Liars by Sarah Manguso

Toss me the messy divorce book. Just give me every last one of them, fiction and non-fiction. I love the mess, the drama, the insanity and the lies. Marriage, in itself, is designed to be messy and whether it works or not, is such a leap of faith. But when it falls apart, it more often falls apart hard, like a cheap wine glass shattering on a stone kitchen floor. An expensive glass will break into only a few pieces but a cheap class shatters into a million little pieces. This is the landscape of Sarah Manguso's "Liars." Jane, a novelist, marries John, a filmmaker. They are happy, smart and creative people, and they think they have found the perfect partner in each other. And when people in love get together, they often decide to have children to add to the party. Jane and John decided to have one child, a little boy. And then suddenly the party goes sideways. Jane naturally takes on more of the mother duties, such as caring for her son, and John takes on more of the father duties, such as earning the larger salary. However, John's work is unpredictable, and so is the cash in their bank account. And then the ugly culprit named "resentment" enters the story. Jane starts to resent John for not being attentive, and John starts to resent Jane for being so dower. They go to couples counseling, like so many do, and it makes things worse. "Liars" is an intense book, but the realism jumps off every page. Jane and John end up not only telling lies to each other, but lies to themselves as well. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

One & Only by Maurene Goo

At the end of May, I'm getting on a plane bound for Seoul, South Korea. I can't wait. I have always wanted to go there, since as a little girl, my dad told me about his time in Seoul running an army radio station. So when a book about a Korean matchmaker popped in my Libby library app, I couldn't wait to dive into it. Maurene Goo is a young-adult novelist and this is her first foray into adult literature. Cassia Park works for her family's Los Angeles-based matchmaking business. Centered on centuries of tried and true Korean dating secrets, the Parks look into a client's past lives to find their one and only "fated," or soul mate. However, despite the firm's 100 percent guarantee pledge, the only one who has, so far, been unable to find love it Cassia. On the eve of her 40th birthday, she holds the name of her "fate," but has yet to meet him. When she has a cute-meet with a younger man named Ellis, she decides to see where it goes. Her instant connection with Ellis makes her doubt her faith in the Korean matchmaking process. How can she fall for Ellis, when her "fated" is still out there, holding the key to her future? Will she follow her heart, or trust the logic of hundreds of years of Korean matchmaking success? To buy this book on Amazon click here.

You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

I always consider it a privilege to read a memoir, no matter how sad. For someone to take the time to not only write about their life, but also honestly share it with complete strangers, is incredible. It is brave and heroic, but also such an accomplishment to get it all down on the page. “You with the Sad Eyes” is Christina Applegate’s story filled with humor and wit as well as pain and struggle. She kept diaries her whole life, almost foreshadowing that hers was going to be a bumpy ride, so she should take notes. She has had wonderful career highs with starring roles in “Married. . . With Children,” “Samantha Who?” and “Dead to Me.” However, personally she had to battle breast cancer and later Multiple Sclerosis, diagnosed in 2021. The book reveals a very sad and neglected childhood in Laurel Canyon, which was later parlayed into a horrifyingly abusive relationship with a man she does not name. She frequented the notorious Viper Room, danced on Broadway in “Sweet Charity,” and launched the “Anchorman” franchise with Will Farrell. For the reader, and I imagine the author too, “You with the Sad Eyes” is a chance to comb over Applegate’s life and see how she became an actress, a survivor and devoted mother to daughter, Sadie. The roller-coaster-ride of her career has been matched with the overwhelming health issues her body has had to stand up against. The strength of her voice and the power of her words are a testament to the fact that this is a woman who is not going to give up easily. “I truly believe that books can make people feel less alone. That’s why I’m doing this,” she wrote. Through the darkness, she continues to search for light and hope through her sad eyes. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Gossip Columnist's Daughter by Peter Orner

In the mid 1980s, I worked for the Chicago Tribune. I was an assistant for a gossip column called “INC.” I loved walking through the doors of the Tribune building, and on snow days sometimes my eye lashes along with my black tights would freeze, and not thaw until I was sitting at my desk. The Tribune had its star columnists like Bob Greene and later Mike Royko, but one of the area’s most famous columnists worked across the street from me at the Chicago Sun Times. His name was Irv Kupcinet, otherwise known as “Kup.” I would sometimes see him going out to lunch, dressed in his signature beige trench coat covering his 6-feet-tall frame.  He was a radio and talk show host, but he was best known for his newspaper job writing “Kup’s Column,” which ran in the Sun Times for six decades. While Irv and his wife Essee were Chicago royalty, most people also knew was that their lives were plagued by tragedy. In 1963, their beloved daughter Karen “Cookie” Kupcinet was found murdered in her Hollywood apartment, and that crime was never solved. The 22-year-old aspiring actress was at the beginning of her career, and was just starting to get small parts. “The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter” by Peter Orner is historical fiction and centers around a struggling writer named Jed Rosenthal who attempts to solve the mystery of the Kupcinet murder. Rosenthal is the son of Lou and Babs Rosenthal, who are the fictional best friends of Irv and Essee Kupcinet in this book. Through the pages of this novel, Orner proposes a plausible plot of what happened to the Kupcinset’s daughter, and how their lives were changed forever. Did the Kupcinet’s know who killed their daughter? Did their friends know who killed the girl? Was there a cover up? Was her death part of a larger conspiracy? Woven in between the stories of President Kennedy’s assassination, the glamor of old school Hollywood, and Chicago’s legendary mob scene, “The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter” is a fascinating tale, well-crafted and well-told. Orner’s unraveling of the decades long cold case unlocks a treasure chest of questions, that seem to have been covered since that fateful night in 1963. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

A Friend of Dorothy's by Richard Willett

For those of us in our 60s, we remember living through another global pandemic that came before Covid. Since the early 1980s, AIDS has taken the lives of more than 40 million people worldwide. During the early days of AIDs, I too remember so much confusion about the disease, about how you could get it, and how you couldn't get it. But I remember too, the stories of the caregivers, and the people who took care of their dying friends. "A Friend of Dorothy," by Richard Willett, is a novel, and coming of age story that takes place during 1986 in New York City. Eric, a 27-year-old Canadian transplant, works in a book store in Midtown Manhattan. When his coworker Dale contracts AIDS, he needs a caregiver. Dale asks Eric to help him, and Eric agrees. The experience will change both of the men's lives. With grace and humor, Eric helps his friend die, while Dale inspires Eric to continue to live. The novel so accurately depicts New York in the middle of the AIDS crisis, when there was so much fear and stigma, but also so much love going around, too. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Us, After: A Memoir of Love and Suicide by Rachel Zimmerman

I follow several young widows on Instagram who have a dedicated following. Once you follow one of them, of course, Instagram suggests others. And to see these young widows trying to deal with their grief and raise their young children is nothing short of astonishing. They seem to get energy from their followers, on good days and bad ones. Some of them marry again, but you can still see the grief in their eyes, like a scar that will not heal. "Us, After: A Memoir of Love and Suicide" by Rachel Zimmerman is a book about how her husband jumped to his death from a local bridge, leaving her behind with two little girls. He was, from all accounts, a good father and a robotics professor at MIT. His suicide came as a shock to his wife, friends and family. But once the shock turned into curiosity, the hard work began. Overnight, Zimmerman became a single mom, left to struggle with the unanswered question: Why did her husband end his life? An experienced journalist, she went into reporter mode, and treated his death like a news story. She interviewed doctors, suicide researchers and even a man who jumped off the same bridge, but survived. Despite her research she was not able to come to any hard and fast conclusions, except this one: She was now a single mother. "Us, After" is a beautiful book that tries to explain how one can pick up the pieces, find hope and begin living again after the tragic loss of a spouse. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Sometimes I wonder if I have a personal curator living inside my Libby library book app. I don't know if her name is Eleanor, Bernadette or Daisy, but I do know she is very smart. She often suggests books that I would not consider my cup of tea. But then I trust her, and read the book and it turns out to be a winner because it transports me to a place I never imagined I would go. "Beautiful Ugly" is that kind of book. Part thriller and part mystery, Feeney takes the reader on a journey about marriage, trauma and revenge. One night author Grady Green is talking to his wife Abby on the phone, while she is driving. Suddenly, he hears her slam on the breaks, get out of the car, and then there is complete silence. He is able to find her car, and Abby's phone, but his wife remains missing. After a year, still feeling unsettled, he decides to travel to a remote Scottish Island hoping to cure his writer's block. When he arrives on the island he meets a woman who looks exactly like his wife. Is this really Abby? Or is this just someone who looks like his wife? When he speaks to the woman, she does not appear to know who he is. Grady is determined to solve the mystery of Abby's disappearance, but what he does not know, is that the entire island is plotting against him. He came to the island to enjoy a safe retreat, but he might not be safe at all. I am new to the genre of dark thrillers, but this one certainly was a riveting page turner. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau

When I was 24 years old, I worked at Crate and Barrel in a suburb north of Chicago. One of my responsibilities was to help young women with their bridal registry. This was to me, and still is, my dream job. It was filled with romance, love, drama and Calphalon pans. There is something about your first real job that, hopefully for most people, will always feel magical. This is the landscape of "Shopgirls" by Jessica Anya Blau. Meet Zippy, a 19-year-old young woman working in the dress department of I.Magnin around 1985. Five days a week Zippy gets to walk thought the employee entrance of one of San Francisco's finest department stores. Zippy's home life, however, is far from glamorous. Buying her own clothings at the Salvation Army, and growing up with a single mom and her partner Howard, is a life low on laughs and finances. However, she has always been a girl who dreams of greater things. I.Magnin represents an opportunity for new friends, a new family, and a priceless education on how to be an adult. Zippy has a knack for helping women find the best designer dress to fit their style. I love Blau's writing, and adored this book as much as her previous novel "Mary Jane." Both novels represent coming-of-age stories, with the main character learning how to blend a complicated biological family with a found, treasured family. I didn't want "Shopgirls" to end, and I can't wait to read more of Blau's work. I wish I.Magnin was still here, too. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits

I so often read books written by women, for women and about women. So how refreshing it was to listen to this audio book about a man named Tom. This book is written by a man, about a man, that is a terrific read for everyone. It is about raising children, falling in and out of love, and aging. These are all of the subjects that deeply matter to me. How can we live our best and brightest lives until the end. I think Markovits has an excellent roadmap to share.  As Tom’s children were growing up, he found out his wife was having an affair. She ended the affair, and he vowed to divorce her in 12 years, on the eve of taking their youngest daughter to college. Tom’s decision to stay with his wife through their children’s launch into college is not the most modern decision but it was Tom’s commitment. He wanted to make it through his daughter’s high school graduation, and he did. So, the story begins when his wife decides to let Tom take their daughter alone to her college in Pittsburgh. However, the twist is that after dropping his daughter at college, he does not return to Westchester to his wife and home. Instead, he spontaneously embarks on a road trip of self-discovery. He heads west to visit an old college friend, an ex-girlfriend, his brother and his son. Along the road, we see Tom struggling with some health issues that he has been ignoring. Others are supportive and try to help, although his wife never did. So, this is not only a novel about a new adventure, but also a story about aging. How do we spend our time when our children are launched? How do we stay in a long-term marriage, or leave it? What do we picture our final years to be like? “The Rest of Our Lives” by Markovits is a lovely road-trip novel, and thoughtful read from a male perspective. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Strangers by Belle Burden

In the middle of the pandemic, Belle Burden was safely quarantining with her family on Martha's Vineyard. She was with her husband, and two of their children, with the third staying with friends. Dinner was finished when she noticed a voicemail on her phone. The message would change her life forever. The male voice on the message said, "I'm trying to reach Belle. I'm sorry to tell you this, but your husband is having an affair with my wife." That is the kind of voicemail you never want to get, but once delivered there is no going back. "Strangers" is not only the story of the end of a marriage but also a book about how Burden was able to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life, and put herself and her family's life back together. He husband of 20 years, seemingly overnight, lost interest in Burden as well as their three children. Her husband, Henry Patterson Davis, had for two decades seemed like a loving and loyal husband, until he was not. In the book she calls him "James" for privacy and artistic reasons, but there is no mystery as to who he is, and who Burden is. She is the granddaughter of heiress and socialite Babe Paley. Despite being a Harvard-educated lawyer, Burden was lost when her husband left. She had to take over all of the things that he did, such as manage bank accounts and insurance policies. She has to rebuild from the ground up, not only her financial life, but also her emotional life, while also supporting the lives of her children who were equally abandoned. This is a book about the end of the marriage, but the beginning of a new life for Burden, filled with strength, bravery and a new career as an author. "Strangers" is a road map about survival and determination. When all is said and done, divorce did not tear down Burden, it lifted her up higher than she could have imagined. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

The Olympics are coming in Milan, so let's talk about ice skating. In her new romantic novel "The Favorites," Layne Fargo has selected the perfect venue: the ice rink. The sport has built-in high drama, competition, romance and spice, not to mention aggressive coaches and family members behind the scenes. On line, some people have said "The Favorites" is a cross between "Daisy Jones & the Six" and "Wuthering Heights," and I can see both comparisons. The novel uses a documentary style to reflect on the past fictional stars of the sport through testimonials. In addition, at the heart of the novel are several love stories, including one brooding Heathcliff homage who even bares the first name "Heath." But the novel stands on its own as a glimpse inside the sport, and how people can go from being unknown ice dancers to skaters with Olympic potential seemingly overnight. This novel also examines the finances of ice skating, and how in order to become famous in the sport, you need the money for travel, costumes, and a top-notch coach, preferably American or Russian. The story centers around partners, Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha, but on the ice along side of them is a fascinating cast of characters who seem real, determined, and talented. How do some ice skaters make it to stardom and others do not, is what "The Favorites" is all about. An excellent read for a snowy vacation or just a nice book to read by the fire with a hot toddy while waiting for the Olympics to come on. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer

For nearly 10 years I have worked at a hospice, where I talk to people about death every day. You might think it is a depressing job, and while it can be sad, it is not depressing. I find it interesting, talking to people and discussing the options for their loved ones' end of life care. So, when I stumbled across this book, "Some Bright Nowhere," it piqued my interest. Ann Packer, best-selling author of "The Dive from Clausen's Pier," has written a book about a woman who sees the end of her life playing out very differently than her husband and children do. In this, Eliot and his wife Claire were facing her death as the treatment for her cancer has ceased to be effective. That is how the book opens: All treatment options are done. They have been married for close to 40 years, and have raised two grown children. Most people in this situation would probably choose to die in their home, surrounded by family, comfortable. But Claire makes an unexpected choice: She wants to die away from her home, away from her family, surrounded by her supportive girlfriends. Claire's decision, instead of being met with respect, is met with sadness and confusion by Eliot. He feels banished and wounded. How this plays out brought up so many issues for me. Can we choose how to die and when? What is socially acceptable, and what is not? Do we have to consider other people's feelings or is death a unique, personal choice for all of us. I suspect most people who read this book are not going to like all of the characters. But I think that is not the point. The point is to look at marriage and death with a set of new eyes, and explore alternatives to traditional end of life options. "Some Bright Nowhere" is Packer's first book in nearly 10 years and I'm very glad to have her back writing complicated stories like this one. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Let's start 2026 with a wonderful book, "Heart The Lover" by Lily King. This novel is an exploration and remembrance of first love, a college love, a messy love that was bundled up in the safety net of academia, and the warmth of time spent at a university. Our narrator meets Sam and Yash senior year, in her 17th Century Literature class. Sam and Yash are best friends, and they are amused she is there on a golf scholarship. They nickname her Jordan, after the glamorous golfer in "The Great Gatsby." We don't find out her real name until the end of the book. They invite her back to the home they share, belonging to a professor on sabbatical at Oxford. The three of them match wits, flex their intellectual knowledge, and play cards. Jordan finds herself strangely attracted to both men, but strikes up a relationship with Sam. However, when senior year of college comes to an end, they all go their separate ways. Years later they are brought together again under trying circumstances, and the troika must untangle their feelings for each other, as adults with families. Many people have a lost love from college, and no doubt King writes from her own experience. What is so striking is how much she makes us care about Jordan, Sam, and Yash, as if they were our own friends from college. "Heart The Lover" is a beautiful way to welcome in 2026, as it stands before us with so much hope and promise. To buy this book on Amazon click here

"Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau

In honor of Christmas, a gift: "Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau. To become a member of a family, it does not necessarily have to be by birth. Sometimes you meet a group of people, and they become your chosen family. This is the magic of "Mary Jane" by Jessica Anya Blau. In 1970s Baltimore, a 14-year-old girl named Mary Jane gets a summer babysitting job for Izzy, the daughter of a local doctor. Shy and quiet, Mary Jane enjoys reading, cooking with her mother, and singing in the church choir. Soon, Mary Jane discovers this is not your ordinary run-of-the mill babysitting job. Dr. Cone is a psychiatrist with a rock star and his movie star wife who have moved in with the doctor's family while he helps the rock star get sober. Mrs. Cone is a non-traditional housewife who does not know her way around the kitchen. During the summer, Mary Jane teaches the family about laundry, cooking and cleaning, while they teach her about sex, drugs, rock and roll, and group therapy. This coming-of-age story is so charming, and I didn't want it to end. Within the walls of the Cone's home, Mary Jane becomes the confident and strong young woman that she was always meant to be. Set against the changing tide of the 1970s, this novel beautifully captures Mary Jane's chosen family and all the gifts they have to give her. To buy this book on Amazon click here

Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat with photographs by Aya Brackett

Recently my friend Bob and I had dinner, and afterwards he sent me a link to a video on YouTube featuring the chef Samin Nosrat. I loved her first book “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,” so I didn't wait to see this video. It showed her visiting her favorite three spots in San Francisco: Lunette, Rintaro and La Taqueria. Each segment was as charming, delightful and sweet as the chef herself. So, when I saw she had a new book, I couldn’t wait to read it. “Good Things” is a more casual, less constructed book than her first one, but it is just as pleasing to the pallet as her original. In this book she not only shares more than 125 recipes, all of which she has tested with family and friends,bbut also offers more helpful kitchen tips. Some of her go-to recipes include custard pancakes, roast chicken with saffron and chili crisp, chewy focaccia, and her new spin on childhood yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Along with the recipes Nosrat shares advice on how to buy olive oil, when to splurge on salad dressing, and the value of kitchen appliances such as rice cookers. During Covid, Nosrat began having once-a-week dinner parties with friends, and it is clear that these dinner parties have unleashed her creativity inside and out. Her passion for cooking and feeding friends and family is infectious. She seems like just a gem of a human being. I can’t wait for her next dish, and her next book. To buy this book on Amazon click here

“Awake: A Memoir” by Jen Hatmaker

I have to be honest, before I read this book, I didn’t know who Jen Hatmaker was. She literally burst onto the main stage the way authors Glennon Doyle and Mel Robbins did. One day her book “Awake” was so popular everyone wanted her on their television chat show and podcast. Hatmaker’s memoir begins with a pivotal moment, the night she woke at 2:30 a.m. in bed with her husband and overheard him whisper to someone else on his cell phone, “I just can’t quit you.” Those five words would not only change her life forever, but also signal the end of her 26-year marriage. To make matters worse, she had built a reputation as a podcaster (host of “For the Love”) who helped other people embrace authenticity and build healthy relationships. She had written best-selling books sharing the keys to success for a long-term marriage. How could she get out of bed, face the shame and humiliation of her husband’s affair, and raise their five children alone?  How did she do it?  She did it with the support of her family, friends, and a religious community she once shared with her husband. She took it one day at a time. She decided to change her trajectory from “We” to “I” and started to put herself first, and put herself in charge. She had to learn things about insurance, health care bills, and car payments. But she did it and when she got confused, she asked for help. She is smart, funny, and most of all brave. This book is her story, but this book is also about any woman who wakes up one day feeling betrayed by her husband, and knows it is time to end the marriage. Inspiring is not an adjective strong enough to describe this book. More like triumphant and glorious. “Awake” is just a victorious makeover story. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

It Doesn't Have To Hurt by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Last summer, shortly after my husband and I returned from Sicily, my back and my right foot started to hurt. I was furious. How dare my body begin to fail after I had treated it to a wonderful summer visiting Croatia, Mexico, and Italy? The nerve of my ungrateful body. I decided to go to the doctor, and have an ultrasound, and it turned out that basically there was nothing wrong with me. My body was just tired after flying more then 60 hours around the world in trips so close together. Around the same time, this book "It Doesn't Have to Hurt" by Sanjay Gupta popped into my Libby library app. I was intrigued, because I still had body aches and pains on my mind. As a best selling author and neurosurgeon, Gupta has seen a lot of pain. He maintains that too often modern medicine tries to cure pain through medication or surgery. He maintains that a better way to treat chronic pain is through sleep, diet, nutrition, massage, and yes, even more exercise, such as yoga or walking. He goes on to talk about foam rollers, acupuncture, trigger point injections, meditation, and CBD. I found this book very inspiring and, in fact, some of his suggestions worked for me. Instead of sitting on a heating pad, I started doing more hot yoga classes and taking longer walks. The increased activity made my body hurt less. And I also started taking magnesium glycinate capsules, which helped me sleep more deeply, and improved my leg cramps. This is an excellent book for someone battling chronic pain, or temporary pain. Dr. Gupta knows his stuff. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Unexpected Journey by Emma Heming Willis

Last summer, shortly after my husband and I returned from Sicily, my back and my right foot started to hurt. I was furious. How dare my body begin to fail after I had treated it to a wonderful summer visiting Croatia, Mexico, and Italy? The nerve of my ungrateful body. I decided to go to the doctor, and have an ultrasound, and it turned out that basically there was nothing wrong with me. My body was just tired after flying more then 60 hours around the world in trips so close together. Around the same time, this book "It Doesn't Have to Hurt" by Sanjay Gupta popped into my Libby library app. I was intrigued, because I still had body aches and pains on my mind. As a best selling author and neurosurgeon, Gupta has seen a lot of pain. He maintains that too often modern medicine tries to cure pain through medication or surgery. He maintains that a better way to treat chronic pain is through sleep, diet, nutrition, massage, and yes, even more exercise, such as yoga or walking. He goes on to talk about foam rollers, acupuncture, trigger point injections, meditation, and CBD. I found this book very inspiring and, in fact, some of his suggestions worked for me. Instead of sitting on a heating pad, I started doing more hot yoga classes and taking longer walks. The increased activity made my body hurt less. And I also started taking magnesium glycinate capsules, which helped me sleep more deeply, and improved my leg cramps. This is an excellent book for someone battling chronic pain, or temporary pain. Dr. Gupta knows his stuff. To buy this book on Amazon click here.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, who are married in real life, are having a Renaissance in Hollywood right now. When they walk the red carpet together at premieres, the paparazzi go insane with joy, as do their happy fans.  When she recently appeared in an episode of his hit Netflix television show “Nobody Wants This,” the internet could not get enough of the cute Rabbi sharing the small screen with his real-life bride. In the episode, she wore a chic baby blue skirt and top that would have made Blair Waldorf proud. I am down for anything Brody and Meester, as I was, and still am, a big fan of “The O.C.” as well as “Gossip Girl.” So, when I heard that Meester was going to star opposite Jared Padalecki in Center’s book “The Bodyguard” for Netflix, I ran to read it. In “The Bodyguard,” he plays Jack Stapleton, a famous movie star with a middle-aged stalker who breeds corgis. Meester plays Hannah Brooks, bodyguard who works for the executive protection firm hired to keep Stapleton safe. When his mother reveals a cancer diagnosis, Stapleton must go back to Texas to care for her, and as his bodyguard, Brooks must go, too. Katherine Center is known for writing feel-good rom coms and this book has all of those boxes checked perfectly. Stapleton and Brooks come together under unusual circumstance but soon find out that despite their different backgrounds they have more in common then they think.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.

Cancer is Complicated by Clea Shearer

If your pantry is pristine, your sock drawer lined up perfectly, and your wardrobe organized in rainbow order, you know who Clea Shearer is. She one half of the Home Edit, owned by Reese Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine. Along with Joanna Teplin, they run the Home Edit organizing company, and star in the Netlflix series “Get Organized with the Home Edit.” As a person who finds organizing things relaxing, Clea and Joanna are my heroes. They are smart and witty, and ruthless when it comes to helping movie stars, as well as common people, declutter their homes. In March of 2022, after selling her company to Reese Witherspoon for a price tag estimated to be millions of dollars, Clea was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. “Cancer is Complicated” is her memoir about how her life changed after her diagnosis. Any breast cancer diagnosis hits hard, but for Clea, fighting cancer in the middle of Covid became even more complicated. At one point she had Covid, too, and had to get her radiation treatments in the middle of the night to help protect other cancer patients. She was supported by her husband, children, mother and Teplin, and she chronicles how she was able to get treatment, and learns a lot about cancer and herself in the process. One of the things she had to do was learn to slow down, which was a silver lining for her cancer. She had makes lists of helpful things for people to know about cancer, and how to support a loved one who has been diagnosed. I found her story not only well-written and thoughtful, but also provided me with helpful tips on how to support someone else during their cancer journey. To buy this book on Amazon click here.