Best Book Club Books for 2023

by Ann Patchett
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction

Set during the summer of 2020, Lara's three adult daughters have returned home to quarantine at the family's cherry orchard. As they pick cherries and go about running the family business in isolation, the sisters beg their mother to tell them the story of her long-ago romance with celebrity Peter Duke. When Lara was in her early 20s, she and Peter shared the stage during a summer stock theater run of the play Our Town.

Lara begins the story with her very first experience on stage in high school and works her way forward through her brief but eventful theater career. As the girls learn more about their mothers life, they are forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about her and their father.

The Book Girls Say... This beautiful novel captures the ways in which our past shapes who we become, how certain moments and experiences stay with us forever, and how certain relationships - no matter how brief - leave lasting imprints on our souls.

Ann Patchett has had some amazing narrators for her audiobooks over the years (Tom Hanks reading The Dutch House, for example), and this book is no exception. Meryl Streep's narration is phenomenal and definitely adds to the experience of reading the book.

by Rachel Beanland
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

In the middle of the 1811 winter social season, Virginia's planters and their families gathered at the capital for the General Assembly. Just after Christmas, six hundred pack into the theater for a show.

Newly widowed Sally is in a third-floor box. Cecily is in the colored gallery, happy to briefly escape bad circumstances at home. Stagehand Jack is backstage hoping to earn a permanent job. Blacksmith Gilbert is on the other side of town, trying to make enough money, first to buy his freedom and then to be able to take his wife to the theater.

In the middle of the performance, the theater catches fire. The decisions by Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert will impact their futures as well as the lives of countless others.

Based on the true story of a fire in Richmond, Virginia's theater in 1811, this compelling novel moves from tragedy to redemption as the lives of four people instantly become forever intertwined.

by Ann Napolitano
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Genre: Historical thru Contemporary Literary Fiction

Charlie greets the woman in his family, including his wife and four daughters by saying “Hello, Beautiful” and truly sees something special in each of them. Unfortunately, Charlie is resented by his wife, Rose, because he’s an alcoholic, which also impacts his ability to provide for the family.

Their oldest daughter, Julie, is smart and ambitious. When she meets William, whose family couldn’t be more different than her own, he’s at college on a basketball scholarship. For William, the sport has been his saving grace and a substitute for the love of family. At least until he meets Julie and her family brings him into their family unit when they become a couple. Once that happens, the family refuses to give up on him.

Hello Beautiful follows the characters for nearly four decades, beginning in their childhood, in the 1960s, and spanning into their middle age years.

The Book Girls Say… This slow-paced character-driven family drama from the author of Dead Edward pays homage to Little Women, including references to the classic. Identifying the parallels and differences would make for a great discussion!

Heads Up: Themes in this book include depression and suicide.

by Shelley Read
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

This novel transports you to 1940s rural Colorado, the home of teenager Victoria Nash. Despite her young age, she runs the household as the sole female in a family of troubled men. One day, she meets Wil, a mysterious young drifter who has been displaced from his tribal land. Their sudden and passionate connection is full of danger and secrets.

Victoria ends up fleeing to the harsh mountain wilderness in a small hut, where she struggles against impossible conditions. As the Gunnison River rises and threatens her homeland, she begins a quest to fight for all she has lost.

The Book Girls Say… If your club loved Where the Crawdads Sing, this book provides a similar descriptive style and reliance on nature as a character. While Victoria and Kya are very different, they’re both tough and resilient young women whom we learn about in a coming-of-age style.

This book is also included on our list of Best Books Set in the 1940s.

by Andrea Dunlop
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction and Thriller

Set against the backdrop of Seattle’s wealthy tech elite, this fast-paced novel follows three women who take on, and try to take down, a manipulative CEO.

Together, Anna and he husband Jake built a company. But after a sudden divorce, Anna finds herself pushed out of the company and struggling to raise their two teenage sons on her own.

On the other side of the city, Samanta still has lingering, unanswered questions from her college relationship with Jake. When she learns that his tech company is positioned for a billion-dollar IPO, she decides maybe it’s time for her to seek answers… and justice.

Then there’s Jakes's new, much younger wife, Jess. She feels her husband pulling away from her just as she’s adjusting to life as a new mom.

As this novel develops, the lives of these three women become intertwined. Long-buried secrets will be revealed.

The Book Girls Say… This thought-provoking novel will give book clubs plenty to talk about! Told from three primarily from the viewpoints of Anna and Samanta, each woman is a complex, multi-layered character that you’ll be thinking about long after you turn the final page. With themes of motherhood, friendship, and female strength, readers are likely to see bits and pieces of themselves reflected in the different characteristics of each woman.

by Cheryl A. Head
Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Genre: History Fiction and Mystery/Thriller

In 1929, Robert moved to Birmingham, Alabama for a new job opportunity as a master carpenter. The city was booming, and his young family enjoyed the busy markets and nightlife. However, his success and snazzy car combined with his light-skinned wife make him concerned about attention from the Klan, which is also booming in the region.

Ninety years later, Meghan is the youngest reporter for the Detroit Free Press. She decides to use her position to investigate the murder of her great-grandfather. His body was never found, and no one knows what happened to him. Spurred by the Black Lives Matter movement, Meghan travels to Birmingham to uncover the past. However, revealing secrets that span cities and decades may put her own life at risk.

The Book Girls Say… Time’s Undoing is based on true events. While the topics and some events are difficult, the book is also an uplifting story about the community of friends and supporters that rallied together to help with Meghan’s search and to fight together for change.

This book is also featured on our list of Books Set in the 1920s.

by Heather Marshall
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Genre: Multiple Timeline Fiction

It’s 2017 when Angela discovers a letter containing a life-shattering confession. She’s determined to find the recipient, and her search leads her to Toronto’s underground illegal 1970s abortion network, known only as Jane.

In 1971, before she went to medical school, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was a typical teenager. However, when she became pregnant, she was sent to a home for “fallen” women and forced to give up her baby for adoption. She never recovered from the trauma and vowed to spend her career providing women choices.

In 1980, Natalie was twenty and had just discovered a shocking family secret that changed everything. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant amid the other chaos in her life, she needs someone to turn to and finds Jane. She works alongside Dr. Turner but continues to be haunted by lies.

The Book Girls Say… This highly-rated 2022 Canadian novel was picked up for US publication in 2023. Be sure to read the author’s notes at the end of the book before your meeting, as that section will add to the discussion. The book is based on the real Jane Collective and some of their stories.

by Mansi Shah
Publication Date: April 1, 2023
Genre: Historical and Contemporary Literary Fiction

To the other women in her hometown of Ahmedabad, India, Nita had the ideal life - a financially comfortable, happy marriage, with a sweet daughter. But Nita felt otherwise. It wasn’t the life she wanted. Instead, she decided to follow her creative ambitions all the way to Paris. But this decision is not without consequences.

Years later, when Nita’s daughter, Sophie, learns the truth, she sets out for Paris to find the mother who left her behind. The trip threatens to derail Sophie’s upcoming arranged marriage, but she won’t stop chasing leads across the City of Lights until she finds the truth about Nita. Along the way, however, she may find even more than she bargained for.

The Book Girls Say... This book explores some darker themes, including drug abuse, domestic abuse, and depression.

This book is available with Kindle Unlimited as of April 25, 2023.

by Jessica George
Publication Date: January 31, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Maddie lives in London and is trying to find her own way in life. But she’s also responsible for the care of her father, who has advanced-stage Parkinson’s disease. On top of that, her boss is a nightmare, and she’s tired of being the only Black person in meetings.

Her overbearing mother, who calls her Maame (which means woman) instead of Maddie, is returning from Ghana, where she spends most of her time. Maddie’s thrilled with the chance to relinquish care of her dad and leave the family home to make her own life. As a self-described “late-bloomer,” she’s ready to finally experience her own “firsts.”

The Book Girls Say… From familial obligations to powerful friendships, and racism to female pleasure, this poignant book provides endless discussion opportunities as readers learn what it feels like to be torn between two cultures.

by Jeannette Walls
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

Sallie Kincaid’s father, Duke, was the biggest man in their small Virginia town at the turn of the 20th century - both literally and figuratively. Sallie was Daddy’s little girl. She has few memories of her mother, who died when she was young. By the time she is 8 years old, her father has remarried and has a new son, Eddie. But this shy, timid son is nothing like Duke. Sallie takes it upon herself to teach Eddie to be more like their outgoing, daredevil father. But an accident occurs, and Sallie is cast out.

Nine years later, Sallie has returned to her hometown with hopes of reclaiming her place in the family. But the world is a very different place now that Prohibition is the law of the land. After confronting the secrets and scandals she left behind, she finds her own calling as a bootlegger.

The Book Girls Say… Our readers have loved each of Jeannette Wall’s other books, including her fiction and deeply personal memoir - The Glass Castle.

by Patti Callahan Henry
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Magical Realism

When bombings began in London in 1939, 14-year-old Hazel and her 5-year-old sister, Flora, were evacuated to a rural village in the English countryside. Living with a woman and her teenage son in a charming stone cottage, Hazel comforts Flora by telling her stories of a magical fairy tale land. It provides the sisters with a fictional place where they can escape the fears and hardships of war.

One day while playing near the banks of the River Thames, Flora disappears. Hazel blames herself, and carries the guilt into adulthood. Twenty years later, Hazel’s life looks ideal from the outside - charming boyfriend, nice flat in London, and a good job at a rare bookstore. But on the eve of her new career at Sotheby’s, she unwraps a package that changes everything.

It’s an illustrated first edition book called “Whisperwood and the River of Stars.” It’s the imaginary world that she created for Flora - one that she never wrote down and never told anyone else about.

What does it mean? Is Flora still alive? And does this fairy tale hold the truth about her disappearance? Hazel embarks on a feverish quest for answers. Along the way, she’ll reconnect with people from her past and put her future in jeopardy.

The Book Girls Say… Told in dual timelines - the 1940s and 1960s - readers will see teenage Hazel and thirty-something Hazel depicted side-by-side as the magical story is unraveled bit by bit.

Unlike most WWII historical fiction, this book focuses on the relationship between the sisters rather than on the harsh realities of war. The style of the story is described as slow and meandering, but beautifully told.

by Susie Luo
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction

This unique novel shares an immigrant story in a whole new way, exploring what it means to be American from three perspectives over thirty years.

Tony is a Chinese-born engineer, who immigrated to the US and took a job as a doorman in hopes of providing more opportunities for his family. Daughter Tammy is nine at the start of the book, and as she grows up and enters adulthood, you’ll see the weight of expectations so many first-generations carry, along with how those expectations interact with her personal desires.

The final point of view is from Oliver, who lives in the building where Tony works. He’s a wealthy white lawyer with a dark secret. An unexpected act of violence brings Oliver together with Tony’s family. As the book progresses, you’ll see the ripple effects of decisions along with ways that love can overcome differences.

The Book Girls Say… This literary fiction novel is highly praised by those who enjoy reflective, generational, character-driven stories.

by Sadeqa Johnson
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

House of Eve alternates perspectives of our main characters in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Ruby’s story is told in first person perspective as she tries to become the first person in her family to attend higher education. However, her plans are threatened when she begins to fall for a Jewish boy.

Eleanor’s story is told from the third person perspective as she arrives in DC with equal parts ambition and secrets. Like Ruby, Eleanor's plans are changed when she falls for a man, William, at Howard University. William is from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents are picky about who is good enough to join them.

While this set up feels like a romance novel, this is fast-moving historical fiction novel that will take you into a piece of history you may know little about. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end!

The Book Girls Say… The author’s last book, Yellow Wife, also receives phenomenal reviews and would be an excellent book club read. It was a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Historical Fiction, and we think House of Eve has a good chance of following in its footsteps for 2023.

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Publication Date: 3/14/23
Genre: Historical Literary Fiction

This suspenseful saga is set both set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam. Trang and Quỳnh are sisters from a rural village, and like many in the region their parents are struggling to survive. In 1969, the daughters take the desperate step of becoming “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money.

Trang becomes involved with a charming helicopter pilot named Dan. Decades later, we’ll see Dan return to Việt Nam with his wife in an attempt to heal from his PTSD and reckon with secrets from his past.

Also in the present day, we’ll met Phong as he tries to find his parents, a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. He was abandoned at an orphange as a baby, and grew up being called names because he was a “child of the enemy”. He dreams of finding a way to America in hopes of a better life for his family.

The Book Girls Say… This novel from the author of The Mountains Sing is said to be both poetic and suspenseful. It’s perfect for fans of Pachinko.

by Adele Griffin
Publication Date: June 13, 2023
Genre: Suspenseful Contemporary Fiction

Nora spends her days working in a vintage clothing boutique in Manhattan. She loves her job, but she and her husband are struggling with debt and can barely make ends meet financially. They’re also struggling with infertility and the deep desire to start a family of their own.

When socialite Evelyn Elliot walks into the boutique, she and Nora have an instant connection. Evelyn takes Nora under her wing, as both her stylist and confidante. Nora is suddenly whisked into the unfamiliar world of New York’s moneyed elite. Then Evelyn decides to that her next cause will be to help Nora have a baby by acting as her surrogate.

It’s a very generous offer from Evelyn, and on the surface, it’s everything that Nora could hope for. But this “favor” further imbalances the power dynamic between the two women in ways that will test this unlikely friendship.

The Book Girls Say… While the flower cover of this novel exudes heartwarming vibes, reviewers say this book walks the line between contemporary fiction and suspense. It’s described as a humorous and charming read, but also one that borders on being almost a thriller at times. One thing is certain, it will keep you turning the pages!

by Erica Bauermeister
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Alice is a gifted writer who struggles to include her full self in her work. However, when her heart is ripped open after a devastating event, the words finally flow freely onto the page. She turns the tragedy into a stunning debut novel called Theo.

This novel demonstrates the power of books as we watch Alice’s novel find its way into the hands and hearts of nine very different readers. From a teenager hiding that she is experiencing homelessness to a bookseller looking for love and a widower experiencing grief, Theo connects each reader with a new pathway in their life.

After the introduction to Alice and her backstory, the chapters walk through the nine readers affected in different ways Theo.

The Book Girls Say… No Two Persons explores the sentiment that no two people ever read the same book because we each bring our unique background to a reading. We’ve witnessed that time and time again with our readers, as we’re sure you have during prior book clubs when opinions varied, and the same book was viewed differently by different members of your group. We can’t wait to get our hands on this one!

The author of No Two Persons also wrote The Scent Keeper, another discussion-worthy book club book!

by Vibhuti Jain
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction & Mystery

Babur “Bobby” Singh lives in an affluent New York suburb and dreams of success in America. He’s a single parent and has a fledging small business as a driver. His daughter Angie uses swimming as an escape from the discomfort she feels as an immigrant’s daughter.

Over the summer, Angie is walking home from the pool when she finds Henry, a popular and wealthy classmate from a prominent family on the football field. He’s been stabbed and the knife is still in his abdomen. Angie immidately calls 911, and her life changes forever. And it’s not only her life that is impacted. The police immediately suspect Chiara, a Black classmate who had run away from her family to live with her aunt.

The perspectives in this book change and you see how father and daughter try to find their place in the community and with each other.

The Book Girls Say… This would be a great pick for fans of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

by Rachel Heng
Publication Date: 3/28/23
Genre: Historical Fiction

Ah Boon is growing up in the ending days of British rule in Singapore. He lives in a small fishing village, but would rather play with the girl next door, Siok Mei, than go fishing. Despite his disinterest in fishing, he discovers that he has an uncanny ability to locate uncharted islands, which are rich with fish.

By the time Ah Boon and Siok Mei are teenagers, the Japanese army has arrived and occupied Singapore as part of WW2. This coming of age story is set against the backdrop of Singapore’s legacy of British colonialism, the World War II Japanese occupation, and the pursuit of modernity. Readers say the beautiful writing transports you to a different time and place, and includes a hints of magical realism to emphasize the human-land connection.

The Book Girls Say… If you enjoyed seeing the wealthy and modern city of Singapore in Crazy Rich Asians, this is a great contrast that shows more of the history of the country and life in one of the smaller fishing villages.

by Fiona Davis
Publication Date: June 13, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction and Mystery

Nineteen-year-old Marion’s dreams come true when she’s cast as a member of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall’s precision dance troupe. It’s an honor for any dancer to be selected for the role and given the opportunity to perform at the art deco masterpiece of a theater that is Radio City. But Marion soon learns that, behind the scenes, the days are long and the rehearsals grueling.

One night, in 1956, a bomb explodes in the theater. It’s suspected to be the work of the infamous “Big Apple Bomber” who has been planting bombs in crowded places around the city for the past sixteen years. The police still have no leads, leaving citizens living in fear. At Marion’s urging, the police agree to try psychological profiling, a radical new technique at the time.

While the Rockette’s are trained to stay in line, Marion realizes that to help catch the bomber, she’ll have to stand out.

The Book Girls Say… Fiona Davis is one of our favorite authors because she has such a knack for turning historic NYC buildings into living, breathing characters in her novels. Like most of Fiona’s books, this one includes a dual timeline, although in this novel the later 1990s point of view is limited to several short chapters.

by Jojo Moyes
Publication Date: February 2, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

They say you learn a lot about a person when you walk in their shoes… but can you also swap fates with them?

Nisha leads a charmed and glamorous, globetrotting life. But suddenly, things aren’t going her way. First, someone accidentally walked off with her gym bag (custom-made, red crocodile Christian Louboutin’s and all), and then she returns to her London hotel room to discover that her husband has locked her out of their penthouse and cut her off.

Sam Kemp is struggling to keep her family afloat, and while she didn’t mean to swap bags with Nisha, she also doesn’t have time to worry about returning it. By the time she realizes the mistake, she’s already late for a meeting, so she puts on Nisha’s red heels rather than the old black pumps he left in her own bag. She’s shocked at how much more confident and empowered she feels.

From this start follows a story of mix-ups, mess-ups, second chances, and intertwined fates that Good Housekeeping calls, “Freaky Friday all grown up.”

The Book Girls Say… This book is a departure from the style of many of Jojo Moyes’ other novels. Readers say this book is highly entertaining, and some classify it as “chick lit” (though we’re not fans of that term)! One reviewer calls it “The Devil Wears Prada meets Finlay Donovan,” which had us sold right there.

Keep in mind, however, that it also deals with some more complex issues that give it plenty of discussion opportunities, including depression, suicide, and divorce.

by Parini Shroff
Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction & Mystery

Geeta had a terrible husband, so it wasn’t the worst thing when he disappeared five years ago. She didn’t kill him, but everyone thinks she did. At first, she’s worried this will hurt her reputation, but it turns out that being feared is good for business.

No one bothers her, and people want to stay on her good side, so they keep buying her jewelry. Things are working out well until women start coming to her for help getting rid of their terrible husbands. Not all the women are asking nicely, and these are very bad guys, but how far will she go to protect her reputation?

The Book Girls Say… This genre-crossing debut novel has something for everyone, as dark humor and mystery meet literary fiction. You’ll have plenty to discuss after learning more about the elements commonly present in contemporary rural Indian society.

by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Romance

Solia was raised in Nairobi, Kenya, by her wealthy and conservative mother. Despite her mother’s stern parenting style, Solia is headstrong and outspoken. Eager to escape her mother’s strict rules, she wants to attend college in New York City.

When she arrives, New York in the 1990s is very different than she imagined. She’s equally shocked by the entitlement of her wealthy classmates and the poverty she sees elsewhere in the city. Her sheltered upbringing in Kenya shielded her from many of the harsh realities of racism, so it comes as a shock when she experiences it for the first time in America - the place she envisioned to be the golden land of opportunity.

by Steven Rowley
Publication Date: 5/30/2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

The Celebrants focuses on a group of five college friends who are now approaching their 50s. In the twenty-eight years since graduation, the group has reunited at Big Sur to remember the life of a 6th member of their friend group. As part of the gathering, they throw each other living “funerals,” which are celebrations to remind themselves and each other that life is worth living.

This year’s reunion is different. Jordan has a big secret that may destroy their nearly three-decade-old pact. While this book has some hard themes, they’re wrapped in Steven Rowley’s signature wit and heart.

The Book Girls Say… If The Guncle was your favorite beach read last year, you may be as excited as we are about Steven Rowley’s new release! Don’t let the covers deceive you - his novels a richly layered and filled with heart, making them perfect for book club discussions.

While this book has some hard themes and deals with grief, the character-driven story is wrapped in Rowley’s signature wit and heart. Melissa found it a bit heavier than the Guncle, but still wanted to give the book a hug when she was done.

PS: We have a Celebrants book club guide with discussion questions, as well as a printable version available on Etsy that also includes bonus content, a custom bookmark, and more!

by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

This historical fiction novel tells the story of the friendship between two powerful and influential women in American history.

Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, was one of the first black female activists. Through her work as both an activist and an educator, she helped lay a foundation for the civil rights movement. Eleanor Roosevelt shared Mary’s passion for education and women’s rights, and was eager to make her acquaintance. The two became fast friends and confidantes.

After Eleanor’s husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected president in 1932, the two women began to collaborate even more closely. She became quite a controversial First Lady for pursuing her own agenda, separate from FDRs, and particularly for her outspoken stance on civil rights.

When Elanor begins to receive threats as a result of her close relationship with Mary, both women use it as motivation to fight even harder for equality.

The Book Girls Say… After reading, and loving, The Personal Librarian, we were so excited to see the writing due of Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray collaborating again on this novel.