Looking for some great reads to dive into this summer with your book club? Look no further! Here are a few book recommendations that are sure to spark some lively discussions and keep you entertained all season long.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
This novel has been making waves in the literary world for good reason. In the near future, a civil servant is given her dream salary to work on a project for a newly established government ministry that investigates time travel by gathering historical "expats." She is assigned to live with and monitor Commander Graham Gore, who, according to history, died in 1847 during an Arctic expedition. Gore struggles to adapt to modern life, but with a keen sense of discovery and support from other expats, he adjusts. Initially expecting an awkward roommate situation, the civil servant finds herself falling deeply in love with Gore over the next year. As the true nature of the Ministry's project is revealed, she must confront the choices that brought them together and decide if her actions can alter the future.
An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.
If your book club is looking for a novel that explores family and secrets with a touch of humor, then look no further. For the past twenty years, Rocky has cherished her family's annual Cape Cod vacation, filled with sweet memories, sunny days, and the occasional plumbing mishap. This year's trip, however, comes with Rocky navigating menopause and being caught between her growing children and aging parents. As she contends with hormonal changes, a series of events propels her into the past, revisiting both the joys and sorrows of previous summers. In this precious week, everything is in balance yet in flux, and Rocky must confront her family's history and future, realizing she can no longer keep her secrets hidden from those she loves.
A moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. This is the perfect novel for a discussion about all of the wonders that can be found in life.
In the summer of 1987, Diamond Newberry, is still coping with her father's disappearance seven years earlier. A letter from an unknown relative uncovers key elements of her father's life and introduces Diamond to generations of African American Newberry women. As she learns about her family's history of prejudice, love, and devotion, Diamond gains a clearer sense of her identity and future. Swift River is a debut novel about first friendships, family secrets, finding the courage to let go and how history shapes us. Essie Chambers writing is both thought provoking and beautifully crafted, making this a perfect choice for a book club discussion.
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
The perfect book to light a fire under your book club. How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.
Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed. When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.
So grab a copy of one (or all) of these books, gather your book club members, and get ready for some unforgettable discussions this summer! Don't forget to pick up one (or a few) of our book totes to help you carry your books to your next meeting.