Chosen by People and USA Today as a Great Summer Read Georgia Waltz has an enviable life: a plush Manhattan apartment, a Hamptons beach house, two bright twenty-something daughters, and a seemingly perfect marriage. But when Ben dies suddenly, she discovers that her perfect lawyer-husband has left them nearly penniless. As Georgia scrambles to support the family, she and her daughters plumb for the grit required to reinvent their lives, and Georgia even finds that new love is possible in the land of Spanx. Inspiring, funny, and deeply satisfying, The Widow Waltz is a compulsively readable tale of forgiveness, healing, and the bonds between mothers and daughters.

“This heartfelt, witty addition to women’s fiction will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Berg and Anna Quindlen.” (Booklist) Georgia Waltz has things many people only dream of: a plush Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park, a Hamptons beach house, valuable jewels and art, two bright daughters, and a husband she adores, even after decades of marriage. It’s only when Ben suddenly drops dead from a massive coronary while training for the New York City Marathon that Georgia discovers her husband—a successful lawyer—has left them nearly penniless. Their wonderland was built on lies. As the family attorney scours emptied bank accounts, Georgia must not only look for a way to support her family, she needs to face the revelation that Ben was not the perfect husband he appeared to be, just as her daughters—now ensconced back at home with secrets of their own—have to accept that they may not be returning to their lives in Paris and at Stanford subsidized by the Bank of Mom and Dad. As she uncovers hidden resilience, Georgia’s sudden midlife shift forces her to consider who she is and what she truly values. That Georgia may also find new love in the land of Spanx and stretch marks surprises everyone—most of all, her. Sally Koslow’s fourth novel is deftly told through the alternating viewpoints of her remarkable female protagonists as they plumb for the grit required to reinvent their lives. Inspiring, funny, and deeply satisfying, The Widow Waltz explores in a profound way the bonds between mothers and daughters, belligerent siblings, skittish lovers, and bitter rivals as they discover the power of forgiveness, and healing, all while asking, “What is family, really?”

Gerard Percy, the new Earl of Wanstead, dreads returning home to Thornwood, where the widow of his predecessor lives with her two children. He has unhappy memories of Christina, the widowed countess. But it is Christmas, and he decides to take a houseful of guests with him to make his return easier. For her part, Christina feels an equal dread of seeing Gerard again, ten years after she renounced him in order to marry his strict, puritanical—but seemingly safe—cousin. She is horrified when she learns about the guests and the fact that Christmas this year is to be a bright and merry occasion, for her late husband would allow no frivolity of any kind in their life. And so they meet again, these two former lovers who have bitterly resented each other for ten years—but never forgotten each other.

(Faber Piano Adventures ). An excellent collection of symphonic and operatic works by the great composers. The pieces were chosen for their appealing melodies and rhythmic vitality. Includes: Theme from Don Giovanni (La ci darem la mano) by Mozart * Egyptian Ballet Dance (from the opera Sanson & Delilah ) by Saint Saens * Liebestraum by Liszt * The Merry Widow Waltz (from the opera The Merry Widow ) by Lehar * Minuet (Op. 14, No. 1) by Paderewski * Canon by Pachelbel * Spring (from The Four Seasons ) by Vivaldi * Suitor's Song (from the operetta The Gypsy Baron ) by J. Strauss, Jr. * Theme from Symphony No. 1 (Third Movement, "Frere Jacques" theme) by Mahler * Prince of Denmark's March (Trumpet Voluntary) by Clarke.

'This year's The Devil Wears Prada' (New York Post) from a former magazine publishing insider. Inspired by her own experiences behind the scenes, Sally Koslow wryly pokes at corporate greed, celeb worship, and the search for Mr. Right? (People) At 37, Magnolia Gold (nee Maggie Goldfarb of Fargo, North Dakota) is the youngest editor-inchief ever to wield a red pen at Lady magazine. And with her loyal staff, parties, and Manolos, she no longer feels out of place. Enter Bebe Blake, loudmouth television personality and Fashion Don't. To Magnolia's horror, her boss has not only given her job to Bebe, he's also turning Lady into Bebe. And Magnolia will be relegated to a roach-infested back office. Now she'll just have to watch as her beloved mag turns rag. With Bebe all over the cover. In bike shorts?

“Kim Wright’s charming novel, The Unexpected Waltz, chronicles one woman’s second chance at happiness and an opportunity to find her authentic self. The writing is pitch perfect—this is a winner!” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of The Matchmaker) From the author of the “sharply written and emotionally accessible” (Kirkus Reviews) debut Love in Mid Air comes this moving novel about a middle-aged woman who regains her balance in life. Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older, wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work, building a lovely home, and, as she says, “pretending to be a whole lot more conservative and stupid and nicer than I really am.” Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So on a whim she signs up for a ballroom dancing class, and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new: Nik, a young Russian dance teacher who sees the artistic potential she left behind; Carolina, a woman in hospice, anxious to experience a whole lifetime in a few months; and Elyse, Kelly’s girlhood best friend who knows all of her past secrets—including the truth about the man who long ago broke Kelly’s heart. In the vein of Jennifer Weiner’s novels, The Unexpected Waltz is a deeply felt story about moving on after loss and finding a new walk—or dance—of life through the power of second chances.