Lori & Julia's Book Club

12/12 "Twenty-One Truths About Love" by Matthew Dicks

This is a story about Dan Mayrocks and his life - which is at a crossroads. He loves his wife, he quit teaching to open a bookstore, they are having a baby, the store is failing and he has not told his wife….and the story is told entirely in lists. Hilarious, profound and delightful. Highly recommended. 4 stars

12/10 "Life Isn't Everything: : Mike Nichols, as remembered by 150 of his closest friends" by Ash Carter & Sam Kashner

The work of Mike Nichols pervades American cultural consciousness—from The Graduate and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to Angels in America, The Birdcage, Working Girl, and Primary Colors, not to mention his string of hit plays, including Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple. If that weren’t enough, he was also one half of the timelessly funny duo Nichols & May, as well as a founding member of the original improv troupe. Over a career that spanned half a century, Mike Nichols changed Holl...

12/4 "Twice in a Blue Moon" by Christina Lauren

11/27 - "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell

Be careful who you let in. Soon after her 25th birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am. She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But...

11/15 "Carrie Fisher - A Life on the Edge"

From the author of Girls Like Us, comes another great biography. This time about Carrie Fisher. This book is so good! Weller explores the life and career of this badass writer and actress. Carrie had bipolar disorder and is recognized for her legacy in being the groundbreaker in destigmatizing that in a very strong way. She threw the most sought-after parties in Hollywood. She was only 22 when she got together with Paul Simon who was 47. She played Princess Leia like a feminist hero when she ...

11/13 "Imaginary Friend" by Stephen Chbosky

“Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend.” So begins this story and this is the best set-up we can give you on this truly wild story which is equal parts heart, horror and hope. If you are a Stephen king fan (think the shining, the stand) you will love this book. NOTE: Stephen is the author THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (& directed the movie version). This is his 2nd novel. **The audible book is directed by the author and is ...

11/7 - Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me by Adrienne Broduer

11/5 "Jack and the Ghost" by Chan Poling

10/29 "The Stranger Insdie" by Lisa Unger

The 18th novel from best-selling author Lisa Unger. This is a tight psychological thriller more “whydunit” than “whodunit”! The novel follows a new stay-at-home mom living what seems like a picture perfect life. With one small problem – a very dark secret from her past is about to be unearthed and with that we are introduced to a very compelling story. What happens with trauma and the deep seated idea of revenge? Hard to put down this book. 4 stars

10/22 "Elevator Pitch" by Linwood Barclay

One of the best thrillers of 2019! It all begins on a Monday when 4 people get on an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Everyone presses a button then the elevator proceeds non-stop to the top. Once there it stops for a few seconds and then plummets. Right to the bottom of the shaft. It seems like just a random horrible accident until the same thing happens the next day in a different skyscraper. And then the next day in another building. Obviously, this is a bid to terrorize the city but ...

10/17 "The Secrets We Kept" by Lara Prescott

10/11 - "Fair Play: : A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do" by Eve Rodsky

10/11 "This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger

This is his first stand-alone book since 2013’s best-selling, award winning ORDINARY GRACE, and tells the epic story of four kids (all orphans) who embark on one helluva journey during the long summer of 1932. Unforgettable storytelling and so beautifully written. The themes of family, loss, love, forgiveness and being connected to the land and water are intertwined. 4 stars

10/2 - "The Gifted School" by Bruce Holsinger

The Gifted School is definitely one of our favorite books of 2019. Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado - the novel tells the story of 4 friends who have good intentions as their parenting and high ambitions for the kids collide. Funny, smart, sharply observed and very juicy. We agree with the Wall Street Journal that this is the book that predicted the college-admissions scandal. It has been optioned as a TV series!! 5 stars

9/27 "White Castle Nights" by Steve Rushin

Picking up where he left off in his memoir “Sting-Ray Afternoons”, Steve shares more coming of age stories set in Bloomington MN. It is the time of MTV, mixed tapes and classic 80’s high school movies. Nostalgic, funny and a hilarious reminder of the agonies of your late teens and twenties and in what would be the end of an era – the 80’s.

9/25 "Bethlehem" by Karen Kelly

We loved this book. The book starts out slow but the storytelling builds and it is wonderful. The backdrop is Bethelhem, PA and is about two steel executive’s and their families that spans from the giIlded age to the 1960’s. A family secret starts with a mother and a wife… in the course of this novel is a wonderful story of forgiveness and love with achingly real portrayals of every single character.

9/12 Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

From the NY Times best-selling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood & The Woman in Cabin 10 comes Ruth Ware’s 5th book. A child is dead, Rowan is in prison and her story is told as flashbacks to a lawyer she is begging to take her case. Part thriller, part revenge and part ghost story with a poignancy that underlies Rowan’s storytelling. Also, like all of Ruth’s books, she always saves the best for the last page!

9/5 "The Shallows" by Matt Goldman

4 stars

8/20 - The Chain by Adrian McKinty

The thriller of 2019! This author has a Cinderella story and the book has been optioned by Paramount Pictures. To quote the author Don Winslow “this book is Jaws for parents.” And it is that as well as original, clever, empowering and twisty! Trust us when we say that you have never read anything like this book. 5 stars

8/15 - The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis has captured the hearts of readers with the way she brings life to New York City landmarks through compelling historical fiction. Setting her sights on the Chelsea Hotel, she delves into the world of theater. The story centers around two friends, Hazel and Maxine. The two meet in Naples, Italy in an USO troupe entertainment troupe. After the war, Hazel becomes a budding playwright and Maxine a famous actress.. They unite to put on Hazel's first play on Broadway when the charge of ...

8/13 - "Life and Other Inconveniences" by Kristan Higgins

This is a story about a blue-blood 85 yr old grandmother (the rich & famous Genieveve London) who hasn’t spoken to her granddaughter Emma in 17 years. In what she deems is the last summer of her life, she reaches out to Emma and convinces her to return home for the summer so they can make amends and she can also know her great granddaughter, Riley who is 15. Moving and funny as well as exploring some deeply affecting topics (the loss of a child, estrangement, ageism), we highly recommend this...

8/7 - Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill

It is hard to explain this book without sounding a little kooky but if you read the book “Helter Skelter”, what you think you know about the Manson murders may be wrong. This book is a result of 20 years of exhaustive research and investigative reporting. What becomes crystal clear to the author over time is that much of what we accept as fact in the best- selling crime novel of all time - is fiction. Not the who did it but the motive of why did these murders happen. What was the real relati...

7/30 - "The Night Before" by Wendy Walker

Read it before you watch it! This fast paced psychological thriller about deception, dating and so much more has been optioned by Eva Longoria for a TV series. The story is about a woman who goes missing after a first date with a man she meets online. The timeline shifts back and forth between the actual date and the days after the date. Also interesting, the insight into repressed trauma and how it affects you later in life – no matter how much you think you are not thinking about it. We di...

7/24 "The Plaza - America's Most Famous Hotel

A meticulous history of New York’s iconic hotel, The Plaza Hotel. Just the name alone evokes images of “Eloise” and iconic movie scenes (Home Alone, North by Northwest to name just two,) the Palm Court, Capote’s famous Black & White Ball and many famous people. All of this is explored as well as the interesting ownership history, the scandals and the scams that happened at a fabulous hotel (that has always been a place where dogs are always welcome!).

7/23 "A Thread So Fine" by Susan Welch

Set in St. Paul between 1946 and Nov 1965, the novel follows the lives of 2 sisters, Eliza and Shannon Malone who are Irish “twins” and their close bond despite their different personalities. At 17 and 18, something traumatic happens to each sister that shapes the rest of their lives. This book covers realities and insights about motherhood, sisterhood, the stigma of the times for unwed mothers, illegitimate children and childless women. Weaved into the story, we also learn about a real life ...

7/18 "Mrs. Everything" by Jennifer Weiner

7/12 "The Guest Book" by Sarah Clarke

An epic family novel set in both Manhattan and an island in Maine that moves through three generations back and forth in time (1936, 1959 & present day). In a way this book is a history of our country’s history with matters of race, class and politics. And asks how we remember and what we choose to forget. Sarah has written a stunning and beautifully told story that will linger in your mind long after you have closed the book. 5 stars

6/27 "The Unhoneymooners" by Christina Lauren

A feel-good romantic comedy that has a great premise (enemies to lovers!) and delivers some flirty fun. Twin sisters, two brothers, a wedding, a secret, a fake marriage and a very spicy romance - set in Minneapolis and Maui. If you are in need of a light breezy escape, this is your book. If you read Christina Lauren’s book, ROOMIES – that has been optioned by Jenna Dewan.

6/19 Elin Hilderbrand - "Summer of '69"

6/7 Jane Green - "The Friends We Keep"

Jane Green along with Elin Hildebrand and Liane Moriarty is one of our fav authors! Her latest book will keep you reading all day at the pool, beach or porch. The story opens with a trio of 3 unlikely friends who meet at university and know they will be friends forever. But life as it does, gets in the way after graduation and they start to lose touch and forget what they envisioned when they were younger. And one of the characters, Evvie, a former child actress is also keeping a huge secret ...

5/30 "The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls" by Annisa Gray

A trio of adult sisters are coming to terms with their very complicated family history. We all experience and remember our family life differently and this book explores some deep and complicated issues that drive us all. Told with sweetness and with searing honesty about some difficult subjects (incarceration, eating disroders and domestic abuse) while at the same time being a gripping read.

5/23 "The Castle on Sunset" by Shawn Levy

This book has so much Hollywood wrapped around its pages that The Chateau is almost the narrator storyteller. Perfect summer read. Shawn weaves together historical research and firsthand accounts in an eye popping delicious way. And with 90 years of being in business, the walls are now talking! Jean Harlow, Marvin Gaye, John Belushi, Lindsay Lohan, Sharon Tate, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Cheever, the Sunset Strip, Bugsy Siegal…..4 stars

5/17/19 "Queenie" by Candice Cary-Williams

May 8 - "Stay up with Hugh Best" by Erin Sommers

May 1 - "The Mother-In-Law" by Sally Hepworth

A very compelling and twisty new novel about a woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in death...but what happens in between as the story is alternately narrated by both daughter-in-law and mother-in-law in past and present terms is what keeps the pages turning. Let’s just say that from the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son but everyone in this family is hiding something…Highly recommended (u...

4/26 "This Book is Not Yet Rated" by Peter Boganni

A heartfelt and moving coming of age story. Movies have always helped Ethan, our protagonist. Maybe it's because movies help him make sense of real life, or maybe it's because movies are the one place he can go to still feel close to his dad, a film professor who died three years ago. Either way, it's a place worth fighting for, especially when developers threaten to tear the classic Green Street Cinema down to build a luxury condos. So now it's up to the employees of the Green Street Cine...

4/17 "The Chronicles of a Radical Hag" by Lorna Landvik

A charming, funny and sweet book about the effect a loved newspaper columnist has on the people of the small town of Granite Creek. Haze has chronicled her life and the real world life events in her column for 50 years. Haze is now in her 80’s and while in a coma, the town’s newspaper starts re-printing some of her columns with unexpected results and surprises. We fell in love with this book! And there really are a few recipes (which make sense in context). An excellent book club read too….. ...

4/5 - "The Huntress" by Kate Quinn

Inspired by the true story of Nazis living in plain sight in post WWII America. This incredible saga follows three storylines involving a Russian female bomber pilot, a battle haunted English journalist and a budding teenage photojournalist. Vividly written with rich detail and suspense, this book will have you turning the pages non-stop. If you loved The Lilac Girls, The Nightingale (or The Alice Network which Kate wrote) – this book is for you.

3/29 "my Lovely Wife" by Samantha Downing

Told entirely from the perspective of the unnamed husband, this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage is at a crossroads - until they find something exciting to do together (which is murder). We could not put this book down and read in 2 days. If you love a well written compulsively thrilling twisty book, this is it! Reese Witherspoon needs to option this ASAP! 4 stars

3/21 "The Stranger Diaries" by Elly Griffiths

3/13 "As Long As We Both Shall Live" by JoAnn Chaney

After 20 years of marriage Matt and Marie have been through everything together and when they go on a romantic hiking trip to rekindle the relationship, only one of them comes back alive. Told in past and present tense from both characters, this is a twisty Hitchcockian novel of suspense that is insightful, sharp and will keep you turning the page! The movie rights were sold in November!. 4 stars

3/7 "The Gown" by Jennifer Robson

This story is set mostly in London 1947 and revolves around the friendship between 2 women (Nan and Vivian) who become friends while embroidering Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown. This is a moving and vivid story of the real-life design studio that made her dress and the incredible story of friendship, love and loss between the two women post WWII. Flash forward to Toronto 2016 when Nan’s granddaughter makes a startling discovery which leads her back to London to try and discover what really...

2/28 "Looker" by Laura Sims

This is a dark drama with an unstable narrator telling her story which is that she is a poetry teacher who is unhappily childless and teetering on the brink of a very unhinged state. She hates her soon to be ex-husband with a passion and has an alarming preoccupation with the movie star actress who lives down the street. You will either love or hate this book. It has been optioned by Emily Mortimer for a limited tv series. 2 stars

2/19 "An Anonymous Girl" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

From the authors of the best-selling A WIFE BETWEEN US comes another twisty suspense novel. When Jessica Farris sneaks into a psychology study conducted by Dr. Lindsay Shields she thinks it’s going to be just easy money by answering a few questions. But as the questions become more intense in each session and the money goes up, she finds herself in a web of mystery, obsession and deceit. What is real and what it not becomes the question. This book has been optioned for a TV series and their 1...

2/6 "The Adults" by Caroline Hulse

Your worst family gathering could not be as bad as this gathering is. Alternately hilarious and poignant, this debut novel keeps you turning the page. Meet The Adults: Matt and Alex are no longer married but decide for the sake of their 8 year old daughter (who has an imaginary rabbit as a best friend), that they want to spend Christmas together with each other and their new partners. This book starts with the OMG ending and then told from each person’s viewpoint! 4 stars

2/1 "The Current" by Tim Johnston

1/31 "Hollywood's Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A" by Lili Anolik

Meet avant garde literary star, Eve Babitz. No one wrote about Hollywood like Eve and that’s because no one lived like her. This is a dishy splashy biography that started out as a story in Vanity Fair. Lili Anolik becomes obsessed with finding Eve and getting to know everything she could about her. The result is discovering an amazing woman who is the ultimate insider in LA, a true bohemian who enjoyed the power of her beauty, slept with a lot of men before they were famous (Harrison Ford, J...

1/23 "The War Time Sisters" by Lynda Loigman

Historical fiction fans will love this book. Set in the late 30’s and into WWII, this family drama about 2 sisters (Ruth and Millie) is honest and poignant about the bond (or the lack) of between sisters. Rich in historical detail and beautifully written, this story explores family dynamics, loyalties and the tension that comes with secrets. Lynda also wrote “The Two-Family House”. 4 stars

1/16 "Last Woman Standing" Amy Gentry

The author of” Good is Gone” has a terrific 2nd novel of suspense out and we could not put it down. Dana Diaz is an aspiring stand-up comic – a woman in a “man’s world”. When she meets Amanda Dorn after bombing at a comedy night they realize they have a common bond. They both work in a male dominated field (Amanda is a computer programmer) and they have both been wronged. Then Amanda talks Dana into a plan….for revenge. What happens next simply has to be read. This is the first book of 2019...

1/10 "The Holdouts" by James Tucker

This is the authors 2nd book featuring a homicide cop (Buddy Lock) in New York City. We haven’t read the first one but this one is terrific. A Long Island fishing crew makes a horrific catch: the bodies of an Asian couple. Homicide cop Buddy Lock knows this is not some an accident. Then people start disappearing in Chinatown and from there this is a story of power and corruption told in a page turning suspenseful way. If you are a fan of Lucas Davenport (John Sandford), Harry Bosch (Michael C...