More Books & Is Quirky the New Black?

Happy Friday & Happy Fall! It’s been a quiet and comfortable week. The cooler weather has inspired long walks with our audiobooks and evenings with tea and paperbacks. Oh, and I’m nearly finished with my book (two chapters left before edits begin). It’s been all books, books, books at our house.

So, let’s talk books… A few years ago, I loved reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, a novel by Gail Honeyman about a blunt, highly organized woman who struggles with social skills. More recently, I picked up The Cactus by Sarah Haywood, thanks to the teaser in the corner, “Fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine will love The Cactus.”  This story also features a ‘prickly’ and socially awkward heroine named Susan. Both Eleanor and Susan are loners—people don’t know how to handle them and often don’t want to. But their extraordinarily routine and well-organized lives are upended by the slow integration (and disruption) of people who care about them. If you love heartfelt, funny, feel-good novels, I highly recommend both (and so does Reese Witherspoon). 

If you love those unorthodox heroines, you’ll also love The Maid by Nita Prose and Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry. We can’t wait to see Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV, premiering October 13^th.

Putting all these amazing books and quirky heroines together, I wonder… Is quirky the new black?

I hope so—that’s the world I live and write in. Delilah Duffy, the heroine of my mystery series, suffers from an anxiety disorder, but it doesn’t stop her from being a badass when it comes to solving mysteries. My new contemporary romance, One Thing Better, also features an anxious heroine (I’m starting to recognize a theme here), but Lena’s journey leads her to self-acceptance by the end.  

So, step aside Hallmark-cutout heroines—we want more loveable oddballs, awkwardness, and real problems. It’s about time, too—with more AI-generated books slithering into the market, truly unique characters will stand out among the fakes. So, keep characters quirky.   

More from my quirky world, check out the news on my books.

• Authors Bonnie Garmus and Christina Lauren liked my last Insta post about where to find inspiration… that obviously means I’m a celebrity now. *starry-eyed emoji* For that reason and many more, I still love Instagram—if you’re on it, follow me! @jessicasherry_books
• Delilah Duffy’s new look is almost here! What will come next for my favorite amateur sleuth? Everyone loves a bargain, so how about a box set? More to come…
• ICYMI… One Thing Better gets another stellar review! Carole writes, “…easily one of the best books I’ve read this year!” Check out her full review and her awesome website frommycarolinahome.com. She recommends more great books, too.    
• One Thing Better releases on October 24! Preorder now to lock in the eBook launch price of $.99! That price won’t last!
• If you’d rather get it for free, register to win a One Thing Better ebook in our Goodreads giveaway! 

Here’s a quote from one of our quirky heroines this week:

“Although it’s good to try new things and to keep an open mind, it’s also extremely important to stay true to who you really are.” 
― Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Next week, it’ll be more books, but also thoughts on editing and pre-book-launch nerves. 

Now, off to embarrass myself at pickleball…

Happy Weekend,

Jessica