Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam

"Who put the word fun in funeral? I can't think of anything fun about Rachel's funeral, except for the fact that she won't be there. Aubrey Glass has a collection of potential suicide notes--just in case. And now, five years--and five notes--after leaving her hometown, Rachel's the one who goes and kills herself. Aubrey can't believe her luck. But Rachel's death doesn't leave Aubrey in peace. There's a voicemail from her former friend, left only days before her death that Aubrey can't bring herself to listen to--and worse, a macabre memorial-turned-high-school reunion that promises the opportunity to catch up with everyone...including the man responsible for everything that went wrong between she and Rachel. In the days leading up to the funeral and infamous after party, Aubrey slips seamlessly between her past and present. Memories of friendship tangle with painful new encounters while underneath it all Aubrey feels the rush of something closing in, something she can no longer run from. And when the past and present collide in one devastating night, nothing will be the same again. But facing the future means confronting herself and a shattering truth. Now, Aubrey must decide what will define her: what lies behind . . . or what waits ahead"-- (Publisher Summary)

Heartwarming Stories of Friendship

    

The Firelight Girls by Kaya McLaren

Camp Firelight has welcomed eager campers every summer for several generations, but now the well has dried up, and the site is slated to close for good. Already heartbroken over the loss of her lifelong partner, retired camp director Ethel reaches out to nearby alumnae for help in preparing the cherished place to sell. Her plea touches several former campers facing times of great flux in their own lives. Laura fears her empty-nest marriage is at risk, Shannon is considering a midlife career change, and Ruby is wracked by guilt for an act of betrayal committed years before. Together once again at their beloved childhood camp, the women begin reclaiming the optimism of their youth. When they find a terrified runaway hiding in the campgrounds, they turn their energy from personal rejuvenation to outward altruism, setting out to help her and maybe preserve the camp, too. There are no surprises here, just a predictable, heartwarming story about bonds between girlfriends and love of all kinds. ~(Booklist Reviews)

Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky

Two old friends, troubled by present crises and past mistakes, reunite on an island off the coast of Maine. It's been 10 years since Nicole, a food blogger, has seen her best friend, Charlotte. Now, Nicole is at her parents' summer home on Quinnipeague Island, publishing contract in hand, preparing to write a cookbook on local cuisine. She is also there to ready the place to sell after her father's sudden passing. When Nicole summons Charlotte to Quinnipeague to help with the book, Charlotte has reservations due to a secret she has harbored for years: Shortly before Nicole's wedding, she had a drunken one-night stand with Julian. A pregnancy resulted; the child was given up for adoption. Sharing the seaside house while Julian is away, Charlotte and Nicole bond once more over the challenges of wresting recipes from the crusty islanders and over best-selling beach read Salt. ~ (Kirkus Reviews)

The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there's a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she's never seen. He won't even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time. Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg became a VP at her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too lateuntil he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she really can have it all. Although Pam Eiland adores her husband, she feels restless now that the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise him brings the heat and humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she'll have to redefine herself. Again. Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, the girls of Mischief Bay will discover that life is richer with friends at your side. ~(Publisher Summary)

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

The Boston Girl

"Diamant tells a gripping story of a young Jewish woman growing up in early-20th-century Boston. Addie Baum, an octogenarian grandmother in 1985, relates long-ago history to a beloved granddaughter, answering the question: "How did I get to be the woman I am today?" The answer: by living a fascinating life. First reminiscing about 1915 and the reading club she became a part of as a teenager, Addie, in a conversational tone, recounts the lifelong friendships that began at club meetings and days by the seaside at nearby Rockport. She tells movingly of the fatal effects of the flu, a relative's suicide, the touchy subject of abortion and its aftermath, and even her own disastrous first date, which nearly ended in rape. Ahead of her time, Addie also becomes a career woman, working as a newspaper typist who stands up for her beliefs at all costs. This is a stunning look into the past with a plucky heroine readers will cheer for." ~ Publishers Weekly

China Dolls by Lisa See

"It’s 1938 in San Francisco: a world’s fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is brewing overseas, and the city is alive with possibilities. Grace, Helen, and Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub. Grace Lee, an American-born Chinese girl, has fled the Midwest with nothing but heartache, talent, and a pair of dancing shoes. Helen Fong lives with her extended family in Chinatown, where her traditional parents insist that she guard her reputation like a piece of jade. The stunning Ruby Tom challenges the boundaries of convention at every turn with her defiant attitude and no-holds-barred ambition.

The girls become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. When their dark secrets are exposed and the invisible thread of fate binds them even tighter, they find the strength and resilience to reach for their dreams. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything." (Publisher's Summary)

The One and Only by Emily Giffin

Emily Giffin, dubbed a “modern day Jane Austen” (Vanity Fair) and a “dependably down-to-earth storyteller” (New York Times),  is the author of seven novels. Her latest is titled The One and Only and is an an exemplary story of love and loyalty.    

Shea Rigsby has more hometown pride than most. At age thirty-three, she has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas, and unabashedly shares the small college town's enthusiasm for their home football team (Shea's best friend's father, Clive Carr, is the legendary head coach). But when a tragedy strikes the tight-knit community, Shea's world is turned upside down and she begins to wonder if she's shortchanged herself by settling in Walker.                                                                                        

Listed below are Emily Giffin's first six novels:

Something Borrowed (2004)

Something Blue (2005)

Baby Proof (2006)

Love the One.. (2008)

Heart of the.. (2010)

Where We Belong (2012)