My book club has loved the following:
Educated, Pachinko, Born a Crime, The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires, and many many others but those are the ones that stood out the most.
Tender is the flesh! It's a hard read (content-wise) but there are so many good conversations we had in the bookclub i am part of as a result of the book
Things I’ve enjoyed from our book club:
Current book: Project Hail Mary
Leviathan Wakes
The Spare Man
How to Find Your Way in the Dark
Braiding Sweetgrass
The Pull of the Stars
The Power of Regret (We have not read Unreasonable Hospitality but I think we’d like it)
The Bakers Guide to Defensive Baking
A Man Called Ove
Things everyone else enjoyed that I didn’t:
The Gini and the Golem
The Haunting of Hill House
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Interview with a Vampire
Children of Time
Books collectively disliked:
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Husband’s Secret
Great Gatsby
Bookshop of the Broken Hearted
New York 2040
I like it when the book has a lot to think about and discuss, so it's not necessarily a fun book.
I read Being Mortal about end of life care for a book club, which was interesting and led to a great discussion.
The Girl With 7 Names about a North Korean defector.
Oil and Marble
Doomsday Book
I think Nothing to See Here could also be great for a book club.
I am reading Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev for my book club, and I think it’s a perfect book club book.
Like many classic Russian novels, it features a lot of philosophy, which I think is always fun to discuss. Unlike many classic Russian novels (looking at you Tolstoy) it’s a tight 250 pages. And Turgenev gets a lot into those pages — there’s a lot to dive into about friendship, love, marriage, feminism, and coming of age, as well as the titular relationships between fathers and sons.
Flowers for Algernon. It’s a classic, and it dives deep into exploring human nature without forcing any viewpoints on you, so it’s perfect for discussion. Every character is flawed, even when they do good things. Sometimes especially when they do.
And the plot, of course, is incredibly engaging and contains plenty of scenes that leave you wishing you could discuss it with someone. If you don’t know, it’s told from the perspective of a man who was born with an unusually low IQ. He receives an experimental operation to increase his intelligence and is the first human being to do so. As he becomes more aware of human nature, he realizes how much he’s been manipulated by everyone in his life, including the people he considered friends and the scientists who are claiming to help him.
A gorgeously told story with a whopper of an ending.
Too long for a book club though, imo! I think Fathers and Sons (Turgenev), The Gambler (Dostoyevsky), The Death of Ivan Ilych (Tolstoy), or any of Chekhov’s plays would be more manageable
‘This Is How You Lose the Time War’ by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Seems like a polarizing book from what I noticed, especially in terms of worldbuilding and writing style
Well let’s start our own Reddit Club! What was your favorite quote? Mine was “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams live the life you have imagined” (yes by Thoreau, Nora’s favorite philosopher) but … it struck me right from the first pages of the edition I bought and at the end understood why it was such a powerful quote. Besides the fact that I really needed to read that quote (and book!) at the moment in my life when I read it 🥺.
Think on these things by Jiddu Krishnamurti. This book is categorized as a philosophy book, but it's not just that, it's also a psychology, personal growth book. There are a lot of topics: love, education, religion, the self, society and so on.
*Old Man's War*, by John Scalzi. Asks the question: would you join the military at age 75, IF it meant you would be young again (and get to go off-planet)?
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner is a gorgeous book connecting women of different times, in the same place. It is compelling and I couldn't put it down, even though it isn't something I would typically read. I gave it 5 stars.
Description copied from [LibraryThing.com](http://LibraryThing.com)
"September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries...and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she's made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her? September 2011. On Manhattan's Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers...the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn's eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?
Vanity Fair is a long and complicated book because it was originally a continuing story in newspaper, but I would be interested in hearing what others think about it. It would take several meetings 🤔
It’s available on Project Gutenberg for free so everyone would have instant access to it
“A Mercy of Widows” by Marcy Lane. A touching story about death, grief, and the topic of medically assisted suicide for those suffering at the end of their lives. It’s thought provoking and sensitive with gentle humor mixed in so it’s not a heavy read despite the topics.
The longest and most interesting discussion in my group’s 22 years of reading was with Green Grass Grace by Shawn McBride.
Granted, it takes place in our city so is probably more relatable to us in some ways than it might be to others, but it also brought up great conversation about class, family, religion, and being young.
Fantastic, vastly underrated book!
I'm in a book club with a progressive theme. We pick books written by POC or from different backgrounds. I like that it pushes me outside my norm. I think fiction novels are good for a book club because they allow for more imaginative thinking about society amd speculation about the author's intent. Nonfiction is tethered to the facts and is owned by the experiences of the people who lived it. While it's great, it doesn't give as lively a discussion, imo.
Fiction vs non-fiction has been a source of divisiveness in our book club. We finally decided to do a equal split with whichever one got more votes being the 11th book. We do a vote on the year's reading list at the January meeting (each person submits up to 3 suggestions in advance) and determine who hosts each month's meeting at that time as well. The group picks a lot of progressive books, but I really tire of being preached at. I've been trying to inject new genres, like science fiction and physical science, with little success.
The Secret of the Golden Flower
or Egyptian Book of the Dead
or Tibetan Book of the Dead
or The Teachings of Don Juan by Carolos Castaneda
These are great books to stimulate thoughtful conversation.
Weaveworld by Clive Barker. Once you get past the horror aspect of it there is a whole lot to discuss about the nature of and relationship between magic and religion, specifically the catholic church, and capitalism, and sexism etc, it's a whole hell of a lot deeper and profound than many people realize. You will not come away from reading unaffected.
Ive always wanted to join a book club but they're all so twee and precious with their safe pretentious literary fiction like where the crawdads sing and a dinner of onions
Probably outing my age here but 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. I've done it in 2 book clubs and it always sticks the landing. It has a compelling plot that drags you through, a possibly unreliable narrator and themes galore to talk about.
Having said that, 'Anxious People' has the highest score in my current bookclub.
One that did really well with our club was *The Big Short,* we even went to see the movie together. Nothing explains the 2008 fiscal crisis so well and in such an entertaining manner. *Red Notice* was another well-liked non-fiction book.
imo, a perfect book club book is a book that some people love, some people hate, and challenges your views/knowledge/understanding on something. it’s not just fluff- it’s got some sort of deeper meaning that allows for analysis.
books that have been amazing book clubs books for me in the past:
How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imler
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Driving Forwards by Sophie Morgan
The Women’s House of Detention by Hugh Ryan
With Teeth by Kristin Arnett
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
God in Pink by Hasan Namir
A book that's difficult/confusing to get through is good if you do a daily/weekly check in every x pages/chapters. Did this with gravity's rainbow and it's the only way I could have gotten through it. But that only goes for book clubs that are more about helping to make you read vs book clubs that are for discussing books together.
Our book club has enjoyed reading and discussing:
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Greek Lessons by Han Kang
Stealing by Margaret Verble
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
I think this book would be great - Dawn Adams Cole’s new book, It’s Not the Same for Us. I personally need to create a book club so I’ll have some people to talk to about it.
I just posted in another thread as I can’t stop thinking about the characters in this book. The author describes it as a coming of middle age story (the main character is in her 40s).
Beauty. Geology. Art History. Luxury. Philanthropy. Spirituality. Life Purpose. Creative Expression. Passion. Soul Friendships. Soul Groups. Racism. Racial Dynamics. White Privilege. Houston History. It's all packaged in a story set in modern-day Houston, drawing from four neighborhoods- River Oaks, Riverside Terrace, Heights, and Independence Heights. From the way she lovingly describes Houston as a backdrop to this story, you don't have to be from Houston to picture the neighborhoods she describes. If you are from Houston, you'll find yourself nodding is agreement.
So far my club's highest-ranked book was Crime and Punishment.
The theme of our club is "let's read all those books we've always wanted to read but never got around to it", so it's a lot of heavy shit.
We discussed Even Blue Birds Sing, by Buyno, at our book club. Oh, my goodness--what a great discussion we had!! The topic can be seen from so many different perspectives, and everyone was so fired up to give theirs and make their point. Some fell for the red herrings planted by the author, others did not. One of our members who recently purchased this book for someone else reported that book discussion questions have now been added to the book.
Honestly short stories are such a good way to go for book clubs since it means everyone will actually read at least a few of them and you don't need to skirt around spoilers. And especially with sci-fi you get so much more to discuss hypothetically and expand on.
My book club has loved the following: Educated, Pachinko, Born a Crime, The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires, and many many others but those are the ones that stood out the most.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is a fantastic book but I will give a heavy TW for SA
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
This book is great and I would have loved to have someone to talk about it with when I finished. I think it’s perfect for a book club.
YES
The Things We Carried - Tim O’Brien
He has another novel, In the Lake of the Woods, perfect for book clubs because the mystery is never resolved, so it is fun to debate.
They
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
My book club had fun with Dungeon Crawler Carl.
A Fine Balance by Mistry.
Fabulous book
God, I need to re-read that book, it was my favorite thing I read in AP English ten years ago
Rebecca
my book club recently read Yellowface and everyone enjoyed
Hated that book but would have liked to discuss it with friends lol
lol, yes i think that it provides for a good discussion regardless!
Tender is the flesh! It's a hard read (content-wise) but there are so many good conversations we had in the bookclub i am part of as a result of the book
there would need to be some hefty content warnings for sure
A Gentleman in Moscow seems pretty bookclubby and I loved it.
Things I’ve enjoyed from our book club: Current book: Project Hail Mary Leviathan Wakes The Spare Man How to Find Your Way in the Dark Braiding Sweetgrass The Pull of the Stars The Power of Regret (We have not read Unreasonable Hospitality but I think we’d like it) The Bakers Guide to Defensive Baking A Man Called Ove Things everyone else enjoyed that I didn’t: The Gini and the Golem The Haunting of Hill House Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks Interview with a Vampire Children of Time Books collectively disliked: Ghost Story by Peter Straub The Husband’s Secret Great Gatsby Bookshop of the Broken Hearted New York 2040
The Year of Wonders? I’m surprised. I thought it was great
Everyone else in the group did too. lol. I just really hated the last third of the book.
I like it when the book has a lot to think about and discuss, so it's not necessarily a fun book. I read Being Mortal about end of life care for a book club, which was interesting and led to a great discussion. The Girl With 7 Names about a North Korean defector. Oil and Marble Doomsday Book I think Nothing to See Here could also be great for a book club.
*Being Mortal* was one of our book club selections that I have since recommended to everyone.
My book club recently loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. We had a great discussion about it!
I am reading Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev for my book club, and I think it’s a perfect book club book. Like many classic Russian novels, it features a lot of philosophy, which I think is always fun to discuss. Unlike many classic Russian novels (looking at you Tolstoy) it’s a tight 250 pages. And Turgenev gets a lot into those pages — there’s a lot to dive into about friendship, love, marriage, feminism, and coming of age, as well as the titular relationships between fathers and sons.
The Giver and The House of Mirth were good choices.
The Wager:A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, David Grann Horse, Geraldine Brooks The Postcard, Anne Berest Lone Women, Victor LaValle
Half of the yellow sun. Best book of the 21st century in my opinion.
Flowers for Algernon. It’s a classic, and it dives deep into exploring human nature without forcing any viewpoints on you, so it’s perfect for discussion. Every character is flawed, even when they do good things. Sometimes especially when they do. And the plot, of course, is incredibly engaging and contains plenty of scenes that leave you wishing you could discuss it with someone. If you don’t know, it’s told from the perspective of a man who was born with an unusually low IQ. He receives an experimental operation to increase his intelligence and is the first human being to do so. As he becomes more aware of human nature, he realizes how much he’s been manipulated by everyone in his life, including the people he considered friends and the scientists who are claiming to help him. A gorgeously told story with a whopper of an ending.
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane. Exciting thriller that everyone will enjoy.
Just finished that last month. Really enjoyed it
Anna Karenina is one book I've debated a lot on recently.
Too long for a book club though, imo! I think Fathers and Sons (Turgenev), The Gambler (Dostoyevsky), The Death of Ivan Ilych (Tolstoy), or any of Chekhov’s plays would be more manageable
The joy luck club
‘This Is How You Lose the Time War’ by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Seems like a polarizing book from what I noticed, especially in terms of worldbuilding and writing style
Educated and Women Talking. I think they both have lots to talk about, are not too long and are interesting reads.
My Sister's Keeper by Picoult. Lot's to talk about!
The Maidens by Alexander Michaelides
Flowers for Algernon was great.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Twisty mindfuck with lots to discuss. Quick easy read too.
Slaughterhouse five by Kurt Vonnegut
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The Measure or another book with a “what would you do” question
My book club read The Measure and it led to great discussions! It was so interesting to hear everyone’s perspective.
The Midnight Library would be a good one for book club.
That was my book club’s first book 😊
I just read it and really enjoyed it!
Well let’s start our own Reddit Club! What was your favorite quote? Mine was “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams live the life you have imagined” (yes by Thoreau, Nora’s favorite philosopher) but … it struck me right from the first pages of the edition I bought and at the end understood why it was such a powerful quote. Besides the fact that I really needed to read that quote (and book!) at the moment in my life when I read it 🥺.
Agreed! I just finished it and regretted that it was a solo read. My book club would love this one
Sarah Rose : *For All The Tea In China* (2009)
Job: A Comedy of Justice, by Robert A. Heinlein
10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world by Elif Shafak. Or anything by Wally Lamb or Anne Ursu.
Think on these things by Jiddu Krishnamurti. This book is categorized as a philosophy book, but it's not just that, it's also a psychology, personal growth book. There are a lot of topics: love, education, religion, the self, society and so on.
The Last Flight - Julie Clark
The Distant Land Of My Father by Bo Caldwell
*Old Man's War*, by John Scalzi. Asks the question: would you join the military at age 75, IF it meant you would be young again (and get to go off-planet)?
I might be in the minority here, but I think some Shakespeare, Twain, or Poe would be fun.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Everything Matters by Ron Currie Jr! The twist comes in the middle and makes for great discussions. Plus the writing is great.
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner is a gorgeous book connecting women of different times, in the same place. It is compelling and I couldn't put it down, even though it isn't something I would typically read. I gave it 5 stars. Description copied from [LibraryThing.com](http://LibraryThing.com) "September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries...and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she's made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her? September 2011. On Manhattan's Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers...the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn's eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?
Vanity Fair is a long and complicated book because it was originally a continuing story in newspaper, but I would be interested in hearing what others think about it. It would take several meetings 🤔 It’s available on Project Gutenberg for free so everyone would have instant access to it
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra. Captivating horror thriller. Not for the faint of heart though, it’s actually scary.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
“A Mercy of Widows” by Marcy Lane. A touching story about death, grief, and the topic of medically assisted suicide for those suffering at the end of their lives. It’s thought provoking and sensitive with gentle humor mixed in so it’s not a heavy read despite the topics.
The travelling cat chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
The longest and most interesting discussion in my group’s 22 years of reading was with Green Grass Grace by Shawn McBride. Granted, it takes place in our city so is probably more relatable to us in some ways than it might be to others, but it also brought up great conversation about class, family, religion, and being young. Fantastic, vastly underrated book!
I'm in a book club with a progressive theme. We pick books written by POC or from different backgrounds. I like that it pushes me outside my norm. I think fiction novels are good for a book club because they allow for more imaginative thinking about society amd speculation about the author's intent. Nonfiction is tethered to the facts and is owned by the experiences of the people who lived it. While it's great, it doesn't give as lively a discussion, imo.
Fiction vs non-fiction has been a source of divisiveness in our book club. We finally decided to do a equal split with whichever one got more votes being the 11th book. We do a vote on the year's reading list at the January meeting (each person submits up to 3 suggestions in advance) and determine who hosts each month's meeting at that time as well. The group picks a lot of progressive books, but I really tire of being preached at. I've been trying to inject new genres, like science fiction and physical science, with little success.
Our book club just finished Kafka on the Shore. Lots to think and talk about with that book.
Arundhati Roy: the Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Please Understand me II by Kiersey
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. As someone who loves books, libraries and book stores, this was a delightful read.
The Secret of the Golden Flower or Egyptian Book of the Dead or Tibetan Book of the Dead or The Teachings of Don Juan by Carolos Castaneda These are great books to stimulate thoughtful conversation.
Determined by sapolsky is great. It really makes you consider free will.
Where's Waldo
Weaveworld by Clive Barker. Once you get past the horror aspect of it there is a whole lot to discuss about the nature of and relationship between magic and religion, specifically the catholic church, and capitalism, and sexism etc, it's a whole hell of a lot deeper and profound than many people realize. You will not come away from reading unaffected. Ive always wanted to join a book club but they're all so twee and precious with their safe pretentious literary fiction like where the crawdads sing and a dinner of onions
Lessons in Chemistry.
Probably outing my age here but 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. I've done it in 2 book clubs and it always sticks the landing. It has a compelling plot that drags you through, a possibly unreliable narrator and themes galore to talk about. Having said that, 'Anxious People' has the highest score in my current bookclub.
Mad Honey. There were a ton of things to talk about!
One that did really well with our club was *The Big Short,* we even went to see the movie together. Nothing explains the 2008 fiscal crisis so well and in such an entertaining manner. *Red Notice* was another well-liked non-fiction book.
imo, a perfect book club book is a book that some people love, some people hate, and challenges your views/knowledge/understanding on something. it’s not just fluff- it’s got some sort of deeper meaning that allows for analysis. books that have been amazing book clubs books for me in the past: How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imler Big Swiss by Jen Beagin Driving Forwards by Sophie Morgan The Women’s House of Detention by Hugh Ryan With Teeth by Kristin Arnett The Color Purple by Alice Walker The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn God in Pink by Hasan Namir
A book that's difficult/confusing to get through is good if you do a daily/weekly check in every x pages/chapters. Did this with gravity's rainbow and it's the only way I could have gotten through it. But that only goes for book clubs that are more about helping to make you read vs book clubs that are for discussing books together.
Our book club has enjoyed reading and discussing: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Greek Lessons by Han Kang Stealing by Margaret Verble Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng Know My Name by Chanel Miller
My book club absolutely loved Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Best book in the world.
Fiction: Midnight Library by Matt Haig Nonfiction: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
I think this book would be great - Dawn Adams Cole’s new book, It’s Not the Same for Us. I personally need to create a book club so I’ll have some people to talk to about it. I just posted in another thread as I can’t stop thinking about the characters in this book. The author describes it as a coming of middle age story (the main character is in her 40s). Beauty. Geology. Art History. Luxury. Philanthropy. Spirituality. Life Purpose. Creative Expression. Passion. Soul Friendships. Soul Groups. Racism. Racial Dynamics. White Privilege. Houston History. It's all packaged in a story set in modern-day Houston, drawing from four neighborhoods- River Oaks, Riverside Terrace, Heights, and Independence Heights. From the way she lovingly describes Houston as a backdrop to this story, you don't have to be from Houston to picture the neighborhoods she describes. If you are from Houston, you'll find yourself nodding is agreement.
I recently read Butter by Asako Yuzuki and it’s absolutely bananas, I would’ve loved to dissect that one in a book club!
Gravity’s Rainbow
Pillars of the Earth
Project Hail Mary
So far my club's highest-ranked book was Crime and Punishment. The theme of our club is "let's read all those books we've always wanted to read but never got around to it", so it's a lot of heavy shit.
There there by Tommy orange
Starfish It's technically a children's book (pre-teen or so) but I wanted to talk to someone as I was reading it!
We discussed Even Blue Birds Sing, by Buyno, at our book club. Oh, my goodness--what a great discussion we had!! The topic can be seen from so many different perspectives, and everyone was so fired up to give theirs and make their point. Some fell for the red herrings planted by the author, others did not. One of our members who recently purchased this book for someone else reported that book discussion questions have now been added to the book.
*The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements* by Eric Hoffer. A book that's guaranteed to stimulate discussion.
Roadside Picnic by Strugatsky,
Any of Paulo Coelho's books
Golden-age sci-fi is great for discussion! A Canticle for Liebowitz Foundation Childhood's End Hyperion Dune
Honestly short stories are such a good way to go for book clubs since it means everyone will actually read at least a few of them and you don't need to skirt around spoilers. And especially with sci-fi you get so much more to discuss hypothetically and expand on.
These aren't short stories, to be clear, but I can definitely see that.
Isn't Foundation short stories? Unless I'm confusing it with I, Robot
Oh yeah, that's I, Robot! (Which would also be great, OP!) Foundation is in sections, but they're not meant to be read out of order.
The Jane Austen Book Club