First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray—Marie Benedict, bestselling author of historical fiction, particularly centering on women has teamed up with Murray, a Black author who has written 30 novels, including Personal Librarian with Benedict. Their latest collaboration portrays the real friendship of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune was a civil rights activist and a powerful feminist symbol of African American education.
Bethune’s friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt was a subject unknown to many, even now, but then it was almost scandalous. They worked together silently to create an anti-lynching bill (amazing that there had to be a law to make it illegal) and during World War II, to allow Negro soldiers to fight alongside white soldiers. Sometimes their biggest obstacles were the president and his surrounding advisors.
Every other chapter is narrated by Eleanor or Mary which brings into focus each of their views. This fascinating novel is after all fiction, with a lot of facts, so remember to check which is which.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick—Four women in an elite suburb of Washington, DC in the early 1960s (not in their sixties which is what I originally thought) decide to start a book club. Margaret, who always wanted to be a writer but is now a house wife with three children and a husband who doesn’t seem to be the man she married; Charlotte, an artist with an oft absent husband and two children, who is never afraid to say what’s on her mind; Bitsy, a horse afficionado with a veterinarian husband, trying to start a family; and Viv, mother of six and former nurse.
They start the book club reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, and their lives change little by little. They call themselves The Bettys and read and discuss other feminist titles while facing their own battles. This is not great literature, but it is a very interesting novel, taking them to places in their lives I didn’t expect. If you think of where your mother was in the 1960s, it might be a good pick for a book discussion.
The Names by Florence Knapp—If you like books with alternate endings, then this could be your next good read.
Cora, at the last minute, decides not to name her son after his abusive father. Instead, with her young daughter’s urging, he is named Bear. In the second alternate life, she names him Julian, and in the third, she gives in to his father and names him Gordon. Each name leads to a different life. But no matter how his life turns out, the effect of domestic abuse is always in the background. I found it fascinating. It reminded me of the movie Sliding Doors about how missing her subway stop or not, changes her life.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi—I heard John Scalzi speak at the Gaithersburg Book Festival and although I am not a Sci-Fi reader, I decided to try one of his early books. I was not disappointed.
John Perry, at the age of 75, and a widower, joins the Colonial Defense Force knowing he will never return to earth, but armed with a new body, will fight aliens in space and if he is lucky and lives, he can retire on another planet. With Scalzi’s inimitable sense of humor and vision, while questioning the motivation of these wars, Old Man’s War will keep you reading and reading for 7 sequels.
James by Percival Everett—One of the best reads of 2024 and 2025 (that’s not just my opinion) James is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but from the point of view of Jim, the runaway slave whom Huck befriends. The two sail down the Mississippi River together, both escaping from their lives. But this time, we hear it in the true voice of Jim, not the way most white people hear him speak. Many of their adventures stem from Twain’s original Huck Finn, but there are others we learn about anew, the importance of a stolen pencil is one that stays in my mind. Watch for the surprise ending!
You don’t have to read the original, but if you do, I suggest reading Huckleberry Finn first. However you read it though, James is a book everyone should read.
So now we’re in 2026 and we are all hoping it will be a better year for all of us. Keep warm and always have a book close by.
GET LIT WITH LISA 