The Library

This book is a rare blend of thriller and love story. Joy and Benny are best friends who host a podcast together. From the first episode about Joy’s severe narcolepsy, it’s been a runaway success: a comedy podcast about life-or-death situations and survival stories. Now managed by Joy’s husband Xander, Joy and Benny are on the verge of signing a massive $30mm deal with one of the biggest podcast networks. One morning, Benny heads to Joy and Xander’s home to record, only to find broken glass and neither Joy nor Xander anywhere to be found. An investigation takes place, and Benny (armed only with Joy’s unfinished memoirs) is determined to figure out what happened. Things get more and more complicated as Benny discovers secrets about Joy and Xander’s marriage, that someone was stalking Joy, and that something darker was at play with one of their advertisers. Meanwhile, he finds himself at the center of the investigation, a suspect in their disappearance. I will say no more but this is very very twisty and definitely kept me on my toes!

This one was a like, not a love. But still very enjoyable, especially as a beach read, and even more so if you are from New England like I am. My two qualms were a) a messy younger woman as the female lead (I struggle with this type of main character) and b) that the two love interests seemed a little bit one-dimensional. Otherwise, it was great. After her mother passed away when she was seventeen, Ruth spent summers on Block Island with her mother’s friend Diana. Diana is a very talented photographer who ultimately became a mentor and a very close friend. When Diana passes away from cancer, Ruth is grief-struck once more. She returns for her funeral. In returning, she’ll also reunite with Charlie, Diana’s nephew (the man she’s loved since they were teenagers). Dianna has left her a box of her possessions, revealing a shocking secret that makes Ruth question everything she knew about her mother and her mentor. Meanwhile, just as Diana is about to confess her feelings, it turns out that Charlie has his own explosive secret. Drama!! My favorite part was the setting; I felt like I was right there on Block Island.

This was the Reese’s Book Club pick, and if they choose a thriller, I will order it without knowing anything about it. And that is what I did here. I was absolutely delighted when I realized it’s an art world thriller! I tore through it in just a couple of days; it is incredibly twisty and highly stressful (in a good way!) to read. Clare Best is feeling a little bit lost. She’s married into the wealthy Bast family and suddenly finds herself a stay-at-home mother, with an abandoned PhD. The one thing saving her is her husband Jed’s boss’s wife, Tasha: a well-connected socialite who sits on the board of the museum of contemporary art. Suddenly, Tasha is introducing her to curators and gallerists: the dream! Things take a turn when Clare starts up an affair with a handsome older art dealer. She feels herself coming alive again until (murderous music plays), she finds herself at the center of a horrible murder (and stolen masterpiece). A true “wrong place, wrong time” scenario, Clare must now rush to hide her affair, and figure out what happened . . . or risk becoming the police’s main suspect. What has she gotten herself into? This book made me extremely anxious . . . in a good way!

If you loved The Maid, you will love this. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is a cantankerous eighty-one-year-old living in a quiet suburb of Melbourne. She loves her life, her street, and even some of her rather annoying neighbors. But when one of them (her nemesis!) turns up dead, the past that Elsie worked so hard to conceal gets dug up. You see, when Elsie was fifteen, she was known as “Mad Mabel,” the youngest convicted murderer in Australia. As Elsie finds herself a suspect in her neighbor’s death, she has to make a decision: will she finally share her side of the story? The book alternates between modern day and the fifties, where Mabel grew up as the town pariah with negligent parents and (thankfully) an amazing aunt. It’s one of those rare cozy mysteries that’s also very heartwarming. I couldn’t put it down, and I loved all of the characters. Grumpy Elsie, her Aldi-obsessed neighbor Peter, seven-year-old Persephone, suspicious Joan . . . they were all lovely in their own ways, and very memorable.

I listened to this, and I am glad I did. As with any celebrity memoir, it’s fun to feel like you’re spending twelve hours with your new best friend as they tell you their life story. In this case, the writing is so excellent that I think it would be wonderful to read on paper too. My big gripe was how much medical stuff there was. It’s a lot. If you get squeamish about those sorts of things, you may want to skip or read it on paper and skim through those parts. There were a few parts in particular where I felt nearly sick to my stomach / wanting to pass out! That being said, I ultimately loved it. Dunham is so vulnerable about the cost of fame, about her relationships and friendships. Of course, there are always two sides to every story, but I felt like she did a great job holding herself accountable and acknowledging what she could have done better. She’s also an incredible writer and storyteller. My favorite parts were the early chapters about Girls, the later chapters about breaking up with her best friend, and all the bits about her parents — I love how close she is with them. It’s hard to believe that she started writing (and filming) Girls when she was just twenty-three. This seems to be the book of summer. I’m really glad I read it!

This is a fun read-it-in-a-day thriller set in Paris. (The setting was my favorite part, I felt like I was right there!) Stella is on vacation with her husband, Adam, when a massive explosion takes place in the square. She survives, but cannot find Adam anywhere. As she races around, trying to find him and figure out what happened, she learns that Adam was keeping secrets and may have been the target of the explosion. The French authorities tell her that he was stealing rare antiques and selling them to a roster of criminal clients. Another source tells her that he was forging these items. Stella is not sure who to believe. Was her beloved, down-to-earth antique store-owning husband a random victim, or was something more sinister at play? She can’t reconcile it, and can’t believe that the man she loved may have done such terrible things. Stella won’t leave Paris until she figures out what happened to her husband. To do so, she must put her own life in danger as she confronts both her own past and her husband’s potentially shadowy actions.

This one is a wild ride. It starts out sleepy and then takes you from New York to the Hamptons to Lake Como. Liv is a writer in her early thirties and fresh off the shocking death of her fiancé. She spends her days, listless, unable to write . . . living in the maid’s room of an old mentor. One night at a party, she runs into Damon, her former (very magnetic) neighbor. He is a high-end jewelry designer, and by his side is Isabel, an equally magnetic older widow. Liv finds herself drawn into their glamorous world of parties and trips out east (and later, to Italy). There is an incredible spark between Liv and Damon, and they find themselves having an affair. Meanwhile, Damon is married and leading Isabel on. As Isabel confides in Liv, and Liv has her affair with Damon, the tension builds and builds. All the while, there is another man in Isabel’s orbit, Rex. Rex is a journalist, who threatens to reveal Liv’s most haunting secret. I couldn’t put this down. The writing is beautiful and transportive, and the pacing is perfection. I felt almost relieved when it was over though (a testament to the writing!) — the dynamic between the characters was toxic and stressful.

This is one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in ages. It reads like a fast-paced thriller (I gobbled it up on a Saturday), but it’s more than that. Similar to books like Yellowface and Such a Fun Age, it’s also a meditation on power balances, race, and class (and in this case, aging). Ingrid Parker is a (white) veteran film producer, with piles of money and a successful career. But she can already see her shelf life fading as she begins (at age 53) to feel irrelevant and her (white male) counterparts no longer seem to give her the time of day. When she learns of a cutting-edge medical procedure that can take ten years off of her life, she hires Maggie Wang. Maggie is a smart Asian American writer: young, broke, and in need of mentorship (and income). Ingrid offers Maggie $3 million and mentorship in exchange for ten experimental medical sessions. The only thing? As Ingrid ages in reverse, Maggie may age 10 years doing this. As the women’s relationship intensifies, they use each other in complicated ways. I couldn’t put it down. I cringed at times, I gasped at others . . . but ultimately, it made me think. It would be a great book club read as there’s so much to talk about!

Something I have learned about myself is that I don’t really like books about space. They are, I think, just below books about war. Of course, there are exceptions (Atmosphere!), but for whatever reason, I find space to be super stressful and — if I’m being totally honest, a little bit tedious. Also, so much science speak. So, to be totally honest, a lot of this book was a slog for me. It’s very long and there’s a lot of scientific language (Andy Weir is honestly a genius with what he created here). I ultimately ended up loving it because the plot took a turn and something happened that I wasn’t prepared for (I went in knowing very very little!). I am really happy that I slogged through because I loved that twist, and I adored the ending (it made me emotional, which I didn’t see happening). My advice, if you are like me and want to read the book, is to stick with it; it’s completely worth it!!! Now, I can’t wait to see the film.

I absolutely loved this book, and all of the stories within it. I found it to be both realistic and inspirational. Emma Grede has built an empire, and this is her no B.S. story of how she got to where she is today, packed with stories and inspiration. There has been a lot of coverage in the media that have been pretty critical of Grede and some of her takes. Those takes feel a little sexist to me, and also, out of context. I don’t agree with all of her advice, but I’m also not trying to build a billion-dollar brand. (That sounds stressful to me!) Whether you aspire to build an empire or just grow your own small business, I think there are so many incredible takeaways. And so few women are honest about what it really takes to succeed at that level: she’s refreshingly candid. As with anything, you can take and leave some parts to apply it to your own goals and lifestyle, but wow — I certainly took a lot away from it. And I loved learning more about her early childhood (from the daughter of a single mother who didn’t grow up with much to becoming one of America’s richest self-made women). Each chapter breaks down an “old thought” (stale thinking, outdated ideas) into a “new thought” (a reframe, modern way of thinking). If you’ve ever felt like a bystander in your own life, this is for you. I recommend listening to it as she has a great accent and it feels like she’s speaking directly to you, giving you advice.

It is rare for me to pick up a memoir by someone I’m not familiar with, but I’d heard fantastic things about this one. Also, I am obsessed with food writing (and miss my old life in New York), so it felt like the appropriate thing to read when I got home from my trip. I am so happy I picked it up, because the writing is so incredibly good that I felt absolutely transported into Tangorra’s world (and also very hungry). The book opens with a near-death experience: Tangorra is on a tour bus. The driver falls asleep at the wheel. The bus goes off of the cliff. Miraculously, she survives . . . and with the money from a settlement, opens up the cult-favorite Brooklyn restaurant, Brucie. She takes us through the Brucie years (and needing to close it and file for bankruptcy). The way she writes about food is extraordinary. But also, family and romantic love. The chapters about her father (and cooking his last meal) had me in tears. And as an added bonus, the book is filled with her recipes (old family ones, plus Brucie favorites). I want to make them all! I keep saying this, but it would be the perfect book club/cookbook club hybrid. This is an absolute must for all of the food lovers!

This is a twisty whodunnit with Agatha Christie vibes. Six authors across very different genres are invited to spend a weekend in Arthur Fletch’s castle on a private island. Fletch is one of the world’s best-selling novelists. When they arrive, they sign an NDA and learn an explosive secret: Fletch is dead, and there is a contest amongst them to finish his final book. The winner will receive a contract with his prestigious agent, as well as a million dollars. (This is huge, potentially career-changing news for this group of authors as each of them are struggling in some way.) The catch? Their devices have been taken away; they have to finish it on a typewriter, and they have just 72 hours to write their perfect ending. From there, the cozy writing retreat quickly escalates to a murder mystery. I liked this a lot, but it was not a love for me, simply because locked-room murder mysteries are generally not my favorite. But it’s good, definitely worth reading, especially if you are more into mysteries than thrillers! Also, kinda cool: Evelyn Clarke is the pseudonym for authors V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke.

I read this as background research for my book (a big part will be around a “family business” similar to Estée Lauder) but would recommend it to absolutely anyone. It’s an incredible look at how Estée and her two sons built The Estée Lauder Companies. From starting a brand during the war and taking it from the family kitchen to department stores, to building Clinique, Origins, Prescriptives, and more . . . it’s fascinating. We learn about the Revlon Wars (Charles Revson seems like such a villain; I am dying to read up on everything related to him next!). It gave me great material for the book, but something I forgot about was Lauder’s incredible art collection and his work for The Whitney Museum. I couldn’t get enough! He seems like he was an incredible person and led such an interesting life. I could not get enough and genuinely think that anyone and everyone will love this book. Besides all of the great stories, there is some fantastic leadership (and life!) advice. I highly (highly!) recommend it.

When Olivia Muenter blurbed it, she called it “A love letter to Amy Dunne of Gone Girl,” which a) got me to buy it and b) is completely accurate. This is the sort of book that will keep you up all night (and I really don’t recommend reading it before bed; I couldn’t sleep — the ending was wild!). I mean this as a compliment, of course: dark and twisty is my favorite. I would just recommend starting it earlier in the day because you won’t be able to stop reading. Lillian is, to be clear, very much not a good person. She’s living in Boston and hooking up with Henry, her situationship, who she is certain will eventually fall in love with her. When Henry does not fall in love with her and instead breaks up with her, Lillian loses her mind a little bit. She decides to exact revenge upon him by casting a hex. She expects the hex to ruin his life or maybe cause him to come groveling back. Instead, she wakes up to the news that Henry has been found dead. Did Lillian’s hex work? When Lillian finds herself a prime suspect in his murder case, her life is thrown into a dangerous tailspin. This is dark and funny and very toxic (in the best way). I loved it!

My friend Chassity wrote a book, and it is so wonderful. Truly, the perfect beach read that I think everyone will love (even if you are like me and romance is not always your first choice). It’s heartfelt, cozy, and a joy to read. What I loved most about it was how transportive her writing was. Having visited Harbour Island a few times, it felt like I was right back there again. Bring it somewhere warm, park yourself in the sunshine, and give yourself a few hours to relax and get immersed in Lucy, Jack, and Noah’s world. Lucy (an artist, based in Charleston) has inherited her grandmother’s beloved island house on Harbour Island. She’ll spend the summer on the island, getting the house in order and figuring out what comes next. Upon returning to the island, she finds herself face-to-face with the man she once thought was the love of her life but broke her heart (Jack), and a handsome new love interest (songwriter Noah). Summer on Harbour Island is a blur of parties and dinners. Lucy is invited to be part of a prestigious art show at a photographer’s home (he feels very Slim Aarons adjacent). And she finds herself torn between these two men. Can she trust Jack again? Should she take a chance on someone new?

I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen; I have read all of her books and love them all! This one was a little bit of a departure for her as it has an alternate timeline (it’s partially set in the 1960s), and I loved it! In 1964, a group of four women (who became best friends) became the subjects of a series of parapsychology experiments at the local university. The experiments are conducted by a visionary scientist who believes he’s on the precipice of a historic breakthrough. In the same year, these women each vanish, and the program is shut down. Meanwhile in modern day, Riley Bell is newly divorced and looking for a fresh start. She accepts a caretaker job for Betty, an elderly widow. Betty seems pretty self-sufficient. While confined to a wheelchair, she can do most things on her own. That said, she seems to be stuck in the sixties. There’s no internet or television, no microwave, no cell phones . . . no modern technology whatsoever. Betty is isolated and lonely. Riley becomes determined to help her figure out the truth about her missing friends. As she does this, old secrets come out, and Riley finds herself at the center of a decades-old mystery. I couldn’t put this down. I thought it was really clever and smart (and as with all of Pekkanen’s books, super fun to read!).

This one is for my fellow magazine lovers! I will read anything about the magazine industry, and I absolutely devoured this. It made for a great listen during chores, walks, all the things. Equal parts dishy and informative, this is a history of the Conde Nast magazine empire focusing on its peak, most glamorous heyday (the 80s through the 2000s). We get to know Si Newhouse, Greydon Carter, Anna Wintour, Tina Brown, and the rest of Newhouse’s stable of star editors, photographers, and writers. I found it so interesting to hear the history of some of my favorite publications (Architectural Digest, for example). It’s a behind-the-scenes look at both the rise and fall of Conde, the many politics among the magazines (and their editors), and the impact these beloved magazines had on so many of us. I absolutely loved it. Dishy, fun, and informative — my preferred kind of audiobook!

This was such a special book, I could not put it down. I cried multiple times throughout and loved the ending. It’s so unique and different (and while the books are very, very different, I think fans of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow will adore this. It’s a romance (not usually my thing), but it’s also got a Hollywood element, a sci-fi element, and some pretty weighty topics around the choices we make and how we hurt others when we try to protect them. That probably sounds vague, but I really don’t want to give anything away. The less you know, the better! Noah and AJ are the very best of friends (on their way to being more), working at a video store and studying acting together. They’ve just had their first kiss when Noah disappears from AJ’s life altogether. Years later, they find themselves on set, working on a new sci-fi show. All of the old feelings are still there, but Noah’s choices haunt them. I’ll say no more. Just read it, you will love it! The only reason I gave it an A- was that I felt like it got a little too long in parts. Otherwise, it was perfect.

This book is a wild ride in the best sense of the word. Natalie Heller Mills is a tradwife (think of Ballerina Farm, pretty much to a tee), living on an idyllic farmhouse ranch with her handsome cowboy husband. Behind the scenes, there are nannies, producers, and industrial-grade appliances . . . but no one needs to know about that! Natalie has the perfect life. She is, in her words, “perfect at being alive.” But one day, she wakes up, and it is the 1800s. Her home and children feel familiar, but her kitchen is warmed by a fire rather than electricity. Rather than snap pretty photos, she’s expected to lug firewood and do the laundry (without a machine) and make bread from scratch. Is this time-travel? A test from God? Has she been abducted? What happened? We go back and forth between past (and… past?) as we get to know Natalie’s childhood, her time at Harvard, and what made her like this. We meet the Angry Women (privileged coastal elites) who hate her, and we meet her husband Caleb’s politician father. Meanwhile, this is not Natalie’s beautiful life. How will she escape and get back to the world she worked so hard to create? I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I am still thinking about the end. It is a fantastic twist that kept me thinking for weeks. I had a book hangover afterward..

People are fanatical about this book, but it was a “like” and not a “love” for me. The first 60-70% were a weird slog, and then it all came together. It’s a family story that I usually love, but it’s just so strange. Bud and Catherine have opened their marriage, and Catherine is dating their neighbor. Meanwhile, their three children all have a lot going on. The eldest daughter (Abigail) is dating a man in his twenties named War Crimes Wes, the middle daughter (Louise) is corresponding online with a terrorist, and the youngest (Harper) is being sent to wilderness camp after becoming a conspiracy theorist. Proceed with caution. The last 10% of the book makes it worthwhile. Ultimately, it goes off the rails (in a really good way) and turns into a little bit of a thriller. If you have the patience and/or like weird and literary, you’ll really enjoy this.

Obviously, it is hard to review one of your closest friends’ books in an unbiased way, but this was an absolute home run for me. It was so well-written and fun to read! Katie and her high school boyfriend Drew were once inseparable, but now they’re more or less strangers. When they were younger, Katie dreamed of being an actress, while Drew wanted to go into politics. They spent hours planning the future, planning to be together always. Things didn’t exactly go as planned. Katie is now Blair Banks, a famous Hollywood actress. Drew has moved back home, where he is the local mayor. Katie has done all she can to avoid going home, but when her sister is put on bed rest, she has no choice but to go home for Christmas. And who is the first person she runs into but Drew? The two eventually find their way back to each other, but don’t know how to make room for each other in their lives. Too much has happened; they’ve moved too far apart. (Or have they?) Famous person/non-famous person is my favorite romantic trope, plus this has plenty of insider-feeling Hollywood moments and glamour. I also adore a second-chance romance where childhood sweethearts find each other again. The characters are endearing, the banter is (much like Becca) witty and clever, and it’s just a joy to read. A big, warm, happy hug. I loved it so so much, even more than her first book!

This has been the book that absolutely everyone is talking about and reading, but I put it off as I worried it would be too sad or upsetting. It’s totally manageable, thanks to truly great writing and storytelling. The book opens at the beginning of the pandemic. Belle Burden and her family (her husband and two daughters — their oldest son is away) are quarantining at their vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. Belle receives a phone call: “Your husband is having an affair with my wife.” At first, Belle’s husband, “James,” says that the affair meant nothing and apologizes. The next day, he announces he is leaving her. And overnight, just like that, the man she thought was so steady and caring becomes a total stranger. We go back and forth between past and present to learn about Burden’s family lore (she’s Babe Paley’s granddaughter!) and how their relationship began. The book is raw and heartfelt, with beautiful writing. But for me it didn’t feel that sad. Shocking, yes. Sad, less so. I appreciated all of the observations (for example, no longer being invited to dinner parties as she wasn’t partnered up), and some of the wild things that people said to her. It’s unflinchingly honest but (IMO) actually quite kind to her husband. You won’t be able to put it down. I read it in two evenings (both of which I stayed up way too late because I felt like I could not stop reading!!!). I really loved it.

I was surprised by how much I loved this. I couldn’t put it down, and I think that it might be my favorite of all of Rachel Hawkins’ books. St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is famous for its beautiful beaches, its deadly hurricanes, and Lo Bailey–the nineteen-year-old accused of murdering her much older lover, Landon Fitzroy, during a 1984 hurricane. Now in modern day, Geneva Corliss owns the Rosalie Inn and learns that a writer (and Lo) is returning to St. Medard’s to tell Lo’s story; she recognizes the financial opportunity for the hotel. Lo claims she’s here to set the record straight, but as time goes on, it becomes clear that Lo’s intentions might be more sinister than they seem. Secrets come out about Lo (some of which affect Geneva), and no one seems to be who they say they are. It’s super twisty and, at times, felt impossible to put down. I really loved it.

This is one of those books that will stick with you for a long time. It’s big-hearted and (extremely!) funny, while also tackling serious issues. Erica Skyberg is 35, recently divorced, and still in love with her ex-wife. She’s also trans–she just hasn’t told anyone yet. In her small South Dakota town, she keeps to herself, teaching at Mitchell High and directing community theater. Then, Abigail Hawkes (the Only Trans Girl at Mitchell) enters her orbit, and everything changes. Erica comes out to Abigail, and the two women begin an unlikely friendship. Abigail is not exactly thrilled about this. She’s busy being a political dissident (and dating the most popular boy at school); she doesn’t have time to guide her teacher through her transition in secret. As their friendship evolves, it comes under scrutiny. Why is “Mr. Skyberg” so friendly with this trans girl!? No one is entirely sure what to make of it. The book has a colorful cast of characters, all very lovable and memorable. There is also a big twist I didn’t see coming. The name “woodworking” comes from the idea that you cannot hide yourself and just disappear into the woodwork. I really loved it. I laughed, I cried, it warmed my heart, and felt like sunshine. I think it would be a great movie!