What We're Reading: February 2024

In honor of Read In the Bathtub Day being February 9th, we decided to round up our current reads to share in hopes of inspiring a page-turning month for our Mixologists. Here’s what’s currently on our nightstands, in our AirPods, and in the bathtub with us.

As Exponent Founder & CEO, Liz Whitman, likes to say: Read widely, read wisely.

The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larson

Liz, Founder & CEO

I tend to toggle between fiction and history, so you're catching me in a history period. This recounts Churchill's courage during the bombing of London. It's an epic look at leadership in times of crisis—how perseverance and eloquent communication can motivate and move an entire country.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Laura, Business Development

I love anything having to do with the golden age of Hollywood, and this story encapsulates that time period perfectly. The relationships throughout are both heartbreaking and relatable, making you root for even the most unconventional characters. I’m excited to see what Netflix does with this story once the new series premieres later this year. This is a book that stays with you long after you've put it down.

Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland

Rania, Graphic & UX Design

As someone who is decidedly not into Star Wars (sorry) and Minecraft, finding a common interest with my six-year-old son has been a struggle to say the least. Our library app suggested this series and he became obsessed with it! I find it kind of like Disney movies, where it’s still entertaining for the adult who has to sit through it with the kid. By book two, I was just as emotionally invested in the outcome of the story as he was. I think it teaches a lot of wholesome lessons on empathy and self-determination to the young audience it's intended for.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Kendra, Operations

This is an incredible multi-generational story that follows a young Korean woman that is brought to Japan in the 1910s. I like historical fiction so I can learn through a human perspective, not just a factual one. This book was heart-wrenching and thought-provoking and also taught me a lot of Korean and Japanese history from the last century.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Mari, Editorial

I’m currently snuggling up with this novel, in which a mom retells the story of her past relationship with a now-very-famous actor to her adult daughters while they’re hunkered down during the early pandemic days. If you want cheesier versions of normie-meets-celebrity love stories, try Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. This genre isn’t my favorite, but hey, it’s February, so ‘tis the season.