During this third year of the book club we really were all over the map with the types of books we read – thrillers, magic, mystical, historical fiction, and a good ol’ scandal – and it really could not have been better! The group was so energized, we had great discussions at our meetings, and we really had a lot of fun (especially at that meeting at the Jewish deli!) Check out Year 1 and Year 2‘s picks!
The Secrets She Keeps, by Michael Robotham. This book was so much fun! Lots of twists and turns, gasp-worthy surprises, and a super-satisfying ending – this thriller based in the world of mommy-blogging and online obsessions was a huge fan-favorite. Several people passed this book on to friends and family, and it was one of our best picks, for sure!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman. I read this book mostly on a plane, and choked back tears the whole time, it’s just that poignant. This book is the story of Eleanor, a strange yet endearing character who’s heartbreaking personal and family history unfolds over the course of the book. Though she’s a little ‘difficult,’ you can’t help but be on her side as she really comes out of her shell and into her own. It’s a wonderful journey to go on with her. The group loved this book so much! {Image: Amazon}
The Rules of Magic, by Alice Hoffman. This was also a really delightful book, and perfect to read around Halloween. Most of us knew Hoffman from Practical Magic (some of us read the book, most of us saw the movie), and this prequel to that was extremely enjoyable and very satisfyingly filled in the ideal back story for those characters. Filled with magical realism, current events, and characters we love, the group really enjoyed this book! {Image: Amazon}
Peace Like A River, by Lief Enger. We read this book for our January meeting, and just coming out of the Christmas season, and with the cold-weather and snowy setting (that was a big part of the plot), this was a great winter read. This book has been referred to as a ‘modern classic,’ and it’s easy to see why. Told from the perspective of a child, and set in the Badlands of South Dakota, this is the story of a struggling family on the search to find their eldest son, who escaped from jail. Though not an outwardly religious book, the title was taken from a hymn/bible verse, and there are many Christ-like allusions, which are so subtly and beautifully written into the plot that you can’t help but be moved, and it really makes you think. I read this book in college when it first came out, and it was great revisiting it again, as my 21 year old self missed the significance of a lot of the best parts! It was very well-received by the group! {Krista Brackin Photography}
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. This is another super-detailed, quite long book that was worth every minute and page. Not the book that many of us would have chosen for ourselves, this story of a Russian man sentenced to stay in a hotel really drew us in. There is a great deal of Russian history that was totally new to all of us, but really interesting to learn about, and we loved being observers of the passage of time and how things changed – or stayed the same – over so many years. This book was at or close to the top of the list of book club favorites for several book club members!! {Krista Brackin Photography}
The Wife Between Us, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. This was another really fun and super-satisfying thriller, and the group really enjoyed it! It is the story of two women who are in a relationship with one man at different times. Needless to say, the relationship has its issues, and the one woman tries to warn/help the one that comes after her. There’s a huge, unexpected twist a little more than halfway through that will make you want to read even faster as you try to connect all the dots! It’s SO good, and I’m dying to read the next book by these two authors, which just came out! This would be a great vacation or beach read. {Krista Brackin Photography}
I’ll Be Your Blue Sky, by Maria de los Santos. This book is a pretty easy read that really keeps your attention. I mainly picked it because it’s set in Delaware, and the author is from Delaware – and I always love a local connection! There are uncovered secrets, comings and goings in the middle of the night, an inheritance, and a wedding cancelled in the eleventh hour – it’s a super satisfying read and a great story! The group really liked this book. Also, I didn’t realize it when we picked it, but this is the third book in a series. You don’t need to read the previous books, but they contain the same characters and it might be fun to get the whole story in its entirety. {Image: Amazon}
Young Jane Young, by Gabrielle Zevin. Full of energy and wit, this book was one of our most enjoyed reads. It deals with a pretty heavy topic, but in a lighthearted way, and there are MANY laugh out loud moments. When a college student is publicly shamed due to her relationship with a much older, and very married politician, she disappears and starts a new life. The story is told through her perspective, the perspective of her daughter, the perspective of the scorned wife, and also her mother’s perspective, and you can’t help but flip your way through those pages! {Image: Amazon}
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. Her first book following the Nightingale, this was the hot read of the summer. Personally, I have my issues with Kristin Hannah’s plot lines – I’ll get into that in another post sometime – but this book is a worthwhile read even if it’s just for the setting. Set in the post-Vietnam 1970s, a young girl and her mother move to Alaska with her father, who is – in a sense – searching for some kind of peace after his experiences in the war. His frame of mind at that time strongly impacts all those around him, but as they settle in and learn a new way of life there, the window into life in Alaska is magical. This book deals with some tough topics, like PTSD, substance abuse, and domestic violence, which was tough to read about at times, but overall, the group really liked it. {Image: Amazon}