As well as being a source of escape, books can also inspire deep discussions about difficult topics. For example, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, originally published in the 1980s, focused on women’s rights and slavery, while The Hunger Games offered us a glimpse of the kind of dark dystopian future that could occur in a society driven by greed and an ever-widening class divide.

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However, there are so many exciting new releases in 2024 and so many recommendations to boot (even the Kardashians have book suggestions!). It can be difficult to keep track of what’s trending and decide which inspirational novel to read next. So we decided to make it a little easier. We looked at the 2024 recommendations (so far!) from three popular book clubs—Reese Witherspoon’s Reese’s Book Club, Oprah Winfrey’s Oprah’s Book Club, and Jenna Bush Hager’s Read with Jenna—to bring you the most thought-provoking books that deserve a place on your shelf or e-reader.

Selected by Oprah’s book club, Lara Love Hardin’s riveting memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love, tells the inspiring story of how she turned her life around after addiction. Hardin was incarcerated for stealing her neighbors’ credit cards to fund her drug habit. While incarcerated, she practiced self-reflection and worked to improve her life and the lives of her inmates. She also addresses the obstacles she faced in finding work after her release. This book raises questions about the true price of redemption, the burden of living with mistakes, and the impact that prison sentences – and rehabilitation – really have on inmates. It also sheds light on society’s treatment of criminals, as well as the true power of forgiveness, not only for others, but for ourselves.

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In an Instagram video, Winfrey described the nonfiction book as a “truly compelling and moving memoir.” Many book club members shared in the comments section how the book touched them. “This was the best book I read last year. It’s honest, it’s raw, and it will stay with me forever,” one person wrote. “This book changed my life. I was so happy to learn about The Power of Now. This book has given so many of us permission to forgive ourselves and give ourselves grace,” another person shared.

In Redwood Court, DeLana RA Dameron tells the story of Mika Tabor, a young girl in the 1990s who learns a series of important life lessons from her family and community. Selected by Reese’s Book Club, the novel inspires discussions about how much we rely on our families at a young age, the sacrifices they make that we may never see, and what it really means to be part of a family. “It’s all about home and a sense of belonging,” Reese Witherspoon summed up in a Reese’s Book Club Instagram video.

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The novel clearly resonated with members of Reese’s Book Club, with one fan pointing out that the book sparked a discussion about how perceptions of important issues can change over time. “(Mika) was born in a time when racism was very common, but I feel like she had a little blissful ignorance about how dangerous racism used to be,” they wrote in the comments on the Reese’s Book Club video. “She was just innocent, trying to understand the world around her.” In a review on Goodreads, another reader shared that it got him thinking about ancestry. “There’s an underlying theme of genealogy — the inability to trace back generations like white people take for granted. It was that theme that kept resonating with me,” he shared.

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Rachel Khong tackles important questions in Real Americans. Selected by Read With Jenna, this book is about Floridian Lily Chen, who moves to New York and meets a man named Matthew. The two have led very different lives. Lily comes from a poor immigrant family, while Matthew grew up in a poor family. They have a whirlwind romance and Lily becomes pregnant, but she moves away to raise her son Nick alone, determined not to tell him about his father. “It’s really a story about family and what we carry, what we pass on. Secrets and how they can divide us and then bring us back together,” Jenna Bush-Hager explained in an Instagram video.

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Does Matthew really deserve what he has? And can he be blamed for growing up in wealth? Is it better for Nick not to know who his father is, or does Lily owe her child the truth? The book also covers a number of other thought-provoking topics, including the challenges of interracial relationships and the expectations parents place on their children. Members of Jenna’s book club were clearly excited by the recommendation. “It’s a great book! So thought-provoking!” one person commented on Read with Jenna’s Instagram video.

In the young adult nonfiction book Twelfth Knight, one of Reese’s Book Club’s picks, Alexene Farol Follmuth tells the story of Viola Reyes. Feeling unaccepted at school, the young girl escapes into an online gaming world. But believing she wouldn’t be treated fairly if the online community knew her true self, she takes on a male alter ego. She encounters the most popular boy in school in the game and begins to realize they have a lot in common. But because of her secret identity, he has no idea who he’s connecting with. This thought-provoking book explores themes related to confidence and acceptance. Viola’s online persona is a mirror of how many of us feel the need to appear different in order to be accepted, especially on social media. There’s also an important lesson to be learned when Viola only finds connection when she stays true to herself. Is it really OK to lie about your identity to protect yourself?

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On the Reese’s Book Club Instagram account, parents shared how the read inspired discussions with their children. “I loved this book. I read it at the same time as our teen. It was such a fun read and great topics to talk about with the kid,” one reader commented. This recommendation is just one of many romantic reads shared by Reese’s Book Club.

Another selection from Read With Jenna, “Good Material” by Dolly Alderton, details Andy and Jen’s breakup and the aftermath from both perspectives. As Jenna Bush-Hager put it in an Instagram video, “It’s the unwinding of a love story.” Andy in particular struggles after the breakup, as he has to move in with a friend – even though he thought his life would be very different at 35. Not only does this novel spark discussion about how breakups can be perceived so differently, but it also delves into the pressures we put on ourselves. Is there really a life timeline we should follow? If we haven’t achieved our goals by 35, does that mean we’ve failed? The novel also touches on some other societal issues, including the role social media plays in mental health, as Andy struggles with being so connected to everyone and everything.

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A number of readers praised Anderton’s ability to tell such a deep story and still make us root for both characters. “Dolly manages to take the reader through the madness, bargaining, and desperation of trying to find control in a situation you didn’t choose, and she does it without making us hate the woman who caused the breakup,” explained one Goodreads reviewer.

In compiling our list, we considered both fiction and nonfiction books that stimulated discussion and raised questions about important societal issues such as racism, privilege, and prison reform.

To make our list, a book had to be selected in 2024 as one of Reese Witherspoon’s Reese’s Book Club, Oprah Winfrey’s Oprah’s Book Club, or Jenna Bush-Hager’s Read With Jenna recommendations. The book itself did not have to have been written in 2024, however.

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