Book club favorites
11 years and over 100 books read
In October my book club held our first retreat, and as any planner/theme party host knows, the key to a successful gathering is a spreadsheet. As I dug through the archives, I realized October marked 11 years for our group, perfect timing to celebrate. From years of tracking (first via GoodReads and then Storygraph), I put together a list of all of our books so each member could mark their favorites and we could discuss.
Thanks to Storygraph (really, have you made the switch yet?), I easily pulled a snapshot of over a decade of reading together.
111 books—that’s 36,344 pages read
Our selections have been 68% fiction; 32% nonfiction
Top 3 genres: Contemporary, literary and memoir
We’re all about emotional and reflective reads
Here are the books that received the most votes as a favorite:
1. The Measure, Nikki Erlick
“If I’ve learned anything from all the stories I’ve read – of love and friendship, adventure and bravery – it’s that living long is not the same as living well.”
If you had the option, would you choose to know how long you will live? Either way, how would that impact the way you live your life? This story is perfect for a robust discussion, putting yourself alongside the characters.
2. Between Two Kingdoms, Suleika Jaouad
“You can’t guarantee that people won’t hurt or betray you - they will, be it a breakup or something as big and blinding as death. But evading heartbreak is how we miss our people, our purpose. I make a pact with myself and send it off into the desert: May I be awake enough to notice when love appears and bold enough to pursue it without knowing where it will lead.”
Jaouad is a gifted storyteller as she shares her experience of being diagnosed with leukemia not long after graduating college. Readers first follow-alongside her in hospital beds and then on her journey after being declared cancer-free. You’ll hop in a van with her and her dog during a cross-country road trip. It’s a story of courage, love, healing, resilience, and connection.
3. Circe, Madeline Miller
“Such patience mortals must have, I thought, to drag themselves through it hour after hour.”
You’ll feel like you’re back in English class, revisiting the characters of The Odyssey, only this time with a focus on female strength.
4. The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah
“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”
After reading this one our group went on a bit of a WWII historical fiction bender so we had to stop ourselves from constantly navigating to that era.
5. Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple
“I'm not too good when exposed to people”
Were you even in a book club in 2012-2015 if you didn’t read this? It felt like such a radical tale at the time, addressing mental health, the expectations of women, and mother-daughter relationships—but in a fun, quirky way. Looking back, I can see this book must have impacted the publishing industry, it seems like these stories are the norm now.
6. Tiny Beautiful Things, Cheryl Strayed
“Don't surrender all your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn't true anymore.”
Deeply human, this is a lovely book of compassionate, yet direct advice from Strayed during her time as an anonymous online advice columnist.
I’m so grateful to have been reading with this group for over a decade. As great as the stats are, they don’t capture the memorable meals, shared dessert plates, perfect patio nights, joy, laughs, cocktails, or discussion beyond the book.
The retreat was such a fun getaway to relax, hike, read, puzzle, eat, and of course, talk books. We’re planning to do another and if you’re in a book club, I can’t recommend a retreat weekend enough! A picture perfect fall weekend in a small town helps (although as pictured below, we did have an unexpected guest in the Airbnb that wanted to join).
Have you read any of these? If you’re in a book club, I’d love to hear your favorites!
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The loveliest weekend! Today I was looking at author events to start planning the next one. 📘📚
Your retreat sounds wonderful! And I love the variety in the books you've read. Of the ones on your list that I have also read, they definitely provide ample discussion topics! Thanks for sharing!