Recommendations based on "A Hard Day's Night: A Lonely Hearts Club Short Story"

Trent Dalton, Australia's best-loved writer, goes out into the world and asks a simple, direct 'Can you please tell me a love story?'A blind man yearns to see the face of his wife of thirty years. A divorced mother has a secret love affair with a travelling priest. A widower miraculously finds a three-minute video recorded by his wife before she died. A tree lopper's heart falls in a forest. A working mum contemplates taking the photographs of her late husband down from the fridge. A girl writes her last letter to the man she loves, then sets it on fire. An ageing gigolo regrets the one that got away. A palliative care nurse helps a dying woman converse with the angel at the end of her bed. A renowned 100-year-old scientist ponders the one great earthly puzzle he was never able to 'What is love?'Endless stories. Human stories. Love stories.Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, bestselling author – and one of Australia's finest journalists – Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 pounding city pavements, speaking to Australians from all walks of life and asking them one simple and direct 'Can you please tell me a love story?' For two straight weeks he sat at a desk with a sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on the bustling corner of Adelaide and Albert streets, Brisbane, with a sign saying, 'Sentimental writer collecting love stories. Do you have one to share?'The result is Love Stories – a warm, wise, poignant, funny and moving book about love in all its guises, including stories, observations and reflections on lovers in parks; people in cemeteries, hospital wards, pubs and bingo halls; and newlyweds walking out of registry offices. There will be stories of people falling into love, falling out of love, and never letting go of the loved ones in their hearts. And woven through it all will be remembrances of Trent's own special moments, and of the people whose love stories have made him the man and writer he is today.A heartfelt, deep, funny, wise and tingly tribute to the greatest thing we will never understand and the only thing we will ever really love.

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction!"Brilliantly faceted and extremely funny. . . . While I was reading it, I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know." — Ann PatchettThe internationally bestselling sensation, a compulsively readable novel—spiky, sharp, intriguingly dark, and tender—that Emma Straub has named one of her favorite books of the yearMartha Friel just turned forty. Once, she worked at Vogue and planned to write a novel. Now, she creates internet content. She used to live in a pied-à-terre in Paris. Now she lives in a gated community in Oxford, the only person she knows without a PhD, a baby or both, in a house she hates but cannot bear to leave. But she must leave, now that her husband Patrick—the kind who cooks, throws her birthday parties, who loves her and has only ever wanted her to be happy—has just moved out.Because there’s something wrong with Martha, and has been for a long time. When she was seventeen, a little bomb went off in her brain and she was never the same. But countless doctors, endless therapy, every kind of drug later, she still doesn’t know what’s wrong, why she spends days unable to get out of bed or alienates both strangers and her loved ones with casually cruel remarks.And she has nowhere to go except her childhood home: a bohemian (dilapidated) townhouse in a romantic (rundown) part of London—to live with her mother, a minorly important sculptor (and major drinker) and her father, a famous poet (though unpublished) and try to survive without the devoted, potty-mouthed sister who made all the chaos bearable back then, and is now too busy or too fed up to deal with her.But maybe, by starting over, Martha will get to write a better ending for herself—and she’ll find out that she’s not quite finished after all.

Before diving into Cecelia Ahern's new sequel, Postscript, discover how Holly's journey began in this New York Times bestseller.Everyone needs a guardian angel! Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry. Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other. Until the unthinkable happens.Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, one for each of the months after his death, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed 'PS, I Love You'. As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing--and being braver than ever before. Life is for living, she realises--but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

The author of the beloved international hit The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot returns with a funny, uplifting story about the power of friendship and finding love in unexpected places.Eddie Winston is 90 years old. He has lived and he has loved, but he has never been kissed.A true gentleman and incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through the donations of the living and the dead, preserving letters and tokens of love along the way. And it is here that he meets Bella, a troubled young woman who, at 24 years old, has just lost the love of her life.When Bella learns that Eddie is yet to have his first kiss, she resolves to help Eddie Winston finally find love, sparking an adventure that will take them to unexpected places and, they hope, bring Eddie Winston to the moment he has waited for all his life.A tale of friendship and kindness that reminds us that those we love are never forgotten and it is never too late to try again.

A Deliciously Romantic Set Of Two Of Cecelia Ahern’s Best-loved Titles, Ps I Love You And Where Rainbows End

In 1960, fourteen-year-old Laura meets French exchange student, Leon. Her life will never be the same again. Things start to change for Laura - first her moods, and then her body. Laura isn't prepared for what she learns next - and doesn't even know how it could have happened. Sent away to save her family from shame, Laura meets girls just like her, whose families have given up on them - and they become a family for each other at the most difficult time in all their lives. Not suitable for younger readers, discover the brand-new young adult read from one of Britain's favourite authors. A heartbreaking, compelling and timely story for older readers about teen pregnancy, family trouble and unlikely friendships, set in 1960. "Jacqueline Wilson understands the complex interpersonal relationships of teenagers so well and writes with an unparalleled realness and rawness. I loved this book. It was heartbreaking but warm, unflinching yet somehow cosy. Nobody writes like Jacqueline Wilson. Long may she reign! I couldn't get the characters out of my head." - Holly Bourne

Love Heart Lane - where friends are there for you no matter what A new start... When Jinny Birdwhistle is pushed over the edge one time too many times and quits her job as a tabloid journalist, an impromptu - and rather unconventional - job search leads her to a new house, car, and career making honey and chutney in the small Scottish village of Heartcross. And with handsome beekeeper Gabe Warner to help her learn the ropes, she's ready to embrace 'country girl life' and leave the past behind her. ...uncovers an old secret Yet there's more to strong and silent Gabe than meets the eye and though Jinny planned to leave her journalistic instincts in London, she can't help doing a little digging. Now, as she uncovers a mystery that links to her own history, Jinny realises that you can't outrun the truth and the only way to move forward is to face the past. But now that she's at home in Heartcross, she won't have to do it alone... Readers can't get enough of the Loveheart Lane series: 'Christie Barlow has fast become one of my favourite authors! Her books are a ray of sunshine when you read them, even if sad things happen' Sinead 'A lovely romantic story that will make you smile and god knows we need it' Tara 'I absolutely adored this book...gave a warm feeling as you read each page' Suzanne 'There's pretty much nothing I want more now than to escape to a small Scottish town and live in a cottage... sweet and cozy and a nice escape from the wild reality we are all currently living in' Nicole 'A cosy and heartwarming read, exactly what I needed now' Anna Maria 'Christie Barlow has rapidly become one of my favorite cozy romance writers' Mackey 'I loved Clover Cottage...This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites!' Kristin

Clover Brooks has forgotten how to live. It might be because she spends her time caring for people in their final days, working as a death doula in New York City.Or it might be because she has a regret of her own - one she can't bring herself to let go of.But then she meets Claudia: a feisty old woman who has one last wish . . .As Clover begins a new adventure, will she remember how to live her own big, beautiful life?A big-hearted story about figuring out what you want from life - and then finding the courage to go after it. Perfect for fans of Sally Page, Ruth Hogan and Clare Pooley.-----Readers are loving The Collected Regrets of Clover ... 'A beautiful, uplifting novel about unexpected friendship, a decades-old love story, and finding the courage to live your best life' LUCY DIAMOND'I fell in love with Clover, longed for her world to open up and cheered when she finally realised that comfort zones are designed to be stepped out of' JILL MANSELL'Charming, delightful and quietly powerful . . . this will warm your heart and change your life' VERONICA HENRY'Beautiful, poignant and the literary antidote to when life feels a little stationary' JESSICA GEORGE'A tender, charming delight, perfect for anyone who loved The Authenticity Project or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine' KJ DELL'ANTONIA'This book will be one that I remember for a long time' RUTH HOGAN'Warm, profound, and expertly told, The Collected Regrets of Clover explores how befriending death can help enrich our lives. This is one of those special books that will leave a handprint on your heart' EMMA BRODIE'Heartfelt and delightful . . . You will turn the last page with a fresh zest for life and absolutely no regrets' ANNABEL MONAGHAN'An evocative, bustling setting, an intriguing cast of characters and a brave, caring heroine make this a book to read and read again' CELIA ANDERSON'Poignant and big-hearted, [this] is the kind of book that reminds you how to live, and is one to usher into the hands of everyone you know' i News

It’s never too late to have fun in this heartwarming and hilarious new novel from the author of The Big Five 0. Perfect for fans of The Old Girls Network ‘So real, wise and funny...an absolute triumph!’ Katie Fforde When her daughter, Ellie, brings home a new boyfriend, Clare can’t put her finger on why she feels troubled by it. Is it because he’s attractive and closer to her in age? Or maybe she’s just jealous because all of her own husband’s passion seems to go into maintaining his wine cellar. Ellie’s colleague, Anna, is feeling restless too. She’s much younger than her husband and definitely isn’t ready for crosswords and comfy slippers. When a new colleague starts to show an interest in her, it ignites a spark of attraction that feels impossible to ignore. They say age isn’t everything – can the women focus on what really matters and live life, and love, to the full? ‘I love Jane’s writing!’ Jill Mansell ‘Feel-good’ Woman and Home Readers are LOVING Old Enough to Know Better: ‘Reminded me of Jill Mansell and Marion Keyes...Put a smile on my face and cheered me up’ Katie ‘The tonic we all desperately need at the moment... loved it!’ Karen ‘Delightful ... The author has created a bevy of unique female characters and relationships’ Sarah ‘It lifts you up whilst you are reading’ Alayne ‘No matter how old you are this book is going to give you all the feels! Will definitely be recommending this to everyone and anyone I talk to’ Kylie ‘Jane Wenham-Jones is now on my must read list’ Judy ‘Thoroughly enjoyed this book as it details the trials and tribulations of women of a certain age! Something I can easily relate to!’ Sally ‘Read cover to cover in one sitting’ Bee ‘Buy it! Read it! Love it!’ Claire

'Full of warmth' #1 Sunday Times Bestseller Katie Fforde A blast from her past... Having narrowly avoided losing everything to her romance scammer ex, artist Delilah Waters is done with men and focused entirely on her quest to buy Puffin Island's magical lighthouse. It's a crucial piece of her own family's history and the perfect space to turn into her home. But then Max Harrington walks through her door. ...puts her future in question. Her feelings for her former art teacher might have been forbidden at the time, but now he's back, and single, and there's no denying that the attraction is mutual! But when something seems too good to be true, it normally is, and Dilly soon makes a shocking discovery that changes everything for her and Max. Now she'll have to call upon the same fortitude as her beloved lighthouse if she's to weather the storm headed her way... Readers have fallen in love with The Lighthouse Daughters: 'Warm, emotive and engaging from start to finish. Christie Barlow is one of my go-to authors and the latest addition to her new series is fantastic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a fabulous continuation of the Puffin Island series ... heartwarming and uplifting ... I love the Puffin Island community' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'When you receive a new Christie Barlow novel, it immediately goes to the top of the TBR pile. I could not put this book down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If you are already a fan of this author, this one will be another hit with you. If you have not read any of her books then what better place to start, than a visit to Puffin Island' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Praise for the Puffin Island series: 'The most wholesome, heartwarming, enchanting read ... would highly recommend' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Christie Barlow never fails to capture the characters and bring them to life' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Christie draws you in and you never want to leave!'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Absolutely gorgeous! Love the setting, love the characters ... Highly recommended!'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Christie Barlow you've done it again ... Brilliant!'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Puffin Island has a community we all wish to be a part of. Can't wait for the next visit'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐