Bookclubs makes it easy to organize your book club. Simplify logistics, save time, and read more with the app loved by book clubs everywhere.
DISCUSSION GUIDES
- 221.
The Namesake: A NovelSummary: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri brilliantly illuminates the immigrant experience and the tangled ties between generations. Namesake is a fine-tuned, intimate, and deeply felt novel of identity from “a writer of uncommon elegance and poise.” (The New York Times)
Meet the Ganguli family, new arrivals from Calcutta, trying their best to become Americans even as they pine for home. The name they bestow on their firstborn, Gogol, betrays all the conflicts of honoring tradition in a new world — conflicts that will haunt Gogol on his own winding path through divided loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs.
"Dazzling...An intimate, closely observed family portrait."—The New York Times
"Hugely appealing."—People Magazine
"An exquisitely detailed family saga."—Entertainment Weekly - 222.
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold WarSummary: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the celebrated author of Operation Mincement and The Siege comes the thrilling Americans-era tale of Oleg Gordievsky, the Russian whose secret work helped hasten the end of the Cold War.
“The best true spy story I have ever read.”—JOHN LE CARRÉ
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Economist • Shortlisted for the Bailie Giffords Prize in Nonfiction
If anyone could be considered a Russian counterpart to the infamous British double-agent Kim Philby, it was Oleg Gordievsky. The son of two KGB agents and the product of the best Soviet institutions, the savvy, sophisticated Gordievsky grew to see his nation’s communism as both criminal and philistine.
He took his first posting for Russian intelligence in 1968 and eventually became the Soviet Union’s top man in London, but from 1973 on he was secretly working for MI6. For nearly a decade, as the Cold War reached its twilight, Gordievsky helped the West turn the tables on the KGB, exposing Russian spies and helping to foil countless intelligence plots, as the Soviet leadership grew increasingly paranoid at the United States’s nuclear first-strike capabilities and brought the world closer to the brink of war. Desperate to keep the circle of trust close, MI6 never revealed Gordievsky’s name to its counterparts in the CIA, which in turn grew obsessed with figuring out the identity of Britain’s obviously top-level source. Their obsession ultimately doomed Gordievsky: the CIA officer assigned to identify him was none other than Aldrich Ames, the man who would become infamous for secretly spying for the Soviets.
Unfolding the delicious three-way gamesmanship between America, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and culminating in the gripping cinematic beat-by-beat of Gordievsky’s nail-biting escape from Moscow in 1985, Ben Macintyre has crafted an electrifying account of an international hero. Like the greatest novels of John le Carré, The Spy and the Traitor brings readers deep into a world of treachery and betrayal, where the lines bleed between the personal and the professional, and one man’s hatred of communism had the power to change the future of nations. - 223.
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A NovelSummary:The New York Times bestselling novel from Garth Stein—a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.
- 224.
Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel (Modern Library 100 Best Novels)Summary: The first-ever, critically acclaimed graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five now available in softcover!
Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most. Billy Pilgrim’s journey is at once a farcical look at the horror and tragedy of war where children are placed on the frontlines and die (so it goes), and a moving examination of what it means to be fallibly human. An American classic and one of the world’s seminal antiwar books, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five is faithfully presented in graphic novel form for the first time from Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North (How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Albert Monteys (Universe!). - 225.
Magpie Murders: A NovelSummary:"Magpie Murders is a double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." --Janet Maslin, The New York Times
New York Times bestseller | Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel | NPR best book of the Year | Washington Post best book of the Year | Esquire best book of the Year
From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.
When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.
Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.
Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.
- 226.
- 227.
Holiday Romance: A totally hilarious and unforgettable Christmas romantic comedy (Catherine Walsh Christmas romcoms)Summary:She's meant to be catching flights, not catching feelings...
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.
Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they're friends and that's all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other's lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it's the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.
Molly isn't that bothered by Christmas, but-in yet another way they're total opposites-Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam's famous Christmas dinner.
The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And-as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time-it can't possibly go wrong.
What she doesn't know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they're not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own...
A totally gorgeous and escapist friends-to-lovers festive romance with a swoon-worthy hero. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Mhairi McFarlane, and Christina Lauren.
Readers are head over heels for Holiday Romance:
"OH MY GOODNESS!... I looooooved this so much!... I had to stop myself from devouring this story much faster! I wanted to enjoy every moment of Molly and Andrew's journey... And awwwwwww!!! Their chemistry!... Sizzling... I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE... PERFECTION!" Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"SO MUCH FUN. It's a feel good holiday rom com that hits all the right spots... I fell in love with Molly and Andrew as they fell for each other... The chemistry and tension was off the charts and I was screaming "just kiss you guys"... I was actually cackling at every chapter... The best thing I could've read... My only problem is that I wish I could have more of it. And that I want an Andrew for myself!" Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Wow wow wow. I'm just utterly hopelessly in love with this book." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I totally binged it in a day, I did not want to put this one down!... it was everything I could have hoped for... it gave me all the warm fuzzy, holiday feelings... Get ready for some cozy blanket and curl up with a hot cocoa vibes... had me laughing, crying (happy tears) and left me smiling and wanting more." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I literally read it in just a few hours, I could not put it down." Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Literally everyone go read this book! It's giving me friends to lovers and I am HERE FOR IT!!!" Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- 228.
Three Holidays and a WeddingSummary: A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK
"The most festive book you'll read this year."—Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After
Three times the holiday magic. Three times the chaos.
As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays—Maryam to her sister’s impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family for the first time—neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they’ll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam’s life, Saif, wasn’t sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops.
An emergency landing finds Anna, Saif, Maryam, and her sister’s entire bridal party snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn in a picture-perfect town, where fate has Anna’s actor-crush filming a holiday romance. As Maryam finds the courage to open her heart to Saif, and Anna feels the magic of being snowbound with an unexpected new love—both women soon realize there’s no place they’d rather be for the holidays. - 229.
Once Upon a DecemberSummary: "An absolutely perfect holiday hug."--New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren
"This feel-good novel brings tidings of joy."--Woman's World
A one-of-a-kind Christmas market offers holiday magic in this new romance from the author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.
With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty—it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.
For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.
After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa. - 230.
Once Upon a WardrobeSummary:Now available in trade paper with an eye-catching new cover! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea and Becoming Mrs. Lewis comes a fascinating look into the bond between siblings and the life-changing magic of stories.
1950: Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it's just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: "Where did Narnia come from?"
Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers.
Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.
After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."
Once Upon a Wardrobe is a captivating historical novel that deftly combines fact and fiction. It's an emotional journey into the books and stories that make us who we are. It's perfect for book clubs, for anyone who has ever longed to know more about Narnia, and for anyone whose life has ever been impacted by a story.
"It's a love letter to books and stories . . ." --THE WASHINGTON POST ". . . a tender, enchanting tribute to the power of story and the myriad ways it can both break and heal our hearts." --ARIEL LAWHON "Patti Callahan's beautiful, life-affirming novel is a reminder that literature lives inside us, and that when we read someone else's story, we understand so much more about our own. A gorgeous, compelling book." --JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES ". . . the kind of real magic that is only possible when we open our hearts and let the lamplight in." --KRISTIN HARMEL ". . . discovering the way in which stories--and myths--weave through our existences, subtly transforming us in immeasurable ways. Stunning." --MARIE BENEDICT
