Borrow a Book Club Kit

Music sparks a love story that’s equal parts thrilling and heartbreaking when two college students meet over a song on a jukebox. As their creative partnership takes one of them to indie-rock stardom, their passions, egos, and ambitions clash in ways neither expected. Moving from Brooklyn bars to San Francisco dance floors, this story digs into art, talent, and the longing to be heard.

• Genre: Literary Fiction, Romance
• Themes: Love, ambition, creativity, identity
• Book Club appeal: Perfect for discussing art vs. love, ambition vs. authenticity, and how relationships evolve over time. A movie adaptation is in the works.

Borrow the Kit: Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

Across essays set in Senegal, the American South, and Palestine, the author explores how stories—both personal and political—shape our understanding of history, race, and truth. He travels from slave castles to confederate capitals to occupied territories, grappling with myth-making and the realities those myths hide. What begins as a book about writing becomes a powerful meditation on justice, memory, and narrative itself.

• Genre: Nonfiction, Essays
• Themes: Storytelling, history, race, identity, politics
• Book Club appeal: Brimming with big ideas and global perspectives, this one’s ideal for thoughtful conversations on whose stories get told—and why. Selected by Oprah Daily as one of the best books of Fall 2024.

Borrow the Kit: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

When a murdered girl shatters a Blackfeet community, four teens connected to her through a traditional Giveaway ceremony find themselves both suspects and sleuths. With friendships, secrets, and trust on the line, they team up to uncover the truth—even though one of them might be the killer. Tense and atmospheric, this story blends mystery with cultural depth and coming-of-age drama.

• Genre: Mystery, Teen Fiction
• Themes: Friendship, identity, justice, cultural traditions
• Book Club appeal: Fast-paced with rich cultural context, this title invites discussions about community, trust, and the truths we hide. Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell

A family curse in a small Texas border town haunts generations of women as a quinceañera approaches. Shifting between the voices of a rebellious teen in the 1990s and a woman cursed decades earlier, the story explores family secrets, legacy, and the strength to shape one’s future. With punk music, magical realism, and fierce female voices, it’s both gritty and full of heart.

• Genre: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
• Themes: Family, identity, generational trauma, resilience
• Book Club appeal: A multi-layered story with bold characters—great for discussing tradition vs. rebellion and the stories we inherit. Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: Malas by Marcela Fuentes

Shipwrecked and abandoned on a frozen island off the coast of Canada, a young French noblewoman in 1531 fights to survive after being betrayed by the guardian who controlled her life. Alone and starving, she learns to hunt, fish, and endure the brutal winter—emerging forever changed. Based on a true story, it’s a tale of love, betrayal, and courage against impossible odds.

• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Themes: Survival, love, betrayal, independence
• Book Club appeal: Adventure, history, and a resilient heroine make this a gripping read with plenty to unpack. Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: Isola by Allegra Goodman

On the surface, she seemed to have it all: a career, a family, and success. But running—from secrets, expectations, and herself—became a way of life until a memory long buried forced her to stop. From Texas to the frontiers of psychedelic therapy, she explores perfectionism, control, and what it means to live truthfully.

• Genre: Memoir
• Themes: Identity, family, trauma, healing
• Book Club appeal: Honest and heartfelt, this memoir opens the door to talk about women’s roles, self-discovery, and breaking cycles of silence. Oprah's Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin

When an old love resurfaces in her rural village, a woman’s carefully built life begins to unravel. As long-buried secrets and jealousies emerge, tensions grow until tragedy strikes once again. Part family drama, part emotional mystery, this is a story about grief, forgiveness, and the past’s hold on the present.

• Genre: Literary Fiction, Domestic Drama
• Themes: Love, loss, family secrets, regret
• Book Club appeal: Rich with emotion and moral complexity—ideal for readers who like discussing messy relationships and second chances. Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

A former prima ballerina returns to St. Petersburg after a career-ending accident, haunted by the past and tempted by a chance at redemption. Between love, betrayal, and the lure of the stage, she must face the ghosts of her former life—and decide whether to reclaim the art that once defined her.

• Genre: Literary Fiction, Drama
• Themes: Ambition, art, love, loss
• Book Club appeal: Atmospheric and emotional, perfect for fans of character-driven stories about passion, art, and reinvention. Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim

At a Scottish university, a young woman unravels family secrets while navigating friendship, love, and the messiness of growing up. With her best friend chasing dreams (and danger) on stage and a famous writer’s family pulling her into their orbit, she must learn how to stand on her own for the first time. It’s a novel about coming-of-age, independence, and the power of looking back to move forward.

• Genre: Coming-of-Age Fiction
• Themes: Family, identity, self-discovery, independence
• Book Club appeal: Full of heart and humour, it’s a warm, reflective read about choices, mistakes, and growing into adulthood. Read with Jenna Pick.

Borrow the Kit: The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Three generations, three timelines: a Hollywood dreamer in 1939, a revolutionary student in 1978 Tehran, and a queer teen in 2019 Los Angeles. As family secrets unravel across continents and decades, the story explores love, identity, and the ties that bind us to both history and each other.

• Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Teen Fiction
• Themes: Family, identity, heritage, generational trauma
• Book Club appeal: Spanning eras and continents, this sweeping novel is rich with culture, history, and emotion—perfect for big, thoughtful discussions. Stonewall Book Award.

Borrow the Kit: Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 

A 19th-century shipwreck strands a family on a remote island where a mysterious stranger seems like a savior—until his dark secrets emerge. As survival turns to dread, the castaways face both the perils of nature and the dangers of the human heart. Part historical drama, part psychological thriller, it’s a tense and absorbing read.

• Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller
• Themes: Survival, trust, family, human nature
• Book Club appeal: Suspenseful and atmospheric—ideal for readers who love mysteries with moral dilemmas and survival themes.

Borrow the Kit: Save Our Souls: The True Story of a Castaway Family, Treachery, and Murder by Matthew Pearl

What starts as a little white lie snowballs into a web of deception when a woman becomes nanny to a wealthy New York family with secrets of their own. Glamorous façades hide dark truths, and the story twists and turns toward a shocking reveal. Fast-paced and full of surprises, it’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of playing pretend.

• Genre: Psychological Thriller
• Themes: Deception, ambition, identity, privilege
• Book Club appeal: With surprising twists and moral gray areas, it’s perfect for readers who love debating unreliable narrators and explosive endings. Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Borrow the Kit: Count My Lies by Sophie Stava