Choosing what books to read is one of the most enjoyable, often frustrating, and certainly one of the most important activities the group will undertake. One of the best parts of belonging to a book discussion group is that you will be introduced to books you're unfamiliar with, and books that fall outside your regular areas of interest. This is good! Remind people that there can be a big difference between "a good read" and "a good book for a discussion." (See next section.) It's always a good idea to select your group's books well in advance (at least three months works well). You don't want to have to spend time at each meeting deciding what to read next.
What makes a particular book a good one for a discussion?
Probably the most important criteria are that the book be well written and that it explores basic human truths. Good books for discussion have three-dimensional characters who are forced to make difficult choices, under difficult situations, whose behavior sometimes makes sense and sometimes doesn't.
Good book discussion books present the author's view of an important truth and sometimes send a message to the reader.
During a book discussion, what you're really talking about is everything that the author hasn't said - all those white spaces on the printed page. For this reason, books that are heavily plot driven (most mysteries, westerns, romances, and science fiction/fantasy) don't lend themselves to book discussions. In genre novels and some mainstream fiction (and often in nonfiction), the author spells out everything for the reader, so that there is little to say except, "I loved the book" or "I hated it" or "Isn't that interesting." Other good choices for discussions are books that have ambiguous endings, where the outcome of the novel is not clear.
It's important to remind the group that not every member is going to like every book the group chooses.
Everyone may read the same book, but in fact, every member is reading a different book. Everyone brings her own unique history, memories, background, and influences. Everyone is in a different place in his life when he reads the book. All of these differences influence the reader's experience of a book and why she may like or dislike it.
