Book clubs are blooming both online and in real life. Dua Lipa’s Service 95, Reese Witherspoon’s Reece’s book club and the Queen’s Reading Room provide monthly inspiration. Eventbite has reported a 350 per cent surge in book events since 2020. ‘Reading retreats’ are the latest trend in travel, and more than 60 per cent of bookshops in the UK now host book club events.
Workplace book clubs have long been a tradition, and The Independent’s review section, IndyBest, has now launched its own book club. We’re expanding it beyond the four walls of our office so readers can get involved too.
From zietgesty reads and TikTok-viral tomes, to new literary releases, romance or historical titles, the IndyBest Book Club picks will select the best of fiction, catering for various interests and hopefully keep you gripped until the very last page. Each book will be announced on Instagram (@theindybest). and online at the start of every month. Once we’ve dived into the month’s pick, we’ll share our thoughts with you and encourage you to share your opinions, too.
Previous monthly reads provide plenty of inspiration for your TBR pile, too. Last month, we read The Wedding People by Alison Espach. A New York Times bestseller, the buzzy novel follows a woman who accidentally gatecrashes a Rhode Island wedding, forming a bond with both the handsome groom and unapologetically bold bride. A dark and unconventional take on the romcom genre, don’t miss the IndyBest team’s full review of The Wedding People.
Drum roll... for March, we’re reading Hooked by Asako Yuzuki. The author’s debut, Butter, was all over our social media feeds in 2024 – now, she has reunited with translator Polly Barton for Hooked (out 12 March). Exploring similar themes of food, friendship and the female experience in Japan, I’m predicting it will garner the same viral fame as Yuzuki’s debut.
If you’re looking for a book to enjoy in March, here’s where to read or listen to Hooked – and when you can get the IndyBest Book Club’s verdict.
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Hooked by Asako Yuzuki, published by 4th Estate
Yuzuki’s follow-up to the global bestseller Butter, Hooked is part psychological thriller and part social commentary on the female experience in Japan. Exploring obsession, food and friendship, it follows Eriko, an ambitious, lonely and high flying woman working in a trading company, and Shoko, an anti-trad wife blogger who writes about her untidy home and eating at convenience stores rather than cooking for her husband.
Still living with her parents and entirely friendless, Eriko\s fascination with Shoko’s blog turns into an obsession. After tracking Shoko to one of her favourite restaurants that she writes about, the two strike up a friendship that turns into something darker. As the relationship develops, the power dynamic shifts and Eriko’s behaviour becomes increasingly more erratic.
The novel is released on 12 March, and the IndyBest team will be giving their verdict on 12 April, so read along with us.
Buy now £7.49, Amazon.co.uk
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