For digging into the mess of families…

Educated by Tara Westover

Tara Westover grew up preparing for the End of Days. She spent her summers bottling peaches and her winters rotating emergency supplies. She was never registered for a birth certificate and had no school or medical records. As she grew into her teen years – and her father became more radical, her brother more violent – she decided to educate herself. Her search for knowledge took her far from her Idaho mountains, and onto Harvard and Cambridge. Our reviewer recommends this book to fans of The Glass Castle or The Liars’ Club.

For a good gossip with friends…

Look At Me by Mareike Krügel (translated by Imogen Taylor)

Katharina began adult life as a promising musician and PhD student. Now she is the mother of 11-year-old Helli, who has ADHD, and 17-year-old Alex, who sails through life as Kat wishes she could. Her husband, Costas, is always away working in Berlin. Her usually reliable lists are not keeping her calm, because she has found a lump in her breast and her old boyfriend is coming to dinner. And when Kat decides to stop being invisible, her family and several other onlookers can’t help but take notice. Look At Me is the first novel from German author Mareike Krügel be translated into English.

For a sophisticated dinner party…

The Portrait of Molly Dean by Katherine Kovacic

In 1999, art dealer Alex Clayton stumbles across a lost portrait of Molly Dean – a Melbourne artist’s muse who was brutally slain back in 1930. Alex buys the painting and sets out to uncover more details, soon discovering strange inconsistencies: Molly’s mother seemed unconcerned by her daughter’s violent death, the main suspect was never brought to trial despite compelling evidence, and vital records are missing. Alex enlists the help of her close friend, art conservator John Porter, and together they sift through the clues and deceptions that swirl around the last days of Molly Dean.

For a book club filled with writers…

The Book of Chocolate Saints by Jeet Thayil

Award-winning novelist Jeet Thayil tells the story of Newton Francis Xavier – a blocked poet, serial seducer of young women, reformed alcoholic (but only just), philosopher, recluse, all-round wild man and India’s greatest living painter. The Book of Chocolate Saints is intoxicating, blazingly intelligent literary fiction that poses questions about art and life, and how to do both. This is also a terrific pick for book clubs who like to read about places other than Australia.

For a feminist book club…

The Word for Woman is Wilderness by Abi Andrews

19-year-old Erin has watched Bear Grylls and wonders why it’s always men who get to go on all the cool wilderness adventures. So she sets off on a journey into the Alaskan wilderness, a one-woman challenge to the archetype of the rugged male explorer. Erin’s voyage takes her from her West Midlands home, through the frozen wilderness of the Arctic Circle by foot, husky sled and commercial fishing boats, on across the entire breadth of the American continent and finally to a lonely cabin in the wilds of Denali. The Word for Woman is Wilderness is an adventure novel with a difference.

For a mannered morning tea…

Mrs. by Caitlin Macy

What could be more suited to tea, jam and scones than a deliciously scandalous society novel? Mrs. is set in the rarified world of New York’s Upper East Side and follows three women: Philippa, Gwen and Minnie. All have young children attending the same prestigious preschool and find themselves bonding over their shared experiences. When Gwen’s husband, a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office, makes a connection between a criminal investigation and the other women – their delicate ecosystem of wealth and privilege becomes a tinder box set to explode.

For a hearty meal and lots of conversation…

Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

First published in Kenya to critical and popular acclaim, Kintu is a modern classic – a multi-layered narrative that reimagines the history of Uganda through the cursed bloodline of a single family. The book opens in 1750 when Kintu Kidda unleashes a curse that will plague his family for generations. From that moment on, each descendant will find themselves caught up in the struggle to escape the burden of their family’s past. This meaty novel is stuffed with juicy themes to discuss so settle in for a lovely long meeting.

For pairing with a classic read…

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi (translated by Jonathan Wright)

Frankenstein in Baghdad was the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction and has also been recently longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize. Set in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, this reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is dark and surreal. Our reviewer describes the novel as a ‘blackly comic satire of bureaucracy and power’. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, why not pair with the original classic?