Best Book Club Books for Discussion
Discussion groups and book clubs are a great way to share and experience books with friends. They can give you a sense of belonging and community that is hard to find in this digital age.
Today, with the internet, it is easier for book clubs to find books that everyone will enjoy.
There are many good books out there but some are better suited for certain groups. There are bestsellers, classics and more. Books that might be appropriate for a group of people who want to talk about difficult topics or want to discuss books together can be found on the internet or in the library.
Discussion books for book clubs are not necessarily uplifting or happy-ending novels but can be many other genres such as mystery novels, science fiction novels, young adult literature etc. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to selecting great books that will work well in discussion groups.
So if you’re looking for the best book club book suggestions to stimulate debate and inspire your group to share their ideas, here are some of my suggestions.
So in this list book club recommendations for discussion you can find some popular book club picks that are worth discussing in your reading group. I have compiled this recommended books for book club from variety of places so that you don’t have to spend a a lot of time searching some great novels for your next book club meeting.
A long list of 25 book club book suggestion that your book group would never stop talking about.
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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A powerful and fascinating story that would definitely lead to a lively discussion! The characters of the books are definitely going to be something you would love to dive deep and analyze! A riveting novel worth adding in your list of good book club suggestion for book clubs. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is the winner of 2017 Annual Goodreads Choice Awards.
Blurb from Goodreads: In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, the colors of the houses to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town–and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Praise for the book: “I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting.” –Jodi Picoult
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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
An incredible book about the quirky, intelligently odd, and funny Eleanor Oliphant. Her frightful childhood haunts her every now and then which eventually makes her lonely and antisocial! Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is one of the uplifting book club books for discussion worth spending hours. The unconventional Eleanor and her ironic monologues are my favorite. This New York Times bestseller was a A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and Goodreads Choice award nominee.
Blurb from Goodreads: Eleanor Oliphant has been working as a finance clerk in the same company for several years. Yet her quirkiness has kept her colleagues at bay. She struggles to navigate her social skills, so always make sure to avoid people in the best way possible. She always looks forward to her weekend routines, which includes eating frozen pizza, vodka and chatting with mummy.
However, her conversations with mom are never uplifting, after every call, Eleanor feels unworthy and unappreciated. Things take an unexpected turn when she meets Raymond, the IT guy from the office. When both of them together save an elderly man named Sammy, three of them develop an unlikely friendship.
Soon Eleanor finds herself attending family gatherings and parties. And it’s through Raymond that she finds herself to be capable of love and affection.
Praise for the book: “Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!” —Reese Witherspoon
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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
An American Marriage is probably one of the most suggested books for book clubs. This realistic writing about married lives is going to be a great book for book club. If you’re looking for something thought-provoking, emotional, and heavy suggestions for book club reading lists. Tayari Jones An American Marriage was Oprah’s Book Club 2018 Selection.
Blurb from Goodreads: Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined.
Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.
This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward with hope and pain into the future.
Praise for the book: “Haunting . . . Beautifully written.” –The New York Times Book Review
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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A heart-wrenching story of colonization that follows almost eight generations, Which leaves room for book club members to discuss each character meticulously. Seriously, it’s so hard to believe that this is Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel. This epic novel is a great book club suggestion.
Blurb from Goodreads: : Effia and Esi are born to the same mother but in different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. They never knew each other’s existence. The eldest, Effia, gets married to a white man and lives in the grand Cape Coast Castle. Meanwhile, Esi, along with several others, is a captive in the slave dungeon of the same castle, ready to be shipped away to the United States.
The story then takes us to the descendants of respective sisters. As the novel features numerous perspectives, we get to see the lives of slaves in America and how it affected the people in Ghana. How the Fante and Asante nations struggle to come in terms with slave trade. Esi’s family go through horrible life in plantations. And subsequently we learn about after-effects of the Civil War, the abolishment of slavery, and The Great Depression.
As this multi generation family saga progresses, we get to explore a gripping narrative with unforgettable characters. A brilliant debut novel with a powerful view on the history of slavery.
Praise for the book: “One of the most fantastic books I’ve read in a long time…you cry and you laugh as you’re reading it…a beautiful story” —Trevor Noah, The Daily Show
I HIGHLY recommend this interview of author Yaa Gyasi where she talks about her how she got the idea of writing Homegoing, her inspiration behind the story and so much more. Watch here
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Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
I couldn’t fathom the idea of reading and Sci-fi Historical fiction but this unique storytelling would definitely be worth discussing. This 2004 release of Octavia E. Butler is still among top book club reads in 2022.
Blurb from Goodreads: The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature.
This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.
During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given.
Praise for the book: “Butler’s literary craftsmanship is superb.”—Washington Post Book World
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The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson
Historical fiction told in the background of a real bookshop. The feisty protagonist’s pursuit of an untroubled life is definitely worth reading!
Blurb from Goodreads: Set in 1920s London, this is the inspiring story of Kate Goss’s struggle against poverty, hunger, and cruel family secrets. Her mother died in a fall, her father has vanished without a trace, and now her aunt and cousins treat her viciously.
In a freezing, vermin-infested Garrett, factory girl Kate has only her own brave spirit and dreams of finding her father to keep her going. She has barely enough money to feed herself, or to pay the rent. The factory where she works begins to lay off people and it isn’t long before she has fallen into the hands of the violent local money-lender.
That is until an unexpected opportunity comes her way – a job cleaning a most unusual bookshop, where anyone, from factory workers to dockers, can learn to read and then buy books cheaply.
A new world opens up, but with it come new dangers, too. Based on the true story of the Bermondsey Bookshop, this is the most inspiring and gripping novel Mary Gibson has yet written.
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The Hate You Gave by Angie Thomas
A three-time winner of Goodreads Choice Awards! A great book to discuss “The black lives matter movement”! The Hate U Give is a bestseller in teen and YA Black & African American fiction, so make sure to include this book in great book club reads!
Blurb from Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Praise for the book: “This story is necessary. This story is important.” —Kirkus
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The Dutch House by Anne Patchett
The book narrates the complicated life of the siblings: Danny and Maeve in the Dutch house. Relationships, forgiveness, childhood, wealth, marriage. This book has got many complicated themes to discuss. Tom Hanks’s excellent narration makes ‘The Dutch House’ one of the best audiobooks for book clubs.
Blurb from Goodreads: Cyril Conroy, a self-made real estate magnate, bought Dutch house in 1946 to surprise his wife. However, Elna hardly had any interest in the luxury mansion. Soon after she leaves the husband and two children, to help the poor in India. The children, Maeve and Danny ,grew up in the Dutch house. And it’s the young Maeve who raises her brother, with the help of the housekeeper and the cook. However, when their father remarries things begin to worsen. Andrea, their step-mother loved the rich lifestyle. The unique charms of the Dutch House captivated her. After Cyril’s death, Andrea starts to show her true colours. Danny and Maeve are exiled from the house without any money. All they have is one another. Yet, they start a tradition of reminiscing about their childhood. They do so by secretly parking on the street, outside the Dutch house. They try hard to recollect the memories of their parents and the Dutch house itself. It’s during these times both siblings release their care and warmth towards each other.
The book narrates the complicated life of the siblings: Danny and Maeve in the Dutch house. Relationships, forgiveness, childhood, wealth, marriage. This book has got many complicated themes to discuss. Tom Hanks’s excellent narration makes ‘The Dutch House’ one of the best audiobooks for book clubs.
Praise for the book: “The Dutch House has the richness, allusiveness, and emotional heft of the best fiction.” (Boston Globe)
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Dear Mrs. Bird by A .J Pearce
If you’re looking for a delightful book to read for a book club then A .J Pearce’s debut novel is a great choice. Narrated in the horrific background of world war, Dear Mrs Bird is utterly engaging. This irresistible debut novel is a hilarious tale of love and friendship!
Blurb from Goodreads: Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are doing their bit for the war effort and trying to stay cheerful, despite the German planes making their nightly raids.
Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent, and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance; but after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding, she finds herself typing letters for the formidable Henrietta Bird, renowned advice columnist of Woman’s Friend magazine. Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin.
But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who many have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she begins to secretly write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles.
Praise for the book: Books that make you shake with laughter and sob with tears are rare. I gulped this one down but didn’t stop thinking about it for a long time.”—Katie Fforde
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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
A remarkable mystery book club read set in 17th century Amsterdam. With diverse fascinating characters, The Miniaturist can definitely be a fairytale read!
Blurb from Goodreads: On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office–leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin. But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist–an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand–and fear–the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?
✅ Check this out: The sequel to Jessie Burton‘s bestselling novel The Miniaturist is just published. The book is named The House of Fortune. I am currently reading it and already hooked from the first page. If you want to know the life of Nella and Otto after the first book, get the book immediately.
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Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Looking for a fun and light book club pick? Nothing to See Here is just that. It’s a quick read that can be quite tough to let go! The story focuses on dysfunctional families and relationships! Filled with humor and satire this would be a great book for discussion.
I highly recommend the audiobook version of Nothing to See Here. The audiobook narrator Marin Ireland has done phenomenal job of reading the book. She has also won Audie Award for Best Female Narrator 2020 for the book. Listen FREE on Audible.
Blurb from Goodreads: Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since.
Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help. Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth. Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose.
Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?
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Room Novel by Emma Donoghue
This is an intense read. Inspired by the shocking abduction case like “Fritzl”, Room handles a complicated theme. An excellent book club book that features one of the best child narrators.
Blurb from Goodreads: To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world . . . It’s where he was born. It’s where he and Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack’s imagination—the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells; the imaginary world projected through TV; the coziness of Wardrobe beneath Ma’s clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night, in case Old Nick comes.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it’s the prison where she’s been held since she was nineteen—for seven long years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space.
But Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s own desperation, and she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely . . .Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience—and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.
Praise for the book: “Room is that rarest of entities, an entirely original work of art. I mean it as the highest possible praise when I tell you that I can’t compare it to any other book. Suffice to say that it’s potent, darkly beautiful, and revelatory.” (Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours)
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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Four Winds is one woman’s journey to save her family. A heart-wrenching tale set in the backdrop of the Great Depression! Just like any other Kristin Hannah novel, “The Four Winds” is also among most recommended book club book for discussion!
Blurb from Goodreads: : Elsa Martinelli was born into a wealthy family. But her parents considered her to be too old and unappealing for a prosperous marriage. However, much to her parents’ dismay, Elsa gets pregnant as a result of her romantic affair with Rafe Martinelli, son of a local farmer. As her family abandons her and she is forced to live with Martinellis, at their farm.
Once Elsa gives birth, the initial indifference between her and Rafe’s parents goes away, they eventually accept her as a daughter. Elsa embraces her life on the farm. Despite the hard labour, she feels warm and content.
By 1933, Texas is hit by a severe drought. Millions of acres of farmland, including the Martinellis’, are drying up. Massive dust storms cover everything in grit and dust. As drought and dust storms hit the region almost every day, farmers have no choice but to leave their beloved land and travel to the west.
And just like others, Elsa prepares herself to head to California, in search of a better life for her family and herself.
Praise for the book: “Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, asa change in the wind. This mother’s soul, suffering the same drought as the land, attempts to cross deserts and beat starvation to save her children with a fierce inner strength called motherhood. A timely novel highlighting the worth and delicate nature of Nature itself.” ―Delia Owens, author of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING
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The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
I think historical fiction novels are always book club favorites. As they are thought-provoking reads that narrate the events in the past. The Storyteller is exactly that. A gripping novel in the background of the holocaust. An astounding read for the lovers of historical fiction and World War II.
Blurb from Goodreads: Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day’s breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother’s death.
When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage’s grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can’t, and they become companions. Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret—one that nobody else in town would ever suspect—and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions but potentially legal ones as well. With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friend she’s ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she’s made about her life and her family.
When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?
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The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
The story that follows numerous lives of “lost things”! Diversity in the story and characters leave so much scope for a heated book club discussion! Ruth Hogan’s The Keeper of Lost Things by is a charming suggestions for best book club picks.
Blurb from Goodreads: Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects—the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidentally left behind—and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners.
As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost. Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners.
Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious—a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made. As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice’s redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?
Praise for the book: “A beautiful story of love, loss, and the redemptive power of friendship.” (Catherine Hall, author of The Proof of Love)
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American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Already being hailed as “a Grapes of Wrath of our times” and “a new American classic,” Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt is an extraordinary journey towards survival! American Dirt is an epic book club book suggestion 2022.
Blurb from Goodreads: Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.
Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city.
When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something.
But what exactly are they running to?
Praise for the book: “Extraordinary.” —Stephen King
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The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
An extremely unique story that has many more surprise elements. The Mother-in-law is a discussion worthy book club suggestion.
Blurb from Goodreads: From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law. That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something
Praise for the book: One of Oprah Magazine’s “15 Best Beach Reads of the Year So Far”
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City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Renowned author, Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book narrates the engrossing life of Vivian in the NYC theater world in the 1940s. Grab this one for your next book club if you’re looking for an absolute page-turner! I guarantee that “The City of Girls” going to be one of the best book club book suggestions.
Blurb from Goodreads: In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris was kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse.
There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in a professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand.
Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves-and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest. Now ninety-five years old and telling her story, at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life – and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it.
Praise for the book: When Elizabeth Gilbert set out to write City of Girls, her goal was to tell a story of female promiscuity that didn’t end in death or misfortune—a direct and delicious rebuttal to the tragic, sexist fates of the Emma Bovarys and Anna Karenina’s of the canon. The result is a wildly entertaining summertime romp.” –Elle
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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
An enchanting story of the people from the world of Circus and magic! Perfect for the lovers of fantasy fiction. The Night Circus is also among the most recommended book club books.
Blurb from Goodreads: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas, tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements.
It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.
Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which the only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Praise for the book: “Erin Morgenstern has created the circus I have always longed for and she has populated it with dueling love-struck magicians, precocious kittens, hyper-elegant displays of beauty and complicated clocks. This is a marvelous book.” —Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife
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The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
The perfect read for bibliophiles! A quirky, funny and emotional story of a book nerd. So make sure to add “The Lost for Words Bookshop” in the list of fun and happy book club book suggestion.
Blurb from Goodreads: Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look closely, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin.
But there are things she’ll never show you. Fifteen years ago Loveday lost all she knew and loved in one unspeakable night. Now, she finds refuge in the unique little York bookshop where she works. Everything is about to change for Loveday. Someone knows about her past. Someone is trying to send her a message. And she can’t hide any longer.
Lost for Words is a compelling, irresistible and heart-rending novel, with the emotional intensity of The Shock of the Fall and all the charm of The Little Paris Bookshop and 84 Charing Cross Road.
Praise for the book: Quirky, clever and unputdownable’- Katie Fforde
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The Nightingale Novel by Kristin Hannah
The bestselling author Kristin Hannah’s inspirational historical fiction in the horrific environment of WWII. Undoubtedly great book club suggestion for book groups.
Blurb from Goodreads: In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent.
When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life and again to save others.
Praise for the book: “Beautifully written and richly evocative.” ―Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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✅ You’ll love this post – Full List Of Kristin Hannah Books In Order
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
In this list of popular books for book clubs,Liane Moriarty‘s Big Little Lies tells the captivating story of three women that would leave you awestruck. It’s funny, whimsical, and fascinating.
Blurb from Goodreads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one.
Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?). Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body.
But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son.
But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.
Praise for the book: “Ms. Moriarty’s long-parched fans have something new to dig into…Big Little Lies [may have] even more staying power than The Husband’s Secret.”—The New York Times
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Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Keane’s new book explores struggle, forgiveness, and resilience! A novel that surveys relationships and its utmost complexities. Because of these themes Ask Again, Yes becomes a must-read novel among other book club fiction recommendations in the post.
Blurb from Goodreads: A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the bond between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, two rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne—sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
Praise for the book: “This is one beautiful book. I was wowed by Keane’s writing and narrative skill—and by what she knows about trouble.” —Stephen King
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
This PULITZER PRIZE winning novel is a great book to read for your book club. It’s vivid, enthralling, and emotive. One of the best writings ever!
Blurb from Goodreads: Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea.
With them, they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance.
Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.
Praise for the book: Anthony Doerr again takes language beyond mortal limits. –Elissa Schappell ( Vanity Fair )
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This isn’t a life-changing story that you might be looking for but it’s one of those to take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. In spite of the familiar theme, John Green’s novel has a unique charm to lure you to the book. This might be the book you can add to your one of the most interesting book club books.
Blurb from Goodreads: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Praise for the book: “The Fault in Our Stars takes a spin on universal themes—Will I be loved? Will I be remembered? Will I leave a mark on this world?—by dramatically raising the stakes for the characters who are asking.”—Jodi Picoult
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There you have the best books for your book clubs.
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More book recommendations for your book clubs
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- Short Books for Book Clubs
- 12 Summer Beach Reads That You Won’t Be Able to Put Down
Time for your action:
What are some of the books your book club is enjoying?
Let me know in the comments!
Always curious to hear from you,
Stephy
Thank you Kathleen; I am curious though which is your favorite?
This list is great – i’ve already read more than half of these titles and enjoyed every single one so i’m looking forward to the rest of your suggestions!! Thank you!
Kathleen
Thank you Sandra!
Thanks a lot for the recommendation. I haven’t really read as many sci-fi. But since you mentioned its more than a sci-fi I would love to read.
I love your list, and found several books I want to read! You might want to read “When She Woke” by Hillary Jordan. It reads like science fiction, but has deep underlying messages about race, religious fanaticism and judging people by appearances. I swallowed it in one non-stop gulp, and our Book Club just exploded over this one!
Your selections are somehow fresh in scope, diverse, and appealing presentation .
Sandra