Last Updated on March 1, 2024 by Taylor
Does your book club need some inspiration for what to read next? As a book blogger (and book club member), I’m always keeping tabs on the latest and greatest book releases. Below, I’m highlighting some of my most-anticipated picks that I think will make discussion-worthy book club books in 2024!
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Best Book Club Books for 2024
No matter how well-read you are, sometimes it’s hard to choose a book to read with your book club.
Not in a book club yet? Here are my best tips for how to start a book club you’ll love!
Everyone has different reading tastes, and it can be tough to find a book you think everyone might enjoy.
Plus, you probably also want to pick a read that will inspire plenty of discussion. Fortunately, there are lots of must-read books that recently came out or that are releasing this year!
Below, I’ve put together a list of the best book club books for 2024 (including some of the books we’re reading or planning to read for the book club I’m in).
My book club likes to switch up the genres we read each month, so I’m sharing a variety of books with different genres: historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, memoirs, and more.
Additionally, I’ll continue to update this list throughout the year as more new books are published. So be sure to check back later! 🙂
Looking for more book club ideas? Check out my list of the best book club books of 2023, these heartwarming and funny book club reads, and this list of book club questions to help spark discussion (for any book)!
You might also enjoy these popular and highly-rated 2024 literary and contemporary fiction novels.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Magical Realism
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After her husband dies, a woman begins working the night shift at her local aquarium. There, she befriends a giant octopus – who might hold the key to what happened to her son when he vanished thirty years ago.
I really enjoyed this wholesome, heartwarming read. It delves into themes surrounding grief, aging, family, friendship, and more. We read this for my book club this year, and it was a hit!
This book was nominated for the Audie Audiobook of the Year Award, and was also nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award in two categories (Best Fiction and Best Debut Novel).
Check out this guide with a synopsis, character list, and book club questions for Remarkably Bright Creatures!
Publication date: May 3rd, 2022
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Genre: Historical/Literary Fiction
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An estranged mother and daughter grapple with the loss of their beloved matriarch. When they inherit her dilapidated manor, they unearth surprising secrets about the matriarch’s life.
This story follows three generations of Vietnamese American women, spanning decades and continents.
Publication date: June 27th, 2023
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Genre: Historical/Literary Fiction
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This sweeping story follows one house in the New England woods, and the many lives who inhabit it across centuries.
It’s about memory, fate, the cyclical force of nature, and how we – as humans – interact with our environment.
Publication date: Sept 19th, 2023
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Genre: Memoir
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Safiya Sinclair grew up in Jamaica, in a patriarchal Rastafarian household run by her strict father.
He followed a particularly rigid sect of Rastafari, banning all Western influences – such as makeup, jewelry, and freedom of opinion for women – from his home.
Books were the only thing that gave Safiya a glimpse of the outside world, and she honed her education in the hopes of one day breaking free.
This memoir was a Read With Jenna pick, and was also named a Best Book of 2023 by New York Times, Time, The Washington Post, and many more publications!
Publication date: October 3rd, 2023
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Genre: Magical Realism/Mystery/Romance
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If you enjoy genre-bending stories filled with mystery, romance, and a hint of magic, I highly recommend this one!
June Farrow’s family is cursed. Every woman in her family, as far back as she can remember, has started to get “sick” at some point – seeing visions and hearing sounds that aren’t there.
After a year of these visions, her grandmother – the woman who raised her – dies, she discovers a series of strange. They lead her to believe that the red door she’s been seeing is real, and that maybe she should walk through it.
Publication date: October 17th, 2023
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Genre: Mystery/Contemporary Fiction
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If your book club loved The Maid by Nita Prose, read this sequel next! This cozy mystery series features a neurodivergent maid who solves mysteries at the fancy hotel where she works: the Regency Grand.
This time around, a famous mystery author is found dead on the hotel’s tea room floor.
Detective Stark returns to the hotel to investigate the murder, but Molly has a secret: she knew the victim, J.D. Grimthorpe, as a child.
She must sift through her memories for clues to help solve the crime and save her beloved hotel.
Just like with the first book, this novel gives off Clue vibes. I really enjoyed it! It’s mostly wholesome and lighthearted, but with some depth to it, too.
Publication date: November 28th, 2023
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
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Written by the bestselling author of Code Name Hélène, this historical mystery novel is set in Maine during the late 1700s.
It follows the midwife of a close-knit community, who’s drawn into the investigation of a shocking murder – despite the risks it poses to her and everyone she cares about.
This popular book has gotten tons of rave reviews on Goodreads, and was also a Good Morning America book club pick.
Publication date: December 5th, 2023
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Genre: Literary Fiction
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This literary fiction novel follows a blue-collar family – including three brothers – with a roofing business in Pennsylvania in the 1990s.
Marley West is new in town, a young woman looking for somewhere to call home. Soon, she falls in love with one of the brothers, and becomes a mother figure to them all.
Years later, something is found in the town church that opens old wounds and threatens to upend the family.
Publication date: January 2nd, 2024
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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Evie Porter isn’t who she seems to be. Her Southern identity – complete with a white picket fence and loving boyfriend – is actually a ruse, and she’s got a target to follow until she receives further details on the “job”.
But when she realizes her true identity is at stake, everything becomes much more complicated. She can’t afford to make a single mistake, or it could risk her future.
If you love books about false identities and con artists, this thriller will be right up your alley! It was a Reese’s Book Club pick and one of the BOTM books for January.
Publication date: January 2nd, 2024
Family Family by Laurie Frankel
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Literary Fiction
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TV star India Allwood is hired for a new film that centers around adoption. But as an adoptive mother herself, she’s tired of seeing the same tragic story – devoid of joy – told again and again.
Her honesty with the press gets her in hot water, sending the paparazzi and protesters alike into a frenzy.
Her only choice is to call in her own family for help – and that’s when things get even more complicated.
Publication date: January 23rd, 2024
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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This novel is based on the Tony award-winning play of the same name, written by the same author.
It’s about a female criminal defense lawyer who loves the law – until it lets her down after she’s the victim of a terrible assault.
She fights back, determined to get justice in court. But soon, she comes to find that the legal system is not built for victims, and she ends up being the one on trial instead.
Publication date: January 30th, 2024 (U.S.)
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
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If you loved Seven Days In June, you’ll be happy to hear there’s a new novel by Tia Williams coming in February!
Ricki Wilde is the misfit daughter of a rich family in Atlanta. With famous socialites for sisters, she doesn’t feel like she belongs.
She leaves her former life behind to open a flower shop in Harlem, where she meets a dashing stranger who sweeps her off her feet.
Publication date: February 6th, 2024
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
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This story follows a young woman who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. It shines light on the forgotten sacrifices of women during the war.
Frankie McGrath comes of age during a turbulent time for her country: the 1960s. When her brother is shipped off to war, Frankie decides to leave behind her sheltered life and enlist as a nurse.
I read this book for my own book club this year, and it was incredible! Definitely a 5-star book club read, and highly recommended.
Here is a plot summary and book club questions for The Women, and here are my favorite Kristin Hannah historical fiction books!
Publication date: February 6th, 2024
Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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Years ago, Lucy was found wandering the streets, covered in blood. Despite her “golden girl” status in her small Texas town, everyone believed she killed her best friend.
But Lucy doesn’t remember a thing. Luckily for her, she isn’t convicted.
Now, a podcast decides to cover the story, forcing Lucy to relive her past in order to figure out what really happened that night.
Here’s a list of Listen for the Lie book club questions, a character list, and more!
Publication date: March 5th, 2024
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Emily Henry is always a popular book club choice, and for good reason! Her stories have a good mix of humor and heart.
Synopsis: When Daphne’s fiancé realizes he’s in love with his childhood best friend Petra and calls off the engagement, Daphne finds herself stranded in a lakeside town in Michigan.
She needs a roommate but doesn’t know anyone, aside from the one person who might understand what she’s going through: Petra’s ex.
The two form a plan to help each other make it look like they’re having the best summer ever (while they secretly wallow in their misery).
Publication date: April 23rd, 2024
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Genre: Literary Fiction/Historical Fiction
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From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin comes a multi-generational story about fate, identity, family, and choosing your own path.
The story follows a teenage, Chinese-American boy living on an island in Washington state with his single mother. But when he decides to look into the identity of his biological father, he might not be ready for all the questions it uncovers.
Publication date: April 30th, 2024
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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I loved Chris Whitaker’s novel We Begin At The End, and I’ve heard exciting early praise about his newest upcoming book! It’s a blend of crime thriller and love story, with a twist.
It’s set during 1975 in a small town in Missouri where girls have been going missing. A young, one-eyed boy named Patch saves a girl from a wealthy family from being abducted. But his act of heroism is intertwined with heartache.
Publication date: June 25th, 2024
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
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After years dreaming of traveling to the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, Phoebe Stone arrives – but without her husband. And as it turns out, she’s the only guest that isn’t there for a wedding.
Somehow, she and the bride find themselves confiding in each other. Soon, Phoebe realizes that chance encounters can have a huge effect on the paths our lives take.
This has been getting rave reviews, and will likely be a popular summer read!
Publication date: July 30th, 2024
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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In Matt Haig’s newest novel (author of The Midnight Library), a retired teacher named Grace receives an unexpected inheritance from a long-lost friend: an old house on a beachy Mediterranean island.
When she arrives, she tries to find out what happened to her friend. But the answers she finds are much stranger than she ever imagined.
Release date: September 3rd, 2024
I hope you enjoy these 2024 book club books!
Has your book club read any favorite books so far this year? Let me know in the comments – I’m always looking for more recommendations!
More exciting 2024 book releases to check out:
- 10 Must-Read 2024 Historical Fiction Books
- 20 Most-Anticipated 2024 Fiction Books to Add to Your TBR List
- Can’t Wait New 2024 Novels By Popular Bestselling Authors
- 14 Most-Anticipated 2024 Thrillers & Mystery Books
- 11 Exciting New Winter 2024 Fiction Books
- 13 Must-Read Winter 2024 Fantasy & Science Fiction Books