Looking for great book club reads for this spring? Check out one of these book club recommendations that are sure to provide lively discussion from your club.
Making the perfect book club selection this spring is easy with so many great new books releasing this year. These books include traveling through history, navigating unique family dynamics, and the ever-popular coming-of-age story. We have found a few thought-proving thrillers with twists and turns for those groups who like a good mystery with lots to discuss.
March's New Books to Read
Silver Repetition
by Lily Wang
A Ms. Magazine Most Anticipated Book
A debut coming-of-age novel that delicately illuminates the fullness of identity despite fractures in language, culture, and relationships.
In Silver Repetition, Lily Wang's endless, perfect loops of memory and dream, loss and return, combine to create a formally inventive coming-of-age novel. Told from the perspective of a young Asian immigrant thoughtfully navigating dual identities, grief, family, migration, and modern relationships, this is a novel infused with the rich language of a poet.
The novel shows how, despite the weight of grief, isolation, and difference, even the most delicate family bonds can knit together tightly enough for the future to overcome the past.
Sponsored by New Press
The Best Way to Bury Your Husband
by Alexia Casale
A dark comedy about four women coming together to heal the damage their husbands have done--and hide their bodies once they've killed them.
When Sally kills her husband with a cast-iron skillet, she's more fearful of losing her kids than of disposing of a fresh corpse. That just wouldn't be fair--not after twenty years of marriage to a truly terrible man. But Sally isn't the only woman in town reaching the brink. Soon, Sally finds herself leading an extremely unusual self-help group, and among them, there are four bodies to hide. Can they all figure out the perfect way to bury their husbands . . . and get away with it?
Together, fueled by righteous anger but tempered by a moral core, the four women must help each other work out a plan to get rid of their husbands for good. Along the way, Sally, Ruth, Samira and Janey rediscover old joys and embark on new passions in work, education, and life. Friendship and laughter really are the best medicine--and so is getting away with murder.
Memory Piece
by Lisa Ko
The award-winning author of The Leavers offers a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life?
In the early 1980s, Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong, and Ellen Ng are three teenagers drawn together by their shared sense of alienation and desire for something different. "Allied in the weirdest parts of themselves," they envision each other as artistic collaborators and embark on a future defined by freedom and creativity.
Moving from the predigital 1980s to the art and tech subcultures of the 1990s to a strikingly imagined portrait of the 2040s, Memory Piece is an innovative and audacious story of three lifelong friends as they strive to build satisfying lives in a world that turns out to be radically different from the one they were promised.
Day One
by Abigail Dean
"A gripping examination of a community devastated by a school shooting and the "truthers" who deny it ever happened. Within that story is a girl who's hiding what she knows about what happened that day. A chilling, thought-provoking read. Brilliant."
A village hall, a primary school play, a beautiful Lake District town in England. Into this idyllic scene steps a lone gunman whose actions set off a train of events that will have devastating consequences for the close-knit community of Stonesmere.
Opening with a gripping moment of terror, and then jumping forward in time to show how secrets, trauma, miscommunications, and unrequited feelings reverberate over a lifetime, Abigail Dean once again delivers, "a riveting page-turner, full of hope in the face of despair." (Sophie Hannah, The Guardian).
Annie Bot
by Sierra Greer
For fans of Never Let Me Go and My Dark Vanessa, a powerful, provocative novel about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner, exploring questions of intimacy, power, autonomy, and control.
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she's not the greatest at keeping Doug's place spotless, but she's trying to please him. She's trying hard.
She's learning, too.
The Underground Library
by Jennifer Ryan
When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community's beloved library in this novel based on true events from the author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.
When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city's residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?
April's Book Club Book Recommendations
Missing White Woman
by Kellye Garrett
A "propulsive page-turner" (Alyssa Cole) and "thriller not to be missed" (Michael Connelly) from the award-winning author of Like a Sister, in which a woman thinks she's waking up to a romantic vacation--only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone.
It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. Breanna's new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything--the train tickets, the dinner reservations, the rented four-story luxury rowhouse in Jersey City with a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. But when Bree comes downstairs on their final morning, she's shocked. A stranger is laying dead in the foyer, and Ty is nowhere to be found.
When people only see what they want to see, can she uncover the truth hiding in plain sight?
Better by Far
by Hazel Hayes
A genre-bending story about love and loss, hope and heartbreak, and the healing to be found in life's little limbos, those in-between spaces where you're no longer who you were and not yet the person you will be
This meta-modern novel is unlike anything you have ever read, and yet at its core it is a story we all deeply understand. A story of love and disorientation, and how grief grips us all. Prepare to laugh and cry; Hazel Hayes will break your heart, but then she'll mend it for you.
The Paris Novel
by Ruth Reichl
When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading "Go to Paris."
Alone in a foreign city, Stella falls into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. Then she stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. The shopkeeper insists that this dress was meant for Stella and for the first time in her life Stella does something impulsive. She buys the dress--and embarks on an adventure.
A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.
Days of Wonder
by Caroline Leavitt
A New York Times bestselling author delivers a tantalizing, courageous story about mothers and daughters, guilt and innocence, and the lengths we go for love.
As a teenager, for a moment, Ella Fitchburg found love--yearning, breathless love--that consumed both her and her boyfriend, Jude, as they wandered the streets of New York City together. But her life was unexpectedly upended when she was accused of trying to murder Jude's father, an imperious superior court judge, and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. When she learns she's pregnant shortly after sentencing, she reluctantly decides to give up the child.
Caroline Leavitt's Days of Wonder is a gripping high-drama page-turner about the elusive nature of redemption and the profound reach of love.
While We Were Burning
by Sara Koffi
Parasite meets Such a Fun Age in a scorching debut that is as heartbreaking as it is thrilling, examining the intersection of race, class, and female friendship, and the devastating consequences of everyday actions.
After her best friend's mysterious death, Elizabeth Smith's picture-perfect life in the Memphis suburbs has spiraled out of control. So much so that she hires a personal assistant to keep her on track. Composed and elegant, Brianna is exactly who she needs and slides so neatly into Elizabeth's life. Soon, the assistant Elizabeth hired to distract her from her obsession with her friend's death is the same person working with her to uncover the truth behind it.
Because Brianna has questions too.
Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit
by Nadine Sander-Green
A woman's coming-of-age through a toxic relationship, isolation, and betrayal – set against the stark landscape of the far north.
Millicent is a shy, 24-year-old reporter who moves to Whitehorse to work for a failing daily newspaper. With winter looming and the Yukon descending into darkness, Millicent begins a relationship with Pascal. What begins as a romantic adventure soon turns toxic, and Millicent finds herself struggling not to lose herself and her voice.
Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit illuminates what it's like to be young, impulsive, and in love in one of the harshest environments in the world.
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder
by Asako Yuzuki - Polly Barton
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case.
There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine.
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until a journalist writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can't resist writing back.
Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer – the "Konkatsu Killer." Asako Yuzuki's Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance, and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.
The Wartime Book Club
by Kate Thompson
Inspired by true events, The Wartime Book Club is an unforgettable story of everyday bravery and resistance, full of romance, drama, and camaraderie, and a tribute to the joy of reading and the power of books in our darkest hour.
Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading.
Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times - as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.
May's Best Book Club Books
I Hope This Finds You Well
by Natalie Sue
In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues' private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job--a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you'll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don't seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see. That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.
Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes along with it.
The Red Grove
by Tessa Fontaine
When her mother goes missing, a young woman uncovers the secrets beneath her protected community.
The Red Grove is a special place, protected. Some say a spell was cast by the community's founder, Tamsen Nightingale. Some say the mountain lions who stalk the nearby hills guard its mysteries and its people. Some say the mighty redwoods keep them safe.
The debut novel by the acclaimed author of The Electric Woman, Tessa Fontaine's The Red Grove is an exploration of the legacies of violence, the price of safety, and the choices we make to protect what we love.
The Main Character
by Jaclyn Goldis
A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in this electrifying modern homage to Agatha Christie from the author of the "tense and twisty" (Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author) The Chateau.
Reclusive, mysterious author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unusual approach to crafting her big bestselling thrillers: she hires real people and conducts intensive interviews, then fictionalizes them. Her latest main character, Rory, is thrilled when Ginevra presents her with an extravagant bonus--a lavish trip along Italy's Mediterranean coast on the famed, newly renovated Orient Express. But when Rory boards the train, she's stunned to discover that her brother, her best friend, and even her ex-fiancé are passengers, as well. All invited by Ginevra, all hiding secrets.
Another stylish and compulsively readable mystery from Jaclyn Goldis, this is the perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Paula Hawkins.
A Good Life
by Virginie Grimaldi - Hildegarde Serle
Full of humor and compassion, a profound exploration of sisterhood, healing, and the ineffable beauty of life from France's most beloved contemporary novelist.
Laughter, tears, the transformative power of love, unexpected revelations, and striking natural beauty: these are the ingredients that combine to make best-selling author Virginie Grimaldi's American debut the feel-good read of 2024. Grimaldi is among France's top ten contemporary authors and her uplifting, unputdownable literary novels have quickly garnered her millions of adoring fans. This, her American debut, is among her most delicately wrought and emotionally compelling novels to date.
Exhibit
by R O Kwon
From bestselling author R. O. Kwon, an exhilarating, blazing-hot novel about a woman caught between her desires and her life.
At a lavish party in the hills outside of San Francisco, Jin Han meets Lidija Jung and nothing will ever be the same for either woman. A brilliant young photographer, Jin is at a crossroads in her work, in her marriage to her college love Philip, and in who she is and who she wants to be. Lidija is an alluring, injured world-class ballerina on hiatus from her ballet company under mysterious circumstances. Drawn to each other by their intense artistic drives, the two women talk all night.
Cracked open, Jin finds herself telling Lidija about an old familial curse, breaking a lifelong promise. She's been told that if she doesn't keep the curse a secret, she risks losing everything; death and ruin could lie ahead. Vital, bold, powerful, and deeply moving, Exhibit asks: how brightly can you burn before you light your life on fire?
The Mother of All Things
by Alexis Landau
A daring novel from the acclaimed author of Those Who Are Saved female rage, grief, and creativity collide in the present and animate the past, when a woman reconnects with her essential self during a summer journey, and discovers an ancient female world that offers parallels to her own.
Kept busy with her obligations as a wife and mother, art history professor Ava Zaretsky has little time to devote to her research and writing. Now tagging along on her film-producer husband's shoot in Bulgaria, where she's mostly solo parenting, she has a chance encounter with her fierce feminist mentor from college, which changes everything.
Reaching across time and deep into the female psyche, The Mother of All Things delivers a revelatory tale of a woman coming to terms with her evolving sense of responsibility to herself and her family, as she achieves a new appreciation of the gifts of female wisdom and self-belief.
California Dreaming
by Noa Silver
Having grown up on stories of her mother's wild youth in California, Elena Berg relocates from New England to the Bay Area in 2011 for a placement as an English teacher with Teach for America. Once there, she is eager to inspire a love of poetry and literature in her diverse but underprivileged students.
Coming of age between the Occupy and #MeToo movements and against the backdrop of the 2016 election and California's ever-worsening fire season, Elena reckons with California as she imagined it and California as it really is. As she does so, she must also ultimately reconcile the person she envisioned herself to be with the person she actually is.
The Deepest Lake
by Andromeda Romano-Lax
In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter's mysterious death.
Rose, the mother of 20-something aspiring writer Jules, has waited three months for answers about her daughter's death. Why was she swimming alone when she feared the water? Why did she stop texting days before she was last seen? When the official investigation rules the death an accidental drowning, the body possibly lost forever in Central America's deepest lake, an unsatisfied Rose travels to the memoir workshop herself. She hopes to draw her own conclusion--and find closure.
Perfect for fans of Delia Owens, Celeste Ng, and Julia Bartz, The Deepest Lake is both a sharp look at the sometimes toxic, exclusionary world of high-class writing workshops and an achingly poignant view of a mother's grief.
The Funeral Cryer
by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China, for fans of Yiyun Li and Julie Otsuka.
The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job and underappreciated by her husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of breakup. But just when things couldn't be bleaker, she takes a leap of faith--and in so doing, things start to take a surprising turn for the better.
Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a "left behind" society--and proof that it's never too late to change your life.