Jenna Bush Hager in 2024.Photo:Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Jenna Bush Hagerhas not been shy about her love of books onThe Today Show— in fact, the co-host created a book club,Read With Jenna.The book club launched in 2019 and Bush Hager independently picks new titles to read each month, featuring authors like Taylor Jenkins-Reid to Toni Morrison in both fiction and nonfiction. The news anchor also chooses books forRead With Jenna Jr., a club for young readers.“It’s so fun to have all of these authors here and they get to see all of these books, and I really just am proud of the community of readers that get to read with all of them,” Bush Hager previously said onthe club’s fifth anniversary. “It’s pretty incredible.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Whether you’re in the mood for a nail-biting thriller or a family drama, here are all of the Read with Jenna book club picks from 2024.
Jenna Bush Hagerhas not been shy about her love of books onThe Today Show— in fact, the co-host created a book club,Read With Jenna.The book club launched in 2019 and Bush Hager independently picks new titles to read each month, featuring authors like Taylor Jenkins-Reid to Toni Morrison in both fiction and nonfiction. The news anchor also chooses books forRead With Jenna Jr., a club for young readers.“It’s so fun to have all of these authors here and they get to see all of these books, and I really just am proud of the community of readers that get to read with all of them,” Bush Hager previously said onthe club’s fifth anniversary. “It’s pretty incredible.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Whether you’re in the mood for a nail-biting thriller or a family drama, here are all of the Read with Jenna book club picks from 2024.
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Mary Oliver is beloved for her poetry about nature and life’s small beauties, and this collection compiles the late writer’s definitive work. “Her words take me back to childhood memories of lying under the stars with my grandmother Jenna, who would read her poems to me,” Bush Hagersaysof her December pick.
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Amazon
Funke is content with her life in Nigeria, but in the aftermath of a tragedy, she’s sent to live with her mother’s distant family in England. Despite the culture shock, Funke grows close with her cousin, Liv, and their friendship is tested over the years as more misfortune strikes. This tender novel is dubbed a “decolonial retelling ofMansfield Park.”
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Harper
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Ballantine Books
Avery, Bonnie and Lucky Blue are sisters that couldn’t be more different from one another. When their fourth sibling, Nicky, unexpectedly dies, the family is caught up in their own waves of mourning, and must come together to save the New York apartment where they were raised. This family portrait is a moving look at grief and love.
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Henry Holt and Co.
When Phoebe checks into the posh Cornwall Inn with plans to end it all, her plans get derailed when everyone mistakes her for part of the raucous wedding party that’s booked the rest of the hotel. The über-controlling bride soon ropes Phoebe into her plans and the two become unlikely confidants, who have more impact on each other than they realize.
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In 1975, when girls in Monta Clare, Mo. are suddenly disappearing, Patch becomes an unlikely hero when he saves the daughter of a wealthy family from harm. As he searches for answers about what’s happening in his town, Patch realizes that discovering the truth could have irreversible consequences. A riveting thriller and romance.
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In the summer of 1987, Diamond Newberry and her mother are attempting to leave behind memories of Pa, Diamond’s father who disappeared seven years earlier. When Diamond receives a letter that informs her she comes from a lineage of African American women, she begins to learn more about her family’s past — and secrets — in this striking novel.
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Penguin Random House
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Vintage
Esperanza Cordero is trying to find her voice in the vibrant fabric of her Chicago neighborhood. Cisneros’ classic novel-in-vignettes, about a young Latina girl coming of age, is one that readers have been reading and finding meaning in for decades.
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Ecco
This stunning novel from the author ofThe Book of Unknown Americansfollows the lives of multiple individuals involved with building the Panama Canal: Omar, a worker who collapses after a shift; Ada, a 16-year-old from Barbados who comes to his aid; and John Oswald, who hires Ada as a caregiver for his ill wife. These intertwined stories come together to create one sweeping portrait of historic engineering.
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In the wake of a breakup from his girlfriend Jen, Andy is down on his luck. His stand-up career is stalled and he doesn’t know what led to his relationship’s end. But he has yet to learn about Jen’s side of the story, in this smart and snappy novel (which, just like the relationship it depicts, has two sides to the way it ends!)
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W. W. Norton & Company
Herbalist Hermaine “Herself” Zook is renowned among the residents of Whiteheart, Mich., but is estranged from her own daughters, including youngest Rose Thorn. Rose’s daughter, Donkey, spends her days exploring the town’s landscape and longing for her parents. But she soon learns that there is more darkness lurking in Whiteheart than she originally thought — and the only one who can help is her mother. A fascinating intergenerational saga.
source: people.com
