2025 Paging Creatives Book Selections
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ABOUT US
Established 2021
Meet Paging Creatives, an online book club designed for small business owners in the creative fields. Each month, we select one book from a mix of creatively-themed fiction, business books, biographies, and memoirs to explore. Engage with our selections to spark your inspiration and connect with like-minded creatives during our live online book chat, held on Zoom on the last Tuesday of every month at 8 pm ET. This page lists our monthly selections; please click the button under each month to join the chat. You're welcome to join our discussions anytime—here’s to celebrating creativity and shared inspiration!
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January: Year of Yes
By Shonda Rhimes
Before creating the sensation Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes, the brain behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, shares in this instant New York Times bestseller how saying "YES" transformed her life. Known for her powerful TV characters, few knew of her introverted nature and fear of public speaking. In Year of Yes, Rhimes recounts how a challenge from her sister to say yes to everything that scared her led to profound changes, pushing her to embrace public appearances and self-love, all while juggling her successful career and being a mother of three.
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February: The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot
By Marianne Cronin
In a Glasgow hospital, 17-year-old Lenni Pettersson meets the spirited 83-year-old Margot in an arts and crafts class, sparking an extraordinary friendship that spans their combined one hundred years. Despite their terminal diagnoses, they embark on a project to create one hundred paintings, each representing a year of their lives, weaving tales of love, loss, and the indomitable human spirit. Their journey is a testament to the transformative power of friendship and the preciousness of each day.
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March: Still Life
By Louise Penny
In the picturesque village of Three Pines, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec investigates the suspicious death of Jane Neal, a beloved local artist. Her untimely death coincides with her first public art exhibition, revealing her hidden talent and sparking a complex investigation. As Gamache probes deeper, he uncovers the layered intricacies of small-town secrets and the transformative power of art, challenging the notion of her death as a mere hunting accident. This introduces a meticulous detective but also explores the profound impact of creative expression and the legacies we leave behind.
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April: North Woods
By Daniel Mason
This compelling narrative spans centuries centered around a house in New England, detailing the lives of its varied inhabitants—from young lovers founding a cabin to a crime reporter uncovering a mass grave. A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the novel masterfully blends historical depth with subtle artistic undertones. Characters like a lovelorn painter subtly underscore the profound connections between humans and their environments. Rich in scope and detail, it explores the enduring legacies we imprint on places and how they continue to shape the living world.
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May: The Last Wrathwitch
By David Paul George
Fifteen-year-old Affinity Blending has spent years evading the witch-hunting demon that trapped her mother in Hell, surviving as a self-proclaimed half-assed witch while longing for a normal teenage life in Northern California. When she uncovers a potential way to rescue her mother, Affinity is driven to master the ancient arts of wrathwitchery. Diving into her mother’s spellbook, she conjures enchanted realms and allies with mystical beings, even as obstacles like gangster crows hinder her progress. As she battles to save her mother, Affinity confronts a dark secret about the abduction, fueling her determination to never give up.
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June: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
By Gabrielle Zevin
On a cold December day at Harvard, Sam Masur reconnects with childhood friend Sadie Green, igniting a partnership that launches them into fame with their blockbuster game, Ichigo. Their meteoric rise in the gaming industry, filled with creative fervor and personal betrayals, unfolds over thirty years and across places from Cambridge to Venice Beach. The story explores deep themes of identity, disability, the redemptive power of play, and the intrinsic human desire for connection and love, portraying the complexity of friendship and artistic endeavor.
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July: Oil and Marble
By Stephanie Storey
In early 16th-century Florence, the lives of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti intersect in a dramatic narrative of rivalry and artistic fervor. Leonardo, at the peak of his career yet struggling with unfinished projects and personal demons, faces off against the young and fiercely ambitious Michelangelo, who battles to carve his future with the creation of the statue of David. Their story, laden with professional envy and mutual admiration, encapsulates a tumultuous period where art and personal hardship collide, reflecting the intense pressures and transformative power of Renaissance artistry.
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August: Theo of Golden
By Allen Levi
In the quaint southern city of Golden, Theo, a mysterious stranger with a serene demeanor, arrives and captivates the community when he begins purchasing and distributing 92 framed pencil portraits from a local coffee shop. Each portrait finds its way to what Theo deems their 'rightful owners,' sparking a series of heartfelt stories, burgeoning friendships, and profound changes in the lives of the recipients. The narrative delves into the impact of creative generosity and the transformative power of anonymous acts of kindness, exploring the far-reaching effects of wonder and the potential for seemingly small actions to weave new connections and redefine lives.
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September: Wisdom of Wildly Creative Women
by Angela Lomenzo
This compelling collection features stunning photography and intimate interviews with women from diverse creative backgrounds, including artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs. They share their personal challenges—from depression to drug addiction—in a powerful narrative that emphasizes resilience and the ability to live authentically. Through these stories, the book provides affirmations and insights, celebrating the strength and individuality of women and offering inspiration to those seeking to overcome adversity and express themselves freely.
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October: The Final Act of Juliet Willoughby
By Ellery Lloyd
In 1938, heiress and artist Juliette Willoughby supposedly died in a Paris studio fire, an incident believed to have also destroyed her famed painting, Self Portrait As Sphinx. Fifty years later, two Cambridge students unearth evidence suggesting the fire was intentionally set, a revelation that threatens to unravel Juliette's aristocratic family's reputation and revive dark rumors of a longstanding curse. Their discovery coincides with a recent, brutal murder in Dubai, tying the past to present-day secrets and setting the stage for a tale woven with love, madness, and revenge.
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November: The Secret Life of Sunflowers
By Marta Molnar
While cleaning out her New York brownstone, Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson discovers a diary. Expecting it to be her grandmother's, she instead finds it belonged to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law. Johanna, a young widow with a baby, was left with Van Gogh's unsold paintings and barely any means of support. Despite these challenges, she played a pivotal role in introducing Van Gogh's work to the world. As Emsley faces her own struggles with a failing business, a new romance, and family secrets, she draws inspiration from Johanna’s resilience and determination to find a way forward.
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December: Bookish Holiday Bash
With Our Members
It’s time for a holiday bash with Paging Creatives, our amazing online book club! This is a virtual gathering where our members can kick back and share their favorite books of the year. But it's not just about books – we're celebrating everyone's personal and professional wins from 2025, too! We’ll also chat about our grand plans and dreams for the upcoming year of 2026. So grab your holiday cheer, hot chocolate, cozy up, and come on in and join us for some bookish memories together in true holiday style!