7 books we’re loving now

Autobiography

Good Apple by Elizabeth Passarella

“I was discouraged after a personal blunder made me feel like a failure,” admits Maggie Dillard, FIRST Assistant Editor. “So when a friend suggested I pick up this book to lift my spirits, I was eager to stop my sulking and jump in!” In this thought-provoking memoir, Elizabeth Passarella tells entertaining and profound stories from her journey of growing up in a Southern town with a Christian mom and a Jewish dad, then moving to New

York City. She debunks stereotypes about Southerners, New Yorkers and Christians and argues that we’re all prone to mistakes as humans, but

God still pursues us all—no matter what. “The heartfelt anecdotes and profound wisdom on each page helped remind me that our flaws don’t define us,” says Maggie. “It motivated me to forgive myself, let go and keep moving forward!” (Thomas Nelson, 2021)

Women’s fiction Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“This book has it all: celebrities, secrets and family drama, set in glamorous Malibu,” says Patty Bontekoe, FIRST Executive Editor. “I couldn’t put it down!” Every summer, the four grown children of legendary singer—and infamous ladies’ man—Mick Riva throw a huge party, but in the summer of 1983, oldest child Nina, a famous surfer, is going through a public breakup, brothers Hud and Jay are dealing with their own relationship drama and Kit is about to deliver a surprise, turning the annual bash into a gathering that’s much more than anyone bargained for. “I loved how the story flipped back in time between the 1980s and the 1950s, sharing the ill-fated love story of parents Mick and June through the years, and the unbreakable bond these siblings shared,” says Patty. “Plus, it inspired me to reach out to my own siblings!” (Ballantine, 2021)