Popular Book Club Picks

Searching for study guides on books selected by some of the nation's top book clubs, curated by Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, the PBS NewsHour, the New York Times, and the American Library Association? Look no further. This collection covers critically-acclaimed classics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez to contemporary, buzzworthy novels like Girl, Woman, Other. We hope this compilation of study guides provides your own book club with lively discussion topics and keen insights.

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

Originally published in 2015, Fates and Furies is the third novel by Lauren Groff. The book dissects the twenty-four-year-long marriage between Lotto Satterwhite and Mathilde Yoder and incorporates many elements of Greek myths. The novel starts with their quickie marriage and jumps around in a disjointed timeline to chronicle everything from their childhoods before meeting one another in college to Mathilde’s decades as a widow after Lotto’s death. The majority of the events circle around... Read Fates and Furies Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, WWII / World War II, Post-War Era, History: World, Japanese Literature


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender

Tags Satire, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Fight Club (1996) is the debut novel of American author Chuck Palahniuk. Three years later, American filmmaker David Fincher directed the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Edward Norton as the Narrator, and Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer. This study guide uses the 2018 paperback edition published by W. W. Norton & Co.Fight Club is a contemporary work of literary fiction that contends with masculinity, materialism, consumer culture, and modern disillusionment. Inspired... Read Fight Club Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, History: World


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Inspirational, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Poverty, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Biography


Publication year 2015

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags Education, Social Justice, Poverty, Biography

Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss and Hope in an African Slum is a 2015 nonfiction memoir by husband and wife Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner. The book took the 2016 nonfiction runners-up designation for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and it was also featured and reviewed on Oprah.com as part of the “Soulful Read” series. The memoir tells the story of their meeting, romance, and eventual collaboration to build schools for under-privileged youth and bring... Read Find Me Unafraid Summary


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature, Victorian Period, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, History: World, Romance

A thrilling tale of thievery, betrayal, and mistaken identity, Fingersmith, by Welsh author Sarah Waters, tells the story of two women from two very different stations of life whose fates are inextricably linked. Set in the 1860s, Fingersmith is narrated alternately by Sue Smith (also known as Sue Trinder) and Maud Lilly. One is a young “fingersmith”—slang for a thief—lovingly protected from the worst of her world by Mrs. Sucksby; the other is an aristocratic... Read Fingersmith Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Romance

Firefly Lane is a 2008 young adult novel by the New York Times best-selling American author Kristin Hannah, who has written more than 20 novels. Firefly Lane begins in 1974 and tells the story of two women whose 30-year friendship becomes the stabilizing force in their lives. Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss rape, drug addiction, and alcohol addiction.Plot SummaryFirefly Lane tells the story of Kate and Tully, best friends since eighth... Read Firefly Lane Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race

Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1884

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Gender

Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Class, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, Victorian Period, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy

IntroductionIn his introduction to Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions (1884), British mathematician Banesh Hoffmann describes the novel as “a stirring adventure in pure mathematics” and emphasizes the fundamentally fantastical nature of the story (iii). He also says that author Edwin A. Abbott intended the novel to be instructional. Both the surreal nature of Flatland and its didactic elements are plain, but there is disagreement among scholars and readers on the question of exactly what... Read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage

Tags Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Fleishman Is in Trouble is the debut novel by journalist and writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Originally published in 2019, it is a satiric novel work of domestic fiction. The book was long listed for the 2019 National Book Award. This guide references the June 2019 hardcover edition by Penguin Random House.Plot SummaryThe story is told by a narrator, Libby, who speaks in both third and first person. Rachel and Toby Fleishman, professionals in their 40s who... Read Fleishman Is in Trouble Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment

Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel Flight Behavior presents a symbolic connection between Dellarobia Turnbow, an unhappy farm wife who secretly dreams of running away from it all, and a surprising migration of monarch butterflies that alight upon her in-laws’ property in Feathertown, Tennessee. As the butterflies struggle to survive and reproduce to continue their species, Dellarobia struggles in her efforts to deal with the consequences of her past decisions and the possibility of her new life... Read Flight Behavior Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Travel Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Jewish Literature, History: World


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Asian Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World