For me, this overall really good novel comes down to this: the inner workings of Frances, the protagonist of this novel, feel bitingly real. The way this observant young woman’s cool exterior hides a pretty constant lack of confidence makes it feels like you know her. Or at least, have often thought like her. With Read more
If you are looking for Conversations with Friends book club questions, you have come to the right place. Now a tv adaptation as a mini-series on Hulu, this debut novel by Sally Rooney will undoubtedly be making the rounds of book clubs in the near future. And it’s easy to see why. 21-year-old college students Read more
Maybe your book club has read other works by Jenny Colgan. Maybe you would like to take the advice suggested in my review of Where Have All the Boys Gone and read this book as a look at how much her writing style and storytelling have grown over the years. Maybe you are looking for Read more
Girl A by Abigail Dean is the kind of book that sticks with you. When I first heard about this debut novel that was taking the literary world by storm, I had to take a moment. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. As another reviewer pointed out, recent history makes this really not Read more
If you are looking for the next True Crime book to add to your book club list, you can’t do much better than Girl A. Dark and riveting, Girl A by Abigail Dean is an in-depth look at the psychology of how childhood trauma can playout for the adults involved. Be ready for some deep Read more
Lex Gracie is Girl A, the “Girl who escaped.” Author Abigail Dean lets us know from the first chapter that whatever else you read in the rest of the book, Lex gets out of the “House of Horrors.” Horrible crimes are punished, children survive, they grow up and live their lives. It’s that assurance that Read more
When it comes to beautiful scenery, you can’t ask for much more than the lush vineyards of Tuscany that are the staging ground for Julianne Mclean’s These Tangled Vines. There are few books I have read recently that had me more nostalgic for the days of easy travel and jet setting. This is the latest Read more
With all of its moral gray areas, These Tangled Vines the novel is likely to spark some passionate debate in your book club. Questions like, who is right or wrong based on their actions? Does true love justify all behavior? Would you have done things differently? All of these are topics sure to have your Read more
The novel These Tangled Vines offers a glimpse into the kind of “hit by lightning” moments where things in life change so drastically you are left reeling. This is exactly what happens to our heroine, Fiona. Years after her mother’s death, she learns more about the mystery of her mother. Thanks to her late mother’s Read more
Anatomy of a Scandal is a complex book that brings up a lot of moral and ethical questions. Do the privileged get held to a different standard than your average joe’s? How does a person’s position, especially in the government, get them out of scrapes? This book is incredibly topical in the era of the Read more