
## The Anti-Classics Bias

For years, our book club avoided classics. "We read enough of those in high school," someone would say when they were suggested. "Let's read something relevant."

Then one month, someone insisted we try "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier. She'd just seen a movie adaptation and was curious about the source.

We agreed reluctantly. And then we couldn't stop talking about it. The discussion went long. People texted for days after. It was, hands down, our best discussion of the year.

Turns out, "relevant" doesn't have an expiration date.

## Why Classics Work for Book Clubs

### Depth of discussion material
These books have been analyzed, debated, and interpreted for decades (or centuries). There are layers to unpack that newer books often lack.

### Shared cultural touchstone
Even if no one's read it, people often know OF the story. You're joining a larger conversation.

### No spoiler anxiety
The "twist" in a 100-year-old book isn't really a spoiler. Knowing the plot doesn't ruin the experience.

### Comparison to adaptations
Most classics have been filmed, staged, or adapted multiple times. Comparing versions adds discussion dimensions.

### It counts as reading widely
Book clubs help us read things we wouldn't pick ourselves. Classics are the ultimate example.

## Classics That Don't Feel Like Homework

Some older books are slogs. These aren't:

### The Accessible Greats

**"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier (1938)**
Gothic suspense, romantic jealousy, a mystery at its core. Reads like a modern thriller.

**"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie (1939)**
Ten people, isolated island, mysterious deaths. Still gripping 85 years later.

**"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)**
Short, beautiful prose, doomed romance. Better as an adult than it was in high school.

**"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë (1847)**
A governess, a brooding man with secrets, gothic atmosphere. More readable than you'd expect.

**"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee (1960)**
If you read it in school, read it again. It hits differently as an adult.

### Hidden Gems

**"A Room with a View" by E.M. Forster (1908)**
Witty, romantic, surprisingly modern in themes. A delight.

**"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)**
Gorgeous prose, a Black woman's journey to self-discovery. Should be more widely read.

**"The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton (1920)**
Old New York society, restrained passion, sharp social observation.

**"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (1818)**
Not what you think from movies. Philosophical, tragic, written by a teenager.

**"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde (1890)**
Dark, witty, disturbing. Wilde's only novel is more readable than his reputation suggests.

## Making Classics Work for Your Group

### Provide context
Unlike contemporary books, classics benefit from background. Share brief context about the era, the author, or why the book mattered.

### Use discussion guides
Classics have tons of existing discussion resources. Steal questions from literature guides—they've been refined over decades.

### Watch adaptations
Movie nights can complement the reading. Comparing film to book generates great discussion.

### Don't rush
Some classics are longer than modern books. Give more time, or break into parts with multiple discussions.

### Address the discomfort
Older books often contain attitudes we now recognize as problematic—racism, sexism, colonialism. Don't ignore it. Discuss it. How does the book reflect its era? How does that affect our reading?

## Discussion Questions That Work for Classics

- What surprised you about this book? Did it match your expectations?
- How do you think readers at the time reacted differently than we do now?
- Which aspects feel universal and timeless? Which feel dated?
- Would this story work if set today? What would change?
- Why do you think this book has lasted when most from the era haven't?

## Building a Classics Rotation

You don't need to read only classics. But incorporating them:

**Once a year:** Dedicate one meeting annually to a classic. Make it an event.

**Paired reading:** Read a classic alongside a modern book with similar themes. Compare.

**Member's choice classics:** Let members choose which classic the group tries. Investment increases engagement.

**Genre classics:** If your club loves mysteries, read foundational mysteries. Sci-fi fans? Read the genre's origins.

## My Book Club's Classics Journey

After "Rebecca," we started adding one classic per year:
- Year 2: "Pride and Prejudice" (surprised by how funny it is)
- Year 3: "East of Eden" (long but worth it)
- Year 4: "Beloved" (difficult, powerful, necessary)
- Year 5: "The Count of Monte Cristo" (adventure, revenge, readable)

Each one generated exceptional discussion. And they've changed how I read—I now see connections between contemporary books and their predecessors.

## The "I Already Read That" Objection

Some members may have read the classic before. That's fine. Rereading is undervalued. People change; books reveal different things at different life stages.

A member who read "Jane Eyre" at 16 will have a different experience at 40. Those different perspectives enrich discussion.

## Start Where It's Easy

If your group is classics-resistant, start with something that reads like contemporary fiction:
- Short
- Plot-driven
- Accessible language
- Ideally with a recent adaptation that creates curiosity

Once you have one positive experience, the resistance tends to fade.

The classics aren't medicine you have to swallow. They're some of the best stories ever told. Your book club deserves access to them.

Discover classics and contemporary books alike on Readfeed, where AI-generated discussion questions work for any book—whether it was published in 2024 or 1824.


Convinced classics are boring? These older books will surprise you—and give your book club discussions incredible depth. Here's where to start.

Classic Books Worth Revisiting: Why Your Book Club Should Read the Oldies


## The Summer Book Club Challenge

Every June, our book club faces the same dilemma: people want "beach reads" but still want substantive discussion. How do you find books that feel light enough for summer but interesting enough to talk about?

After years of summer picks—some hits, some misses—I've figured out what works.

## What Makes a Good Summer Book Club Pick

The ideal summer read:
- Doesn't require intense concentration
- Works well with interruptions (kids, vacations, outdoor reading)
- Has forward momentum that keeps pages turning
- Still offers themes, characters, or questions worth discussing
- Isn't emotionally devastating (save that for January)

## The Sweet Spot: Literary Page-Turners

These books read fast but think deep:

### "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune
Cozy fantasy about a caseworker sent to evaluate a magical orphanage. Reads like a warm hug. Discussion potential: found family, bureaucracy vs. humanity, prejudice.

### "Beach Read" by Emily Henry
Two writers with opposite genres swap styles for the summer. Romantic but smart. Discussion potential: grief processing, genre snobbery, career versus passion.

### "The Maid" by Nita Prose
A neurodivergent hotel maid solves a murder mystery. Charming protagonist, engaging plot. Discussion potential: neurodiversity, class dynamics, who we trust.

### "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
One epic party in 1983 Malibu. Family saga meets drama. Discussion potential: fame, sibling dynamics, identity, legacy.

### "The Guncle" by Steven Rowley
A gay former sitcom star suddenly becomes guardian to his niece and nephew. Funny and touching. Discussion potential: grief, parenting, identity, chosen family.

## Lighter Literary Fiction

For groups wanting more substance without heaviness:

### "Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman
An attempted bank robbery goes wrong in the most human ways. Quirky, heartwarming, thought-provoking. Discussion potential: mental health, connection, forgiveness.

### "The Authenticity Project" by Clare Pooley
A notebook of secrets circulates through a London neighborhood, connecting strangers. Feel-good with depth. Discussion potential: loneliness, truth-telling, community.

### "The Reading List" by Sara Nisha Adams
A widower and a grieving teenager connect through books. Gentle and bookish. Discussion potential: grief, intergenerational relationships, the power of reading.

## Mysteries That Don't Require Notes

Whodunits that won't lose you if you read poolside:

### "The Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman
Four septuagenarians investigate a murder in their retirement community. Witty and clever. Discussion potential: aging, friendship, assumptions about elderly people.

### "The Hunting Party" by Lucy Foley
New Year's Eve at a remote lodge turns deadly. Who did it? Discussion potential: group dynamics, jealousy, how well we know our friends.

### "The Paris Apartment" by Lucy Foley
A woman searches for her missing brother in a Parisian apartment building full of secrets. Atmospheric. Discussion potential: secrets, expatriate life, facade vs. reality.

## Historical Fiction with Momentum

For groups who like to learn while reading:

### "The Paris Library" by Janet Skeslien Charles
Based on the true story of the American Library in Paris during WWII. Compelling dual timeline. Discussion potential: resistance, librarians as heroes, moral choices in war.

### "The Rose Code" by Kate Quinn
Female codebreakers at Bletchley Park and a royal wedding. Friendship, betrayal, and wartime espionage. Discussion potential: women in history, secrecy, friendship under pressure.

## Memoirs and Nonfiction

True stories that go down easy:

### "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner
A memoir of grief, identity, and Korean food. Beautiful and accessible. Discussion potential: grief, cultural identity, mother-daughter relationships.

### "The Comfort Book" by Matt Haig
Short essays for hard times. Perfect for reading in any order, any pace. Discussion potential: mental health, resilience, what comforts us.

### "Bossypants" by Tina Fey
Still funny, still relevant, easy summer reading. Discussion potential: comedy, women in workplaces, memoir as genre.

## What to Avoid in Summer

Some genres struggle in summer:
- Very dense literary fiction (hard to follow with interruptions)
- Extremely dark content (mood mismatch with season)
- Long epic fantasies with complex world-building (better for winter)
- Anything requiring careful attention to prose (beach distractions interfere)

## How We Handle Summer

Our book club's summer approach:
- **June:** Full group meeting with a medium-length book
- **July:** Optional—come if you've read something you want to discuss
- **August:** Short book or summer pick that most people can finish despite vacations

This flexibility acknowledges that summer schedules are chaotic while keeping the group connected.

## The Vacation Lending Library

One thing we do: at our June meeting, people bring books they've loved for others to borrow over summer. It's not for discussion—just personal reading. Keeps the book-sharing spirit alive even when meetings are irregular.

## Embrace the Season

Summer reading should feel different. Lighter. More flexible. Books you read on patios and beaches should serve the mood of the season.

That doesn't mean they can't be good. It just means "good" looks different in July than it does in November.

Pick something that makes you excited to have an excuse to sit outside with a book. That's the real summer reading goal.

Ready to find your perfect summer book club pick? Readfeed helps you discover books that match your mood and gives you AI-generated discussion questions for whatever you're reading.


Beach-worthy books that won't bore your book club. Find the perfect summer reads that balance relaxation with substantive discussion material.

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Classic Books Worth Revisiting: Why Your Book Club Should Read the Oldies

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