A good read isn’t always easy to find.

(New York Times bestseller Leadership Secrets of Attila The Hun, anyone?)

So instead of trying to pick from some hit-and-miss bestseller list, try one of these five engrossing reads. They are guaranteed to give you a better perspective on the world around us.

The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, 2003)
Set in Afghanistan in the days leading up to the invasion by the Soviet army, this unforgettable novel tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant, and Hassan, a servant’s son. It’s a powerful story of love, betrayal, and ultimately, redemption.

Discussion Starters

• In what ways did this book give you a deeper understanding of Afghanistan?
• Which character suffers the most in this story? Why?
• What does this book say about the relationships between fathers and sons? How does this compare to your own experience?
• In what ways is Amir ultimately successful or unsuccessful in redeeming himself?
• What character, scene or issue from this book resonates with you? Why?

Like Water for Chocolate
Laura Esquivel (Doubleday, 1992)
Recipes, romance and home remedies rolled into one, this enchanting novel tells the tale of a family of women in Mexico in the late 1890s. The novel explores the connection between food and love as readers follow the life of expert cook and baker Tita, who pours all her emotions—from frustration to intense sadness and joy—into her culinary masterpieces.

Discussion Starters

• What’s the role of food in Mexican culture? What role does it play in your culture?
• What does this book say about the relationships between sisters? How does this compare to your own experience?
• What does this book say about the relationships between mothers and daughters? How does this compare to your own experience?
• What character, scene or issue from this book resonates with you? Why?

Children of My Heart
Gabrielle Roy (McClelland & Stewart, 2000)
Set in the Canadian prairies in the 1930s, this is a powerful story of an impressionable and passionate young teacher and the students, from impoverished immigrant families, whose lives she touches.

Discussion Starters

• What role did immigration play in the development of Canadian society? How does that compare to the role of immigration today?
• What role did teachers play during this era in Canadian history? How has their role changed since then?
• How does the theme of the healing power of love play out in the book?
• What character, scene or issue from this book resonates with you? Why?

The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf, 1970)
Renowned writer Toni Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye follows the journey of Pecola Breedlove, a black girl in 1940s America who prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be beautiful, and so that her world will be different.

Discussion Starters

• What role does language play in this story?
• What are the advantages of telling Pecola’s story from a child’s point of view?
• How does racial self-loathing manifest itself in Pecola? In other characters? Does it still exist today?
• What character, scene or issue from this book resonates with you? Why?

The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins, 1998)
Set in the Belgian Congo in 1959, this novel follows the story of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist missionary, as told through the voices of his wife and four daughters who accompany him. It’s a suspenseful epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

Discussion Starters

• What did you learn about cultural, social, religious and other differences between Africa and America?
• To what degree do Orleanna and her daughters come to an understanding of those differences?
• Why do you suppose Nathan Price was not given his own voice in the book?
• How are the themes of freedom and captivity portrayed in the novel?
• What character, scene or issue from this book resonates with you? Why?