Help! Need book club recommendation

Okay, so I've been in my bookclub for 20? years. It's been going on for at least 10 years before that. There are several teachers, and so we follow the school schedule. In September, we meet and pick our books. We all present our suggestions, and then we vote. My friend who brought me into this book club just texted me:

" I'm trying to find something that isn't too depressing but a good solid read. I just can't read anything too heavy right now. Any suggestions? My attention span is low . . . "

I'm on the same page as her. Nothing too long, something that will provoke discussion, but not depressing. (We've lost members over the seriousness of selections). Some members will only get books from the library system, so anything obscure won't work.

Thanks a bunch

Ali Smith and Jonathan Coe both worked very well in our book-club — everyone finished the books on time, there was a lively discussion, and people wanted to read more of their books. But they are both quite British in their subject-matter, and Ali Smith's recent books are at least pessimistic, if not actually depressing.
What about Anne Enright? Her most recent book Actress might work well for a book-club.

If you want something really quick that can be read just for fun or discussed with some deeper layers, how about My Sister the Serial Killer?

Other ideas:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Body Lies by Jo Baker
The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung

Willa Cather, Siri Hustvedt, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith? (She goes contemporary politics). Maybe Marquez.

>2 thorold: - I've read and liked all three of those authors

>3 japaul22: - LOL, My Sister the Serial Killer is my suggestion! I just need to find another (we each get 2 suggestions). I'll take a lot of those others. I think they've read State of Wonder already, but not the others .

Thanks, Mark and Jennifer!

>4 dchaikin:

Another vote for Ali Smith. We read The Accidental years ago and I remember it went over well. I know they've read a lot of Ann Patchett. Gabriel Garcia Marquez? I think their reaction to Love in the Time of Cholera was "meh". I'll look to see what Hurtvedt and Cather have out there. Thanks!

My book group read Death Comes for the Archbishop and that went over well. We also read Cowboy Poetry and all enjoyed that--if the group wants to read poetry.

Others:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Jane and Prudence
Quartet in Autumn
Gift from the Sea

I'd think anything by Dorothy Whipple or Daphne DuMaurier would fit the criteria.

I can dig up my list of pre-1962 domestic thrillers by women writers if you need more rec's.

Some specific Willa Cather recommendations with comments regarding book discussions and depressing aspects.

The Song of the Lark - obscure-ish. Great for discussion, but note it's a bit long and maybe doesn't entirely work.

My Ántonia - terrific for discussion.

One of Ours - also terrific for discussion, but addresses WWI trenches and Spanish Flu - so, depressing. Maybe avoid. But this is the only depressing book here.

A Lost Lady - terrific for discussion, a brilliant little book.

My Mortal Enemy - terrific for discussion as it both tears apart and adores it's main character.

Death Comes for the Archbishop - this led to our best discussions in the Litsy group reads. Touches on land and history and culture and contradiction and, of course, goes into spirituality. Not depressing, despite the title.

>1 Nickelini: How about Michael Crummey? I haven't yet read The Innocents as bookstores can't seem to keep it on the shelves, but just about anything by him would do and you get CanCon if that's important to your group.

I'd also agree with Willa Cather and suggest Eudora Welty.

One of the most lively discussions in my book club this year was over Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf. Last year it was The Invention of Nature, nonfiction but lots to discuss.

The Expendable Man, especially if no one knows about the twist 60 pages in before they start reading, might make for a good discussion.

Not my hread, but some good rec's here!

>1 Nickelini: The Brilliant Life Of Eudora Honeysett: A Novel by Annie Lyons. If you haven’t read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni, that is also wonderful. Also, a YA book, Wonder by RJ Palacio.

What about something like Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin? It's Pride & Prejudice set within the Muslim community. It's Canadian, fun to read, and it broadens the mind....