These 25 universal book club discussion questions work for any book, covering first impressions, characters, plot, themes and personal connections.

To choose book club books, pick titles that are discussable, accessible and under about 400 pages, then use a fair system like rotating picks, voting or themes. Here’s how.

The ideal book club size is 6 to 12 members, with 8 to 10 as the sweet spot. Here’s why, plus how to run smaller and larger groups.

Need a name for your book club? Here are 100 funny, clever and cute book club name ideas, like Wine and Spine, Novel Idea and Murder, She Read, plus tips for choosing the perfect one.

To run a book club meeting, start with 15 minutes of social time, discuss the book for 45 to 60 minutes using open questions, make sure everyone speaks, then wrap up with the next pick and date.

To start a book club, decide its purpose, invite 6 to 12 people, pick a regular time and place, choose the first book and set simple ground rules. Here’s the full step-by-step guide.

The best book-to-movie picks for book clubs include The Martian, Room, Wonder, Little Fires Everywhere, Jurassic Park and The Princess Bride: great books with adaptations to compare.

The best Southern fiction books for book clubs include Where the Crawdads Sing, The Secret Life of Bees, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, The Color Purple, A Time to Kill and Sing, Unburied, Sing.

The best controversial books for book clubs include Lolita, We Need to Talk About Kevin, American Dirt, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies and The Hate U Give: challenging books that lead to honest, lively debate.

The best true crime books for book clubs include In Cold Blood, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, The Devil in the White City, Say Nothing, Just Mercy and The Stranger Beside Me: gripping real cases that spark thoughtful debate.