3 Must-Read Book Club Recommendations for Women

I have been part of several book clubs over the years. I can say from experience that one of the most exciting parts of being in a book club is getting to pick the next read for the group to read. When I was in college, I actually started a book club on my campus. One of my main goals with the book club was to be as inclusive as possible, which meant choosing books that covered multiple genres, backgrounds and topics that would appeal to all of our members. 

I want to share with you three books written by women that I have read recently and think would make great book club picks for any group, but particularly for a group of women. The three books I have included below are each in different genres including contemporary, self-help, and young adult fiction. I read all of these on my own, and I found them each to be inspirational and empowering in their own ways. I couldn’t wait to talk about them with other people who have also read them. So without further ado, here they are:

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

Review: 4 STARS 

Clare Poole’s novel follows the story of a group of complete strangers who are united by a little green notebook titled ‘The Authenticity Project’. The notebook’s mission is initiated by a seventy-nine-year-old artist and is left in Monica’s Café for the next person to find it and perhaps continue on with the proposed project. The premise was enough for me to jump head first into the story. I couldn’t wait to read about each person’s discovery of the notebook, how they would react and if they would carry on the project. It’s the kind of story that we each secretly wish would happen to us in real life. 

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be ‘heart-warming’. Each character is charming in their own way and you will find yourself empathizing with each one of them. The storyline slows down in a couple places (hence the reason for 4 stars) and  may not be the most credible, but the humanity portrayed in the book is raw and as real as you can get. 

When I picked up The Authenticity Project, it did not strike me as the plot twist type, but lo and behold, Pooley did not deprive her readers of the plot twist joys. I mean who doesn’t enjoy a good and hearty plot-twist ending, right? 

What makes this a good book club pick:

I love that this book was written by a woman as she was able to really capture multiple female points of view with genuine authenticity as suggested by the book’s title. It inspires readers to think about the assumptions we make about others based on appearance or the way they choose to present themselves. It also allows us to take a long hard look at our own behaviors and to what extent they are authentic and to what extent they are based on how we want others to perceive us. 

See Me by Hailey Rodgers 

See Me is not your typical self-help book, but a collection of inspiring stories that show how important it is to be yourself and not fall into the trap of becoming what others think you should be. This is especially prevalent to women in today’s society as we tend to always compare ourselves to others and try to fit into an ideal world that someone else has determined for us whether it’s society, family members, significant others or (ahem) social media. However, the book holds such an important message for anyone who is trying to achieve happiness and success.

I cannot give this book a star rating simply  because it’s not the type of book that you read from start to finish with the intent of “enjoying a good read”. There are parts that will resonate with you to a different extent at different points of your life as well as from person to person. For this reason I cannot use the star rating system, but I will say that I loved it and will definitely be keeping it in my back pocket. Literally because it’s an ebook on my phone but also because there are parts that I think I would like to revisit at a later time. 

What makes this a good book club pick:

The chapters are structured so that each one ends with a bullet pointed summary of what you’ve learned in that chapter along with practical takeaways on how to implement what you’ve learned into your life. This structure makes it easy to pick out main topics for discussions and quickly refer back to during meetings.  

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

Rating: 4 STARS 

Isabel Ibañez’s Woven in Moonlight features a female protagonist, Xiemena, whose life has been dedicated to protecting her Condesa, the last royal blood of the Illustrian people and rightful heir to the throne. Ibañez’s Bolivian heritage manifests itself through her beautiful writing. 

The events described in the book are inspired by real events that took place in Bolivia and political situations that are experienced throughout South America today. I loved that the book puts several females at the forefront of the story who are not portrayed in a masculine manner as many “strong female characters” typically are, especially in the YA genre.

I was also captivated by the Bolivian cultural aspects that are embedded in the writing. From the descriptions of the food to the use of Spanish words throughout the book, you will feel like you’ve been carried to the land of Inkasisa. I enjoyed looking up the meaning of some of the Spanish words and it made me enjoy a stronger connection with the characters. I also discovered after I was finished with the book that there is a glossary in the back that has descriptions to the Spanish words and foods as well as the character name meanings in Quechua, a Bolivian regional language. 

Another key element of the culture that is prominently featured in the book is Ximena’s love for weaving tapestries. She experiments with color and yields the magic of the moonlight to make the most breathtaking tapestries. I love the magical, artistic touch that this gave to the story which would get a bit violent at times.       

If she did not already prove her talent, the author of the book also happens to be the illustrator of the book cover. If nothing else, make would make a perfect cover-buy because it is absolutely gorgeous. This book is a standalone, but the author plans to continue to give us more stories set in the same world. The next book Written in Starlight is set to come out in 2021. 

What makes this a good book club pick: 

A lot of book clubs tend to select from among the most popular bestsellers to incite their members and keep them engaged. While it is important for the group to be excited about the book selections, this often results in a lack of diversity among the book picks from month to month. Woven in Moonlight gives readers the best of both worlds. Largely due to the attention that the beautifully illustrated cover has attracted to it, the novel has become quite popular among the book community. At the same time, it is a YA that is not written by white middle-aged women. We are starting to recognize now more than ever the importance of understanding different perspectives and educating ourselves through our reading.