Actress and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon created her Hello Sunshine Book Club to celebrate women's stories, promote diversity, support independent bookstores, and encourage literacy for everyone. This Collection of Study Guides includes an assortment of picks from Reese’s Book Club, all featuring women as main characters. Read on to learn more about Kya’s coming-of-age in Where the Crawdads Sing, multiple generations of Cuban women in Next Year in Havana, and rock ’n’ roll in 1970s America in Daisy Jones & The Six.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Self Help, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality
Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Historical Fiction, Music, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s historical fiction novel Daisy Jones & The Six, published in 2019, is a contemporary work of fiction that explores the rich music culture of the 1970s in the United States. This time was known for rock ’n’ roll, partly as a cultural response to the strict rules of the 1960s and the disaster of the Vietnam War. The California dream world of hard partying, no rules, and freedom persists as a major... Read Daisy Jones & The Six Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is a 2017 comic novel about human connection. The title character, Eleanor Oliphant, narrates the story, introducing herself as an office worker with a solitary life in present-day Glasgow, Scotland. Eleanor spends her free time doing crosswords, listening to the radio, drinking vodka, and reading classic literature. She does not socialize with anyone, and her only family is a spiteful mother who calls from prison once a week. One night... Read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Asian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Indian Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Identity: Language, Society: Community
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Everything Inside (2019) is a short story collection by Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat. The eight stories in this collection, which focus primarily on the lives of Haitian people living across the Caribbean, are connected by their interest in loss and the search for identity. Like many of her characters, Danticat immigrated to the United States from Haiti at a young age; her love for Haiti and its history is evident throughout the collection, despite... Read Everything Inside Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community, Natural World: Food
Tags Travel Literature, Romance, Food, Italian Literature, Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity
Tags Romance, Sports, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Class, Latin American Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Gender / Feminism, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mythology, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, American Literature, Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family
Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Little Fires Everywhere is a New York Times bestselling novel by Celeste Ng published in 2017. In the town of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Elena Richardson rents her family’s property on Winslow Road to Mia and Pearl Warren, a mother and daughter duo who inspire her sense of charity. Mia is an artist, and her lack of rootedness and intense focus on her art unnerve Mrs. Richardson, who lives an orderly life. Their lives become further... Read Little Fires Everywhere Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction