The latest book club reads you need to check out!
Book clubs and reading are in trend right now, my fellow literary nerds!
That’s right, you heard it here first. From Oprah to Reese Witherspoon and everybody’s favorite girl wizard and feminist Emma Watson, everyone beckons you to join their book clubs and let the reading bug bite you.
It’s cool to be a literary nerd. Many of these book clubs help shine the spotlight on independent publishing houses, up-and-coming and underrated authors, and important themes such as feminism in literature.
They also enable avid readers to stay connected and share their reading material with each other.
Are you a book club member, or are you currently craving something to read during this tedious lockdown period? Then, here’s the perfect, trendy compilation for you!
Blue Ticket
by Sophie Mackintosh
Are you craving a feminist tale? Then look no further than this novel by Booker prize nominee Sophie Mackintosh.
Ever imagined what would happen if the government snatched away your right to choose when or how you bring life into the world or dictated rules to women about their own growing bodies?
Sophie Mackintosh invites you to explore just such an uncertain future wherein women are allocated reproductive fates by the government.
The author wishes to address how a woman’s pain will not, should not, and will never be put aside, and through this ambiguous work, she holds up a mirror to the world and all its smudgy aspects.
The Year of the Witching
by Alexis Henderson
If you’re an Atwood fan, then you’re in luck as this novel has been compared to the popular work The Handmaid’s Tale and promises to be an escapist thriller.
It is a Gothic tale that follows Bethel, a young lady bestowed with prophetic powers. She runs far from her puritanical upbringing and finds herself in the midst of a war of epic proportions.
The Perfect Wife
by JP Delaney
Packed with suspense, this work explores the idea of perfection and imperfections in a marriage or a relationship through the lens of science, technology, and resurrection.
The story follows surfer Abbie who is just waking up after a 5-year accident that left her bedridden and with a case of amnesia. Her husband, a tech genius in Silicon valley, reveals that he ‘brought her back’ via his latest tech breakthrough, but she finds it hard to believe him. Now she must navigate through her new life, come to terms with her new self and uncover the reason behind why she senses something amiss with her husband.
The Hidden Beach
by Karen Swan
This novel will transport you to international waters in the midst of a pandemic through its pages.
Set in Stockholm, along the mesmerizing Swedish coast, this is a story of forgiveness and revolves around Bell Everhurst, the nanny to Hanna and Max’s three children. A phone call from Hanna’s first husband, who awakens from a coma, sends shockwaves through the family and throws everybody’s lives into disarray.
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry
by Joya Goffney
The title itself sounds appealing to a teen audience, doesn’t it?
A typical enemies to lovers tale, this novel revolves around Quinn, who has a habit of jotting down lists on all the days that she has ugly cried her way through life, on all the boys whom she’s harbored a crush and things she’d never admit out loud in her wildest dreams. These lists keep her sane. That is until somebody unknown leaks them online, and all her classmates mock her for them.
Her greatest fears come alive, and she develops trust issues as a result. She must now place her trust in Carter Bennett, who is the only person who can help track down her journal and retrieve it from this unknown miscreant who threatens to pull her life apart at the seams.
All Kinds of Other
by James Sie
A coming of age gay romance, this novel centers around its protagonists, high schoolers Jules and Jack. Jules is coming to terms with his sexuality while Jack is coming to terms with a personal loss and finding it hard to start anew.
When their paths cross, sparks fly, and they keep their relationship a secret. However, after a video of Jack and some trans vloggers surfaces in the online realm, the couple must choose between claiming their space or continue to fly under the gaydar.
Pride
by Ibi Zoboi
The themes explored in this novel range from love, race to gentrification.
A contemporary twist on Pride and Prejudice, this novel revolves around Zuri Benitez, who takes pride in her Afro Latino roots, her Brooklyn upbringing, and her family life. However, her neighborhood is threatened by gentrification.
So when the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, she wants nothing to do with them out of spite. Her older sibling Janae on the other hand, falls for Ainsley, one of the sons. Zuri can’t stand Darius, the other son, but soon finds herself forced to find common ground with him to save her neighborhood, and this initial dislike might just shift to a loving and understanding situation between both.
Cute boy Warren is also trying to vie for our heroine’s hand in marriage. Simultaneously, Zuri also has to fill out her college applications as she attempts to carve a name for herself and find a place in an ever-changing environment.
If I Tell You the Truth
by Jasmine Kaur
Narrated by the captivating voice of a young woman living in a world that doesn’t always hear her, this novel by Jasmine Kaur takes readers on a journey from Punjab to Canada along with its protagonist Kiran who flees home for a fresh start after a rape leaves her pregnant.
She overstays her visa, and to add to her problems, she is undocumented. This leaves her and her daughter Sahaara at risk. A grown-up Sahaara also promises to seek justice for her mother from the powerful and dangerous man who left their lives in tatters.
Grown
by Tiffany D. Jackson
This novel ventures into the toxic world where rape culture thrives and addresses the vulnerability of young Black women to the same.
Budding RnB artiste Enchanted Jones finds herself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after the man who discovered her at an audition, her to-be manager Korey Fields is found dead, and his blood is on her hands. Her dreams have turned into nightmares as all fingers naturally point towards her due to Korey’s demanding nature.
An Emotion of Great Delight
by Tahereh Mafi
Set in 2003 at the height of the Iraqi War, this novel by the author of the acclaimed Shatter Me series explores how much has changed in those past two decades since then.
It addresses political and racial tensions when the FBI infiltrated mosques and targeted innocent Muslims.
The protagonist, Shadi (literal translation: ‘joy’) finds her life in tatters after the untimely tragic deaths of her father and brother and her mother’s crumbling mental health. Shadi herself has to shelter herself from bigotry by wearing her hijab, keeping her head down, and trying to survive while dealing with the sorrows that lie ahead and all around her.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
by Kiersten White
A retelling of the dark tale by Mary Shelley, this novel revolves around the toxic and inseparable relationship between Elizabeth Lavenza and Victor Frankenstein, as the young woman who was raised by the Frankenstein family attempts to make sense of and survive the temper of Victor, who is slowly descending into madness.
Code Name Hélène
by Ariel Lawhorn
This novel is split into two narratives- following its protagonist Nancy Wake’s journey as a woman who grew up in New Zealand, found herself living in Paris and working as a British spy during World War II and her married life and courtship with Henri Fiocca after she parachuted into France in 1944.
You will root for the heroine on her transformative journey from just an ordinary woman to an extraordinary force to be reckoned with.
50 Words for Rain
by Asha Lemmie
Yet another historical fiction, this one is also set in the Second World War and centers around Nori, the illegitimate daughter born to a Japanese artist and a Black American GI who is hidden away on her grandmother’s estate to escape shame.
While confined there, she meets her half-brother Akira who introduces her to the outside world. A tale of shame and eventual acceptance, don’t miss out on this one!
The Survivors
by Jane Harper
Kieran Elliott finds himself wracked by guilt and is haunted by teenage memories that have resurfaced. He lives with the guilt that his reckless teenage attitude was responsible for three lives lost during a storm, and when a body washes ashore at a beach in his hometown, the plot thickens as the police believe it all to be connected.
If you enjoy character-driven mysteries, grab a copy of this novel!
The Good Sister
by Sally Hepworth
Do you enjoy a good, complicated family drama? Then get your mitts on this one by Sally Hepworth.
Find yourself entangled in the lives of twin sisters Rose and Fern. Rose is Fern’s protector who keeps her safe from their sociopathic mother and covers up her mistakes, no matter how grave they may be.
But as they grow up, their relationship changes due to Fern finding out that Rose has been harboring deep dark secrets of her own.
With that, we’ve come to the end of this list. Hopefully, it will help you decide what to read or add to your reading list next. Maybe, even join a book club or two if you haven’t yet. And don’t forget to share this list with your fellow bookworms!
