BookClub

◦ Main Character Age: Tova Sullivan is a widowed woman in her 70s, navigating grief and loneliness.
◦ Strong Female Characters: Tova is resilient, reflective, and quietly powerful as she uncovers long-buried truths.
◦ Feminist Themes: Highlights the quiet strength of older women, the complexities of motherhood, and the overlooked voices of aging women.
◦ Goodreads Rating: 4.26 out of 5 stars.
◦ Contemporary Setting: Set in a coastal Washington town, primarily inside an aquarium and its surrounding community.
◦ High Technology: Not applicable—focus is on human connection, memory, and emotional intelligence (with the help of a wise octopus).

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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◦ Main Character Age: Joan Goodwin is an astronomy professor in her late 30s/early 40s when she joins NASA’s shuttle program.
◦ Strong Female Characters: Joan is quiet but determined, and Vanessa Ford is magnetic and brilliant, forming a powerful queer romance under pressure.
◦ Women in STEM: Both protagonists are women in highly competitive science and aerospace roles during the 1980s, facing systemic and cultural challenges.
◦ Feminist Themes: Explores ambition, queer love, friendship among women, and the cost of visibility in male-dominated environments.
◦ Goodreads Rating: 4.5
◦ Historical Setting: Early 1980s Houston, centered on NASA’s space shuttle program and Mission Control.
◦ High Technology: Offers vivid NASA detail—shuttle training, CAPCOM roles, in-flight crisis, and Mission Control procedures—grounded in convincing technical and emotional realism.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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◦ Main Character Age: Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in her early 30s.
◦ Strong Female Characters: Elizabeth defies 1960s gender norms through intellect, wit, and unshakable determination.
◦ Women in STEM: Protagonist is a brilliant chemist confronting systemic sexism in science.
◦ Feminist Themes: Challenges traditional gender roles, promotes equality, and celebrates female resilience and autonomy.
◦ Goodreads Rating: 4.38 out of 5 stars.
◦ Contemporary Setting: Set in 1960s California, with lab environments and a feminist twist on domestic life.
◦ High Technology: Includes scientific processes and chemistry, but centered on social themes more than tech.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

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• Main Character Age: Addie is 23 when she makes a Faustian bargain that alters her life.

• Strong Female Characters: Addie is a fiercely independent woman who defies societal expectations and refuses to live a small life, even when the world forgets her.

• Feminist Themes: The story explores themes of autonomy, legacy, and a woman’s determination to leave her mark in a world that tries to erase her

• Goodreads Rating: 4.23 out of 5 stars.

• Contemporary Setting: Spans 18th-century France to modern-day New York, blending historical fiction with contemporary moments.

• High Technology: Not applicable—focuses on timeless magic and personal mythology.