“Rebecca Winter” remains a household name, thanks to the iconic photograph “Still Life with Bread Crumbs” that catapulted her art career into the public eye. But Rebecca Winter, the person, has changed significantly in the decades since she captured that domestic image of her kitchen counter after her husband and son retired for the evening. She’s no longer married, for one. And it’s been so long since she made a significant sale that she can no longer afford the upscale Manhattan apartment that contains the kitchen immortalized in that famous picture.

As a result, the 60-year-old Rebecca feels adrift when she sublets her home and moves into a rented cottage in rural New York. Each time a royalty check hits her bank account, the couple-hundred-dollar deposit leaves her feeling momentarily rich. Some other people in the small town are familiar with “Still Life” and consider Rebecca something of a celebrity, but she is often left to her own thoughts. That solitude gives Rebecca plenty of time to figure out whether her camera is still the best way to share what she sees with the world—and to determine who she is outside of the context of high-end art galleries and New York City.

In Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Anna Quindlen deconstructs the typical form of a novel. Chapters toggle between Rebecca’s present and the formative moments that brought her here, with each chapter title lending insight into the path Rebecca walks. The result is refreshing pacing; the story doesn’t unfold in linear fashion, but in bits and pieces at a time.

Still Life is a journey of self-exploration, of getting to know who you are rather than who others expect you to be. It’s a meditation on art, age and commercialism wrapped up in a delightful story—perhaps the best-selling author’s finest novel yet.

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Read our interview with Anna Quindlen about this book.

Screenwriter Dixon’s second character-driven novel focuses on three women, their lives mysteriously intertwined over several decades.

Livvi Gray lives in contemporary Los Angeles and has just published her first novel, The Book of Someday¸ which is based on her own loveless childhood spent with an emotionally scarred father and his second wife, Livvi’s cold, enigmatic stepmother. Her father has remained a distant figure—both physically and emotionally—in her life for as long as she can remember. Now, at 26, Livvi rarely sees or hears from him, and actually feels as if she has no family at all. Her affair with a married man is leading nowhere, and only exacerbates her feelings of loneliness and self-doubt.

Micah Lesser is a sought-after New York City photographer, recently diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. She’s now on a mission to find those she’s betrayed over her lifetime—including her best friend in college, whose budding photographic career she sabotaged, and the fiancé she left at the altar many years earlier, abruptly deciding marriage would only hinder her own career. She’s hoping to gain their forgiveness, even at this late date in their lives.

AnnaLee is a young housewife living on Long Island in the 1980s. She and her husband Jack and their young daughter live in her parents’ mansion, which AnnaLee inherited when they died. AnnaLee loves Jack deeply but can’t contain her resentment about his inability to commit himself to his profession—first as a trauma surgeon, then as a lawyer—satisfied to get by on her income and his part-time salary at a small law firm.

Dixon’s story is told in the alternating voices of these three women, whose lives are gradually shown to intersect in intricate and highly improbable ways, as if the author had to struggle to somehow weave their pasts together. Her characters are compelling, however, and the reader quickly becomes enmeshed in each woman’s attempt to make the best out of her changing circumstances, which should appeal to readers of contemporary authors like Kristin Hannah and Luanne Rice.

Sightseers once ventured deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains to gaze upon Moonrise, a house that seemed to spring from its lush gardens. But since the death of Emmet Justice’s first wife, Rosalyn, not quite a year ago, her family estate has fallen into disrepair. It’s not a place Emmet wants to visit, but his second wife, Helen—who has been obsessed with Moonrise since first hearing about it—insists.

And so the newlyweds travel from their South Florida home to Highlands, North Carolina, the mountain town where Emmet, Rosalyn and their close-knit group of friends had summered for years. Helen is immediately the odd woman out; although Emmet is crazy about his new bride, his friends—particularly the women—are skeptical. Kit and Tansy, Rosalyn’s best friends, are convinced that Helen has latched onto the handsome, wealthy TV journalist because of the lifestyle he offers, and they’re eager to make Emmet aware.

But the friends’ judgment is only one of Helen’s worries. Although she was determined to get to Moonrise, the home and the secrets it holds have left her questioning not only her insistence on visiting, but also Rosalyn’s untimely death. Rosalyn careened off a mountain road during a mysterious visit to the property. Does Emmet know more than he’s saying about his first wife’s death?

In Moonrise, the latest novel by best-selling author Cassandra King, the memories, if not the spirit, of Emmet’s late wife haunt all who knew her (and some who didn’t). Tempers flare in the summer heat, and the secrets in these mountains keep fires burning hot even on the coolest evenings. The characters and landscape will draw readers in as Helen tries to untangle the mysteries of this enchanting novel.

In Rose Harbor in Bloom, beloved author Debbie Macomber returns to the bucolic small town of Cedar Cove and the Rose Harbor Inn, where proprietor Jo Marie is anticipating the arrival of several guests. Mary Smith, with a scarf covering her shorn hair, checks in first. Mary reveals little of the reasons for her visit to Cedar Cove, but it is clear that she is gravely ill. Readers soon learn that she’s there to see her first and only love, and to seek forgiveness for a life-altering decision made during her youth.

Next to arrive is Annie Newton, who is organizing her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary gala. With their lengthy and happy marriage, Kent and Julie Shivers inspired Annie’s conviction that love can last forever. But much to Annie’s shock, her grandparents are sniping at each other and arguing nearly nonstop. What is going on with the once happily married couple—and did Annie inadvertently cause their conflict? If that wasn’t enough, Annie is also trying to cope with her ex-fiancé’s stubborn refusal to accept the end of their engagement—and the arrival of Oliver Sutton, who gave Annie a first kiss she has never forgotten.

The stories of these five guests are interwoven with the events of Jo Marie’s daily life as she awaits news about her husband, who’s been reported missing after a military helicopter crash. She also carries on an intriguing, albeit often frustrating, friendship with the irascible Mark, whose interpretation of his duties as the inn’s handyman clashes with Jo Marie’s independent spirit.

Each of these stories explores the difficult choices that impact our lives and change the course of our futures; how our perceptions of other’s actions may, or may not, be valid; and the necessity of strength and forgiveness in our lives. Seeing characters from previous Cedar Cove books appear at the Rose Harbor Inn is an additional pleasure. As always, Macomber uses warmth, humor and superb storytelling skills to deliver a tale that charms and entertains.

Put Susan Crandall’s latest novel in your beach bag and be prepared to devour it in a day or two—even though this isn’t just a breezy, sweet tea and peach pie kind of read. Crandall’s novel visits themes that are not new to the Southern lit reader, but her point of view and relationship development are fresh and captivating. Whistling Past the Graveyardaddresses the Civil Rights movement in 1960s Mississippi through the eyes of the main character and heroine, 9-year-old Starla Claudelle.

It’s July 4, 1963, and Starla has run away from an overbearing and strict grandmother, taking to the country roads in hopes of finding her way to Nashville and her estranged mother. She accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman who is hiding a white baby in her pickup truck. Starla and Eula take a journey through Mississippi where Starla witnesses racism, segregation and, at times, violence against Eula. Racial tensions are elevated, and the small towns in Mississippi are no place for this particular trio.

Starla’s relationships with Eula and the characters they meet along the way are delivered to the reader with the spunk and light-heartedness expected from a young girl. The comic relief from Starla is appreciated, and made me wish we could all see difficult times like Starla does: as obstacles to be confronted with a bit of sass.

Whistling Past the Graveyardis the perfect pick for your summer reading list or book club gathering—a surprisingly multilayered story about two unlikely companions on a journey of healing, growth and forgiveness.

At first glance, Alice Buckle seems to have her picture-perfect life by the tail—a handsome, Ivy League-educated husband, two darling children, a rewarding career as a drama teacher and a comfortable home in Oakland, California. But for the angst-filled 44-year-old heroine of Melanie Gideon’s first novel, Wife 22, the arrival of a mysterious e-mail survey forces her to acknowledge that the indignities of middle age run far deeper than her suddenly droopy eyelids.

A riveting, tragically comic narrative that is told via the e-mail correspondence between Alice—who has agreed to participate in a marriage study—and an enigmatic male researcher, Wife 22 will resonate with those who rejoice in reading fiction that realistically unravels the lovely messiness of married life. From the moment readers meet Alice’s husband, William, it is clear that a storm is brewing behind the silent stoicism. Indeed, when William has a meltdown and loses his cool—and his job at a tony advertising firm—the family soon finds itself suddenly on a slippery descent towards emotional and financial disaster.

Soon, Alice finds herself seeking solace and escape from the pain of her domestic Armageddon by becoming increasingly dependent upon her flirtatious e-mail relationship with “Researcher 101,” a married man who seems to be everything her troubled husband William is not. As Alice writes, “On the subject of not hiding, I have to tell you that to be asked such intimate questions—to be listened to so closely—to have my opinion and my feelings be valued and account for something is profound.”

While Alice can be annoyingly self-absorbed at times, her naval-gazing tendencies are redeemed by an overwhelmingly good heart and unfailing devotion to her children and best friend, Nedra, who serves as the novel’s wise and warm shaman, speaking truth amid the folly and madness. Whether Alice can extend her gracious and optimistic nature toward her husband is the crux of Wife 22, and thus this reviewer will remain mum, to avoid spoiling the novel’s exquisitely unexpected ending.

Many people in new relationships tiptoe around discussion of past love. Everyone wants to present themselves in the best possible light, and as a 35-year-old single woman, Ellen O’Farrell has seen her share of baggage (and carried her own). But when Ellen learns that her new boyfriend Patrick Scott’s former live-in girlfriend is now honest-to-goodness stalking him, well, she isn’t put off. She’s intrigued.

Of course, Ellen doesn’t yet know that Patrick’s ex, Saskia, is also intrigued by her—so much so that Saskia has become one of Ellen’s hypnotherapy patients.

As Liane Moriarty expertly switches between Ellen and Saskia’s points of view, Saskia slowly becomes a sympathetic character. It’s difficult to understand what would drive a woman to follow her ex-boyfriend everywhere, schedule regular meetings with his new girlfriend and leave notes on his car. But though we can’t necessarily understand her actions, anyone who has survived a broken heart will come to understand Saskia’s motivation. She loved Patrick and his son, Jack. She practically raised Jack, who was small when his mother died. Her life was wrapped up in them: “I didn’t have enough other people in my life to cover the loss of this many people at once.”

As in What Alice Forgot, Moriarty’s best-selling and most recent novel, The Hypnotist’s Love Story explores tangled relationships that extend beyond romantic complications. Both books are engaging, easy reads with layers of depth. In The Hypnotist’s Love Story, Moriarty has created an emotional and intriguing ride.

The New York Times best-selling author of Julie and Romeo returns with perhaps her most relatable novel yet, Calling Invisible Women. In a story both whimsical and significant, Jeanne Ray addresses an all-too-familiar fate that many women seem to suffer as they grow older.

Matriarch and garden columnist Clover first noticed she was no longer able to see herself on a Thursday morning. In her early 50s, Clover had grown used to decreased attention from her husband, and to frequently being ignored by servers and co-workers in public. However, on that fateful morning, Clover realizes that she has actually vanished completely and is, in fact, truly invisible. Petrified and fearful that she is losing her sanity, Clover does everything she can to garner the attention of her jobless son, her narcissistic daughter and her overworked husband, but it is all to no avail. They continue as if nothing has happened, ignoring Clover’s plight.

With the investigative skills that she previously used as a reporter (before being demoted to the gardening column), Clover discovers to both her dismay and excitement that there are other women out there just like her. Women who have lost their jobs and their looks—but most importantly, lost their ability to be recognized by the loved ones around them. With the newfound knowledge that she is not alone, Clover goes about town, slowly learning more about her family, and most importantly, herself. (Being invisible does have its perks when it comes to accessing secret information!) As she gains confidence, Clover discovers there’s a reason for her “disability,” and her quest for a cure involves hilarious adventures (naked traveling via airplane, for one) as she leads an army of invisible women on a crusade to get noticed. Heartfelt, inspirational and uplifting, Calling Invisible Women calls out to readers with a passionate and important message. This book is clearly one that deserves to be noticed.

Faith Bass Darling has her moments. More and more of them all the time, when she has to repeat her checklist ("My name is Faith Bass Darling. I live at 101 Old Waco Road in Bass, Texas") to bring herself back to the present. But today's present is a shade different from the usual—it's the last day before Y2K. And God told Faith that she was going to die today. So perhaps she should try to face all the things she has avoided thinking about for 20 years—her dear son's accidental death, her husband's share in it—now what were they again?

Oh yes. God had also told her to sell the scores of original Tiffany lamps, the 18th century automaton elephant clock with moving trunk, the old banker's rolltop desk, the Dance Dragoon pistol, the heirloom diamond wedding ring (if only it could be found) and all the other priceless family antiques that she had clung to for years. At whatever price the buyer suggested, say, a quarter, perhaps, or two or three. The neighborhood rallied around.

Everything had to go before she did—perhaps even including the missteps, the misunderstandings, the false starts and the prejudices of generations. Meanwhile, her long-estranged daughter, Claudia, learns of the yard sale from a childhood friend (much-conflicted local antiques dealer Bobbie) and reluctantly comes home to deal with the emergency. She has her own problems, and it's not easy to work with the mess. Indeed, sometimes, details do not get dealt with at all, but, at least, channels are cleared between Claudia and her mother, with Bobbie, and with John Jasper Johnson, a prime player in the tragedies of the past and the reconciliation of the future. Even good-hearted but ineffectual Father George A. Fallow finds some encouragement for the years to come.

Oh, this book, a first novel by Texas journalist Lynda Rutledge, is a good one, full of thoughtfulness, staying power, and a touch of other-worldliness. Do try to get it in before the Mayan Apocalypse.

When Alice Randall’s latest novel opens, Ada Howard weighs more than 200 pounds and, frankly, she likes her “big fatness.” So does her husband of 25-plus years, the overly generous pastor of their church. But Ada knows that being big and fat just isn’t healthy, and with her college reunion coming up, she wants to look good. Especially for the boy who got away, Matt Mason.

Randall, whose controversial debut The Wind Done Gone was a slave’s take on Gone With the Wind, has no trouble plunging into touchy topics. In Ada’s Rules, she takes on weight loss and the politics of fat with rollicking humor, compassion and a touch of sadness. Ada is the youngest child of a blues musician and his wife. Her elderly parents are fading, and part of Ada’s determination to get healthy is because her three older sisters died too young from obesity-related issues. Then there are her adult twin daughters. They’re also sort of big. Maybe they should all start “healthing” together?

But Ada starts to worry as the pounds begin to melt away. Will Preach still find her desirable? Will he even notice?

Ada’s Rules gives readers the pleasure of spending some time with a real person. So many women are facing struggles like Ada’s, and many of the laughs will come from recognition as well as humor. The novel, with its chapter headings straight out of weight loss books—it’s almost something of a novel/diet book hybrid—is also suspenseful. What’s going to happen when Ada reaches her ideal weight? Will she reach her ideal weight? We know she’s not going to have an affair with Matt Mason. Or will she?

It’s a delight to read about someone so fully human. In Ada Howard, Randall has pulled off the tough trick of creating a truly relatable, deliciously complicated character.

From Notes on a Scandal to the real-life antics of Mary Kay Letourneau, relationships between teachers and students hold perennial intrigue in our culture. Set in Maryland at the time of the Lewinsky scandal, Rebecca Coleman’s psychologically disturbing novel, The Kingdom of Childhood, explores the dark, illicit side of desire.

Judy McFarland, a kindergarten teacher at the progressive and alternative Waldorf School, feels broken and displaced—she is haunted by the untimely death of her best friend and stuck in an unhappy, angry marriage with Russ, a Ph.D. candidate. Judy is asked to supervise 16-year-old Zach, a lonely transplant from New Hampshire, as he fulfills his service hours. Drawn together by mutual feelings of betrayal by their parents (in addition to untethered lust) the two quickly enter into an affair. Over time, Zach begins to retreat from increasingly obsessive, insatiable Judy, whose sexual proclivities grow unapologetically unsettling and unseemly. The novel barrels toward a suspenseful end as they both face the inevitable consequences of choices made.

The Kingdom of Childhood raises messy and controversial questions, making it a natural pick for book clubs. Coleman does not demand sympathy for her main character, and in fact, Judy’s break from reality and obscured moral barometer stokes the tension even further. Though at her strongest when revisiting Judy’s childhood in Germany, overall Coleman writes with a flair for capturing the underbelly of the human psyche and the all-consuming nature of desire.