Books like 'This Is Pleasure'
Readers who enjoyed This Is Pleasure by Mary Gaitskill also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary literary-fiction politics season-summer unreliable-narrator realistic
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My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratings21 hours, 30 minutes #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic season-summer europe scandinavia sweden fiction contemporary -
![The Short Novels of John Steinbeck by John Steinbeck]()
The Short Novels of John Steinbeck by John Steinbeck
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsCollected here for the first time in a deluxe paperback volume are six of John Steinbeck's most widely read and beloved novels...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics realistic 20th-century anthologies classics contemporary drama -
![Indigo Summer by Monica McKayhan]()
Indigo Summer by Monica McKayhan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFifteen-year-old Indigo Summer's world finally seems to be going in the right direction: She hooks up with the star linebacker on the high-school football team, gets a date for homecoming and makes the high-school dance squad all in the same week. But sometimes things are just too good to be true... -
![Africa's Child (Dancing Soul Trilogy) by Maria Nhambu]()
Africa's Child (Dancing Soul Trilogy) by Maria Nhambu
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the Foreword by Marian Wright Edelman Africa’s Child is an unforgettable and searingly personal book….In the face of repeated obstacles and injustices, Nhambu continued to analyze the world around her with wit and a sharp sense of humor... -
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![Herb of Grace: Amish Romance by Adina Senft]()
Herb of Grace: Amish Romance by Adina Senft
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Herb of Grace is filled with spiritual insights and multilayered storylines. At times readers will be chuckling and other times, misty eyed as the book unfolds... -
![Die Sommer by Ronya Othmann]()
Die Sommer by Ronya Othmann
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeyla ist die Tochter einer Deutschen und eines jesidischen Kurden… Das ergreifende Debüt der Gewinnerin des Publikumspreises des Ingeborg-Bachmann-Wettbewerbs (2019) über das Dasein zwischen zwei WeltenDas Dorf liegt in Nordsyrien, nahe zur Türkei. Jeden Sommer verbringt Leyla dort. Sie riecht und schmeckt es. Sie kennt seine Geschichten...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics season-summer adult book contemporary female-author fiction -
![Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe]()
Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt's been five years since the original turtle lady, old Miss Lovie Rutledge, passed away, but her legacy lives on with some special women, especially Toy and her daughter, young Little Lovie. Toy Sooner kept her graveside vow to her beloved mentor. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and aquarist at the South Carolina Aquarium... -
![The Fool's Progress by Edward Abbey]()
The Fool's Progress by Edward Abbey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Fool's Progress, the "fat masterpiece" as Edward Abbey labeled it, is his most important piece of writing: it reveals the complete Ed Abbey, from the green grass of his memory as a child in Appalachia to his approaching death in Tuscon at age sixty two... -
![Alte Sorten by Ewald Arenz]()
Alte Sorten by Ewald Arenz
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSally und Liss: zwei Frauen, wie sie unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten. Sally, kurz vor dem Abitur, will einfach in Ruhe gelassen werden. Sie ist wütend auf alles, hasst alles: Angebote, Vorschriften, Regeln, Erwachsene. Fragen hasst sie am meisten, vor allem nach ihrem Aussehen.Liss bewirtschaftet allein einen Hof zwischen Weinbergen und Feldern...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book coming-of-age contemporary fiction -
![The Summer's End by Mary Alice Monroe]()
The Summer's End by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the powerful and heartwarming conclusion to her bestselling Lowcountry Summer trilogy, New York Times author Mary Alice Monroe brings her readers back to the charm and sultry beauty of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, to reveal how the pull of family bonds and true love is as strong and steady as the tides... -
![Her First Palestinian by Saeed Teebi]()
Her First Palestinian by Saeed Teebi
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.Saeed Teebi’s intense, engrossing stories plunge into the lives of characters grappling with their experiences as Palestinian immigrants to Canada...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic fiction contemporary anthologies poc-mc poc-author historical-fiction -
![Quedará el amor by Alice Kellen]()
Quedará el amor by Alice Kellen
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEl sol baña los acantilados y las aguas turquesas del mar de Cornualles cuando Jane Bellamy y Cedric Stone se conocen en el verano de 1939. No están destinados a ser una ecuación perfecta, pero son jóvenes y el amor lo arrolla todo a su paso. Así que esta historia comienza como otras muchas: él y ella se enamoran. Hay primeras palabras, primeras miradas y primeros besos. Y luego nada... -
![No One Writes Back by Jang Eun-Jin]()
No One Writes Back by Jang Eun-Jin
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCommunication—or the lack thereof—is the subject of this sly update of the picaresque novel. No One Writes Back is the story of a young man who leaves home with only his blind dog, an MP3 player, and a book, traveling aimlessly for three years, from motel to motel, meeting people on the road...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer fiction contemporary 21st-century journey female-author book -
![Ticket to Childhood: A Novel by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh]()
Ticket to Childhood: A Novel by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe best selling book in the history of modern Vietnam, Give Me a Ticket to Childhood has been nothing short of a sensation in its home country: it has sold over 350,000 copies and has gone through thirty-five printings. This, the novel’s first appearance outside Vietnam, marks the arrival, in English, of a hugely appealing and engaging author... -
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![Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux]()
Signals: New and Selected Stories by Tim Gautreaux
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsONE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF 2017Containing twelve new stories and nine classics from previous collections, Signals is Tim Gautreaux at his best. Effortlessly conjuring the heat and humidity of the author's beloved South, these stories of men and women grappling with faith, small town life, and blue-collar work are alternately ridiculous and sublime...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics fiction contemporary anthologies audiobook 21st-century family -
![The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella]()
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at the helm since his father's death. He puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach or enjoyed a moment to himself...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic season-summer north-america usa delaware fiction contemporary -
![Hurt Others by Sam Pink]()
Hurt Others by Sam Pink
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOh man, it just had to happen. Someone had to be a bagger at a grocery store and fantasize about hitting children in the head with wine bottles. Someone had to fear a puddle floating at him from across the street. Someone had to celebrate beating up a pregnant woman. Someone just HAD to be a nanny, and stare at giant motorized spiders...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic 21st-century adult anthologies contemporary fiction horror -
![The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley]()
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the nationally bestselling author of The Guncle comes the much-anticipated sequel, in which Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties…at a big, family wedding in Lake Como, Italy.Patrick O’Hara is finally in a league of his own…professionally... -
![The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole]()
The Brothers Silver by Marc Jampole
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJules and Leon Silver sit at a dusty Formica table in a cold kitchen, drinking warm sugar water. Downstairs in the basement, their mother is unconscious, having swallowed hundreds of Librium while the brothers were at Boy Scout camp, her latest suicide attempt. The food cupboards are empty. The phone doesn’t give a dial tone. As the sun goes down, the kitchen grows cold... -
![By My Side by Alice Peterson]()
By My Side by Alice Peterson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne step can change everything... Cass Brooks wishes she could turn back time. She'd go back to that morning and retrace her steps. Her boyfriend, Sean, would still be with her. Her mother wouldn't be nagging her to plan a new future when all she wants is her old life back...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic book contemporary female-author fiction new-adult womens-fiction -
![World Cup Wishes by Eshkol Nevo]()
World Cup Wishes by Eshkol Nevo
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFour friends get together to watch the 1998 World Cup final. One of them has an idea: let's write down our wishes for the next few years, put them away, and during the next final - four years from now - we'll get them out and see how many we've achieved. This is how World Cup Wishes opens, and from here we watch what happens to their wishes and their friendships as life marches on... -
![A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr, Kate Turnbull]()
A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr, Kate Turnbull
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA RITA Award winner, New York Times best-selling author Robyn Carr has garnered popular acclaim for her contemporary romances. Set in beautiful Northern California, A Summer in Sonoma follows the trials of four women who've been friends since seventh grade.Cassie, doubtful of ever finding Mr. Right, tours the back roads of Sonoma with a long-haired biker who rescued her from Mr. Wrong... -
![the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois]()
the truth about fragile things by Regina Sirois
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBryon died fifty years before his time. Charlotte grew up angry. I grew up scared. And Phillip- well, he never grew up. And now we are all bound together into one painful heap of humanity. Broken, but bound. And maybe it is only the fact that we are tangled in one terrible knot that will hold us together until we heal. This is unfortunately, and miraculously, my story...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic book coming-of-age contemporary female-author fiction young-adult -
![Wild Things by Jo Carnegie]()
Wild Things by Jo Carnegie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen an A-list film set descends on the quiet village of Churchminster, so begins the village's most scandalous year... Meet the glamorous cast of Wild Things! Sophia - the leading lady who gets what she wants. And she wants...Jed - the village's gorgeous gardener, living with devoted girlfriend...Camilla - sweet-natured and desperate for a baby, unlike her sister.. -
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![Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier]()
Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHaley's future has been waiting on the west coast for the past year, but she isn't the only new face in Crescent Cove this summer. When Colby Taylor's parents locate him and interrupt his surf competition, the surf star spirals out of control, dragging Drenaline Surf's reputation through the mud and into the ground with him... -
![Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda]()
Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTender and intense, Honeybees and Distant Thunder is the unflinching story of love, courage and rivalry as three young people come to understand what it means to truly be a friend.In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competition is underway...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic fiction contemporary 21st-century coming-of-age book adult -
![Prima Donna by Karen Swan]()
Prima Donna by Karen Swan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBreaking the rules was what she liked best. That was her sport. Renegade, rebel, bad girl. Getting away with it. Pia Soto is the sexy and glamorous prima ballerina, the Brazilian bombshell who's shaking up the ballet world with her outrageous behaviour. She's wild and precocious, and she's a survivor. She's determined that no man will ever control her destiny...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![The Service by Frankie Miren]()
The Service by Frankie Miren
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLori works illegally in a rented flat in central London, living in fear of police raids which could mean losing her small daughter and her dream of a new life.Freya is a student who finds she can make far more money as an escort than she could in an office; life, after all, is already a tangle of madness and dissociation...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics realistic fiction contemporary feminism lgbtq mental-illness -
![Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style by Paul Rudnick]()
Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style by Paul Rudnick
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the acclaimed writer Paul Rudnick, a riotously funny, perceptive, and life-affirming novel following the decades-long, rule-breaking romance between the son of one of American’s wealthiest families and a middle-class aspiring author.Devastatingly handsome and insanely rich, Farrell Covington is capable of anything and impossible to resist...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic season-summer romance fiction lgbtq historical-fiction contemporary -
![Dawn: Stories by Selahattin Demirtaş, Maureen Freely]()
Dawn: Stories by Selahattin Demirtaş, Maureen Freely
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s imprint, SJP for Hogarth: Written from behind bars, the unforgettable collection from one of Turkey’s leading politicians and most powerful storytellers.In this essential collection, Selahattin Demirtaş’s arresting stories capture the voices of ordinary people living through extraordinary times...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics 21st-century adult anthologies audiobook contemporary fiction -
![Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park]()
Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSet in a frozen winter landscape, the new novel from the prize-winning, acclaimed author David Park is a psychologically astute, expertly crafted portrait of a father’s inner life and a family in crisisI am entering the frozen land, although to which country it belongs I cannot say.The world is hushed, cloaked in snow. Transport has ground to a halt, flights cancelled and roads treacherous...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic fiction contemporary 21st-century season-winter family travel -
![The Few: A Novel by Hakan Günday]()
The Few: A Novel by Hakan Günday
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“I am here. Where are you?” These desperate words link the two protagonists of Hakan Günday’s raw and fearless novel The Few. Derdâ is an eleven-year-old girl pulled out of boarding school by her mother who, without telling her, plans to sell her as a wife to a conservative tribesman. She goes with her new husband to London, where for five years he abuses and all but imprisons her... -
![Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark]()
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCelebrated children’s book author Agnes Lee is determined to secure her legacy—to complete what she knows will be the final volume of her pseudonymously written Franklin Square novels; and even more consuming, to permanently protect the peninsula of majestic coast in Maine known as Fellowship Point...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer realistic fiction historical-fiction audiobook contemporary outdoors -
![The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe]()
The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe Summer Wind is the second book in Monroe’s Lowcountry Summer trilogy, following the New York Times bestselling The Summer Girls. This series is a poignant and heartwarming story of three half-sisters and their grandmother, who is determined to help them rediscover their southern roots and family bonds... -
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![The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson]()
The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCan one chance meeting change the course of your life? When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, broken-hearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly pensioner Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like her own...Categorized as:
realistic literary-fiction season-summer romance fiction contemporary womens-fiction audiobook -
![The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt]()
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaman was exigeante—there is no English word–and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Raised in Marrakech by a French mother and English father, a 17-year-old girl has learned above all to avoid mauvais ton ("bad taste" loses something in the translation)...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic fiction contemporary humor satire female-author anthologies -
![Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst]()
Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThree generations of women in the Ferrari family must heal the broken pieces of their lives on a trip of a lifetime through picturesque Italy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst Workaholic, career-obsessed Francesca is fiercely independent and successful in all areas of her life except one: family...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic season-summer action-adventure adult audiobook book coming-of-age -
![Indigosommer by Antje Babendererde]()
Indigosommer by Antje Babendererde
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDie Gischt in der Brandung schimmerte nicht weiß, sondern blau. Es war ein indigoblaues Leuchten und Flimmern entlang der gesamten Brandungslinie. Das Meer sprühte Funken. Fasziniert starrte ich auf das Schauspiel. Und dann sah ich ihn. Den einsamen Wellenreiter in der Nacht. Seine schwarze Gestalt im Licht des vollen Mondes hatte etwas Gespenstisches, so, als wäre er nicht von dieser Welt... -
![Unbroken Threads by Jennifer Klepper]()
Unbroken Threads by Jennifer Klepper
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJessica Donnelly’s life is beginning to unravel. When the attorney turned stay-at-home mom tentatively volunteers to represent Amina Hamid, a woman seeking asylum, Jessica must learn an unfamiliar area of the law. Soon, rising opposition to Muslim immigration and unexpected prejudices put her relationships on shaky ground... -
![Ironopolis by Glen James Brown]()
Ironopolis by Glen James Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStranded on the outskirts of Ironopolis — nickname to a lost industrial Middlesbrough — the Burn Council Estate is about to be torn down to make way for regeneration. For the future .. -
![Summer Dreams: Dual Image/Untamed by Nora Roberts]()
Summer Dreams: Dual Image/Untamed by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Nora Roberts presents classic stories of two unlikely couples who choose…love!Dual ImagePlaying Booth DeWitt's cruel ex-wife in his semiautobiographical film is the chance of a lifetime for actor Ariel Kirkwood. Not only is it a giant boon for her career, but she also gets to work with the screenwriter himself... -
![Le Chant Du Bouc by Dermot Healy, Michel Lederer]()
Le Chant Du Bouc by Dermot Healy, Michel Lederer
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn a wind-battered cottage in western Ireland, playwright Jack Ferris tries to salvage something from his broken love affair with actress Catherine Adams. Misunderstandings, alcohol, religious differences, and despair have driven them apart. When Jack recreates Catherine in his imagination, the two world's of Catholic and Protestant run together back to the present... -
![Talitha Running Horse by Antje Babendererde]()
Talitha Running Horse by Antje Babendererde
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVon der Website des Autors:Die dreizehnjährige Tally, eine Lakota Halbblutindianerin, liebt Pferde über alles. Aber ihr Vater, mit dem sie im Reservat lebt, ist zu arm, um sich Pferde zu halten. Als in die Nachbarschaft ihrer Tante Charlene eine Familie zieht, die Appaloosas züchtet, lernt Tally endlich reiten...Categorized as:
season-summer realistic young-adult contemporary animals horses indigenous-mc middle-grade -
![The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams]()
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAin’t nothing wrong with being broken. Nothing at all. You’re like these houses, not a whole brick in em and look how strong they are.As Tess traces the sunrise over the floodplains, light that paints the house a startling crimson, she yearns for the comforting chaos of life as it once was...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer realistic fiction contemporary family audiobook drama -
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![Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix]()
Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn November 2021, an inflatable dinghy carrying migrants from France to the United Kingdom capsized in the Channel causing the death of 27 people on board. Despite receiving numerous calls for help, the French authorities wrongly told the migrants they were in British waters and had to call the British authorities for help...Categorized as:
literary-fiction politics season-summer fiction contemporary philosophy historical-fiction journey -
![Holler, Child: Stories by LaToya Watkins]()
Holler, Child: Stories by LaToya Watkins
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn extraordinary and unforgettable short story collection about community, home, betrayal, and forgiveness--from a writer whose "spellbinding, buoyant"* storytelling will break your heart as it tends to the wounds. *Texas Monthly In Holler, Child's eleven brilliant stories, LaToya Watkins presses at the bruises of guilt, love, and circumstance...Categorized as:
literary-fiction realistic fiction contemporary audiobook poc-author poc-mc anthologies -
![Jasmine Days by Benyamin]()
Jasmine Days by Benyamin
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSameera moves to an unnamed Middle Eastern city to live with her father and her relatives, when a revolution blooms. Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, this is the story of a young woman, whose happy world falls apart when the promise of revolution turns into destruction and division... -
![The Devil You Know by Louise Bagshawe]()
The Devil You Know by Louise Bagshawe
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew York ...Smart, sexy Rose Fiorello grows up poor with nothing but a blistering hatred of Rothstein Realty, the developer that crushed her father's business...and a shocking plan to get even. Los Angeles ...Pampered society princess Poppy Allen wants to escape the smothering cocoon of her parents' privileged life to embrace the excitement of becoming a rock star...or rock star maker... -
![Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner]()
Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Homebody/Kabul, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, author of Angels in America, has turned his penetrating gaze to the arena of global politics to create this suspenseful portrait of a dangerous collision between cultures... -
![Best Friends by Melissa J. Morgan]()
Best Friends by Melissa J. Morgan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGrace is a riot at camp - not afraid to do anything for a laugh, she's everyone's friend. But secretly she isn't as carefree as she seems, and wishes she had a best friend to confide in. So she starts hanging out with Gaby, a girl from a rival bunk. But when Gaby starts acting like a bully, Grace finally has to get serious...Categorized as:
realistic season-summer children children-books coming-of-age contemporary fiction friendship
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