A great book club book isn't necessarily the best-written book or the most critically acclaimed. It's a book that makes people want to talk — that raises questions without easy answers, that people read slightly differently depending on their life experience, that generates genuine disagreement in a room of smart, thoughtful readers.
These 10 books have that quality in abundance.
What Makes a Great Book Club Pick?
Before the list: the criteria. The best discussion books share a few traits:
- Accessible prose — everyone can finish it
- Moral complexity — no clean heroes or villains
- Multiple valid interpretations — the book resists a single "right" reading
- Relatable themes — even if the setting is unfamiliar
- A provocative premise or ending — something to argue about
With that framework, here are our top picks for 2024.
1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin
A story about creative partnership, friendship, and ambition spanning three decades of game development. The central relationship — which defies easy categorization — will generate long debates about what love actually means and whether the characters' choices are understandable or selfish.
Best discussion question: Is the relationship between Sam and Sadie a love story? Why or why not?
2. The Covenant of Water — Abraham Verghese
An epic multigenerational story set in South India from 1900 to 1977. It's long, but the prose is so transporting that groups consistently report it as one of the most rewarding reads they've shared. The themes of legacy, medicine, and what we inherit from our families are endlessly discussable.
Best discussion question: What does the "covenant" of the title refer to by the end of the novel?
3. Demon Copperhead — Barbara Kingsolver
A retelling of David Copperfield set in Appalachian Virginia during the opioid crisis. The parallel structure rewards readers who know the Dickens novel, but it works completely on its own. Questions about systemic failure, personal responsibility, and American mythmaking keep discussions going well past the end of the allotted time.
Best discussion question: How does Kingsolver's choice to retell a 19th-century British novel comment on the opioid crisis specifically?
4. Hello Beautiful — Ann Napolitano
A multigenerational saga tracing four generations of a Chicago family through the 20th century. Family dynamics, generational trauma, and the question of whether we are doomed to repeat our parents' patterns make this a rich emotional conversation starter.
Best discussion question: Which character do you think broke the cycle, if anyone did?
5. Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt
A warm, propulsive mystery narrated partly by an octopus. It's a crowd-pleaser in the best sense: accessible, emotionally resonant, and genuinely surprising. Book clubs that want something lighter without sacrificing substance consistently love this one.
Best discussion question: What does Marcellus the octopus represent symbolically in the novel?
6. The Maid — Nita Prose
A mystery with a protagonist who is neurodivergent, warm, and deeply appealing. The book raises interesting questions about how society treats people who don't fit expected social patterns, and the mystery plot is genuinely satisfying.
Best discussion question: How does Molly's perspective on the hotel guests shift your sympathies compared to a more conventional narrator?
7. Trust — Hernan Diaz
Four interlocking narratives about a New York couple and their fortune. Each section recontextualizes everything that came before. Groups consistently report that the final reveal reshapes their entire understanding of what they've been reading — and that's exactly the kind of experience that makes for the best meetings.
Best discussion question: By the end, which version of events do you believe, and why?
8. Lessons in Chemistry — Bonnie Garmus
A 1960s scientist becomes a cooking show host and, inadvertently, a feminist icon. It's funny, pointed, and surprisingly moving. The themes around sexism, ambition, and what happens when women's intelligence is undervalued remain deeply relevant.
Best discussion question: Is Elizabeth Zott a feminist hero, or is the novel's celebration of her complicated?
9. The Women — Kristin Hannah
The story of a female Vietnam War nurse that corrects a significant gap in popular historical memory. Emotionally devastating and meticulously researched, it generates intense discussions about sacrifice, recognition, and how history decides who gets remembered.
Best discussion question: Why do you think the contributions of female Vietnam veterans were so systematically overlooked?
10. James — Percival Everett
A radical retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's perspective. Literary, politically urgent, and funny in ways that will catch you off guard. Groups that enjoy discussing craft alongside theme will find this especially rewarding.
Best discussion question: How does giving Jim the narrative perspective change the moral center of the story?
How to Run a Better Book Club Discussion
The best discussions start with better questions. Instead of "Did you like the book?" try:
- "Which character's choices surprised you most?"
- "What would you have done in [character]'s position?"
- "Did your opinion of [character] change by the end? What changed it?"
And use Page Turner to share notes, quotes, and ratings before your meeting — it gives everyone a starting point and surfaces the disagreements worth having.
What's the best book club pick you've ever read? Add it to your list on Page Turner and tag your book club friends.