Women’s Lives and Relationships: Fiction
This is a subgenre of mainstream fiction, appealing primarily to women. The protagonists are usually women, a group of two or more sisters, friends, or mothers and daughters. These are character driven novels, slower paced, often without a strong plot. The emotional lives of the women and how they relate to and often support each other during turning points in their lives are the focus of the books. Occasionally series books, with a minor character becoming the protagonist in another book, more often these are stand-alone novels.

Berg, Elizabeth. The Year of Pleasures, 2005.
Reeling from the death of her husband, 55-year-old Betta Nolan leaves Boston and impulsively buys a large Victorian house in tiny Stewart, Illinois. While there, Betta slowly begins to heal from her loss by befriending the town’s colorful residents, reconnecting with a group of college pals and savoring the simple pleasures of life. While sticklers for realism may be put off by some of the book’s storybook scenarios, fans of Berg’s descriptive, character-driven fiction should enjoy the tale.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library

Binchy, Maeve. London Transports, 1995.
I chose Maeve Binchy primarily because my mom is a huge fan of her work and I wanted a bit of a break from this genre, being that it isn’t the type of reading I would normally pick up on my own. Short stories seemed really appealing—short and quick. I was pleasantly surprised by London Transports and actually found myself enjoying it. The writing style pulled me in right away. Binchy has a very warm and conversational tone throughout each of these stories, describing scenes and characters that feel familiar. I can see why she is so popular among her readers—she describes people you could know, emotions you have felt and situations that are realistic. There were a few stories that I really enjoyed—a tale centered on gossiping about a tightlipped coworker, the quest of a 29-year-old virgin to control her embarrassment and find a book about sex, and a fun story about the endings and beginnings of relationships—constructed entirely of correspondence, which left me very curious about its ultimate outcome.
Recommended for adults and older young adults.
Booktalked by Jennie Milojevic, Riverside Public Library

Fforde, Katie.  Paradise Fields, 2003.
Paradise Fields, an open meadow with river frontage that has always been used for farmer’s markets and fetes in support of the local children’s hospice, is under threat of development.  Nel Innes, who has always loved and supported the market and is on the board of directors of the hospice, is determined to save the Fields.  But who can she trust with her efforts?  Her boyfriend Simon, the estate agent, who is not very encouraging?  Her friends, who will always support her in anything?  And what about Jake, the gorgeous solicitor from the other side?  This fun read celebrates the interconnectedness of life in a small village, and the minor miracles that can occur when we least expect them.Recommended for adults and older Yas
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, La Grange Public Library

Frank, Dorothea Benton. Sullivan’s Island: a Lowcountry Tale, 1998.
Her husband’s affair with a much younger woman at first sends Susan Hayes into a tailspin. But a new look, new job, and new take on life starts her off on a new beginning. A very straight-forward and predictable book with some rather unrealistic coincidences and events. Yet, it is somehow quite satisfying in its story of a woman who pulls herself together and moves on. The South Carolina low country is nicely if not wonderfully evoked.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Gunn, Robin Jones.  Sisterchicks in Gondolas, 2006.
Sisters-in-law Jenna and Sue spend a life-changing week in Venice, free in exchange for shopping and cooking for a group of men meeting for an annual retreat.  An easy, enjoyable read; the sisters are appealing, and so is Venice. This is Christian fiction, part of a loosely connected Sisterchicks series, each with different characters and settings.
Recommended for Adults.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Jackson, Joshilyn. Between, Georgia, 2006.
Nonny Frett is caught between her old husband and a possible new love and her birth family and her adopted family. She lives in the big city, but keeps being drawn back to her small town of Between. As her marriage finally reaches its bitter end Nonny has to decide where and how to move on with her life and with whom. Southern humor and affection for all characters involved mark this mostly gentle story. A good read-alike for Lorna Landvik or Fannie Flagg.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Kidd, Sue Monk.  The Mermaid Chair, 2005.
Jessie Sullivan is summoned back to the South Carolina barrier island that she fled many years ago when her mother Nelle maims her own hand with a cleaver.  Almost immediately becoming re-enmeshed in the rhythms of island life, Jessie reconnects with her mother’s two closest friends as they try to help Nelle recover.  Jessie also reconnects with the island’s Benedictine monastery and rediscovers its beautiful “mermaid chair,” which is said to help reveal the future.  In the course of discovering the roots of her mother’s torment, Jessie stumbles onto a new love, finds out the truth behind her father’s death, and ultimately rediscovers herself.
Recommended for adults and older YAs.
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

King, Cassandra. The Same Sweet Girls, 2005.
6 southern women approaching 50, have met twice a year since college. They crown the sweetest woman queen, have silly rituals, drink and talk. Many serious issues are present, including abusive husbands, distant children, stale marriages, and cancer. However, the three narrators feel real, even if their situations don’t; we care about them and root for all the SSGs. Not the easiest read, mainly due to the issues raised.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Macomber, Debbie. The Shop on Blossom Street, 2004.
A Good Yarn is a new yarn store on Seattle’s Blossom Street, where owner Lydia Hoffman hopes to begin anew after surviving two bouts with cancer. To stir up business, Lydia offers a knitting class. Three women sign up: Jacqueline, a wealthy, unhappily married socialite; Carol, a thirty-something professional struggling with infertility; and Alix, a young rebel hoping that the class project can be used toward her court-mandated community service. Together with Lydia, this unlikely group finds friendship and comfort in both the craft of knitting and in one another. A warmhearted, feel-good read. Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library

Mapson, Jo-Ann.  Bad Girl Creek, 2001.
When Phoebe DeThomas inherits a California flower farm from her beloved Aunt Sophie, she can’t imagine how a woman confined to a wheelchair can undertake such a huge project.  Her brother James would love to have the land for housing development.  But a chance meeting with farrier Ness, on the run with a horse stolen from her cowboy lover, gives Phoebe the idea of taking in women borders to help with the farm—women who are having trouble finding housing because of their pets.  Soon Nance, a photographer with a Labrador retriever, and ex-con Beryl (who lives with a foul-mouthed parrot) move in, and everyone’s fortunes begin to change.  This book has lots of female bonding, a bit of romance, and a positive outlook. 
Recommended for adults and YAs.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Morsi, Pamela. Bitsy’s Bait & Barbeque, 2007.
Emma travels to the Missouri Ozarks with her impulsive sister Katy, and Katy’s young son Josh. Katy has purchased a B & B on the internet, assuming it’s a bed & breakfast business. How the sisters adjust, make new friends, try to make decent barbecue, and how Katy and Josh feel about Josh’s dad, Sean, and his bossy mother Gwen visiting, makes for excellent reading. Some very appealing characters and other eccentric ones make Warbler Lake feel real.
Recommended for adults and young adults.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Noble, Elizabeth.  The Reading Group, 2003.
Harriet, Nicole, Polly, Susan and Clare meet once a month for a book discussion, but invariably the conversation veers into their own lives and problems.  The friendships of the women grow and change through pregnancies, infidelities and other family dilemmas.  This British bestseller is a fun, breezy read that also deals with some serious issues. 
Recommended for adults and YAs.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Pilcher, Rosamund. Winter Solstice, 2000.
It’s the holiday season in the north of Scotland, where a disparate group of individuals have converged. Elfrida, a free-spirited retired actress in her mid-sixties, is acting as companion to Oscar, a retired choirmaster and organist who recently lost his wife and daughter in a car crash. They are soon joined by two of Elfrida’s distant relations and a newcomer to the area, all of whom are several decades younger. Although diverse in age and temperament, the characters eventually find solace in friendship and the comforts of hearth and home. Filled with warm characters and rich descriptions of rugged Scottish coast, Winter Solstice is a soothing, delightfully cozy read.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Annabelle Mortensen, Hinsdale Public Library

Quindlen, Anna. Rise and Shine, 2006.
Bridget, the likable narrator of Quindlen’s most recent novel, is keenly aware of each and every perfect quality of her older sister Meghan’s life. Her hair waves around her face, she has tiny feet, always sits at the best tables and is a wildly successful TV host. I was prepared to skim away and get this book over with, until I learned, with a great deal of gossipy suspense that perfect Meghan swore on national TV and lost her job. Turns out her personal life left much to be desired, also. With her marriage also at an end, Meghan runs off to Jamaica to hide out, leaving Bridget and her son Leo behind. However, this isn’t really a book about a series of life altering events, but rather one filled with life observations. There are a lot of interesting characters with good dialogue as well as some fairly acid tongued humor. Again, not normally a book I would pick up on my own, but it was a quick read and I really enjoyed the way she described New York City and its inhabitants. Quindlen has a great eye for detail and is able to deliver humor creating an appealing novel that could be recommended to reluctant readers of women’s fiction.
Recommended for adults.
Booktalked by Jennie Milojevic, Riverside Public Library

Ray, Jeanne. Eat Cake, 2003.
Ruth’s husband has just lost his job as a hospital administrator, and now he’s kind of thinking that he’d like to spend his time building wooden boats.  Her divorced mother has moved in with the family because her apartment was burglarized.  And Ruth’s pianist father, who left when she was two years old and whom Ruth has seen only intermittently during her life, has broken both of his wrists and has nowhere else to go.  When Ruth is stressed she bakes—and although her family is experiencing cake overload, it becomes clear that her hobby and passion may be the way to keep the family afloat.  Her parents stop sniping at each other long enough to help out, and her teen daughter, Camille, turns out to be a whiz at marketing to local hotels and restaurants.  The result is a fun tale of family entrepreneurship—with recipes!
Recommended for adults and YAs.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

Trollope, Joanna.  Other People’s Children, 1998.
The intricacies of blending families after divorce and remarriage reveal the hidden fractures in all relationships, as well as undiscovered strengths.  The main focus is on Josie and Matthew’s new marriage, and follows the ripples that spread to and from Nadine (Matthew’s first wife), Tom (Josie’s first husband), and their children of varying ages.  Learning how to negotiate with each other, and how to reconcile past and present, creates a narrative that is bittersweet and ultimately very real.  Believable solutions make this a very satisfying read.
Recommended for adults and older YAs
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, La Grange Public Library

Trollope, Joanna. A Spanish Lover, 1993.
Twin sister Lizzie and Frances are now in their late thirties. Lizzie seems to have it all: her own business, a great husband and four children. Frances seems to live the un-involved and unfulfilled life until Lizzie runs into financial problems and Frances has success with her own husband and begins an affair with an older Spaniard. This book is very realistic in its take on family relationships and emotions. A little too much so for this reader.
Booktalked by Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library