The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Oh, yes this story is romantic, but it is also about the women of a small village in Ireland who make lace on a regular basis, sell it at the local fair and then have a young American woman show up to shake up their world.  She was dumped by her fiance which sent her into a tailspin. She decided to go to her mother's homeland and possibly find her way back to the world. She winds up in the village & sets the women there up in business selling their wares beyond their small area. Of course she encounters the handsome guy who has a tragic history and they fall in love. It doesn't end the way I thought it would, but that is a plus because then it would have been too predictable. Good story for a beach day!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Loved this book! Has many short chapters and is VERY much told in a philosophical vein. The setting is an upscale apartment building in Paris. Each floor is an apartment with 5 floors total. the main character is the concierge who doesn't want any of the tenants to know she is an educated person, well-read & world-knowledgable. She thinks that she must keep up the appearance of a dull person without any outside interests beside her tv. Then there is the soon to be teenager who is planning suicide because she doesn't think that growing up and being an adult is an advancement in life. Her view of her family is very negative and depressing. What happens between her, the concierge & a new tenant are what keeps the story alive with suspense. Can't reveal the end of course, but read it if at all possible. You won't be disappointed.