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A publishing colleague recently told Carol Fitzgerald that her dad is in a men’s book group. They are trying to decide what to read next and can use suggestions. They read books like Amor Towles' A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW and are looking for that kind of accessible fiction. Carol recommended BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan, but we wanted readers to weigh in with their own suggestions --- and you responded in a big way! Many thanks to all of you who shared your ideas.

Jill:

• FEAR: Trump in the White House, by Bob Woodward
• DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard (she's totally underrated, IMO).
• THE RIVER OF DOUBT: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, by Candice Millard. That's been on my TBR forever. It chronicles his journey with his brother and other guys down the Amazon River. A murder occurred on the trip, and he also considered killing himself --- an intriguing story.
• THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, by MIchael Finkel (my husband read this in two days! It's on my TBR also.)

Julie: I think the men would enjoy reading A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving. It's a coming-of-age story that touches on baseball, the Vietnam War and faith. There's also some good humor interspersed throughout.

Connie: I am sure this won't be the only time Lee Child's Reacher books will be suggested, but I have found them to be popular with both men and women, perhaps for different reasons. Jack Reacher is both hero and antihero. I have one friend (in her 70s) who dreams about him after reading a book.

Cheryle: Off the top of my head, there are two books by Andrew Gross: THE ONE MAN and the newly released BUTTON MAN. Both are terrific. Another idea in a different vein would be THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett

Rosemary:

• RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles
• INDIANAPOLIS: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
• WARLIGHT by Michael Ondaatje

Mary:

• THE CIDER HOUSE RULES by John Irving
• THE GREAT SANTINI by Pat Conroy

Deb: I love to hear that there are some men’s book clubs out there! Here are a few suggestions

• KILLING LINCOLN: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
• THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown
• THE POWER OF ONE by Bryce Courtenay
• THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A. J. Finn

These are some of the books that my book club read that my husband got interested in. Hope this helps.

Lana: HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J.D. Vance, would be a great read for a men’s book club. I read it over a year ago, and it glued itself to my memory banks. Another outstanding memoir that I think could appeal to a male group is ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt.

Lori: I think UNBROKEN: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand would be an excellent choice for the men’s book club. I also think 11/22/63 by Stephen King would be a great pick.

Nancy: I suggest THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah. I think a man’s perspective would be very different from that of a woman. Other good men’s book club suggestions are RED NOTICE: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice, by Bill Browder and INTO THE RAGING SEA: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro, by Rachel Slade.

Pete: Our senior men’s book club really enjoyed reading KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann and THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah. They both led to lively discussions.

Sheila: DARKTOWN by Thomas Mullen. It is set in 1948 and focuses on the Atlanta police department and its first black police officers. It is an excellent read with lots to talk about. I recommended it to my husband, and he liked it too.

Shirley: I’d recommend WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA: Confessions of a Cuban Boy, by Carlos Eire, who is a professor in Washington, DC. It is his biography of growing up in Cuba. His father was a judge, and he and his brother attended private schools. He escaped Havana on Operation Pedro Pan, which took the children to Miami. He also wrote a sequel.

Another book that I’ll suggest is SHADOW DIVERS: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson. These scuba divers found a German sub off the shore of New Jersey. He explains how he trained for the dives and what they found on the ship.

S.A.: The first title that comes to mind is Andy Weir's THE MARTIAN.

Trish: I'm a retired librarian who loved doing Reader's Advisory. I saw my role in life to put the right book in the right hands. I know I succeeded because readers came back for more recommendations.

I would like to recommend the books of Erik Larson. Starting with ISAAC'S STORM: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, and continuing through DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, his books are fascinating, intricately researched and so well written. Men love them. The same goes for the books of Laura Hillenbrand, starting with SEABISCUT: An American Legend, and continuing through UNBROKEN: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

Bill Bryson books go without saying.

THE WISDOM OF WOLVES: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack, by Jim and Jamie Dutcher, maybe coupled with NEVER CRY WOLF: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves, by Farley Mowat.

Last but not least: MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS by Gerald Durrell, which inspired the PBS series "The Durrells."

Gretchen: While I'm not in a men's book club specifically, three couples go out to dinner, then to someone's home to discuss a book. We just started and discussed DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard. Our next selection is BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan. All three wives are in book clubs, and we're trying to get the guys to read. DESTINY is about President Garfield, his short presidency, his assassination and medicine at that time. SCARLET SKY is about WWII in Italy. Both books are geared to the men. The first was a success, and I feel the second will not disappoint. The guys were a little reluctant at first to really get into the discussion; the ladies had to suppress taking the lead. In the end, everyone enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next book.

Jamie: I work at a public library and run our book club for patrons. I’ve been in charge of it for a little over six years now, and for probably at least five of those years, we have had at least one male join us for pretty much every monthly meeting. At this point, we have three males (and about seven women) who I would consider veteran members.
 
Here are some books that our group of men and women have enjoyed and that have made good discussions:

• BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley
• THE MAGIC STRINGS OF FRANKIE PRESTO by Mitch Albom
• THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena
• ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
• THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion
• STILL LIFE by Louise Penny
• THE ART FORGER by B. A. Shapiro

Here are a few nonfiction ones we enjoyed too:

• DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
• ENDURANCE: My Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, by Scott Kelly
• THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough

Lillian: Definitely THE WINTER SOLDIER by Daniel Mason. I visualize a men's book club discussing this book! There are themes such as war, atonement, forgiveness, love and loss, human nature, decisions and their consequences. They can't get wrong with this new one!

Another book I read that will be great for a men's book club is THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL by Robert Dugoni. It's a captivating coming-of-age story through the eyes of Sam as a boy and Sam as a man; a journey of strength, power and redemption. It's excellent for a discussion.

Matt: A note to let you know that I second your nomination of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY for the men's book club. It's one of the most interesting books I've read this year and an excellent choice for male readers. I posted my comments about the book some time ago on Bookreporter. It's a lot better than the first two choices our local librarian chose for our new Silver Sneakers Book Club.

Donalene: Because the son of one of my book club members and the husband of another wanted to read this book after we had had our gathering and discussion, I thought that I would suggest it.  CODE GIRLS has been getting all the news, but we decided to read THE WOMAN WHO SMASHED CODES: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, by Jason Fagone.

A young Quaker schoolteacher from Indiana, Elizebeth Smith introduced her husband, William Friendman, to code-breaking. His work led to the development of the National Security Agency. In 1944, J. Edgar Hoover praised the FBI for smashing an expansive spy ring in South America. BUT it was Elizebeth, whose small team of Treasury Department cryptanalysts was responsible for cracking open the Third Reich's espionage network. Our group thought that it was an excellent book and would recommend it to others. I believe that Elizebeth broke the ground that allowed the women in CODE GIRLS to become part of the world of cryptanalysts. It was an enthralling and riveting book.
 
Yes, Elizebeth is spelled with an "e" and not an "a" because her mother didn't want her to be called "Eliza"!

Ruth: I recommend THE WINTER SOLDIER by Daniel Mason.

Joan: THE ALIENIST by Caleb Carr. Our book club found it most enlightening, as well as full of great characters, including Teddy Roosevelt. One of our members' husband is a retired detective, and he was a co-facilitator!

Marilyn: We read these three in our book club, and then my husband enjoyed them.

• KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann
• UNBROKEN: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
• ENRIQUE'S JOURNEY: The Story of a Boy's Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother, by Sonia Nazario

Diane: I agree with you about Mark Sullivan's BENEATH A SCARLET SKY. It's a wonderful book. My suggestion is THE RADIUM GIRLS: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, by Kate Moore.

Karen: I would highly recommend THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown.

Betty: I suggest KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann.

Jennifer: I run two book clubs at my library --- one for women and one that’s a mixture of both women and men. My women’s group is easy to suggest titles for. There are so many great books with female main characters, and not just by women authors --- a lot of male authors write books about female characters. What I have a hard time with is locating books for my mixed group that have male lead characters. I try to be fair and suggest half and half, but it usually ends us skewed a little bit more towards female-centered books. Luckily, my men all enjoy the group.
 
Here are some of our favorites:

• HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford
• NEWS OF THE WORLD by Paulette Jiles
• THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman
• A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman
• HOW TO STOP TIME by Matt Haig
• THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin
• THE TOWER, THE ZOO, AND THE TORTOISE by Julia Stuart
• MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson
• THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED by Jonas Jonasson
• THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce
• THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP by Nina George
• JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL by Susanna Clarke
• THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV by Elizabeth Berg
• THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion
• READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
• THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy

Hope they find something they like.

Mark: Some thoughts for the men’s book club --- two solid backlist and two newer titles:

• THE STORY OF EDGARE SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski
• EMPIRE FALLS by Richard Russo
• A LONG WAY FROM HOME by Peter Carey
• TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson

Deborah:

• MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz
• THE CUBAN AFFAIR by Nelson DeMille
• Any books in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva
• Any books in the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbø
• The Kingsbridge Trilogy by Ken Follett
• The Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny
• Anything Dennis Lehane writes
• The Adam Dalgliesh series by P. D. James
• The Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George

Debbie: I went back through our book club’s reading lists and found many books that men would probably enjoy:

• THE BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEAD by Kevin Brockmeier
• PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger
• THE POE SHADOW by Matthew Pearl
• A THREAD OF GRACE by Mary Doria Russell
• SOMETHING MISSING by Matthew Dicks
• REPLAY by Ken Grimwood
• SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy
• MR. TIMOTHY by Louis Bayard
• CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin
• THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce
• A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman
• FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury
• ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Krueger

Eve: Last night, I went to a program/signing by Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series. He's a funny and interesting man. I've read eight of his 14 books and have enjoyed them. The series is a modern western about a sheriff in Wyoming who is a really good human being. These books inspired the Netflix series and would be good for a men's book club.

Carol:

• DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard
• THE RIVER OF DOUBT: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, by Candice Millard
• HERO OF THE EMPIRE: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill
• INDIANAPOLIS: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic (a fantastic book!)

Jeanie: What about KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann? We’re all women and don’t usually read a lot of nonfiction, but we really liked that one, and some of our husbands and one father read it after we told them about it.

Patty: Tell them that nonfiction is great to mix in with fiction. Some suggestions include:

• IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin, by Erik Larson
• DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson
• THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot
• HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J.D. Vance
• THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, by MIchael Finkel
• THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown
• EMPTY MANSIONS: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.
• HANK AND JIM: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart, by Scott Eyman
• THE GLASS UNIVERSE: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars, by Dava Sobel
• ENDURANCE: My Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, by Scott Kelly