WVBC monthly: chapter 13

Recapping the best of ~everything~ that happened in January

Feb 02, 2026

Hello dear readers,

There’s something about New York in January that begs for a good book and even better company, and our first WVBC meeting of the year delivered on all fronts. We’re feeling especially grateful for a night that brought us around the table, warmed by the fire, and deep in discussion.

This month, Jenna (@jennakathrynbaer) hosted our January meeting, welcoming us into her West Village apartment for an evening that felt equal parts intimate and indulgent. We cozied up to discuss Rona Jaffe’s The Best of Everything— a sharp, deeply observant, and still-so-relevant look at ambition, friendship, and becoming yourself in 1950s New York.

True to form, the night revolved around a seriously good spread. Jenna served an Italian-inspired dinner featuring a classic charcuterie board upon arrival followed by spicy rigatoni, garlic bread, and a classic caesar salad, exactly the kind of comfort food January calls for. And because it wouldn’t be WVBC without dessert, we closed the night with a Brooklyn blackout cake from Little Cupcake Bakeshop (one of our all-time favorites) to celebrate Laura’s birthday. We’re especially excited about their new Bleecker Street location, which feels like a gift to the neighborhood (and to us)!

The table was just as thoughtful as the menu. Jenna set the scene with a mix of taper candles and votives, and debuted her new Ginori plates for the very first time—a group wedding gift from WVBC that made the evening feel even more special and full-circle.

Ps. If you’re new here (welcome!) or missed our last recap, be sure to check it out below!

Included in this month’s edition:

Recap of our January WVBC pick: The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe
A note on our upcoming event, Conversations on Creativity
Local spotlight: McNally Jackson
Everything WVBC read in January

Also, this post is too long for email, so we suggest reading it on Substack!

January WVBC Meeting Recap: The Best of Everything

We started the year with a New York classic: The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. The novel was originally published in 1958 and follows a group of working women in a hot NYC publishing house. Think Sex and the City if it was set in MadMen era Manhattan. Many lunch martinis were had.

Despite being written 68 years ago, the story was as relevant as ever. We all found ourselves in the struggles, the successes, the thoughts, and the feelings of each of the women. It was smart, sharp and reminded us that female friendship has always been a sacred bond. Girlhood is forever!

In an interview with Bustle, Sarah Jessica Parker claimed that The Best of Everything would have been Carrie’s favorite book. We wholeheartedly agree.

A Conversation on Creativity with Jessica Knoll

We’re so beyond excited for our first event of 2026: Conversations on Creativity with best-selling author Jessica Knoll, hosted by WVBC and our favorite Murray’s Cheese. It’s going to be a fabulous night of thoughtful conversation, the best cheese spread in the city, and a chance to connect with other like-minded (and bookish) new friends.

If you were lucky enough to snag tickets before they sold out, we’ll see you there! If not, don’t you worry. We have more events coming this year, and our Substack subscribers will be the first to know what’s on deck. Also, you can still get in on the fun if you’re not there IRL by ordering from our exclusive link in partnership with McNally Jackson to preorder a signed copy of Jessica Knoll’s forthcoming novel, Helpless.

Pre-Order Your Signed Copy

Local Business Love: McNally Jackson

There’s nothing more romantic than an NYC bookstore and McNally Jackson is the best of the best. It’s an independent bookseller with five locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn that are all worth checking out, but we’re especially keen on our local SoHo shop. When you step inside, the hustle and bustle of the city is immediately drowned out by the stacked shelves of perfectly curated books. We assume it’s what Belle felt like when she saw the library in the castle for the first time! And it’s on Prince Street, so…

Aside from its insane collection of books, magazines, paper goods, and other knick-knacks, McNally Jackson also has a special section of works called McNally Editions. McNally Editions are curated republishings of out-of-print hidden gems and other lost classics that remain relevant to contemporary culture; stories that deserve a second chance for a new audience. They make excellent gifts and souvenirs for bookish friends!

McNally also hosts book clubs and events with authors and other literary figures, so if you’re looking for a fun city activity, be sure to check out what they have on for the month! They also have great merch and give you a cute bookmark with every purchase.

What We’re Reading and Loving this Month

January in the West Village was cold and snowy and the perfect month to cozy up at home and read. Here’s what the girls were flipping through this month:

Chelsea’s Corner

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer was such a gripping read for me. Sort of like a trainwreck you can’t look away from. It transports you to the 2000’s NYC publishing & socialite world in both a fabulous and deeply unsettling way.

Atomic Habits by James Clear was a great book to kick off the year with. I love James’ story, and the book serves as a good guide on how to introduce positive habits (start small, habit stacking, the two-minute rule!) and sustain them.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is another book that was great to kick off the year with. Kayla inspired me as she reads this every January, and my biggest takeaways were that we need to get out of our own way and creativity should not be that serious. Loved Elizabeth’s stories intertwined!

Connect with Chelsea on Goodreads, Instagram, and subscribe to her Substack!

Laura’s Corner

Connect with Laura on Goodreads and Instagram

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is an elegant, absorbing novel that captures 1930s New York with remarkable charm and precision. Towles’s prose is polished and witty, and his characters feel vivid and deeply human, especially as they navigate ambition, class, and reinvention. It’s a graceful, immersive read that balances glamour with emotional depth, lingering in the mind long after the final page.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White is a richly layered story creating vivid timelines and compelling characters connected by love, loss, and resilience. The story moves gracefully between eras, offering both intrigue and heartfelt moments, and makes for an engaging, beautifully crafted read.

Big Kiss, Bye-Bye by Claire-Louise Bennett was not for me. Loved the cover, hated the book.

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer is a sharp, compelling read that finds real emotional weight in the rhythms of labor and everyday struggle. Palmer’s prose is precise and observant, bringing depth and dignity to work that often goes unnoticed. It’s a thoughtful, quietly powerful book that stays with you.

The Look by Michelle Obama is filled with behind-the-scenes details about the inner workings of the team that shaped her style, as well as the intense media attention she faced during and after her time in the White House. My biggest takeaway, the mindset she adopted: “If you can’t beat them, work their fascination to your advantage.”

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is even better than I remembered. I went to the book launch for the sequel, The First Time I Saw Him, and decided to reread this before diving in. I’m so glad I did. The pace is perfect, the characters and their stories stayed with me and I can’t wait to pick up where we left off.

Caylee’s Corner

Connect with Caylee on Goodreads, Instagram and subscribe to her Substack!

The Uncool by Cameron Crowe is my new favorite memoir. Crowe is a master storyteller and his own life story is certainly one worth telling. He wrote a coverstory for Rolling Stone when he was 15 years old and then later turned that experience into a movie script and Almost Famous was born. He’s met every rockstar and received every accolade and yet his sincerity, humility and kindness was present in every chapter. Highly rec!

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett was given to me by fellow WVBC member Laura! It was a pretty, nostalgic, comforting read and kind of a slowburn, which I assume was intentional given its 2020 lockdown setting. I think it would make a lovely spring/summer read.

Xan’s Corner

Connect with Xan on Goodreads and Instagram

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy- Late to the party on this one, but I’m Glad My Mom Died was a one-sitting read for me; it’s that compelling. It was so good that I went to her NYC tour stop moderated by Lena Dunham and picked up a copy of her debut novel, Half His Age!

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridden- A devastatingly beautiful, no-frills story that alternates between the perspective of a dying man and his care workers’ journal entries. Especially resonant if you’ve lost a family member. I loved it.

Disco Bloodbath by James St. James- Written by an original NYC Club Kid; a dark, blunt, and often hilarious account of the late ’80s/’90s club scene and the murder that ended an era. I found it fascinating (who doesn’t love Party Monster?!), but FYI it’s extremely graphic and not particularly sensitive around murder, drug use, etc.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert- recommended by my therapist as a positive mindset reset for the new year. She was right!

Jenna’s Corner

Connect with Jenna on Goodreads and Instagram

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton has been sitting on my bookshelf for ages, and after reading The Women in December, it felt like the perfect quippy, palate-cleansing read. Dolly’s writing is deeply honest, hilarious, and occasionally hits you in the gut when you least expect it. I loved how much space she gives to female friendship— not as a side plot, but as the real love story— and how perfectly she captures the messy in-between phases of growing up. Safe to say it’s very much WVBC approved!

Kayla’s Corner

Connect with Kayla on Goodreads, Instagram, and subscribe to her Substack!

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is one I re-listen to each January, as Chelsea mentioned! Different elements of it resonate each year and with it being such a concise read, it’s one I like to return to at the top of year to remind me what creativity is really about. Highly recommend for those who don’t consider themselves “artists” to expand your mind further on the practice of creativity in all its [glorious] forms.

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden was an intoxicating listen. I’m a huge fan of memoirs, but this one really had me on the edge of my seat as the writer depicted the rather rapid unraveling of her twenty-year marriage, beginning in March 2020. With settings across New York and Martha’s Vineyard, it was so vivid in place, but also in feeling. Without giving too much away, this is one you’ll want to queue up if you need a reminder that the only person you can count on to take care of you is…you!

How to Win at Travel by Brian Kelly felt like required reading given my profession in luxury travel, not to mention my commitment to the points and miles game. While much of what was covered wasn’t new to me, there were some super niche tips Brian (The Points Guy) gave—for instance, did you know you’re entitled to 5,000 Delta SkyMiles if your baggage takes more than 20 minutes to hit the belt? Love tips like this and recommend the book for the frequent traveler.

What books did you read to start the year? Let us know in the comments!

Keep the pageturners coming,
xo WVBC