Book Group

 1.) The Price of Salt – April 20, 2026, 7pm

 Patricia Highsmith’s story of sexual obsession may be one of the most important, but still largely unrecognized, novels of the twentieth century. First published in 1952 under the pseudonym Claire Morgan and touted as “the novel of a love society forbids,” the book soon became a cult classic. Yet it was always relegated to a mystery subgenre and never before given the literary recognition that it is now receiving. Based on a true story plucked from Highsmith’s own life, The Price of Salt tells the riveting story of Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a department store day job, whose routine is forever shattered by an erotic epiphany – the appearance of Carol Aird, a customer who comes in to buy her daughter a Christmas toy. Therese begins to stalk the alluring suburban housewife, who is trapped in a marriage as stultifying as Therese’s job. They fall in love and set out across the United States, pursued by a private investigator who eventually blackmails Carol in a choice between her daughter and her lover.

2.) Oralndo – June 8, 2026, 7pm

Orlando by Virginia Woolf (336 pages). A classic in fictional American literature spanning over three centuries tells the story of Orlando as he transitions over the centuries, starting as a young nobleman in Elizabeth’s England, and ends his (now her) tale in 1928 as a wife and mother at the tail end of the women’s suffrage movement. A heartfelt tale looking at the roles of gender through the centuries, and brilliant use of transitioning as being both literal and metaphorical in its analysis of gender throughout history. 

3.) The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger (289 pages). Dr. Eger survived the Holocaust as a teenager, emigrated to America, obtained her PhD in Psychology, and specializes in PTSD. This is the only book on the list not written by an LGBTQ+ author or directly grappling with a queer character or theme, but her story of facing her PTSD and choosing to live the best life possible resonates with any maligned group.

4.) This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (338 pages). A novel about a 5-year-old boy that wants to be a girl, told from the perspective of the mother. Told in a very sweet way, it grapples with the challenges of being a parent that wants the best for their child and struggling to find the best way to love them. 

5.) A Single Man. “When A Single Man was originally published, it shocked many by its frank, sympathetic, and moving portrayal of a gay man in midlife. George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner, determined to persist in the routines of his daily life. An Englishman and a professor living in suburban Southern California, he is an outsider in every way, and his internal reflections and interactions with others reveal a man who loves being alive despite everyday injustices and loneliness. Wry, suddenly manic, constantly funny, surprisingly sad, this novel catches the true textures of life itself.”–BOOK JACKET.

6.)  I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg (256 pages). This is a very simple read that’s aimed at an AYA crowd and one I found quite enjoyable. Since I don’t know more about the demographics of the book club, I don’t know how many would like this, but I enjoyed it enough to put it on the list. 

7.) We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib (220 pages). A retelling of the life experience of a Muslim refugee and her family from Pakistan seeking refuge in Canada, where the persecution didn’t end after reaching the New World. Many great themes about intersectionality, faith, family (both by blood and found), and forgiveness.

8.) In Universes Raffi works in an observational cosmology lab, searching for dark matter and trying to hide how little they understand their own research. Every chance they get, they escape to see Britt, a queer sculptor who fascinates them for reasons they also don’t—or won’t—understand. As Raffi’s carefully constructed life begins to collapse, they become increasingly fixated on the multiverse and the idea that somewhere, there might be a universe where they mean as much to Britt as she does to them…and just like that, Raffi and Britt are thirteen years old, best friends and maybe something more.

In Universes is a mind-bending tour across parallel worlds, each an answer to the question of what life would be like if events had played out just a little differently. The universes grow increasingly strange: women fracture into hordes of animals, alien-infested bears prowl apocalyptic landscapes. But across them all, Raffi—alongside their sometimes-friends, sometimes-lovers Britt, Kay, and Graham—reaches for a life that feels authentically their own.

Blending realism with science fiction, In Universes explores the thirst for genius, the fluidity of gender and identity, and the pull of the past against the desire to lead a meaningful life. Part Ted Chiang, part Carmen Maria Machado, part Everything Everywhere All At Once, In Universes insists on the transgressive power of hope even in the darkest of times.