Lily, a bored, beautiful twentysomething, wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front… Continue reading The Compound by Aisling Rawle
Genre: Fiction / Literary
The Names by Florence Knapp
n the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like… Continue reading The Names by Florence Knapp
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid takes readers to space—literally and emotionally—in Atmosphere, a powerful and fast-paced novel set against the backdrop of NASA’s 1980s Space Shuttle program. It opens mid-action during the STS-LR9 mission, quickly immersing us in high-stakes drama before rewinding to show us how each of these characters got to this pivotal moment. At the… Continue reading Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
Discovered through the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide, The Phoenix Pencil Company turned out to be one of those rare books that quietly surprises you—layered, imaginative, and deeply heartfelt. Allison King’s debut is a moving blend of historical fiction and magical realism, grounded in themes of memory, connection, and the stories we inherit. The… Continue reading The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
Annie Hartnett’s The Road to Tender Hearts is the kind of novel that sneaks up on you—in the best way possible. It’s quirky, warm, unexpectedly moving, and just the type of story I didn’t know I needed. At the center of this delightfully oddball road trip is PJ Halliday, a sixty-something lottery winner with a… Continue reading The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
“𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴.”—Marcellus, Giant Pacific Octopus Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of those books that sneaks up on you. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did—but once I started, I couldn’t stop. Heartfelt,… Continue reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
Clove has gone to extremes to keep her past a secret. Thanks to her lies, she’s landed the life of her dreams, complete with a safe husband and two adoring children who will never know the terror that was routine in her own childhood. If her buried anxiety threatens to breach the surface, Clove (if that… Continue reading Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is a haunting, imaginative, and unflinching reimagining of American slavery. Though it didn’t fully meet my expectations, I’m still glad I finally read this long-standing title from my TBR—especially as part of a book club discussion, where the weight of its themes could be explored with others. Set in the… Continue reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
Martha Hall Kelly has delivered another captivating historical fiction gem—this time set against the windswept shores of Martha’s Vineyard during World War II. The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club blends dual timelines, rich characters, and the enduring power of books in a way that’s both engaging and deeply heartfelt. It’s the kind of story… Continue reading The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman does it again with My Friends—a deeply moving, sharply funny, and profoundly human novel about the enduring bonds of friendship and the quiet, powerful ways art can hold us together across time. At the heart of the story is Louisa, an almost-eighteen-year-old aspiring artist who becomes obsessed with a painting that has long… Continue reading My Friends by Fredrik Backman


