CDS Book Club: 5 Novels We’re Loving Right Now

Out in October in the US, but already a hit in the UK, Yomi Adegoke’s The List explores thorny topics with a light touch. Ola Olajide, a journalist particularly well-known for her scathing takedowns of men caught out by the #MeToo movement, has a seemingly perfect life. She’s set to marry Michael, a dapper, successful presenter on the cusp of starting a glitzy new career gig. Ola and Michael are micro-celebrities on Instagram and poster children for the #BlackLove hashtag: until “The List”–a list of men with histories of harassment and abuse in media– is anonymously published on Twitter, the night after their engagement party–and Michael’s on it. As Ola tries to balance the moral implications of staying with the heartbreak that would accompany leaving, she begins to come undone–and you’re left on tenterhooks until the very last page. It’s a moving and powerful exploration of the #MeToo movement, the power and peril of being chronically online–and so much more.

Billed as a book for fans of Sally Rooney, A Very Nice Girl is a languorous but engaging exploration into the things we’ll sacrifice for others–and the sometimes-blurred lines between love, lust, and obsession. Anna, an ingenue in the opera world, meets Max, a financier, while working her evening bartending job. As Anna grows increasingly obsessed with Max, her friends grow increasingly concerned–especially when her career starts unraveling as a result. It’s one of those books that asks more questions than it answers: is Max at fault for leading Anna on, or is Anna responsible for the relationships she chooses? It’s a bit of an uncomfortable read, but it’s a beautifully written, thought-provoking book club pick.

This is one of those books that will please a number of people: fans of art, parties, pop culture, and page-turning thrillers. What’s not to love? Other People’s Clothes is a dark and twisty mix of contemporary fiction and murder mystery. Set in Berlin, it follows two girls, Hailey and Zoe, studying abroad and staying in the stunning apartment of Beatrice, a murder mystery author spending a few months away on a writing retreat. But when mysterious things start happening in the apartment, Zoe and Hailey become convinced they’re being watched, and potentially treated as subjects for Beatrice’s next novel–they decide to start acting like main characters instead of getting scared off. What ensues is chaotic, gory, and stressful–but it’s nothing if not a fun and unique read.

This high-class caper takes readers through the rarefied world of England’s upper crust–examining what it takes to stay on top and whether it’s ever worth it. When Ayesha Scott realizes her husband, garish American-born businessman Tomlinson Sleet, is planning on divorcing her in favor of a cryptocurrency billionairess and suing for full custody, she’s forced to embark on a whirlwind adventure to protect her relationship with her daughter. Scott finds herself embroiled in art heists, finance scandals, and surprise deaths–all while attempting to pursue an art degree and mend fractured relationships with estranged relatives. It’s fun, funny, and light–the perfect read for breezing through on a lazy fall afternoon.

With blurbs from Stephanie Danler, Marian Keyes, and Dolly Alderton, this one was pretty much guaranteed to be good. Loosely inspired by her own life, Schitt’s Creek writer Monica Heisey’s debut novel follows Maggie, a divorcee in her twenties attempting to find her feet as a newly single woman. It’s sometimes sad, but mainly laugh-out-loud funny, and a friendly but gentle reminder to be empathetic to the fact that, at any given time, everyone is going through something.