The best books that I never wanted to end

Why am I passionate about this?

Why do I have a passion for getting lost in books? I guess it’s something that I’ve loved since I was a kid. Finding a world, a life, a life so incredibly different from mine. And, good writing that draws me in and makes me completely forget who I am. These are books that you don’t just read, but they envelop you. And, as a writer, it’s something that I strive to do for my readers. 


I wrote...

Dire's Club

By Kimberly Packard,

Book cover of Dire's Club

What is my book about?

Dying isn’t just hard on the ones left behind, the regret of unfinished lives weighs heavily on the terminally ill. That’s where Dire’s Club steps in, a specialty travel agency that takes a small group of dying people on one final adventure—so they can be free of guilt, be more than a diagnosis, and find a way to confront life…and death.

A life coach with a death wish, a rock god, a telenovela star, a grandmother living her life-long dream, and a young tech genius round out this group of strangers facing death together. But when tragedy strikes, their bond is shattered. Lies and fraud surface, forcing the dying to come together to save someone’s life. Everybody dies. The lucky ones have fun doing it.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Utopia Avenue

Kimberly Packard Why did I love this book?

I’ve long been a fan of David Mitchell, so I’ll happily pick up whatever he writes. He’s one of those authors that tends to string his books together, like a little wink and a nod to his loyal readers, and there’s that wink and nod here, but you don’t have to be a reader of his to enjoy this one. Utopia Avenue is about a 60s era British band that never was. It’s fiction, but written so deftly that I seriously hopped on Spotify to make sure my parents didn’t educate me about this band. This is one that you want to keep going long after the climax. 

By David Mitchell,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Utopia Avenue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A stand-out triumph' - Sunday Times

The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of CLOUD ATLAS and THE BONE CLOCKS, 'one of the most brilliantly inventive writers of this, or any country' (Independent).

Utopia Avenue might be the most curious British band you've never heard of.

Emerging from London's psychedelic scene in 1967, folksinger Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss, guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet and jazz drummer Griff Griffin together created a unique sound, with lyrics that captured their turbulent times. The band produced only two albums in two years, yet their musical legacy lives on.

This is…


Book cover of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

Kimberly Packard Why did I love this book?

This clever trio of books – Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, Recipe for Persuasion, and Incense and Sensibility – are probably the best re-telling of the classic Jane Austen books. Sonali’s world is built around the Raje family, Indian royalty now living in San Francisco. The only thing better than her rich characters and beautiful writing is the beautifully diverse tapestry of characters. 

By Sonali Dev,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco's most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that's not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who's achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

* Never trust an outsider

* Never do anything to jeopardize your brother's political aspirations

* And never, ever, defy your family…


Book cover of Meet Me in Another Life

Kimberly Packard Why did I love this book?

I’m going to try really to not spoil this one…This is the story of two people who seem to be locked in life together, and not just locked in life, but repeating life. Sometimes they are friends. Sometimes they are lovers. There’s even a life where they are parent and child. The scenarios repeat – a bit of a Groundhog Day-ness to them. Then you quickly realize this is a cleverly disguised sci-fi, but despite all that, it’s the soul-mate-like connections that make us human. 

By Catriona Silvey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Meet Me in Another Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE #2 WATERSTONES BESTSELLER

'Beautifully explored and deeply complex' Gal Gadot

Joyful, devastating, and profound, Meet Me in Another Life is a story of love and connection in every possible form that will captivate fans of Stuart Turton, Claire North, and Audrey Niffenegger.

Thora and Santi have met before...

Under the clocktower in central Cologne, with nothing but the stars above and their futures ahead.

They will meet again...

They don't know it yet, but they'll meet again: in numerous lives they will become friends, colleagues, lovers, enemies - meeting over and over for the first time, every time; each…


Book cover of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Kimberly Packard Why did I love this book?

This is a book about something that I think we all worry about – even if we never admit it. Being forgotten. Addie makes a deal with the devil for a life of freedom (and a rather long life) but in return, she’s forgotten as soon as she’s out of someone’s sight. Until she isn’t… This beautiful book is about loneliness, but it’s also about hope and love. 

By V. E. Schwab,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"For someone damned to be forgettable, Addie LaRue is a most delightfully unforgettable character, and her story is the most joyous evocation of unlikely immortality." -Neil Gaiman

A Sunday Times-bestselling, award-nominated genre-defying tour-de-force of Faustian bargains, for fans of The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, and The Sudden Appearance of Hope.

When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she is convinced she's found a loophole-immortality in exchange for her soul. But the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.

Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century…


Book cover of Oona Out of Order

Kimberly Packard Why did I love this book?

This book poses a very unique question – if you suffer the end of something (say a bad breakup) before you experience the beginning, would you? Oona has an incredibly strange affliction – every year on her birthday she leaps either forward or backward in her timeline. She might go from 21 to 56 and then back to her 30s. (This totally appeals to us 80s kids who loved Quantum Leap) I found myself looking for hidden pages to keep the story going and thought about this book long after I finished it. 

By Margarita Montimore,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Oona Out of Order as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

"With its countless epiphanies and surprises, Oona proves difficult to put down." ―USA Today

"By turns tragic and triumphant, heartbreakingly poignant and joyful, this is ultimately an uplifting and redemptive read." ―The Guardian

A remarkably inventive novel that explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even if those moments are out of order.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence.…


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A Darling Handyman

By Lark Holiday,

Book cover of A Darling Handyman

Lark Holiday Author Of A Darling Handyman

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Christmas market lover Friend to all croissants

Lark's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

She’s hiding from pain. He’s lost everything but his dog. When fresh air and second chances bring them together, can they rediscover true love?

If you enjoy kind-hearted heroes, small towns, and more humor than heat, you’ll adore this contemporary Alaskan romance! A Darling Handyman is the feel-good first book in the Darling Men series. All books in the series can be read alone and in any order.

A Darling Handyman

By Lark Holiday,


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