Trust us, we know running a book club is hard-work. I mean, it's basically our entire job over here at Underbrush. So, we're here to help our fellow bookish yappers out by sharing our Underbrush Book Club picks for the first-half of 2025. And, even more importantly, the questions we sent along with each of the boxes.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
With our varied reading tastes, it’s rare that two of our staff are blown away by the same book, but Private Rites washed away any doubt of this not being an end of year list contender. Set against the backdrop of a drowning world in the near-future, this King Lear reimagining is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Julia Armfield is simply one of the most talented writers in modern fiction.
Our Discussion Questions:
- Set against the backdrop of a drowning world, Julia Armfield paints a vision of mundanity amidst, seemingly, the apocalypse. How does the idea of a slow apocalypse compare or scare you compared to a more immediate one?
- As a re-imagining of King Lear, how does Private Rites reinvent the classic? Are these kinds of re-imaginings played out, or do artists like Shakespeare remain a well, always full and overflowing with inspiration?
- Each of the sisters are in different stages of their romantic lives–divorced, partnered, and falling in love–how do you see their life experiences in these areas reflected in their decision making and handling of their father’s death?
- Their father’s home was designed to be a safe space amongst the changing climate. However, all three daughters staunchly avoid it. How does the ending of the novel put their avoidance in perspective?
Brother Brontë by Fernando A. Flores
One of the most contentious books of the year so far, Brother Brontë really brought out the opinions of our group–some loved it, some hated it.
In this novel, literacy is outlawed, capitalism rules the streets, and smog covers the skies in this near-future dystopia that feels a (lot) little bit like 1984 for the modern time. Told in very matter-of-fact slices of everyday life, Brother Bronte confronts tyranny like two co-workers sharing a conversation over the water cooler, that is, until the uprising begins. Not since Steinbeck has a cannery moved us and challenged our understanding of a novel.
Our Discussion Questions:
- If you had to carry a literacy license, what books would you carry and why? What do those books add to your personal and the world’s literary history?
- Flores highlights how capitalism often preys on marginalized people with less of a voice or ability to stand up for themselves. In this case, specifically, struggling women and mothers. What other ways does Flores identify some of the pain-points or shortcomings of a technocrat overseeing the community?
- Brother Bronte is a deeply political book. The themes of racism, othering, literacy, fascism, revolution, etc. are outlined extensively throughout. Are books always political? Inherently, is the act of writing a book political in some regard, whether conscious or subconscious?
- Why is the book called Brother Bronte? What about the book within the book is so important to be the title of the novel?
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Charolette McConaghy is simply one of our favorite authors. Like her previous two novels, Wild Dark Shore is a novel about the quiet intricacies of human interaction. This story isn’t about some far-flung dystopian wasteland or full of sci-fi adjacent ideas—it focuses on the very real and very current threat our planet is under and paints a moving and pressing tale on that slowly burning (or flooding) canvas.
Our Discussion Questions:
- Wild Dark Shore is an incredibly claustrophobic and deeply isolated experience. Have you ever been somewhere you felt as isolated as the characters in the novel?
- Rowan and Dominic both have this innate distrust of each other from the jump, but also an unspoken draw towards each other. How does this reflect mankind’s relationship with the natural world?
- From our abuse of the environment to Hank’s desire for Rowan to bear children, what does Charolette McConaghy have to say about the concept of something being “a means to an end?”
- Ultimately, Wild Dark Shore is about saving what we can of humanity. What does Orly’s decision with the seeds mean for humanity? Did they make the right decision? Is there a deeper meaning?
The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
We only knew about the 1895 Paris train crash from the iconic photo, but Emma Donoghue paints a very different picture through the briefly intertwined lives of those on the ill-fated train. Through each of their individual stories you get a vivid look at class, race, privilege, desire, and destiny in late Victorian Paris.
Our Discussion Questions:
- Immediately, the novel creates a very physical separation between some of the characters through the different classes of train cars. How else does Donoghue address issues of class, race, and privilege? What do the characters that “break” those physical boundaries add to the story?
- The Paris Express introduces a lot of characters throughout the train journey, but we never fully get to know any of them. Why do you think Donoghue chose to write the novel in this way? How does it affect your own reading experience? Did you enjoy this format?
- Along with the myriad of passengers, Donoghue also adds in the occasional perspective of the train. Why do you think she chose to personify the train in the way that she did? How does the train stand out as a “character”?
- Throughout the story, readers are confronted with a variety of allegories for both life and death. Do you think this story has something unique to say about those themes? If so, what perspective does it lend to readers?
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
So far, this has been the absolute fan-favorite of 2025! This book feels akin to some of our all time favorites–Norman Foreman an Nothing to See Here–in the way it pairs the darker moments of life with the hope of new beginnings. It's funny, a bit ridiculous, and so, so sincere. Oh, and it made us cry in public.
Our Discussion Questions:
- The Road to Tender Hearts brings readers face to face with death in its many different forms. As a reader, how did this constant acknowledgment make you feel? Did you relate to any of the characters and the ways they dealt with death and uncertainty?
- There are so many family structures–conventional and unconventional– throughout the novel. What aspects of these different relationships stood out to you? Which felt the strongest to you? Which felt the weakest?
- Growth, change, and self-betterment were also strong themes. Which of the characters changed the most throughout their journey? Do you think they all changed for the right reasons? Did you find their growth to be realistic?
- Annie Hartnett is known for incorporating speculative elements, such as the cat, Pancake, into her novels. Which elements added to the overall meaning of the story? Were there parts that felt out of place? How did these more fantastical elements affect your reading experience?
The Lost Voice by Greta Morgan
The Lost Voice is more than a memoir of a neurologist disease. It is a history of Greta Morgan’s musical career, love life, family, friendships, and how all of those different aspects of her life led to beautiful moments of miraculous healing and a reclamation of self. This book will teach you something about yourself, if you let it. It will stare you straight in the face and force you to look at all the imperfections you wish you could bury. It will grab you by your chin, lift your gaze to meet it, and sing you a soft–sometimes shaky–refrain of healing and validation.
Our Discussion Questions:
- Greta’s journey to find her creative voice was a symptom of the Covid-19 pandemic. What aspects of yourself did you find during this same time? How did you grow and change?
- Obviously, we all aren’t touring musicians or reliant on our musicality for
our jobs, but the commonality of feeling lost and fear of the unknown are universal: in what ways (if any) does Greta’s journey inspire you to reconnect with your creative voice or find a piece of you that was lost? - The Lost Voice is a memoir, but it is also an intimate glimpse of the world of the music industry culture of the 2000s. Were you surprised by any of what Greta shared about her experiences touring and recording? Did it make you nostalgic for that period of music?
- What music do you put on when you need to meditate, focus on a task, or feel comfortable in your space?
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