Best Book Club Books for 2024
If you’re looking for discussion-worthy book club books for 2024, you’ve come to the right place! And if you’re not in a book club, but love reading excellent new books, you’re also in the right place.
Discussion Worthy Book Club Recommendations for 2024
This list has been updated throughout the year, with new books added as they are released. We have also refined our recommendations as reader ratings have come in.
The Lion Women of Tehran
Book Summary
In 1950s Tehran, Ellie lives a priviledged life. However, her whole world changes when her father unexpectedly passes away, and she and her mother must move to a tiny home downtown.
On her first day at her new school, Ellie meets Homa, a kind, brave, and passionate girl who becomes her best friend. They spend all their time together learning to cook, playing games, and wandering the Grand Bazaar.
But then Ellie’s life flips again when she’s given a chance to return to her privileged life and attend the best girls’ high school in Iran. Over time, her thoughts of Homa fade, and she embraces her bourgeois life. When Homa suddenly reappears, the course of both of their lives is changed forever. The rising political turmoil in the country complicates things even further.
The Book Girls Say…
This highly-rated novel from the author of The Stationery Shop starts with a focus on the girls coming of age in the 1950s & 1960s Iran, but then follows the women through the present day.
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
Book Summary
Frederick was born 82 years ago, and ever since, he has approached life with a huge heart full of kindness. But now, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. Then, he’s mistaken for grumpy Bernard from a local nursing home. As long as the real Bernard doesn’t show up, Fred has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head.
Denise is a middle-aged mom who works at the care facility while struggling with a crumbling marriage and other challenges that have zapped her joy. She vowed never to let a man deceive her again, making her suspicious of Fred since Bernard would never be as kind as he suddenly has been.
The Book Girls Say…
Author Anna Johnston was the social support coordinator in her grandfather’s nursing home until an injury left her unable to continue the position. She used what she learned working in the home into this highly-rated debut novel that is said to be great for fans of Remarkly Bright Creatures.
Readers say this book is first heartbreaking, then heartwarming, with discussion-worthy twists along the way.
James
Book Summary
This thought-provoking novel transports you back to 1840s Missouri, the land of Huckleberry Finn. However, in James, you’ll find the story reimaged from the point of view of the enslaved man, Jim, who prefers to be called James.
James overhears that he’s about to be sold to a man in New Orleans. If this happens, he’ll never see his wife and daughter again. That thought is too much for him to bear, so he decides to hide on Jackson Island until he comes up with a long-term plan. The island is also the temporary home of Huck Finn, who is running from his abusive father.
Together, the unlikely duo is determined to make it down the Mississippi River to the elusive Free States. Along the way, they encounter the same trials Mark Twain included, but they feel different through the eyes of James.
The Book Girls Say…
Reviewers say that the writing is strong in James, and there is no need to re-read Huck Finn before picking up this brilliant retelling. Many early readers of this novel also say it is hard to put down, and it is likely to become a modern classic.
This book includes details of life in slavery, including rape.
All the Colors of the Dark
Book Summary
All the Colors of the Dark crosses genres from literary fiction to mystery and even to romance as it follows the characters from their teen years in 1975 into adulthood.
In the small Ozarks town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family, Misty, is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye. Patch saves the girl, but this leaves heartache in his wake.
While Mont Clare was once a close-knit community, after this event, the town will never be the same. The trauma experienced by Patch, his friend Saint, and Misty will haunt them as they grow into adulthood. The trauma causes each character to make choices you may not agree with, creating many twists and a suspenseful vibe throughout the compelling story.
The Book Girls Say…
This novel is character-driven and is longer than your average mystery at 608 pages. However, most readers say that the short paragraphs and chapters make the book feel faster-paced than you may expect.
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Behind Every Good Man
Book Summary
When 1960s housewife Beverly discovers her husband’s infidelity, she refuses to go with the status quo and ignore it. And when he threatens to take the house and kids, she’s ready to fight back.
As the daughter of a former Senator and soon-to-be ex-wife of an incumbent’s campaign manager, politics is her strongest career option. Beverly boldly marches into the office of the young underdog opponent, Michael Landau, and demands a job. Her chutzpah, combined with her father’s reputation, earns her a trial run.
As if balancing this new job, her two young children, and her impending divorce weren’t enough, it seems her mother has moved in under the guise of helping with the kids. But Beverly knows there must be more to the story.
The Book Girls Say…
This page-turning novel is filled with more discussion opportunities than you might expect based on its cover. While it’s not a heavy read, it includes the impacts of race, religion, wealth, and gender on politics in the 1960s.
Don’t miss the author’s note – some of the side characters were based on real people!
Family Family
Book Summary
India Allwood always wanted to be an actress and her dreams came true with success on Broadway and on TV. Now she’s making a movie about adoption, but she’s disheartened that the storyline doesn’t sit right with her.
India is an adoptive mom herself to twin 10-year-olds, and she’s tired of only seeing adoption stories in movies that are filled with pain and regret. So when a journalist asks her, she tells the truth – she thinks the movie she’s making is a bad one. Soon, she’s caught in the middle of a media storm.
When her twins turn to family for help, things just get messier. One thing is for certain – no matter how families are formed, they are always complicated.
The Book Girls Say…
Author Laurie Frankel writes this book from experience as an adoptive parent herself. We loved her beautifully compassionate family storytelling in This is How It Always Is, and Angela rated Family Family just as highly.
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The Briar Club
Book Summary
Briarwood House is an all-female boardinghouse in Washington DC, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. It’s 1950 when the mysterious widow Grace moves into the attic. She throws attic-room dinner parties for her new friends, including a beautiful English wife and mother, a police officer’s daughter who is involved with a gangster, a baseball star frustrated with the end of the female league after WW2, and a woman who threw herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.
While Grace’s dinner parties are healing to the women, she also has her own secrets…and there may be an enemy within the group.
The Book Girls Say…
Kate Quinn is a book club favorite for a reason! Her historical fiction novels include mystery and thriller elements to keep the pages turning. They also provide plenty of topics for discussion, including the McCarthyism Era in The Briar Club.
Very Very Lucky
Book Summary
Emma realizes that her life might have gotten a bit too hectic and tiring when she falls asleep in an IKEA showroom. Between trying to be a good mother to her kids, a good daughter to her ailing mother, and a good wife, she’s struggling to keep up. Thank goodness for her best friend, Roz, who keeps her sane. But when Roz climbs through her bathroom window one day with terrible news to share, Emma loses all confidence in her ability to keep it together.
Thurston’s once-full life is empty these days. He’s recently widowed, and without his wife of sixty-two years, he no longer finds joy or purpose in his life. When driving his niece to work one day, Thurston has a chance encounter with Emma and quickly gets drawn into the whirlwind of her chaotic life.
Thurston’s calming presence helps Emma put her problems in perspective, and soon, the two form an unlikely friendship.
The Book Girls Say…
This novel offers a mix of laugh-out-loud moments and heavier topics. Be aware that this book addresses issues such as grief, thoughts of suicide, and terminal illnesses.
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Where Butterflies Wander
Book Summary
Marie and her husband recently lost one of their children to a tragic accident, and she is desperate to help her family get a fresh start for the sake of her other three surviving kids. She travels to New Hampshire in hopes of selling a family estate only to find a war veteran, known to locals as “the river witch” living in a cabin on the property. Davina insists that it was a gift to her from Marie’s grandfather.
If Davina refuses to move on, then Marie won’t be able to either. As the women fight over the property, battle lines are drawn in the town and within Marie’s family, with both sides digging into their positions. When tensions reach a breaking point, a force outside of their control intervenes.
The Book Girls Say…
Suzanne Redfearn is also the author of Hadley & Grace, which was a very popular pick with readers in our Read Around the USA Challenge last year.
And So I Roar
Book Summary
Adunni is a 14-year old runaway, living in Tia’s guest room in Lagos after escaping her rural village. Tia has helped her enroll in school, and Adunni can’t wait to get the education she has always dreamed of.
But then an unexpected knock at the front gate turns into a harrowing ordeal. Tia must decide whether she can continue protecting Adunni, or if she will take the chance to finally learn a secret that her mother has kept hidden from her.
Adunni must use her “louding voice,” as she calls it, to save not only her own life, but also to help all the young women of her home village, Ikati.
The Book Girls Say…
If your club read The Girl With the Louding Voice, this is a great time to pick up the sequel which picks up where Louding Voice left off!
However, keep in mind that the books starts from Tia’s point of view and includes a larger cast of characters than the first book. While Adunni is a big part of the story, it’s not solely focused on her.
By Any Other Name
Book Summary
Emilia Bassano has access to English theater in 1581 as Lord Chamberlain’s mistress. However, she wants to be a playwright, not just an audience member. However, in 1581, that is not a role society would accept a woman to be in. But her desire to see her work on the stage is strong, so she pays a man for the use of his name. In order for her work to be seen, she had to write herself out of history.
In the present, playwright Melina Green has written a new work inspired by her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. However, four hundred years later, Melina faces some of the same challenges as Emilia. Will she also be willing to forgo credit in order to see her work performed?
The Book Girls Say…
Jodi Picoult books are ideal for book clubs! She always writes a compelling story with plenty of discussion-worthy moments. We can’t wait to read this fall 2024 release!
Lulu Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
Book Summary
Beverly is on the local schoolboard and her archrival Lula has turned into a local celebrity as she’s been on a mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read.
To counteract the “pornographic” books housed in the local library, Lula starts a little library in her front yard, full of “worthy literature”.
At night, Beverly’s adult daughter Lindsay sneaks over to Lula’s little library and replaces the books, but swaps the dust covers. Suddenly, Our Confederate Heroes actually contains Beloved and The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette turns into The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution.
As Beverly and Lula’s rivalry intensifies when they run against each other to replace the mayor, the townspeople who have been changed by borrowing the books from Lula’s begin to reveal themselves. Everyone from the postman to the prom queen have something to say, eventually forcing Lindsay to confess.
The Book Girls Say…
This work of satire digs into what so many communities across the US have faced when people blindly fight for books to be removed from libraries without even reading them. While it addresses serious issues like racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and the frightening rise of neo-nazism, the humor incorporated prevents it from being too heavy. One reviewer called it “a love letter to the power of banned books”.
The God of the Woods
Book Summary
In 1961, the only son of a family that owns a summer camp in the Adirondacks disappeared while hiking and was never found. Now, in 1975, a camp counselor discovers that their daughter, thirteen year old Barbara, is missing. Are the tragedies related?
As soon as they realize Barbara is not in her bunk, a frantic search is launched. The investigation is deeply layered, with Barbara’s counselor, Louise, her bunkmate, Tracy, her mother, Alice, and a young female detective all sharing their own impactful stories along the way.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a more dimensional read than a standard thriller, with complex themes of motherhood, class, and sexuality explored as the investigation unwinds the past in an effort to understand the present.
This slow-burning book uses a non-linear timeline, bouncing back and forth to reveal new aspects of the story. Readers say the two timelines are seamlessly woven together, and the book’s pace increases through twists and turns.
The Magic All Around
Book Summary
Each member of the Russell family has a special gift. Penelope, the oldest sister, is a seamstress who infuses the fabric used in her designs with the strength, joy, or love that the wearer needs. Free-spirited younger sister Lilith leads a nomadic life with her daughter, and there always seems to be a person nearby who has just what they need – an apartment for rent, a temporary job opening, or a car to borrow. And music follows Lilith’s adult daughter, Mattie, wherever she goes. The perfect song always seems to start mysteriously playing.
When Lilith dies unexpectedly, Mattie returns to the family’s Victorian home (which has a personality all its own) for a short visit. However, the reading of the will reveals that Lilith had different plans for her daughter. In order to receive her inheritance, Mattie must stay in the small town long enough to complete a series of tasks.
Her late mother hopes to lead Mattie to her birth father and help her discover her own path in life while keeping her heart open to love.
The Book Girls Say…
This novel is described as an enchanting and whimsical tale about mothers and daughters and about the magic that surrounds us in life. Early readers say it’s perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen novels.
Book Summary
Aboard a short flight from Hobart to Sydney, Australia, a passenger (who will come to be known as “The Death Lady”) walks up and down the aisles, telling each person the age at which they will die and the cause of death.
Some passengers learn that they have many, many years ahead of them – like one who will live to be 103. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are less than a year away.
A few months after the flight, one passenger dies exactly as predicted. Then soon after, two more. Now even those who initially viewed their encounter with “The Death Lady” as an entertaining story to share at cocktail parties are paying close attention.
The Book Girls Say…
After asking ourselves, “Would we want to know how much time we have left?” while reading Nikki Erlick’s The Measure, we are totally intrigued by the question posed by Liane Moriarty in this new novel – “If you knew you had a certain amount of time left, would you do things differently?”
Blue Sisters
Book Summary
When their sister Nicky dies unexpectedly, the remaining Blue sisters must return to New York to stop the sale of the apartment they were raised in.
Avery, the eldest, lives with her wife in London and works as a lawyer after recovering from a heroin addiction. Bonnie was a boxer but now works as a bouncer in Los Angeles following a devastating defeat. Their youngest sister, Lucky, is a model in Paris and is still trying to outrun her hard-partying ways.
The sisters must reckon with the loss of the sister who held them together, and are forced to confront both the disappointments of their childhood and their present struggles.
The Book Girls Say…
Keep in mind that this literary fiction is about the characters and their relationships, similar to Hello Beautiful, so don’t expect a quick-moving plot. Instead, you’ll find yourself immersed in the dysfuctional lives of the sisters.
If the topic of addiction hits too close to home right now, you might be better off skipping this one.
Book Summary
Joe’s mum has spent her whole life trying to prepare him for independence, knowing he’ll have to find a way to be okay when she is gone. As long as he has a routine or clear instructions, he can do anything. But when his routine breaks or new aspects are introduced, he has a hard time coping. So she writes everything down in an instructional notebook, it’s his own personalized guide for life.
Joe is in his early 20s now and ready for a job. If his mom can get him all set in his new routine, maybe he can spend a night alone at their home so she can get her first break in his lifetime. His new job at the Compass store brings both friendship and bullies, but the job isn’t the only big change in his life this year.
The Book Girls Say…
Melissa loves books that evoke all kinds of emotions, and this is her new favorite! She laughed, gasped, cried, and had a hard time putting it down.
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The Women
Book Summary
Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a 21-year-old nursing student who has been raised by her conservative parents to always do “the right thing.” But when her brother ships out for Vietnam in 1965, she begins to change her views of right and wrong. Frankie impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam. As she tends to the green and inexperienced young men who have been sent to fight the war, she is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction. Returning home to a changed America doesn’t prove to be any easier.
While The Women is the story of Frankie going to war, it also shines a light on the story of all women who risk everything to help others. The publisher describes this book as “a novel of searing insight and lyrical beauty” that is “profoundly emotional” and “richly drawn.”
The Book Girls Say…
There are so many books shedding light on the stories of women during WWI and WWII, but ever since we launched the Decades Reading Challenge back in 2020, we’ve been lamenting the lack of fiction about women’s roles in Vietnam. We weren’t disappointed in how much we learned about the difficult role of nursing during the war, and the long-lasting effects of the job.
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PS: We also have a printable The Women book club guide available on Etsy, including discussion questions, themed games, a printable bookmark, and more!
The Queen of Sugar Hill
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
Book Summary
For many actors and actresses, winning an Oscar is the pinnacle of success that sets them up for an even better future. But for Hattie McDaniel, her best supporting actress win after playing the role of Mammy in the controversial movie Gone With the Wind was life-changing in a different way.
After winning, Hattie was trapped between two worlds, neither of which appreciated her. White Hollywood saw her only as her character, Mammy. The Black community, led by the NAACP, detested the demeaning portrayal of their community and waged war against her.
Through it all, Hattie struggled but also continued her fight to pave a path for other Negro actors, focused on war efforts, fought housing discrimination, and navigated four failed marriages. Along the way, she was supported by a core group of friends, including Clark Gable, Louise Beavers, Ruby Berkley Goodwin, and Dorothy Dandridge.
The Book Girls Say…
Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person to win an Oscar, yet her name is underrecognized today. We’re excited to learn more about her life and resilience through this historical fiction novel.
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The Book of Doors
Book Summary
Cassie is a NYC bookseller who receives an unusual book as a gift from one of her favorite customers. Filled with strange writing and mysterious drawings, the book even includes a handwritten message to Cassie in the front. It states that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door.
Cassie will soon discover that the Book of Doors can transport her anywhere in the world that she can imagine. She also learns that there are other books in the world with magical powers – some wondrous and others dreadful, especially in the hands of dangerous individuals.
When Cassie and her best friend, Izzy, are confronted by violence and danger, they need help. It appears that the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox, who possesses his own secret library of magical books. His books are hidden for protection, but someone is hunting them all.
The Book Girls Say…
This book straddles the line between magical realism and fantasy, with elements of time travel and epic battles between good and evil. This book has a large cast of characters, but early reviews say that all are well-developed.
The Phoenix Crown
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
By 1906, San Francisco was full of the newly wealthy and those dreaming of new wealth. Two of those dreamers were Gemma, who was trying to rekindle her singing career, and Suling, a Chinese seamstress trying to escape an arranged marriage. The women meet through the acquaintance of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate and collector of Chinese antiques, including the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.
However, before the women can benefit from Thornton’s patronage, the 1906 earthquake rips through the city and Thornton disappears. Then, five years later, the Phoenix Crown reappears at a Paris costume ball. Gemma and Suling must join forces to figure out what really happened to Thornton.
The Book Girls Say…
We’re excited to see a writing partnership between these two highly-rated historical fiction authors!
After Annie
Book Summary
This character-driven read explores life for those left behind after a loved one passes away too soon, in this case, a mother of four in her 30s, Annie. The story is told from three points of view: Annie’s husband, her best friend, and her oldest child. When her husband, Bill, and best friend, Annemarie, fall apart after Annie’s death, Ali is forced to step up and care for her younger brothers.
Over the course of one year, Annie is always present in the memories of all three characters as they gain strength and try to redefine what their lives will look like without her.
The Book Girls Say…
While this is a poignant and, at times, tear-jerking novel about grief, it also comes with a theme of hope and highlights how adversity can change us in unexpected ways.
A Great Country
Book Summary
The Shahs came to America from India twenty years ago with good educations, a shared dream, and little else. Now, they’re moving into a perfect gated community in Pacific Hills, California with their three American-born children. This move represents all the work and sacrifices they made along the way.
However, one Saturday night, their twelve-year-old son is arrested. Each family member is forced to redefine who they are and what success really means. The book explores themes of policing, immigration, generational conflict, social class, and privilege in a page-turning tale.
The Book Girls Say…
This is a quick read at 256 suspenseful pages. It’s a great pick for clubs who enjoyed Such a Fun Age and The Vanishing Half.
Table for Two
Book Summary
This collection includes six story stories set in New York City and a novella set in LA. The novella, Eve in Hollywood, follows Evelyn Ross from Towles’ Rules of Civility as she boards a train home to Indiana in 1938. However, along the way, she extends her ticket to LA. She arrives in Hollywood’s golden age and crafts a new future for herself, which is shown to the reader from seven different points of view.
The Book Girls Say…
While this collection of stories still adds up to 464 pages, your club could select just the novella portion or one of the short stories in a month that everyone is pressed for time.
The Sicilian Inheritance
Book Summary
Sara is struggling after both her business and marriage failed. When her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, it just feels like another punch from her terrible year. However, Aunt Rosie left Sara a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a shocking secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina was murdered.
Sara is recharged by this new mission to find out what happened to Serafina. She ends up on an epic adventure through the Italian countryside and learns all about her feisty great-grandmother, who fought for the rights of all the women in her small village. However, as Sara begins challenging the status quo like Serafina did, she’ll find herself in the same danger.
The Book Girls Say…
This dual-timeline novel will draw you into the stories of both Sara and Serafina. It’s the perfect read for anyone who enjoys both historical fiction and mysteries. The story was inspired by the author’s own great-grandmother, adding extra depth to the writing.
The Demon of Unrest
Book Summary
Travel back to 1860 as Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency of a very divided America. Southern extremists states were trying to destroy the Union by seceding one after another. Slavery was a big topic of debate, and eventually, the beliefs of both sides were focused on one piece of land – Fort Sumter in Charleston.
The Demons of Unrest covers the five-month period between Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and the start of the Civil War in April 1861. In addition to Lincoln, the book teaches us about Major Robert Anderson, Fort Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between both.
The Book Girls Say…
As with most Larson books, The Demon of Unrest is long at 608 pages. However, despite being non-fiction, he writes about history in a page-turning way. The book is based on real diaries, secret communiques, slave ledges, and plantation records.
Just for the Summer
Book Summary
Every woman Justin goes on a date with seems to find their soulmate right after breaking up with him. It’s his curse, and now, thanks to a Reddit thread, EVERYONE knows.
However, his viral embarrassment may have a silver lining. Emma has the same problem and has sent him a message. The solution is obvious. They’ll date each other, break up, and then destiny will bring them each their own soulmates.
Traveling nurse Emma finds a job in Minnesota and rents a cute cottage on Lake Minnetonka for her summer fling with Justin. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up, and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected. Will these challenges quickly rip them apart, or does fate have other plans?
The Book Girls Say…
Abby Jimenez books never fail to make us laugh out loud, but this is much more than just a breezy beach read. It also deals with many complex, heavy topics, which makes this novel an excellent book club pick!
While this book is #3 in the Part of Your World series, each of the books has separate main characters and can absolutely be read as stand-alone. You will see brief updates on the characters from Part of Your World as you read Just for the Summer. So, if you plan to read all three, they are best enjoyed in order.
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PS: We also have a printable Just for the Summer book club guide available on Etsy, including discussion questions, themed games, a printable bookmark, and more!
The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson
Book Summary
In 1924, when Cecily was only 4, her mother reluctantly left her at an orphanage and promised to return when she had money to support her. However, three years later, her mother hasn’t returned, and Cecily is “adopted” by a traveling circus. She’s assigned to be the “little sister” of a glamourous bareback rider, and believes she’s found the family she has always dreamed of. By the time Cecily is a teenager, she’s seen the problems in her traveling world. When she falls in love with a roustabout named Lucky, her life changes again in a dangerous way.
In 2015, Cecily is 94 and has a quiet Minnesota life with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. When her great-grandson has a project for school, the family takes DNA tests, and the results reveal a tragic story Cecily has kept secret for decades. Four generations are forced to reevaluate what “family” really means.
The Book Girls Say…
The connections between the characters aren’t clear in the early chapters of the book, and the POV and timeline change frequently. If your club prefers linear reads, this may not be the best choice.
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Wandering Stars
Book Summary
This novel traces the history of Colorado’s Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, and also explores how the Carlisle Indian Industrial School was impacted by a traumatic event involving Orvil Red Feather from Tommy Orange’s acclaimed There There.
In the 19th century, Star is a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre who is brought to the Fort Marion Prison Castle under the evangelical guard of Richard Henry Platt. Platt would go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, founded with the intent to eradicate Native history and culture. A generation after the Massacre, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by Platt.
In Oakland in 2018, Opal is trying to hold her family together after her nephew Orvil’s near-death experience. Beginning during his recovery in the hospital, Orvil becomes obsessed with researching similar incidents online, all the while becoming dependent on prescription medication. His younger brother, Lonny, has PTSD from the event.
The Book Girls Say…
In this new novel, Orange builds on some of the narratives in his 2018 debut novel, looking both back and forward in time. If you haven’t yet read There There, you may prefer to begin there. We’ve been careful not to put any direct spoilers of the first novel in our description above, but most other synopsis you’ll find online are more specific – so avoid reading too much more about Wandering Stars if you want to start with There There.
Keep in mind that these are not light or easy novels to read, so be sure that you’re in the right frame of mind when you pick up either book.
Author Tommy Orange is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, and he was born and raised in Oakland, California.
Mockingbird Summer
Book Summary
In 1964, a racial divide cuts through the town of High Cotton, Texas, just as plainly as the train tracks, but cultural shifts are on the horizon. The friendship between two girls, one local and one new to town, is about to escalate the tension.
Corky is 13-years-old, right on the cusp between childhood and adolescence. Her family just hired a new housekeeper from Haiti, and Corky is quick to befriend her daughter, America. Corky has been reading a new “grown-up” novel called To Kill a Mockingbird, and she’s eager to share it with America. But America’s take on the book is very different from Corky’s… and much more personal.
As the summer goes on, Corky learns that America can run as fast as Olympian Wilma Rudolph, and she invites America to play on her church softball team. It seems like fun and games, but the invitation crosses the color lines and sparks a firestorm in High Cotton. It will be a season of big changes for the town with lifelong impacts on the girls.
The Book Girls Say…
We’ve been enthusiastically recommending Lynda Rutledge’s West With Giraffes to anyone who would listen for the past few years. We even created a discussion guide for it because we think it’s a novel every book club should read.
While Melissa didn’t personally enjoy Mockingbird Summer at the same level as West with Giraffes, it is getting high ratings from most readers. Keep in mind that she felt it reads more like a Middle-Grade novel, so some clubs may enjoy it more than others.
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Printable Version of this List
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Will These Books Be Easily Available At Libraries?
While many of our curated book lists are filled with high-quality backlist titles, sometimes it’s fun to look ahead and explore upcoming book releases. If your book club members prefer to obtain their books from the local library, then new releases aren’t always the best option. Unfortunately, popular books published this year are likely to have long library waitlists.
For great recommendations from last year, be sure to check out our list of Best Book Club Books of 2023 and Best Book Club Books of 2022. We also have more great book club picks on our Book Club Resources page.
More 5-Star Book Recommendations
If you’re looking for more five-star book recommendations, be sure to check out the lists below. Each one is filled with excellent book ideas for your book club.
- The Most Recommended Books from our First Five Years
- Affordable Gifts for Your Book Club Friends
- Book Club Books for Christmas
- Best Book Club Books for 2024
- Best Book Club Books for Fall
- The Best Books We Read in 2024
- Book Club Books for Summer 2024
- Readers’ Favorite Books: 2023 Edition
- 23 Best Books We Read in 2023
- Best Book Club Books From 2023