterious Judd Landis. Terry is unsure about the situation, since they'll share a kitchen and bathroom, but Judd turns out to be the perfect roommate, except it's obvious he's hiding something. Maybe a lot of things.
Judd wants to do the good doctor a favor, and give her a place to stay, because he knows she giving up the opportunity for a more lucrative career to come back to her hometown, but he has carefully cultivated a cover to hide the Secret Saint things he's been doing in town and he doesn't need the noesy doctor blowing his cover, no matter how kind and compassionate - and attractive - she is.
When Terry is tasked with posting on the town's social media page about the actions and possible identity of the Secret Saint, Judd is in danger of being found out. But, as they work together through the Christmas parade and a hot chocolate contest as well as helping needy members of their community, the attraction between them is undeniable. Will they see that they can do more for the community - and each other - if they pair up permanently?
To the outside world, Imogen is a marketing dynamo. Her colleagues don’t know that while her high-achieving professional image is real, the happy childhood stories she spins are as fake as her pretend enthusiasm for Christmas. Working 24/7 has always been her solution to surviving the festive season—until burnout leads to a catastrophic blunder.
Suddenly, Imogen is handed a holiday gift she definitely doesn’t want: enforced time off work to recuperate. Then an invitation arrives from her favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds. From the thatched roof to the cozy open fireplace, Holly Cottage is a picture-perfect haven… Can it provide the fresh start Imogen so desperately needs?
For Dorothy, helping Imogen offers a longed-for chance to make reparations for her own past. But as her daughter Sara keeps reminding her, it brings risks, too. Yet Dorothy knows that only a leap of courage will allow her family to grow and heal. And perhaps this Christmas, with Dorothy’s help, the new life that Imogen is slowly piecing together could be better than anything either of them could imagine…
Ashley James is supposed to be having the Christmas of her dreams. After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she will finally get a little velvet box of her own. And she knows exactly when. Her boyfriend Jeremy is taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?
Pretty much everything.
When nothing turns out as planned, instead of delighting in espresso and croissants across from the Eiffel Tower, Ashley finds herself on a train to Owl Lake. She falls asleep on the ride and, upon waking, discovers a mysterious antique charm bracelet on her wrist.
Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that actually happens. And when she runs into Aidan Flynn, her former high school boyfriend, her life takes an even bigger turn. Will she have the Christmas she hoped for or will she get a little Christmas magic instead? No matter what, this Christmas will be unlike any other before it.
Leigh Beth Stilton has never liked the holidays. After growing up in an unstable home, escaping an abusive marriage, and witnessing daily tragedies as an EMT, Leigh just can’t bring herself to care about Christmas cheer. In fact, she’s so convinced she’s not worth loving that one winter’s eve, she decides she can’t go on—until she comes across a book called Bethel and starts to read.
Leigh is unfamiliar with the author, J.D. Harper, but his words speak directly to her. She’s never felt so seen and understood, and this connection gives her the strength to carry on. She avidly reads every novel Harper has written, and when he comes to town for a book signing, she jumps at the opportunity to meet the writer who means so much to her.
In a twist of fate, Leigh runs into J.D. in a coffee shop, and the two immediately click. Before she knows it, she’s swept up in a whirlwind of fancy dinners, exciting travel, and the attention of the man whose work has been so meaningful to her. But she’s leery after a lifetime of pain and when she discovers that J.D. hasn’t been completely honest, her hopes are dashed. Can they find their way back to each other and can Leigh learn to trust her heart?
A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.
Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.
When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more―a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmastime on Cape Cod.
Winter Reads
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Winter reads are tricky to find because many of them are Christmas themed. If you enjoy reading by the fire with hot cocoa in here, try one of these wintery selections.
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.
Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.
Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
1950: Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it's just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: "Where did Narnia come from?"
Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers.
Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.
After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."
The Sheriff Takes a Wife
It's love at first sight for city girl Christy Manning and small-town sheriff Cody Franklin. But despite their fast and intense connection, they both have…complicated…relationship statuses. Cody is wary of being burned again, and Christy is worried that no matter what choice she makes, someone is going to be hurt. Still, the two can't seem to keep away from each other and will have to find the courage to follow their hearts.
First Comes Marriage
Janine Hartman loves her grandfather but balks at his plan to choose her a husband. Zach Thomas, the intended groom, has recently merged his business with the Hartman family firm, and that's the only Hartman–Thomas merger he wants. But Grandfather has other ideas, ideas belonging to a different place, a different time. It would be a perfect match, he insists. Zach and Janine don't agree. In fact, they agree on only one thing—that Gramps is a stubborn, meddling old man. But…what if he's right?
Elfrida Phipps, once of London’s stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life―shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name―still she finds herself lonely.
Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile.
Carrie returns from Austria at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and sister sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her sister's awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.
Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.
It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan.
