Bookworm Cottage Style

I reread Writers & Lovers a few weeks ago and the author does an incredible job of bringing Cambridge to life. Here are a few other books with transportive New England settings, beyond your typical Elin Hilderbrand or Dennis Lehane paperback.

Writers & Lovers by Lily King (2020, 320 pages) // This book is set in Boston (mostly Cambridge) in the late 1990s. Our protagonist, Casey, is a 31-year-old aspiring writer who is having a rough go of it. She is fresh off a breakup, her mother died unexpectedly, she is working a dead end job, and she is estranged from her father. Casey meets two different men (also writers) and finds herself in a love triangle. Will the spark light a fire under her to finally finish her novel, or will she find herself pulled in too many different directions and put her dreams on the backburner? I enjoyed this when I first read it four years ago and I loved it just as much the second time around.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (2022, 292 pages) // This is the quintessential, bookish murder mystery to curl up with in front of a fire! The book is set in Boston and features lots of familiar haunts for locals, including the Boston Public Library.  

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro (2012, 355 pages) // This fun page-turner is set in Boston and is a fictionalized mystery/thriller inspired by the real life unsolved heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. When Claire Roth, a young artist who makes a living painting reproductions of famous works, is sent the long-missing Degas painting to reproduce, she ends up on a winding adventure searching for the painting’s origins. 

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (2022; 368 pages) //  This heartwarming novel is set mostly in Rockport, MA. It’s both a romantic comedy and a story about forgiveness, empathy, and vulnerability — the kind of book that will make you want to hug your loved ones a little tighter and treat the difficult people in your life with grace rather than anger. Such a great, feel-good read!

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark (2022; 592 pages)  // Fellowship Point is a really lovely book set in picturesque Maine that encompasses so many of my favorite things in literature: strong friendships; smart, ambitious women; multi-decade timelines; an appreciation for nature; and hints of suspense. The protagonist, Agnes Lee, is an elderly woman with a Jo March level of gumption and self assuredness that I absolutely adored. 

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller (2016, 352 pages) // In this romance novel, a pastry chef moves from Boston to rural Vermont and becomes a baker at a small inn. Lots of people compare this book to Gilmore Girls because it has a Stars Hollow kind of vibe. Such a fun book!