The Books List

Top Picks for Book Club & Beyond

- KRISTYN KUSEK LEWIS

LOL Essays

R. Eric Thomas had career success and a happy marriage in Philadelphia (not to mention a very popular Twitter feed) when he did something he never could have predicted: He moved with his husband back home to Baltimore. Like being regaled by your funniest friend, Congratulations, the Best Is Over! chronicles his return to his hometown, examining what happens when the life you have doesn't resemble the one you pictured (but-spoiler alert-might be even better).

Survivor's Story

Alice Carrière, the daughter of a renowned artist and a European actor, grew up in the 1990s in a sprawling, 17,000-square-foot home in Manhattan, where major celebrities were regular visitors. Sounds glamorous, right? In her beautifully written memoir, she reveals a childhood marred by abuse, neglect, and abominable treatment by so-called mental health experts. Told with visceral candor and in heartbreaking detail, Everything/Nothing/Someone will stay on your mind for a long time.

Fun Thriller

In Lucy Clarke's The Hike,