Best for Book Clubs
Best books to read for a great book club discussion. Suggest books that your group has read that led to a lively discussion, whether people loved or hated them.
12,419 books ·
16,224 voters ·
list created June 13th, 2008
by Jessica Haider (votes) .
Tags:
bookclub, discussion
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Jen
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Sep 20, 2008 04:33PM
The author combines a love story, history and a gorgeous unusual setting to create a powerful novel that really makes you think and want to talk about.
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Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier were all big hits with our BBC Book Club. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus and Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross were also favorites with excellent discussions.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte is a great one for book clubs. She's the little known Bronte sister, compared to her far more famous siblings. Comparing her work to that of her sisters brought about quite a discussion in our group.
Home Repair by Liz Rosenberg and Open House by Elizabeth Berg were tops for my book club group. Excellent discussions ensued. We realized we all like books that make us laugh and cry. Laurie Colwin is up soon, and so is the Guernsey Literary Potato Pie book.
Cat-- your choices sound great! Recommend you also consider Dan Chaon's new novel after Home Repair and Open House when you are ready for something a bit darker. He's a great writer. Can't go wrong with jane Austen.
Had a great book discussion of HOME REPAIR with the author in Philly. So inspiring I had to pass it along. We all agreed it's good to have a book that makes you want to write, too, and has enough characters you can love.
I love the book about friendship Ann Patchett (sp?) wrote and think it would make a great discussion book. Also, to me Dostoevsky scares too many people away and should not. There is so much there to talk about!
I love the book about friendship Ann Patchett (sp?) wrote and think it would make a great discussion book. Also, to me Dostoevsky scares too many people away and should not. There is so much there to talk about!
I've just discovered this list. Is there anyway to search this very extensive list? I would love to be able to look at it in alphabetical order. Or is it solely based on votes. There is no way to go through so many pages and vote with any kind of rationality! Just wondering.
This is just a random list of books that are featured in PEOPLE magazine! this is the worst list ever! No one put any thought into it at all.
A great book to add to this list is The Sixth Extinction by d. leonard freeston. Couldn't put it down!
"Addressing Spirits" by Carla Foft would be a good choice for a book club. It's by a new author, so it has some really different perspectives. It's short, so the club can finish it quickly and get down to discussing it faster. Carla Foft discusses Spirits' Rights on her website and it has started some lively discussions. The book is fun and has received great reviews.
Finished "Rare & Endangered Species" by Richard Bausch 1994. Every short story in this collection is top-drawer and insightful into the human condition. The characters and their thoughts/actions ring true and signify life's lessons. Writing this great should not go out of style
Darbi wrote: "This is just a random list of books that are featured in PEOPLE magazine! this is the worst list ever! No one put any thought into it at all."
Maybe your taste is different. It fits into my interests quite well.
Maybe your taste is different. It fits into my interests quite well.
Leanne wrote: "Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. Lots of issues...great book!"
Her bks were big about 12 yrs ago here. I liked them. Poisonwood had to be restarted due to the negative pic of missionaries, but there have been many like that and there is improvment these days.
Issues in Animal Dreams? Been a long time.
Her bks were big about 12 yrs ago here. I liked them. Poisonwood had to be restarted due to the negative pic of missionaries, but there have been many like that and there is improvment these days.
Issues in Animal Dreams? Been a long time.
The Sparrow The first book our Book Club ever read; outstanding writing and moral issues that beg great discussion.
This book will give a lot of things to argue about: a living universe, quit a strange way of time traveling and a lot of controversies related to cultural, politic, social, and finace phenomena.
Why are That Girl Started Her Own Country and The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club in the top 55 on this list?! I think someone is padding their votes to get them high on this list.
I use this list as a reference for our book club and this isn't the platform for authors' self promotion. Argh!
I use this list as a reference for our book club and this isn't the platform for authors' self promotion. Argh!
Hi everyone,
I have created a new group called Goodreads All Sorts and I'd love for people to join it or just even just give it a look. It's a group that discusses anything and everything. There will be monthly group reads, movies, and music. There is a folder for everything you could think of. I'd really like if people could spread the word because I'd love for the group to be a success. Here is the link to the group:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/9...
Thanks very much,
Jack :-)
I have created a new group called Goodreads All Sorts and I'd love for people to join it or just even just give it a look. It's a group that discusses anything and everything. There will be monthly group reads, movies, and music. There is a folder for everything you could think of. I'd really like if people could spread the word because I'd love for the group to be a success. Here is the link to the group:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/9...
Thanks very much,
Jack :-)
Unless I have missed it I do not see Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Once you read this you will be sold on this author....
Darbi wrote: "This is just a random list of books that are featured in PEOPLE magazine! this is the worst list ever! No one put any thought into it at all."
Where is your list?
Where is your list?
Darbi wrote: "This is just a random list of books that are featured in PEOPLE magazine! this is the worst list ever! No one put any thought into it at all."
Where is your list?
Where is your list?
to darbi many people make up this earth please respect others we would all be happy to see your recommendations betty
"Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver" is surely in my all time fav list!
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Brigitte, trainee @ http://www.darwintsun.com
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Brigitte, trainee @ http://www.darwintsun.com
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Everyone has their own criteria for what is best for book clubs, but here were mine:
- Really well written
- Provide good talking points, maybe even controversy
- Less than 500 pages
- Not YA (unless its a teenage group)
- Not super bestsellers (I disqualified any book with >1 million ratings)
- Not typical school assignments (underrated classics are fine)
- Really well written
- Provide good talking points, maybe even controversy
- Less than 500 pages
- Not YA (unless its a teenage group)
- Not super bestsellers (I disqualified any book with >1 million ratings)
- Not typical school assignments (underrated classics are fine)