Happy Tuesday, Readers!
As I mentioned last Thursday, I am in the midst of compiling a list of 50 – 100 books that are great discussion starters.
Soooo, I’m not focusing on books I necessarily LOVED, but that really encourage rousing discussions. Oh — and only fiction, too…
I’m kicking around the following categories (with an example in italics):
- Classics Worth a Second Look (The Great Gatsby)
- Fluffy but Fun (Man of the House)
- Disturbing Discussion Starters (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
- Literary Lights (The Road)
- Crowd Pleasers (Water for Elephants)
- Pushing the Boundaries of Reality (Time Traveler’s Wife)
Now, I would love to hear what titles YOUR book clubs have found to be the best for starting discussions!
So, what’s the first title that comes to mind when you hear “Best Book for Discussion“?
And, as soon as I have my lists drafted, I would love to get feedback on those, too… (Hopefully by Saturday!). My deadline is June 15th, by the way…
The best discussion we’ve had so far was on The White Tiger. Not everyone liked it, but we had lots of good discussion about globalization, the gap between rich and poor, and whether the ends justify the means.
I loved the book The Road, it would be really interesting to see how others interpreted the book. But, I also loved the book Water for Elephants. I devoured both of these novels when I read them. It’ll be interesting to see what novel you choose.
Hi Laura,
I was relieved to read your post. I rented the White Tiger after reading all the great reviews on the book. I could not for the life of me get into this book. I thought perhaps it was me, as I get in those moods where I just can’t concentrate enough to read. I was actually thinking of trying to read it again. I’ll take this book off my TBR list.
Hi Laura! I recommended The White Tiger to my book club, too. We’re going to wait until it is a little easier to get at the library…
I also loved The Road — soooo dark! I didn’t love Water for Elephants, but I am very much in the minority with this opinion. I think I enjoyed Gruen’s other novels (about horses) more and my expectations were too high.
Thank you!! One of my email subscribers recommended The Sparrow, too…
Our book club name is Eclectica which says it all. We have some rousing discussions with Water for Elephants being one of them. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, and The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry all were great discussions.
Thank you, Jan!! My book club was a bit mixed on Shadow of the Wind…
I loved Thirteenth Tale!! Haven’t read the Mister Pip or The Lace Reader yet, but I’ll check them out now — thank you!
My book club had a great discussion after reading “One Foot Wrong” by Sofie Laguna. Disturbing subject matter, but a great book for a group discussion.
Thank you for the recommendation, Rosie!