5 2025 Poetry Book Club Picks That Will Drive Conversation
For book club members, one of the highlights of any new year is planning out a new reading schedule. When doing so, there are key things to keep in mind: you want titles that start dialogues, help members connect what they’re reading to their own lives, and consider new perspectives. Poetry can be an especially interesting and effective genre to add to your book club rotation. You can jump-start a discussion by picking a poem to read aloud and then analyze, or consider how different poems came together to inform a larger, cohesive manuscript. We rounded up five poetry book club picks for you that will drive conversation.
Sunbreak by Donovan Beck
Sunbreak is the debut poetry collection from TikTok poetry star Donovan Beck, who has amassed a following thanks to sharing striking, poetic bursts of optimism. Beck considers his mission to be “changing the way we talk about ourselves and the world around us,” as he strives to interject it with more positivity despite very real and intensifying challenges. This collection will bring levity and hope to book club conversations that may have been tense.
Book club discussion prompt: What was one of the most recent experiences or moments that made you feel hopeful?
Stars Around My Scars: The Annotated Poetry of Taylor Swift by Dr. Elly McCausland
If the fanfare of the Eras Tour proves anything, it’s that there are millions of Swifties—and that Taylor Swift’s music continues to be relatable, nostalgic, cathartic, and inspiring. Stars Around My Scars: The Annotated Poetry of Taylor Swift celebrates Swift’s work as decidedly literary and makes note of where she aptly applies figurative language and literary devices. This choice is sure to make book club members think about fandom, pop culture, and the connection between music and literature.
Book club discussion prompt: What is your favorite Taylor Swift lyric and what does it mean to you?
Shapeshifter by L.E. Bowman
An upcoming release from beloved poetry publisher Button Poetry, L.E. Bowman’s third book, Shapeshifter, takes the reader on a full life’s journey and all its shifts, as well as its brutal honesty. Grounded in the body, with themes of motherhood, self-image, and heartache, Shapeshifter illuminates the many ways we change and what we can learn from our own evolutions. This is a great jumping-off point for book club, as many people will have experienced the moments at the heart of Bowman’s collection—but in radically different, endlessly interesting ways.
Book club discussion prompt: How has your relationship with your body grown and transformed throughout your life? Can you pinpoint where or how these shifts in perspective started?
Crush: Twentieth Anniversary Edition by Richard Siken
Crush is one of the most pivotal releases in poetry of the 21st century. A winner of the Yale Younger Poets Series in 2004, the collection gained a following for its emotional and visceral musings on love, coming-of-age, queerness, and violence. The sensuous collection has been revered for images that feel all-consuming and cinematic, gaining praise from writers like Ocean Vuong and Victoria Chang, who consider it among their favorite, most influential titles. This new edition includes an introduction by Dana Levin and a foreword by Nobel Prize winner Louise Glück.
Book club discussion prompt: How have the last 20 years changed how this book reads? Why are its themes still relevant? Have you seen its influence in any of your favorite, more modern poetry collections?
The Ocean in the Next Room by Sarah V. Schweig
In the 21st century and in the midst of late-stage capitalism, it’s common—and essential—to be confronting our relationship to materialism, hyperconsumerism, and nature. The Ocean in the Next Room is a look at how we can live meaningfully in a world that pushes a cycle of overwork and overspending, as well as how we can push back against the cycle’s effect on us and our planet. What world exists without humans? Sarah V. Schweig evokes the ocean, the sky, and other large, timeless images to illuminate what lies behind the Anthropocene and bring forth a vision of how we might live in harmony with it. This is a book club pick for groups who want to ask big questions.
Book club discussion prompt: What natural, enduring images feel the most true to you?
Happy reading! Need more inspiration to get your communal reading started in the new year? Check out our 5 reasons why you should start or join a poetry book club and pass it along to friends you think would make awesome members!
