14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

March 30 2021
Share 14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

Whenever Reese Witherspoon calls out a book title, we readers go running to the nearest bookstore to pick up what is sure to be our new favorite read. Her recommendations are always spot-on, exploring deep themes, fast-paced plots, and intriguing characters. So, we’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorite Hello Sunshine and Reese-approved reads!

The House of Eve
by Sadeqa Johnson

Reese’s most recent book club pick, the February 2023 selection features two women in the 1950s willing to risk it all to make it in America. There’s the young Ruby Pearsall of Philadelphia, who appears to be on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. That is until a secret love affair threatens to keep her amidst the same poverty and desperation that her mother (and the rest of her family) has been stuck in for years. Then there’s Eleanor Quarles, an ambitious woman at Howard University and soon-to-be new bride of William Pride. William is a member of one of DC’s elite wealthy Black family and, while Eleanor will be William’s wife, they’re not too eager to treat her as one of them. But a baby might help Eleanor enter the fold. With the stories intersecting in unexpected ways, THE HOUSE OF EVE is exceptional historical fiction.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The House of Eve
Sadeqa Johnson

From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

Best of 2023: The 10 Most Popular Book Lists of the Year

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 8, 2023

17 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalists & Winners We Love

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 4, 2023

8 Historical Fiction Reads I Devoured This Summer

By Karen Bellovich | August 24, 2023

10 Historical Novels Illuminating Women in 20th Century America

By Alice Martin | March 13, 2023

Indie Booksellers Recommend: 17 Spring New Releases Hand-Picked for You

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 8, 2023

The 10 Most Popular Books of February

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 28, 2023

Close
The Last Thing He Told Me
by Laura Dave

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME begins with a bang and doesn't let up! Hannah Hall recently married Owen and she's ready to start her life with him and her new teen stepdaughter, Bailey. But then Owen disappears, leaving behind a duffel bag full of cash and a note saying, “Protect Her,” which is just vague enough to leave you scrambling for answers along with Hannah and Bailey. In an effort to unravel the mystery, they parse through memories, go on last-minute trips to cities that Owen had acted weird about, and talk to Owen's work colleagues who are embroiled in a scandal that has the FBI involved. There's so many layers to this book, which is just what you want in a mystery, but it also has the added bonus of heartwarming moments as Hannah and Bailey begin to bond for the first time as a family—just not the way they'd imagined.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Last Thing He Told Me
Laura Dave

From internationally bestselling author Laura Dave comes a riveting new suspense novel about a woman’s search for the truth about her husband’s disappearance—no matter the cost.

We all have stories we never tell.

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dazzling plot twists, and unforgettable characters, The Last Thing He Told Me is bestselling author Laura Dave’s finest novel yet, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn. This propulsive thriller with a heart is for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

New in Paperback: 12 March Releases with Perfect Timing

By Jana Li | March 21, 2023

8 Best Thrillers for The Last Thing He Told Me Fans

By Emily Lewis | June 22, 2022

Lies and Love: 10 Thrillers with Just a Hint of Romance

By Sara Roncero-Menendez | February 10, 2022

The 10 Most Popular Books of December

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 30, 2021

20 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalists We’ve Read & Loved in 2021

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 23, 2021

Best of 2021: Our 15 Most Popular Books of the Year

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 7, 2021

Close
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid

As told in an oral history format, everyone who made the rock band Daisy Jones and The Six what it was are interviewed about the events that catapulted the band to fame in the ’70s. Filled with sex, drugs, drama, and lots of music, this book is a quick read that covers a lot of ground. Reese likes this March 2019 pick so much that her production company, Hello Sunshine, is releasing it with Amazon Studios in the near future.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo
Daisy Jones & The Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

5 Books with Unique Narratives That Play with Format

By Anne Jaconette | April 9, 2021

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Close
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
by Laura Taylor Namey

Lila Reyes thought she had her post-graduation plans on lock: take over her abuela’s role as head baker at the panadería and live happily with her boyfriend in Miami. However, even those carefully laid plans soon fall apart. Noticing her flagging mental health, Lila’s parents send her to Winchester, England, to stay with family friends. Lila feels adrift, until she meets the charming tea shop clerk Orion Maxwell. Cozy and reflective, A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW is a transportive meditation on love, loss, and pastelitos. This YA title was Reese’s November 2020 pick.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
Laura Taylor Namey

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is an absolute delight. Cozier than a hand-knit gray cardigan and richer than Abuela’s pastelito recipe, Namey takes you from Miami to Winchester, and leaves your heart belonging to both.” —Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart

Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.

For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.

Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.

A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

10 New Romance Reads to Snuggle with This Fall

By Jennifer Proffitt | October 14, 2020

Close
The Last House Guest
by Megan Miranda

Reese recommends the juiciest thrillers for fans to dive into, and her August 2019 pick is the epitome of summer suspense. Sadie Loman and Avery Greer defied the odds with their friendship—Sadie a wealthy visitor to the town of Littleport, Maine, and Avery a local. When Sadie is found dead, the death is initially ruled a suicide, but Avery can’t help but feel like there are those who blame her. Avery is intent on clearing her name, and avenging her friend’s death, before the suspicious decide that she is the only suspect.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Last House Guest
Megan Miranda

**A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller**

“Once again, Megan Miranda has crafted the perfect summer thriller.” —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied

The summer after a wealthy young summer guest dies under suspicious circumstances, her best friend lives under a cloud of grief and suspicion in this “clever, stylish mystery that will seize readers like a riptide” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) featuring “dizzying plot twists and multiple surprise endings” (The New York Times Book Review).

Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors.

Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.

Another thrilling novel from the bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read with a strong female protagonist determined to make her own way in the world.

“A riveting read…from master of suspense, Megan Miranda,” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl) The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read that brilliantly explores the elusive nature of memory and the complexities of female friendships.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

10 Sun-Soaked Thrillers & Mysteries Set on the Beach

By Jana Li | July 27, 2023

Book Club Favorites: 10 Intriguing Thrillers for Your Next Discussion

By Book Club Favorites | April 17, 2023

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

A Thrilling Excerpt from Your Next Twisty Read

By Off the Shelf Staff | April 15, 2020

7 Novels Portraying Complicated Female Friendships

By Jennifer Proffitt | April 13, 2020

Readers’ Choice: The Top 10 Most Popular Books in February

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 28, 2020

Close
From Scratch
by Tembi Locke

Tembi Locke’s memoir was a hit when Reese first chose it for her book club in May 2019, and since then the author’s been featured numerous times on Reese’s Instagram, most recently in the #EatTheBook series, cooking delicious recipes. Actress Tembi Locke lived a happy life with Sicilian chef Saro and their adoptive daughter, Zoela. And, despite the disapproval from Saro’s family of his marrying a Black American woman, the two were happy. Until Saro is diagnosed with cancer and passes away. FROM SCRATCH chronicles the three summers that Tembi and Zoela spent in Sicily, grieving with her in-laws. During her time in Italy, Tembi finds solace in family, food, and community, while reflecting on her whirlwind romance with Saro.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
From Scratch
Tembi Locke

This Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller is “a captivating story of love lost and found” (Kirkus Reviews) set in the lush Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food, family, and unexpected grace in her darkest hours.

It was love at first sight when actress Tembi met professional chef, Saro, on a street in Florence. There was just one problem: Saro’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of his marrying a black American woman. However, the couple, heartbroken but undeterred, forged on. They built a happy life in Los Angeles, with fulfilling careers, deep friendships, and the love of their lives: a baby girl they adopted at birth. Eventually, they reconciled with Saro’s family just as he faced a formidable cancer that would consume all their dreams.

From Scratch chronicles three summers Tembi spends in Sicily with her daughter, Zoela, as she begins to piece together a life without her husband in his tiny hometown hamlet of farmers. Where once Tembi was estranged from Saro’s family, now she finds solace and nourishment—literally and spiritually—at her mother-in-law’s table. In the Sicilian countryside, she discovers the healing gifts of simple fresh food, the embrace of a close knit community, and timeless traditions and wisdom that light a path forward. All along the way she reflects on her and Saro’s romance—an incredible love story that leaps off the pages.

In Sicily, it is said that every story begins with a marriage or a death—in Tembi Locke’s case, it is both. “Locke’s raw and heartfelt memoir will uplift readers suffering from the loss of their own loved ones” (Publishers Weekly), but her story is also about love, finding a home, and chasing flavor as an act of remembrance. From Scratch is for anyone who has dared to reach for big love, fought for what mattered most, and those who needed a powerful reminder that life is...delicious.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

Staff Picks: Our All-Time Favorite Book-to-Screen Adaptations

By Off the Shelf Staff | November 23, 2022

9 Must-Read Books Centered on Black Love

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 8, 2022

One for Me, One for Mom: 5 Books to Read Together This Mother’s Day

By Off the Shelf Staff | April 22, 2021

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

10 True Stories with Narratives So Engrossing They Read Like Novels

By Alice Martin | August 27, 2020

Book Destinations: 10 Bellissimo Novels That Will Fly You to Italy

By Maddie Nelson | August 25, 2020

Close
The Library Book
by Susan Orlean

Extensively researched, Susan Orlean’s THE LIBRARY BOOK utilizes the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire to illuminate the history of libraries and their necessity in our lives and for society’s functioning. With Orlean’s signature storytelling, THE LIBRARY BOOK is part true crime dive, part history, and part love letter to libraries—one of the many reasons why Reese chose it for her January 2019 pick.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Library Book
Susan Orlean

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

Genre Bridges: 7 Books to Shake Up Your Reading Routine

By Off the Shelf Staff | June 14, 2021

7 Spellbinding Books Brimming with the Magic of Libraries

By Karen Bellovich | May 12, 2021

8 Books About Books for Booklovers

By Alexandra Boelsterli | April 19, 2021

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Book Haul: What Inspired Us to Pick Up the 8 Newest Additions to Our Shelves

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 16, 2021

6 Remarkable Literary Libraries I Long to Visit

By Holly Claytor | October 19, 2020

Close
The Rules of Magic
by Alice Hoffman

Fairy tale meets 1960s New York City in this spellbinding prequel to Alice Hoffman’s beloved PRACTICAL MAGIC. Susanna Owens has always laid down strict rules for her children, ranging from no walking in the moonlight and no wearing black to the most important rule of all: never fall in love. When Susanna’s children visit their Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts, they become determined to escape the family’s curse, which will bring ruin to whomever they fall in love with. This was one of Reese’s very first picks, recommended in October 2017.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Rules of Magic
Alice Hoffman

An instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from beloved author Alice Hoffman—the spellbinding prequel to Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Yet, the children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

Alice Hoffman delivers “fairy-tale promise with real-life struggle” (The New York Times Book Review) in a story how the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is “irresistible…the kind of book you race through, then pause at the last forty pages, savoring your final moments with the characters” (USA TODAY, 4/4 stars).

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

November eBook Deals: 10 Absorbing Books to Be Thankful For

By Off the Shelf Staff | November 3, 2022

Book Club Favorites: 6 Sincere Stories Your Group Will Hold Dear

By Holly Claytor | August 19, 2021

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Librarian Picks: 8 of My Favorite Books to Read in the Fall

By Beth Mills | October 22, 2020

6 Wickedly Engrossing Witches in Literature

By Holly Claytor | October 21, 2020

Witchy Reads for Hocus Pocus Fans that Will Put a Spell on You

By Sara Roncero-Menendez | October 12, 2020

Close
Luckiest Girl Alive
by Jessica Knoll

Ani FaNelli is living the dream with a glamorous job at a high-end magazine and a wealthy husband, but her past traumas as a student at the prestigious Bradley School are coming back to haunt her, despite her carefully constructed image. She thought she’d reinvented herself by silencing her truth, but she soon finds that fake it ’til you make it still doesn’t make you forget it. While it wasn’t a book club pick, it might as well have been, since Reese optioned the novel and raved about it on Instagram

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
Luckiest Girl Alive
Jessica Knoll

Ani FaNelli is the epitome of young, modern women. And that’s not a good thing. Image-obsessed, cruel, and deceptive, Ani isn’t crazy so much as extraordinarily damaged from two traumatic high school events that are expertly revealed, piece by piece, in this masterful debut. I loved the anger in this political, well-observed novel, made more powerful by the reveal that Knoll’s own sexual assault contributed to its creation. Contemporary and timely: believe the hype.

Crazy like: Carrie Bradshaw with a cleaver.

Best crazy moment: Ani’s choice of porn. (Ouch.)

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

Rediscovered Reviews: 6 Thrillers That Changed the Game

By Off the Shelf Staff | August 29, 2022

13 Authors We Love to Follow on Social Media

By Off the Shelf Staff | January 18, 2022

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

6 Thrilling Books Every Ruth Ware Fan Should Read

By Get Literary | January 9, 2020

10 Book-to-Screen Adaptations We Can’t Wait For

By Zoey Cole | August 5, 2019

Off the Shelf Turns 5: The Top 10 Book Lists of All Time

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 4, 2019

Close
Group
by Christie Tate

GROUP is Christie Tate’s memoir of how she dove into group therapy as an emotionally guarded young lawyer. Although she graduated at the top of her class and had gotten her eating disorder under control, Christie Tate still found herself fantasizing about her own death. Her therapist, Dr. Rosen, tells Christie that if she joins one of his psychotherapy groups and is fully honest about her life experiences, she will be transformed. As Christie begins to open herself up to her therapist’s at-time outlandish methods, she finds herself finally understanding what it means to connect with others. One of the few nonfiction picks from Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine, this one, the November 2020 pick, is sure to resonate with readers and offers a compelling change of pace from novels.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
Group
Christie Tate

“Hilarious and engrossing.” People * “Fearless candor and vulnerability.” —Time * “Funny, emotional, and insightful.” —Good Morning America * “Honest, addictive” —HelloGiggles * “Wonderful...sparkle and intelligence.” —Booklist * “Dazzling.” —Publishers Weekly

The refreshingly original debut memoir of a guarded, over-achieving, self-lacerating young lawyer who reluctantly agrees to get psychologically and emotionally naked in a room of six complete strangers—her psychotherapy group—and in turn finds human connection, and herself.

Christie Tate had just been named the top student in her law school class and finally had her eating disorder under control. Why then was she driving through Chicago fantasizing about her own death? Why was she envisioning putting an end to the isolation and sadness that still plagued her in spite of her achievements?

Enter Dr. Rosen, a therapist who calmly assures her that if she joins one of his psychotherapy groups, he can transform her life. All she has to do is show up and be honest. About everything—her eating habits, childhood, sexual history, etc. Christie is skeptical, insisting that that she is defective, beyond cure. But Dr. Rosen issues a nine-word prescription that will change everything: “You don’t need a cure, you need a witness.”

So begins her entry into the strange, terrifying, and ultimately life-changing world of group therapy. Christie is initially put off by Dr. Rosen’s outlandish directives, but as her defenses break down and she comes to trust Dr. Rosen and to depend on the sessions and the prescribed nightly phone calls with various group members, she begins to understand what it means to connect.

Group is a deliciously addictive read, and with Christie as our guide—skeptical of her own capacity for connection and intimacy, but hopeful in spite of herself—we are given a front row seat to the daring, exhilarating, painful, and hilarious journey that is group therapy—an under-explored process that breaks you down, and then reassembles you so that all the pieces finally fit.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
Close
The Lying Game
by Ruth Ware

The morning after the news reports that a dog dragged a bone out of the water at a local beach, three women receive a dreaded text from their former friend, one that simply says, “I need you.” Bit by bit the history of these four friends—Kate, Fatima, Thea, and Isa—is revealed. At their boarding school, fifteen years earlier, they had bonded over playing their notorious Lying Game, in which each of them would deceive everyone, boarders and faculty alike. However, their antics had dangerous repercussions. A sinister take on female friendships, THE LYING GAME is a gripping novel that Reese selected back in August 2017. And for good reason. This one will keep you guessing until the last page.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Lying Game
Ruth Ware

Praise for Ruth Ware’s instant New York Times, USA TODAY, and Los Angeles Times bestseller:

“So many questions....Until the very last page! Needless to say, I could not put this book down!” —Reese Witherspoon

“Once again the author of The Woman in Cabin 10 delivers mega-chills.” —People

“Missing Big Little Lies? Dig into this psychological thriller about whether you can really trust your nearest and dearest.” —Cosmopolitan

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 comes a chilling new novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play.

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten, along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister…

The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isa—receive the text they had always hoped would never come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty. But their little game had consequences, and as the four converge in present-day Salten, they realize their shared past was not as safely buried as they had once hoped…

Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill to keep you wrong-footed, The Lying Game is told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, lending itself to becoming another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

Book Club Favorites: 10 Intriguing Thrillers for Your Next Discussion

By Book Club Favorites | April 17, 2023

The 12 Most Popular Books of May

By Off the Shelf Staff | May 31, 2022

May eBook Deals: 12 Popular Reads to Add to Your Digital Library

By Off the Shelf Staff | May 4, 2022

11 Dark Academia Reads Deserving of Top Marks

By Camila Araujo | April 27, 2022

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Let Your Favorite Board Game Choose Your Next Read

By Sara Roncero-Menendez | May 28, 2020

Close
Infinite Country
by Patricia Engel

INFINITE COUNTRY first follows fifteen-year-old Talia as she breaks out of a correctional facility in Colombia and races to Bogotá in order to board her flight to the United States. It then jumps to alternating perspectives, exploring the story of Talia’s parents, Mauro and Elena. As they fall in love at a market in the midst of Colombia’s civil war, they flee to the US in search of a better life, but a new unique set of struggles emerge. Reese’s Book Club pick for March 2021, INFINITE COUNTRY, is written in breathtaking prose, and highlights the tense reality of undocumented life in the United States, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
Infinite Country
Patricia Engel

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK and INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A profound, beautiful novel.” — People * “Poignant.” —BuzzFeed * “A breathtaking story of the unimaginable prices paid for a better life.” —Esquire

This “heartbreaking portrait of a family dealing with the realities of migration and separation” (Time) is “a sweeping love story and tragic drama [and] an authentic vision of what the American Dream looks like in a nationalistic country” (Elle).

I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country.

Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family.

How this family came to occupy two different countries, two different worlds, comes into focus like twists of a kaleidoscope. We see Talia’s parents, Mauro and Elena, fall in love in a market stall as teenagers against a backdrop of civil war and social unrest. We see them leave Bogotá with their firstborn, Karina, in pursuit of safety and opportunity in the United States on a temporary visa, and we see the births of two more children, Nando and Talia, on American soil. We witness the decisions and indecisions that lead to Mauro’s deportation and the family’s splintering—the costs they’ve all been living with ever since.

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed author Patricia Engel, herself a dual citizen and the daughter of Colombian immigrants, gives voice to all five family members as they navigate the particulars of their respective circumstances. Rich with Bogotá urban life, steeped in Andean myth, and tense with the daily reality of the undocumented in America, Infinite Country “is as much an all-American story as it is a global one” (Booklist, starred review).

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

10 Books That Altered My Brain Chemistry

By Sharon Van Meter | October 6, 2023

Our Mother’s Day Gift Guide: 12 Books Perfect for Mom

By Off the Shelf Staff | April 11, 2022

8 Book Clubs We Admire for Their Excellent Taste in Reading

By Book Club Favorites | January 13, 2022

20 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalists We’ve Read & Loved in 2021

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 23, 2021

10 Short, Thought-Provoking Reads for Book Club

By Alice Martin | December 16, 2021

Best of 2021: Our 10 Most Popular Lists of the Year

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 6, 2021

Close
The Scent Keeper
by Erica Bauermeister

Emmeline’s childhood isn’t the norm. Living an isolated life on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Northwest, she is dependent upon her father for everything. Luckily, he is a more than capable teacher—showing her how to read, find food, and hone her sense of smell. You see, her father has a magical machine that produces one-of-a-kind scents, some of which he stores in the walls of the house. All is well and good until tragedy strikes, and Emmeline is forced into the real world. Adopted by a childless couple, she struggles to adapt to this new environment and seeks to better understand her childhood in an effort to move forward in life. That means learning about her past and using her sense of smell to unlock long-forgotten memories. Selected in February of 2020, THE SCENT KEEPER is an imaginative coming-of-age story perfect for your book club. 

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Scent Keeper
Erica Bauermeister

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Close
Lucky
by Marissa Stapley

Lucky Armstrong just pulled off the big one: a million-dollar Ponzi scheme. She and her boyfriend (and co-conspirator) Cary, are eager to start anew but, suddenly, her luck runs out. Cary has disappeared after a night in Vegas and so has all the money. What’s worse, her father, a con man of his own, is incarcerated. With no one to turn to, Lucky thinks this might be the end, until the lottery ticket she bought on a whim turns out to be a $390 million winner. The only catch is that she can’t cash it without alerting the cops of her crimes. What follows is a journey to avoid capture while also seeking closure with her family for the sake of a better future. Chosen by Reese in December of 2021, LUCKY is an absolute winner, introducing us to one unforgettable, multifaceted protagonist.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
Lucky
Marissa Stapley

A thrilling roller-coaster ride about a heist gone terribly wrong, with a plucky protagonist who will win readers’ hearts.

What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?

Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity—when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.

When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.

As Lucky tries to avoid capture and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she was just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved—whose dark past is catching up with her, too.

This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, multilayered character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest...before her luck runs out.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

10 Thrilling Heist Novels That’ll Steal Your Breath

By Maddie Nelson | October 20, 2023

10 Exhilarating Reads Taylor Jenkins Reid Recommends

By Off the Shelf Staff | June 19, 2023

8 Book Clubs We Admire for Their Excellent Taste in Reading

By Book Club Favorites | January 13, 2022

Winter Most Anticipated: 15 New Reads We’re Hibernating with This Year

By Off the Shelf Staff | November 15, 2021

17 Bookish Holiday Gift Ideas to Delight Your Loved Ones

By Off the Shelf Staff | November 12, 2021

14 Reese Witherspoon Recommendations Your Book Club Will Devour

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 30, 2021

Close

Photo credit: Off the Shelf

You must be logged in to add books to your shelf.

Please log in or sign up now.