Current:Home > reviewsNeed a book club book? These unforgettable titles are sure to spark discussion and debate -AssetLink
Need a book club book? These unforgettable titles are sure to spark discussion and debate
View
Date:2025-04-11 14:25:59
Books that make everyone happy make for boring book clubs.
Discussions wrap up quickly when stories don’t invite readers to reflect. If we all interpret the story in the exact same way, relate to the exact same character, come to the same simple conclusion, well, there’s just not much to say.
Even with books we all love, there’s only so much fan-girling that can be done.
So I’m always looking for the books that spark conversation, and, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, I’ve found that cracks let opinions in. I want flawed books and authors that experiment. I want books that tell new stories, or old stories in new ways. I want books that send readers down rabbit holes.
Here are books, new and old, that should lead to rousing discussions.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
Need more inspirationUSA TODAY's Best-selling booklist
'Wandering Stars'
By Tommy Orange (Knopf, 336 pp.)This follow-up to his acclaimed debut, There There, takes readers through three generations of a Native family, from a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 to a family grappling with the opioid epidemic of modern America.
'The Wives'
By Simone Gorrindo (Gallery/Scout Press, 416 pp.)When her husband joins the Army, Gorrindo leaves New York City and a publishing job for Columbus, Georgia, and a writing room of her own. This is a marriage memoir, but also an intimate look at the ways women support each other, the way community is needed, built, and maintained.
'Real Americans'
By Rachel Khong (Knopf, 416pp)Told in three parts, this story of family and class considers the American dream and the limits — and ethics — of scientific discovery. How far should we go to protect our children?
'The Cemetery of Untold Stories'
By Julia Alvarez (Algonquin, 256 pp.)The central premise here — a graveyard for unfinished books — is delicious and sets off a novel full of people remembering and revising their own stories.
'The Fetishist'
By Katherine Min (G.P. Putnman's Sons, 304 pp.)Darkly funny and tender, the story begins with a grieving and angry young woman seeking revenge on the man who caused her mother’s death. Things go awry, memories are uncovered, and the result is an unconventional love story and an excellent look at making art.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
By Shannon Chakraborty (Harper-Voyager, 496 pp.)
A 40-year-old single mother, former pirate with a bum knee, is pulled out for a final great adventure. This rollicking fantasy is based on the story of Sinbad the Sailor and is a heist story on the high seas.
'Small Mercies'
By Dennis Lehane (Harper, 320 pp.)Boston is burning up in the summer of 1974 as schools are about to be desegregated. A girl goes missing, and a desperate mother starts asking questions that could set everything on fire.
'Transcendent Kingdom'
By Yaa Gyasi (Vintage, 304 pp.)Gifty is a scientist shaped by religion. In the wake of her brother’s death and as she cares for her mother, she grapples with faith and tries to uncover the science of addiction.
'A Fever in The Heartland'
By Timothy Egan (Viking, 432 pp.)Here’s history you likely did not get in school: the true story of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest. Although it’s nonfiction, sometimes this feels like a horror novel. (If you like the idea of narrative history, you also might consider the work of Candice Millard, Tiya Miles, David Grann, or Erik Larson.)
'The Woman in Me'
By Britney Spears (Gallery Books, 288 pp.)Celebrity memoirs are excellent book club picks because they invite conversation about pop culture. Other ones to consider: Leslie F*cking Jones, Leslie Jones; Open Book, Jessica Simpson; I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy; The Storyteller, Dave Grohl
'Mrs. Dalloway'
By Virginia Woolf (Penguin Classics, 240 pp.)Revisiting classics, particularly slim ones, is always a good idea for a book group if only because they’re easily available in many formats. Set in London between the wars, this novel and its themes of choice and memory remain remarkably relevant.
More:10 memoirs you'll want to read from Ashley C. Ford, Roxane Gay, Javier Zamora and more
'A Wrinkle in Time'
By Madeleine L’Engle (Ariel Books, 256 pp.)Another underrated book club choice: classic children’s books. Do we still think the story matters? Why does this story speak to children? What is it saying about our culture? It doesn’t have to be this one, though L’Engle’s time travelers are fun to revisit. Other contenders: The Westing Game, Charlotte’s Web, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; or Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret?
Hillary Copsey is the book advisor at The Mercantile Library in Cincinnati, Ohio.
veryGood! (199)
Related
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- An Iowa man who failed to show up for the guilty verdict at his murder trial has been arrested
- Arizona’s sweltering summer could set new record for most heat-associated deaths in big metro
- Summer 2023 ends: Hotter summers are coming and could bring outdoor work bans, bumpy roads
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- At UN, African leaders say enough is enough: They must be partnered with, not sidelined
- Croatian police detain 9 soccer fans over the violence in Greece last month that killed one person
- BTS star Suga joins Jin, J-Hope for mandatory military service in South Korea
- Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight
- 5 dead as train strikes SUV in Florida, sheriff says
Ranking
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Trudeau pledges Canada’s support for Ukraine and punishment for Russia
- Savannah Chrisley Mourns Death of Ex-Fiancé Nic Kerdiles With Heartbreaking Tribute
- UNGA Briefing: Nagorno-Karabakh, Lavrov and what else is going on at the UN
- How breaking emerged from battles in the burning Bronx to the Paris Olympics stage
- New York Civil Liberties Union sues NYPD for records on transgender sensitivity training
- Florida siblings, ages 10 and 11, stopped while driving mom’s car on freeway 200 miles from home
- 1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?
Recommendation
US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
In Milan, Ferragamo’s Maximilian Davis woos the red carpet with hard-soft mix and fetish detailing
FBI launches probe into police department over abuse allegations
Taiwan factory fire leaves at least 5 dead, more than 100 injured
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
Home explosion in West Milford, New Jersey, leaves 5 hospitalized
Judge sides with ACLU, orders Albuquerque to pause removal of homeless people’s belongings
Oklahoma judge arrested in Austin, Texas, accused of shooting parked cars, rear-ending another