In the perpetual quest for compelling reads, we’ve found a fail-safe solution to curate your year of literary exploration: Reese Witherspoon.
Renowned as a literary maven, the actress consistently delivers an exquisite array of book club selections each year, a tradition that has not only graced countless reading lists but also spawned highly successful screen adaptations.
Remember Big Little Lies? Yep, a Reese pick. Where the Crawdads Sing? That’s Reese again. And Daisy Jones and the Six? You guessed it—Reese’s pick once more. This isn’t new for Reese. With a staggering 2.4 million followers on Instagram alone, her book club promises a monthly recommendation centred around remarkable stories featuring women—and the excitement only builds from there!
If January’s pick is any indication, Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club selections for 2024 promise to surpass expectations, offering a captivating journey through the written word. Join WHO as we delve into Reese Witherspoon’s latest book club picks and prepare for a year of exceptional literary exploration.
January: First Lie Wins By Ashley Elston
Evie Porter lives the quintessential Southern life: a devoted boyfriend, a picturesque home, a circle of elite friends. But there’s a twist—Evie Porter is a fiction, a persona crafted by her enigmatic employer, Mr. Smith.
Tasked with infiltrating the town and its inhabitants, her target is Ryan Sumner. As she immerses herself in this charade, drawn to Ryan in unexpected ways, Evie treads carefully, haunted by her past and the arrival of her true self in the very place she’s working.
With her real identity on the line, Evie navigates a delicate balance, staying ahead of her history while attempting to forge a new path. As the stakes soar, Evie embraces the challenge, determined to shape a future amidst the shadows of her past.
February: Redwood Court by DéLana R. A. Dameron
In DéLana R. A. Dameron’s poignant debut novel, Redwood Court, Mika Tabor, the youngest member of a Black working-class family in Columbia, South Carolina, learns the depth of her heritage and the resilience of her community.
Set against the backdrop of the all-Black cul-de-sac where her grandparents reside, Mika absorbs the rich tapestry of familial tales and neighbourhood struggles. From the tireless efforts of her parents juggling multiple jobs to her grandparents’ triumph over the legacy of Jim Crow, Mika discovers the profound lessons woven into everyday life on Redwood Court.
With lyrical prose and heartfelt storytelling, Dameron unveils the resilience born from adversity and the enduring spirit of a community determined to thrive despite societal barriers. Redwood Court is a stirring ode to the power of visibility and the enduring pursuit of the American dream amidst adversity.
March: Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
In 1985, Anita de Monte’s tragic death captivated New York City, but by 1998, her name had faded into obscurity. Enter Raquel, a third-year art history student navigating the privileged world of College Hill where her status as a minority brings its own challenges.
When Raquel’s romance with a well-connected older art student propels her into higher social circles, she uncovers Anita’s forgotten story, paralleling her own struggles for recognition.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last delves into power, love, and art, challenging the elitist hierarchy and questioning who gets to leave a lasting legacy.
April: The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson’s love story unfolds against the backdrop of the 1970s, blissfully unaware of the challenges that lie ahead. Fast-forward to 2016, and the couple finds themselves with four daughters, each navigating her own tumultuous path.
Wendy, having been widowed at a young age, seeks solace in alcohol and relationships with younger men. Violet, once a successful litigator, grapples with anxiety and self-doubt as a stay-at-home mom. Liza, a neurotic and recently tenured professor, faces an unexpected pregnancy with ambivalence towards both the baby and its father. Meanwhile, Grace, the youngest, harbours a secret that remains hidden from her family.
The family’s dynamics take a significant turn with the sudden appearance of Jonah Bendt, a child given up for adoption by one of the daughters fifteen years prior. This unexpected reunion forces the Sorensons to confront the complexities of their shared history, filled with teenage rebellion, marital infidelity, and lingering resentments. Yet, amidst the chaos and turmoil, they discover moments of profound joy that reaffirm the enduring bonds of family.
May: How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Meet Helen Zhang, the renowned bestselling author whose own love story remains unwritten. Then there’s Grant Shepard, a screenwriter with a Hollywood-worthy charm but a bank account that falls short for his therapy sessions.
When fate pairs them to adapt Helen’s novels for television, it seems like a golden opportunity. Helen could embrace a fresh start in the glitz of Hollywood, while Grant might finally settle his mortgage.
But there’s a twist: Grant is the last person Helen ever expected to work with again, let alone confront. The wounds of their past, etched thirteen years deep, remain unhealed. Yet, amidst the writers’ room banter, unexpected sparks ignite.
Their shared history is fraught with complications, yet the magnetic pull between them refuses to be ignored. As they dive deeper into their collaboration, both Helen and Grant find themselves entangled in a whirlwind of emotions they can’t control.
June: The Unwedding by Ally Condie
Ellery Wainwright’s idyllic anniversary getaway turns into a nightmare when she finds herself alone at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point. As a wedding celebration takes a dark turn with a groom’s death, Ellery uncovers a web of secrets among the guests. Trapped by a mudslide, she realizes everyone at Broken Point harbours shadows, including herself.
July: The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
A Victorian house on a secluded bluff in Maine harbours a century’s worth of secrets. As a teenager, Jane Flanagan discovers this abandoned lavender mansion, finding solace from her turbulent home life amidst its untouched relics. Now, twenty years later, Jane, a Harvard archivist, returns to Maine after a personal crisis, only to find the house transformed by its new owner, Genevieve, who believes it is haunted. Hired to uncover the house’s history, Jane delves into a past filled with lost lovers, artistic awakenings, and stolen artifacts, revealing a tale as ancient as Maine itself.
August: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
Slow Dance is a poignant tale of love and friendship, tracing the journey of Shiloh and Cary, two childhood best friends from North Omaha who dreamed of escaping their small-town lives. Despite their unwavering promise to each other, life led them down separate paths—Shiloh to college and a career in acting, and Cary to the Navy. Now, at thirty-three, Shiloh’s life is far from what she imagined, and she’s back in her childhood home, contemplating the past. When an old friend’s wedding brings the possibility of seeing Cary again, Shiloh is forced to confront her feelings and the question of whether they can reclaim what they once had. Slow Dance is a heart-wrenching story of lost love, missed chances, and the hope of finding a way back to the beginning.
September: The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl offers a beautifully crafted literary devotional, with fifty-two chapters reflecting on the natural world in her own backyard over the span of a year. From the wisdom of a crow spotted on New Year’s Day to bluebirds revisiting in December, Renkl weaves a delicate balance of joy and sorrow. Her observations of birds, plants, and changing seasons parallel the rhythms of her own life, exploring family, memory, and the impacts of environmental change. Enhanced by fifty-two original colour artworks by her brother, Billy Renkl, this book is a moving meditation on nature’s resilience and fragility.
Not only is this the 100th pick of Reese’s book club – the author is actually her high school English teacher! “Margaret had a profound impact on my life,” she told fans in the September announcement.
October: Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
In this gripping thriller, How Far Would You Go to Belong?, Maya returns to Princeton for her college reunion and her sister Naomi’s graduation, only to be confronted with devastating news—Naomi is dead, and the police are calling it an accident. Unconvinced, Maya begins to investigate her sister’s life and the months leading up to the tragedy. As she digs deeper, she discovers that Naomi, like Maya, had joined the prestigious and secretive Sterling Club. Haunted by her own past and the dark secrets she’s kept, Maya fears Naomi’s involvement in the club may have led to her death. Now, Maya must confront a chilling mystery that ties her sister’s death to the dangers she narrowly escaped a decade ago.
November: We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo
We Will Be Jaguars is a powerful memoir by Nemonte Nenquimo, an Amazonian Waorani leader and a bold voice in environmental activism. Raised in the depths of Ecuador’s rainforest, Nenquimo’s upbringing was steeped in ancient traditions—from plant medicine to shamanism. At fourteen, she left her homeland briefly to study in the city, only to return with an unbreakable commitment to her people and the land. Her journey led her to win a historic legal battle against oil companies, protecting over 500,000 acres of primary rainforest. Co-written with her husband, Mitch Anderson, this memoir dives deep into the intersection of Indigenous wisdom, activism, and survival, drawing readers into a life woven with resilience and fierce dedication to cultural preservation and environmental justice.
Stay tuned for the Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick for December!
