I’m currently in three different book clubs. Which sounds like it’s a lot, and yes, it definitely is, but it’s been fun, enjoyable, and I’m happily plowing through books that I want to read. So three book clubs it is!
Today, I’m sharing all the book club picks that were selected in the last six months. I’ll also let you know my personal opinion on the book and why I believe it would make a good choice for your book club (or wouldn’t).
Three Book Clubs, Six Months, Thirteen Books
The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr
This was not an easy book. It was extremelly frustrating to read and very uncomfortable at times. But it is so worth it. In the end, everyone was glad we picked The Sinner. Fun conversation!
The Circle by Dave Eggers
The Circle covers a topic that I find extremelly interesting. The discussion for this was so much fun and honestly, it was endless (in a good way!). It’s also a movie — though I hear terrible reviews for the movie! Funny how that works. Anyway, The Circle is an excellent pick for any book club.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
I’m going to be an unpopular opinion here, but I really did not enjoy this book. I was so bored reading it, and literally every time I opened it, determined to get through it, it felt like a shitty chore that I didn’t want to be doing it. I could barely get through a chapter without complaining to my husband about it.
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
This is a MUST. And if you think Margaret Atwood is making up this crazy dystopian world, just read her introduction. Nothing in the book is fiction, each little aspect of creepiness has been done in the past and forever marked in history. She is simply cherry picking to create a world that could totally happen!
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Rebecca is definitely a classic and so creepy. Rebecca was actually one of the very first books my husband gave to me as a gift, back when we first started dating. We’ve been trying to hunt down the Hitchcock movie for ages now! If you’re able to find it, please let me know. Anyway, great book and yields fun discussions on murder and second marriages alike.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
The room was pretty split on this one… while the book brought up quite a few interesting topics, I wasn’t a huge fan. The data used to propel Cain’s points felt a bit vague and misguided. If you don’t want to read this book (I recommend that you don’t) you should at the very least watch Cain’s TEDTalk.
Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen is a YA Novel (oh how much I love YA!) and felt like reading a mash up of Hunger Games and Divergent, but with royalty. In other words, it was quite good! Everyone was in agreement that this was a great pick, so we actually decided to try the second book in the Red Queen series next, Glass Sword (Red Queen #2). Oh my. Don’t waste your time. Everyone hated it so much that it was officially nixed…
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This was quite enjoyable! I thought it was very well done and showed us a very interesting side of Hollywood. There were some things that didn’t make sense, a few holes in the plot, but because it was such an engrossing read, it was overlooked. All around, everyone voted in favor.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Ah yes! Celeste Ng. I’m really glad we read this book, I love books that tackle motherhood and all things a like. Though I don’t think Little Fires Everywhere was as good as Everything I Never Told You, it was still an incredibly great book. Recommend!
The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne
A Top-Tenner for my all time favorite. I know I’ve droned on and on about how much I LOVE this book, and I’m hoping this will be my last time writing about it for a while. Do yourself a favor and go read it.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
I picked this because I had just finished Nicola Yoon’s other book, The Sun is Also a Star. Which I really enjoyed. So I threw this one out there, and since it was recently turned into a movie, we decided to go with it. I just finished it. It was cute, but definitely didn’t come close to the charm The Sun is Also a Star had. I would still recommend, but this isn’t a MUST-READ.
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of Unruly Women by Anne Helen Petersen
I’m typically not a huge fan of non-fiction, and I actually haven’t started this yet. This is our April pick. Will keep you posted.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
This is another pick for April, I haven’t started it either. Though upon reading the description I got some serious Benjamin Button vibes — which can only mean good things!
And that’s what I’ve read in the last six months for book club! I’m pleased to say that a majority were books I’m glad I read and had the opportunity to chat about over wine, cheese, and dinner.