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 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Romance
The Giver of Stars (2019) by JoJo Moyes is a work of women’s fiction that can also be categorized as historical fiction. Not long after its publication, The Giver of Stars became embroiled in controversy when another author, Kim Michele Richardson, noted similarities between her book about the WPA Pack Horse Librarians, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and Moyes’s novel. Moyes is the bestselling author of Me Before You, and The Giver of Stars... Read The Giver of Stars Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a contemporary murder mystery novel published in 2020. Foley, an English author, weaves a tale of intrigue, secrets, and betrayal upon the backdrop of an isolated island in West Ireland. Foley is also known for the thrillers The Hunting Party (2018) and The Paris Apartment (2022), among others. Often likened to Agatha Christie, Foley’s novel is a slow-burn whodunit.Plot SummaryMany perspectives compose The Guest List; each chapter jumps... Read The Guest List Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture
The Henna Artist (2020) is a novel by Indian American author Alka Joshi and the first book in The Jaipur Trilogy. The story takes place in 1950s India and follows 17-year-old Lakshmi as she escapes an abusive marriage and moves to Jaipur to become a henna artist. The protagonist is based on the author’s mother, who was not able to choose her own path in life but was determined that her children would have that... Read The Henna Artist Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Education, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Race / Racism, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Food, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Immigration
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modernism, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World
Susan Orlean, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and best-selling author of The Orchid Thief, returned to narrative nonfiction with The Library Book (2018). Through the story of the Los Angeles Central Library, Orlean provides a history of libraries, examining what we stand to lose as the world’s base of knowledge transitions into the digital realm. Orlean received a Goodreads Choice Awards nomination for Best Nonfiction and a place on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine... Read The Library Book Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Four women become trapped in their own web of deceit in Ruth Ware’s psychological thriller, The Lying Game (2017). A text from their old school friend, Kate, sends Thea, Fatima, and Isa to the coastal village of Salten where the body of Kate’s father, Ambrose, surfaces on the beach. The problem: The four girls hid the body 17 years ago and told no one. Now, their lies are catching up to them. Ware deftly moves... Read The Lying Game Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo was published in 2020. Like Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride (2013), The Night Tiger is a mixture of genres, including mythology and historical fiction, and it is a New York Times bestseller. The Night Tiger chronicles the period between May and July of 1931. The setting is colonial-era Malaysia, or “Malaya.”Plot SummaryChinese house servant Ren, is a 10-year-old orphan who’s mourning the death of his master, Dr. MacFarlane... Read The Night Tiger Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, British Literature, Gothic Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Magical Realism, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Russian Literature, History: World