CDS | Winter 2025 Book Club

James, Percival Everett
James is one of those books that’s hit the sweet spot between literary darling and mainstream sales success; it won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, but it’s also the #2 Bestseller at Barnes & Noble (where they selected it as their B&N Book of the Year). James is reimagining of Mark Twain’s beloved classic, Huckleberry Finn–with a twist. The story mainly centers on James (known to most as Jim). James is enslaved and has gotten word he’s going to be sold; so, he hides out until he can figure out his next move. At the same time, Huck Finn has–just as he does in the Twain’s original–faked his own death. Many of the plot points from Twain’s original work remain the same, it’s just that the story now centers on Jim–and we see it from a new–and enlightening–perspective.

For fans of: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, The Fraud by Zadie Smith

Didion & Babitz, Lili Anolik
Even if you haven’t read Joan Didion, you’ve probably heard the name. And you probably haven’t heard of Eve Babitz, but you’ve likely seen or felt her influence–in famous art photographs, in 1970s rock n’ roll songs, and even iconic films like The Godfather.

Though one is distinctly lesser known than the other, Babitz was a writer, too, and she and Joan both frequented the same scene: 1960s & 70s Los Angeles. Even if you’re not familiar with either of their work, you’ll be familiar with the characters they spent time with: Steve Martin, Marcel Duchamp, and Jim Morrison, to name but a few. It’s a meticulous nonfiction work with a plot like the most interesting novel you’ve ever read. Trust us, read it.

For fans of: Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott, My Year of Rest & Relaxation by Ottessa Mosfegh

The Covenant of Water, Abraham Vergese
Clocking in at 736 pages, this is a no-joke doorstopper with a no-joke premise: it follows a family over seven decades, each generation beset with the same curse: each year, a family member dies of drowning. The book is set in Kerala, on the Indian coast and charts the family’s lives from 1900 to 1977 in devastating detail. It’s Verghese’s first novel in 15 years, and it’s well worth the wait.

The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins
If you haven’t heard of Mel Robbins, you’re likely about to, given the way her most recent release, The Let Them Theory, shot up the bestseller list. It’s not officially out (release date is Christmas Eve 2024), but you’ve likely heard Robbins tease it on podcasts: she claims that the book contains a life-changing formula for reducing overwhelm and breaking free of fear. We’ve got one on preorder and can’t wait to crack it open during the Christmas holiday.

The Shining, Stephen King
When it’s cold outside, few things beat sitting inside (ideally, fireside, as it snows outside), with a spooky read. And, of course, there’s no read spookier than The Shining, Stephen King’s classic novel about a man slowly descending into madness while isolated in a hotel in Colorado with his wife and young son. And yes: it’s even scarier than the movie.