Emily Liebert is the USA Today bestselling author of seven novels and a New York Times bestselling celebrity ghostwriter. Her books are available worldwide. Here, the Westport resident shares with us the books she’s looking forward to reading this spring.
My Name is Barbra
MY NAME IS BARBRA
BY BARBRA STREISAND
Barbra Streisand is a living legend. She’s won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards and has one of the most distinctive voices in music. With the film Yentl, she became the first woman to write, produce, direct and star in a major motion picture. Now, in her breathtaking memoir, she shares her full story—from growing up in Brooklyn and her performances in New York nightclubs to her stunning turn in Funny Girl on-stage, and a litany of unsurpassed accolades. In her honest and charismatic way, she details early struggles to become an actress, her turn to singing, her direction of The Prince of Tides, her political advocacy, friendships with Marlon Brando and Madeleine Albright, and her marriage to James Brolin.
The Fortune Seller
THE FORTUNE SELLER
BY RACHEL KAPELKE-DALE
Rosie Macalister has strived for years to assimilate with her wealthy Yale equestrian teammates. Yet upon her return from her junior year abroad with newfound confidence, she’s surprised to find a mysterious intruder in her group: Annelise Tattinger. Annelise, a gifted tarot card reader and excellent rider is unlike anyone Rosie has known before. But when one of their friends notices money disappearing from her bank account, Annelise’s character comes into question, and the girls turn against each other, with devastating consequences. It’s not until Rosie graduates and takes a job at a Manhattan hedge fund that she unearths Annelise’s true identity and how she landed in their elite Yale set. Is it too late for Rosie to right past wrongs?
Blank
BLANK
BY ZIBBY OWENS
At 40-ish, Pippa Jones is a former literary sensation. After the sophomore book she was almost done writing has to be discarded—because it shares a plot and title with another superstar author’s—Pippa has serious writer’s block and spends months staring at a blank page. When she finds out she only has five days to finish (rather, start) her new manuscript, Pippa has a brilliant idea. OK, fine, her twelve-year-old son pitched it as a joke. But, still, she’ll see it through and take the literary world by storm! Only, when Pippa’s publisher gets involved, a series of unexpected plot twists arise. As Pippa races against time, she discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends and herself than she ever could have imagined.
Interesting Facts About Space
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE
BY EMILY AUSTIN
Ever worry that you’re a terrible person? Then this book—filled with quirky humor and heart—is for you. Enid, the main character, is obsessed with space. Her biggest phobia is bald men. And when she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts, she’s serially dating women from dating apps. Oh, and she’s also trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unintentionally dives into her first serious romance, Enid starts to think that someone is following her, and paranoia spikes. Is something seriously wrong with her, she wonders? The beauty of this page-turner is that it demonstrates the power of revealing secret shames, the most human parts of us all.
Bye, Baby
BYE, BABY
BY CAROLA LOVERING
Cassie Barnwell’s infant daughter is missing, and her lifelong friend, Billie West—who lives one floor below in their New York apartment building—is the first to hear her panicked screams. Though when Billie looks into her own arms, she sees Cassie’s baby and remembers, with a jerk of terror, that she’s responsible for the kidnapping. Once indelibly connected by their secrets, Cassie and Billie are no longer as close as they used to be. Cassie, a burgeoning lifestyle influencer, is a mother, married to an affluent man. She’s desperate to leave her past behind, including Billie, who knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done. Told in alternating perspectives, Bye, Baby confronts the ways friendships change and the lingering echoes of childhood trauma.
Photographs: Portrait by Kyle Norton; book covers contributed