Alta Journal’s California Book Club
The book: Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman’s World
Our reviewer says: “The author’s memoir about his father vividly captures the sensation of 1960s Los Angeles and its writers, painters, and social revolutionaries who fostered freedom of expression in a myriad of forms.” Read more.
The book: The Hitch by Sara Levine
Our reviewer says: “Levine serves up a bizarre and mordantly funny tale of a six-year-old who might be possessed by a dead corgi.... It’s a vibrant portrait of childhood wonder and adult anxiety.” Read more.
The book: The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits
Our reviewer says: “An unhappy family man takes stock of his life in Markovits’s superb road novel.... What starts as an understated chronicle of wanderlust swells to something more powerful and permanent.” Read more.
The book: Reel (Hollywood Renaissance #1) by Kennedy Ryan
The book: TBA
The book: TBA
The book: Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Our reviewer says: “Loaded with snarky one-liners and absurdist set pieces, Cash’s glittering debut novel follows the middle-class Flynn family as they try and fail to find a sense of purpose.... It’s unforgettable.” Read more.
Good Morning America Book Club
The book: Skylark by Paula McLain
Our reviewer says: “Winding through the vast network of tunnels below Paris, McLain’s riveting latest combines the stories of a 17th-century prison break and a WWII physician’s role in the French Resistance.... Fans of stirring historicals won’t want to miss this.” Read more.
Good Morning America YA Book Club
The book: The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi
Our reviewer says: “To become ruler of the Isle of Malys, one must win the hand—or literal heart—of a male descendant of the royal bloodline, resulting in sometimes deadly consequences in this sharp romantasy by Chokshi.” Read more.
The book: Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America’s Justice Department by Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis
Jewish Book Council Book Club (fiction)
The book: Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton
Our reviewer says: “Clayton delivers an irresistible story of 1950s Hollywood featuring a restless ingénue who befriends a blacklisted screenwriter.” Read more.
Jewish Book Council Book Club (nonfiction)
The book: The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland by Michelle Young
Our reviewer says: “Journalist Young recaps the exploits of French Resistance hero Rose Valland in this thrilling saga.... Readers will relish this riveting tale of a clever war hero playing the long game against bumbling fascists.” Read more.
The book: TBA
The book: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The book: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Our reviewer says: “A diverse assortment of Swedes gets caught in an unlikely hostage situation in Backman’s witty, lighthearted romp.” Read more.
The book: Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Our reviewer says: “Japanese horror artist and writer Uketsu makes a triumphant international debut with this eerie chiller.... This intricate puzzle box is a must for horror fans.” Read more.
The book: Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Our reviewer says: “Tambu, an adolescent living in colonial Rhodesia of the ’60s, seizes the opportunity to leave her rural community to study at the missionary school run by her wealthy, British-educated uncle.” Read more.
The book: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Our reviewer says: “Nguyen’s poignant debut captures the perspectives of, and essence of the bond between, a parent and child, proving that language—and love—can transcend words.” Read more.
The book: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
“Australian author McConaghy returns with a vividly realized story of trauma and the attempted ‘rewilding’ of the Scottish Highlands.... Throughout, McConaghy avoids melodrama by maintaining a cool matter-of-factness. This is a stunner.” Read more.
The book: The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen
Our reviewer says: “This emotional contemporary from Rosen opens with workaholic chef Kit Roth’s life literally going up in flames: her New York City restaurant burns down the same night her boyfriend/business partner breaks up with her.” Read more.
The book: Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block
Our reviewer says: “Novelist Block delivers a wrenching account of his traumatic homeschooling in suburban Texas.... Lyrical, harrowing, and politically pointed, this is both a moving coming-of-age story and a clarion call for reform.” Read more.
The book: The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
Our reviewer says: “Dave’s heart-pounding sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me picks up five years after artist Hannah Hall’s husband, Owen, disappeared and left her to care for his surly teenage daughter, Bailey, in Southern California.... The result is a solid suspense novel with plenty of appeal for Dave fans and newcomers alike.” Read more.
The book: TBA
The book: The Castaways by Lucy Clarke
Our reviewer says: “This perceptive psychological thriller explores the aftermath of a brutal fight between British sisters Erin and Lori the night before they plan to leave for a holiday in Fiji.... Readers more interested in Clarke’s sharp take on dysfunctional sibling dynamics than the element of surprise will find enough to enjoy.” Read more.
The book: Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert
Our reviewer says: “In this triumphant debut, Pulitzer finalist Gilbert dissects three decades of pop culture, from the Riot Grrrl 1990s to the #Girlboss 2010s, arguing that the era’s depictions of women evolved in ways that ended up warping their self-esteem.” Read more.
The book: The True True story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine
Our reviewer says: “Alameddine chronicles a Lebanese family’s turbulent but happy lives in his ebullient latest.... Throughout, the author skillfully juxtaposes unflinching depictions of war and deprivation with the narrator’s joie de vivre. It’s a ravishing performance.” Read more.
The book: Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
Our reviewer says: “One need not be familiar with Louisa May Alcott’s work to appreciate debut author Bernet’s brilliantly snappy contemporary riff on Little Women, which centers high school senior Jo March and her siblings—15-year-old Amy and Harvard freshman Meg—as they investigate the violent murder of their 17-year-old sister Beth.” Read more.
The book: Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau
“Lau offers up a fun contemporary rom-com with a Groundhog Day twist.... The author’s fans will be very pleased with this breezy treat.” Read more.
The book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
