Clicquot Book Club
Love books? Love talking about books? Join us for the Cliquot Book Club review the first Thursday of every month from 2-3:30pm. We meet in the Roche Bros. room. Hear what’s new in books, what makes a great read, and discover reader favorites. The best part about this club is that you don’t even have to read the books before you come. Each month we discuss several new releases and our opinions of them. Discussions are lively, full of laughter and we serve light refreshments.
The only thing missing is you.
Our next meeting will be Thursday, January 9th! We hope to see you there!
Selections: August 2024
A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley
Bits and Pieces by Whoopi Goldberg
Fourteen Days ed. Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston
Mind Games by Nora Roberts
One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Summer on Highland Beach by Sunny Hostin
The Book of Love by Kelly Link
The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan
The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
Selections: July 2024
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber
The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
The Titanic Survivors Book Club by Timothy Schaffert
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
Selections: June 2024
A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh
A Reality TV show in Wales where if your secret is discovered, you’re eliminated. Things take a turn for the bloody when a murder occurs live, and the detective has to differentiate “Reality” from the truth. Everyone is hiding something, and everyone is a suspect.
Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
This was an extraordinary novel of an acclaimed artist that was murdered by her even more famous husband. Her work disappears into the shadow of his own body of work until it’s rediscovered by a struggling art student caught in a similar situation years later. A fictionalized take on Ana Menditea’s life, the controversy over this book mirrors the questions of the book itself by asking who gets to be remembered and who is left behind.
How to Solve your own Murder by Kristin Perrin
In 1965 teenage Francis hears from a fortune teller that she’ll be murdered, so she spends her whole life telling everyone about how she’ll be murdered and about it. In present day, Annie is summoned to a meeting at her aunt’s estate. By the time she goes to meet her, her aunt is already dead. Turns out Great Aunt Francis wasn’t necessarily likable – so it becomes a question of whether it was murder or a natural death.
James by Percival Everett
A fabulous retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. A spectacular novel.
Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
Cavanagh, the author of “the Plea” and the Eddie Flynn series departs from his norm with a ‘stranger on the train’ type novel of two women who make a pact to take revenge on each other’s people.
No Better Time by Sheila Williams
Historical fiction of the 6888 postal directory of the black women who served in WWII.
Table for Two by Amor Towles
Short stories with characters from “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “Rules of Civility”, this book can be read as a standalone.
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Even better than “the Guncle”, this sequel has it all. Five years later, the Guncle is back, his niece and nephew have hit the teen years, and his brother is getting remarried in Italy. Fun and mayhem ensues when Patrick has to compete with the Launt (lesbian aunt). It is so good.
The House of Plain Truth by Donna Hemans
Historical fiction with dual timelines: present day and 60 years before of a Jamaican woman and her parents, and her father’s dying wish to reunite with the family he lost in Cuba.
The House on Biscayne Bay Chanel Cleeton
A gothic tale of a house with a tragic and deadly past seems to be repeating itself. The house is called Marbrisa, and a wealthy industrialist builds Marbrisa for his new bride. Everybody loves them, until the scandal hits. Decades later the new owners must unravel the secrets of the manor before they too fall victim to the cycle.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Gripping family saga of four adult daughters trying to capture the magical love story of their parents, each coming up short but finding themselves in the process.
The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang and Kate Quinn
Two masterful authors at work, this historical fiction is told in dual narration of two young women who have been wronged by the men in their lives with a countdown right before the San Francisco earthquake.
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
Historical fiction about a young woman who discovers she has inherited property in Sicily. On going to Sicily, she learns about her grandmother and the potential murder. Told in present and past narration, Serafina (the grandmother) was really a remarkable woman of her time, and maybe her voice was silenced because of it.
The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline
Awesome. A family full of deceit. You really want to root for the underdog in this twisty novel.
What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan
A couple in love, Nina and Simon, go up to a cabin, and Nina never comes back home. Her family accuses her boyfriend of harming her, or worse. No one knows what happened to her, who’s telling the truth, and what both families will go to find out or surprises the truth.
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
When Stella’s mother dies, she leaves her daughter a strange inheritance and request – a one-way plane ticket and a note to go to Paris. An introvert, she shies away from her extroverted mother’s request until her boss urges her to go. Alone in a foreign city, she starts to grow, discovering not only herself, but the person her mother truly was.
Selections: May 2024
American Daughters by Piper Huguley
Wonderful historical fiction of the friendship between Booker T. Washington and Teddy Roosevelt as they work within the confines of race and gender.
Black Wolf by Juan Gomez-Jurado
Excellent! As the second in the “Red Queen” trilogy, this did not disappoint. Looking forward to the third book due out next year.
Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf
A fun, campy mystery. It’s preposterous in the best, most entertaining way!
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Fun what-if. A young woman always gets the expiration date of every relationship she’s been in, but this time, the slip is empty. Can she trust that this time will lead to a happily ever after?
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
Gripping family drama centering around adoption with all sides considered.
Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter by Nicci French
A mother goes missing and what really happened; an intriguing mystery with family dynamics at it’s heart.
Queens of London by Heather Webb
Fun historical fiction about a group of legendary thieves in 1800s London and the detective trying to catch them.
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
Extraordinary magical realism of a set of books, each with its own properties. The main character, Cassie, receives the book of doors as a gift, which allows her to enter any door in the world. But every gift has a story. There’s so much to talk about in this novel, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
The Boy who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
Second in the “Haven’s Rock” series. A boy swears he sees a bear man and then goes missing. What did he see, and is Haven Rock really safe?
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
Alvarez at her best. A retiring professor goes back to her home country to bury all the writings she never finished, but the characters refuse and come to life to finish their own stories.
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester
Wonderful book about three women and their place in fashion history, from the 40s to the disco 70s and landing in present day. My favorite quote from the book was “the disco of the 70s made you want to dance all night and make love til the morning”.
The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
First in series of a young Singaporian nanny who really wants to be a reporter and ends up solving a mystery.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Funny tale of a woman who comes home, slightly inebriated from a bachelor party and sees a man in her apartment that says he’s her husband. When he goes up to change a lightbulb in the attic, another husbands comes down. This is really a story about what makes the perfect guy.
The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
Intriguing mystery with a naive young writer and rabid social media fans embroiled in the death of a famous author. The twists and turns make this a great read.
Tourist Season by Brenda Novak
Fun summer romance between the haves and the have-nots.
The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
A stunning work on the building of the panama canal told with heart and depth from those who built it. The hopes and dreams of the workers for their future comes through in the poetic writing in this exceptional novel.
Selections: April 2024
Can’t We be Friends by Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight
Wonderful historical fiction novel about the surprising friendship between Ella Fitzgerals and Marilyn Monroe.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
The fourth in the series, fun installment.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Fantastic twisty suspense. A young woman years before, covered in her best friend’s blood is accused of killing her. She doesn’t remember what happened, but now a podcaster is bent on finding out the truth.
Lone Woman by Victor Lavalle
The year is 1915 and a woman carries a trunk. Something within the trunk will either lead to her downfall or save her. She is not alone. A gripping, lyrical novel of the untamed west and what we carry with us from the past. Loved it.
One Wrong Word by Hank Phillipi Ryan
Twisty. Crisis management fixer tries to repair a disgraced businessman, urged on by his wife but nothing is what it seems. Who do you trust when you can’t tell whose word is true.
The Excitements by CJ Wray
Charming and delightful story about two elderly WWII vets with a checkered, perhaps maybe spy past and their beloved nephew who everyday they ask the question ‘Are there any excitements to day?’ When one day they get a call that they’re going to be honored for their services, hijinks ensue as they try to stop it and keep their nephew from discovering the difference between their facts and fictions. So fun, I loved it.
The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes
Funny cozy mystery with expecting women trying to solve a neighborhood crime while competing with one another for best day care options and who will deliver first. Oh yeah, and solve a murder.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
A gripping mystery told in three parts. Ruby, the dead heiress, her son Cameron the heir, and Jules Cameron’s wife, that is thrilled her husband has inherited the infamous Ashby house. When the couple return to the manor, all hell breaks out. Delicious and fun, I especially love Ruby’s candor about what she did and didn’t do.
The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fern
Dual timeline historical fiction of the Cuban missile crisis and WWII and how two women in their respective time periods deal without young love and espionage.
The Messy Life of Jane Tanner by Brenda Novak
Fun romance with friends to lovers and the impending countdown of a biological clock.
The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
Twisty mystery when a young couple inherits an apartment and mayhem ensues. Who knows what, who owns what, and who’s responsible for the murdered person in the building?
The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian
I love this so much. This had a Princess Diana impersonator in Las Vegas and her estranged twin sister. The saying ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ is never more true than in this twisty suspense that has crime connections, crypto connections, and sibling rivalry at its helm.
The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe
Fun drama filled story of Nigerian women living in Singapore. This book is filled with gossip, intrigue, cheating, job shenanigans mixed with Asian and African culture. I loved every bit of this juicy mess.
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wen
Fun and hijinks ensue when a reluctant high society bride and her two best friends decide to steal the wedding presents and escape her arranged marriage to start a new life. Loved it!
The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate
Remarkable historical fiction about Hattie McDaniel, the winner of the Oscar as Mammie in Gone with the Wind. For overcoming difficult circumstances of the era to earning her place in Hollywood history as the first black Oscar winner, this story captures it all. Heartbreaking and heroic, I loved it.