Aberdeen Magazine Book Club

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP of the 1960s, a decade of change, conflict, and awakening, Marie Bostwick’s The Book Club for Troublesome Women introduces readers to a group of women from different walks of life who come together through a book club, calling themselves the Bettys. Ranging in age from their early twenties to mid-thirties, many of these women find themselves in unfulfilling or unsupportive relationships, or uncertain about their life paths, quietly questioning whether they’re allowed to want more than marriage, motherhood, or invisibility.

When the group reads The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan – the namesake of their group — something shifts. Empowered by the words on the page and the growing strength of their friendships, the Bettys begin to examine their own roles in a society that offers women very few real choices. In a world where women are often told to stay quiet, serve others, and settle, these “troublesome” women dare to dream, speak out, and support one another.

This novel is a powerful tribute to female friendship, self-discovery, and the fight for equality during a time when challenging the status quo could cost you everything. Both heartwarming and inspiring, it reminds us that sometimes the most radical thing a woman can do is believe in herself, and that true change starts when women stand together. They begin to ask bold questions and find even bolder answers. Through honest conversations, deepening friendships, and the courage to challenge tradition, these women begin to reshape their lives and, in doing so, push back against a society that insists on keeping them small.

Full of heart, hope, and hard truths, this novel is a powerful celebration of female friendship, and the quiet revolution sparked in living rooms across the country. Bettys not only find their voices, but they also become beacons for future generations, showing that strength, solidarity, and selfworth are always worth fighting for.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

HAVE YOU EVER ADMIRED A PAINTING and wondered about the real lives of the people captured within it? Fredrik Backman’s My Friends invites readers into just such a moment—an exploration of a painting depicting a small group of teenagers sitting at the end of a dock, twenty-five summers ago.

Told through the eyes of the painting’s current owner, who is grieving the loss of a close friend, the novel becomes a heartfelt journey to uncover the story behind the image. Who were these teens? What became of their friendship? As she searches for meaning, she begins to unravel the bonds, heartbreaks, and life-defining secrets of those once-young subjects.

If you, like me, have found yourself forever measuring books against A Man Called Ove, this one comes very close. My Friends is classic Backman: deeply emotional, quietly profound, and full of the humanity that lingers long after the final page. It’s a moving tribute to friendship, memory, and the way art connects us across time. A story of loss, love, and the family we choose.

The artist behind the painting, whose talent was never fully recognized by his own family, painted the teenagers with such raw truth that their emotions almost feel tangible. Backman uses this image as a portal into a larger meditation on how hard it is to hold onto summer friendships as we grow older, weighed down by responsibilities, life’s detours, and dreams we quietly set aside.

Like all of Backman’s work, this novel is an emotional journey layered with meaning, connection, and the ache of time passing. It’s a powerful tribute to the friendships that shape us, the people who leave their mark, and the quiet ways art keeps their memory alive…