Books like Just Call Me by Victoria M. Althoff

"The Art of Loving" (1956) is a seminal work by psychoanalyst and social philosopher Erich Fromm. In this book, Fromm explores the concept of love in a profound and comprehensive manner, arguing that love is not just a passive feeling but an art that requires practice, knowledge, and effort. Through a detailed analysis, Fromm demystifies the idea that love is something that simply happens, proposing that it must be cultivated like any other skill. He divides love into different categories, including brotherly love, motherly love, erotic love, self-love, and love of God, discussing the characteristics and challenges of each. Fromm also addresses the nature of love in modern society, criticizing the commercialization and superficiality of human relationships. He suggests that the true essence of love lies in the ability to give, to commit, and to genuinely care for the well-being of others, rather than seeking personal satisfaction alone. In "The Art of Loving," Fromm combines psychological insights with philosophical and sociological analysis, offering a rich and multifaceted perspective on what it means to love. The book remains a relevant and inspiring read, encouraging readers to reflect on their own relationships and the importance of developing the art of love in their lives.

Elizabeth Gilbert digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity, offering insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the "strange jewels" that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado’s engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming. And it’s that struggle that gives the book its original structure: each chapter is driven by its own narrative trope―the haunted house, erotica, the bildungsroman―through which Machado holds the events up to the light and examines them from different angles. She looks back at her religious adolescence, unpacks the stereotype of lesbian relationships as safe and utopian, and widens the view with essayistic explorations of the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships. Machado’s dire narrative is leavened with her characteristic wit, playfulness, and openness to inquiry. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek, and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction. The result is a wrenching, riveting book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.

A revealing and beautifully written memoir and family history from acclaimed photographer Sally Mann. In this groundbreaking book, a unique interplay of narrative and image, Mann's preoccupation with family, race, mortality, and the storied landscape of the American South are revealed as almost genetically predetermined, written into her DNA by the family history that precedes her. Sorting through boxes of family papers and yellowed photographs she finds more than she bargained for: deceit and scandal, alcohol, domestic abuse, car crashes, bogeymen, clandestine affairs, dearly loved and disputed family land . . . racial complications, vast sums of money made and lost, the return of the prodigal son, and maybe even bloody murder. In lyrical prose and startlingly revealing photographs, she crafts a totally original form of personal history that has the page-turning drama of a great novel but is firmly rooted in the fertile soil of her own life.

By the time of his early death in 1988, Raymond Carver had established himself as one of the great practitioners of the American short story, a writer who had not only found his own voice but imprinted it in the imaginations of thousands of readers. Where I’m Calling From, his last collection, encompasses classic stories from Cathedral, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and earlier Carver volumes, along with seven new works previously unpublished in book form. Together, these 37 stories give us a superb overview of Carver’s life work and show us why he was so widely imitated but never equaled.

Sam is a sight for sore eyes. It’s been years since Emma Chapman has seen Samuel Tucker. Ever since Sam left the orphanage where the two grew up and never looked back. Emma has moved on, too, working as a telephone operator and attending local suffragette meetings. But the happy reunion turns sour when Emma learns that Sam is a policeman. Everyone knows the force is corrupt. Could her old friend have changed so much? Sam is struck by the beautiful woman Emma has become. But having lost his wife in a tragic accident, he won’t give his heart again. And Emma’s distrust of his chosen profession is clear. If only he can convince her that he’s one policeman the neighborhood can trust. Then when Emma overhears disturbing calls concerning suffragette meetings, Sam knows he must protect the woman he has grown to love.

A debut novel interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendship. Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis: drop everything and drive from Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. Tomorrow. Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own, agrees. It's a journey that changes both their lives, as she learns Isabelle's tale of a forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences-- a tale that just might help Dorrie find her own way.

Heartfree, carefree, a favourite of fortune – that was Hamilton Roone. With looks, position, and money, he certainly merited the description. So when he found and married the little nobody Anna, rescuing her from a life of dullness and poverty, his family were genuinely horrified. For her own part, Anna felt guiltily that she was receiving everything from him and giving nothing in exchange; the fact that she loved him deeply and sincerely seemed to her to carry little weight in the face of the material benefits she was receiving from her marriage. And so began Anna’s long hard struggle to save the situation – but it was only when things went wrong trhat the two of them at last began to find each other.

"From USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton, known for her "deliciously addictive" (The Book Vixen) novels, this Cocktail series novella reunites readers with Caroline and Simon from the wildly successful Wallbanger. Simon and Caroline are back for another round of baking, banging, and big life changes. Settling in, but never settling down, Caroline has finally struck a balance between the professional and the personal. As one of the top interior designers in San Francisco, she travels all over Northern California between nook time with Simon. Perpetual globetrotter Simon has cut his frequent flyer miles in half over the last year, preferring to balance his professional and personal life, as well. The next step in their lives seems preordained--toasts, veils, and the aisle of rose petals. But when an accident on a photo shoot in Southeast Asia brings Caroline the most terrifying phone call she could ever imagine, she has to ask whether "till death do us part" is a more realistic prospect than faces most couples. It's been a grand adventure, and Caroline and Simon wouldn't go out without the best surprise ending ever. One part sexy, one part laughter, a dash of exotic locales, and one pink nightie, mixed with passion, and you've got Last Call. Served with a side of Clive"-- "A sassy, sexy novella from NYT bestselling author Alice Clayton, which is a delightful addition to the Cocktail Series, reuniting readers with Caroline and Simon"--