The Jesus Cow by Michael Perry

Place quirky characters in a small, rural town, add a calf born early on Christmas morning with the face of Jesus imprinted on its side and life gets more entertaining. Harley Jackson is trying to make ends meet on the surviving acres of farmland his father left him when his cow delivers the marked calf. As a subscriber to his late mother’s philosophy of living a simple, quiet life, which he knows will be impossible if this leaks out, his first reaction is how to avoid anyone seeing the calf.

He finally shares the news with his closest friend, Billy, who promises to keep the secret while Harley tries to figure out the next step. At one point, he even tries to cover the marking with black shoe polish! And then the female mail carrier sees the calf…

Before Harley is aware of the pictures going viral on social media, his yard is overrun and the world is arriving via the interstate. The secret is out and now his decisions are all about how to handle the ensuing chaos.

As event piles on event, Harley finds not only his own beliefs tested, but the true character of friends and acquaintances exposed as well – for good or not. Jesus Cow is laugh out loud funny in many places but is ultimately a thought-provoking allegory.

CAS

New Uses for Old Boyfriends by Beth Kendrick

What female on this planet would not love this title???

New Uses for Old Boyfriends is another "woman falls apart and is forced to move back home to get on her feet again" story, but this one is full of good humor and some interesting fashion facts.

Lila Alders has always had it all, until her husband leaves her broke and she loses her high-powered flashy job. She is forced to return home, not only due to her financial situation but also to help her mother who is still grieving the loss of Lila's father a year earlier.

But if Lila thought she was going to be able to rest and lick her wounds, she quickly learns that life in Black Dog Bay Delaware is no picnic either. It turns out her mother has been living in the dark, and is in danger of losing her home. All of Lila's friends (and former beaus) have moved on.

Lila must act quickly to help her mother out, and decides to open a vintage clothing store with her mother's collection of couture fashion. It turns out her mother was once a high-end model, much to Lila's surprise. Will this revelation, along with a few others, end up saving Lila?

Find out in this entertaining novel.

Karen

Read alike:  Vintage by Susan Gloss

Oh! You PrettyThings by Shanna Mahin

                    All you have to do is look at the title of this novel and know that Oh! You Pretty Things is bound to be filled with tongue in cheek humor. And it definitely delivers!

Jess Dunne most assuredly knows her away around Hollywood. After all, she grew up here. And so did her quirky, off-beat, not around much mother. And grandmother. So nothing should surprise Jess ever. She feels so blessed to be given the opportunity to be the assistant to a Grammy-winning composer. Just think of all the possibilities... glamorous events and important people and amazing travel. Jess is not going to concern herself with the hanger-oners, the cut-throat publicists and managers, the aspiring actors, singers, dancers, comedians, etc. No, she is above all that.

But once inside the "inner circle" things are quite surprising.

This is where all the fun begins. Read how Jane deals with her new life while trying to maintain her old, while getting the scoop on what goes on behind those closed doors of Beverly Hills mansions.

Karen

Read-alike: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bojalian

The systematic slaughter of the Armenian Christians by the Turkish Muslims is a primarily overlooked piece of history. In 1915, under the guise of national security – Turkey was allied with Germany in WW I and accused the Armenians of siding with the British – an estimated 1,000,000+ Armenian men, women, and children were exterminated. Author Chris Bojalian has created a novel of great sensitivity and honesty without sensationalizing a topic that needs none.

Moving between contemporary America and 1915 Aleppo, Bojalian brings together a moving portrait of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances and their attempts to try to fix or alleviate the horrors they find surrounding them. Sandcastle Girls paints a clear picture of lives and circumstances without excessively graphic descriptions and succeeds in making its points and telling its stories without driving the reader away. It was emotionally hard to read, but impossible to put down. 

CAS

Non-fiction follow up: Burning Tigris by Peter Balakian