Planning on starting a book club? Even with this wildly chaotic and uncertain year, the literary industry has celebrated more than a few incredible releases across the spectrum of genres throughout 2020. Follow along for a few of our favorite titles to add to your reading list.
Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell (Fiction)
From the prize-winning author of bestsellers Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks, Utopia Avenue follows the meteoric rise (and fall) of the psychedelic London-based band of the same name. Set in the 1960’s, Mitchell’s unbridled oeuvre encompasses everything from love and relationships to riots and revolutions, and in doing so, constructs a notable commentary on the contemporary pursuit of positive change in the midst of chaos.
Purchase Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell, here.
Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland (Fiction)
Set in Atlantic City in 1934, Rachel Beanland’s Florence Alder Swims Forever tells a story rich with grief, tragedy, and deep family secrets in a way that feels simultaneously unimaginable and relatable. As the Alder family tries to conceal the tragic drowning of their daughter from their other daughter (who is pregnant), Beanland draws readers deeper into the family’s extensive web of secrecy and deceit.
Purchase Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland, here.
A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet (Fiction)
From the Pulitzer Prize finalist author of Sweet Lamb of Heaven, Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible tells the story of twelve children, each of whose well-being is violated at the hands of their parent’s neglect and nefarious lifestyle, on a forced vacation at a lakeside summer estate. Things begin to go awry when a violent storm hits the mansion one fateful day. However, it’s when the group’s leaders choose to escape that things quickly devolve into chaos.
Purchase A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet, here.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (Fiction)
A dive into the presumed rationale forming the framework of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet was named a New York Times Notable Book (2020) and named Best Book of 2020 by Guardian, Financial Times, Literary Hub, and NPR. Written from the perspective of Agnes, the story tells the story of loss and its effects after the death of her and her husband’s eleven-year-old son. A few years later, Agnes’s husband writes Hamlet.
Purchase Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, here.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Non-Fiction)
His first volume of presidential memoirs, A Promised Land is an enthralling historical, yet transparently personal account of former president Barack Obama’s experiences from the very beginning of his career to becoming the first African American president of the United States. At the same time, A Promised Land invites readers on a meaningful journey of self-reflection in a way that is intimate and exceedingly honest.
Purchase A Promised Land by Barack Obama, here.
Whether you prefer inspiring personal memoirs or dramatic dystopian fiction, you’ll definitely find that these releases are hard to put down. If you are planning on joining a book club or simply looking for some exciting new titles, our spacious apartments at VerraWest serve as the perfect reading refuge. If you’re interested in learning more about our apartment community, please contact our leasing team.