Compiled by Emily Peter
Flint House by Kathleen L. Asay, Granite Bay
Journalist Liz Cane has seen too many sob stories in her career to have much sympathy for a boarding house full of lost souls facing eviction. However, when she meets the mysterious woman who is their leader and is drawn into the battle to save their home, she realizes the story isn’t the one she expected. Available at Almost Perfect Book Store, amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
Widows’ Shoes: 14 Women. 14 Inspiring, True Stories of Widowhood by Isabel Corr-Rizzo, Roseville
The enlightening and inspirational stories featured in this book aren’t just directed toward widows, but others who find themselves in a grieving situation. Each chapter is scattered with courageous insight into the multiple facets of coping with every day challenges and detours along the road to recovery, plus uplifting and constructive thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, kobobooks.com and nextcenturystore.com
The Dhance: A Caregiver’s Search for Meaning by Coy F. Cross II, PhD, Citrus Heights
Join the author on a journey into acceptance and realization that God is everywhere, even in his precious wife’s cancer. Through speaking with caregivers and his personal experience, he begins to understand that there are some incredible gifts in pain—such as love and trust beyond what we’ve ever experienced before. This is a search for meaning and for God in the worst of life’s experiences. Available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
On the Hard in Paradise: From 92 Acres in California to 48 Feet in the Virgin Islands by Connie Fleenor, Antelope
Readers will plunge into the deep end of the Virgin Islands, answering the question, “What would it be like to leave everything behind and move to a Caribbean island?” In one hilarious chapter after another, Connie Fleenor, in her true account of a year living on a catamaran in the West Indies, reveals the best and the worst—from coral reefs to crime—of this popular vacation destination. Available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
30 Magical and Memorable Family Vacations by Elisa Taylor with Michelle Gamble-Risley, Auburn
This inspiring book contains not only 30 beautiful stories about family vacations, but also descriptions, details and recommendations on the various destinations. If you want to feel inspired or learn intimate details about a vacation spot, this charming book is for you. Available at 3lpublishing.com, amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
Dragon Tales by Teresa Leigh Judd, Newcastle
Are dragons good luck? This collection of 17 short stories—featuring dragons in a dream and on a beautiful piece of jewelry, snapdragons, dragonflies, “real” dragons and more—explores that question. The result can be magical, unexpected and sometimes, ironic. Unintended consequences abound. Available at amazon.com and Almost Perfect Book Store
12 Parenting Practices: How Successful Parents Bridge the Achievement Gap by Dr. Rex Fortune, Granite Bay
Dr. Fortune has been an educator in Sacramento for over 40 years and recently released four handbooks for parents, three of them bilingual. By carefully evaluating national studies and related data, he provides sound solutions to a critical topic in today’s educational system that affects every American family. Available at fortuneandassociates.com
Living Through The Pain: The Lonely Me by Cathy A. Kurtz, Rocklin
At the age of 16, Cathy Kurtz lost her father, mother, oldest brother and sister-in-law in a plane crash. She then lost her surviving brother to AIDS, and endured sexual abuse of a boyfriend. As a single mother, Cathy struggled to take care of her son while still being haunted by tragedies. A Christian upbringing was her only outlet to find peace and the ability to live through the pain. Available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
Obsessed (The Lizzy Gardner Series) by T.R. Ragan, Granite Bay
Desperate for better ratings, radio psychologist Madeline Blair tells her listeners she’s being stalked, unaware that her longtime listener and biggest fan, Seth Brown, will do anything to protect her. When her publicity stunt is revealed, Seth becomes enraged by her deceit and dangerously unhinged. Madeline turns to private investigator Lizzy Gardner for help. Madeline wanted a stalker and now that she has one, nothing will stop him: He’s obsessed. Available everywhere books are sold
Sticks & Stones (A Hollis Morgan Mystery) by R. Franklin James, Rocklin
This is the second novel in the Hollis Morgan Mystery series, in which a paralegal in the Bay Area persists with her goal to be an attorney after being pardoned as an ex-felon. Meanwhile, her friend is sued for libel and is murdered to ensure the real story dies with her. Determined to find her friend’s killer, she discovers a box of old letters that tell a tragic story—and soon realizes that words can cut deeper than any stick or stone. Available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
Unseen Promise by Anne Jean Michele, Lincoln
When Derek gets out of prison, he regrets lost opportunities and poor decisions and is eager to continue his pursuit of a medical degree. Trouble ensues when his longtime love, Deena, has put her life on hold for him and wants to move on. When Deena and Derek’s differing goals profoundly clash, each will be thrust along an irreversible passage. Available at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble
Stevenson’s Treasure by Mark Wiederanders, Carmichael
In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson follows his heart from Scotland to California on a quest to make an American art student he met in France his wife—despite the fact that she is already married, has children and is older. The yearlong struggle in Monterey, San Francisco and Calistoga succeeds beyond his wildest expectations. Available at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills and The Avid Reader at the Tower in Sacramento
