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Welcome to the after-Halloween month known as November! If you thought that book clubs would slow down during the holiday months, you would be wrong. There’s a wide range of different book clubs—many with a focus, all with remote options, and a couple host an in-person event—which means the books selected offer tons of options in different genres, categories, moods, types, and tropes. Whether you’re planning on reading curled up indoors or taking your book on the go (thank you ebooks and audiobooks!) in November, there’s something here for you.
NYPL’s Teen Banned Book Club pick was selected in October but runs through November, so you still have time to read and join the November 21st event.
This month’s collection of book club picks include historical fiction set in pre-Civil War New Orleans, a translated South Korean novel, a memoir about leaving the Evangelical church and creating new community, a missing person mystery set on a reservation, historical fiction set in 1960s New York following the residents of a women’s hotel, a new mystery novel by the author of The Girl on the Train, a memoir by an Indigenous activist, a novel set over decades in England and Lagos inspired by Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, a darkly funny novel with a messy main character, and a dual timeline historical love story. Also, after a hiatus, Amor en Páginas is back with a contemporary romance pick!
Women’s Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery
About the book club: Author Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist, Ayiti, The Banks) selects a book every month with the goal of uplifting “authentic and necessary perspectives from writers who fearlessly share their stories.”
What Roxane said about the book: “Next month in the Audacious Book Club, we’re talking about Women’s Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery (@daniel_m_lavery). I hope you’ll join us at The Audacity to discuss this charming novel throughout the month of November and on November 20 when we’ll be in conversation with Danny. Register here or at the link in my stories: https://ow.ly/oA3K50TMU1B“
Follow Roxane Gay on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, Jamie Chang (Translator)
About the book club: Tiffany and Alexandra, longtime friends, created the Subtle Asian Book Club in 2020 with the goal of uplifting Asian voices and storytellers. You can read along with the monthly book pick, join in on discussions on social media, and watch videos of their live author interviews.
About the book: If you’re looking to add more translated literature, here’s a great novel that takes a look at the patriarchy in South Korea.
Follow Subtle Asian Book Club on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Discord
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
About the book club: Lillianne Leight and Amanda Spivack created this book club with a focus on Jewish books and characters “with varying relationships to Judaism” that welcomes all readers — Jewish and non.
What Matzah Book Soup said about the book: “We are so excited to announce that our November pick is none other than The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by @LLoigman! We’re so happy to have Lynda back with us for another amazing month of Matzah Book Soup after her last book The Matchmaker’s Gift was a club favorite.
Our zoom chat with the author will be on Monday, November 25th @ 8 PM EST and we hope to see you all there!”
Follow Matzah Book Soup on social media: Instagram, Facebook
Luster by Raven Leilani
About the book cub: Hosted by Traci Thomas, The Stacks is a podcast that chats all about books, and there’s a monthly book club! The book chosen for the month is discussed on the podcast the last week of the month with a selected special guest.
What The Stacks Book Club said about the book: “Our November book club pick is the novel Luster by Raven Leilani. This novel is about a young Black woman who gets involved with a white middle aged married man whose wife is down for an open relationship. It is raw, it is provocative, it is messy and it is darkly funny. Our episode on Luster will be out on Wednesday, November 27. Tune in next week to find out who our guest will be.”
Follow The Stacks on social media: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
About the book club: Read along with Good Morning America Book Club, which aims to “showcase book picks from a wide range of compelling authors.”
What GMA said about the book: “November: The Blue Hour by New York Times bestselling author @PaulaHawkins2010 is this month’s #GMABookClub pick! 💙
Hawkins’ new novel delves into themes of ambition, legacy and betrayal. Set on a remote Scottish island, isolated from the mainland ‘for twelve hours each day,’ according to a synopsis, a present-day discovery connects the lives of three people, unraveling a tangled web of secrets and deception.”
Sleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie Caña
About the book club: This is a monthly book club run by two Latinas with the goal of amplifying romance novels written by Latinx authors.
What Amor en Páginas said bout the book: “Ready for your treat? Our November book is Sleeping with the Frenemy by @NatalieCanaWrites
We can’t wait to get into it with these tricksters and their shenanigans. But, also get ready to melt for a simp!
Happy reading dulzuras 💜”
Follow Amor en Páginas on social media: Instagram
If you want to know about past monthly book club picks, prepare your TBR shelf and take a look.
