Madeline Martin

8/8 LOJ Book Club: The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Lynn Hightower

8/3 LOJ Book Club: The Beautiful Risk by Lynn Hightower

Rachel Howzell Hall

Rachel Howzell

8/1 LOJ Book Club: What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall

Michael Thompson

7/26 LOJ Book Club: How To be Remembered by Michael Thompson

Shayla Michelle

7/14 LOJ Book Club: Echo In The Distance  Shayla Michelle , and Kprecia Ambers  (Illustrator)

Alli Frank

Asha Youmans

7/12 LOJ Book Club: The Better Half by Alli Frank & Asha Youmans

Gary R. Simonds

6/29 LOJ Book Club: Death's Pale Flag by Gary R. Simonds

Ruth Ware

6/28 LOJ Book Club: Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Fiona Davis

6/27 LOJ Book Club: The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Viola Shipman

6/22 LOJ Book Club: Famous in a Small Town by Viola Shipman 

It's Lori &amp; Julia's Book Club, as heard on myTalk 107.1 radio! These best friends turned sisters-in-law do in-depth author interviews and give recommendations for everything from non-fiction to psychological thrillers. You can't fail out of this book club. Stick with Lori &amp; Julia and you'll never go without a good book again!

Lori & Julia's Book Club

Tom O'Neill

It is hard to explain this book without sounding a little kooky but if you read the book “Helter Skelter”, what you think you know about the Manson murders may be wrong. This book is a result of 20 years of exhaustive research and investigative reporting.  What becomes crystal clear to the author over time is that much of what we accept as fact in the best- selling crime novel of all time - is fiction. Not the who did it but the motive of why did these murders happen. What was the real relationship between Manson &amp; Terry Melcher (Doris Day’s son)? Why was law enforcement so lax with Manson (who was on parole) over multiple arrests? What was story with Dennis Wilson (Beach Boys) and Manson. Why were so many Hollywood and music people suspicious of Manson immediately after the Manson murders yet “no one knew him”.  Fascinating book.

8/7  - Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill

Eve Babitz

Lili Anolik

Meet avant garde literary star, Eve Babitz. No one wrote about Hollywood like Eve and that’s because no one lived like her. This is a dishy splashy biography that started out as a story in Vanity Fair. Lili Anolik becomes obsessed with finding Eve and getting to know everything she could about her. The result is discovering an amazing woman who is the ultimate insider in LA, a  true bohemian who enjoyed the power of her beauty, slept with a lot of men before they were famous (Harrison Ford, Jim Morrison, Steve Martin to name a few), and oh yeah wrote some incredible books that are resonating with young women right now. If you want to know who Eve is, here’s your book. 4 out of 5 stars

1/31   "Hollywood's Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A" by Lili Anolik

Bruce Holsinger

The Gifted School is definitely one of our favorite books of 2019. Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado - the novel tells the story of 4 friends who have good intentions as their parenting and high ambitions for the kids collide. Funny, smart, sharply observed and very juicy. We agree with the Wall Street Journal that this is the book that predicted the college-admissions scandal. It has been optioned as a TV series!!   5 stars

10/2  -  "The Gifted School" by Bruce Holsinger

Jane Green

Jane Green along with Elin Hildebrand and Liane Moriarty is one of our fav authors! Her latest book will keep you reading all day at the pool, beach or porch. The story opens with a trio of 3 unlikely friends who meet at university and know they will be friends forever. But life as it does, gets in the way after graduation and they start to lose touch and forget what they envisioned when they were younger. And one of the characters, Evvie, a former child actress is also keeping a huge secret from her friends.  4 stars

6/7   Jane Green - "The Friends We Keep"

Mary Kubica

Propulsive and addictive, and perfect for fans of “You,” THE OTHER MRS. is the twisty new psychological thriller from Mary Kubica, the New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL. This book is also being adapted for a tv show on Netflix. “She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs. Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.” Synopsis courtesy of Reading Group Guides

Propulsive and addictive, and perfect for fans of “You,” THE OTHER MRS. is the twisty new psychological thriller from Mary Kubica, the New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL. This book is also being adapted for a tv show on Netflix. “She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs. Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie. But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.” Synopsis courtesy of Reading Group Guides

3/5/20  -  "The Other Mrs." by Mary Kubica

Jennifer Robson

This story is set mostly in London 1947 and revolves around the friendship between 2 women (Nan and Vivian) who become friends while embroidering Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown. This is a moving and vivid story of the real-life design studio that made her dress and the incredible story of friendship, love and loss between the two women post WWII. Flash forward to Toronto 2016 when Nan’s granddaughter makes a startling discovery which leads her back to London to try and discover what really happened in Nan’s life...we loved every page. No doubt this is coming to TV. 4 stars

3/7   "The Gown" by Jennifer Robson

William Kent Krueger

This is his first stand-alone book since 2013’s best-selling, award winning ORDINARY GRACE, and tells the epic story of four kids (all orphans) who embark on one helluva journey during the long summer of 1932. Unforgettable storytelling and so beautifully written. The themes of family, loss, love, forgiveness and being connected to the land and water are intertwined.   4 stars

10/11  "This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger

Allen Eskens

Definitely one of our top 10 books of 2019. This coming of age story takes place in mid-1970’s Missouri and has been described as “Stand By Me” meets  “To Kill A Mockingbird” (and we agree with that description)! Racism, class and a murder mystery are all explored in this very poignant story The title comes from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. quote “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”.  Now we want Michael B. Jordan to option this book and make a movie!

Definitely one of our top 10 books of 2019. This coming of age story takes place in mid-1970’s Missouri and has been described as “Stand By Me” meets “To Kill A Mockingbird” (and we agree with that description)! Racism, class and a murder mystery are all explored in this very poignant story The title comes from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. quote “Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. Now we want Michael B. Jordan to option this book and make a movie!

12/18  - "Nothing More Dangerous" by Allen Eskens

Elly Griffiths

3/21   "The Stranger Diaries" by Elly Griffiths

Adrienne Broduer

11/7   -  Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me by Adrienne Broduer

Matthew Dicks

This is a story about Dan Mayrocks and his life - which is at a crossroads. He loves his wife, he quit teaching to open a bookstore, they are having a baby, the store is failing and he has not told his wife….and the story is told entirely in lists. Hilarious, profound and delightful. Highly recommended. 4 stars

12/12   "Twenty-One Truths About Love" by Matthew Dicks

Karma Brown

1/16   "Recipe for the Perfect Wife" by Karma Brown

Kathleen West

A very binge’able book! We promise, you will not want to put down once you start reading. There is no doubt this will be sold to Hollywood.“A wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is Liston Heights High--the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and the students caught in the middle--and the fallout for each of them when the bubble finally bursts.Isobel Johnson knows helicopter parents like Julia Abbott--a stage mom whose world revolves around interfering in her children's lives--come with the territory. Julia resents teachers like Isobel, who effortlessly bond with students, including Julia's own teenagers, who have started pulling further away from her.Isobel has spent her teaching career in Liston Heights side-stepping the community's high-powered families. But when she receives a threatening voicemail accusing her of Anti-Americanism and a "blatant liberal agenda," she realizes she's squarely in the fray. Rather than cowering, Isobel doubles down on her social-justice ideals. Meanwhile, Julia, obsessed with the casting of the high school's winter musical, inadvertently shoves the female student lead after sneaking onto the school campus. The damning video footage goes viral and has far-reaching consequences for Julia and her entire family.With nothing to unite them beyond the sting of humiliation from public meltdowns, Isobel and Julia will find common ground where they least expect it, confronting a secret Facebook gossip site that's stirring up more trouble for this tumultuous, fractured school community.”**Summary courtesy of Goodreads.

A very binge’able book! We promise, you will not want to put down once you start reading. There is no doubt this will be sold to Hollywood. “A wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is Liston Heights High--the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and the students caught in the middle--and the fallout for each of them when the bubble finally bursts. Isobel Johnson knows helicopter parents like Julia Abbott--a stage mom whose world revolves around interfering in her children's lives--come with the territory. Julia resents teachers like Isobel, who effortlessly bond with students, including Julia's own teenagers, who have started pulling further away from her. Isobel has spent her teaching career in Liston Heights side-stepping the community's high-powered families. But when she receives a threatening voicemail accusing her of Anti-Americanism and a "blatant liberal agenda," she realizes she's squarely in the fray. Rather than cowering, Isobel doubles down on her social-justice ideals. Meanwhile, Julia, obsessed with the casting of the high school's winter musical, inadvertently shoves the female student lead after sneaking onto the school campus. The damning video footage goes viral and has far-reaching consequences for Julia and her entire family. With nothing to unite them beyond the sting of humiliation from public meltdowns, Isobel and Julia will find common ground where they least expect it, confronting a secret Facebook gossip site that's stirring up more trouble for this tumultuous, fractured school community.”* *Summary courtesy of Goodreads.

2/29/20 - "Minor Catastrophes & Other Dramas" by Kathleen West

Told entirely from the perspective of the unnamed husband, this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage is at a crossroads  - until they find something exciting to do together (which is murder). We could not put this book down and read in 2 days. If you love a well written compulsively thrilling twisty book, this is it! Reese Witherspoon needs to option this ASAP!  4 stars

3/29   "my Lovely Wife" by Samantha Downing

Lara Prescott

10/17    "The Secrets We Kept" by Lara Prescott

Greer Hendricks

Sarah Pekkanen

From the authors of the best-selling A WIFE BETWEEN US comes another twisty suspense novel. When Jessica Farris sneaks into a psychology study conducted by Dr. Lindsay Shields she thinks it’s going to be just easy money by answering a few questions. But as the questions become more intense in each session and the money goes up, she finds herself in a web of mystery, obsession and deceit. What is real and what it not becomes the question. This book has been optioned for a TV series and their 1st novel has been optioned by Steven Spielberg. These women are on fire!   5 stars

2/19   "An Anonymous Girl" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Jennifer Weiner

7/18   "Mrs. Everything" by Jennifer Weiner

From the NY Times best-selling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood &amp; The Woman in Cabin 10 comes Ruth Ware’s 5th book. A child is dead, Rowan is in prison and her story is told as flashbacks to a lawyer she is begging to take her case. Part thriller, part revenge and part ghost story with a poignancy that underlies Rowan’s storytelling. Also, like all of Ruth’s books, she always saves the best for the last page!

9/12   Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Peggy Orenstein

1/22/20   "Boys and Sex" by Peggy Orenstein

Annisa Gray

A trio of adult sisters are coming to terms with their very complicated family history. We all experience and remember our family life differently and this book explores some deep and complicated issues that drive us all. Told with sweetness and with searing honesty about some difficult subjects (incarceration, eating disroders and domestic abuse) while at the same time being a gripping read.

5/30   "The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls" by Annisa Gray

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