8 Book Suggestions for Your Book Club
Book clubs are a true haven for us here at Frostbeard. After all, is there anything better than being surrounded by lovers of literature? (Other than reading, that is.) But how does your group choose the next novel? By rotating authority? Through an online poll? What happens when you just can’t seem to agree on the ideal title? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Quit googling “best book club books 2019,” and take a hint from the experts. We’ve got you covered with these recently published or upcoming titles.
99 Percent Mine
If your book club is filled with readers eager to sink their teeth into a juicy romantic comedy, Sally Thorne’s 99 Percent Mine is the perfect choice. Darcy Barrett met the love of her life at age 8, but her twin brother’s best friend, Tom, has always been off limits. When the siblings inherit a ramshackle cottage from their grandmother, Darcy wants nothing to do with the planned renovations. Her attitude changes pretty quickly when she finds out that Tom is the one fixing up the house – and that he’s finally single! If your group enjoys this one, pick up Thorne’s much-loved debut, The Hating Game!
The Bird King
G. Willow Wilson blew us away with Alif the Unseen back in 2012, and we’ve been keeping an eye on the Ms. Marvel comic writer ever since. Fans of romance, fantasy, and even historical fiction will find something to love in her newest novel, The Bird King. As the Spanish Inquisition closes in on Granada, a royal concubine and a mapmaker who can alter reality risk everything for freedom, and for each other. Strong themes of friendship and sacrifice combined with lush imagery make for a beautifully written book that will lend itself to all manner of discussion amongst your group.
Unsolved Murders
Between popular podcasts like My Favorite Murder and chilling films like Netflix’s Ted Bundy documentary, true crime stories are having quite the pop culture moment. Unpack some of that fascination with Unsolved Murders, a spine-tingling collection of cold cases from the early 1900s to the current decade. Your book club will have a lot to talk about if your members love creepiness. Hunt and Thompson give you everything you need to know about each unsolved mystery, from known timelines to persons of interest.
Ancestral Night
It’s space opera time! The title of the first book in the White Space trilogy alone is enough to get us interested, but the fast-paced plot is what will really intrigue sci-fi lovers. A boring salvage mission turns deadly when Haimey Dz and her crew come across ancient technology that hints at a truth no one wants to believe. Pursued by space pirates, she has no choice but to unlock the secret history behind the tech in an effort to avoid galaxy-wide war. Ancestral Night has it all – world-ending choices, inner turmoil, corrupt government – and a heroine to root for throughout the whole blasted journey.
Lock Every Door
The best book club books are enhanced by discussion. Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door lends itself particularly well to multiple meetings as readers work to navigate a mystery playing out in the splendor of a wealthy Manhattan apartment building. Down-on-her-luck Jules Larsen takes a job apartment sitting in an effort to start fresh. But things aren’t quite as they seem in the exclusive Bartholomew building, and Jules finds herself trying to track down a killer – before he or she finds her first. This thriller would be perfect for groups that read several chapters of a novel and then meet up to discuss the happenings thus far!
Wanderers
Chuck Wendig isn’t just an absolute delight on Twitter; his lengthier prose thrills and captivates us. Wanderers, out in July, presents a post-apocalyptic world dealing with a surprising issue: sleepwalking. A portion of America’s population is on a slow, slumbering perambulation to – somewhere. Several waking people are accompanying their afflicted loved ones on this trip, hoping to keep them safe and cure them. What they face on the road threatens to be even more fearsome than this mysterious malady.
The Lady from the Black Lagoon
We’re all for a good biography, particularly one as sorely needed as Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick. This isn’t any old summary of a life well lived; it’s an investigation into the turbulent times and career of one of Disney’s first female animators and a trailblazer in special effects. Infuriatingly, Milicent Patrick had her iconic monster design for “Creature from the Black Lagoon” stolen, resulting in a career cut short. As a woman working in the horror film industry, O’Meara felt a special kinship with Patrick. In some ways, this book works as a memoir, connecting her own experiences to the film industry and often-problematic Hollywood culture. This book is ideal for those looking to fill in a missing piece of big-screen history.
Unmarriageable
Retellings hit a sweet spot of easy familiarity combined with some element of change or novelty, and that’s exactly what Soniah Kamal’s Unmarriageable accomplishes. A twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this novel promises the wit and themes Austen fans fell in love with, modernized and transported to Pakistan. We could read about Mr. Darcy – or Darsee – swallowing his pride in a hundred different retellings, and it would still be just as fresh and satisfying as the first time.
Feeding the Reading Frenzy with Frostbeard
Ready to dig into your latest paperback? We’ve got just the thing to get you in the mood to binge read. Our book-inspired candles make the perfect companions as you kick your feet up, snuggle up under a blanket, and crack open the next page-turner. Let us know what you’re reading right now in the comments!
