January 1, 2019

5 Books That Wowed Susan Orlean

Susan Orlean, author of Reese’s Book Club January ’19 book pick, “The Library Book,” shares some of the books she loves the most.

Story By: Susan Orlean

5 Books That Wowed Susan Orlean

Susan Orlean, author of Reese’s Book Club January '19 book pick, “The Library Book,” shares some of the books she loves the most. Story By: Susan Orlean

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Embedded Image

Whether she’s writing about The London Blitz or the life of a middle-aged detective, Atkinson is brilliant. Her writing twists and turns and then makes another twist. She’s the master of using simple words in complicated ways.

Sometimes I stop and marvel at one of her sentences and try to figure out how she put it together; it’s like trying to dissect a stopwatch. Her female characters are especially wonderful. “Life After Life” follows one of them, Ursula Todd, through every different possible outcome of her life; it’s a sort of sophisticated version of “Choose Your Own Adventure.”

This might sound like a peculiar device, but it becomes a fascinating and emotional meditation on fate and destiny.  This is one of my very favorite books. I loved it so much that I started rereading it as soon as I finished it.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Embedded Image

Does anyone write the way Esi Edugyan does? Every one of her sentences dances on the page. The writing is so animated and fresh that you feel like it is its own new language. The book follows a boy who escapes slavery in Barbados in a hot-air balloon.

He and his companion and the woman who had protected him in Barbados are beautiful characters, and the story soars, but the real star is Edugyan’s voice. I can’t wait to read more from her.

Regeneration by Pat Barker

Embedded Image

“Regeneration” is one part of a trilogy about World War I, and all three of them are spectacular. The books focus on two characters – a working class kid who becomes an officer in the British Army, and a doctor who is responsible for treating traumatized soldiers and “curing” them so they can be sent back into battle.

I don’t know how she does it, but Barker makes you feel as if she had been in the front lines of the war. The writing is dense and deep and gorgeous. I think about these books all the time. Be warned that they do take a lot of concentration, but the rewards are enormous.

Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion

Embedded Image

This is the book that made me want to write non-fiction. It’s a perfect hybrid of reporting with writing that just… dazzles. Every image is as crisp as a photograph, and every sentence is lean and elegant. I read this for the first time in college and my course in life was set: after I read it, I just wanted to do what Joan Didion was doing.

I reread it at least once a year, and I keep it on my desk when I’m writing and flip through it all the time, reading sections here and there. It still inspires me.

Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill

Embedded Image

This novel is written like a series of brief dispatches, which at first seem disjointed and random, but slowly build on each other to create the portrait of a failing marriage. The book has a dream-like, fragmented quality, and yet, almost magically, the story feels complete and rich.

I have no idea how Offill has done it.  It’s amazing how tiny bits can cohere into such a powerful whole. I read the book in one gulp and it has lingered with me ever since.

We can’t believe it’s been 3 years since From Scratch was released! We’re celebrating with a sneak peek of @tembilocke’s new immersive audiobook, Someday Now. Hear her read a passage from the breathtaking memoir about family, reclaiming possibility, and uncharted new chapters. Head to our link in bio to start listening now!
We’re taking our copy of Gone Before Goodbye on a little coffee date this weekend ☕📖 
Link in bio for book tour tickets and to get your own copy!

Where are you reading yours this weekend?
Had the most amazing time connecting with the Reese’s Book Club community IRL at #ShineAway2025 last weekend! ✨ @RaeganRevord and @TembiLocke picked up some incredible book recs that we are immediately adding to our TBR. Drop your must-reads below!
This Thursday's coffee and current read is an iced matcha and our new favorite eco-fiction mystery, Bog Queen by @AnnaNorthBooks. Talk about a perfect combo!
Bog Queen is now available, including at our link in bio.
We’re incredibly lucky to have the incomparable and inspiring @Malala join us on Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club podcast. 💛

She's a powerful voice for so many—championing causes like girls’ education and women’s rights. In her new memoir Finding My Way, Malala Yousafzai turns inward, exploring the messy, beautiful journey of rediscovering yourself after the world has already decided who you’re supposed to be.

In this episode, @DanielleRobay and @Malala's conservation has all the heart—and then some. Listen now on the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you love to listen. 🎧
Did not see that coming! Gone Before Goodbye by @ReeseWitherspoon & @HarlanCoben is here and you don't want to miss another second. 

Start reading at our link in bio.
Diving back into the brilliant Anita de Monte Laughs Last after hearing @XochitltheG’s powerful conversation with @DanielleRobay at Shine Away.

Feeling deeply inspired by the vibrant storytelling and the beauty woven into every word.
Sorry, we're booked.

It's official! Pick up your copy of Gone Before Goodbye by @ReeseWitherspoon & @HarlanCoben at our link in bio.
Shop the Reese's Book Club Space with us at #ShineAway2025! ☀️@ZibbysBookshop brought the perfect vibes and of course, so many fantastic reads to add to our TBRs.

Which three books would you chose and why?
Today we honor Indigenous voices like our September Pick author @ElianaRamage. ⭐

With honesty and heart, To The Moon and Back shows us what it means to search for a sense of self—and emerge proud.