Building Bonds Through Books: Founding Greenough Communication’s Book Club
Like many great initiatives at our agency, my idea for founding Greenough Communications’ book club emerged from an internal brainstorming session with the team. As skilled communicators and writers, reading is an integral part of our agency culture – and I thought why not bring our team closer together and share our love of reading.
As Stephen King shared, "Books are a uniquely portable magic," and part of creating meaningful moments is embracing that magic as part of our team’s inspiration. Our book club officially kicked off this past March, with books spanning from mystery to fantasy to romance, and quickly grew to over 20 members. Our new club, filled with spirited discussions and diverse opinions, has provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues outside of work—and, of course, to discover new stories.
March: Never Lie by Frieda McFadden
Greenough’s Goodreads rating: 3 stars
Our first book was Never Lie by Frieda McFadden, a murder mystery book with unexpected twists and turns. The book follows Tricia and Ethan, a newlywed couple that just purchased a new house – one that belonged to famous psychiatrist Dr. Adrienne Hale, who disappeared four years ago. While visiting their new house, the couple is trapped inside until the unexpected harsh New England blizzard ends. The house still holds the possessions of Dr. Hale, including tapes from appointments with her old patients. When Tricia, in search of entertainment, plays the tapes, the reader uncovers just how intertwined the residents, past and present, of the manor truly are.
Our book club had high hopes for the book, but ultimately found it lackluster. The plot was promising, and the twists certainly excited the group, but ultimately, we agreed that the book did not seem to flow naturally. Additionally, we felt that the storylines were not clearly woven throughout the book, and that at times, it felt that the author did not know where the story was going until the book was finished.
April: Just Friends by Billy Taylor
Greenough’s Goodreads rating: 2 stars
Next, our group read Just Friends by Billy Taylor, a coming-of-age young adult romance novel that follows childhood best friends August and Ethan while they graduate from college and pursue their dreams. When driving home from a party, the friends are involved in a near-fatal car accident, where nothing but magic can explain how the friends make it out alive. After graduation, August moved to the United States to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress, while Ethan’s dreams of being a world-famous magician also bring him to the United States. Among twists and turns, Ethan and August question their changing feelings for one another as they continue to pursue their dreams.
We were eager to read this book after seeing a lot of positive buzz about it on social media. We felt that this book had major, unexplainable plot holes that left the reader very confused. The storyline about Ethan’s past and his family felt murky, and there were often bigger plot themes that emerged without many details or explanations. That’s what you get when you pull a nomination off the bookshelf at random, we suppose, so lesson learned, which brings us to May’s book, a fan favorite and recommendation from our EVP Nicole Murphy.
May: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Greenough’s Goodreads rating: 5 stars
The third book was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. The book follows Addie LaRue, who lived in a small town in France in 1714, and in order to escape a future she couldn’t bear, made a bargain with an old god in the woods to live forever, while cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Three hundred years since her bargain was struck, Addie arrives at a bookstore and is confronted by a young man who remembers her face – making it possible to finally tell her story and experience love and companionship, all of which has been lacking these centuries of her lonely existence.
We were excited about this book after glowing reviews from a few colleagues who had already read it—and we absolutely loved it. The story speaks to the human experience in ways that had us thinking back on the book from new angles at every turn and left such an impact that we often reflect on it long after having finished the story. The book had twists and turns, leaving the group surprised and excited to read along. The impactful story featured well-thought-out storylines and characters, and of course, twists and turns that left us eager to continue. The plot was well written, and connects the three main characters - Addie, the young man, and the old god – in ways that left the group’s heads spinning in a good way.
June: The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Greenough’s Goodreads rating: 3 stars
The next book that we read was The Fury by Alex Michaelides, another murder mystery that follows a group of friends who travel to a private Greek island for the Easter holiday, only for one to end up dead. The story follows the narrator, Elliot Chase, through his relationships with each of the friends, unveiling the chain of events leading up to the murder, the details surrounding the relationships between each of the friends, and ultimately who and why committed the murder itself.
This book, yet again, was chosen due to positive discussions online, and while the book had some twists and turns that we certainly did not see coming, the conclusion to the story left us craving more.
Our Next Read: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
While we slowed our book club cadence for the summer so we could all enjoy our own beach reads, we’re back! So, what are we diving into this month? Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. We chose this book due to its placement on the list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century in The New York Times, as well as positive reviews. We are very eager to dive into this book and discuss it as a group – with many book club members having already read the book and giving it high ratings! The group will meet to discuss the book in early September, when we will also be choosing our next book.
I’ve been thrilled by the growth of our book club and the continued enthusiasm of our team members who attend monthly. It's incredibly rewarding to see our colleagues come together, share their perspectives, and foster a love for reading within our community. Below are some additional reads from our team that garner recommendations:
What our clients say
Ameresco
Leila Dillon, SVP, Corporate Marketing and Communications
It's clear that the Greenough Communications team has a deep understanding of the clean tech and climate transition spaces. Within the first month of working together, they were able to land interviews with The Washington Post, The New York Times and Canary Media, just to name a few! Since working together, we've seen our media coverage and quality increase significantly across the board. We value Greenough's partnership are looking forward to our continued work together.
Boston Micro Fabrication
Laura Galloway, Marketing Director
As a small marketing team, having an agency partner that feels like a true extension of my team is invaluable. The Greenough Communications team is professional, responsive and has taken the time to understand our business, putting our brand in front of the customers who matter for our growth. I’ve been very happy with our first year of partnership and look forward to future success.
Acrolinx
Mariana Just, Vice President, Marketing
We started working with Greenough Communications over a year ago, and it's been a fantastic journey. They really understand who we are at Acrolinx and what we want to say. Their ability to amplify our message in a crowded AI space has been impressive, delivering solid media results in the outlets that matter, securing the AI Breakthrough Award, and boosting our executive team's social media presence. As we continue our partnership, we're excited about expanding our reach and market presence, building upon our refreshed positioning and messaging with Greenough's expertise guiding us every step of the way.
IQE
Steven Curwood, Director of Corporate Marketing
At IQE, one of our goals is to demystify the vital role compound semiconductors play in the industry and the future of innovation. As we aim to broaden our brand's reach in the U.S. market, finding an agency that understands our technology and the intricacies of our work is crucial. Greenough Communications stood out as that agency from the start. In the short time we've worked together, they've already validated our choice with opportunities in key media, including CNBC, NPR, and the U.S. trade media that will move the needle for our brand and message. There's much ahead for us, and we're excited to have the Greenough team by our side.
Arbella Insurance
John Donohue, CEO
Our Greenough team has excelled in learning our business and our challenges and has been extremely effective in developing and executing a PR strategy that helps drive our success.
Wolters Kluwer Health
André Rebelo, Global Marketing Communications & Public Relations
Our Greenough team has been a strategic asset in sustaining targeted growth in our PR and external communications. The team really operates like an extension of our internal team, aligned and effective. They've deftly balanced the needs of multiple sub-groups' objectives and needs, getting great results in the publications our customers read.
GlobalFoundries
Laurie Kelly, Chief Communications Officer
Greenough Communications has been more than just a PR agency for us at GlobalFoundries; they've been true partners. From navigating our IPO to driving impactful education campaigns like the one leading up to the passage of the CHIPS Act, they've been instrumental in showing the world our leadership role in this new technology era. Their knack for building connections with the industry and our team, including our executives, has been impressive. Every year, we throw new challenges their way, and they keep delivering. As we move ahead together, we're excited to keep pushing the boundaries, sharpening our brand narrative, and taking our brand awareness to the next level.
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