Contemporary Fiction

Can you plan happiness?It's been a year since Paige's first boyfriend died in a swimming accident and it's time she rejoined the real world. So she makes a plan:1. Date a boy (long-standing crush Ryan Chase seems like the perfect choice)2. Attend parties (with best friends by your side: doable)3. Join a club (simple enough, right?)4. Travel (might as well dream big)5. Swim (terrifying. Impossible)But when she meets Ryan's sweet but so nerdy cousin, Max, he opens up her world and Paige's plans start to change. Is it too late for a second chance at life? Brimming with characters so real you feel you could pick up the phone and call them, The Start of Me and You will prove that it's never too late for second chances. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jennifer Niven and John Green.

This book features creative illustrations and diary-like entries to tell the story of Madeline, a young girl who is allergic to the world, and Olly, the boy who moves in next door. It is a heartwarming story of first love and overcoming obstacles.

From small-town America to a world on the cusp of World War II, Wings is an uplifting story about one woman's fight to fulfil her dreams.From her family's dusty farmland airstrip near Chicago, Cassie O'Malley would look at the planes shimmering in the moonlight and feel the pull of taking to the skies. Her First World War veteran father Pat wanted his son to be a pilot, not his reckless red-haired daughter. But her father's partner Nick, fellow air ace, was willing to break all the rules and teach her to fly.When Cassie is invited to California to become a test pilot, her record-breaking flights make her a media darling. Risking her life, in a world preparing for the Second World War, she decides to chart her own course and pursue her own destiny, whatever it might cost her . . .

Recommendation: - This heart-wrenching novel explores the journey of Marie-Ange, a young girl who overcomes adversity and betrayal with unwavering faith. Danielle Steel weaves a captivating story of resilience and redemption, reminding us of the power of belief in the face of deception. If you're seeking a thought-provoking read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Leap of Faith is a must-read.

Strange Fits Of Passion could be a good read for those who enjoy suspenseful, emotional drama. This book captures the escape from an abusive husband, the struggle to start anew, and the re-emergence of past events that bring tragic consequences. The unique feature of the book is its exploration of themes like abuse, trauma, and redemption. The book features a gripping storyline that keeps the readers engaged until the end.

Zoë Wicomb's complex and deeply evocative fiction is among the most distinguished recent works of South African women's literature. It is also among the only works of fiction to explore the experience of "Coloured" citizens in apartheid-era South Africa, whose mixed heritage traps them, as Bharati Mukherjee wrote in the New York Times, "in the racial crucible of their country. "Wicomb deserves a wide American audience, on a part with Nadine Gordimer and J.M.Coetzee." - Wall St. Journal Wicomb is a gifted writer, and her compressed narratives work like brilliant splinters in the mind, suggesting a rich rhythm and shape."- Seattle Times "[Wicomb's] prose is vigorous, textured, lyrical. . . . [She] is a sophisticated storyteller who combines the open-endedness of contemporary fiction with the force of autobiography and the simplicity of family stories."-Bharati Mukherjee, New York Times Book Review For course use African literature, African studies, growing up female, world literature, women's studies Zoe Wicomb was born in 1948 and raised in Namaquland, South Africa. After 20 years voluntary exile, she returned to South Africa in 1991 to teach at the University of the Western Cape. She currently lives in Glasgow and teaches at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. Marcia Wright is professor of history at Columbia University and a member of the executive committee for the Women Writing Africa series. Carol Sicherman is professor emerita of English at Lehman College, CUNY.

"The Weight of Water" is a heartwarming story that touches on the themes of loneliness, immigration, friendship, and courage. Through the eyes of Kasienka, a young immigrant struggling to find her place in a foreign land, we see the challenges that many face when moving to a new country. The book does an excellent job of exploring the hardships that Kasienka's mother faces, and how it affects their relationship. Despite all of this, the book manages to be uplifting, showing how friendship and quiet courage can overcome even the toughest obstacles. Overall, "The Weight of Water" is a must-read for anyone who loves a book that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking.