Fiction Friends Book Club

This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Triggers Warnings*:
Animal death
Attempted suicide
Blood
Classism
Cheating (mentioned)
Death of a parent
Death of a spouse
Dementia (mentioned)
Depression
Domestic abuse (physical, brief mention)
Grief
Gun violence
Homophobia
Hostage situation
Substance abuse
Suicide (on-page, major theme)
Suicidal ideation (major theme)
War (mentioned)

Representation:
FF relationship

*Content pulled from BookTriggerWarnings dot com

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes.

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

Content Warnings*:
Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

*Content pulled from Storygraph

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Trigger Warnings*:
Abuse (mentioned)
Anxiety (trauma-related)
Bigotry
Body shaming
Bullying
Child abuse (backstory)
Fatphobia (internalized)
Homophobia
Microaggressions
Queerphobia
Violence (against children)

Representation
An asterisk (*) indicates that the author openly identifies with that identity.
Fat main and side characters
Gay main character
Black character
Queer side characters*
MM relationship
FF relationship

*Content pulled from BodyTriggerWarnings dot com