Celebrity book clubs have become popular in recent years and Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club is a standout among them. Partnering with her media company Hello Sunshine, which aims to create, share, and recommend stories centered on women, Reese selects a new book each month. With their signature yellow stickers, her book club picks have earned her a loyal following and helped launch books like Where the Crawdads Sing to bestseller status.
Given her book club’s popularity, Reese decided to make an additional selection each month– sharing a young adult book as well. Beginning in August of 2020, Reese's YA book club picks have consistently impressed readers of all types. Whether you are a young adult or just young at heart, there's plenty to discover on Reese's ever-growing list of choices below.
Within These Wicked Walls
Within These Wicked Walls is an enthralling fantasy read likened to an Ethiopian reimagining of Jane Eyre. The story follows Andromeda, an exorcist who's seeking a wealthy patron to endorse her talents after being dismissed by her mentor.
The handsome and wealthy heir Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, and Andromeda accepts. However, as she becomes closer to Magnus, she discovers he is concealing dark secrets, and strange things are happening around them. Staying could mean her demise, yet abandoning Magnus to suffer his curse alone is not an option, especially after falling in love with him.
Anatomy: A Love Story
Hazel wants nothing more than to become a surgeon. However, due to her gender, she gets expelled from her lectures, and her only option to pass her medical exam is to study using corpses. Fortunately, she meets Jack, who makes a living by exhuming bodies and agrees to help her out. As they collaborate, they uncover the buried secrets in the graves they investigate and in their society.
The Downstairs Girl
During the day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan is a lady's maid for the elite of Atlanta. But at night, she moonlights as an advice columnist, doling out wisdom to the same Southern women she serves during the day. Set in the 1890s, this is a fascinating book about racism, segregation and feminism.
Tokyo Ever After
“If The Princess Diaries met Crazy Rich Asians, you would get close to the wonderfully chaotic splendor of Tokyo Ever After.” ―Entertainment Weekly
Outspoken, irreverent Izumi, aka Izzy, has never fit in as part of her small, mostly white north California town. And figuring out where she belongs only gets more difficult after she kinds out her father is the Crown Prince of Japan—which makes her a princess.
Firekeeper's Daughter
This novel is slated to be adapted for a Netflix TV show—by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company!—and it's easy to see why. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine leads this thriller about corruption in a Native American community. A member of the Ojibwe tribe, Daunis reluctantly agrees to go undercover for the FBI after she witnesses a shocking murder.
You Have a Match
Though the title of the book may make you think "romance," this YA novel is actually about a DNA match. Abby signs up for a DNA service, and discovers that she's a younger sister. After contacting Savannah, her Instagram-star-sister, the two decide to meet at a summer camp and find out more about each other—and why their parent gave Savannah up in the first place.
The Light in Hidden Places
Based on a true story, The Light in Hidden Places follows Stefania Podgorska as she takes on the unthinkable responsibility of hiding 13 Jews during World War II. Just a teenager when the Nazis invade, Stefania finds her life entirely altered. Her secret love, Izio, and his family, the Diamants, are sent to a concentration camp.
However, when one of the Diamants escapes, Stefania decides to hide him and eventually 12 other Jews. But her choice is perilous, and becomes all the more complicated when Nazi officers requisition her home and begin to live in the same house as those she has hidden.
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A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
Looking to take a step back from the troubles of her life, Lila moves to Winchester, England at her parents’ suggestion. Spending the summer far from her warm and vibrant home in Miami, Lila is less than enamored with her bland surroundings. That is, until Orion Maxwell, who works at a local tea shop, begins to show her around.
Finding there is much more to him and the area than she would have expected, Lila begins to see things differently. With a brighter outlook on life and a whole new plan for her future, Lila’s trip across the Atlantic becomes a heartwarming story of love and self-discovery.
Fable
An adventure on the high seas, Adrienne Young’s fantasy follows Fable, the daughter of a powerful merchant, who has grown up on her father’s voyages. Following her mother’s tragic drowning, Fable's father abandons her on an island crawling with thieves. With treachery and danger at every turn, Fable’s quest to find her father and earn a spot on his crew is far from smooth sailing.
Furia
Though she has tried to please everyone in her life up to now, Camila is faced with tougher and tougher choices. Her dream to be a professional soccer player is finally taking shape, with her team headed to the South American tournament. However, Camila has kept her talent a secret from her parents ,who would not approve of her playing soccer.
On top of that, the boy she used to love has returned home to Argentina and her complicated feelings toward him still linger. But despite the challenges and obstacles, Camila is determined to achieve her dreams.
You Should See Me in a Crown
When her plans to leave her small Midwestern town for the elite college of her dreams come crashing down, Liz Lighty is forced to find an alternative. Though the financial aid she was counting on fell through, the scholarship awarded to the prom king and queen could solve her problems.
But with its cut-throat competition, social media madness, and all-too-public events, prom is basically everything Liz can’t stand about Campbell, Indiana all wrapped up in one. Despite being out of her element, Liz finds herself falling for Mack, who is also running for prom queen, in this hilarious rom-com from Leah Johnson.
Keep Reading:
These Are the Best YA Books Getting Us Through 2020
The Best YA Novels You May Have Missed
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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