Before I started work this morning I was picking up the house and while picking up my bedroom, I came across a book I thought I had reviewed before. After looking through my notes, I realized I don’t believe I’ve shared it with you yet! But I had read the story and enjoyed it a lot.

The book is The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club: A Novel by Julia Bryan Thomas, and I think it might be time for us to settle into our favorite reading chair and discover what is waiting inside these pages. The Cambridge Bookshop is proud to host a reading club the last Thursday of each month. Serious book lovers only. Anyone want to go with me? I’ve always wanted to join a book club!

Of course, this particular book club takes place in Massachusetts in 1955. That’s a little before I was born, so traveling back in time might be a bit difficult. But I wouldn’t mind visiting Cambridge and wandering along those cobblestone streets! Road Trip anyone? It could be fun and we might find a Bookstore to visit.

With her bags packed and a heavy heart, Alice Campbell escapes halfway across the country and finds herself standing in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge. She sees something others might have overlooked and transforms that little building into the charming bookstore of her dreams.

Having experienced firsthand the power of books to comfort a broken heart, Alice knows she is creating something much more meaningful than a place to purchase books. The Cambridge Bookshop soon becomes a haven for Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, four women navigating the challenges of becoming independent college women in a world that still seems to believe their place is in the kitchen.

And that certainly was the expectation for many women during that period in American history. These women come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, but their love of books brings them together. However, when one member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they thought they knew about one another, and themselves, is called into question.

I’m not going to tell you which woman finds herself in that situation or what happens. You’ll have to open the book and discover that for yourself! One of the things I appreciate about a book is when the cover makes me curious enough to pick it up and this one did for several reason. .

When you look at the front of The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, you see books along the side and a door that almost makes you feel as though you’re looking inside the bookstore or stepping into the reading club itself. I love that! It almost reminded me of looking through the Rabbit Hole.

When you open the book, you’re greeted with praise from other readers and authors, including this lovely description from Maria Fredericks, author of The Lindbergh Nanny: “Innocently charming, you will never want to leave the Cambridge bookshop.” That certainly makes me want to pull up a chair!

As I continued turning the pages, I came across a quote from Betty Smith: “The world was hers for the reading.” I believe that is true. Books can take us places we’ve never been, introduce us to people we might never meet, and allow us to experience lives very different from our own. And sometimes, they remind us a little about ourselves.

The book also opens with a September 1955 chapter and a quotation from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. I have always loved Charlotte Brontë and Jane Eyre, so that was another little detail that caught my attention. Which I can’t wait to share with my friends who love to read as much as I do.

The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club is a work of fiction with 366 pages, making it a substantial chapter book for anyone who enjoys settling in with a longer story. And don’t let those pages intimidate you! Once you begin getting acquainted with Alice, Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt, you’ll find yourself wanting to discover what happens next.

I also appreciated the extras included toward the back of the book:

• A reading group guide.
• A conversation with the author.
• Acknowledgments.
• Information about Julia Bryan Thomas.
• A look at her other novel, For Those Who Are Lost.

I especially like finding a reading group guide in a book like this. It gives readers an opportunity to continue the conversations after finishing the story, which is exactly what a good book club should encourage. Allowing me to create my own bookclub with my friends and family,

Julia Bryan Thomas is a brand-new-to-me author. I hadn’t heard of her before receiving this book for review. She is also the author of For Those Who Are Lost, published in 2022, which is now on my reading list. I always enjoy discovering authors I haven’t read before. There are so many wonderful stories waiting to be discovered, and sometimes the best reading adventures begin with a book we weren’t expecting to find.

I am including The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club in our Greatful Moments Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List, especially for readers who enjoy historical fiction, stories about friendship, women’s independence, and, of course, books about books! Santa, make sure you load plenty of these book into the Sleigh.

This would also make a thoughtful Christmas gift for someone who belongs to a book club or has always wanted to join one. The story is described as heart-wrenching, inspiring, and extraordinary, so you might want to keep a box of Kleenex nearby. I’m not going to tell you whether you’ll cry, but it’s always better to be prepared!

And if you’re looking for something to add to our 10-Minute Reading Challenge, this is another book worth considering. You don’t have to finish an entire chapter in one sitting. Sometimes ten minutes with a good book is exactly what we need or at least its what I need more times than not.

Before we know it, the holidays will be here, our calendars will fill up, and we’ll find ourselves wondering where the time went. That’s why I want to encourage you to make a little time for reading today. Whether you’re traveling to Cambridge through the pages of a novel, discovering a new author, joining a book club, or simply reading a few pages before bedtime, don’t forget to make room for the things you enjoy.

Because sometimes the best adventures don’t require packing a suitcase, purchasing an airline ticket, or even leaving home. Sometimes all you need is a good book and a comfortable chair. And as someone who enjoys being an armchair traveler, I think that’s a pretty wonderful way to see the world!

Have you read The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club? Have you ever belonged to a book club? I’d love to hear what you’re reading!

Happy Reading!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates