Woluwe-Book-Club

For our first meeting, we’ll be discussing Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — the book that took the #1 spot as readers’ favorite book of 2025 on Goodreads in the category of Historical Fiction.

About the book:

Joan Goodwin has been fascinated by the stars for as long as she can remember. When she sees an opportunity to apply for NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the summer of 1980, she decides to take the chance. Selected from thousands of applicants, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center alongside a group of brilliant and very different candidates. As they prepare for their first missions, Joan discovers a passion—and a love—she never expected, and begins to question everything she thought she knew about her place in the universe. But in December 1984, during mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

For our second meeting, we’ll be discussing Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy — a gripping and atmospheric novel that blends mystery, nature writing, and climate fiction.

About the book:

Dominic Salt and his three children are the caretakers of Shearwater, a remote island not far from Antarctica that houses one of the world’s largest seed banks. As rising sea levels threaten the island, they are among the last inhabitants left, preparing to move the precious seeds to safer ground.

During the worst storm the island has ever seen, a mysterious woman named Rowan washes ashore. As the family nurses her back to health, their suspicion slowly turns into connection. But Rowan is hiding the truth about why she came to Shearwater—and soon she discovers that Dominic may be hiding secrets of his own.

As powerful storms gather around the island, they must decide whether they can trust one another enough to protect the seeds in their care—and whether they can leave the tragedies of the past behind to build something new together.

For our third, we’ll be discussing My Friends by Fredrik Backman — a moving and heartfelt novel about friendship, art, and the ways people leave a mark on each other’s lives.

About the book:

In a quiet seaside town, a group of teenagers spend their days escaping difficult lives through art and their deep friendship with one another. One summer, a painting is created that will eventually become world-famous. Years later, the story behind that painting begins to surface, revealing the powerful bond between the friends who inspired it and the life-changing events that shaped them.

As past and present intertwine, the novel explores how friendships form us, how stories survive over time, and how a single moment of connection can echo across generations

For our fourth meeting, we’ll be reading and discussing The Odyssey by Homer — one of the most famous and influential stories ever written. With a new film set to be released this year, it’s the perfect opportunity to (re)discover the original story before seeing it on the big screen.

About the book:

After the Trojan War, the Greek hero Odysseus begins his long journey home to Ithaca. But the trip that should take weeks turns into a ten-year odyssey filled with gods, monsters, temptations, and impossible choices.

While Odysseus struggles to return home, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus must face their own challenges as they wait for him in Ithaca. Along the way, the story explores themes of perseverance, loyalty, intelligence, and the desire to return home.