7 Great Discussion Books For Book Club!

Are book clubs a big thing where you live? I’ve lived in a few different cities by now, and by far the Chicago suburbs have been where I’ve gotten invited to the most book clubs! It might be a midwestern thing, but I have come to really enjoy being a part of them! The key to a great meeting is selecting a book that is great and easy for discussion!

I’ve been a member of different book clubs for the last four years, and they’ve helped me broaden my range of what I am reading. It’s also been a great way to connect with other people in my community!

When it comes to choosing a book to read, you want to select one that can have conversations flow easily. There are some books that are entertaining reads (ahem – lessons in chemistry) but I really find it challenging to discuss since there’s not much talk about more than things that just happened in the book. 

Personally, I love to discuss books that have interesting themes that go beyond just the narrative of the book!

7 Great Discussion Books for Book Club:

For a non-scary mystery, but loves a plot twist readers:

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The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

I have now read this book twice! It was recommended by my mother-in-law and every time I’ve opened it up – I’ve found myself finding more clues/things to think of. 

Here’s a summary from Goodreads:

“Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written—let alone published—anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot.

Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that—a story that absolutely needs to be told.

In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says.

As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?”

In the novel, themes of doing whatever it takes to obtain success regardless of who you bulldoze over, the ethical dilemma of stealing someone’s idea, and how guilt plays into decision making. I loved this book!

For those that want to not think too hard but still have interesting discussion:

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Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street is about an extremely wealthy family living in New York – you get a glimpse of how the ultra-rich operate.

Here’s a little description from Amazon:

“Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be.”

While I enjoyed reading the book and would definitely be put in the “beach read” category, I actually enjoyed the conversations that came out of the book club more! There were SO many good themes we talked about like: how wealth and privilege affects certain relationships, social expectations due to social class and familial pressures, and the struggle between personal fulfillment and duty.

For the cooks and cookbook obsessed:

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Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

If you’ve taken a look at some of my other blog posts like 5 tips for your next cocktail party and 10 make-ahead easter recipes, you’ll note that I am a huge fan of Ina Garten. I’ve been cooking through her recipes for years and own almost every single one of her cookbooks (Cooking for Jeffrey is my favorite one!). When she came out with her memoir last year, I read it in a matter of days! 

Ina has lived such an interesting life starting from her childhood, with very distant and unloving parents. She goes on to talk about how her relationship with her husband Jeffrey evolved, and how she managed to build an empire through her physical food stores in the Hamptons, her Food Network TV show, and her wildly popular cookbooks. If you have a group that loves cooking and all things Ina, this is a great read!

For those that love pop culture:

I am lumping all of these memoirs together – I have read/listened to all of them and they have been so good! 

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Spare by Prince Harry was a great book club read. You get to peek in behind the scenes of the royal family, Prince Harry spends time talking about his mom, the complexities of growing up under the microscopic lens of the world, and his relationship with Meghan Markle!

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I DEVOURED Open Book, Jessica Simpsons Memoir. As someone who loved watching Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica – this book brought so many memories and goes into her life in the entertainment industry and talks very in depth about her many famous relationships with Hollywood men.

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Britney Spear’s memoir, The Woman in Me was an interesting read for me, you can tell that she has been through so much pain and suffering in her life with her family, her kids, her mental health and career. The question of her conservatorship and how that came to be is discussed in the book as well. I highly recommend you listen to this one! 

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Lastly, Matthew Perry’s book – Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing – talks about just that – his time on Friends and the women in his life. But hands down the biggest theme was his constant and insurmountable struggle with substance addiction. Although Perry’s memoir was sad at moments, especially considering his end – it really was a book that dropped you into the brain of an addict that couldn’t just quit and how that affected every aspect of his life.

What have been your favorite book club reads? I would love to know! Comment below!