Need a book for your book club? These unforgettable titles are sure to spark discussion and debate

Books that bring joy to everyone make for boring book clubs.

Discussions quickly become stagnant when stories don’t make readers think. If we all interpret the story exactly the same, identify with exactly the same character, and come to the same simple conclusion, there’s just not much to say.

Even with books we all love, the fangirl vibe knows no bounds.

So I’m always looking for books that spark conversations, and to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, I’ve found that cracks create opinions. I want books with flaws and authors who experiment. I want books that tell new stories, or old stories in new ways. I want books that send readers down rabbit holes.

Here you will find new and old books that are likely to lead to stimulating discussions.

Need more inspiration USA TODAY’s bestseller list

“Wandering Stars”

By Tommy Orange (Knopf, 336 pages) This sequel to his acclaimed debut, There There, takes readers through three generations of an indigenous family, from a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 to a family struggling with the opioid epidemic in modern America.

‘The women’

By Simone Gorrindo (Gallery/Scout Press, 416 pages) When her husband goes into the Army, Gorrindo leaves New York City and her publishing job and moves to Columbus, Georgia, where she finds a writing room of her own. This is a memoir of marriage, but also an intimate look at the ways women support each other, how community is needed, built, and maintained.

“Real Americans”

By Rachel Khong (Knopf, 416 pages) Told in three parts, this story of family and class explores the American dream and the limits—and ethics—of scientific discovery. How far should we go to protect our children?

“The Cemetery of Untold Stories”

By Julia Alvarez (Algonquin, 256 pages) The central premise—a graveyard for unfinished books—is delicious, and sets up a novel about how people remember and revise their own stories.

‘The Fetishist’

By Katherine Min (GP Putnman’s Sons, 304 pages). Darkly comic and tender, the story begins with a grieving and angry young woman seeking revenge on the man who caused her mother’s death. Things go wrong, memories are uncovered, and the result is an unconventional love story and a superb insight into art.

The adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

By Shannon Chakraborty (Harper-Voyager, 496 pages) A ​​40-year-old single mother, former pirate with a bad knee, is drawn out for one last great adventure. Based on the story of Sinbad the Sailor, this rollicking fantasy is a tale of robbery on the high seas.

‘Little Graces’

By Dennis Lehane (Harper, 320 pages) In the summer of 1974, Boston burns as schools are about to be desegregated. A girl goes missing and a desperate mother begins to ask questions that could set everything on fire.

“Transcendent Kingdom”

By Yaa Gyasi (Vintage, 304 pages) Gifty is a scientist influenced by religion. After the death of her brother and while caring for her mother, she grapples with her faith and tries to understand the science of addiction.

“A fever in the heartland”

By Timothy Egan (Viking, 432 pages).Here’s history you probably didn’t learn in school: the true story of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest. Although it’s nonfiction, it feels at times like a horror novel. (If you like the idea of ​​narrative history, you might also consider the works of Candice Millard, Tiya Miles, David Grann, or Erik Larson.)

“The woman in me”

By Britney Spears (Gallery Books, 288 pages) Celebrity memoirs are great choices for book clubs because they encourage conversations about pop culture. Other books to consider: Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones; Open Book by Jessica Simpson; I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy; The Storyteller by Dave Grohl.

“Mrs. Dalloway”

By Virginia Woolf (Penguin Classics, 240 pages) For a reading group, rereading classics is always a good idea, especially slim ones, if only because they are readily available in many formats. This novel is set in interwar London, and its themes of choice and memory remain remarkably relevant.

More: 10 memoirs by Ashley C. Ford, Roxane Gay, Javier Zamora and others you might want to read

“The Wrinkle in Time”

By Madeleine L’Engle (Ariel Books, 256 pages) Another underrated book club choice: classic children’s books. Do we still believe history matters? Why does this story appeal to children? What does it say about our culture? It doesn’t have to be this story, although it’s fun to reread L’Engle’s time travelers. Other candidates: “The Westing Game,” “Wilbur and Charlotte,” “Roll of Thunder,” “Hear My Cry” or “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret?”

Hillary Copsey is a book consultant at the Mercantile Library in Cincinnati.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best book club books to spark discussion among readers