5 new feel-good books to lift your spirits
If the end of summer feels bittersweet, you may find comfort in one of these new books. Or check out last month’s books to read when you need a break from the news.
‘The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory,’ by Thomas Fuller
Championship seasons require athleticism, teamwork and passion, and the Cubs, a high school football team from the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, have all three in spades. Fuller’s fast-paced narrative follows a spirited team of deaf players and coaches as they battle physical and mental challenges – pneumonia, broken limbs, housing insecurity and being outsiders in a game designed for a hearing world – and unite for a shared purpose while inspiring fans across the country.
‘We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay: Tips, Tales, Travels,’ by Gary Janetti
Janetti, writer and producer of “Family Guy” and “Will & Grace,” follows up his best-selling collection “Do You Mind If I Cancel?” with more droll essays inspired by international travel. His eclectic trips – on the Orient Express and the Queen Mary 2, among other tantalizing excursions – include family vacations, solo expeditions and getaways with his husband, television personality Brad Goreski. Amusing chapters include tips on how to maximize freebies while traveling and cultivating the right attitude to dine out alone. Filled with warmth and self-deprecating humor, Janetti’s relatable observations convey his deep affection for Brad and the places they love.
‘Errands & Espionage,’
by Sam Tschida
After her marriage crumbled, Gabby Greene’s self-help books, job search and mountains of laundry were constant companions, until the CIA knocked on her door. As a dead ringer for a recently murdered undercover agent, Gabby agrees to step in on the assignment – infiltrating the Russian mob. Even with the guidance of an alarmingly hot handler, can a frazzled mother of two successfully bring down a money launderer while making sure everyone gets to school on time? Suspend disbelief and savor this frothy romantic thriller.
‘A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson,’ by Camille Peri
In 1876, Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson met American Fanny Van de Grift, an unhappily married woman a decade his senior. Writing to each other as her marriage and his health continued to deteriorate, they eventually wed and spent the rest of their years together seeking temperate climates and inspiration for their writing – essays, travel accounts and fiction for her, and for him, works that would become classics: “Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Although Fanny has been portrayed as “difficult,” her support allowed Stevenson to write without distraction, and their circumvention of Victorian norms allowed for a marriage where love flourished.
‘My Favorite Mistake,’
by Marian Keyes
Keyes’ best-selling contemporary dramas are centered on the five Walsh sisters, whose lives are sometimes messy and challenging – but always infused with optimism and humor. The newest involves Anna, a New York City marketing executive who returns to her Irish hometown and is forced to face people she has hurt in the past, including the man she once loved. The family’s tales were introduced in 1995’s “Watermelon,” but each book in the Walsh family series can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.