WVBC monthly: chapter 11
recapping our November meeting x friendsgiving, plus what we read this month!
Hi, dear readers!
As we dig deep into the most festive time of year, we’re feeling all the warm and fuzzies looking at how we ushered this season in with our November frolicking. This time of year is all about doubling down on cozy recipes, chipping away at our TBRs, and holding our loved ones close. We’re feeling grateful to have done all three this month!!!!
Kayla Douglas hosted our November meeting—our third annual mashup between friendsgiving and our November book club discussion. We always do this one potluck style and were delighted to each bring a little taste of our own Thanksgiving tables, including Jenna’s mom’s stuffing recipe, Caylee Ashwell’s corn soufflé, and Laura’s interpretation of our favorite salad at Left Bank.
The deep emotional threads of our pick this month (more on that shortly) made for the ideal tone to set our tablescape. Kayla shopped predominantly at Union Square Greenmarket to bring her vision to life, centering our ‘Friendsgiving on the Floor’ around fresh produce and florals that made for the anchor to our discussion. For the mains, she took on making her first turkey and several sides, which you can read about in her Substack, linked here.
Ps. if you’re new here (welcome!) or missed last month’s recap, be sure to check it out below!
Included in this month’s edition:
Recap of our November WVBC pick: Heart the Lover
Local Business Love: Murray’s Cheese
Laura’s Book Report
What else we’re reading right now: a peek into our ‘Just Read’ lists
Also, this post is too long for email, so we suggest reading it on Substack!
WVBC November Pick: Heart the Lover
We selected Heart the Lover by Lily King for the same reasons so many other book clubs did this season! Its standout cover became ubiquitous with any booklover’s scroll, and with good reason. This is not just a pretty cover. Within this slim novel, King packs her signature punch, delivering a story about the connection we hold with love from our past that manages to rip your heart out with its tenderness. We can think of almost no reader who wouldn’t connect with this story in some way, though, we do have to give a warning for those who a cancer diagnosis would be triggering.
If your book club winds up selecting Heart The Lover, we suggest checking out these questions.
Local Business Love: Murray’s Cheese Shop
When it comes to ‘provision hunting,’ one of our favorite things about New York is its wide variety of specialty shops. Whether it’s spices from Kalustyan’s, chocolates from Varsano’s, or rugelach from Zabar’s, there is heart and history to so many of the specialty food stores across our city. We’re lucky enough to be neighbors with one of the best, Murray’s Cheese Shop, which has been an institution since 1962. When it came to friendsgiving, Kayla procured many of our starters from Murray’s, including the bacon and goat cheese for our bacon-wrapped dates, as well as the Bulgarian feta and Castelvetrano olives on our grazing board! We’re also huge fans of their collab with Caffè Panna—you can’t go wrong.
Laura’s Book Report
In this month’s book report, Laura read The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray ahead of her first visit to The Morgan Library & Museum. The book follows Belle da Costa Greene—J. P. Morgan’s brilliant, glamorous, sharp-witted personal librarian—who curated his collection while keeping her identity as a Black woman passing as white a secret. By the time Laura finished the final chapter, she was itching to see her world in real life.
Knowing Belle’s story—her negotiations, her courage, her instinct for beauty, and the sheer power she had in shaping one of the world’s great collections—Laura walked in with a sense of reverence I hadn’t expected. Suddenly, the place wasn’t just a museum; it was a testament to one woman’s genius hiding in plain sight.
Before she went, Laura wanted to learn more about the library’s origins, so she did a mini deep dive into Belle’s real role in building the Morgan’s collection. Belle wasn’t just sourcing manuscripts; she was deciding the taste of an American dynasty. And the more Laura read, the more she wanted to see the spaces she would have walked through.
When she stepped into the East Room—those floor-to-ceiling shelves, the carved wood, the dizzying richness of it all—Laura honestly felt a little starstruck. The room is overwhelmingly opulent, but knowing Belle had been here, orchestrating the library’s growth, gave it a human pulse. She found herself imagining Belle gliding across the room in one of her iconic gowns, negotiating with rare-book dealers, charming collectors, and quietly rewriting the narrative of who gets to be a gatekeeper of culture.
One of the most striking things about the Morgan Library is that it still feels like a private space—like you’ve been granted access to somewhere you’re not entirely meant to be. The reading room, the vault-like manuscript spaces, even the rotunda have this aura of whispered secrets. After reading about Belle’s life—how she balanced public brilliance with private fear—that atmosphere suddenly made sense. She helped shape a world both dazzling and deeply guarded.
And learning that she studied art, languages, and rare manuscripts with the same ferocity she brought to navigating high society only deepened Laura’s appreciation. She wasn’t just curating Morgan’s treasures; she was crafting a legacy that would outlive both of them.
Her favorite part of the book—though surely embellished—is the sense of Belle’s audacity. Her love of the arts, her ambition, her refusal to let her circumstances dictate her destiny. Walking through the Morgan Library, seeing the illuminated manuscripts and Renaissance works she once handled, made the novel feel alive.
The Morgan Library is stunning on its own, but knowing Belle da Costa Greene shaped it into what it is today? That made it unforgettable.
What We’re Reading and Loving this Month
Laura’s Corner
Connect with Laura on Goodreads and Instagram
Next to Heaven by James Frey is a wildly entertaining ride—I absolutely loved it. I love the trope of rich people misbehaving, and this book delivers in the best way. The contrast between glittering New York and polished-but-shadowy Connecticut sets the perfect stage for all the secrets, scandals, and twists that kept me guessing. I especially loved the character building and the detailed descriptions of the fictional town in Connecticut—they added so much atmosphere and depth to the story. And if you love Elin Hilderbrand’s blend of glamour, drama, and juicy revelations, you’ll love this one too. It’s sharp, addictive, and so much fun to read.
Separate Rooms by Pier Vittorio Tondelli is a tender, melancholic portrait of love and grief. Through Leo’s fragmented memories of his lost partner, the novel captures how mourning distorts time and emotion. Tondelli’s lyrical, intimate style gives the story a quiet power, making even small moments resonate. Though understated and nonlinear, it’s a deeply affecting exploration of longing—and one well suited to Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film adaptation.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt remains important and widely loved because it blends literary ambition with propulsive storytelling. This novel shines in its connection to the art world and the texture of New York City. The painting at its center becomes a symbol of beauty, loss, and survival, and Tartt’s immersive descriptions make the city’s museums, apartments, and streets feel alive. The novel’s most moving strength, though, lies in its complicated friendships—bonds that shift, fracture, and ultimately become a kind of chosen family. At 771 pages, this book consumed the majority of the time I spent reading, and I plan to reward myself with watching the film adaptation, featuring Ansel Elgort and Nicole Kidman.
Caylee’s Corner
Connect with Caylee on Goodreads and Instagram and subscribe to her Substack!
Exit Lane by Erika Veurink is part of the 831 collection of romantic short stories and it was v cute! I follow Erika’s Substack, Long Live, religiously, so I was excited to read a longer form of fiction from her. A simply breezy read, especially if you’re trying to hit your reading goal by the end of the year.
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings is the first book in one of my very favorite series, affectionately known by fans as the Magnolia Parks Universe. I picked it up again to read on my recent trip to London as that’s where the books take place. It’s very Gossip Girl–toxic drawn out first loves and relationships, upper echelon kids behaving badly, and Chanel bags as “I’m sorry” presents. It’s taken BookTok by storm and can be polarizing… but I absolutely love it! No one writes flirty banter like Jessa Hastings.
Never by Jessa Hastings is not part of the MP Universe but another very Jessa Hastings book. Love triangles and hot, swoony, flawed characters are her specialty. This one is a spin off Peter Pan, but in her version, Wendy’s granddaughter Daphne goes to Neverland and finds herself in between Pan and James Hook (the Captain’s son). I enjoyed it but I think if you’re new to Jessa’s writing, start with MP.
Jenna’s Corner
Connect with Jenna on Goodreads and Instagram
Night People by Mark Ronson I think I am actually the last to read this out of the six of us haha. I listened to this on audio and enjoyed Mark’s recounting of 90s nightlife and the art of DJing on physical records. Safe to say this is WVBC approved!
Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza was generously gifted to us by the wonderful author who we are pretty much besties with in our Instagram DMs. We read one of Jo’s other novels, The Sicilian Inheritance, last November and collectively adored it. This pick was definitely less deep with a storyline around trad wife influencers and a murder mystery. Having worked in influencer marketing for over a decade, I found a lot of the details to be misrepresentative of the industry. Sorry, Jo— this wasn’t my fave, but I still *heart* you!
Kayla’s Corner
Connect with Kayla on Goodreads, Instagram, and subscribe to her Substack!
Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean was one of my favorite memoirs of late. I’m a sucker for books that cover a writer’s life, and this one beautifully documents Orlean’s marriage, divorce, remarriage, motherhood journey, and career writing stories for The New Yorker and beyond. Considering I’ve also read so many memoirs this year about the old guard of the New York media landscape, I also really appreciated the crossover with stories about the Tina Brown years. Highly recommend!
Loved One by Aisha Muharrar was one I was excited to dive into based on how I heard it described as an emotional drama on one of my favorite book podcasts, Bad on Paper, by Becca Freeman. I was excited about the plot in which a woman goes on a cross-continental journey to retrieve the belongings of her longtime friend (and first love!) and, in the process, is caught in the crosshairs of his ex. In the end, this was a really slow burn for me, but certainly an example of how niche plot lines can really resonate in small and big ways for readers.
Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai was one I was excited to dive into after being lucky enough to meet Malala in person at the Meta offices a few weeks back as she discussed her latest book with Shonda Rhimes. This story of her college years was a powerful one and certainly exposed us to what it looks like to navigate public perception, religious and cultural barriers as an immigrant, and unexpectedly, how funny Malala is!
Xan’s Corner
Connect with Xan on Goodreads and Instagram
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester I love pairing a book with the place I’m visiting, so I started this one while staying at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, and it was perfect! The Paris Secret gave me everything I love about The Nightingale (previous WVBC pick!): courageous women, layered history, and emotional tension, but told through a British-American-French lens that feels richly textured. I also adored the modern storyline woven throughout and the fashion thread tied to the House of Dior. If you’re drawn to stories about resilience, sisterhood, and the hidden stories within history, this one is an absolute must-read.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri I picked up Heidi for a little nostalgic comfort reading, as I hadn’t read it since I was a little girl and it completely swept me away again. It’s such a tender, joyful classic. One of those stories that reminds you of the goodness in people, the healing power of nature, and the way simple kindness can transform a life. Reading it as an adult, I appreciated the emotional depth so much more; and, of course, the alpine serenity and beautiful descriptions of nature that reminded me so much of my happy place in Montana, and the gentle lessons about home, love, and belonging.
The Hounding by Xenobe Puris The Hounding had this moody, witchy, almost Virgin Suicides energy that I was really excited about; a haunting atmosphere, a touch of the uncanny, and that feeling that something deeper is humming underneath the surface. But it never fully went there, which left me a little bummed. The vibe was spot-on, the potential was there, but the follow-through felt too restrained for a story that teased so much more. If you love a shorter, atmospheric read for the mood alone, it delivers; I just found myself wishing it had pushed further into the depth it kept hinting at.
Thanks so much for reading! What titles have you gotten into and loved lately? Let us know in the comments!
Keep the pageturners coming,
xo WVBC
Cannot believe what a gorgeous, special (not to mention delicious!) evening this was! Grateful for WVBC! 🤎
Love all of these recommendations! AND the take on 'Friendsgiving on the Floor!"