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Readers' Top 40 Book Club Picks
What will you do when it's your turn to pick your book club's next read? Well, this is what you won't do: panic. Why not? Because we've dug through our Goodreads data to discover your fellow readers' most popular book club picks.
There's a selection here to please every sort of book club and all the readers in those clubs (from the snack hoarder to the person who arrives with ready talking points). This list includes six winners of the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards: The Midnight Library, The Vanishing Half, The Guest List, Mexican Gothic, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, and Such a Fun Age. Popular books from 2021 are also popping up in this data, including Klara and the Sun and The Four Winds, and you cannot go wrong with an older book as well, such as Octavia Butler's classic novel Kindred.
Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book, and be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
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Do you have a great book club suggestion to share with your fellow readers? Don't be shy—tell us about it in the comments below!
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Comments Showing 1-44 of 44 (44 new)
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Samiksha
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May 07, 2021 12:05AM
This is a great selection of books, thank you!
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Same old books, some of them you've literally had on the list for years... NEW CONTENT PLEASE.
Lots of books we see continuously, some good ones though.
I understand that you use algorithms to produce these lists and so there is repetition. However, could you figure out a way to make your algorithms use a recent date, so we get newer titles? Thanks.
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn would be an excellent Book Club pick! This book stayed with me..
Liam wrote: "Same old books, some of them you've literally had on the list for years... NEW CONTENT PLEASE."Some books are ones book clubs choose for years.
Some people complaining on here that there aren't enough new selections like they've read all of the books on this list.
TMR wrote: "I love Trevor Noah and his commentary."Omg sameeeeeee
With co-vid I have to be my own book club....lol.....I wish I had a book club like the "Jane Austen" from the movie.
I did read "the book woman from troublesome creek" very heartwarming fictionalized story about a real family's issue.
Here are some additional titles that made great book club selections: Moloka'i by Brennert; The One-in-a-Million Boy by Wood; In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner; The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown; The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai; Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman; Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf; Virgil Wander by Enger; The Water Dancer by Coates; The Dutch House by Patchett (actually everything she has written works for clubs.)
I've read 13 of these books so far, and have another 3 on hold from my library for our upcoming book clubs. Very accurate list.
Try 'My Brilliant Friend' - Elena Ferrante. I like female authors and this one is one of the very best.
I have always thought that Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch, The Redemption of Christopher Columbus would be great for book club discussions.
I've read 2 off this list and have almost every other one wishlisted!
I've read 23 from the list and have 5 I already plan to read. Ten of them have been book club discussions or will be soon for me. It is a very good list of books.
Beneath A Scarlet Sky, Little Fires Everywhere. There are so many newer books I have read in book clubs that are wonderful.
How about adding When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson?
Yess The Alice Network and The Song Of Achilles!! Fantastic choices!!
Thanks. I've added most of them to my TBR list. Can't wait to read them all.
Judy wrote: "How about adding When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson?"yes, we are reading this for July book group, it looks great.
wish there were some newer titles
Aunt Sookie & Me by Michael Scott Garvin. Sad, funny, so true and a little irreverent. Loved it.
Ragged Company is an all time favourite of mine. Gave it to my daughter for Christmas and is in her top 5 books ever! Has been under the radar but outstanding book by Richard Wagamese. Readers are more aware of his book Indian Horse. Ragged Company is even better!
The Girl in His Shadow, by Audrey Blake, an excellent read.....loved this story.
Something more contemporary like Mirrorland by Carole JohnstoneClosing Time by Brenda Chapman (Stonechild & Rouleau series)
This Lovely City by Louise Hare
The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton....so good!
I strongly disliked Mexican Gothic, but I read it. I think the title and cover sucked me in. The same thing may have just happened with Klara and The Sun. Although, Kazuo Ishiguro is certainly a top notch author. He’s won the Nobel Prize for heaven’s sake. This was just not for me. Vanishing Half wasn’t bad, but I think it is highly overrated. As was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Just saying. I didn’t care for The Guest List. Okay, enough negative reviews by me!! Hamnet was beautifully written. I just loved the main character of Agnes, and was surprised at how Shakespeare took a back seat in this story. Transcendent Kingdom made me cry. Such A Fun Age was very engaging. American Dirt was a real page turner for me. I know it caught a lot of slack for being written by a white woman, but I think she brings attention to a very real situation. It would make a great movie IMO. Hidden Valley Road is important for that same reason. Good list. I need to go back and read a few more of these. I love the other list with books representing each state in the U.S. There are some excellent choices on there.
I have read 9 of them. Something for everyone in this list!
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles; The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova.
Cynthia Diamond is a really good author who's books I think could be a good fit for a book club pick
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn!! about the women whodecoded German messages at Bletchly Park.
A great read! -historical fiction.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is a gem: both hilarious and touching. I absolutely loved It!
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert was read by my book club years ago - a great read we still refer back to in discussions!
I agree. Newer titles please. What are the books to read from 2021?
The book, "Schooled in Silence" is a debut novel that would make a great book club selection. Set in the 1800s, the topic of sexual abuse and sexual assault is unfortunately relevant to this day. I see the author, DJ Howard, has even posted questions to her Goodreads blog to get discussions going.
The Paper Bracelet by Rachel English Great for book club
Ann J wrote: "I strongly disliked Mexican Gothic, but I read it. I think the title and cover sucked me in. The same thing may have just happened with Klara and The Sun. Although, Kazuo Ishiguro is certainly a to..."I HATE that comment about American Dirt. Shakespeare was not a Danish prince, an Italian teenager, or Cleopatra and no one is complaining about that. She wrote a very good book. Her race should be irrelevant.
Hello and my name is lunique virnon and if you are a member of the big raffle group you can join us and some other people will let you in And make sure to tell me your 1st day on Goodreads thank you!💖
Wenrog wrote: "I agree. Newer titles please. What are the books to read from 2021?"Many book clubs with which I am familiar tend to read older books. Partly because it is difficult for everyone in the club to get a copy of the same book, if they depend on a library copy. Most libraries don't have adequate copies of new books for everyone in the club to be assured of a copy by the time of the discussion. New books have such a long hold list it's just impossible.
