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.

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Future, Femininity

Tags Gender & Feminism, Science & Nature, Politics & Government, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary

The Princess Bride

by William Goldman

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Beauty, Joy

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Humor, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Princess Bride is a 1973 adventure novel by American author and screenwriter William Goldman. It uses a unique framing narrative to tell two interwoven stories and claims to be a retelling of an older novel (one that does not actually exist). The Princess Bride was adapted into a film in 1987. Critics regard the film as one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments of all time, and it appears on numerous “best of” lists, including... Read The Princess Bride Summary

The Promise

by Damon Galgut

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Justice, Colonialism

Tags Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, History: African , Social Justice, Race & Racism, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read The Promise Summary

The Red Tent

by Anita Diamant

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Mothers, Love, Grief, Self Discovery

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Religion & Spirituality, Jewish Literature, Love & Sexuality, Women`s Studies, World History

The Red Tent (1997) is an adult historical novel by Jewish American author Anita Diamant. It describes the life of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, who appears in the biblical Book of Genesis. While her mention in the Bible only concerns her abduction by a Canaanite man and her brothers’ act of atrocity in response, Diamant imagines a full life for Dinah—including a childhood raised by several mothers, her first marriage, and life in Egypt, where... Read The Red Tent Summary

The Rent Collector

by Camron Wright

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes The Past, Good & Evil

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

Camron Wright’s The Rent Collector, originally published in 1990, tells the story of Sang Ly, a 29-year-old Cambodian woman who lives at the edge of Cambodia’s infamous dump, Stung Meanchey, with her husband, Ki Lim, and her 16-month-old son, Nisay. The fiction novel addresses such themes as the power of story, the influence of the past, the importance of education, and the balance of good and evil.Sang and Ki work as pickers in the dump... Read The Rent Collector Summary

The Rosie Project

by Graeme Simsion

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fathers

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion explores the romantic and comedic errors of a man with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, Don Tillson, as he looks for a wife. As a professor of genetics, Don lives an orderly, predictable life in a protected academic setting. Trouble ensues when he decides that he is ready to find his life’s partner. Set in Melbourne, Australia and New York City, the novel is told in the first person from Don’s... Read The Rosie Project Summary

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives

by Elizabeth Arnott

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Friendship, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Elizabeth Arnott’s 2026 thriller, The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives, is a work of historical fiction set against the social and political turmoil of 1966 California. The novel follows three women, Beverley, Elsie, and Margot, who have formed an unlikely friendship after their husbands were convicted as some of the state’s most notorious serial killers. Living under a cloud of public shame and suspicion, the women decide to use their unique, hard-won knowledge of male... Read The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives Summary