From romance to historical fiction, FIRST editors share 8 must-read books you’ll love this January!
By Melissa D’Agnese, Maggie Dillard, Carissa Mosness January 17, 2025
Welcome back to another installment of FFW Book Club! This week, we have a wide variety of riveting novels filled with drama, mystery, intrigue and so much more. From young adult to suspense and literary fiction, we guarantee there’s a genre for everyone.
If you were a fan of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, pick up Sash Bischoff’s debut suspense novel Sweet Fury, which one FIRST said was “filled with classic literary references, a range of illuminating and difficult topics and a fascinating heroine.”
“I reread The Great Gatsby at least once a year—I love F. Scott Fitzgerald,” shares Carissa Mosness, FIRST Assistant Digital Editor. “So when I heard his other classic, Tender Is the Night, was woven into this novel’s plot in a unique way, I just knew I had to read it.” In Sash Bischoff’s debut novel, beloved American actress Lila Crayne is prepping for the lead role in a modern adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night— a film she’s working on along with her talented fiancé, filmmaker Kurt Royall. To gear up for the role, Lila begins meeting with an accomplished therapist named Jonah, who helps her unearth the ghosts of her past. Soon, secrets are coming to light and Lila finds herself turning into a shell of the girl she once was—and more of what Jonah thinks she should be. “Filled with classic literary references, a range of illuminating and difficult topics and a fascinating heroine, this book engrossed me from the very beginning and kept me turning pages late into the night,” says Carissa. “Bischoff’s suspenseful tale will satisfy fans of The Silent Patient—it’s a vivid, twist-filled read!” (Simon & Schuster, 2025)
Read the full article here: https://www.firstforwomen.com/entertainment/books/firsts-book-club-top-picks-including-lynn-painters-latest