Help choosing a book for book club!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am intrigued by James which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's point of view. It might fit the bill. Has anyone read it?

Yes. It is good. It is dark. Probably perfect for the book club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not historical fiction, but I really loved the 100 Years of Lenni and Margot. It’s a really beautiful book.

That was a great book. Maybe the Great Believers?

My book club is not afraid to pick things that are too fluffy - but we did enjoy the great believers (and demon copperhead).

We recently read all the colors of the dark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may seem like fluff, but if I were in a book club, I would want to discuss AnnieBot by Sierra Greer. It's about a companion android and her relationship with her owner.

I LOVED that book

Honestly one reason I am not in a book club is because of book club fiction. Why does everything have to be so serious in the same sort of way? And why is it all so LONG?

Annie Bot is excellent, thought provoking, not at all like a Barbara Kingsolver book, and best of all it is SHORT.

In short, your book club will probably hate it.

I agree! We take turns picking books for our club and one person in particular always goes for the heavy, depressing books. I recommended that NPR Books site and when it's my turn I use it to search for book club + short or + funny reads.

I'm PP and I'd love to be in your book club!

[Anonymous]

Shark Heart is a weird book, but everyone in my book club loved it and it led to a good discussion.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
Yellowface by RF Kuang
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
The Violin Conspiracy
Notes on an Execution
Curfew by Jayne Cowie

[Anonymous]

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

[Anonymous]

Has anyone read Our Woman in Moscow, by Beatriz Williams?

I had it on reserve on Libby, and it just came in. Looks like it could be good for a book club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Light Pirate is beautifully written and evokes a lot of thought and conversation.

+1. My book club read this a year ago and it still pops up in our conversations occasionally.

[Anonymous]

Favorite book club book of all time is probably Kindred by Octavia Butler. A fascinating book that feels super relevant today with so much to discuss.

Summary:
Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Favorite book club book of all time is probably Kindred by Octavia Butler. A fascinating book that feels super relevant today with so much to discuss.

Summary:
Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana’s life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

I liked Kindred too, great suggestion

[Anonymous]

I think it's ok for it to be fluffy! Those books can be just as interesting to dissect as the more literature focused recs. My book club runs the gamut.

I did like Matrix as suggested by a PP. Lots to unpack there and not too long.

[Anonymous]

Neither super literary nor fluffy, with plenty to discuss:

Same As It Ever Was, by Claire Lombardo
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?, by Crystal Smith Paul
Cassandra in Reverse, by Holly Smale
The Second Ending, by Michelle Hoffman
Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry, by Sara Read

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am intrigued by James which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's point of view. It might fit the bill. Has anyone read it?

I did and it was interesting and not that long. Seems like a good fit for OP's book club. Agree with the suggestion for the Great Believers too. The Measure by Nikki Erlick could lead to some interesting conversations. And I haven't read absolution by Alice McDermott but it also seems like it could work for op.

[Anonymous]

The Berry Pickers Awesome read about American Indians

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am intrigued by James which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's point of view. It might fit the bill. Has anyone read it?

I did and it was interesting and not that long. Seems like a good fit for OP's book club. Agree with the suggestion for the Great Believers too. The Measure by Nikki Erlick could lead to some interesting conversations. And I haven't read absolution by Alice McDermott but it also seems like it could work for op.

James is phenomenal and a great book club pick.
Do you only do fiction?

Other ideas: Pachinko, A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
Educated by Tara Westover (a memoir)

[Anonymous]

A little self-referential for a book club but we had an amazing discussion over “What You Are Looking For Is In The Library”