SOMAbookclub 2020 Playlist

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

“Full of fun and Drama! The women in Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women shake up their community with their racy story writing - and solve a mystery! This book is full of surprises. I loved it. A delight! The narration of the audiobook was well done and greatly added to the story.”

Myrna, Content

The Summer Wives

“When her mother marries one of the wealthy summer residents in 1951, 18-year-old Miranda enters the exclusive world of Winthrop Island. A perfect summer beach read, the story moves from 1930 to 1951 to 1969, when Miranda returns to the island. The year-round residents and the summer people don’t mix much, but long-buried secrets won’t stay buried forever. Love, scandal, murder, jealousy—The Summer Wives has it all!”

Susan Taylor, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza

The Water Dancer (Oprah's Book Club)

“Ta-Nehisi Coates understands something big and he understands it better than anyone else right now. The Water Dancer led me on a journey up and down the landscape of American slavery with a narrative that feels like The Book of Exodus meets, well, Ta-Nehisi Coates. Over 400 pages I have cried, I have laughed, I have been educated, and I have been enlightened. Coates writes with an honesty that can only come from a sublime, even spiritual, understanding of the souls of the white man and the black man in America. Written with poignancy and humanity, The Water Dancer left me stunned but clear-headed, like I had just been woken up from a deep, dream-filled sleep.”

Norris Rettiger, Lemuria Bookstore

Bad Blood

“Theranos was a startup that set itself apart from the bevy of others in Silicon Valley. Its cause was noble, manufacturing revolutionary medical technology that could run a menu of blood tests on only a finger stick's worth of blood, eliminating the need for large painful needles. There was only one problem: the technology didn't exist. Painstakingly researched but still accessible to the medical layman, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist John Carreyrou investigates the meteoric rise and fall of Theranos, exploring how the company managed to fool the public, investors, board members like George Schultz and Henry Kissinger, and even Barack Obama. A must for true crime podcast fans, especially if you find yourself needing a break from the more gruesome stuff.”

Maggie, Square Books

A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania

“Powerful and provocative . . . a novel about female strength, spirit, resilience—and the solace that... Read more »

The Girl with the Louding Voice

“This year is overflowing with phenomenal debuts — including this one from Abi Daré. It tells the story of Adunni, a young girl in Nigeria whose dreams and ambition focus in on one thing: education. In a city where girls like her are looked down upon and considered unworthy, she comes to find that change can begin with even the smallest of voices. This story is the kind that makes you itch: you’ll ache for Adunni, bristle at the people who treat her so unjustly, and yearn for her to succeed. This is a stunning, important, and fascinating first novel.”

Lindsay Howard, Lark and Owl Booksellers

*The spectacular sequel to Audie Award Audiobook of the Year Children of Blood and Bone*

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

"Bhani Turpin exquisitely narrates the second book in this fantasy series, Legacy of Orïsha. Her steady pace and West African accent draw us into the story of Zélie, a Maji warrior, and Princess Amari--both of whom fight... Read more »

The Silent Patient

“When Theo Faber starts his new job at the Grove, a forensic psychiatric hospital, he is determined to work with the famous painter Alicia Berenson, who allegedly murdered her husband. What follows is a tale that will grip you and keep you guessing. With the incredible voice talent of Jack Hawkins, the audiobook elicits the feeling of something very slowly creeping up your spine, and will have you gripping your seat with anxiety throughout. An expansive cast of characters populates this novel, all with intricate connections and relationships, all with dark secrets of their own, making anyone and everyone a suspect. The ending twist was so intense and so unexpected, I had to pause the narration for a moment to scream and gather myself before I could move on. I highly recommend this audiobook for anyone who wants to explore the dark and twisted corners of the human psyche.”

Kaitlyn, Oxford Exchange

Queenie

“Positively brilliant. I was completely blown away by this debut, in which 25-year-old Queenie Jenkins is navigating a lot. She recently went on break from a long-term relationship, she can’t seem to find her stride at her job with a national newspaper, and she’s constantly trying to figure out how to navigate the various components of her identity. The biggest question of all: Can’t she be loved just because, without her blackness being seen as exotic or a caveat? Candice Carty-Williams’ debut is a completely fresh voice that shines light on a literary perspective frequently overlooked — that of young, black women. An absolute must-read.”

Destinee Hodge, East City Bookshop

Ask Again, Yes

“Ask Again, Yes is a compelling, heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful novel. Mary Beth Keane is incredibly talented; she does not sugar coat, instead giving readers a compulsively readable family drama. I did not expect to become so completely engrossed in these characters’ stories — two families whose lives become inextricably linked by young love and personal tragedy. Their myriad mistakes and attempts to atone beautifully demonstrate the power and grace found in forgiveness.”

Anderson McKean, Page and Palette

Family Upstairs

“This intriguing story combines classic mystery elements with touches of domestic suspense and all around creepiness. The audiobook uses three different narrators, which provides for a further immersive experience. The three different perspectives are intertwined in a unique way allowing us to watch as three different lives hurtle toward their intersection. Libby and Lucy’s experience in the present are shared through third person narration while Henry’s first person narrating provides his account of the past with an occasional interjection of his perspective of the events unfolding in the present. With a string of bread crumbs along the way, the climax is somewhat inevitable, but some assumptions you will probably make along the way are smashed as the final unexpected twists are revealed.”

Cori, Bright Side Bookshop