Choosing the book club pick.
What makes a book worth talking about, and three that always start a conversation.
Every book club has had the month where nobody finished the book, or everybody liked it and there was nothing to say. A good pick is not just a good book. It is a book with something to argue about.
What to look for
Characters who make choices you might not make. A story that spans time, so people bring their own lives to it. A length most people can finish in a month. And, ideally, one big question with no easy answer.
Three that work
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: during a summer at home, a mother tells her grown daughters about a first love. Lovely for a group with children who have flown the nest.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: three generations of a family in South India. Long, absorbing and perfect for a two-month read.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: the Pulitzer winner that gives a group plenty to argue about.
Host tip
Come with one question, not ten. "Would you have done what she did?" will carry a whole evening.
