Conversations with Friends

Sally Rooney's debut novel follows Frances, a sharp, guarded 21-year-old poet, and Bobbi, her fearless ex-girlfriend turned performance partner, as they're drawn into the glamorous orbit of Melissa, an older writer, and her actor husband, Nick. What begins as an invitation to dinner parties quickly turns into something far more complicated — and far more dangerous to everyone's carefully guarded sense of self.

Rooney writes about love, power, money and loneliness with uncomfortable precision. Her characters say less than they mean, text more than they should, and hurt each other in ways that feel painfully familiar. It's a book people either adore or argue about — which makes it perfect for a lively discussion.