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DISCUSSION GUIDES
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Stuck Up and Stupid: Reese's Book Club PickSummary: “This sharp, hilarious, and heartfelt novel is giving major Austen vibes with a fresh twist – and we’re obsessed.”—Reese’s Book Club (Reese’s Book Club Summer ’25 YA Pick)
An ordinary girl. A Hollywood star. A love story that could change everything. Pride and Prejudice gets a modern twist in this summer romance from two debut authors who deliver the perfect beach read with heart and hilarity.
Lily has the whole summer stretched out before her—endless days of sunshine and friends at beautiful Pippi Beach. Then superstar Dorian Khan arrives, with his party of Hollywood types. While most of the locals, including Lily’s glamor-obsessed mum, are thrilled to be so close to the A-listers, Lily can’t help but see them as superficial and arrogant, especially Dorian, the most famous of them all. But as Lily’s and Dorian’s paths continue to cross, she begins to wonder if she’s got him all wrong. Playwright Kate Rice and her daughter, Hollywood actor Angourie Rice, team up to write a teen romance novel from those who know firsthand what the international film industry is really like. Inspired by the ever-popular Austen fandom, Stuck Up and Stupid is for a generation of teens who are definitely NOT looking for love. - 22.
The Great Mann: A NovelSummary: In this poignant retelling of The Great Gatsby, set amongst L.A.’s Black elite, a young veteran finds his way post-war, pulled into a new world of tantalizing possibilities—and explosive tensions.
AN ESQUIRE BEST BOOK OF SUMMER
In 1945, Charlie Trammell steps off a cross-country train into the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles. Lured by his cousin Marguerite’s invitation to the esteemed West Adams Heights, Charlie is immediately captivated by the Black opulence of L.A.’s newly rechristened “Sugar Hill.”
Settling in at a local actress’s energetic boarding house, Charlie discovers a different way of life—one brimming with opportunity—from a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm, the absence of Jim Crow, to the potential of an unforgettable romance. But nothing dazzles quite like James “Reaper” Mann.
Reaper’s extravagant parties, attended by luminaries like Lena Horne and Hattie McDaniel, draw Charlie in, bringing the milieu of wealth and excess within his reach. But as Charlie’s unusual bond with Reaper deepens, so does the tension in the neighborhood as white neighbors, frustrated by their own dwindling fortunes, ignite a landmark court case that threatens the community’s well-being with promises of retribution.
Told from the unique perspective of a young man who has just returned from a grueling, segregated war, The Great Mann weaves a compelling narrative of wealth and class, illuminating the complexities of Black identity and education in post-war America. - 23.
Counting Backwards: A NovelSummary:Erin Brockovich meets Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, Counting Backwards has the tight pace of a thriller with the personal, emotional themes of a women's fiction novel.
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Leeta Simtar: A Life on Two PlanetsSummary:A coming-of-age story that explores the meaning of birth family and found family, Leeta Simtar shows readers how breaking out of the past can help us figure out where we're going next.
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The Lunatic: A NovelSummary:For fans of Patrick Dewitt and Henry David Thoreau comes The Lunatic--the debut literary novel from the author of two previous non-fiction books, Michelle B. Slater, PhD.
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Brooklyn MottoSummary:Fans of Richard Price, Charlie Huston, and Jonathan Lethem will love this coming-of-age New York-centric detective noir debut from esteemed filmmaker and screenwriter Alex R. Johnson.
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One of Us: A NovelSummary:A playfully macabre and utterly thrilling tale about orphaned twins on the run from their murderous uncle who find refuge in a bizarre traveling carnival, from master of literary horror Dan Chaon
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Ink Ribbon Red: A NovelSummary:A wickedly plotted new thriller, in which a group of friends play a deadly game that unwraps a motive for murder, from Alex Pavesi, the author of The Eighth Detective
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The Hounding: A NovelSummary:The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth-century England whose neighbors are convinced they’re turning into dogs.
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