We’ve all been there, sitting around scrolling on our phones, trying to find the perfect pick for next month’s meeting. Then, when you’ve made the selection and you read it, you meet again, and no one has anything to say about the dull, hard-to-get-into selection you find on the first page of Google. There’s nothing worse!

To help prevent awkward book club meetings that just end up descending into what everyone’s watching on TV instead of actually talking about the book, we’ve compiled a list of book-club-worthy books.

These fall under a range of genres with a diverse range of topics that will shake up your book club.

See must-read selections for book clubs below!

In his new documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the “Uptown Girl” singer talked about having an affair with Weber when she was still married to his bandmate and best friend, Jon Small. “Bill and I spent a lot of time together,” Weber said in the documentary, per People.

The truth came out when one day Joel opened up about his feelings to Small himself. “I’m in love with your wife,” he told his bandmate.

“I felt very, very guilty about it,” Joel admitted. “They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.”

After that day, everything took a turn. Their band Attila ceased to exist, Weber took off, and Joel started drinking to ease the pain of losing his love and betraying his best friend. Then, he started struggling with depression.

“I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic,” he admitted. “So I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.’ I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all.”

Hitting rock bottom, Joel attempted suicide twice, once with his sister’s sleeping pills and the other after he drank a bottle of “lemon Pledge.” In the second attempt, Small was the person who found him and took him to the hospital.

“Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life,” Joel said.

“He never really said anything to me, the only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much,” Small said. “Eventually, I forgave him.”

Joel was eventually married to Weber from 1973 to 1982.

If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. 

In a new interview on the Reclaiming With Monica Lewinsky podcast, Bush remembered a traumatic on-set experience on a TV show after her time on One Tree Hill. Per Page Six, all signs are pointing to her time on Chicago P.D. as Erin Lindsay. Bush left the show abruptly in 2017 after four seasons, alleging a toxic work environment.

“I had a workplace ongoing trauma revolving around an unending situation with someone old enough to be my father,” Bush told Lewinsky, adding that she experienced people who were “every kind of abusive” during her time there.

“I did the thing I learned to do and said, ‘I will not have my integrity diminished by someone else’s behavior,'” Bush said of her mindset at the time. “‘I will be unflappable. I will come to work and do my job.’ And I couldn’t.”

But, as a result, keeping her feelings inside led to some physical side effects. According to Bush, she had a “spontaneous illness,” would wake up “covered in hives,” had “really crazy weight fluctuation,” lost her hair and couldn’t sleep due to “crippling anxiety.”

“To be hit with anxiety in such a way that I could barely be out of the house,” Bush detailed. “If people touched me in public, I would jump out of my skin. I couldn’t talk to people anymore. I couldn’t talk to strangers anymore. I couldn’t be looked at anymore.”

Luckily, she “finally” left the show in April 2017.

A few months later, in October 2017, an executive came to her and apologized. “I got a call from an executive apologizing for what they’d done and not done,” she recalled. “And [they] said, ‘We’re very aware we just made it out of that unscathed.’”

“I was like, ‘Glad you did, I’m in so much therapy. I’ve been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but I’m thrilled you guys didn’t get dragged through the press,'” Bush responded.

Knowing that Chicago P.D. is still airing to this day, with many of the original cast members, is sure is surprising to know how toxic the set was for Bush. We’re glad she got out when she did.

Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have opened up about their depression and anxiety. 
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have opened up about their depression and anxiety.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum shared photos on Instagram showing off her toned figure as she posed in various underwear sets from the brand Third Love.

“I never thought I’d be doing my first underwear shoot at 53… but here we are! And I’ve never felt more confident, or comfortable in my skin,” Garth wrote alongside the photos.

“I’m proud to be part of this moment—not just because it’s a first for me, but because it’s with a brand that genuinely supports women through every phase of life, including menopause,” she added, detailing Third Love’s temperature-regulating technology.

In the first of four photos, Garth posed in a seamless pale blue bra and panty set from the brand. The actress modeled a black wireless bra in a second image, and in another photo, she wore a beige bra and underwear styled with a blue robe. In a fourth campaign photo, Garth posed while pulling on a pair of jeans over her undies.

In January, Garth opened up to Katie Couric Media about wanting to bust the shame around menopause, saying, “Menopause isn’t some dirty little secret. By the time you’re my age, you realize being authentic is far more powerful than trying to look perfect. If talking about my experience helps one woman feel less alone, I’m all in.”

“We used to whisper about menopause like it was some shameful condition. Now? Women are finally talking openly, sharing experiences, and demanding better healthcare. It’s about time. I want to see more research,” she added. “We women in menopause or perimenopause are far from the stigma of being ‘done’ — this is truly our age of possibility. It’s a time when we can redefine ourselves, embrace new opportunities, and step into the changes going on in our bodies with wisdom and confidence.”

Before you go, click here to see which celebrities say that life gets better with age below:

Marshall-Green makes his first appearance in the show in episode two as Carrie’s gardener in her brand new Gramercy Park townhouse. After swooping in to save Carrie’s cat, Shoe, who escaped her home, Marshall-Green’s character reveals he’s here to help Carrie plan her dream garden.

Viewers of the show might recognize Marshall-Green from television roles in The O.C. or crime series Dark Blue or roles on the big screen in movies like Prometheus or Spider-Man: Homecoming.

And if you don’t recognize him from those roles but think you recognize him from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mad Max: Fury Road or Legend, you’re getting him confused with Tom Hardy.

Related story Carrie’s Billowing Hat & All the Most Divisive Fashion Moments From And Just Like That

Despite speculation, Marshall-Green is not related to Hardy and has no apparent connection to the British actor. Marshall-Green was born in North Carolina and raised in Rhode Island, while Hardy is a London-native.

While Marshall-Green and Hardy aren’t related, the And Just Like That newcomer does have another doppelgänger in his family, his twin brother, Taylor Marshall-Green.

Unlike his twin brother, Taylor is not an actor, so you won’t be confusing the brothers on screen any time soon. However, on Instagram, they couldn’t look more alike!

Marshall-Green, who dated Marisa Tomei from 2008 until 2012, went on to marry actress Diane Gaeta later that year. They welcomed a son in 2014 and Marshall-Green also became a stepfather to Gaeta’s daughter from her relationship with Sons of Anarchy star Johnny Lewis.

Marshall-Green and Gaeta divorced in 2019.

In June 2024, Variety reported that Marshall-Green had joined the cast of And Just Like That season three as a recurring guest star, but details about his character were not revealed. Fans will just have to wait to find out what role he’ll play in the drama of this season.

Before you go, click here to see celebrities who look so much alike, it’s crazy.

From the TV classic Gilmore Girls to the Netflix hit Ginny & Georgia, which released its long-awaited third season on June 5, these are shows where mother-daughter relationships are not only important, but they’re the heart of it.

“The one North Star for Georgia is her love for her kids, so she leads with that first and foremost,” Brianne Howey, who plays mom Georgia to teen Ginny (Antonia Gentry) in Ginny & Georgia, told StyleCaster. “Of course, that looks a little bit different in Georgia, like the way Georgia feels that she’s showing Ginny love. Ginny doesn’t feel like she wants to receive love that way, right? Ginny would like a mom who is a little bit more self-aware and who could act like the adult in the situation. So I think, unfortunately, Georgia suffers in that arena.”

To take a look at some of our favorite mother-daughter relationships we’ve followed onscreen, scroll below!

The 35-year-old stars might be laying low after Swift’s Eras Tour and Kelce’s Super Bowl loss but their latest date night is turning heads thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s eye-catching pants.

In a video shared via X, Kelce and Swift were seen leaving a restaurant in Florida, where they have been spending time away from the public eye. The couple were hand-in-hand and all smiles as they exited the establishment, waving to fans. “Have a good night, guys!” Kelce told those waiting outside the restaurant.

Related story All of Travis Kelce’s Ex-Girlfriends Before He Met Taylor Swift

While Swift stuck to her classic style in a black mini dress and brown leather heels, Kelce went for a more daring look, styling a black button-up t-shirt with bold checkered pants. And let’s just say the bold fashion choice didn’t land with fans.

“Travis I love you.. but these pants,” said one X user. Another joked, “Love the couple. Hate the pants.”

Swift and Kelce, who started dating in 2023, have been spotted in Florida several times in recent weeks but, for the most part, are enjoying their quiet time. “They’re living fairly normally here,” a source told Life & Style earlier this month. “She hasn’t been spotted much, but everyone is buzzing that she’s here.”

“When they go out to eat or have drinks, people let them be,” the source added.

Hours before their date night, a source told Us Weekly, “Florida has been the perfect escape for them. Taylor has been coming and going to Florida and is still spending a lot of her time in NYC.”

Another insider added that Swift “is trying to spend as much time with him as she can by going to Boca. They are doing stuff separately out of necessity because of his training, but when they find time to connect, it’s intentional and meaningful.”

A third source said, “They are making fewer public appearances together because [their relationship] brings too much unwanted attention. But there isn’t trouble in paradise.”

Before you go, click here to see all the most private celebrity couples.

On June 5, Amazon announced the 10 books that have been selected for their annual Best Books of the Year So Far list. And while some books have been highly talked-about, like Oprah Winfrey’s latest selections The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong and Matriarch: A Memoir by Tina Knowles, you might not have heard about a few of the selections.

“Selecting the Best Books of the Year So Far is a tireless—and fun—process for the Amazon Books Editors,” wrote Amazon Books Editorial Director Sarah Gelman in the announcement. “Over thousands of hours, we read across genres from authors both new and established, searching for the very best books that make us smile, think, cry, cringe, and pique our sense of wonder.”

Earning the top spot on the list this year is Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.

“Wild Dark Shore is a novel that masterfully evoked each of these emotions in our team, and beautifully highlights the imperfections of human nature even when we have the best intentions,” Gelman added.

“Shot from a cannon in the dark, Wild Dark Shore is a novel that hooks you from the start and doesn’t let you go until the last page; it will leave you breathless, wide-eyed, and in awe of the extraordinary power of fiction,” wrote Amazon Editor Al Woodworth. “McConaghy’s exquisite gift is that she creates characters that you know you shouldn’t trust with your whole heart, but you do anyway. The result is a gutting, magnificent story of the things people will do—or won’t do—for the people and things they care about.”

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In the official synopsis, readers learn that Wild Dark Shore follows a small family (aka the Salts) on a remote island off the shore of Antarctica called Shearwater, whose lives change after a woman mysteriously washes ashore after a storm.

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“Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need,” the description details. “Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.”

“But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater,” the blurb teases. “And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic [Salt] is keeping his own secrets.”

But as secrets start bubbling to the surface, another major storm starts brewing.

“As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together,” the description ends.

Get your copy of Wild Dark Shore today!

Before you go, click here to see all the highest-rated Oprah Winfrey book club picks.

A source spoke to The Sun about the divisions in the former couple’s relationship that led to their recent breakup, which was reported by on June 4.

“They really tried to work through their issues but the age gap was often a problem and she’d expressed that she may want children in the future, whereas Chris is kind of done with that part of his life but they discussed it,” the source said.

The source added that the 35-year-old actress “really loves him and his children, and he deeply loves her, but things were just never lining up for them and it was very up and down.”

“They made some beautiful memories as a family and it’ll be hard for both of them to move on after such a long relationship but they will do it,” they said.

The 48-year-old Coldplay frontman is a dad to adult children, 21-year-old daughter Apple and 19-year-old son Moses, from his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow. Johnson has no children.

Related story Dakota Johnson & Chris Martin Officially Broke Up — Here's a Look Back at Little-Known Details About Their Relationship

The Madame Web star opened up about wanting to become a mom in a March 2024 interview with Bustle. “I’m so open to that,” Johnson said when asked about whether she wants kids.

“I’ve gotten to this place where I really want to experience everything that life has to offer. And especially being a woman, I’m like, ‘What a magical f-cking thing to do. What a crazy, magical, wild experience.’ If that’s meant to happen for me, I’m totally down for it.”

In the same interview, she gushed about Martin’s kids, saying, “I love those kids like my life depends on it. With all my heart.”

People reported on June 4 that the couple called off their eight-year-long relationship with a source saying, “It feels final this time.” Sources previously speculated that Johnson and Martin split last year, but the pair appeared to have reconciled late in the year and were last seen together in Malibu in May.

They started dating in 2017 and sparked engagement rumors in 2020, which were confirmed last year with sources saying they’ve been engaged “for a while.”

Before you go, click to see all the most private celebrity couples.

The 68-year-old actor opened up about the pride he feels for his only daughter on the release of The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road, her book about Hanks’ first wife, Susan Dillingham, who E.A. says was emotionally and physically abusive during her childhood.

“I’m not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal as well as the curiosity to examine this thing that I think she was incredibly honest about,” Hanks told Access Hollywood at the premiere of his new film, The Phoenician Scheme. “We all come from checkered, cracked lives, all of us.”

“She’s a knockout, always has been,” he continued. “If you’ve had kids, you realize that you see who they are when they’re about 6 weeks old.”

Hanks was married to Dillingham from 1978 until 1987 and shares son Colin, 47, and daughter Elizabeth Anne, 43. Dillingham died in 2002.

Related story All About Tom Hanks' First Wife, Susan Dillingham, Amid His Daughter's Abuse Allegations

In her book, E.A. recalled moving with her mom after she got primary custody of her and Colin following her divorce from Hanks. “As the years went on, the backyard became so full of dog s— that you couldn’t walk around it, the house stank of smoke. The fridge was bare or full of expired food more often than not, and my mother spent more and more time in her big four-poster bed, poring over the Bible.”

“One night, her emotional violence became physical violence, and in the aftermath I moved to Los Angeles, right smack in the middle of the seventh grade,” she continued.

After telling her father about what was going on at home, the Forrest Gump actor got custody of his older kids and moved them in with his now-wife Rita Wilson and their sons, Chet, now 34, and Truman, now 29.

Though Dillingham was never diagnosed, E.A. writes that she now believes her mother had bipolar and was prone to episodes of extreme paranoia and delusion. The book chronicles E.A.’s journey back to where her mother grew up after unearthing Dillingham’s journal that was filled with dark entries about her past.

E.A. previously opened up about her famous dad’s reaction to Vanity Fair. “From the outset, he has supported The 10,” E.A. said in an April 8 profile. “Whether it was swapping cars with me, helping me pick out camping gear, or being the first reader.”

“The conversation we had once he had read a very early draft was exactly what I needed to hear, which was that I had depicted my mother accurately,” she said. “This is what it was like to both love and fear her.”

Before you go, click here to see celebrity kids who are all grown up.