Lehane has been recommended to me by several friends and I finally picked up a book – and I’m glad I did. This was a great crime noir novel set during the Prohibition in my former hometown of Tampa, Florida, with mob ties to Cuba, Boston, New York and more. Joe Coughlin is the son of a Boston cop who becomes one of the Gulf Coast’s most successful rum runners. He’s a good bad guy and Lehane will have you rooting for the mobster to have a happy ending. It’s also being made into a movie next year starring Ben Affleck. Can’t wait!

Prepare to cry over the atrocities of war from the victims’ perspectives. After reading the heartbreaking Between Shades of Grayabout the genocide of the Baltic people during World War II, I was drawn to Sepetys’ latest historical fiction book about the sinking of the German military transport ship MV Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945, the deadliest maritime disaster in history with an estimated 9,400 lost (much larger than the 2,224 lost when the Titanic sunk). The story is told from four teenagers from various backgrounds: a Prussian nurse, a Prussian art apprentice, a pregnant Polish girl and a Hitler-supporting sailor. Sepetys’ detailed research provides a better understanding of the often-ignored stories of war through her fictional stories.

I loved the first book in this series so much that I devoured the second one. The peculiar children escape from the island and are on a mission to save Miss Peregrine, who is stuck in bird form. But all is not as it seems and there are creepy children – shown in actual photographs – the peculiar group meets along the way. The children work together in a “time loop” in 1940s London to save Miss Peregrine – and themselves – before the peculiars are gone forever.

This is best-selling writer Anne Lamott’s advice on writing and will be a must-read for any aspiring authors. The title was inspired by her father’s advice to her young brother who was trying to write a report about birds that was due the next day. “My father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’ ”

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of “The Daily Show” began with a criminal act: his birth. This is the story of how Noah beat the odds – supported by an amazing mother – and struggled with race and identity his entire life. It’s funny, it’s sad and it’s a great history lesson for those who are unfamiliar with South African history and apartheid.

This book was lent to me by a friend and Brown is someone I’ve been meaning to read since I follow her Compassion Collective “sisters” – Elizabeth Gilbert, Cheryl Strayed and Glennon Doyle Melton – on social media. The title comes from the “Man in the Arena” speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 and focuses on the uncertainty, risks and emotional exposure that defines what it means to be vulnerable or “dare greatly.” Ultimately, this book is about courage and learning to put ourselves out there, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Also, watch her 2010 TED Talk on the subject – she’s a powerful speaker, researcher and storyteller.

It’s hard to describe “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” without referencing other books featuring mythical lands and creatures: “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Harry Potter” and even Tolkien’s Middle-Earth come to mind as Swedish best-selling author Fredrik Backman creates an elaborate story in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas.

It is reality told in the form of a fairy tale by 7-year-old Elsa’s elderly and quirky grandmother. When her grandmother dies, Elsa is sent on an incredible adventure to deliver apology letters. The letters lead her to an apartment building full of unusual and interesting people who each begin to take on the persona of characters in Granny’s stories.

Fans of Backman’s first novel, “A Man Called Ove,” may enjoy this different take on the intergenerational relationship between the two main characters and the lives they influence. This book also introduces one of the apartment complex’s residents, “nag-bag” Britt-Marie, who is given her own novel, “Britt-Marie Was Here.”

This is a fast read of hilarious comics sure to make anyone chuckle. I read it on my phone while waiting for an appointment and I quickly recommended it to everyone. These comics will appeal to women as Sarah examines personal issues like body image, being an introvert and awkward situations.

I admit to not being a Seinfeld fan the first time around. However, my husband has since converted me and in an effort to catch up, I read this book to learn more about the behind-the-scenes interworking of the show. The book focuses heavily on interviews with Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, along with the actors who played some of the show’s most memorable characters, such as the real Kramer, Soup Nazi and Joe Davola. The inspiration for Elaine’s dance moves will leave you in stiches.

How much heartache can people tolerate before they start thinking “magically”? Iconic writer Joan Didion shares with readers an extremely difficult and personal time of grief and loss following the sudden death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, on December 30, 2003, while her only daughter, Quintana Roo, was hospitalized and on life support from complications from the pneumonia.

Didion struggles with grief and the magical thoughts, like believing she can’t get rid of her late husband’s shoes because he’ll need them when he comes home. Although grief is different for each person, the shared experience of loss – of a loved one, of a routine, of a longtime friendship and the loss of “normal” – will resonate with readers. This book is powerful and emotional and it’s easy to see why Didion is such a powerful force in the literary world.