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Best Book Club Books

150 Book Suggestions and Everything Else You Need to Know

by | Aug 16, 2024

Best Book Club Books

Why Start A Book Club?

As someone who has been part of a book club for almost 20 years, I can tell you without reservation that it is a source of joy in my life. Our book club has 14 members, and together, we have enjoyed some of the best book club books out there. Most of us met when we were in our 30s and our kids were in grade school or playing sports together. Now, we are in our 50s. Our kids have left the nest. A lot has changed in all of our lives, and throughout all of it, our book club has been meeting once a month. While I don’t hang out with most of my fellow members outside of book club, I genuinely look forward to catching up with them each month and I value their input and experiences. Book club is a source of inspiration, a reason to take time out and read and a great way to stay in touch with like-minded people.

How to Start A Book Club

To start a book club, you should find at least two other people who share your passion for reading. Look at your existing social circles first. If you’re a parent, invite other parents that you know from your child’s school or extracurricular activities. If you work out, or go to church, or are involved in other extracurriculars, look for potential book clubbers in those places. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to spot readers and start booky conversations. If you see someone reading, ask them about their book. Then, when the time is right, ask them if they belong to a book club or have any interest in joining one.

If you don’t have any existing social circles to draw from, join a Facebook group for your local community and post an invitation to join you for book club.

Where to Host Book Club

In my book club, members host book club at their own homes on a rotation. Since we have 14 members, I am the host roughly every 14 months. We find it comfortable to host in our homes because we all live in the same community and know each other well.

If you do not know the members of your book club very well, it may be more comfortable to host your book club at a public venue such as a local coffee shop, library or bookstore. Many bookstores have meeting rooms where book clubs can meet.

How to Choose Books for Your Book Club

We have a planning meeting at the beginning of each book club cycle. At that meeting, we sign up for the dates we want to host. At that same planning meeting, each member suggests two books for their month. Then the group votes on which book we will read each month. We bring two suggestions because there is an inevitable overlap. If one person has already chosen one of your two suggestions, it’s easy to segue to the next option.

How to Keep Your Book Club Organized

It’s important to get dates and books on the calendar early so everyone can save the dates. We use a group Google Calendar. Each entry includes the host name, host address, and book choice. The day of the week that we meet changes each time and is according to each host’s preference. At our planning meeting, one of our tech-savvy members takes charge of setting up the calendar. She actually enters everything while we are meeting, so by the end of the night, everyone in the group is up to date.

It’s also important that the book club sets up a texting group for easy communication throughout the year.

Tips for Hosting Book Club

One week before you host, be sure to send out a text reminder to the group and to ask for RSVPs.

In our book club, the host provides a light, casual meal and beverages. Some hosts cook and others pick up catering. There is usually a choice of wine or non-alcoholic beverages. Sometimes, the host aligns the menu with the theme of the book. Our rule is that when you host, you provide everything and the guests just show up. This makes it easy for people to participate.

Book club typically begins at 7 or 7:30 and ends around 10:00 p.m. We eat and mingle for about an hour before we start the book discussion. When it’s time, the host calls everyone together to begin the discussion. The host often begins by asking who read the book, and who liked the book. Members share their general comments and then we shift into more detail. It’s a good idea to have a list of discussion questions on hand. If you look online, it’s easy to find book club discussion questions for most books. Sometimes questions about the book segue to questions about life, and in our club, that’s just fine. We enjoy the parallels.

Other Ideas

Once your book club is up and running smoothly, you may find other ways to meet. For example, if a book that we read is made into a movie, we plan a movie night to see it or if an author we like is speaking downtown, we arrange an outing. Once a year, it can be fun to invite spouses or kids to a family book club.

Best Book Club Books

There are countless books and the best part is most books are evergreen. Even books released in 1947 are still relevant and entertaining to read today. Below is a list of some of our book club’s picks over the years. Some of these might become favorites for your book club too!

Title Author Hard Cover Link Kindle Link Audiobook Link
A House in the Sky Amanda Lindhout https://amzn.to/49aL9Kn https://amzn.to/3HVyK1e https://amzn.to/49aLexF
A House Without Windows Nadia Hashimi https://amzn.to/486xfrD https://amzn.to/3SVstZH https://amzn.to/42zyIFw
A Long Petal of the Sea Isabel Allende https://amzn.to/3HPoEi2 https://amzn.to/496Bx3u https://amzn.to/3wgmVQh
A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman https://amzn.to/49fNMuM https://amzn.to/3OETT3d https://amzn.to/3OFAL5k
A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens https://amzn.to/3SSinIL https://amzn.to/3SWNao8 https://amzn.to/42vKqBf
A Visit from the Goon Squad Jennifer Egan https://amzn.to/49rDpn8 https://amzn.to/42zAZk2 https://amzn.to/49xGEJV
All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr https://amzn.to/3HSxs6Y https://amzn.to/42zFYBm https://amzn.to/3UGfc8F
Americanah Chimamanda Adichie https://amzn.to/3UCFdWo https://amzn.to/3SQYMZI https://amzn.to/3OEtRNP
An American Marriage Tayari Jones https://amzn.to/42wRKfO https://amzn.to/487PA7I https://amzn.to/3OYeJLp
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writer’s Homes in New England Brock Clarke https://amzn.to/49w3Vf2 https://amzn.to/3SSFvXJ https://amzn.to/3UyRY40
Apples Never Fall Liane Moriarty https://amzn.to/49ioxrc https://amzn.to/3OCmq9A https://amzn.to/3OCWKcZ
Ask for a Convertible Danit Brown https://amzn.to/3usaoZM https://amzn.to/49pfrtj
Beartown Fredrik Backman https://amzn.to/3STIb7B https://amzn.to/3STIa3x https://amzn.to/3SCfwm8
Becoming Michelle Obama https://amzn.to/3uncQRh https://amzn.to/3SSEUFD https://amzn.to/3OC4VGr
Before Happiness Shawn Achor https://amzn.to/49vxL3c https://amzn.to/3ODc3lW https://amzn.to/49uU35j
Behind the Beautiful Forevers Katherine Boo https://amzn.to/3SAVV5z https://amzn.to/3w6bLO2 https://amzn.to/48641cg
Being Mortal Atul Gawande https://amzn.to/3SzUtRd https://amzn.to/4bpu9lc https://amzn.to/4buNq4N
Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty https://amzn.to/3UvNbAv https://amzn.to/3OG9EqS https://amzn.to/42Cw6GQ
Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown https://amzn.to/3wc3KYd https://amzn.to/3SryrzW https://amzn.to/4bxhwED
Call Your Daughter Home Deb Spera https://amzn.to/49KpRn5 https://amzn.to/4boQkYZ https://amzn.to/3wbO8Ur
Child 44 Tom Rob Smith https://amzn.to/499XZbR https://amzn.to/3w9v8WC https://amzn.to/49yPwPv
Circe Madeline Miller https://amzn.to/4bok9c5 https://amzn.to/3w7orED https://amzn.to/483IReU
City of Thieves David Benioff https://amzn.to/49u3vWv https://amzn.to/3waqxDJ https://amzn.to/49tYfSP
Cloud Cuckoo Land Anthony Doerr https://amzn.to/4bwh6yi https://amzn.to/496gYUQ https://amzn.to/4bxUwpl
Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese https://amzn.to/3ut82K0 https://amzn.to/497YCmt https://amzn.to/499TVbB
Daisy Jones & The Six Taylor Jenkins Reid https://amzn.to/3UsLAve https://amzn.to/3OBCSXX https://amzn.to/3Uwsfcq
Daring Greatly Brene Brown https://amzn.to/4982jIx https://amzn.to/3SSPKLL https://amzn.to/3SR0Sc2
David and Goliath Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/4bAdfAk https://amzn.to/3UATkLH https://amzn.to/3UArKOv
Defending Jacob William Landay https://amzn.to/42zB3jM https://amzn.to/42zGrn6 https://amzn.to/49s2O03
Educated Tara Westover https://amzn.to/48df7fu https://amzn.to/42zyMoK https://amzn.to/42yDzH2
Empire of Pain Patrick Radden Keefe https://amzn.to/4bvpMoF https://amzn.to/42vaIDE https://amzn.to/49oIbBQ
Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card https://amzn.to/3wcoC1h https://amzn.to/42BZBIT https://amzn.to/48hWMxP
Essentialism Greg McKeown https://amzn.to/3Uuz527 https://amzn.to/494EIc0 https://amzn.to/3SPfAAd
Everything I Never Told You Celeste Ng https://amzn.to/4byQcWQ https://amzn.to/486yiYB https://amzn.to/48bhuQ0
Fall of Giants Ken Follett https://amzn.to/3ullOP0 https://amzn.to/3UyLNwQ https://amzn.to/3ui1o9C
Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://amzn.to/48b58Ye https://amzn.to/3HTEJU1 https://amzn.to/3SSiy6T
Goodnight Nobody Jennifer Weiner https://amzn.to/3UyLDpe https://amzn.to/42wu4Ix https://amzn.to/3HVITuG
Greenlights Matthew McConaughey https://amzn.to/3SzsmS8 https://amzn.to/3SzqM2q https://amzn.to/3uwNuQM
Heartsick Chelsea Cain https://amzn.to/3uq4NDh https://amzn.to/3SynFrM https://amzn.to/3HQupMJ
Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Neffenger https://amzn.to/48eSUOh https://amzn.to/3OGnZ6G https://amzn.to/486g5dy
Homegoing Yaa Gyasi https://amzn.to/3uiApL4 https://amzn.to/496lrH8 https://amzn.to/3Ur7aAi
How to Be an Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi https://amzn.to/483JLIk https://amzn.to/3Uxk4gf https://amzn.to/3OziPt3
I Drink for a Reason David Cross https://amzn.to/3ST0UQF https://amzn.to/3STvCsO https://amzn.to/49pfsxn
I’m a Stranger Here Myself Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/42B3f5Z https://amzn.to/3HW7lvQ https://amzn.to/3utwqv0
If I Stay Gayle Forman https://amzn.to/3SzUDYP https://amzn.to/42BspBB https://amzn.to/3uzGuCI
Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali https://amzn.to/42C2v0d https://amzn.to/49aWFW7 https://amzn.to/3ujYEZn
Kim Rudyard Kipling https://amzn.to/4bAJuPV https://amzn.to/4bwgd9a
Know My Name Chanel Miller https://amzn.to/42Apf0W https://amzn.to/3wbotLG https://amzn.to/4bFXmIW
Less Andrew Sean Greer https://amzn.to/3w9SETj https://amzn.to/3uAs7xZ https://amzn.to/3ulkr2O
Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly https://amzn.to/3IbIowR https://amzn.to/3SQI4JO https://amzn.to/3SPEXlf
Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng https://amzn.to/4bwfEfy https://amzn.to/3SUsPzq https://amzn.to/4bwZOkM
Little Princes Conor Grennan https://amzn.to/497W9bH https://amzn.to/3w9p1BE https://amzn.to/49uOow1
Lolita Vladimir Nabokof https://amzn.to/3usVG4z https://amzn.to/3SUuR2S https://amzn.to/3OyRsPB
Lost in a Good Book Jasper Fforde https://amzn.to/3Uy1zIo https://amzn.to/42BGiQ1 https://amzn.to/49m340I
Lucy by the Sea Elizabeth Strout https://amzn.to/3OymIOI https://amzn.to/3uubsMD https://amzn.to/3Sr5xjo
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Lori Gottlieb https://amzn.to/485XxKp https://amzn.to/4bw7T9y https://amzn.to/3Uvc27q
Morrigan’s Cross Nora Roberts https://amzn.to/3HSapci https://amzn.to/49pmrWq https://amzn.to/49wsrwS
My Lovely Wife Samantha Downing https://amzn.to/3SOcY5I https://amzn.to/485Y6E1 https://amzn.to/3SPfJ6J
My Stroke of Insight Jill Bolte Taylor https://amzn.to/42yKgZG https://amzn.to/48dlHTe https://amzn.to/42E1vZB
Nine Perfect Strangers Liane Moriarty https://amzn.to/48aFZNs https://amzn.to/42xlRnq https://amzn.to/3UxU2JC
Once An Arafat Man Tass Saada https://amzn.to/48goZVQ https://amzn.to/486CqYw
One Italian Summer Rebecca Serle https://amzn.to/3HSICsA https://amzn.to/49622pL https://amzn.to/49pX474
One Second After William R. Forstchen https://amzn.to/48bain4 https://amzn.to/3OFknl8 https://amzn.to/49enp8j
Oona Out of Order Margarita Montimore https://amzn.to/4bxUDB1 https://amzn.to/3HOXVlQ https://amzn.to/3SMeiG5
Orphan Train Christina Baker https://amzn.to/49yoisd https://amzn.to/3wdJsNV https://amzn.to/3SSWrNO
Orphan X Gregg Hurwitz https://amzn.to/3wdyIiB https://amzn.to/3weDnAL https://amzn.to/3HVaHiQ
Our Missing Hearts Celeste Ng https://amzn.to/3HT4W54 https://amzn.to/3up9mh6 https://amzn.to/4958oW9
Outlawed Anna North https://amzn.to/4bxBGhR https://amzn.to/3OBMGAX https://amzn.to/3umUXC7
Pachinko Min Jin Lee https://amzn.to/3uArdBB https://amzn.to/3UvMdEn https://amzn.to/3SCBC7U
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen https://amzn.to/3HSbzor https://amzn.to/48b0dqe
Ready Player One Ernest Cline https://amzn.to/3UBo4fA https://amzn.to/3SCkuiR https://amzn.to/3UCZevM
Red Clocks Leni Zumas https://amzn.to/3SPSpWk https://amzn.to/49sHRlo https://amzn.to/49irtEe
Redeployment Phil Klay https://amzn.to/3SxSDA3 https://amzn.to/42wFyf3 https://amzn.to/488XeOZ
Small Great Things Jodi Picoult https://amzn.to/48bquEH https://amzn.to/3HSa0H5 https://amzn.to/3StYWES
Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel https://amzn.to/3STvbyD https://amzn.to/3SOYXVf https://amzn.to/3HVwSFK
The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie https://amzn.to/42BNnjz https://amzn.to/42C2VUl https://amzn.to/486OY24
The Art of Racing in the Rain Garth Stein https://amzn.to/3wcDexM https://amzn.to/3OE0HhF https://amzn.to/3wckzSC
The Book that Matters Most Ann Hood https://amzn.to/3STvXM4 https://amzn.to/3SBhLWz https://amzn.to/3SzTxwb
The Book Thief Markus Zusak https://amzn.to/3STVeWD https://amzn.to/49rNW1E https://amzn.to/496QN0f
The Cat’s Table Michael Ondaatje https://amzn.to/3OFHRXw https://amzn.to/3OD8vjK https://amzn.to/3OEC4BD
The Circle Dave Eggers https://amzn.to/4byQywE https://amzn.to/48gpe3c https://amzn.to/49s20s3
The Covenant of Water Abraham Verghese https://amzn.to/3SQtYIq https://amzn.to/49m5psV https://amzn.to/4889zmD
The Cuckoo’s Calling Robert Galbraith https://amzn.to/3UxWQq8 https://amzn.to/3wca3L8 https://amzn.to/3UC1Bz8
The Dictionary of Lost Words Pip Williams https://amzn.to/3ODkRIK https://amzn.to/49KpCsb https://amzn.to/3UxWZK5
The Dutch House Anne Patchett https://amzn.to/3HRWT8B https://amzn.to/3UsvkKJ https://amzn.to/3SRc735
The Elegance of the Hedgehog Murial Barbery https://amzn.to/3UyR5sc https://amzn.to/3Su67Nk https://amzn.to/3uq5cph
The Four Winds Kristin Hannah https://amzn.to/3OxuxUY https://amzn.to/3OFpUrZ https://amzn.to/3Uyuhcb
The Giver of Stars JoJo Moyes https://amzn.to/3UxXJyR https://amzn.to/3Sr9OTY https://amzn.to/498lIZY
The Goldfinch Donna Tartt https://amzn.to/3OEViH1 https://amzn.to/3OAlG4U https://amzn.to/3OCAOia
The Gone Away World Nick Harkaway https://amzn.to/3SQL7ll https://amzn.to/42DoHaC https://amzn.to/48biP9B
The Great Alone Kristin Hannah https://amzn.to/3IevQVv https://amzn.to/3HVadJy https://amzn.to/3SOYNND
The Help Kathryn Stockett https://amzn.to/42vQCct https://amzn.to/3UzvIXI https://amzn.to/3UAyLyP
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams https://amzn.to/49w5SrQ https://amzn.to/3HUJixy https://amzn.to/4980o6N
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford https://amzn.to/3Uy1G6M https://amzn.to/3UAUrLn https://amzn.to/3ul1Ofp
The Hound of the Baskervilles Arthur Conan Doyle https://amzn.to/49vM8F3 https://amzn.to/42z0jqh
The Illusion of Certainty Greg Messel https://amzn.to/3HT7Fvh
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot https://amzn.to/497Yvax https://amzn.to/49m5psw https://amzn.to/49uRmk9
The Immortalists Chloe Benjamin https://amzn.to/3SQZxC2 https://amzn.to/3OFNyod https://amzn.to/3urXn2m
The Invention of Wings Sue Monk Kidd https://amzn.to/49cwT46 https://amzn.to/49xFRbV https://amzn.to/3SxfPi8
The Kitchen House Kathleen Grissom https://amzn.to/49aGVCB https://amzn.to/4bAdjA4 https://amzn.to/3SrCn3u
The Lacuna Barbara Kingsolver https://amzn.to/42xSWzq https://amzn.to/42zgEvb https://amzn.to/3OGnWYy
The Library Book Susan Orlean https://amzn.to/49uM8Fh https://amzn.to/49sGTFM https://amzn.to/3unbVQP
The Life We Bury Allen Eskens https://amzn.to/3OCTKgX https://amzn.to/3HVTZ2G https://amzn.to/3UGeMz7
The Light Between Oceans ML Steadman https://amzn.to/3UvwvZS https://amzn.to/48kgXeU https://amzn.to/3OCAFv8
The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles https://amzn.to/49oHTLg https://amzn.to/3HRSBy4 https://amzn.to/3HTmOgq
The Maltese Falcon Dashiell Hammett https://amzn.to/3uly5D4 https://amzn.to/49se2BJ https://amzn.to/3UA6VTm
The Many Daughters of Afong May Jamie Ford https://amzn.to/3up7rcq https://amzn.to/3OCm4Qi https://amzn.to/488wvSz
The Midnight Library Matt Haig https://amzn.to/4bxTtWb https://amzn.to/42yNA7c https://amzn.to/42z1Ah3
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein https://amzn.to/49bTbmo https://amzn.to/4989Mr3 https://amzn.to/49rLAQk
The Murmur of Bees Sofia Segovia https://amzn.to/3SA6ztg https://amzn.to/493Kyu7 https://amzn.to/3Sy44HX
The Nightingale Kristin Hanna https://amzn.to/4bAz578 https://amzn.to/4864rzm https://amzn.to/3wbsgIR
The Only Woman in the Room Marie Benedict https://amzn.to/49mqN0u https://amzn.to/49s1jPn
The Orphan Master’s Son Adam Johnson https://amzn.to/49tS4y3 https://amzn.to/42BsGED https://amzn.to/3UCZZF8
The Other Black Girl Zakiya Dalila Harris https://amzn.to/49tw1rA https://amzn.to/49vLVBL https://amzn.to/3SQGdVl
The Paris Wife Paula McLain https://amzn.to/3HUOCAN https://amzn.to/3UBcgdb https://amzn.to/3HVgEfF
The Reader Bernhard Schlink https://amzn.to/3wciI07 https://amzn.to/3STGze4 https://amzn.to/48bqeFJ
The Road to Character David Brooks https://amzn.to/499M0uT https://amzn.to/49tQJr1 https://amzn.to/49rrTbq
The Rosie Project Graeme Simson https://amzn.to/499ckFE https://amzn.to/3SQ4fjg https://amzn.to/3SS5wX3
The Round House Louise Erdrich https://amzn.to/3OFP7T7 https://amzn.to/3UzGeyo https://amzn.to/42BRmfT
The Secret of Shelter Island Alexander Green https://amzn.to/3ulxOQy https://amzn.to/3UDbHzA https://amzn.to/3uidzDm
The Shoemaker’s Wife Adriana Trigiani https://amzn.to/3UHAUc2 https://amzn.to/3SxHWO3 https://amzn.to/3SBXrV6
The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides https://amzn.to/3upQFK6 https://amzn.to/3HNArh7 https://amzn.to/3OyqVlu
The Spy Paulo Coelho https://amzn.to/3UANo5n https://amzn.to/3UtTp3Q https://amzn.to/48c9q1i
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry Gabrielle Zevin https://amzn.to/48dVQL9 https://amzn.to/3ODc8Gg https://amzn.to/3SS50bz
The Story of Beautiful Girl Rachel Simon https://amzn.to/3SSAxdn https://amzn.to/3OFhTmO https://amzn.to/3OAqCXu
The Testaments Margaret Atwood https://amzn.to/4bwwzOS https://amzn.to/3HPoPdc https://amzn.to/3HPs0Sr
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett https://amzn.to/3ufiiFS https://amzn.to/42u6coX https://amzn.to/3UyvuQL
The White Tiger Aravind Adiga https://amzn.to/3OznkE4 https://amzn.to/49pzmHU https://amzn.to/3HSkuWG
The Winter of the World Ken Follett https://amzn.to/42ygX9E https://amzn.to/3w8Zh8C https://amzn.to/3SS4Ukd
The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware https://amzn.to/3HSa6ya https://amzn.to/4bx0jva https://amzn.to/4bpsSKW
This is Where I Leave You Jonathon Tropper https://amzn.to/3SQR4Pe https://amzn.to/48b6NwX https://amzn.to/4982fZj
Ties Domenico Starnone https://amzn.to/486CaZy
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee https://amzn.to/3UxnWh1 https://amzn.to/3SChliY https://amzn.to/49yDt4J
Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand https://amzn.to/3SQFRy7 https://amzn.to/4byWs0M https://amzn.to/3SUwkpU
Vladimir Julia May Jones https://amzn.to/42AnQHI https://amzn.to/3SQVSnN https://amzn.to/3wgkux7
Water for Elephants Sara Gruen https://amzn.to/49aOauh https://amzn.to/3w53QR6
What Men Live By Leo Tolstoy https://amzn.to/3SWOMhG https://amzn.to/3STqxRg https://amzn.to/3SQ9Ztk
Where Men Win Glory Jon Krakauer https://amzn.to/49esjlJ https://amzn.to/49pfw05
Where’d You Go Bernadette Maria Semple https://amzn.to/3uvkYPE https://amzn.to/3SSzFph https://amzn.to/42z5mXP
Wild: From Lost to Found on the PCT Cheryl Strayed https://amzn.to/3us3ELs https://amzn.to/4bIRONQ https://amzn.to/4brS6bP
Wonder RJ Palacio https://amzn.to/3P16uhF https://amzn.to/3UxV4oY https://amzn.to/3UAIjtH