5 Books for Someone Who is Bored on Tuesday and Thinks They Might Want to Join a Secret Society

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. My reading volume has fluctuated throughout my life, but I will always be the same person I was in high school–ditching a party to go to a bookstore with my equally cool friend (RIP Borders).

The pandemic created a series of circumstances that elevated my reading volume to new and weird levels. I had more time without commutes or socialization, screen fatigue from endless Zoom calls, and a deep growing disdain for reality with every new horrible, unprecedented thing. So, as I sat alone in my home slipping slowly into Miss Havisham-level madness with my cats, I turned to the things I had all over the place: books. Thus, I began reading again…a lot.

There are too many books in the world, and I am indecisive. I want to read so many things that I can get overwhelmed by options to the point of not being able to decide what to read. By picking a monthly theme, I limit my options. I find which books fit the category (of any genre) that have been sitting on my shelves and have fun looking through lists and researching amazing new books to buy or borrow. Whatever doesn’t get read, I don’t feel bad about it; the books just go back on the shelf until it fits a new category.

I started a Bookstagram account, 2catsandabook, because some of my friends enjoy my book recommendations and my weird little thoughts. I’m largely scared of the internet, so it’s a tiny following of friends and friends of friends who love books. I don’t understand aesthetics or creating a fake world for IG, and that would be weird for my friends (I assume), so I used what was available to me…two cats…and books.

The cats are Olivia, a vengeful demon trapped in the form of a cat, and Weasley, a classic “no thoughts, just vibes” ginger tabby. I read a book, put it next to a cat against their will, and take a photo. Olivia usually glares, and Weasley usually attempts to chew on the book. Often, I choose a cat at random, but sometimes there is a correct cat for the content of the book. If I’m traveling, I’ll borrow a pet as a guest model. Other times, I try to use local wildlife as models, but those usually turn into videos of me being viciously rejected by sheep in Iceland (and it’s emotionally devastating).

Now that we’re friends, here are my top five books from my July theme, “Secret Societies.”

For the person who likes the cute and cozy life: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Mika Moon is a witch living in plain sight but she pretends to be a fake witch for Instagram against the wishes of the society of witches. She is recruited to tutor three young orphan witches who are being raised by an elderly couple, their housekeeper, a hot broody librarian, and a guardian who has mysteriously disappeared. This is a super charming story of a found family of lovable misfits who learn to trust each other and that their best self is when they are their true selves. The magical system is also delightful, as a helpful friend, but that gets into mischief when left unattended.  

For the person who has a friend tell them about this new gym they go to and you’re like “Well, that sounds like a cult”: Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young

This is a memoir of a girl who was raised in the Children of God cult until she was a teenager. She then emancipates herself and eventually joins the US military only to discover that there are a lot of parallels. This is an extremely honest memoir and is super interesting if you have any interest in psychosocial behavior and group mentality. While there are parts that are tough to read, the book shows that there are dangers of any group that asks for unquestioning loyalty without allowing for individual thought.  

For the person who is super freaked out about the temperature this summer and just wants to really escalate their anxiety: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

It’s speculative fiction…starting in 2024 (it’s fine, everything is fine) in dystopian California that has descended into violent mayhem due to climate and political upheaval. Lauren is 15 years old and living in an ultra-religious gated community until one day she has to flee and find ways of surviving her trek. She meets new friends and foes while having ideas for a new religion. It’s a dark and stressful read that comes way too close to reality for comfort. While the story is a tale of survival, it also reveals that one of the biggest problems facing humanity is the loss of empathy.

For the person who hates their job and needs ideas of how to deal with their boss (I’m kidding!): Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

Cliff decides one day that he needs to murder his absolute tool of a boss, but fails epically at his first attempt. He is brought to a secret school that focuses on teaching people the appropriate way to successfully delete (i.e. murder) someone so that upon their graduation they might be able to complete murder and not get caught. It’s certainly an unusual story, a deconstructed mystery of knowing three people are planning murders, but only two will be able to make them happen. It is amusing for anyone with a bit of a dark sense of humor to hear all the critical feedback on their plans. 

For the person who would love to read a mystery in an old-timey library on a rainy day: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Taking place between two storylines: Laura in 1914, the wife of the superintendent of the New York Public Library, and her granddaughter, Sadie in 1993, a curator at the same library. Laura’s story unfolds with her feminist awakening when she is invited to join the Heterodoxy Club, while Sadie is trying to solve her family’s secrets. They both are experiencing the mysteries of valuable rare books being stolen from the library.  It’s a well-done historical fiction family saga of tying different pieces of stories that are passed down from generations. It didn’t seem like Laura or Sadie were great at solving the book thefts, but it is engaging to read how it all works out.

Kaitlin Porter is the writer and curator of 2catsandabook. Along with her two cats, Olivia and Weasley, and other furry friends, Kaitlin shares themed book recommendations and reviews every month.