Both! The book groups I've been in have always read a combination of fiction and non-fiction, and that has worked beautifully for us.

Works of fiction, of course, tend to offer more diverse conversations. Each reader will interpret a work of fiction differently. Some members will love some characters, others will loath them. And therein lies the fun. It’s interesting to simply talk about how different people see different things in the same book.

Non-fiction offers opportunities to multitask. You can learn while you read and discuss. In fact, non-fiction books can inform you about something you’ve never before thought to study. Our group once read "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes. And it was a fascinating read. I’ll admit that I wasn’t too keen on it to start with, but I can’t tell you how glad I am now to have read it.

With non-fiction, you should perhaps be careful to not pick a book with extreme religious or political views so you don’t risk offending a member.

So branch out. If your group usually reads fiction, try non-fiction. If you tend toward non-fiction, let a story take you all somewhere else. Mix it up. You'll be glad you did.