Real Friends Who Read Books

This week, we’ll be discussing Mary Shaffer and Annie Barrows’ novel, The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. 

The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society in one sentence:    

Erica: Thiiiiiiiiiiiis did not translate to an audiobook 

Courtney: Dearest listeners, This is a story about finding love after loss, the power of community in tough times and something else I will think of tomorrow or right before we begin recording on Saturday if I’m being real.

 Ever yours and such, Courtney 

Mary Paige: Dear friends, This story has forced me to believe that letter writing should indeed make a comeback. 

Yours truly, Mary Paige

 -- Read along with us! C'mon, it's a book club.     

Here's what's coming up: 5/25: Broken (in the best possible way) 

6/8: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Vol. 1) 

6/22: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

This week the Real Friends dig into the cult favorite, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Grab your haptic gloves, we're logging into the OASIS. 

Ready Player One in one sentence:

-A fun nerdy adventure that actually made me want to play video games, which is big for someone who dislikes them in general. -Mary Paige

-In Ready Player One, I learned there’s such a thing as a designated “Chaos Zone” annnd I will be renaming my office accordingly, no further questions. -Erica

-An adventure story in which most of the adventure is done from a seated position. -Courtney

Read along with us! C'mon, it's a book club.    

Here's what's coming up:  

5/11: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

5/25: Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson

6/8: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Vol.1) by Bryan Lee O'Malley

This week the friends are digging into Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi's stunning follow-up to her debut novel. Transcendent Kingdom in one sentence:   - Courtney: Beautiful writing of a mostly sad story about navigating through a life touched by addiction, depression and heavy handed religion that feels all too real because it is too real --but still has a happy ending! - Mary Paige: A book that shows the parallels between Gifty's neuroscience career and her religious upbringing as well as the loss of her loved ones.  - Erica: You can’t intellectualize your trauma, but Gifty will try. Read along with us! C'mon, it's a book club.     Here's what's coming up:   4/27: Ready Player 1 by Ernest Cline   5/11: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows  5/25: Broken (In the Best Way Possible) by Jenny Lawson

Grab your dance cards, folks! Mary Paige is taking us on a journey into polite society this week with Julia Quinn's historical romance The Duke and I.   

The Duke and I in one sentence:  

- It's. Called. Therapy. -Courtney

- The one where Erica falls asleep listening to the audiobook and misses key plot points. - Erks 

- Two people fall in love, have spicy sex, take advantage of each other, then make up and have more spicy sex.  -Mary Paige

Read along with us! You know...like a book club.   

Up Next:  

4/13: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 

4/27: Ready Player 1 by Ernest Cline 

5/11: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Grab your dance cards, folks! Mary Paige is taking us on a journey into polite society this week with Julia Quinn's historical romance The Duke and I.   

The Duke and I in one sentence:  

- It's. Called. Therapy. -Courtney

- The one where Erica falls asleep listening to the audiobook and misses key plot points. - Erks 

- Two people fall in love, have spicy sex, take advantage of each other, then make up and have more spicy sex.  -Mary Paige

Read along with us! You know...like a book club.   

Up Next:  

4/13: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 

4/27: Ready Player 1 by Ernest Cline 

5/11: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This week, we’ll be discussing the first novel in the Great Cities series, “The City We Became” written by award winning science fiction and fantasy author, N.K. Jemisin. Buckle up friends, we’re stepping into another dimension.

The City We Became in one sentence:  

-White supremacy ruins the party (again), but make it sci-fi. - Erks 

-Though I discovered the fantasy genre is not my jam due to my lack of imagination, I finally figured out around page 250 or so that that this book is about the city borough avatars coming together to protect the soul of the city (aka the primary avatar in which I’m still unsure if he has a name?) against racism also known as the woman in white, the ghost in the bathroom stall, the x shaped spider thing or the monster in the pool the random feathery tendrils? by using their strange superpowers I still don't fully understand. - Mary Paige 

-New York city has come alive and must fight a parasitic enemy from another dimension or face extinction through gentrification. - Courtney  

Read along with us – it's a book club!  

Up next:  

3/30: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn 

4/13: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 

4/27: Ready Player 1 by Ernest Cline

Courtney, Erica and Mary Paige introduce themselves with some book related questions and a game of "this or that".

Read along with us!

Ep. 1 (3/16/21): The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

Ep. 2 (3/30/21): The Duke and I by Julia Quinn 

Ep. 3 (4/13/21): Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi