Allison Winn Scotch

Read once. Ships from a smoke-free and pet-friendly home. 

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

New Hampshire

A Novel

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure--until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea's fortieth birthday. But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts--but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that's all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn't have to face the truth about her own empty reality. Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

In Twenty Years

3e680dd0-684d-4278-8f6c-9a6804f4a395-1

Ali Hazelwood

Read once. Ships from a smoke-free and dog-friendly home. 

A #1 LibraryReads and Indie Next Pick!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis--with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project--a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia--Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
 
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school--archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
 
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas...devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

Love on the Brain

7928bcbe-861c-4a1e-a050-f2c1d737ec1f-1

Curtis Sittenfeld

Ships from a smoke-free, dog-friendly home. 

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

A comedy writer thinks she's sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions--a hilarious, observant, and deeply tender novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep.

"Whatever [Sittenfeld] writes, we'll read it."--People

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls, a late-night live comedy show that airs every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she's long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally's friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show--and in society at large--who've gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week's show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn't a romantic comedy--it's real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her . . . right?

With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Curtis Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.

Romantic Comedy

29879030-c23a-40f2-ae5e-8da09259d99c-1

Emma Dabiri

The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture

From Guardian contributor and prominent BBC race correspondent Emma Dabiri comes a timely and resonant essay collection exploring the ways in which black hair has been appropriated and stigmatized throughout history, with ruminations on body politics, race, pop culture, and Dabiri's own journey to loving her hair. Emma Dabiri can tell you the first time she chemically straightened her hair. She can describe the smell, the atmosphere of the salon, and her mix of emotions when she saw her normally kinky tresses fall down her shoulders. For as long as Emma can remember, her hair has been a source of insecurity, shame, and--from strangers and family alike--discrimination. And she is not alone. Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and historical journey, Dabiri gleans insights into the way racism is coded in society's perception of black hair--and how it is often used as an avenue for discrimination. Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today's Natural Hair Movement, exploring everything from women's solidarity and friendship, to the criminalization of dreadlocks, to the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. Through the lens of hair texture, Dabiri leads us on a historical and cultural investigation of the global history of racism--and her own personal journey of self-love and finally, acceptance. Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.

Twisted

250e0a68-b9c9-4a23-b69e-29c1e5809bb6-1

Agathe von Trapp

An Autobiography

Agathe von Trapp, the oldest daughter in the Trapp Family Singers, offers readers the real story behind an American classic in her poignant and fascinating autobiography Memories Before and After The Sound of Music. The courageous family and events immortalized in the beloved Broadway musical and hit Hollywood film come vibrantly alive in these pages, and Agathe’s post-Sound of Music life is equally compelling.

Memories Before and after the Sound of Music

d97e3aa5-192b-410a-9492-9d0756b3c481-1

Ruth Ware

BOTM branding on jacket and hardcover. Purchased in 2020 but never read. Ships from a smoke-free and pet-friendly home. 

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

Assigned to review an exclusive North Sea luxury cruise, travel journalist Lo Blacklock witnesses a woman being thrown overboard and is baffled when all passengers remain accounted for, a nightmare that unravels as Lo struggles to convince everyone that what she saw was real.

The Woman in Cabin 10

a77464d4-1eec-4192-8c63-69aac9b9f380-1

Terry Teachout

Purchased in 2020 but never read. Ships from a smoke-free, per-friendly home. 

A Life of Louis Armstrong

Draws on previously unavailable sources, including hundreds of private recordings made throughout the second half of the jazz master's life, to assess his artistic achievements and personal life.

Kathryn Ann

@bookathryn

Books Listed

Following

Followers

Allison Winn Scotch

In Twenty Years

Ali Hazelwood

Love on the Brain

Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic Comedy

Emma Dabiri

Twisted

Agathe von Trapp

Memories Before and after the Sound of Music

Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10

Terry Teachout

Pops

Tina Fey

Bossypants

Get The App

Browse by categories

Allison Winn Scotch

In Twenty Years

Ali Hazelwood

Love on the Brain

Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic Comedy

Emma Dabiri

Twisted

Agathe von Trapp

Memories Before and after the Sound of Music

Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10

Terry Teachout

Pops

Tina Fey

Bossypants

Get The App