Books which will generate lots of book club discussion

[OMGitsnotgood]

Just joined a newly formed book club. We will take it in turns to choose the book we read. I'd be interested which books have generated a lot of discussion / debate in your book clubs, both about the book itself and sparking relevant other conversation.

Secondly, are there books which some people in your book club have loved and some detested? I can imagine that would make for some interesting discussion too.
Thank you.

Bump!

This forum isn't very active is it!?

I joined a club about a year ago. We focused on new releases in particular Man Booker prize nominees. The one that comes up again and again as a talking point is the Bee Sting by Paul Murray. I absolutely loved it but it has many elements for discussion and open to interpretation.

Flowers for Algernon
Never Let me go or Remains of the day
Under the skin (then watch the film…very different take on it!)

I absolutely loved The Bee Sting! And it could be interesting to read it- and then the winner Prophet Song by Paul Lynch and discuss which one should have won!

I just read Blue Ruins by Hari Kunzru and it was fantastic. It has themes of Covid, first love, identity, what is art, memory... really good book.

We enjoyed talking about Motion of body through space by Lionel Shriver and Perfume by Patrick Suskind.
Any Ishiguro book.
Definitely better if not all the same opinion.

The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August by Clare North

The most divisive book I ever read in many years of book clubs was Foreign Parts by Janice Galloway. True marmite, loved and hated.

Very relatable subject (friendship between two middle aged women on holiday together) but an experimental style.

Lessons from Chemistry will certainly divide your group and give you a good discussion.

The one that my book group discussed the most was 'Where the Crawdads Sing' - it's a reasonably easy read but it's got sone interesting themes and angles to it and we talked and argued about it for ages.

We also loved Lessons in Chemistry and The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - that one really divided opinion!

The Vanishing Half
Elizabeth is Missing
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (nonfiction but a story)

I who have never known men, Jacqueline Harpman

This will generate lots of discussion!

I had completely forgotten about this thread! A bit like this thread, the book club never really got off the ground for a combination of reasons. But would still be interested in books which have resulted in a lot of discussion/divided opinions as they are often the most interesting to read, thanks for the suggestions.

I'm so sorry that your Book Club never materialised and that you only got a few suggestions on here.

I think that the "What We're Reading"section is busier