Jenna Bush Hager is a woman of many talents, and we connect with her over a shared love of books. From picking a book every month for her Today Show and Jenna Bush Hager book club (@ReadWithJenna) to posting about some more of her favorite new reads on her Instagram, she’s a woman with excellent taste in books. This is what Jenna Bush Hager is reading for her @ReadWithJenna and @TodayShow book club.
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
A woman named Valerie, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker, has gone missing 200 miles from her destination. Her poetic letters to her mother speak of the challenges she faces in the wilderness and her hopes to find her way home. Meanwhile, Maine’s Game Warden, Beverly, is tasked with finding Valerie, and Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in Connecticut becomes an armchair detective for this gripping case.
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The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalmi
After returning home from a conference, Sara is approached by the Risk Assessment Administration, who say she is a danger to her husband based on the dreams she has been having. To protect his safety, she is held for three weeks at a recreational center, but as weeks turn into months, she and the other women in the center start to wonder if they will ever be released. Then, a newcomer joins the women at the recreation center and shows them all a new perspective, setting Sara on a collision course with everything from her old life.
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This Is A Love Story by Jessica Soffer
Jane and Abe fell in love in Central Park. They would visit it often, and it was there that their love and life together grew. Now, after walking in the park for fifty years, their time together is ending. Jane is dying, so Abe is recounting their time together. Every big conversation they had was in the park, their wild days as a young couple, their growing artistic careers, and even their darkest times, the park saw it all. Told from the perspective of Abe, Jane, and even the park itself, their love story is one that we can all see ourselves in. It was far from perfect, but it was theirs, and their story and love will live on.
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The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
On the hunt for answers, Penelope heads to the University of Edinburgh to uncover the truth about her family back in Canada. Her only lead is Lord Lennox, her father’s old friend and famous writer. Once she finds him, he invites her to stay with him and his eccentric family for the weekend, where she begins to discover the truth her parents were keeping from her and falls in love for the first time. This book explores family dynamics, motherhood, and adulthoods’ wonderful unpredictability that forces us to grow in unlikely moments.
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Devotions by Mary Oliver
If you are a poetry lover, you have to read Devotions. This is a compilation of all Mary Oliver’s work, from her first publication at 28 to her most recent publication, Felicity. Her striking observations and verses wrap readers up on the first page as she shares her deep connection and love of the physical world in her poems, providing a sense of grounding and relatability for readers everywhere.
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This Motherless Land by Nikki May
This modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, follows Funke, a girls from Nigeria, who is sent to live in England with her cousins after a family tragedy. She is struggling to find any joy in her new life, the sky is constantly gray, the food is bland and unsatisfying, and her cousins are as cold as the weather, all but her older cousin Liv. Liv takes Funke under her wing and tries to show her all the good this new life can be, and soon the girls become inseparable. But later, their family faces devastation once again, and decisions their mother’s made years ago, decisions they planned to keep secret, unraveled, causing a huge rift between the two girls. They may never see each other the same way again, and each begin their own journey to discover what life holds for them.
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The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Erdrich’s newest novel The Mighty Red is an emotionally complex story centered around a wedding set in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. At the heart of the story is a love triangle between Gary Geist, an anxious young man set to inherit two farms; Kismet Poe, an impulsive and conflicted woman; and Hugo, a quirky, red-haired giant who also loves Kismet. As the characters navigate their tangled relationships, they grapple with deeper issues like economic instability, environmental degradation, and the complexities of family and community life.
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Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters is a darkly humorous and nostalgically heartfelt exploration of life and loss, following the journey of four very different sisters. Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky are still processing the death of their fourth sister, Nicky, as they return to their childhood home in New York to prevent it from being sold. As they reflect on their upbringing, they uncover more than they bargained for, blending moments of laughter with the bittersweet reality of grief.
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The Wedding People by Alison Espach
A New York Times bestseller, this novel takes readers on a comical journey when recently divorced Phoebe unexpectedly stumbles into a wedding in Rhode Island. Though she planned a solitary escape from her troubles, Phoebe ends up forming an unexpected friendship with the bride, turning her getaway into something she never saw coming.
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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
In 1975 in a small town in Missouri, girls are going missing. At he peak of these missing persons issue, the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, and luckily save by Patch, a local boy who sacrificed everything to so her. Now Patch and his family are teetering the thin line between tragedy and heroism while they work to put their life back together and find out the truth behind the missing girls in Monta Clare, Missouri.
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Swift River by Essie Chambers
Diamond Newberry will always stand out in her small town. Now that her father has left, Diamond is the only Black person left in Swift River, and she is relentlessly teased about her weight and her and her mother’s need to hitchhike everywhere they go. But her dad leaving triggered a chain of events that brings Diamond to feel at home for the first time in a while, starting with a letter from a previously unknown relative. This leads to Diamond meeting two generations of Newberry women who make her feel comfortable in her skin. But will discovering more of her dad’s past cause problems for her future?
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Real Americans by Rachel Khong
It’s just before the year 2000 when twenty-two-year-old intern Lily Chen meets Matthew. Despite their differences, Lily and Matthew hit it off and fall in love. Now, over twenty years later, in the year 2021, Nick Chen knows that his mother is hiding something. He has always felt like he does not belong and when his mother once again refuses to tell him anything, he sets out to find his biological father. This novel dives into the difference between being destined, made, and if people can overcome their genetic pasts to make a brighter future.
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The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Lauren gets home to her London flat one evening to find her husband at the door. But there’s an issue, Lauren is not married and she has never even seen this man. But when she looks around her newly decorated flat and her phone photos, they all show her and this man claiming to be her husband. Lauren is trying to figure out how this all could have happened when her husband enters the attic and does not return, but instead another man comes down. Lauren then realizes that the attic can supply and change out her husband at will. But having this easy of a switch forces Lauren to ask some difficult questions. What if she chooses the wrong husband and when is it time to stop switching and start living?
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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This month, Jenna picked two books to celebrate five years of reading with Jenna! Her first choice is the classic coming of age story by Sandra Cisneros. Throwing back to 1991, this neighborhood novel explores the most heart-wrenching and hopeful moments of childhood.
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The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
Centering around the development of the Panama Canal, The Great Divide tracks the interconnected lives of a local, a doctor and a stowaway in a new country. Drawn together by the construction, the era and the cultural climate, these deep character-driven novel is a powerful portrait of one of the greatest endeavors.
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Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Andy’s life is falling apart. He loves Jen, but Jen doesn’t love him anymore. While he waits for his stand-up career to take off and his life to stabilize, he hopes he can answer the question that cost him his relationship and maybe Jen will come back to him. There’s only one problem. He doesn’t have her side of the story.
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The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell
For fans of Where the Crawdads Sing comes a story of a female herbalist who has healed generations of women in awe-striking ways. Her estranged daughters, particularly the youngest, are both amazed and fearful of Hermine. Her youngest Rose, abandons her young daughter to the wilds, leaving the eleven year old to not only fend for herself, but face the brutality of the Great Massasauga Swamp, including the men and a divided community.
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We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein
In November, 1940, Adam Paskow becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto by the Nazis. Weeks later, he is asked if he would like to join a secret group of archivists who are trying to preserve the truth of what is happening. Adam agrees and takes testimonies from his friends, students, and neighbors. He grows particularly close with his flatmate, Sala Wiskoff, who is married with children. Despite all circumstances, Adam and Sala fall in love, and their connection keeps both of them going. But when Adam has a chance to escape, he must decide who he can save and what the cost will be.
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The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe
Dara, Amaka, and Lillian all find themselves in Singapore searching for, or escaping from, something. Dara is a lawyer whose ambition leaves little time for a social life. Amaka loves all things luxuries but finds her shopping addiction might have consequences. Lillian is a former pianist seeking reinvention, but a new obsession starts to take over her life. Throughout this novel, all three women learn that unfinished history can find you anywhere and threaten everything you’ve built up.
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How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Safiya Sinclair grew up with a strict, watchful father who believed women should be pure and obedient. He forbade everything, and as Safiya grew up isolated, she found solace in poetry. As her education grew, so did her voice, which Safiya used to break free from the restrictive life she was born into. Defying her father was difficult and dangerous, and How to Say Babylon is a courageous memoir about freedom, self-discovery, and the celebration of womanhood.
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Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood
At forty-five, Grace Adams’ marriage is crumbling, she’s estranged from her daughter, and she feels unfulfilled in life. She reaches her breaking point while stuck in traffic, and Grace simply abandons her car and walks away. With a €200 cake in hand and the city of London in front of her, Grace has one goal: to reconnect with her daughter on her sixteenth birthday.
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Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
In the summer of 1977, Victoria was swept away into the privilege and enchanting world of Martha’s Vineyard when she became friends with Caitlin. As the years passed, their friendship has lost some magic and gotten more complicated. But Caitlin is getting married and she begs Vix to be her maid of honor. Vix agrees because she needs to understand what happened that final, shattering summer.
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Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Ann Tran has built a seemingly picture-perfect life. But when her beloved grandmother, Minh, passes away, the cracks in Ann’s life start to show. When she heads back to Florida for the funeral, she is reunited with her estranged mother, Huơng. Ann and Huơng learn that Minh has left them both the Banyan House, a crumbling, old, Gothic manor that served as Ann’s childhood home. For the first time in years, mother and daughter are under the same roof, trying to repair a relationship without the one person that tied them together. Parallel to this story is Minh’s journey from Vietnam to America. When Ann discovers something shocking in Banyan House, secrets come to life that show just how much Minh’s decisions affected the rest of her life and beyond.
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The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
A group of friends from college have been in each others’ lives for for almost thirty years. They get together occasionally to throw “living funerals”, celebrations to remind each other that life is always worth living. Their living funerals have gotten them through grief, divorce, financial problems, and more. But this year is different because one friend has a secret that could change their tradition forever. This heartfelt yet humorous novel is a celebration of friendship and its power to get us through even the most challenging moments in life.
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Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
In the distant future, prisoners compete like gladiators in CAPE (Criminal Action Penal Entertainment). Whoever wins gets the ultimate prize of freedom. CAPE is extremely popular, but also highly controversial as it emerged from America’s privatized for-profit prison system. Loretta Thurwar and Hurricane Staxxx are lovers and two of CAPE’s all-stars. As Thurwar nears victory, she considers how she can help those she will leave behind despite the devastating consequences she faces from CAPE’s corporate leaders. Chain Gang All Stars is a deep look into America’s prison system, systemic racism, capitalism, and mass incarceration, and how these are all connected.
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Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
In near-future Canada crumbling under climate change, an architect building a refuge called Camp Zero is attempting to envision a new way of living. A woman named Rose joins a group of women hired to entertain those working for the architect. In exchange for information, Rose will secure a home for her displaced Korean immigrant mother. In a reflection on what the world could shortly become, this speculative novel explores survival, love and the ever-present need for community even amidst a collapsing world.
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Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown
Generations of Montrose women have lived under a curse. Anyone who loves a Montrose women is certain to die. To cope, they keep to themselves in a small California bungalow. Augusta, Victoria, Willow Montrose are fine with this and have grown accustomed to their quaint lifestyle, but youngest sister Nickie is unaware of the curse and wants more from life. One day, Nickie brings home a boy to meet the family, unknowingly wreaking havoc on the entire family. To save the family they will have to look back over their history, starting in 1950s New Orleans’s French Quarter. With the help of a mysterious book, solving the mystery of their curse could save the family and their future.
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Maame by Jessica George
While Maddie’s mother spends most of her time in Ghana, Maddie takes care of her father in London, who suffers from Parkinson’s. When her mum returns to London, Maddie is ready to step out into the world and on her own. She finds a flat with some roommates, starts going out, and enters the wilderness that is online dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face her unconventional family. With wit and snark, this novel explores family responsibilities, racism, female sexuality, love, friendship and the pull between two different cultures.
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Sam by Allegra Goodman
Ever since she was a young child, Sam has loved climbing. She struggles with her feelings about her absent father, and ignores her mother’s plans for her future. As a teenager, Sam ends up in a complicated relationship with her climbing coach as self-doubt fills her mind. This coming-of-age novel explores class, parenthood, addiction, lust, and dreams in an emotionally honest way that will break your heart and piece it back together.
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The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of clever misfits studying at an elite New England college spiral down a dangerous path that crosses all lines of morality. Under the influence of their charming classics professor, they search for the transcendent but find something much worse.
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The Cloisters by Katy Hays
Ann Stillwell is assigned to work at The Cloisters, a gothic museum known for its medieval art and mysterious researchers curious about divination. Ann, seeking to escape from her past, is more than happy to play along with the bizarre theories some researchers come up with. But harmless curiosity takes a dark turn into obsession when Ann discovers an old deck of tarot cards that might hold the secrets for predicting the future. When there’s a murder at The Cloisters, Ann is on a race for the truth as history and reality blur together.
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The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
The year is 1928 and a whale has washed up on the shores of the English Channel. Twelve-year-old orphan Cristabel Seagrave sees this as an opportunity to exercise her imagination. Cristabel invites her sister, her brother, the kitchen maid, and a visiting artist to help her build a theatre from the creature’s ribcage. As the years go by and Cristabel grows into a passionate young woman, World War II looms. Cristabel’s playacting is put to the ultimate test when she and her brother Digby become secret agents in Nazi-occupied France. An epic coming-of-age family saga, The Whalebone Theatre is a story of love, courage, adventure, and self-realization.
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Solito by Javier Zamora
At nine years old, Javier Zamora sets off on a journey from El Salvador to the U.S. border, hoping that within two weeks, he will be reunited with his parents. Traveling with a group of strangers, Javier experiences treacherous boat rides, never-ending treks through the desert, pointed firearms, arrests, and other dangers. The two-week trip becomes a two-month journey alongside other migrants who teach Javier about the true meaning of family. Solito is a gripping memoir about the struggles faced by those forced to leave home, and about finding light and love during dark times.
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The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
Artist Dorothy Moy makes a living channeling her debilitating depression and mental health struggles into her art. But when she sees similar behaviors in her five-year-old daughter and learns that she’s been remembering things from the lives of their ancestors, Dorothy is determined to seek help before her child suffers the same fate. She discovers an experimental treatment that helps manage inherited trauma, and connects with past generations of Moy women, all of whom lived wildly different lives and overcame hardship in each one. As these recollections begin to affect her own life, Dorothy learns that a stranger who has loved her through all her genetic memories has been searching for her in each time period. Now it is up to Dorothy to break the cycle of pain, make sure her daughter lives a happy life, and find the love that has been waiting for her all along.
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The Measure by Nikki Erlick
When a small wooden box appears on every doorstep in the world, everything changes. Inside the box is a string, which, when measured, indicates the exact number of years each person will live. The story follows a cast of eight different characters whose fates intertwine as the consequences of this new world unfold: A pair of best friends whose futures are entangled, two pen pals seeking solace in the unknown, a couple who thought they’d have more time, a doctor with an unfixable diagnosis, and a politician whose box becomes the catalyst that changes everything.
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These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany
This debut novel follows the friendship of three Muslim girls navigating love and faith as their prime college years come to an end. When one night takes a turn and changes everything— this trio has to find their way back to each other. Salma’s novel shows the power of treasuring those close to us and demonstrates love in all forms.
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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
A book that follows three generations of a Southern Black family, the characters in Memphis are unforgettable for their honest and clear voices. Moving back and forth in time and interweaving the stories of mothers and daughters, this book is very personal and deals with themes of inheritance, legacy, justice, sacrifice, and love.
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Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
“Groundskeeping by Lee Cole takes place in 2016, when a writer/college groundskeeper falls in love with someone who couldn’t be more different. Have you ordered your copy yet?💚 📚”
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Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
“There is something almost mysterious about it. I was on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what was going to happen and who these characters were.”
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The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
“This beautiful debut novel tells the story of Frida, a loving mother who makes one critical mistake and has to pay for her actions by spending an entire year at a government reform program for bad mothers. This was THAT book that I couldn’t stop thinking about for days after.”
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Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding
“This book tells the journey of Sonya, a former actress who used to live a life of glamour. A story of a mother’s deep devotion and unconditional love, Sonya is forced to make a choice… change her life or lose her beloved son, Tommy. This beautiful book is a glimpse into the life of addiction and the hope that recovery can bring.”
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The Family by Naomi Krupitsky
“’Mob Wives but set in 1930s and 1940s Brooklyn,’” we’re so excited to feature this debut novel and can’t wait for you to read along with us! 📚 💕”
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The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
“They set out on an adventure of a lifetime in 1950’s America… Towle’s brilliantly captures the inner reality and perspective of eight who you will never forget. It is beautiful, it is moving. It’s about family and friendship, where we find hope. I just love it!”
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Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
“A powerful and moving memoir about Qian Julie Wang’s childhood move from China to the United States and all the challenges that came with it, the novel sets out to depict a very different version of ‘Mei Guo’, the Chinese word for America that literally translates to ‘beautiful country'”
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The Turnout by Megan Abbott
“‘The Turnout’ is a suspenseful mystery novel that tells the story of two ballerina sisters, Dara and Marie, who inherit their mother’s dance studio after losing their parents in a tragic but suspicious accident. We hope you’ll read along with us, and that you enjoy Megan’s dark, enchanting writing as much as we do! #ReadWithJenna”
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Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
@JennabHager describes the book as, “Original, heartbreaking, poignant and in moments, hilarious.”
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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Summer is starting, and it gets even better with this months pick, “This is the perfect beach read! It’s about the power of siblings. How much we love them, what divides us, what brings us together. Put this in your beach bag!”
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Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
“This book has it all! It’s epic in scope … it’s about female ambitions, what we’re supposed to be and how to break out of that mold”
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Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
While announcing this months pick, Jenna describes this book as “A story filled with charm, humor, and grace … a story about marriage, about female friendships, maybe about betrayal. It is the perfect book to take out to the park. You’re gonna think it’s predictable, it ain’t.”
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What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster
“A good book + a hot cup of coffee = the best way to start a morning! ☕️💕(📷: @bookshelfbliss)” Jenna is starting off her mornings with her March book club pick.
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Send for Me by Lauren Fox and The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
In honor and celebration of the second anniversary of Read with Jenna Book Club, we get two books to read for the second month of the year. February brings love and beauty to Jenna’s picks!
When talking about Send for Me, Jenna says, “It’s beautiful and poetic. It’s about what it means to be human, and family.”
The second book for February, The Four Winds, was a favorite pick of fans and Jenna, “You’ve been asking for Historical Fiction, so this month we gave you two great historical fiction books!”
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Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
January’s pick is starting off the New Year with a fresh start, and Jenna says it’s “raw and intimate — and a title I knew our book club readers needed to read as we begin this new year with a fresh start.”
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The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
An oldie, but a goodie. Jenna picks a Toni Morrison classic for her December pick, “I suspect that a lot of our book club members will be rereading this book for the first time since high school or college. I know I am particularly excited to pick up my old favorite again. I expect that it will hit me differently than it did when I was an adolescent girl, not much older than Pecola.”
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White Ivy by Susie Yang
While Jenna praises her November pick for being juicy and fun, she also says “While I always rooted for Ivy and empathized with her, I didn’t always like her or agree with her choices.”
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Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Suspenseful but emotional, Jenna Bush Hager says, “It is a suspense at its core, but to call it only a thriller discredits the incredible detail and intimacy with which the author writes about and understands family dynamics and race.”
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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, our September Guest Editor
Yaa Gyasi is back with her much anticipated second novel, Transcendent Kingdom. If you’re like us, you’ve been desperately waiting to hear from Yaa again after devouring her first novel Homegoing. Apparently, Jenna Bush Hager agrees, saying “I could not imagine a better book for this book club.” Jenna has announced Transcendent Kingdom as her September book club pick for the Today Show.
Transcendent Kingdom is also a Book of the Month pick this month, and you can subscribe to Book of the Month using our She Reads link today!
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Here For It by R. Eric Thomas
R. Eric Thomas didn’t know he was different until the world told him so. Everywhere he went–whether it was his rich, mostly white, suburban high school, his conservative black church, or his Ivy League college in a big city–he found himself on the outside looking in. In essays by turns hysterical and heartfelt, Thomas reexamines what it means to be an “other” through the lens of his own life experience.
In the wake of #GeorgeFloyd‘s death, Jenna shared that she wanted to promote a book that could continue important conversations happening around the country.
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The Comeback by Ella Berman
On the brink of Hollywood superstardom, actress Grace Turner went missing. After a year away, she returned to the spotlight, ready to make her voice heard and leave an impact. That is, until she is asked to present the lifetime achievement award to her previous director Able Yorke, a man who made her life in Hollywood a nightmare and controlled her every move for years by blackmailing her over a secret. If she wants to be free, she has to make the secret known, which threatens to ruin her reputation, career, and could even end her life.
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Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
Jenna has announced her July 2020 book pick: Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan. She says, ““’Friends and Strangers’ is a compellingly readable book that feels a little bit like a beach read, but at the same time tackles themes of acceptance of others and also of yourself.”
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A Burning by Megha Majumdar
When announcing her selection, which also happens to be a Book of the Month pick, Jenna called the book “devastatingly beautiful” and added that she views books as a tool for empathy. The book tells the story of three unique characters whose lives become intertwined after a terrorist attack in modern day India.
“I hope that people will use the book to think about how they themselves have pursued dreams and tried to improve their own lives in hard conditions however those hard conditions have presented in their own lives,” said Megha, the author.
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All Adults Here by Emma Straub
As we shelter at home and reignite our love of reading, @Jennabhager has this to say about May’s pick. “It’s bright and colorful and you can escape into it. We can read it from the comforts of our own home and feel good.”
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Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
“I discovered Valentine when the owners of @bluewillowbooks in Houston, Texas recommended it to me. The owner, Valerie Koeher knows my taste in books and my heritage growing up in West Texas—this fierce debut novel combines both perfectly . In a time when we all need an escape, fall into the lives of Corrnine and Debra Ann and Mary Rose and Glory. Valentine is a beautiful story of justice and redemption, grace and strength.”
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Writers & Lovers by Lily King
“To celebrate an entire year of #ReadWithJenna, I am so excited to share with you all that March’s pick is “Writers and Lovers” by Lily King. This coming-of-age story grapples with themes of identity, grief, ambition and love. I hope you will read with us and fall in love with Lily King’s, Casey Peabody, just like I did!”
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The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
“I’m in LOVE with February’s #ReadWithJenna book: “The Girl With The Louding Voice,” by Abi Daré! It is the fictional story of a Nigerian girl named Adunni who dreams of getting an education despite challenging circumstances. I fell in love with Adunni—her hope, humor and grace. And in the month of love — this is a love story about one young girl whose resilience and grit drive her until her voice is heard, loud and clear.”
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Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
“If you want to read more this year, and who doesn’t: read with us #readwithjenna! Dear Edward is the perfect book to start the year. It is a book about a remarkable boy named Edward who is the only survivor of a plane crash. It is a book about resilience and grace and about building a new life. As J. Courtney Sullivan said: “It will break your heart and put it back together again.”
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Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl
“December’s #ReadWithJenna pick is Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by @margaret.renkl This book tells the story of Renkl’s personal life through little vignettes about her family and the happiness and sadness that comes with love and loss. With Renkl’s love for nature shown in this book, Late Migrations made me feel like I was taking a walk through nature myself. While it is a fast read, I read it slowly and enjoyed every word.”
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Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
After a scandal tears apart two boarding room besties from childhood, Madison reaches out to Lillian years later for help taking care of her two new step-children. Tired of her mundane life and in need of a friend, Lillian agrees. What Lillian thought would be a simple nannying job turns out to be a lot more difficult than she imagined when Madison tells her the children will literally burst into flames if they become agitated. While Madison is busy with the duties of a politicians wife, Lillian is left to care for the children and after a while, and a few small fires, Lillian realizes she needs these kids in her life just as much as they need her. With a heart full of burning passion for these kids and having rekindled her old friendship, Lilliana worries it may all be too goo to be true and is afraid it will all go up in smoke.
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The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
“The Dutch House is a delicious, dark fairy tale that I read compulsively. It is also a beautiful love story about the power of siblings. Plus, who doesn’t adore Ann Patchett? #ReadWithJenna #OctoberPick“
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The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
“The Dearly Beloved is a book about faith and doubt. Love and sorrow. It follows two couples whose lives are intertwined as they navigate pain and joy. And it made me think about with whom and where we find comfort when life hurts? Or who we reach for when the goodness in the world makes us want to sing out with joy? I gave this beauty of a book to my family—and loved the conversations that came out of it. Read with me—this gentle, gorgeously written book may be one of favorites ever. #readwithjenna“
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Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
“We’re closing out the summer with another page-turner. This month we’ll be reading #Patsy by @ndennisbenn and it’s a book that promises to prompt a lot of meaningful conversations. Will you be joining us? Follow along over on @readwithjenna all month long.”
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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
“I’m so excited to share that for July we will be reading #EvvieDrakeStartsOver as part of #ReadWithJenna. Grab your copy today and join us in this month’s literary adventure!”
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Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
“For those wondering why it took us a few days to announce our June #ReadWithJenna pick, it’s because #SearchingforSylvieLee just hit bookshelves today! I can’t wait for y’all to read this gripping story.”
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A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
“May book club pick: a favorite book of all time! The beautiful A Woman is no Man! #readwithjenna“
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The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After by Julie Yip-Williams
“And APRIL’s #readwithjenna pick is here!!! The Unwinding of the Miracle made me both weep as I read along with the author’s journey and hopeful—encouraged to live every day to the fullest. Join me and read a beautiful book about how we live and die; it’s sure to create awesome conversation!”
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The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
“We ❤️to read! Join along as we start @todayshow book club. We will read a different book each month. For March we will be reading The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin! #readwithjenna ?”
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