This list was inspired by my good friend and neighbor, who participates in a coed book club and frequently asks for recommendations. They’ve discussed The Beautiful Bureaucrat, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and much more.

I chose books that I thought would make enjoyable reading for both sexes and would spark lively, interesting, sometimes heated discussion. 

Latest Addition(s) (December 27, 2020)

Boys' ClubThe Boys’ Club by Erica Katz
Fiction – Debut (Release Date: August 4, 2020)
416 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Harvard Law grad Alexandra (Alex) Vogel falls under the spell of the high-powered M&A group in her first year of her job at a prestigious NYC law firm, but she eventually finds there’s a dark underbelly to BigLaw where women take the fall.

My Thoughts: The Boys’ Club is my favorite kind of Brain Candy…one that reads easy, but has good substance (aka Brain Candy with substance). The Boys’ Club was marketed as Sweetbitter meets The Firm, but I thought it was more The Devil Wears Prada. Katz (which is a pseudonym, as she actually works in “BigLaw” in New York City) paints a spot-on portrayal of the world of BigLaw, which is incredibly stressful and can be a toxic culture for women. And, she provides excellent commentary on women’s unique struggles with trying to pursue a career in an intense, male-dominated industry. My Review.

Leave the World BehindLeave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Literary Fiction (Release Date: October 6, 2020)
256 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Amanda and Clay’s vacation in a Long Island rental house is interrupted when the home owners (a black couple) show up on their doorstep…saying that NYC is in the middle of a blackout. They must figure out what’s going on and if they’re safe where they are.

My Thoughts: This #readwithjenna pick is one of the most divisive books of the year. I thought it was immersive, dripping with emotional tension, and chock full of commentary on technology in the modern world. But, don’t give it to readers who need all their questions answered by the end. 

The List

BeartownBeartown by Fredrick Backman
Fiction – Sports (
Released April 25, 2017)
432 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: While small, down and out Beartown goes crazy over its youth ice hockey team’s run in the Swedish national tournament, something explosive happens to throw the town’s and team’s hopes into jeopardy.

My Thoughts: I was hesitant to read Beartown because I abandoned Backman’s smash hit, A Man Called Ove, pretty early on. But, Beartown is an entirely different story and is one of my favorite books of the year so far! Beartown has been compared to Friday Night Lights, which is accurate in that this is a story of a town who’s hopes are declining every day and whose youth sports team is really the only thing it’s residents have to be proud of. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: Youth sports, sports power structure, one other major issue that I won’t mention here because it’s a spoiler

Black Chalk, Christopher J. Yates, thriller, fiction, Oxford UniversityBlack Chalk by Christopher J. Yates
Fiction (U.S. Release April, 2014)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Summary: Six best friends at Oxford University decide to play “a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares” (quote from Amazon), which devolves into humiliation and tragedy.

My Thoughts: Black Chalk was one of my favorite books of 2014! Hmm – how to best describe this book (other than AWESOME!)? Think The Hunger Games meets The Secret History meets The InterestingsContinue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Human nature, motivation, risks, friendship

Concussion, Jeanne Marie LaskasConcussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas
Nonfiction – Medical Mystery/Sports (Released November 24, 2015)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Summary: 
The story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a native of Nigeria, who immigrated to the U.S. and used his neuropathological research into brain injuries of football players (i.e. CTE) to take on the National Football League (NFL).

My Thoughts: Concussion is a so much more than a “football book”; it’s a medical mystery, a David & Goliath story, an immigrant’s story, and a story of a big-business cover-up…and, it’s my favorite nonfiction of 2015! Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Football safety and what can/should be done to improve it, big business cover-ups, willingness to let own kids play football

Craigslist ConfessionalCraigslist Confessional by Helena Dea Bala
Nonfiction – General (Release Date: July 7, 2020)
256 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: The author shares personal stories from her project called Craigslist Confessional, where she asked strangers what they would “confess if you knew it would never get back to your spouse, your colleagues, or [their] family.” 

My Thoughts: These stories are the take-your-breath-away kind that I remember from Tiny Beautiful Things…just without the advice element (Dea Bala chose to strictly listen). They’re deeply raw and unfiltered and cover issues ranging from infidelity to addiction to racism to abuse to terminal illness to identity to mundane marriage issues. I was riveted. A 5 star book that came out of nowhere for me! P.S. – check out my podcast episode with the author! Full Review.

EvictedEvicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Nonfiction – Investigative Journalism / Social Justice (Released March 1, 2016)
418 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Desmond (a Princeton sociologist and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient) investigates the private housing market in poor neighborhoods by following 8 families in Milwaukee, WI.

My Thoughts: I liked getting to follow specific families as they got evicted from various homes and looked for new ones, battled with landlords, and tried to hold down jobs. I alternately felt for them as they came up against systemic prejudice (i.e. single mothers being turned down for apartments simply because they had children, eviction for frivolous infractions, etc) and was frustrated with them as they made terrible choices (i.e. rampant drug use, pregnancy, missed welfare meetings resulting in benefits being cut off, fighting in their homes resulting in eviction, etc.). Regardless, I gained an incredible appreciation for how this system is set up almost to guarantee failure. Full Review.

Five Days at Memorial, Sheri FinkFive Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Nonfiction (Released September 10, 2013)
558 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: An investigative report into what happened during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina at New Orleans’ Memorial Medical Center…including allegations that doctors intentionally sped up death for some of the hospital’s sickest patients that they thought wouldn’t survive an evacuation.
My Thoughts: Part portrait of a hospital trying to survive in the wake of disaster and part exploration of end-of-life care and euthanasia in the U.S., Five Days at Memorial reads like a thriller and is the first nonfiction book I’ve included on this list. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Medical ethics, disaster preparedness and response, euthanasia and end of life decisions

Foe iain reidFoe by Iain Reid
Fiction – Literary / Science Fiction (Release Date: September 4, 2018)
272 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Set in the near future, Junior is selected to participate in a partially government-run endeavor that requires him to leave his wife (Hen) on their isolated farm for a long time…but, the powers that be will make sure Hen is not alone in Junior’s absence.
My Thoughts: Part literary fiction, part page turner, part Sci-Fi (and definitely creepy), Foe is a genre mash-ups that dip their toes into Sci-Fi (e.g. Dark MatterThe Beautiful Bureaucrat). From the moment the book opened (and, really, well into the second half), I had no idea what was going on. It was clear that some omnipresent higher power had control over regular citizens and something wasn’t quite right with Junior’s wife, Hen. Outside of that, Foe had that “WTF is going on” vibe that permeated The Beautiful BureaucratFull Review.
Potential Discussion Topics: Progress, artificial intelligence technology, marriage, isolation

Going ClearGoing Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
Nonfiction (Released January 17, 2013)
430 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Summary: 
The story behind L. Ron Hubbard’s (LRH) founding of Scientology, its links to the entertainment industry, and the current state of the “religion”.

My Thoughts: Going Clear reminded me a lot of Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, just swapping out Scientology for Mormonism. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: Scientology as a religion/cult/business, etc, Scientology beliefs, Scientology’s allure, intersection with Hollywood

Hillbilly Elegy, J. D. VanceHillbilly Elegy by J.D.Vance
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released June 28, 2016)
272 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Vance’s hybrid memoir of his childhood growing up poor in an Ohio town (Middletown) / social analysis of the plight of poor Appalachians.
My Thoughts: Before reading Hillbilly Elegy, I’d heard it compared to Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle (which I loved) and I agree that the memoir portion does bear some resemblance. But, Vance takes Hillbilly Elegy to the next level (5 star level for me!) by seamlessly blending in social analysis of why the poor, white working class is failing to achieve upward mobility. Continue Reading…

Imagine Me Gone, Adam HaslettImagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
Fiction (Released May 3, 2016)
368 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: A multi-generational family saga of the impact of depression and mental illness on a family.

My Thoughts: Incredibly sad, but poignant, this 2016 National Book Award Long-Lister is beautifully written and captures the frustration, resentment, and crushing sense of responsibility and worry that come with having a family member who suffers from mental illness. While extended sections from Michael’s perspective are hard to read and nonsensical at times with long tangents on esoteric music, they serve a distinct purpose (allowing the reader inside mind of someone suffering from depression). And, the second half flows beautifully toward the inevitable, yet still drama-filled conclusion.
Potential Discussion Topics: Mental illness, family dynamics, moral obligations

Inheritance by Dani ShapiroInheritanceby Dani Shapiro
Nonfiction – Memoir (Release Date: January 15, 2019)
272 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Shapiro’s memoir about her experience discovering her father was not her biological father through an online DNA test.

My Thoughts: Inheritance was an emotional and interesting look into a new phenomenon brought on by the simple and cheap online DNA test. It went places I wasn’t expecting (good!), but did go over the top with theological and philosophical theory at times. Still, it’s 4 stars! 

Potential Discussion Topics: Ethical and moral issues surrounding the new phenomenon of the cheap and easy online DNA test

Missoula, Jon KrakauerMissoula by Jon Krakauer
Nonfiction (Released April 21, 2015)
386 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Summary: Krakauer explores rape and the justice system on college campuses through a look at several acquaintance rape cases at the University of Montana in Missoula.

My Thoughts: Krakauer’s incredibly readable investigative journalism had me turning the issues of rape and the justice system over and over in my head and was almost a 5 star read for me (only a tedious final section prevented me from giving it that last half star). Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Rape on college campuses, fairness of criminal and campus procedure in handling rape cases, what can/should be done to improve a rape victim’s experience with pressing charges and outcome

One Second After, William R. ForstchenOne Second After by William R. Forstchen
Fiction (Released March 17, 2009)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: 
The small town of Black Mountain, North Carolina fights to survive after the United States is hit by an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack.
My Thoughts: 
This is a book about something that has not yet happened on Earth, but is entirely possible. An EMP is a nuclear explosion that happens far above Earth, causing all present day electronics to instantly fry, sending civilization back a few centuries. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: 
Real life threat of an EMP attack, life after an EMP attack

Recursion by Blake CrouchRecursionby Blake Crouch
Sci-Fi / Thriller (Release Date: June 11, 2019)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: While anew disease called False Memory Syndrome (which gives people memories of things that never happened and whole lives they never lived) is spreading throughout the country, Barry Sutton investigates the death of a woman possibly afflicted with this illness, which leads him to a neuroscientist (Helena) developing a technology involving memory that could have sinister consequences.
My Thoughts: I don’t read much Sci-Fi, but Blake Crouch is the exception (I loved his last book, Dark Matter). He writes incredibly human takes on Sci-Fi that make you consider a big life question. In Recursion‘s case, the question is “what is memory?” There’s a LOT going on in this novel (I had no idea what was going on at first)…it’s somewhat of a mind-bending and made my brain hurt at times, but in a good way. Full Review.
Potential Discussion Topics: Memory, what you’d change about your life if you could

Thank You for Your Service, David Finkel, Iraq war, Afghanistan war, PTSD in soldiers, Traumatic brain injury in soldiersThank You for Your Service by David Finkel
Nonfiction – War (Released October 1, 2013)
272 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:
An exploration of mental and emotional trauma facing soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the military’s efforts to curb this group’s high suicide rate.

My Thoughts: Thank You for Your Service is a heartbreaking and moving series of stories about various members of the 2-16 Infantry Battalion and their families dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) following war zone deployments. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
PTSD and TBI in returning soldiers, effects on the soldiers’ families, the military’s response to this problem

The Beautiful Bureaucrat, Helen PhillipsThe Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips
Fiction (Released August 11, 2015)
192 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Summary: When Josephine moves to a new city with her husband and takes a job at a data processing facility, strange things begin to happen, leading her to further investigate the company she works for.

My Thoughts: Helen Phillips’ debut novel is a tiny ball of weirdness…reminiscent of a demented “Office Space”…that had me on the edge of my seat. I just had to know…what the heck is going on here?! The entire book feels like a riddle that the reader needs to unravel. And, once the the riddle of Josephine’s company has been solved, you’re left with much broader questions to ponder. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: I need to stay vague here so I don’t spoil things, but what does it all MEAN?!

Body in Question by Jill CimentThe Body in Questionby Jill Ciment
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: June 11, 2019)
192 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: A courtroom drama set in Central Florida that’s focused on the jury (which is sequestered in a nearby Econolodge) for the trial of a rich, white teenage girl (who is also a twin) who is accused of murdering her toddler age brother.
My Thoughts: This slim novel is described by the publisher as a courtroom drama and it kind of is, but it’s not what you think of when you think of courtroom dramas. It’s about what goes on within a jury…personally and related to the trial and how those two pieces intersect. It’s a slightly weird book, but I was riveted the entire time and it went to places I never expected. PS – I think the publisher’s description gives away too much…go into this one blind! Full Review.
Potential Discussion Topics: Jury duty, the justice system, high profile court cases in today’s media environment.

Book of Unknown Americans, Cristina HenriquezThe Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
Fiction (Released June 3, 2014)
286 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary:
The story of a group of immigrant families living in a nondescript apartment building in Delaware, centering on the relationship between two teenagers, Maribel and Mayor.

My Thoughts: This powerful book about the life of immigrants living in the U.S. is initially quiet, but I couldn’t put it down towards the end. It forces the reader to see life in America through a different set of eyes and is relevant to the current political climate. There’s lots to chew on here.
Potential Discussion Topic: Immigration

Dearly BelovedThe Dearly Belovedby Cara Wall
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: August 13, 2019)
338 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Ministers Charles and James are hired to co-lead the congregation of New York City’s Third Presbyterian Church in the 1960’s and their families become inextricably linked despite their different beliefs.

My Thoughts: The Dearly Beloved is a yet another gorgeously written character-driven novel (we’ve been swimming in riches with these this year and I’m not mad about it!) involving two families. The writing style reminded me of Mary Beth Keane’s in Ask Again, Yes (my review). Each character has a very different outlook on faith…making it easy to find at least one person to identify with. And, they all struggle with what exactly they believe for various reasons and they all evolve throughout the book. Full Review.

Potential Discussion Topics: Religion and faith, friendship, marriage.

The Dinner, Herman KochThe Dinner by Herman Koch
Fiction (Released February 12, 2013)
306 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Summary: Two brothers and their wives meet for dinner at an upscale, Amsterdam restaurant to discuss how to handle a situation involving their teenage sons.

My Thoughts: Not much happens in the beginning of the story, but I was so busy reveling in Koch’s brilliant writing and biting social commentary that I didn’t even realize that the characters had merely arrived at the restaurant and ordered food. But, rest assured, the action does pick up. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Ethics of parental decisions, the homeless, the main characters’ decisions/actions

Girl Who Smiled BeadsThe Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released April 24, 2018)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Clemantine was six years old when she and her older sister (Claire) were separated from their family during the Rwandan genocide and spent the next six years as refugees before being granted asylum in the U.S., and in Clemantine’s case, going on to get a degree from Yale.
My Thoughts: The Girl Who Smiled Beads was one of my April Book of the Month selections and it came with rave reviews. The story is told in alternating timelines (Clemantine and Claire’s time as refugees and their later childhood / early adulthood in the U.S.) and the refugee portion is as heart-wrenching as you’d expect. What they went through is appalling. However, the U.S. portion was incredibly intriguing to me as Clemantine struggled with her conflicted feelings about her identity and the help she received in the U.S. (she was taken in by a white, suburban family and supported through high school before heading on to Yale). Continue Reading…

Potential Discussion Topics: Refugee crisis, genocide, American support of refugees, identity, family

Guest Room, Chris BohjalianThe Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
Fiction (Released January 5, 2016)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: The aftermath of a bachelor party that married Westchester investment banker Richard Chapman hosted for his younger brother upends the lives of all the attendees and their families.

My Thoughts: Chris Bohjalian is one of my go-to authors and The Double Bind is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was ecstatic to hear he had a new novel out this year! The topic of this one sounds frivolous and sleazy (and parts of it are sleazy by necessity), but he deals with the ripple effects of the consequences of this bachelor party in a very serious and thoughtful way. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics:
Human trafficking, marriage and what it can survive, humanity, forgiveness, the main characters’ decisions/actions

The HoldoutThe Holdoutby Graham Moore
Fiction – Mystery (Release Date: February 18, 2020)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: Ten years ago, Maya was the lone juror who wanted to acquit Bobby Nock of murdering Jessica Silver…and she was able to convince her fellow jurors to come around to her side. Now, a true crime docu-series is reassembling those involved with the case, including the jurors.
My Thoughts: This courtroom drama was inspired by Moore’s (Academy Award-winner for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game) real-life experience serving on a jury in 2008 and sending that defendant to prison for murder. The Holdout does not have a particularly thriller-y vibe, but it’s easy to quickly turn the pages. It looks at the impact of a high profile trial on the jury (particularly one that is sequestered)…how it affects the jurors’ lives, families, and mental state…and how slippery the legal system is in the U.S. Full Review.

Nickel BoysThe Nickel Boysby Colson Whitehead
Historical Fiction (Release Date: July 16, 2019)
224 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Elwood Curtis is sent to the notoriously brutal Nickel Academy after being in the wrong place at the wrong time (based on the real life Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, FL).

My Thoughts: The subject matter is horrifying, especially since the crux of the story is based on real life, but Colson Whitehead writes about it in simple, yet hauntingly beautiful language. The ending is heart-wrenching and brilliant. The Nickel Boys isn’t the type of reading experience where I was saying “oh my gosh, I absolutely love this book” while I was reading it, but it made me face tough issues and still has me thinking…it’s one I can see being taught in schools for a long time. Full Review.

Potential Discussion Topics: Racial injustice, the ending.

Other Wes MooreThe Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released April 27, 2010)
233 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Plot Summary: Wes Moore, a Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Army Captain, traces his story about growing up in inner city Baltimore alongside the story of “the other Wes Moore,” a child from the same neighborhood (with the same name) who ended up serving a life sentence for killing a police officer.

My Thoughts: The structure of this book is a powerful and effective way for Wes Moore to make his point. The two men’s stories are pretty similar up to a point, at which they drastically diverge. It’s incredibly readable and I blew through it in a couple days. Full Review.

The Sleepwalker, Chris BohjalianThe Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Fiction – Thriller (Released January 10, 2017)
304 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: When Annalee Ahlberg, a notorious sleepwalker, disappears from her home in the middle of the night, her husband and two daughters try to piece together what happened.
My Thoughts: Chris Bohjalian’s most recent books are giving him quite a reputation for coming up with mysteries…with more. They have the who-done-it/why-done-it elements of your run-of-the-mill mystery, but he layers on something deeper. In 2016’s The Guest Room, it was sex-trafficking, and in The Sleepwalker, it’s parasomnia. I found the parasomnia angle fascinating…it’s much more than the book’s title suggests. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: Parasomnia, what you would do for family, legal implications of parasomnia

Tsar of Love and Techno, Anthony MarraThe Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
Fiction (Released October 6, 2015)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: A collection of linked short stories spotlighting life in the USSR/Russian Federation/Russia from 1937 to present day (including life under Stalin, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, and Putin).
My Thoughts: This much-lauded collection doesn’t read like most short story collections, as its linked nature makes it feel more like a novel told from different perspectives and time periods. And, the way Marra used characters and events to link each story perfectly rode the line of being brilliantly intricate, yet not too confusing to follow. What really shined for me was Marra’s portrayal of the more quirky/screwed up aspects of Soviet life under Communist rule, wartime, Glasnost, and the rise of the oligarchs and organized crime. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: Communism, government subversion

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie FrankelThis Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Fiction (Released January 24, 2017)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: When Claude, the youngest son of a family of five boys, starts to realize he wants to be a girl, the family must learn how to best support Claude and adjust to the situation.
My Thoughts: This Is How It Always Is is an accessible story about a weighty topic that had me feeling a whole range of emotions…it’s the kind of book many people will enjoy, yet will also provide excellent discussion for book clubs. It’s heart-warming, but also heart-breaking. It’s unexpectedly funny, sad, inspirational, and made me angry at times. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: Gender dysphoria, parenting decisions

Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: September 25, 2018)
192 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Plot Summary: After Eden returns burned over every inch of his body and barely alive from his second deployment in the Iraq war, his wife (Mary) keeps vigil at his bedside waiting for him to die.
My Thoughts: Normally I roll my eyes when publishers exaggerate in their marketing descriptions, but this one was no exaggeration: “a breathtakingly spare and shattering new novel.” Particularly the word shattering. That’s exactly what this novel is (plus, gut-punching). The first chapter absolutely gutted me. I recovered a bit during the second chapter, only to be gutted again at the very end of it…and again and again. If you’re the kind of reader who likes stories that make you acutely feelWaiting for Eden is a must read. Full Review.
Potential Discussion Topics: War, end of life decisions, marriage.

Without You There is No Us, Suki Kim, North KoreaWithout You, There Is No Us by Suki Kim
Nonfiction – Memoir (Released October, 2014)
304 Pages
Affiliate Link: 
Buy from Amazon
Summary: 
A memoir of Suki Kim’s time teaching English in a Christian missionary sponsored school (Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, aka PUST) for elite North Korean college age men outside of Pyongyang, North Korea.
My Thoughts: 
Without You, There Is No Us shares a fascinating and horrifying glimpse into the black box that is North Korea, an “unknown and unknowable” world as Kim describes it. Continue Reading…
Potential Discussion Topics: 
Life in North Korea (for the elite, as covered in the book, and for everyone else), rules Kim was forced to live under, possible consequences of Kim divulging details of the outside world to her students

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