Sarah Woodruff

Jan 11, 2024 | offtheshelf.com | Sarah Walsh |Alice Martin |Holly Claytor |Sarah Woodruff

Some books need only a few opening words to instantly call to mind their titles. “Call me Ishmael” (Moby Dick) immediately transports you to salty seas, while “It’s a truth universally acknowledged . . .” (Pride and Prejudice) conjures images of ballrooms and bonnets. Such powerful opening lines are generally associated with the classics, but there’s a myriad of current books out there with writing so compelling, you’ll be hooked from their first lines too.

Dec 4, 2023 | offtheshelf.com | Zeniya Cooley |Karen Bellovich |Sarah Woodruff |Juliet O'Connor

|+| Add to Your Shelf The Invisible Hour Best Fiction Mia Jacobs has just escaped from a place and people that mean to harm her. She walks alone along the roadside at night. The forests next to her are pitch-black. In her pocket she carries a copy of her favorite book, written almost two hundred years before her time, The Scarlet Letter. It is her most precious book because somehow it seems to tell the story of her own mother, Ivy.

Oct 24, 2023 | offtheshelf.com | Chris Gaudio |Kerry Fiallo |Sarah Woodruff |Arielle Kane

While history can often provide a rich source of text, filled with intriguing firsthand accounts and countless theories about the “why” of it all, it can also be, well, boring. Enter: historical fiction. With talented literary authors at the helm, readers are treated to, yes, some facts and important historical context, but also a thrilling plot, unforgettable characters, and very often, an epic conclusion as the revolution rages on in the background.

Oct 18, 2023 | offtheshelf.com | Karen Bellovich |Katya Buresh |Sarah Woodruff |Jana Li

|+| Add to Your Shelf We Are the Light This is the story of Lucas Goodgame, a man who loses everything that he ever held dear in a matter of seconds after an unimaginable tragedy. Lucas’s pain and grief come through in the letters he writes to his former Jungian analyst, Karl, which detail his search for answers that don’t seem to exist as he comes to grips with the loss of his wife, Darcy (who visits him every night in the form of an angel).

Oct 3, 2023 | offtheshelf.com | Katya Buresh |Sarah Woodruff |Zeniya Cooley |Sarah Walsh

In 2023, I’ve tried to read new releases across a variety of genres, indulging in my long-held favorite genres and exploring new territories. This experience has been pleasantly surprising—I’ve found a deep connection with certain stories I thought wouldn’t resonate with me, and I’ve developed a fresh eye when reading books that I tend to pull off shelves. Like most things in life, I think there’s value in cultivating a diverse palette.