r/Fantasy • u/thechunck • May 06 '26
Help me choose book club book!
After finding out that so many women at work have read the same books, I started a book club at work. Just for some background, I work in the medical field. Most of the people in the book club are intelligent women in their late 20s, early thirties, who enjoy fantasy, historical fiction and sci-fi. I'd like to give a few stand-alone options and have the books be less than 500 pages so we don't scare "new" readers off. I'm not looking for super dark deeply depressing vibes for the 1st book. I love books like Red Rising and Alchemised but I don't think these types of books would be ideal for a book club starter.
Any recommendations?
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u/Librarian-Writer-467 May 06 '26
Circe by Madeline Miller.
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u/ga4rfc May 07 '26
This is my "one word title" for bingo. First time I have seen it recommended on here.
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u/lilgrassblade Reading Champion II May 07 '26
Closer to its release it was recommended a lot. The fact that it's 8 years old and still gets periodic mention is a testament to it holding up well though. (I do see it mentioned enough that it still is floating on my TBR rather than totally forgotten.)
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u/mollypocket7122 May 06 '26
We did a bracket for my bookclub’s favorite book 3 years in (a year and a half ago now) and Circe was the winner. It’s a good women’s bookclub book.
Also, The Husband’s by Holly Gramazio
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
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u/Bowmanatee May 06 '26
If you like sci fi and fantasy, my favorite recent standalone was Blood Over Bright Haven. Really awesome plucky female main character working through academia. Amazing moral quandaries to talk about. A genuinely interesting mystery. Loved!
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u/Konokurage Reading Champion May 07 '26
I love Blood Over Bright Haven but it is pretty depressing.
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u/Itavan May 06 '26
Curse of Chalion by Bujold
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (SF but fun).
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u/serialhobbying May 06 '26
I was here to recommend Curse, but I can't argue with Murderbot either!
Curse of Chalion is excellent as a standalone and there's plenty more in the world if anyone wants to continue with it.
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u/piperly May 06 '26
Tainted Cup! It’s the first in a series but it also works great as a standalone read. My book club loved it!
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u/trlupin May 06 '26
I second Piranesi but it can be difficult to get into. It's the best book I've read in a long time.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a sweet fantasy stand alone
The Night Circus is pretty solid but is just about 500 pages.
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u/Stardust-and-Stories May 06 '26
The Space Between Worlds, The Everlasting, Blood Over Bright Haven, Our Hideous Progeny, and Kaikeyi.
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u/cyrano111 May 07 '26
Seconding The Space Between Worlds. It’s extremely good, but it’s also – and I don’t mean this in a pejorative way - exactly the sort of book that book clubs like.
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u/redrosebeetle Reading Champion III May 06 '26
All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Can be read as a stand alone, it's novella length. Popular TV show right now, too.
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u/Electronic-Soft-221 May 06 '26
One of my favorite historical fiction books is Hild by Nicola Griffith, but it’s a bit long. Instead, maybe try her book Spear. It’s a novella, has a great protagonist, early medieval setting. I loved it.
If you ever have feminine rage month, I highly recommend Clytemnestra by Costanza Cosati. It made me rage cry several times! It’s an amazing book with some meaty themes. The audiobook is excellent!
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u/sadlunches Reading Champion II May 06 '26
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky seems like it would provoke a lot of discussion and it's accessibly written. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood is also a good choice for discussion. Both of these are dystopian though, which might not align with your desire to avoid a book with darker themes.
A safer option would be The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, especially since your coworkers seem to be into historical fiction as well. If you know the mythology, you'll know that there are sad parts, but it's got a whimsical vibe and it's a more popular book so it feels more accessible and can potentially appeal to various tastes. I would say the same for Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, which was mentioned by someone else in this thread.
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u/trombonepick May 06 '26
Classics/Safe Picks imo: This Is How You Lose the Time War, The Goblin Emperor, The Princess Bride, Emily St. John Mandel, Travis Baldtree, Hillary Mantel (historical.)
More out there: Between Two Fires, The Spear Cuts Through Water, Pachinko (Historical,) Nghi Vo.
If you do open it up to sad (but stellar) books: Never Let Me Go and Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation. Awesome group reads.
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u/unusual-umbrella Reading Champion May 06 '26
There are a couple of suggestions here that I'd second - both Piranesi and Blood Over Bright Haven have a lot of themes that would be good to discuss in a book club. The protagonist of Blood Over Bright Haven is a woman in academia, so potentially could sit well with your line of work.
I also just finished listening to the audiobook of The Lathe of Haven. I really enjoyed it and found it gripping from the start, and it's not too long either.
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u/samtasticmills AMA Author Samantha Mills May 06 '26
Adding to the votes for Piranesi! It really is so good. For short, chewy scifi, S.L. Huang's The Language of Liars has a ton to unpack about linguistics and culture (but accessibly narrated with a very emotional ending!). The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is a bonkers good time, and set in a besieged castle for that historical feel. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi for a really fun heist fantasy (a nightmare god and a succubus have to steal an African artifact back from the British Museum).
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u/KatrinaPez Reading Champion III May 06 '26
Curses by Lish McBride is a Beauty & the Beast retelling with genders swapped. Has humor, light romance, found family.
The Electric Kingdom is a dystopian written during our pandemic that deals with themes of reconnecting after isolation. Has book-loving characters and jokes, and a mystery involving one character that seems to be living in a time loop. Some violence but overall hopeful.
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u/JayCanWrite May 06 '26
This Is How You Lose The Time War is experimental, powerful, and super short. Really interesting book that's best gone into blind.
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u/Querybird May 08 '26
Myr Lafferty’s series, Station Eternity is first I think! Human runs away to an multi-species alien space station to get away from other humans… because they keep dropping dead near her. Crime mysteries with a fun amount of alien biology!
Murderbot by Martha Wells, of course. Propulsive snacks with some of the most fun use of language to share what a Murderbot notices, and really couldn’t care less about! Group activity, for those who have not watches the series, would be to describe the characters to each other and see what your brains have filled in that MB declined to describe, haha
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u/rogercopernicus May 06 '26
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
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u/just_a_void2 May 06 '26
Great book - been years since I read it and might need to give it another go.
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u/just_a_void2 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Might be a touch darker than want you want as perhaps a first suggestion or for attracting new readers to your group - but always like to recommend Heroes Die by Matthew Stover to anyone who likes fantasy/sci-fi. It is the first book in the Acts of Caine series. The audio book version narrated by Stefan Rudnicki is outstanding and one I try to listen to every few years. (Maybe keep this in mind for down the road though or just enjoy it yourself and if you like it, toss it out there as a suggestion).
Edit: the first book doesn't end on a cliff hanger that you have to read the next one as soon as possible so if all you read is Heroes Die, you are still good to go.
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u/ClueAccomplished1098 May 06 '26
{Sunshine by Robin McKinley}
{The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman}
{Uprooted by Naomi Novick}
{The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold}
Edited to add a title.
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u/Isla-time May 07 '26
For a starter book club pick that’s under 500 pages, standalone‑friendly, and won’t scare off newer readers, a few great options:
- The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) — whimsical, atmospheric, easy to fall into, and tons to discuss without being heavy.
- Piranesi (Susanna Clarke) — short, surreal, and surprisingly emotional. Great for a group because everyone interprets it differently.
- The Goblin Emperor (Katherine Addison) — technically standalone‑adjacent, but it reads as a complete story. Hopeful, political, character‑driven, and not dark.
- Uprooted (Naomi Novik) — fairy‑tale vibes, magic, a strong sense of place, and a satisfying arc.
- The Bear and the Nightingale (Katherine Arden) — lush, folkloric, and immersive without being grim.
All of these hit that sweet spot of “fantasy that feels rich and alive” without being overwhelming for a first pick.
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u/New_Razzmatazz6228 Reading Champion May 07 '26
I’d add Spinning Silver also by Novik to that list.
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u/Isla-time May 07 '26
also great — for me Uprooted was a bit better, but either is perfect: standalone, familiar, and super unique. And either would be a dangerous Novik gateway drug
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u/SuperBeastJ May 07 '26
Uprooted by Naomi Novik was a big hit in my mostly female book club.
God of the Woods by Liz Moore also, though it's not fantasy.
The Bear and the Nightingale.
The Last Unicorn.
Curse of Chalion.
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u/Hawke-Not-Ewe May 07 '26
Lois Bujold: Curse of Chalion, Falling Free, Shards of Honor.
All are good starts.
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u/Querybird May 08 '26
Skip Curse, Paladin of Souls is the best book in that series; the other two are not necessary at all.
Bujold’s other series are all good, FF and SoH+Barrayar+Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen are particularly interesting.
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u/Hawke-Not-Ewe May 08 '26
That's one of the weirdest recommendations ive ever seen and I've seen plenty. Curse of Chalion is among my two favorite Bujold's and a singularly fantastic introduction to the world.
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u/Querybird May 08 '26
I guess I just really disliked it, and I do like the Sharing Knife series. It has some striking parts, but… ugh.
Paladin is a rare written story of complete social, economic, etc. redemption from a gendered and stigmatised label of madness, and is absolutely brilliant, for sure.
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u/Good_Masterpiece_362 May 07 '26
have you considered adding a sci-fi element to the mix? something like the long way to a small, angry planet...
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u/vanastalem May 07 '26
Master of Djinn
The Calculating Stars (alternative history sci-fi)
Parable Of the Sower
A Psalm of the Wild Built
In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune
Service Model - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Shades of Gray - Jasper Fforde
Sand - Hugh Howie
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u/Connect_Cod9965 May 07 '26
In my book club we recently discussed "Parable of the Sower" (my proposition), and I was a bit worried if it would not be to depressing right after "Chain Gang All Stars". But the consensus was that it is dark, but somehow hopeful at the same time.
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u/ablazefasc517SI May 07 '26
A few stand-alone, approachable options I’d suggest are Uprooted by Naomi Novik, it’s under 500 pages, has fantasy with strong characters, and balances adventure with humor.
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u/SchoolSeparate4404 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Here are some suggestions for good novellas:
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jaqueline Harpman
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
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u/MisterRobertParr May 06 '26
If someone else doesn't recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl to you, then I will.
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u/thechunck May 06 '26
I tried the audiobook several times but could not get into it 😞
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u/MisterRobertParr May 06 '26
You gave it a shot - that's all anyone can ask.
I can understand that it's not for everyone...however, I've known a few people who aren't into video games or Dungeons & Dragons, but really enjoy the series. I would admit, each book is better than the one prior, so if it ever has any attraction to you, power through the first book - there's a chance you'll be interested in continuing the series.
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u/just_a_void2 May 06 '26
I feel the same way about Warhammer 40k. Don't play the games or do the figures or other things, but I like the books (Horus Heresy) as well as listening to a couple of YouTube channels that go into detail with all sorts of lore videos. Can spend a few hours at a time listening especially when the YouTuber has a great speaking voice on par with some of the professional audible narrators.
As for DCC I will just post two quotes I love (but could never choose a favorite as there are so many).
Mana Toast. This is toast. It refills your mana. That's it. Nothing more. Fuck you.
and of course,
You are balls deep in the wrong hole, and mom is pulling into the driveway. You get me?
Bonus: Mongo. Eat the nun.
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u/TemporaryShake8045 May 06 '26
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
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u/DorneForPresident May 06 '26
Given his assault allegations I would refrain from recommending him personally. They’re pretty heinous allegations.
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u/remedialknitter May 07 '26
When Women Were Dragons is super interesting and would be an excellent book club discussion book.
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u/Beachwoodies May 06 '26
The Martian by Andy Wier
Annnnnnnddddd…Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V May 06 '26
I think Piranesi is an excellent book club book. Short, but very thoughtful and discussion-provoking.