2 BOOK CLUB

UNFOLLOW

This heart-wrenching memoir shares the story of Megan Phelps-roper, a former member of the cruelly homophobic Westboro Baptist Church, a small but vocal congregation often labelled the most hated family in America. The novel recounts her childhood, and how she eventually came to break with the church’s doctrine and embrace the tentative friendships she had built on social media that eventually change her life. An uplifting and deeply moving read that shows, in the end, love will always win. Out now (£14.99, Quercus).

DEAR GIRLS

You’ve all seen the hysterical Netflix comedy specials Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife (and if you haven’t, get streaming now), but here’s your latest dose of Ali Wong goodness. Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life, is exactly what it says on the tin, so to speak. Written from the perspective of a letter to her daughters, Wong revels in the hilarity, joy and pain of being a woman. It’s feminist, funny and a sheer delight to read. Out now (£14.99, Canongate).

WHISPER NETWORK

This fictional novel tells an all too common story. A man of questionable talent is anointed next CEO of a company, despite the swirling whispers of his less-pleasant behaviour. Four women, tired of their voices being ignored, decide to shout instead, and set about a domino effect of change throughout the company. If you’re looking for a contemporary thriller, they don’t come much more topical than this. Out now (£14.99, Little Brown).

HOW TO BE A GENTLE WOMAN Lotte Jeffs’ debut book explores the concept of soft power. It’s no one thing, but rather a mode of living. A more gentle, meaningful and emotionally rich way of experiencing the world, that promises to make navigation of the sometimes overwhelmingly tough state of modern life seem manageable. Jeffs consults with everyone from singers to archaeologists on her quest to help us slow down, carve our space, find our people, and reaffirm who and what we want to be. Out now (£15, Octopus).