Help - I need to choose a book for my book club.

I am spoilt for choice. We have read many of these books already and others seem a little harrowing which I think may not suit one or two of our group at the moment.
I will let you know what I choose.

I've recently 'discovered' Amanda Craig and would strongly recommend 'The Golden Rule' as a book club choice. Two women meet on a train and come to a very unusual agreement...

Good lists, thank you! I will take some of these titles under advisement for my next book group pick. We are currently reading Behold the Dreamers by Imboblo Mbue. I'm only half way through, but really enjoying it and can foresee interesting discussions.

One of our best rated books over the years has been The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. A girl graduating out of the foster care system finds herself alone and mistrustful of the world. A job in a flower shop opens up a new form of communication and connection for her.

Where the Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens, I think.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Not too long and absolutely unforgettable. Everyone in my Book Group loved it.

Just reading and enjoying Transcription by Kate Atkinson.

annodomini

I've recently 'discovered' Amanda Craig and would strongly recommend 'The Golden Rule' as a book club choice. Two women meet on a train and come to a very unusual agreement...

The Golden Rule is really good, The Lie of the Land by Amanda Craig is even better!

I chose The Midnight Library in the end.
Thank you for all your suggestions they really helped.

Thanks, Terribull, once I find an author I like I tend to try more and more of their books. Amanda Craig is a versatile writer. 'Love in Idleness' is hilarious and 'In a Dark Wood' is moving and disturbing. Both are good reads.

Sarnia

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Our House by Louise Candlish
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

All 3 had scores of 9 and above from my book club friends.
Just a heads up that Mudbound is set in Mississippi after WW2 and includes the way black people were treated.

I recently watched Mudbound on Netflix, a great film and I would like to read the book.

annodomini

Thanks, Terribull, once I find an author I like I tend to try more and more of their books. Amanda Craig is a versatile writer. 'Love in Idleness' is hilarious and 'In a Dark Wood' is moving and disturbing. Both are good reads.

Yes Annodomini she is a really good writer, and, I think, underrated. I would also recommend "Hearts and Minds" by her, another very, very good read, but quite dark. On the other hand Lie of the Land, not unlike Jonathan Coe's "Middle England" but better imo, is laced with a lot of humour. If you liked her others, I'm sure you'll like these.

Restless , William Boyd

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
Once read, you will NEVER forget it

The following spring to mind:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haigh. In fact anything by him.
A Man called Ove.

dragonfly46 do you use The Pigeonhole app? It offers books in ‘staves’ usually over ten days. But - you can create your own book club to read the books on offer. There are some which are just about to be published, some new authors and some classics to chose from. It also means that longer books don’t seem so daunting as you are only reading about thirty pages or so per day.

No Borrhead I will certainly look into that. Thank you

The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brian. All human life and emotion is there, even though it is set in a nunnery - fascinating.

Anything by Jessie Burton - but especially The Miniaturist which I couldn't put down and the Muse. A book by Laline Paull called The Bees - an allegorical tale which will wring emotion out of every pore. Truly excellent

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

I would thoroughly recommend The Curious Charms or Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. This is a thoroughly interesting read which has stayed with me for a long long while. It's a story of a husband and wife and he has found a charm bracelet of his wifes and that starts the story...... I wont spoil the adventures but enjoy the journey. This is author that writes enjoyable stories. Hope you and your book club will try this.

Here is a very different kind of book "Dibs in search of Self" - which is so good it is still in print after decades, and is by Virginia Axline. Its a true story and much is based on verbatim accounts of conversations, with a young boy being helped to 'find himself' . Once you get into it , it is as gripping as any novel and full of insights and understanding.
And thank you for all the excellent recommendations here!

We collected together about twenty different genres of books -
travel, book adapted for TV, crime, Best seller etc
Each one was numbered and then we picked that genre which gave us a focus for the book each month.

I was in a pre-COVID book club and the lady running didn’t want people to have to spend money on books, so there was an arrangement with the local library. They provided the requisite number of books from lists they compiled. The books all had to have been published for at least a year, I believe. It worked well for us!
I know it’s an older book, but a previous club introduced me to ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith, which I really enjoyed.

Lucca

MagicWand
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Another one by the same author “Rules of Civility”. Excellent

Thank you Lucca, I've put it on my 'To Be Read list!

l would defo recomend Our House its brilliant, so different.