What is Book Club Fiction? The Key Characteristics Explained

It’s become a genre in itself, though a seemingly elusive one. Authors want to write one, and literary agents and publishing editors want to find them: we’re talking about novels that make perfect book club picks.

But what a book club pick actually is can feel shrouded in mystery. You might be unsure what the term actually means, or whether the novel you’re writing qualifies for this genre.

In this article, bestselling author and writing coach Libby Page looks at the novels that earn that special little sticker or emblem. She’ll dig into the key elements of this genre and how it stacks up against (and differs from) its bookshelf bedfellows, such as upmarket fiction and literary and commercial fiction.

Libby’s brand new novel, This Book Made Me Think of You, was published this week in the U.K. with Penguin Random House, and will be released next month in the U.S. with Berkley. Excitingly, This Book Made Me Think of You was recently selected as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick! (You can listen here to Libby discussing the book with BBC radio host Sara Cox.)

With help from Libby, the ideal person to walk us through this ever-growing subgenre, you’ll soon be able to tell if the story you’re writing is perfect for book groups, and if not, the key ingredients you can focus on if being a reading group pick is your writing ambition.

I can’t be the only writer who dreams of having their novel picked for Reese’s Book Club. Over recent years, the rise of celebrity book clubs has made a big impact on the publishing landscape, bringing all kinds of novels to new readers, getting people talking, and bumping titles up the bestseller lists. 

Book club fiction is something that has fascinated me over recent years, and I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the novels that have been chosen for some of the most well-known clubs in an attempt to unpack what the genre really means and identify any common characteristics.

The differences between book club, upmarket, women’s, and literary fiction

One of the reasons why referring to some novels as “book club fiction” can feel confusing is the fact that it describes the execution of a novel as well as its content.

The following novels might all be classified as “book club,” but they also belong to a broad range of wider genre fiction. For example:

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (thriller)
• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (literary fiction): picked for Oprah’s Book Club, December 2024
• The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood (romance): picked for the Good Morning America Book Club, July 2024
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach (women’s fiction): picked for Read with Jenna, August 2024
• The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez (historical fiction): picked for Read with Jenna, March 2024
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Up Lit)

Most commonly, book club fiction sits closely alongside the following genres:

Women’s fiction

Women’s fiction features female protagonists and addresses issues related to women. These novels tend to focus on relationships and follow the emotional journey of a female character or characters. For a deep dive into this genre, see Gina Sorell’s explainer all about women’s fiction.

Literary fiction

This term is used to describe literary novels that stand out because of the quality of their writing. They tend to have complex themes that dig deep into the human condition. These are typically the books that win prizes and accolades—think Booker Prize nominees. Learn more about this genre in editor Sadé Omeje’s primer on literary fiction.

Upmarket fiction

A term used to describe novels that are written in a more sophisticated style than commercial novels. While authors writing upmarket fiction might use other literary devices that are typically found in the literary fiction genre, these novels are more accessible and plot-driven than their literary fiction friends. They might:

• Use a unique structural device (e.g., One Day by David Nicholls, Seven Days in June by Tia Williams)
• Be strongly voice-driven (e.g., Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon)

“Upmarket” is also often used as a modifier for novels that sit elsewhere in genre fiction—for example, an upmarket romance might subvert common romance tropes in a new and clever way (e.g., Book Lovers by Emily Henry) or have a unique style and voice (e.g., Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld), and the story does not have to be contemporary.

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Confused about whether you’re writing upmarket fiction or book club fiction?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, because they share common characteristics. Book club picks often are upmarket novels, because they are written with quality and they are often set apart by subverting tropes rather than simply conforming to them.

However, there are some key differences that make book club fiction unique when compared to commercial and literary fiction, and even upmarket women’s fiction.

What makes “book club” different on first glance?

There are two key components, and they make a lot of sense if you’ve ever been part of a book group yourself, perhaps run through your local bookstore or library, or with a group of friends, colleagues, or neighbors. 

The first rule of book club: does this novel have wide appeal?

Book groups bring people together and often include a broad range of readers with different tastes across various fiction genres. If you are part of one, you will probably know how challenging it is to settle on something everyone wants to read, which is why the first rule of book club fiction is that it has to have wide appeal.

Essentially, these novels should:

• Contain things lots of people can relate to
• Be a gripping enough story that everyone in your club will be compelled to keep reading it
• Have a concept that, ideally, is easy to describe—so you can sell it to your fellow readers in the first place!

Book club picks are often high-concept stories, which is a term to describe a novel with a unique premise that can be easily pitched in one sentence (e.g., One Day by David Nicholls tells the story of two people on the same day over twenty years; The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is about a magical attic that delivers the main character an endless stream of new husbands). Katie Khan shares more here about high-concept fiction and the one-sentence pitch.

These books might cover big, universal themes that everyone can relate to, such as coming of age, loss, loneliness, ageing, or friendship (e.g., We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman).

They might feature some element of mystery that keeps you reading to find out what happened (e.g., Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt). 

There might also be an escapist element, or a vividly described setting or time period that goes beyond the everyday and makes it the kind of book you can really immerse yourself in (e.g., The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, or The Women by Kristin Hannah).

The second rule of book club: is this novel a conversation-starter?

Obviously, the aim of any book group is to come together to talk about books. In pop culture, the idea of a book group has been represented by scenes of people drinking wine and forgetting to actually read the book—and while it’s possible that this does sometimes happen, the central value of a book group is always the books. Members read them and then talk about them (and yes, sometimes lots of other things too), which means these novels need to spark conversation.

Book club fiction should include plenty of scope for conversation starters. A great example is the inclusion of a moral dilemma that’s ripe for discussion and might even split the group down the middle, leading to heated debate (e.g., The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas).

Do you know that feeling when you finish a book and are so blindsided by something that happens at the end, you absolutely have to discuss it with someone who has also read it? Book club fiction often includes twists and turns that provoke conversation. Twists make for great conversations. Did you see it coming?

These novels might also cover a theme or topic that can be a great jumping-off point to discuss readers’ own lives and interests. For example, in my new book, This Book Made Me Think of You, the main character receives a posthumous gift from her late husband—a year of books designed to help her through her grief, something that acts as a continuing conversation between her and her husband.

When I wrote the book group questions to be included in the novel, I imagined people discussing what novels they might choose to leave to a loved one if they could, or the books that have helped them through difficult periods in their own life. This Book Made Me Think of You also includes lots of book recommendations, which I hope will spark conversation.

• Have you read them?
• What did you think?
• What are your favorite books?

It can be helpful when writing your novel to compile a list of questions you think might make a good discussion guide for a book group while they read your story. This will give you a sense of whether there is enough in your novel to spark conversation and therefore make it a potential club pick.

Examples of book club fiction

Here are some good examples of big book club novels, with an analysis of why I think they made such successful picks. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

• A vividly described setting that takes readers out of their daily life and feels widely appealing.
• A unique voice that elevates the writing and keeps readers hooked.
• A high-stakes plot that keeps you turning the pages to find out what will happen.
• Moral dilemmas, and themes about injustice and prejudice that make for interesting, reflective conversations.
• An ending that leaves you with questions and wanting to discuss! Did you see it coming?

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

• A unique, memorable main character you want to read about—and then talk about.
• Quirky elements that prompt discussion, e.g., what did you think about the sections from the point of view of the dog?
• Relatable themes such as parenthood, grief, and injustice that open conversations about people’s own lived experiences.
• The worlds of both science and television being interesting to read about: you feel like you’re learning as you read. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

• It’s set during a time period (World War II) that everyone has some reference point for, and that is widely interesting due to its scale.
• The two main characters sit on opposite sides of a moral dilemma. In war, would you try to lie low in order to protect your family, or would you put your head above the parapet to stand up for what you believe to be right? What would it take for your attitudes to change?
• It is emotionally powerful and leaves an imprint, making readers want to discuss it with someone.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

• Poses a big, universal question that is easily relatable and ripe for discussion. What is the best way to live a life?
• Centers around books, making it ideal for discussing in a book group. What novels have changed your life?
• Features a pacy plot with high stakes. What is going to happen to Nora?

The big book clubs

To find more examples, I would recommend spending some time exploring the websites of the major commercial clubs, such as Reese’s Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Book of the Month, and the Good Morning America Book Club.

Each of them has a list of all their previous picks with descriptions of each book, giving you a readymade reading list of comparable titles. They sometimes have quotes from the host about what they enjoyed about the book and what made them choose it, which can be helpful to read as it gives a sense of why that book made a great pick, which you can then use as thinking points around your own story.

If you’re still unsure if something you’ve enjoyed counts as book club fiction, try thinking back to the novels everyone was reading and discussing this past summer, or last year, or the year before, or even books that were published a long time ago but still get talked about.

Book club fiction has wide commercial appeal and sparks conversation, so the chances are, if everyone is reading and talking about a particular novel, then it’s book club fiction.

Am I writing book club fiction?

If you think you might be, or you would like to consider exploring this genre, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I writing a plot-driven narrative that will keep readers turning the pages?
2. Is my writing style elevated? Does my book have a strong sense of voice, a unique structure, or a standout writing style?
3. Can the concept of my novel be easily described in one sentence? When I describe it to my friends, do they go, “Oooh!”?
4. Does my novel cover big, universal themes that lots of people can relate to?
5. Are there twists and turns that will surprise the reader, making them desperate to discuss the story with a friend?
6. Is there a moral dilemma to consider that could divide readers and spark heated conversation?
7. Do I have an escapist setting, or a time period that is vividly described and will fully immerse the reader?
8. Does my book nod to a genre but not sit perfectly within it because I am subverting the genre tropes instead of conforming to them?
9. Can I think of a list of questions that would prompt interesting group discussions about my book and its themes?

If you can answer yes to several (or even all!) of the above questions, then it sounds like you might be writing book club fiction.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

When I set out to write This Book Made Me Think of You, I definitely had book clubs in mind. I wanted to write a book that could spark conversation and that had a strong emotional heart to it, combined with a wide-reaching, escapist setting that would hopefully give it broad appeal.

Which is why I was so delighted when the book was chosen as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. In my interview for the book club, we spoke about the book’s central theme of grief—something that is universal enough to touch most readers, and something that I think helped make This Book Made Me Think of You a good book club pick.

Hopefully, you now have a greater understanding of the genre expectations of book club fiction and what makes a great club pick. Remember, these novels have broad appeal and spark conversations!

If you are writing a story that fits within this genre, and if you think hard about what will make your novel big and conversation-worthy, then maybe one day you’ll see everyone holding your book on public transport, with a little label that confirms it really was picked for Reese’s Book Club.

I can’t wait to read it.

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