Books like 'Just Life'
Readers who enjoyed Just Life by Neil Abramson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary animals dogs suspense medical drama friendship anthropomorphism realistic family
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Finding Billie Romano by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author wants to take you to Ireland for a story that will leave you wanting more long after you turn the last page... Twenty-five year old Billie Romano is struggling. She is grieving the death of her beloved dad and nothing in her life is going right... -
Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home... -
Not My Daughter by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnna’s hands tense on Alice and she hesitates. In that endless pause, I see all I need to know. She doesn’t want to give Alice to me – not now, and not ever. And part of me doesn’t even blame her… Milly always dreamed of being a mother. Adopted herself, she has always imagined a powerful intimate connection with a child of her own... -
The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA New York Times best-selling series! Harlem's favorite family returns in the third installment in the Vanderbeerkers series, wherein the Vanderbeeker kids find themselves racing to save their mother's baking business from city closure. Illustrated with delightful black and white illustrations. For the Vanderbeeker kids of Harlem's 141st Street, spring break couldn't be off to a better start... -
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Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNow a family friendly major motion picture from Fox 2000 Studios—featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, and Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo the dog!In this young readers’ edition of the New York Times bestselling adult novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, meet one funny mutt - Enzo, the lovable dog who tells this story.Enzo knows he is different from other dogs... -
Blood Is Thicker by Paul Langan, D.M. Blackwell
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHakeem Randall can't take it anymore. First he learns that his father is sick and that his parents can no longer afford their home. Then he finds out he has to leave his friends at Bluford High and move in with his uncle in faraway Detroit--where he has to share a bedroom with his moody, secretive cousin Savon... -
Someone To Love Me by Anne Schraff
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWelcome to Bluford High. This widely acclaimed teen series set in an urban high school features engaging, accessible writing and appealing, contemporary storylines.At first, Bobby Wallace was everything Cindy Gibson hoped for. He was friendly, seemingly mature, and hansome--the perfect escape from her problems in school and even bigger troubles at home... -
The Fallen by Paul Langan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMartin Luna's world is crumbling. A fight threatens to end his sophomore year at Bluford High School. But at home, things are even worse. Frankie, the most feared homeboy from his neighborhood, is hunting him. Alone and with time running out, Martin makes a desperate choice... -
Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"A brave and breathtaking musical... -
Where We Belong by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFourteen-year-old Angie and her mom are poised at the edge of homelessness... again. The problem is her little sister, Sophie. Sophie has an autism-like disorder, and a tendency to shriek. No matter where they live, home never seems to last long. Until they move in with Aunt Vi, across the fence from a huge black Great Dane who changes everything... -
A Mother's Confession by Kelly Rimmer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratings'He’s dead and I’m safe, but I’m still scared. Sometimes I actually miss him, but then in the very next breath I find that I hate him so much that I hope there is a hell, just so that he can be suffering like he left me here to suffer.' Olivia and David were the perfect couple with their whole lives in front of them. When beautiful baby daughter Zoe came along, their world seemed complete... -
Ayah by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBetapa Sabari menyayangi Zorro. Ingin dia memeluknya sepanjang waktu. Dia terpesona melihat makhluk kecil yang sangat indah dan seluruh kebaikan yang terpancardarinya. Diciuminya anak itu dari kepala sampai ke jari-jemari kakinya yang mungil. Kalau malam Sabari susah susah tidur lantaran membayangkan bermacam rencanayang akan dia lalui dengan anaknya jika besar nanti... -
Hard Land by Benedict Wells
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsMissouri, 1985: Um vor den Problemen zu Hause zu fliehen, nimmt der fünfzehnjährige Sam einen Ferienjob in einem alten Kino an. Und einen magischen Sommer lang ist alles auf den Kopf gestellt. Er findet Freunde, verliebt sich und entdeckt die Geheimnisse seiner Heimatstadt. Zum ersten Mal ist er kein unscheinbarer Außenseiter mehr. Bis etwas passiert, das ihn zwingt, erwachsen zu werden... -
Rain Man by Leonore Fleischer, Kieran McGovern
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCharlie Babbitt thinks he will get a lot of money when his father dies. However the money goes to someone he doesn't know - a man who lives in hospital and is the brother Charlie never knew he had. The two meet and so starts a surprising new life for both of them. A deeply emotional story and also a major film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman... -
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Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCritically acclaimed author Cammie McGovern presents a heartwarming and humorous middle grade novel about the remarkable bond that forms between an aspiring service dog and an autistic boy in need of a friend... -
Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRiches to rags. ... Chaos again. ... Winning is important, ... at least for some!Doreen is overwhelmed with joy when she sees all the volunteers who show up to help get her deck addition built. Most of the men are cops, friends of Corporal Mack Moreau’s, and are happy to help Mack’s special friend and the lady who has helped solve so many crimes for them with a spot of home renovation... -
Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a bittersweet novel about healing old wounds and finding a new place to call home… Roseanna Chaldecott spent her life as a high-powered lawyer in Manhattan. But when her best friend and law partner dies suddenly, something snaps. Unsure of her future, Roseanna heads upstate on one tank of gas and with no plans to return... -
If You Were Here: An uplifting, feel-good story – full of life, love and hope! by Alice Peterson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings'I tend to avoid weepies if I can help it, but once in a while I’ll get stuck into one and I’ll be so glad I did! This is a beautiful story about living life to the fullest and having the courage to overcome adversity' PAIGE TOONI can toast to my future, but the thundercloud over my head, the threat of a storm, will follow me like a shadow wherever I go... -
Si Anak Kuat by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAmelia, si bungsu, anak yang paling kuat. Buku pertama sekaligus terbit terakhir dari Serial Anak-Anak Mamak."Kau anak paling kuat di keluarga ini, Amelia. Bukan kuat secara fisik, tapi kuat dari dalam. Kau adalah anak yang paling teguh hatinya, paling kokoh pemahaman baiknya. Kau menyayangi sekitar, dan sungguh-sungguh mau membantu orang lain... -
Pieces of You by Tablo
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEpik High leader Tablo's short stories weave together the secrets and anxieties of youth, whispering words of solace to a lost generation... -
Mink River by Brian Doyle
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLike Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood and Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, Brian Doyle’s stunning fiction debut brings a town to life through the jumbled lives and braided stories of its people... -
Burlian by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBurlian, anak kampung dengan segala keriangan keluarganya. Bercita-cita ingin naik kapal besar keliling dunia. Buku 2, dari Serial Anak2 Mamak. Buku 3, PUKAT terbit Februari 2010, Buku 4, Eliana direncanakan terbit Oktober 2010, Buku 1, Amelia direncanakan terbit Februari 2011... -
Kau, Aku, dan Sepucuk Angpau Merah by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAda tujuh miliar penduduk bumi saat ini. Jika separuh saja dari mereka pernah jatuh cinta, maka setidaknya akan ada satu miliar lebih cerita cinta. Akan ada setidaknya 5 kali dalam setiap detik, 300 kali dalam semenit, 18.000 kali dalam setiap jam, dan nyaris setengah juta sehari-semalam, seseorang entah di belahan dunia mana, berbinar, harap-harap cemas, gemetar, malu-malu menyatakan perasaanya... -
Friends with Secrets by Christine Gunderson
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn a funny and suspenseful debut, Christine Gunderson explores the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets.What you see isn’t always what you get.Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben—aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune—in suburban Washington, DC... -
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Wolf: The Journey Home by Asta Bowen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this fictionalized account of real events, a female wolf named Marta, along with her young family, sets out on an epic journey to return to their home hunting grounds in Montana after they are mistakenly relocated by a group of naturalists... -
Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third book starring Penny, a brand-new mouse character, in a brand-new series from Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes.From Kevin Henkes, the creator of Lilly, Owen, and Chrysanthemum, comes a brand-new mouse for brand-new readers... -
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAdam March is a self-made Master of the Universe. He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called... -
Caitlin's Lucky Charm by Lisa Schroeder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFour best friends, one lucky bracelet, and an utterly charming new middle-grade series!Caitlin would stay at summer camp forever if she could. Her new best friends in the world, Hannah, Mia, and Libby are there... -
Mud-Puddle Poodle by Tui T. Sutherland
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn exciting new series about those adorable pets that just won't behave -- it's Marley & Me for middle-grade readers!Rosie loves everything to be pretty and organized, so when she's finally allowed to get her own dog, she chooses an adorable, precious little poodle...Categorized as:
animals anthropomorphism dogs realistic children children-books contemporary fiction -
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises--especially to ourselves--by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle. It's been a minute--or five years--since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began... -
Starla Jean: Which Came First: The Chicken or the Friendship? by Elana K. Arnold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPrintz Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist Elana K. Arnold makes her chapter book debut with this charming story of a girl and her chicken, irresistibly illustrated by A. N. Kang.Introducing Starla Jean!She's full of moxie, clever as a fox, and obsessed with catching a chicken she finds at the park... -
Finding Danny by Linzi Glass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwelve-year-old Bree Davies is devastated when her beloved Border Collie, Danny, goes missing after her mom leaves the gate open to their Santa Monica home. In her search to find Danny, Bree is thrust into the world of animals in need. With the help and guidance of animal rescuer Rayleen, Bree's heart is opened to the plight of the dogs in the downtown Vox Street shelter... -
Someone to Look Up To by Jean Gill
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBy IPPY and Global Ebook Award Winner Jean Gill A dog's life in the south of France. From puppyhood, Sirius the Pyrenean Mountain Dog has been trying to understand his humans and train them with kindness.How this led to their divorce he has no idea. More misunderstandings take Sirius to Death Row in an animal shelter, as a so-called dangerous dog learning survival tricks from the other inmates...Categorized as:
animals dogs anthropomorphism family literary-fiction fiction contemporary xenofiction -
Eldarnir. Ástin og aðrar hamfarir by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA volcanologist discovers herself in the face of nature’s fury in this heartrending thriller.Anna Arnardóttir has fire in her blood. A second-generation volcanologist, she’s Iceland’s leading expert on the fire-breathing giants that could, without warning, reduce a country to ash... -
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Nop's Trials by Donald McCaig
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHere is the story of a family and two remarkable individuals -- Lewis Burkholder, a farmer in Virginia, and his young Border Collie, Nop. When the dog is stolen, Nop embarks on an ordeal of peril and hardship that he survives only through courage and love... -
Homecomings by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAt the end of the row of fishermen’s cottages by the harbour’s edge, stands an old granite house.First it belonged to Ned’s parents; then Ned dropped anchor here after a life at sea and called it home. His nephew Hugo moved in too, swapping London for the small Cornish fishing village where he’d spent so many happy holidays... -
Oppa & I: Love Signs by Orizuka, Lia Indra Andriana
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJae In:Oppa.Apa yang sedang terjadi?Kenapa hidupku jadi serumit ini?Kenapa aku tak bisa memahami perasaanku sendiri?Jae Kwon:Jae In-a.Oppa pernah bilang kan, kalau Oppa akan selalu ada untukmu?Jadi, kenapa kau harus menyimpannya sendiri?Ada oppa di sini!Oppa & I: Love Signs adalah buku ketiga dari seri Oppa & I yang diangkat dari webseries di koreanupdates... -
The Songbird by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Mattie invites her old friend Tim to stay in one of her family cottages on the edge of Dartmoor, she senses there is something he is not telling her. Having left his job in a rush, Tim, usually cheerful, is now quiet and reserved, as if holding on to a painful secret... -
Losing You by Susan Lewis
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo lives. Two families. One tragedy.Lauren Scott is bright, talented and beautiful. At eighteen, she is the most precious gift in the world to her mother, and has a dazzling career ahead of her.Oliver Lomax is a young man full of promise, despite the shadow his own, deeply troubled, mother casts over him.Then one fateful night, Oliver makes a decision that tears their worlds apart... -
Bellamy's Command by Jen Talty
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA gripping romantic thriller filled with heart-pounding action, dangerous secrets, and a love that refuses to fade. Five years ago, the world believed Octavia Reynolds had been killed during a violent raid in Colombia. Betrayed, captured, and left for dead, she survived with the help of a daring DEA agent who risked everything to save her... -
The Dog Who Danced by Susan Wilson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLove is unleashed in this inspiring and uplifting novel by New York Times bestselling author Susan WilsonJustine Meade lost her mother, her home, even her son. The bright spot in her life, the partner she could always count on, was her gray and black Shetland sheepdog, Mack--that is, until she is summoned back to her hometown after years away... -
A Week in Winter by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery once in a while a very special story comes along that deserves an enormous cozy chair with a view of rolling hills, a fire snapping quietly in the hearth, a cup of real cocoa in a favorite mug, and a plate of homemade cookies. A Week in Winter is such a tale... -
Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHannah, Compton, and Kira have been close friends since medical school, reuniting once a year for a much-needed vacation. Just as they gather to travel in Spain, an outbreak of a fast-spreading virus throws the world into chaos...Categorized as:
medical drama literary-fiction friendship realistic fiction contemporary womens-fiction -
Sight Hound by Pam Houston
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis is the story of a woman, Rae, and her dog, Dante, a wolfhound who teaches "his human" that love is stronger than fear (the dog has always known this)... -
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Listen! by Stephanie S. Tolan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLearning to walk again is the easy part.For twelve-year-old Charley, recovering from the accident that shattered her leg is nowhere near as difficult as facing the solitude of a summer without her best friend and with a father who does nothing, now, but work. Solitude means time to think, time to hear for the first time the awful silence left in her world two years ago by her mother's death... -
Diamonds in the Rough by Michelle Madow
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll-access doesn't mean no problems. The three Diamond sisters survived the summer in style after coming to live with their long-lost billionaire father. But making a place for themselves at their exclusive new Las Vegas private school is throwing them any number of gold-plated curves... -
Lety Out Loud by Angela Cervantes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReturn to the animal shelter featured in Gaby, Lost and Found, with a novel about friendship and finding your voice.Can Lety find her voice before it's too late?Lety Muñoz's first language is Spanish, and she likes to take her time putting her words together... -
A Woman's Heart by JoAnn Ross
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIreland—a land of unbridled spirit, ancient legends, whitewashed cottages and storybook castles. A place where anything can happen and there are no strangers—until now. Quinn Gallagher has reluctantly come to Castlelough. He’s cynical, bitter and disillusioned. But the magic of the west coast is about to change him. He’s never met anyone like Nora Fitzpatrick... -
Reign of Terrier by Lori R. Taylor
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen she needed a hand, she found a paw.Tessa's dream of becoming a veterinary tech crashes after her fiercely-supportive fiancée dies in a tragic accident. Mourning her loss and desperate to move forward, Tessa must prove she can handle the pressures of working in a real-life clinic before she can start her new life... -
Five Night Stand by Richard J. Alley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLegendary jazz pianist Oliver Pleasant finds himself alone at the end of his career, playing his last five shows, hoping the music will draw his estranged family back…Frank Severs, a middle-aged, out-of-work journalist, is at a crossroads as his longtime dreams and marriage grind to a standstill…And piano prodigy Agnes Cassady is desperately grasping for fulfillment before a debilitating disease...
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