Book Club Favorites
List · 8 items

Book Club Favorites

Maya KowalskiMaya Kowalski
8 items
List

Book Club Favorites

Maya Kowalski
@maya_jpwanders
8Items

ngl I did not expect to become a book club person when I moved to JP but here we are, three years deep and lowkey obsessed. These are the reads that actually sparked good conversation instead of just wine-and-cheese small talk (though we never skip the wine). Grabbed most of these at Papercuts or Jamaicaway, because supporting the local shops is basically a JP personality trait at this point.

The list

Rank
Book Club Favorites — 8 items
NameTitleAuthorMy take
1Little WomenLittle WomenLouisa May AlcottSet basically down the road in Concord, so our club did a field trip. 10/10 sparked a two-hour debate about Jo.
2The Given DayThe Given DayDennis LehaneLehane writing about the 1919 police strike hits different when you actually live here. Made our whole club want to visit the Athenaeum after.
4All Souls: A Family Story from SouthieAll Souls: A Family Story from SouthieMichael Patrick MacDonaldAbsolute gut punch, bring tissues. This one had the whole group texting each other at midnight, ngl.
5The Emperor of All MaladiesThe Emperor of All MaladiesSiddhartha MukherjeeAs a research coordinator I was contractually obligated to love this. Genuinely made me appreciate my own dumb spreadsheets more.
6Olive KitteridgeOlive KitteridgeElizabeth StroutNew England grump energy so real it's basically a mirror. Everyone in our club claimed to know an Olive.
7The Hotel New HampshireThe Hotel New HampshireJohn IrvingWildly weird in the best way. Divisive pick, split the room, and honestly that made for our best meeting yet.
8Mystic RiverMystic RiverDennis LehaneDark, twisty, very local. Read it before or after a Sox game for maximum Boston immersion, no in-between.
9The Hearts of MenThe Hearts of MenNickolas ButlerNot a Boston book but our club needed a change of scenery and this delivered. Bring snacks, it's a slow burn.