Goodreads Readers Rank This Book the No. 1 Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick

Readers are gushing over the writer's ability to make ordinary life extraordinary.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Goodreads readers have named the 2018 Barnes & Noble Book Club pick Clock Dance by Anne Tyler their favorite selection from the retailer's book club. Published in July 2018, Clock Dance is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author's 22nd book and a New York Times bestseller. Scoring an average of 3.59 stars on the platform, Clock Dance beats out other Barnes & Noble Book Club picks like The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin and Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner.

Why it matters

What resonates with Goodreads readers about Clock Dance is the late-in-life journey of the main character's self-discovery at the age of 61, as well as the author's ability to capture life's 'tender' moments and her care for her characters through life's big and small experiences. Readers call Tyler 'a master at writing about the ordinary in an extraordinary way,' a testament to Clock Dance's enduring popularity and the high praise it continues to receive from Goodreads readers.

The details

Clock Dance tells the story of Willa Drake, a woman whose life takes a turn when she receives an unexpected phone call from a former girlfriend of her son asking for help. The caller mistakenly believes Willa is family, and Willa does not correct her. Instead, she travels to aid the caller in Baltimore and immerses herself in a new community, rediscovering her independence and sense of self in the process.

  • Clock Dance was published in July 2018.
  • Clock Dance became a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick in 2018.

The players

Anne Tyler

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Clock Dance and 21 other novels.

Willa Drake

The protagonist of Clock Dance, a woman who rediscovers her independence and sense of self later in life.

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The takeaway

Clock Dance's enduring popularity and high praise from Goodreads readers is a testament to Anne Tyler's ability to capture the tender moments of ordinary life and the late-in-life self-discovery of its protagonist Willa Drake.