Fall is just around the corner (literally, Monday!), which means cozying up to a slew of new books to devour and share with your monthly book club. Whether you’re in the mood for suspenseful fiction or nonfiction to lift your spirits, these 10 books will leave you and your book club with plenty to talk about.
1. As Long As It’s Perfect by Lisa Tognola: When Janie Margolis takes up a job as an assistant contractor, she thinks it’ll be the job to support her role as a full-time mom. Instead, it leads to never-ending arguments between her and her husband. But then the economy collapses and suddenly those arguments are the least of her problems. Now, Janie must find a way to keep her family afloat while doing her best to chase her dreams and find a life that truly makes her happy. A book perfect for new mamas and fans of HGTV alike, this new release is a relatable read your book club will love this fall.
2. Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law by Jeffrey Rosen ($28): Journalist Jeffrey Rosen paints a stunning portrait of the remarkable Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Conversations with RBG. Through a series of conversations with the United States justice, Rosen brings forth wisdom from RBG about everything from the future of the Supreme Court to the #MeToo movement and more. The perfect book for anyone who’s ever wished they could sit down with the “Notorious RBG,” this new release offers readers a unique and honest look at the life of a woman who has committed her life to making the world a better place for everyone.
3. maggie’s ruse by Anne Leigh Parrish ($16): Twin sisters Maggie and Marta live a charmed life in New York City, thanks to the financial support of their stepfather. While they have everything they need to be successful, the two hit a snag in their professional lives. Bored and uninspired, Maggie decides to impersonate her sister around one of her friends, causing a rift that leads them on separate paths. Finally finding success in their fields, they’ll have to consider whether or not they want to mend their relationship.
4. Dominicana by Angie Cruz: Ana Cancion has always been content living in the Dominican countryside but she's proposed to and given the opportunity to move to New York City she accepts in order to help her family. But moving to the Big Apple with her husband isn’t what it seems and she finds herself miserable and lonely. Not until her husband returns to the Dominican Republic to take care of his family does Ana finally get to experience life the way she wants (spending a lot of her time with her husband’s brother). This new novel by Angie Cruz presents a young woman who must make monumental decisions in order to achieve the life she truly wants, making it a standout book club pick for the fall.
5. The Wonder of Now by Jamie Beck ($13): Cancer survivor Peyton Prescott misses her carefree life and looks forward to her upcoming book tour—she gets to go back to Europe, her favorite travel-writing destination. But her publicist Mitch has other ideas as his firm is relying on him to make this tour a smash-hit. As the two embark on a trip of a lifetime, they run into frustrations and chemistry along the way that will force both of them to reconsider what they want out of their lives and where they go next. If your book club loves a little romance in the mix, you’ll love this new fiction novel from Jamie Beck.
6. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates ($28): Born into slavery, Hiram Walker has always known a life of hardship and sadness. But Hiram has been blessed with a mysterious power that once saved his life and now inspires him to escape from his abusive and horrible life. Setting his plan into motion, he travels from the plantations in Virginia, up to the free North. While he gets caught up in an underground war between the enslaved and slavers along the way, he keeps one goal in mind throughout his entire journey: make it back to the hellish South and rescue the family he was forced to leave behind. If your book club enjoys unconventional historical fiction stories, The Water Dancer will make a great pick for fall.
7. Twine by Monica Duncan ($17): Art school graduate Juniper Kowalski is struggling to make a grand life for herself. Getting pregnant by a married man, she finds herself at a major crossroads when she moves into her late grandmother’s trailer in Michigan. Unsure of her future and fueled by the heartbreak and frustrations in her current life, she takes to creating great masterpieces in the form of public art. It’s through this outlet and a potential new love interest that she comes to terms with her new life as a mother and independent woman. If you’re on the hunt for a book featuring a highly relatable woman, Twine will be your favorite read of the fall season.
8. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson ($26): Melody is about to turn 16 and is very busy getting ready for her coming-of-age celebration, featuring a dress made for her mother’s own celebration 16 years earlier—a festivity that never happened. Red at the Bone digs deep into the life of Melody’s mother, examining the way decisions we make as teenagers impact our lives forever. A story about family, expectations and identity, this new novel from New York Times best-selling author Jacqueline Woodson is a book full of emotion and difficult family matters that readers will find easy to connect with and relate to.
9. Headstrong: Surviving a Traumatic Brain Injury by JoAnne Silver Jones ($17): JoAnne Jones’s life was forever altered when she was attacked by a stranger, leaving her with severe traumatic brain injury, PTSD and fractured hands. In this compelling memoir, Jones reveals what it’s like to recover from a traumatic incident and how she rebuilt her life. With commentary on the state of our violent world and the controversial views of close-minded individuals, Headstrong is the story of one woman who was given every reason to give up on life but chose to persevere instead. If your book club enjoys real-life stories, this book is one that will inspire.
10. The World Doesn’t Require You: Stories by Rion Amilcar Scott ($26): Rion Amilcar Scott’s latest release focuses on a fictional town called Cross River. Telling the stories of different characters who live in this place over the span of decades, The World Doesn’t Require You features four different stories that masterfully blend reality, history and magical realism. From a story about the last son of God who’s struggling to find success in music to a PhD candidate who wreaks mayhem in his neighborhood due and other unique tales, this new story collection is the perfect fall read for book clubs who enjoy reading books that think outside of the box.
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