This March marks Off the Shelf’s fourth birthday! To celebrate, we’re doing what we do best: recommending great books. And you’re invited to celebrate with us. We partnered with the fine folks at the Library Hotel, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Need2Know, and Bright Cellars to give you the chance to win a trip to New York City and all 14 of these books curated just for you, our loyal readers.
Your package includes:
- 2 tickets to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- A $500 gift card towards round-trip flights for two
- 2 nights accommodation in the lovely Library Hotel
- 14 fantastic books and an Off the Shelf tote bag
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The Wife
You’ve probably read Meg Wolitzer’s bestselling novel THE INTERESTINGS, but have you read her earlier novel THE WIFE? No? Well, you’re in luck! It’s the utterly compelling story of Joan Castleman, the wife of a preeminent novelist who has spent 40 years subjugating her own literary talents to fan the flames of her husband’s career. But Joan has finally decided to stop. This gripping novel flashes back to follow the course of the marriage that brought the couple to this breaking point.
The Wife
Imbued with the characteristic wit and intelligence that Meg Wolitzer brought to The Interestings, The Wife raises big questions about voice, marriage, power, and gender in literature. Slim but smart, this provocative story can be read in a day, but it will remain on your mind for much longer. A film adaptation starring Glenn Close and Frances McDormand is in the works and we would watch those two titans of acting in just about anything.
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The Lying Game
Ruth Ware is one of our—and your—favorite writers. First we obsessed over IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, and then we couldn’t stop talking about THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. Now THE LYING GAME has our full attention. Ruth Ware’s latest thriller is an atmospheric, twisty novel about four friends whose past lies come back to haunt them. It will keep you on your toes until the last page.
The Lying Game
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Where the Line Bleeds
Jesmyn Ward won 2017 with her award-winning, bestselling novel SING, UNBURIED, SING. It was all we could talk about over here. But now we’re talking about Ward’s first novel. A timeless Southern fable, WHERE THE LINE BLEEDS is a delicate and closely observed portrait of fraternal love and strife, of the relentless grind of poverty, of the toll of addiction on a family, and of the bonds that can sustain or torment us.
Where the Line Bleeds
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The Perfect Stranger
This twisty treat is sure to satisfy all readers. Megan Miranda’s nail-biting follow-up to ALL THE MISSING GIRLS asks the question: How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own? This novel is the gripping story of a journalist who sets out to find her missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all. Fighting the doubts of the police and her own sanity, Leah must uncover the truth—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.
The Perfect Stranger
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Every Note Played
We all loved Lisa Genova’s first novel, STILL ALICE (which was also made into a fantastic movie starring Julianne Moore). Now get ready to fall in love with Genova’s brand-new novel EVERY NOTE PLAYED—a powerful and heartbreaking novel about a divorced couple whose relationship is redefined in the wake of a devastating ALS diagnosis.
Every Note Played
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Anatomy of a Scandal
Did you love THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A. J. Finn? Or THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen? This should be your next read! ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL is an astonishingly incisive and suspenseful debut novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake. You will not be able to put this book down.
Anatomy of a Scandal
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Bachelor Girl
Don’t worry historical fiction fans, we also have the perfect book for you. From the New York Times bestselling author of ORPHAN #8 comes a fresh and intimate novel about the destructive power of secrets and the redemptive power of love—inspired by the true story of Jacob Ruppert, the millionaire owner of the New York Yankees, and his mysterious bequest in 1939 to an unknown actress.
Bachelor Girl
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Love and Other Words
Christina Lauren does it again! Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first women’s fiction novel from the internationally bestselling author. Childhood sweethearts reunite after a decade—and many unresolved issues—have come between them. Fans of Jojo Moyes and Jennifer Weiner will devour this book.
Love and Other Words
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Girl in Snow
Who are you when no one is watching? When a beloved high schooler is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three indelible characters—Cameron, Jade, and Russ—must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both.
Girl in Snow
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By the Book
The essential crowd pleaser: a book about books and a Jane Austen retelling! An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college—and her new boss. Funny, smart, and full of heart, this modern ode to Austen’s PERSUASION explores what happens when we run into the demons of our past . . . and when they turn out not to be so bad, after all.
By the Book
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I Found You
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading a Lisa Jewell novel, you’re in for a real treat. Everyone has a past—but what if you can't remember yours? A young bride, a lonely single mother, and a man who has lost his memory lie at the heart of this suspenseful drama that will appeal to fans of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN.
I Found You
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Golden Hill
Seeking an adventure? Look no further. This spectacular debut novel from acclaimed nonfiction author Francis Spufford follows the escapades of a mysterious young man in mid-eighteenth century Manhattan who arrives with an order for a huge sum of money. He won’t explain why, or where he comes from, or what he is planning to do in the colonies that requires so much money. Should the New York merchants trust him? Should they risk their credit and refuse to pay? Should they befriend him, seduce him, arrest him . . . maybe even kill him?
Golden Hill
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Little Broken Things
Cryptic texts, distant siblings, shocking surprises. Nicole Baart’s novel has it all. An engrossing and suspenseful novel for fans of Liane Moriarty about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed facade starts to come apart with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.
Little Broken Things
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Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions
Okay. We know this one is a little bit different than our normal recommendations. But you’ll just have to trust us when we say it’s worth reading. The beloved host of The Late Show reveals his most shameful secrets in this illustrated collection of Stephen Colbert at his most brilliant and irreverent.
Oh, and did we mention that the trip to NYC includes tickets to Colbert's show?
Stephen Colbert's Midnight Confessions
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