The Marginalia ClubRead · Discuss · Belong Join the Club Join

Curated Weekly

Book of the Month

Fifty featured reads — each with a week-by-week reading schedule, discussion questions, and a direct link to Amazon.

The Marginalia

A Gift Most Rare

Tom Leihbacher

Cover of A Gift Most Rare by Tom Leihbacher

Week 1Christmas Fiction

A Gift Most Rare

by Tom Leihbacher

It's Christmastime in the pocket-sized village of Briarcliff Manor. With yuletide spirits flying high, life seems close to perfect in this quaint suburb of Manhattan. But not everyone feels the holiday cheer. While most go about their joyful holiday pursuits, young Charlie Riverton is restless. Compassionate by nature, he's especially mindful of the lonely and forlorn. At the same time, he's the unofficial leader of a close-knit group of sixth-grade buddies. Together they grapple with pre-teen hijinks, newfound freedoms and an emerging, nerve-wracking interest in girls. Meanwhile, there's a curiously gifted newcomer in town. Charlie develops a special friendship with the handsome stranger and together, they set out to craft a God-honoring Christmas gift for the whole community. Along the way, lives are changed and people begin to look at Christmas a little differently. Come spend the holidays in Briarcliff with this feel-good, coming-of-age story set in small-town America in the early 1970s.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Home to Beulah: A genealogy mystery

Claudia C. Breland

Cover of Home to Beulah: A genealogy mystery by Claudia C. Breland

Week 2Mystery

Home to Beulah: A genealogy mystery

by Claudia C. Breland

A genealogist follows a paper trail of birth records and old letters back to a Michigan farmhouse — and to the family secret waiting there. A journey of faith, family, and forgotten connections.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Set for Life: Use Property to Build Wealth, Create Freedom and Leave a Legacy

Lloyd Edge

Cover of Set for Life: Use Property to Build Wealth, Create Freedom and Leave a Legacy by Lloyd Edge

Week 3Personal Finance

Set for Life: Use Property to Build Wealth, Create Freedom and Leave a Legacy

by Lloyd Edge

Australia's leading property strategist shows how to build a portfolio that creates freedom, wealth, and a legacy that lasts.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Positively Geared

Lloyd Edge

Cover of Positively Geared by Lloyd Edge

Week 4Property & Finance

Positively Geared

by Lloyd Edge

A practical guide to building a multi-million-dollar property portfolio from a $50,000 deposit, fully updated and revised for today's property investor.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Week 5Contemporary

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A reclusive Hollywood icon reveals the secrets of her seven marriages to an unknown journalist.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Pachinko

Min Jin Lee

Cover of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Week 6Historical

Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee

Four generations of a Korean family navigate identity, exile, and ambition in 20th-century Japan.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett

Cover of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Week 7Literary

The Vanishing Half

by Brit Bennett

Twin sisters take divergent paths across race and identity in mid-century America.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

Cover of Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Week 8Literary Sci-Fi

Klara and the Sun

by Kazuo Ishiguro

An artificial friend studies the human heart from a sunlit storefront window.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Homegoing

Yaa Gyasi

Cover of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Week 9Historical

Homegoing

by Yaa Gyasi

Two half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana set in motion 300 years of family history.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern

Cover of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Week 10Fantasy

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

A magical competition between two young illusionists unfolds inside a circus that arrives without warning.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin

Cover of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Week 11Literary

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

Two friends become collaborators in video games — and in love, friendship, and creative obsession.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

Cover of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Week 12Historical

Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

A 1960s chemist becomes the unlikely star of a daytime cooking show that becomes a feminist movement.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The House in the Cerulean Sea

TJ Klune

Cover of The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Week 13Fantasy

The House in the Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

A solitary caseworker is sent to assess a classified orphanage on a sunlit island.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell

Cover of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Week 14Historical

Hamnet

by Maggie O'Farrell

A luminous reimagining of the Shakespeare family and the son whose name became a play.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Midnight Library

Matt Haig

Cover of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Week 15Fantasy

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

Between life and death, a library holds every life you could have lived.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Mexican Gothic

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Cover of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Week 16Gothic

Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A glamorous 1950s socialite uncovers horror in a remote mountain mansion.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens

Cover of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Week 17Mystery

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

A young woman raised alone in the marshes becomes a murder suspect in a small Carolina town.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Beautiful World, Where Are You

Sally Rooney

Cover of Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Week 18Literary

Beautiful World, Where Are You

by Sally Rooney

Four friends exchange letters and longings across a changing world.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

V.E. Schwab

Cover of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Week 19Fantasy

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

by V.E. Schwab

A 17th-century woman trades her soul for immortality — and is forgotten by everyone she meets.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Crying in H Mart

Michelle Zauner

Cover of Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Week 20Memoir

Crying in H Mart

by Michelle Zauner

A musician's incandescent memoir about food, grief, and the language of mothers.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Anthony Doerr

Cover of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Week 21Literary

Cloud Cuckoo Land

by Anthony Doerr

An ancient text binds five lives across centuries and a single ribbon of hope.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Cover of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Week 22Sci-Fi

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

A lone astronaut wakes in deep space with no memory and the survival of Earth on his shoulders.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

Cover of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Week 23Mythology

The Song of Achilles

by Madeline Miller

A radiant retelling of the love between Patroclus and Achilles before the gates of Troy.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Circe

Madeline Miller

Cover of Circe by Madeline Miller

Week 24Mythology

Circe

by Madeline Miller

The exiled witch of Aiaia takes her place at the center of her own story.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones

Cover of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Week 25Literary

An American Marriage

by Tayari Jones

A newlywed couple's life is shattered when one is wrongly imprisoned.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Normal People

Sally Rooney

Cover of Normal People by Sally Rooney

Week 26Literary

Normal People

by Sally Rooney

Two Irish students orbit one another from school to university with quiet, electric intensity.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Power

Naomi Alderman

Cover of The Power by Naomi Alderman

Week 27Speculative

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

Women across the world discover an electric power within — and the world tilts.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

A Little Life

Hanya Yanagihara

Cover of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Week 28Literary

A Little Life

by Hanya Yanagihara

Four friends in New York are bound by ambition, art, and the weight of one painful past.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Educated

Tara Westover

Cover of Educated by Tara Westover

Week 29Memoir

Educated

by Tara Westover

A young woman raised off-grid in Idaho finds her way to Cambridge and back to herself.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Such a Fun Age

Kiley Reid

Cover of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Week 30Contemporary

Such a Fun Age

by Kiley Reid

A racially charged grocery-store incident reshapes a babysitter's life and her employer's marriage.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Dutch House

Ann Patchett

Cover of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Week 31Literary

The Dutch House

by Ann Patchett

Two siblings cast out of childhood spend a lifetime returning to the house that shaped them.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Anxious People

Fredrik Backman

Cover of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Week 32Contemporary

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

A failed bank robbery turns a Stockholm apartment viewing into a portrait of strangers.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Henna Artist

Alka Joshi

Cover of The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

Week 33Historical

The Henna Artist

by Alka Joshi

An ambitious henna artist in 1950s Jaipur builds a life from secrets and skill.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Beach Read

Emily Henry

Cover of Beach Read by Emily Henry

Week 34Romance

Beach Read

by Emily Henry

Two rival writers spend a summer in adjacent beach houses swapping genres — and falling.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

People We Meet on Vacation

Emily Henry

Cover of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Week 35Romance

People We Meet on Vacation

by Emily Henry

Best friends with a tradition of summer trips finally take the one that might change everything.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Daisy Jones & The Six

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Week 36Contemporary

Daisy Jones & The Six

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The oral history of a fictional 70s band — and the night they walked off stage forever.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Week 37Contemporary

Malibu Rising

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Four famous siblings throw a single legendary party that burns their family's secrets to the ground.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Carrie Soto Is Back

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover of Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Week 38Contemporary

Carrie Soto Is Back

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A retired tennis champion comes out of retirement to defend her record.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Paris Library

Janet Skeslien Charles

Cover of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Week 39Historical

The Paris Library

by Janet Skeslien Charles

Inside the American Library in Paris during WWII, a librarian discovers what books can do.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Four Winds

Kristin Hannah

Cover of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Week 40Historical

The Four Winds

by Kristin Hannah

A Texas mother takes her children west during the Dust Bowl in search of survival and dignity.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Lincoln Highway

Amor Towles

Cover of The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Week 41Literary

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

Four young men set off across 1950s America on a road trip that becomes an odyssey.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

A Gentleman in Moscow

Amor Towles

Cover of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Week 42Historical

A Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor Towles

A count sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel discovers a life of unexpected richness.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Mountains Sing

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Cover of The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Week 43Historical

The Mountains Sing

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

A sweeping Vietnamese epic told across the 20th century by grandmother and granddaughter.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead

Cover of The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Week 44Historical

The Underground Railroad

by Colson Whitehead

A young woman flees a Georgia plantation along a railroad that runs literally beneath the earth.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Convenience Store Woman

Sayaka Murata

Cover of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Week 45Literary

Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata

A woman who has spent 18 years working at the same Tokyo store quietly redefines a life.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Cover of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Week 46Literary

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

A Tokyo café offers patrons the chance to revisit a single moment — before the coffee cools.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

The House of the Spirits

Isabel Allende

Cover of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Week 47Magical Realism

The House of the Spirits

by Isabel Allende

Three generations of the Trueba family love, fight, and dream in a turbulent Latin American country.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 15–22 · the long middle, where the heart breaks

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Gabriel García Márquez

Cover of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Week 48Magical Realism

One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel García Márquez

The Buendía family conjures a town, a curse, and a century from the dust of Macondo.

This Week's Reading

Final chapters · resolution, reflection, and what we carry forward

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Beloved

Toni Morrison

Cover of Beloved by Toni Morrison

Week 49Literary

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

A formerly enslaved woman is haunted by the daughter she could not keep.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 1–6 · meet the characters and the world they inhabit

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?

The Marginalia

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison

Cover of Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Week 50Literary

Song of Solomon

by Toni Morrison

A young man's journey south unfolds a family history that teaches him to fly.

This Week's Reading

Chapters 7–14 · the turn that changes everything

Discussion Questions

Which line of prose did you underline this week — and why did it stop you?
How does the setting shape the choices the characters can make?
Where do you see yourself in this story, and where do you see someone you love?
What is the author asking you to grieve, forgive, or refuse?