The delicate art of choosing a book for your book club
“Book Club” is not a designated tag on SBR, but it is an important part of the culture of readers, book lovers, and independent bookstores. Booksellers are frequently asked for advice from local book clubs, and have become experts in a kind of matchmaking between book and club.
It isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Think of how hard it can be to pick out a book for a friend, and multiply that by 5 or even 10 people. Books have to be very well written (naturally), rewarding to read, but also rewarding to talk about. Nothing kills a discussion faster than a book that everyone likes.
Here are just some of the books reviewed on SBR that booksellers say would be good for book clubs:
Then the Fish Swallowed Him by Amir Ahmadi Arian
-recommended by Novel in Memphis, TN
“…incredibly beautiful in describing the struggle of an everyday citizen in Tehran. It’s a great read to spur discussion for those looking for book-club picks.”
The Children’s Train by Viola Ardone
-recommended by Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, NC
“Going home fifty years later for his mother’s funeral causes Amerigo to rethink his life and what a family really means. A great book that will provoke good book club discussions.”
The Merciful by Jon Sealy
— Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC
“Every book club needs to put The Merciful at the top of their “next to read” list this book forces you to think and to see a story from disparate and various perspectives.”
More bookseller reviews at SBR:
Read This Now | Read This Next | The Bookseller Directory
In this issue:
Bookseller Buzz: The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
Reviews of Shaking the Gates of Hell by John Archibald, Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge, A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, The House Uptown by Melissa Ginsburg, A Busy Year by Leo Lionni, and The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington.