Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Race, Gender Identity, Colonialism
Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Mental Illness, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Gender & Feminism
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.
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground
An American Marriage
And the Mountains Echoed
And Then There Were None
Angle of Repose
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
Anna Karenina
Anthills Of The Savannah
Anxious People
A Place for Us
Arcadia
Ask Again, Yes
A Song to Drown Rivers
A Spark of Light
A Spool of Blue Thread
A Storm of Swords
A Thousand Ships
Atmosphere
A Town Called Solace
Attached
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Race, Gender Identity, Colonialism
Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Mental Illness, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Gender & Feminism
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fathers
Tags Race & Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
On its publication in 2018, An American Marriage received critical acclaim for its examination of the complex dynamic of contemporary relationships and its timely exploration of black identity in 21st century America. Tayari Jones, a professor of creative writing at Emory University in Atlanta, published three earlier novels, but it was An American Marriage that catapulted her to international acclaim. The book was a selection for Oprah Winfrey’s book club, a New York Times best-seller... Read An American Marriage Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature
The third novel by Khaled Hosseini, And the Mountains Echoed, is a work of historical fiction that examines the factors that lead to and reverberate from one action: A poor family sells their youngest daughter to a wealthy couple in Kabul. Set in Afghanistan, the novel spans over 50 years and four generations. Hosseini includes several narrative voices, rather than just those of the story’s main family. The multiple narrators provide several different angles into... Read And the Mountains Echoed Summary
Publication year 1939
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Fate, Safety & Danger, Memory, The Past, Guilt, Conflict, Justice, Fear, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Femininity, Truth & Lies, Appearance & Reality, Apathy, Colonialism
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modernism, Classic Fiction
Published in 1939, And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. With over 100 million copies sold, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling crime novel as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. It has had more adaptations than any other work by Agatha Christie, including television programs, films, radio broadcasts, and most... Read And Then There Were None Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes The Past
Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Western, Classic Fiction
Written by Wallace Stegner and released in 1971, Angle of Repose is a historical fiction novel about Lyman Ward, a wheelchair-bound historian who decides to write about his frontier-era grandparents, particularly his grandmother, Susan Burling Ward. He hopes that their experiences will help him deal with his present situation. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1972 and is based on the letters of Mary Hallock Foote, which were later published as A... Read Angle of Repose Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1879
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Marriage, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance
Anna Karenina is Leo Tolstoy’s second novel, following War and Peace (1869). Serially published in 1877, Anna Karenina depicts the efforts of its titular character to escape an unhappy marriage to her older, civil servant husband and pursue a love affair with a young and dashing count, Alexei Vronsky. The novel is a sweeping family drama exploring Tolstoy’s interest in marriage, family, agrarian politics, and gender roles. The work is also a portrait of Russian... Read Anna Karenina Summary
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Colonialism, Literature
Tags Satirical Literature, Historical Fiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, African Literature
Anthills of the Savannah (1987) is a postcolonial literary novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Achebe’s influence looms large not only over modern African literature but also over postcolonial fiction and theory; his African Trilogy, consisting of Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer at Ease, is considered a modern classic. Achebe received multiple honors, including the Nigerian National Merit Award for intellectual achievement and the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement... Read Anthills Of The Savannah Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mental Health, The Past, Guilt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Humor
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature
Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A Place for Us debuted in 2018. The novel, an instant New York Times best seller, was lauded as one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, NPR, and more. It’s notable for its extensive use of flashbacks and shifting perspective, which moves between third and first person.Plot SummaryThe novel begins when Amar, a young man estranged from his traditional Indian Muslim family, comes home for his sister... Read A Place for Us Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Community, Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Self Discovery, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction, World History
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Forgiveness
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness
Ask Again, Yes, a New York Times best seller, is a multigeneration family epic that covers over 40 years in the lives of two Irish American families. A work of domestic realism comparable to works by Anne Tyler and Ann Padgett, the novel was placed on best novel of the year lists by both People magazine and National Public Radio, and it was also optioned to be developed as a limited television series.In 2011, author... Read Ask Again, Yes Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Gender Identity, Self Discovery, Social Class, Nation, War, Beauty, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Guilt, Love, Politics & Government
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Health, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature
Published in 2019, Jodi Picoult’s novel A Spark of Light tells the story of a gunman’s attack on an abortion clinic from multiple points of view, examining the lives of different characters and the events that lead them to the clinic on that day. Picoult is a New York Times best-selling author and has written 28 novels, several of which have been adapted for film and television. Her books are known for tackling social issues... Read A Spark of Light Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes The Past, Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
A Spool of Blue Thread was published in 2015 and is the twentieth novel by American author Anne Tyler. The novel falls under the subgenre of Women’s Fiction. A Spool of Blue Thread received mixed reviews by critics upon publication but fared far better with the general public. After its commercial success, it was shortlisted for the 2015 Man Booker Prize, as well as the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. Other works by Tyler include... Read A Spool of Blue Thread Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Guilt, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Climate, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Femininity, Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Gender & Feminism, World History
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Space, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Childhood & Youth, Community, Grief, Mothers
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Mental Health, Love, Self Discovery, Marriage
Tags Relationships, Self-Improvement, Psychology, Science & Nature, Love & Sexuality, Psychology, Mental Illness