Jenna Bush Hager from the Today Show has a nationwide book club. Check out her picks from 2022! You can also visit their website for more info and a full list of her monthly picks over the years.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of brilliant, eccentric students at an elite New England college, inspired by their charismatic classics professor, adopt a lifestyle radically different from their peers. However, as they push the limits of morality, their initial intellectual curiosity devolves into obsession, corruption, and ultimately, evil.
The Cloisters by Katy Hays
When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she’s instead assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum famed for its medieval and Renaissance art. There, she becomes entangled with a group of eccentric researchers obsessed with tarot and fortune-telling, including a mysterious curator and a gardener with a passion for poisonous plants. As Ann uncovers a rare tarot deck, a deadly game of power and betrayal unfolds, leading to an unexpected death and a dangerous search for answers.
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
Cristabel Seagrave, an unwanted orphan in a traditional English manor, dreams of a life like the stories she reads but finds no place for herself in the dusty family library. When a whale washes up on the beach near her home, she claims it as her own and begins to carve out a different path from the one expected of her. As Cristabel and her siblings grow up and face the approaching war, they must navigate their desires for independence and find a way to write their own stories in a world that seeks to define them.
Solito by Javier Zamora
The memoir of Javier Zamora, a nine-year-old boy who embarks on a perilous 3,000-mile journey from El Salvador to the United States to reunite with his parents. Expecting a short adventure, he instead faces months of danger, deception, and hardship, finding unexpected kindness along the way. Zamora’s story is not only his own but also reflects the experiences of countless others forced to leave their homes in search of safety and family.
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
Dorothy Moy, a former poet laureate, channels her struggles with mental health and dissociative episodes into her art, but when her young daughter begins recalling ancestral memories, Dorothy fears that the past is haunting them both. Seeking radical treatment for inherited trauma, Dorothy connects with generations of women in her family, uncovering painful histories and realizing that love, not just trauma, has been passed down through the ages. As she confronts her family’s legacy, Dorothy strives to break the cycle of pain and abandonment, seeking peace for her daughter and herself.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Tells the story of eight ordinary people faced with an extraordinary choice when a mysterious box arrives on their doorstep, revealing the exact number of years they have left to live. As society grapples with this revelation, each character must decide whether to embrace or ignore this knowledge, and how it will shape their lives. A deeply uplifting tale of love, friendship, and destiny, The Measure explores how the awareness of our time can inspire us to live more fully.
These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany
Follows three best friends—Malak, Kees, and Jenna—navigating the complexities of love, faith, and identity as they struggle to balance their Muslim upbringing with the challenges of adulthood. As they confront difficult truths about themselves and their relationships, each woman faces a pivotal moment that will shape her future. A heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and the clash between tradition and personal desires, the novel captures the messy, beautiful journey of growing up.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Follows Tova Sullivan, a widow who finds solace in working the night shift at an aquarium after the mysterious disappearance of her son thirty years ago. She forms an unexpected friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, who, with his keen mind, uncovers the truth behind her son’s vanishing. This heartwarming debut novel explores themes of friendship, hope, and the healing power of facing the past.
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
A powerful debut novel that follows three generations of a Southern Black family, centering on young Joan as she uncovers her artistic gift and its ties to her family’s legacy. After fleeing her father’s violence, Joan finds solace in painting and in the stories of women who came before her—women who endured loss, injustice, and sacrifice. Spanning seventy years, the novel explores themes of inheritance, resilience, and the transformative power of creativity.
Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
Aspiring writer Owen Callahan returns to Kentucky before the 2016 election, living with his conservative family while working as a groundskeeper at a local college. There, he begins a secret relationship with Alma, a successful writer from a liberal Bosnian immigrant family, forcing both to confront their cultural and personal differences. This quietly powerful novel explores identity, ambition, and belonging with precision and emotional depth.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Siblings Byron and Benny uncover shocking family secrets after their mother’s death, delivered through a voice recording and a traditional Caribbean black cake. As Eleanor’s past unfolds—a tale of love, loss, and escape from a murder accusation—they must confront their heritage and fractured relationship. Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut is a moving exploration of identity, family, and the legacies we inherit.
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
One moment of poor judgment lands Frida Liu, a struggling young mother, in a government-run reform program where her custody of her daughter is at stake. As she’s forced to prove her worth under the watchful eye of a dystopian system, Frida must confront impossible standards of motherhood. This gripping debut explores state surveillance, societal expectations, and the fierce love between a mother and child.
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