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Book Recommendations

“Hello Beautiful” Read-a-likes

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Still waiting to get your hands on Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful?

Consider reading one (or more) of the following books while you wait! MML owns several, but not all, of these titles. If it’s one we don’t have, you can request it from another library in the Minerva consortium and likely still get it before Hello Beautiful is available.

Most of the books listed below fall under the category of domestic fiction – family drama, mothers and daughters, etc. The other recurring theme is coming of age. The fancy literary term for this, in German, is Bildungsroman, in case you were curious. A classic Bildungsroman included in this list of readalikes is Louisa May Alcott’s iconic Little Women (serialized between 1868 and 1869). This beloved American classic would pair well with Napolitano’s latest book.

See recommended titles…

Mom & Me: Mother’s Day Book & Film Recommendations

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Overview

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, as I am sure everyone is well aware; likely facing near constant bombardment with advertisements promoting “gifts for mom.” For many this is a celebratory time of year, for others (including myself) it can be deeply triggering. 

This blog post will provide book and film recommendations for this holiday, addressing mothers and motherhood from numerous angles. Whether you have a close and loving relationship with your mom or, on the other end of the spectrum, an abusive (or at the very least) conflicted and complicated relationship, you should be able to find something from this list that resonates with you and your own lived experience. 

For those of you who have lost your mothers or maternal figures, this blog post contains material that can speak to your loss and grief. To be completely transparent, I lost my mom very suddenly nearly 11 years ago, and while this post has been difficult to write, it feels like a sort of tribute to her. I hope it can serve the same cathartic purpose for those of you whose mothers are also no longer living, celebrating them both in life and in death.

See recommended titles…

“Lessons in Chemistry” Read-a-likes

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Still waiting to get your hands on Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry?

Consider reading one (or more) of the following books while you wait! MML owns several, but not all, of these titles. If it’s one we don’t have, you can request it from another library in the Minerva consortium and likely still get it before Lessons in Chemistry is available.

See recommended titles…