Why am I passionate about this?

Grief is one of the purest forms of love, and that’s what I do—I write about love, its power to elevate and devastate. As someone who has experienced two devastating losses, grief and sadness infuse my life. In many ways, those losses have made my life more meaningful, more joyful, and more mature. And then there are the days when I just want to kick a wall and wail. The balance of risking love and enduring loss is the human condition and one that I find endlessly beautiful and fascinating.


I wrote

Book cover of Pack Up the Moon

What is my book about?

Joshua Park knew this day was coming, but—no surprise—being a widower sucks. His marriage to Lauren made him happier than…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Where the Crawdads Sing

Kristan Higgins Why did I love this book?

This book is quite possibly the most beautifully written story I’ve ever read. And wicked sad! But beautiful! Kya is a little girl when her mother leaves the cabin on the North Carolina marsh where her “swamp trash” family lives. One by one, her siblings leave as well, and finally, her alcoholic father disappears when Kya is eight. Alone, she manages to survive, with only the marsh and its abundant wildlife as her friend and teacher. Sure, she encounters people…and even falls in love…but this love story is between Kya and the marsh, and all that it gives her. The ending is a bit of a shocker in the best possible way. I’ll never forget this book; it’s definitely in the top five of my lifetime, right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird.

By Delia Owens,

Why should I read it?

49 authors picked Where the Crawdads Sing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OVER 12 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
A NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

For years, rumours of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be…


Book cover of The Color Purple

Kristan Higgins Why did I love this book?

Another epic story of love and loss. You’d have to be carved out of granite not to ugly-cry over this book. Celie and Nettie are sisters, separated as children, but their love transcends decades. Celie lives through the horror of an abusive father, husband, stepchildren and is constantly told she’s worthless. But she believes differently, because Nettie loved her once. Probably the strongest character in literature, Celie gets her reward for years of kindness and grit in the most magnificent ugly-cry scene ever.   

By Alice Walker,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked The Color Purple as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Alice Walker's iconic modern classic is now a Penguin Book.

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug…


Book cover of The Velveteen Rabbit

Kristan Higgins Why did I love this book?

If you have a beating heart, this book will destroy you…but also teach you a lesson that you carry for the rest of your life. (Special shout-out to Booey, my teddy bear, aged 54, sitting next to me at this very moment.) A little boy loves his velveteen rabbit in the singular way only kids can love. When the boy comes down with scarlet fever and nearly dies, the doctor tells his parents that his room needs to be disinfected, and all his toys…burned. For the love of God!

The poor rabbit contemplates his fate and misses his boy, weeping real tears the night before his destruction, when a fairy appears and makes him real. He goes into the woods and meets other rabbits, and sometimes, the boy sees him, not realizing the rabbit was once his cuddle bunny. Lord. I’m crying just writing this. A beautiful book that’s weirdly great for kids, telling them that real love never dies…it just changes.

By Margery Williams, Charles Santore (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Velveteen Rabbit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

The beloved story of the Velveteen Rabbit, the toy rabbit made real by the love of a boy, is now available in a beautiful Little Apple Classic book.

Originally published in 1922, the classic story of a toy rabbit who loves a boy so much he eventually becomes real, has charmed children-and adults-for nearly a century. Author Margery Williams wrote this treasured classic that has warmed many hearts for decades. This story is among the top 100 books for children recommended by the National Education Association, chosen in a 2007 online poll, and also won the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award.…


Book cover of The Year of Magical Thinking

Kristan Higgins Why did I love this book?

Probably the definitive memoir about grief, guaranteed to strike a chord with everyone who’s ever lost a loved one. Joan’s beloved husband dies of a heart attack while they’re having a perfectly nice dinner. Her only child, Quintana, is gravely ill at the time, and later dies. How can a person survive this kind of loss? With both cool detachment—Ms. Didion is a lifelong writer—and wrenching emotion, she describes the surreal experience of life after loss. It’s unflinching and beautiful and necessary, really, because we’ll all lose someone tragically, and we’re never ready for it.

By Joan Didion,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Year of Magical Thinking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From one of America's iconic writers, a portrait of a marriage and a life - in good times and bad - that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child. A stunning book of electric honesty and passion.

Several days before Christmas 2003, John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion saw their only daughter, Quintana, fall ill. At first they thought it was flu, then pneumonia, then complete sceptic shock. She was put into an induced coma and placed on life support. Days later - the night before New Year's Eve -the Dunnes were just…


Book cover of Wuthering Heights

Kristan Higgins Why did I love this book?

This book is heartbreaking because it’s the story of what could have been, if only Heathcliff and Catherine could’ve gotten out of their own way. Theirs is love that defines each of them—the wild orphan boy who’s brought home by Cathy’s father, the spirited girl who loves the moors and nature…and Heathcliff. But because they’re both emotionally stupid, they don’t end up together, and watching the devolution of Heathcliff, who loved her so fiercely, as he grapples with her betrayal and eventual death, is devastating.

By Emily Bronte,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Wuthering Heights as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the great novels of the nineteenth century, Emily Bronte's haunting tale of passion and greed remains unsurpassed in its depiction of destructive love. Her tragically short life is brilliantly imagined in the major new movie, Emily, starring Emma Mackey in the title role.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of Wuthering Heights features an afterword by David Pinching.

One wild, snowy night on the Yorkshire moors, a gentleman asks…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of Pack Up the Moon

What is my book about?

Joshua Park knew this day was coming, but—no surprise—being a widower sucks. His marriage to Lauren made him happier than he knew he could be, and without her, he’s lost. His spectrum disorder makes it hard for him to connect with people, and now that he’s a tragic widower, it’s even worse. Lucky for him, Lauren foresaw this and left him twelve letters, one for each month of the first year after her death, each with an assignment. Go to the grocery store…kiss a woman…find your birth father. Month by month, he steps a little further into this new life, and finds, much to his surprise, that happiness without his wife is possible…and her dearest wish for him. 

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Twelve Palominos

By Joe Kilgore,

Book cover of Twelve Palominos

Joe Kilgore Author Of Misfortune’s Wake

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

In a previous career, I traveled extensively to many parts of the world. I always found new cultures, old traditions, strange languages, and exotic environments fascinating. Perhaps even more fascinating, were the expats I found who had traded in their home country for an existence far from where they were born and different from how they were reared. In many instances, I’ve attempted to incorporate—in Heinlein’s words—this stranger in a strange land motif in my work. It always seems to heighten my interest. I hope the reader’s as well. 

Joe's book list on expat adventures

What is my book about?

San Diego Private Investigator, Brig Ellis, is hired by a wealthy industrialist to help him acquire the final horse in a set of twelve palomino miniatures that once belonged to the last Emperor of China. What begins as a seemingly reasonable assignment quickly morphs into something much more malevolent.

The gumshoe has to deal not only with brigands, kidnappers, and commies, but also with the beautiful, enigmatic daughter of the industrialist whose involvement raises the danger level exponentially. As complications and the body count rise, Ellis tries to make sure this ill-fated job won’t be his last.

Twelve Palominos

By Joe Kilgore,

What is this book about?

San Diego Private Investigator, Brig Ellis, is hired by a wealthy industrialist to help him acquire the final horse in a set of twelve palomino miniatures that once belonged to the last Emperor of China. What begins as a seemingly reasonable assignment quickly morphs into something much more sinister. The intrepid gumshoe finds himself having to bargain with brigands, kibitz with kidnappers, clash with commies, and duel with a stone cold assassin incapable of feeling pain. All while navigating potentially deadly pitfalls instigated by his employer's beautiful but enigmatic daughter. Conflict and danger increase at warp speed as Ellis tries…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in grief, love triangle, and romantic love?

Grief 89 books
Love Triangle 75 books
Romantic Love 927 books