Our reading recommendation

Good Joy, Bad Joy

by Mikki Brammer

4/5 Glasses

Why we recommend it

Good Joy, Bad Joy brings together contemporary fiction, friendship, and grief & healing. It is a strong match for readers drawn to generational story, quirky & heartfelt, and book club read.

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For Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer

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Book-club questions

Spoiler note: These prompts are best explored after everyone has finished the book.

How does Hazel’s diagnosis force Joy to reconsider what makes a life “good”?
Which of Joy’s late-in-life acts of rebellion felt most meaningful?
How does the novel challenge cultural assumptions about aging, usefulness, and reinvention?
What distinguishes “good joy” from “bad joy” in the story—and can one become the other?