In his stirring new memoir, actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy embarks on a transcontinental road trip to reconnect with old pals. One of my favorite elements in Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America is the array of local personalities McCarthy engages along the way. Bobby and Lew in Ohio, for instance, whose 60-year friendship keeps them both grounded. And Cody, a true-blue Wyoming cowboy struggling to balance open vulnerability and the stoic grit required for his work with the local Search and Rescue team.
Scott Broker has a similar knack for bringing out local color, in the Oregon coastal setting of his debut, The Disappointment. A change of scenery illuminates a whole host of problems for the vacationing couple at the novel's center--and their solutions begin to emerge through banter with chatty characters including Abigail, a wise-beyond-her-years young conservationist, and Clarence, an erratic method actor. Both books showcase endearing and unforgettable ensemble casts.