Lizzy's top 10 for book clubs

The Husbands

A brilliantly original, funny and astute debut that examines how we navigate life, love and choice in a world of never-ending options. NO 1 KINDLE BESTSELLER A GUARDIAN, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, RED, DAILY MAIL AND iNEWS BEST SUMMER READ 'One of the funniest debuts for years' SUNDAY TIMES 'The most fun I've had reading in the longest time' MARIAN KEYES 'An absolute riot' THE UNMUMSY MUM 'A wonderful, wonderful novel' JENNIE GODFREY 'A time-bending gem' GABRIELLE ZEVIN You wait ages for The One . . . then 203 come along at once. One night Lauren finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband. All the evidence—from photos to electricity bills—suggests he's right. Lauren's attic, she slowly realises, is creating an endless supply of husbands...

The Book of Guilt

In a sinisterly skewed version of England in 1979, thirteen-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Each day the boys must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. Children who survive are allowed to move to the Big House in Margate, a destination of mythical proportions, desired by every Sycamore child. Meanwhile, in Exeter, Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who never let her leave the house. As the government looks to shut down the Sycamore homes and place their residents into the community, the triplets’ lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, culminating in revelations that will rock the children to...

Yellowface

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang explores the story of a struggling writer who seizes an opportunity by publishing a deceased rival's manuscript under her own name, delving into themes of identity, cultural appropriation, and the complexities of the modern literary world.

The Wedding People

'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn't here for the big event. When the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by a divorced and depressed stranger, she is furious. She has spent months accounting for every detail and every possible disaster — except for, well, Phoebe… Soon, both women find their best-laid plans derailed and an unlikely confidante in one another. Hilarious and moving, The Wedding People is an...

Educated

Educated by Tara Westover is a memoir about a woman who grows up in a strict and isolated household in rural Idaho. Without formal education until the age of seventeen, she eventually escapes her restrictive environment, pursuing knowledge and earning a PhD from Cambridge University. The story explores themes of self-invention, family loyalty, and the transformative power of education.

Seed

An always hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking new novel from the publishers of Marian Keyes and Dolly Alderton. Seed is raw, hilarious and so lifelike I kept forgetting I wasn't reading about real people. I felt every frustration, every high and every low as if these women were my friends. A heartfelt, funny, unforgettable read. I loved it. - Rachael Johns Four friends, two pregnancies and the mother of all awkward situations... Hillary and her partner are eager for a baby, their sex life dictated by the automated texts from their fertility agency, MotherWorld. Her best friend Maggie is a single mother living her best life, enjoying a healthy relationship with her ex, and a healthy appetite on the dating apps. With her youngest now at school, Shelley is returning...

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

"I loved this book" BONNIE GARMUS, author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY "A generous, compassionate book about the power of love and community" LOUISE KENNEDY, author of TRESPASSES "THIS is his best book" ANN PATCHETT, author of TOM LAKE "I can't recommend this one highly enough" HARLAN COBEN THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER BARACK OBAMA'S BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK AMAZON.COM NO.1 BOOK OF THE YEAR BOOK OF THE YEAR IN: THE GUARDIAN, NEW YORKER, NEW YORK TIMES, TIME MAGAZINE, HARPER'S BAZAAR, OPRAH DAILY AND WASHINGTON POST In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the...

Flesh

From 2025 Booker Prize Winner author David Szalay comes a propulsive, hypnotic novel about a man who is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp. 'A revelatory novel' - Sunday Times 'Brilliance on every page' - Samantha Harvey, author of Orbital Fifteen-year-old Istvan lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. New to the town and shy, he is unfamiliar with the social rituals at school and soon becomes isolated, with his neighbour—a married woman close to his mother's age—as his only companion. These encounters shift into a clandestine relationship that Istvan himself can barely understand, and his life soon spirals out of control. As the years pass, he is carried gradually upwards on the twenty-first century's tides of money and power, moving...

Theo of Golden

Convenience Store Woman

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a profound exploration of societal norms through the life of Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old woman who finds solace and purpose working part-time at a convenience store in Tokyo. Despite her family's pressure to conform to traditional paths of career success and marriage, Keiko thrives in her simple role, challenging the reader to question what it truly means to lead a fulfilling life. The novel deftly examines individuality and the quiet rebellion of living on one's own terms.