2023 Good Morning America Book Club List: The Best Books Ranked

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

March 2023 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan

Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old-money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be. MORE

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

February 2023 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Prior to reading this story, I had little concept of what the end of slavery meant in the Caribbean. I knew nothing of the apprenticeships and horrible conditions formerly enslaved people were forced to endure.

And I certainly had no idea of what it would take to reunite a family of formerly enslaved individuals who had been ripped apart when they were sold by their owners.

Rachel’s story changes that. She runs away from the plantation in Barbados to reunite with her family. She sets off on a journey to find her 5 children. What she finds out about each encompasses some of the many ways a formerly enslaved person’s life could turn out.

 I don’t think anyone will be able to read this story without shedding a tear and thinking hard about colonialism and the ripple effects it has had on generations.

Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

February 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

WHAT A MYSTERY! The Violin Conspiracy opens with a man’s 14 million-dollar Stradivarius violin being stolen and the drama doesn’t let up.

Ray McMillian is a young black musical prodigy who just so happens to have inherited his grandpa’s busted-up fiddle – which turns out to be a rare violin built by one of the greats. But when the origins of the violin come into question along with Ray’s claim to the instrument, the plot keeps thickening.

Truly the story was a gripping page-turner I could not put down. Slocumb’s ability to weave a multi-faceted tale was astounding. When it comes to novels about music, this is a must-read mystery book!

The Maid by Nita Prose

January 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Molly works as a maid in a grand hotel and gets joy from leaving things orderly and pristine. Molly struggles with reading social cues and has had even more trouble since her gran can no longer help.

When Molly finds a dead body in a room at the hotel, she becomes a prime suspect and will need all her friends to help her.

I loved the description of this book and I hoped it would love up to my expectations. I did that and more. I loved every minute of this book and closed the last page smiling.

Be sure to check out our Ultimate List of Feel Good Books!

Dava Shastri’s Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti

Good Morning America Book Club December 2021 Pick

I DEVOURED this story of a billionaire music mogul who releases her death announcement 2 days early so she can read her own end-of-life articles. 

The best part was that during the snow storm that trapped her family with her at ski chalet, she neglected to tell them about her terminal illness and her harebrained scheme. 

We get to see the impact the decision has on her family as well as get a look at her colorful life before her cancer diagnosis. This family drama was so compelling,

We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza and Christine Pride

October 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

A book set in Philadelphia! This is the story of 2 local girls, who have been best friends since childhood. Riley is a black woman living her dreams of being a reporter, while Jen is a pregnant white woman married to a cop.

Their friendship is put to the test when Jen’s husband kills and innocent black boy while in pursuit of a thief and Riley is the lead reporter covering the case.

Told from the perspective of both women, this gripping story covers systemic racism in the police force while dealing with the nuances of navigating a bi-racial friendship.

This doozy of a book was enthralling and though-provoking. I was captivated from the first chapter.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

February 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

Long Bright River is phenomenal and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.⁣ The story takes place in Philly’s Kensington neighborhood which is known for having a huge opioid problem. 

You can’t live in my area and not know about the epidemic spreading through our city. It’s devastating and scary and this book deals with it head-on.⁣

The story revolves around 2 sisters. One is a cop, one is an addict – both are being impacted by a string of murders in the area.⁣ This book dealt with many issues around drug-addiction and it handles them without judging. For amazing books about mental health, be sure to check out our post.

And you can check out our list of Best Books for Book Clubs with 52 amazing picks.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

April 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

I absolutely loved this story about Oona who at the stroke of midnight on her 19th birthday, finds herself in her 51-year-old body. She is greeted by a stranger who is waiting for her in her home and tells her that every year, she will jump to another point in her life- she will live her life out of order. ⁣

This is an emotional, well written story that will not only keep you quickly turning pages but make you think about the small things in life that we take for granted. ⁣

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

October 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

I loved Matt Haig’s Last Book (How to Stop Time) and I was so excited to read this book.  I loved it even more- it is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.   This is a library that has books filled with the infinite possibilities of the lives not lived.  Have you ever wondered about a choice, or a path not taken? When Nora finds herself in the library she is forced to face the choices that she made in her life- relationships, education, profession…This is a magical book and I loved every minute of it. 

The Change by Kirsten Miller

May 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Kirsten Miller delivers a killer magical realism novel about a trio of women who receive powers after going through menopause. The point of their powers is to bring to justice men who rape and kill women.

I was thoroughly entertained by this beach town mystery that pit the women against billionaire men around them. As usual, GMA delivers with its latest pick.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

April 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

I don’t even know where to begin with this unique story. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 50s when women were expected to know their place in society — their place being the kitchen and the home.

Elizabeth struggles to be taken seriously in her field and as a single mother, that just won’t due. So when an offer to host a cooking show for women is put in her path she reluctantly takes it.

She uses her no-nonsense attitude and chemistry principles to teach the women in America to not only cook but to follow their dreams outside of the home.

Zott is a quirky character like Eleanor Oliphant with a charming daughter and a dog whose inner monologue is as quirky as hers. An absolutely wonderful read! You can find this book on our list of Books Like The Love Hypothesis as well.

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

March 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

I was swept away by this marvelous story. Emma and Leo’s love story seems to be one of romantic legend. They have a charming daughter, Emma has just beaten cancer, and they have a wonderful life.

But soon Leo is discovering secrets from Emma’s past that don’t add up to the life Emma has described to him all these years. As readers, we see Leo trying to uncover who his wife really is and Emma trying to prevent him from doing just that.

This book was not what I was expecting but I can’t stop thinking about it. The twists and turns had me second-guessing so much of what I had read. It’s a story of love, strength, mystery, and secrets. An absolute must-read.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

March 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

I’m not usually a sci-fi girl, but this book was just so special. It’s told from the perspective of Klara, an artificial friend who starts the story waiting to be purchased.

We see Klara’s life in the store as she waits for a friend, and then what her life is like when she’s chosen to be a companion for a young girl with a mysterious illness.

Klara draws her power from the sun, and so she believes she can use the sun’s healing rays to save her friend too. This moving story had me caring for a robot in a way I knew would have thought possible.

The Husbands by Chandler Baker

August 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Ladies, get your book clubs geared up for Chandler Baker’s newest novel. It’s part mystery, part social commentary, but it’s the latter that packs a punch.

Baker examines the mental load that women carry as wives and mothers, particularly working women, and how it differs from what society expects of men.

A murder in the desirable Dynasty Ranch neighborhood has lawyer, and prospective buyer, Nora looking into what happened. With all the step ford style husbands she is meeting, she’s starting to wonder what kind of place Dynasty Ranch is after all.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

March 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

What a refreshing book about the power of love and friendship.  I sat down and read this book in one sitting easily.  It is captivating from the first sentence and had me until the last page. 

Dannie is an ambitious lawyer with a plan.  She has her life planned out until she falls asleep and spends one hour in the future. Nothing is familiar- not her house, the ring on her finger or the man by her side.  When she wakes, she cannot get the images out of her head. 

I loved this book it was unexpected, unconventional and a delight to read.

The Push by Ashley Audrain

January 2021 GMA Book Club Pick

This is a book that will scare the pants off most mothers. It’s compulsively readable.

Blythe Conner comes from a long line of bad mothers, but she’s determined not to be one. When she has Violet, she struggles to connect with her.

The reader is left wondering if Blythe is a mother who sees the worst in her child or if there really is something off with Violet. Something that even her husband can’t see.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

GMA Book Club Pick July 2022

This book was a complete delight to read from the very first page. Florence day is a ghostwriter for one of the most successful and well-known romance authors in the industry. The name is apt seeing as how she can also see ghosts. But, after a terrible break-up, she no longer believes in love.

When her new editor will not give her an extension on her deadline, she is in a panic and is on the verge of losing her career. Now, the unthinkable has happened. Her beloved father has died and she must return home to bury him. When she sees the ghost of her editor outside the funeral parlor, she cannot understand why he is there with her and her life is turned upside down.

More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez

The June 2022 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

This story of the double life of Lore Rivera and the murder of one of her husbands had me eagerly flipping the pages. Cassie Bowman is a true crime writer who wants to write a book about Lore and her husbands – one of of whom killed the other.

But as she digs into the Lore’s past and her decision to have two families at once, things don’t add up. Is the wrong person behind bars for the murder? And what secrets from Cassie’s past will come out at the same time?

If you are a true crime lover, you will eat this story up!

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

February 2021 GMA Book Club Pick

Set in Barbados, this searing fiction story peels back the facade of paradise. Lala, the main protagonist in this story, felt alive to me as I read this powerful story.

A robbery gone wrong, a dead baby, a murder, drug smuggling, and more captivated me as I was consumed by the story within the pages of this book.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murphy

July 2021 Good Morning America Book Club Pick

This fictionalized version of Belle de Costa Greene was wonderful, I’m so glad it was a GMA pick!

Greene was J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian and later the librarian for his heir. She was also a black woman passing as white. She had to keep her roots hidden in order to hold her job, but I’m glad her real truth is being told now.

For more books set in libraries, check out this list.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz

December 2019 GMA Book Club Pick

Thanks to Libro.Fm and  Flatiron for my copy. All opinions are my own. I was blown away by the Cruz’s latest novel which explores her Dominican roots. 15-year-old Ana dreams of moving to America, envisioning a life of glamour, wealth, and freedom. She accepts the hand of a husband twice her age to fulfill her dreams but is in for quite an awakening when she makes it to the Bronx.

Her immigrant story was filled with strength and courage as over the course of a year-and-a-half meek Ana is molded into a strong woman. Miserable in her life, Ana is forced to choose between duty to her family and her dreams

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

January 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

I love Lisa Jewell.  As I read her books I find each one creepier than the last.  This, the newest novel in her arsenal, starts with Libby’s 25th birthday when she inherits a multi-million dollar home. Libby knows that she was adopted at 10 months old.  She does not know the truth about what happened to her family.  When she inherits a mansion worth millions, she starts to investigate her strange past.  She is shocked to find that the story that she was told is not what happened to her family.

25+ years ago Henry, his sister, and parents are living a very privileged life.  When he is 12 years old, things change when David moves into the house with his wife and kids with no plans to leave.  He is charismatic and alluring to everyone except Henry. The story moves between past and present until the two stories come together and you finally understand what happened in the house all those years ago.  I really enjoyed this book. 

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

July 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

Kevin Kwan is such a fun writer.  I loved Crazy Rich Asians and this book is just as witty.  However, this book deals with some more serious topics as Lucie Churchill find herself torn between the world of her father’s family and their WASP ways and her American-born Chinese mother. 

Lucie finds herself undeniably drawn to George Zao.  When she meets him again 5 years later while with her fiance, things become more complicated.  I love the way Kwan deals with the complex emotions in a story that is funny and completely engaging.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

June 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

I adored Bennett’s debut book The Mothers so I was nervous to read her sophomore novel. Sometimes the next novel doesn’t live up to the first, but The Vanishing Half totally does.

The premise is so unique. Two black sisters, so pale they can pass for white. One embraces her black heritage and her hometown, the other disappears into white suburbia.

When they meet up again 20 years later through their own daughters, the result is a stunning portrayal of the ties that tether us to our families

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

June 2021 GMA Book Club Pick

Wow. I’m still processing this genre-defying novel. It’s a social commentary and a thriller all in one. It makes me want to sit down and discuss it with everyone.

Nella is the only black girl at her publishing house until Hazel is hired. Thinking she’s found an ally, instead, she begins to wonder if Hazel might be an enemy instead.

As Hazel’s career soars, Nella is left questioning her identity, her ideals, and what it means to be a black woman in the business world, while trying to uncover who is behind the scary notes she keeps receiving.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

December 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

When two women in the hospital in labor and there is one huge cash prize for the first baby born in 1990, one child will be born into a charmed life and the other will be named Minnie Cooper.  

When Minnie meets Quinn on the eve of their thirtieth birthday, well, it is the meet cute of the decade.  I can see this rom com on the big screen -hint hint- and would love every second.  

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh

September 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

This family drama tells the tale of Mai, her estranged Vietnamese sisters, and her 3 daughters. After meeting with her psychic in Hawaii, Mai is determined to reunite with her family and find happiness and good marriages for all of her daughters within the year.

But life has other plans for her meddling and the year that unfolds brings unexpected changes for everyone. Will what Mai was told come to pass or will she lose her last chance to reconnect with everyone she loves?

I have a soft spot in my heart for meddlesome mothers and family dramas. I love when a story brings me into the hearts and minds of an entire family in a way that has me rooting for each character to find their proper place within each other’s lives.

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

April 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

I understand why this book was chosen as the GMA book club for April. It is a story that captures the heartbreak and betrayals that have shaped the lives of the women in this story with wonderful writing and metaphors woven throughout.

The writing in this story is beautiful but the story is heartbreaking. At times, I had trouble following the non-linear timeline with so many characters. For me, it took away from the writing and the story as a whole. Thank you Macmillian Audio for my copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean

August 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

Mika’s life is falling apart in this thought-provoking novel. She’s lost her job, she’s running low on funds, and she just received a call from the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago.

As Mika crafts a life she thinks her daughter Penny will approve of, she’s forced to find her own potential and grow up to be someone Penny can admire. I was frustrated by Mika in the beginning of the story, but she grew on me.

This was a different take on a coming-of-age novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie

September 2020 GMA Book Club Pick

Let me start by saying that this is a beautifully written book that follows Noriko Kamiza from the time she is dropped off at her grandparents house and through her life. The story examines Japanese culture in a world after WWII.

Nothing good happens in this book. Nothing. If I had known this before I read it, I may have liked it more. This Saga follows Nori through hardship and loss. It is a beautiful book but it left me miserable.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

January 2023 GMA Book Club Pick

I wanted to like this pick, I really did, but after listening to the book for 5 hours, I ultimately gave up. It is an epic novel set in India that features a crime family and lots of corruption. It was altogether too violent and convoluted for me to enjoy.