I have book club this week and I am in charge of picking our next book selection.
Such pressure!!! I’ve got a few ideas but thought maybe I should call on all my blog friends to give me their suggestions.
So what have you been reading recently?
In fact, it doesn’t even have to be recently but I’d love for you to share with me one of your favorite reads. Maybe an old classic. Maybe something that your book club has read or it could be a book you read years ago but really loved.
I just ask that the books not contain a lot of language or be sexually explicit – thanks!
The book we will be discussing this week is My Abandonment by Peter Rock. It is a book based on the real life story of a father and daughter who were found living just beyond the fringes of civilization in the Forest Park area of Portland, Oregon. Those of you who live in the area may remember when it made the news.
I found the story interesting but didn’t like what the author did with the ending of the story as he imagined what happened to the father and daughter when they once again disappeared.
I recommend Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It was such a fun read and it’s interesting to think about the book in relation to the story of The Wizard of Oz.
I have two books that I recently finished that I cannot stop thinking about so those would be good! First is “The Help” by Kathryn Stoddard. It was SO good and it is interesting to imagine which of the women one would relate to the most.
Second is “Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah. I loved the way the story was told going back and forth from present day in the Pacific Northwest to early 20th century Russia. Plus it makes one think about how past experiences can affect the way one behaves later.
I’m in a book club. We just finished The Help and I highly recommend it. It was an excellent book! Before that we did Sarah’s Key, another excellent book! This time we are doing From a Distance by Tamara Alexander. I haven’t started it yet though. Good luck!
How broad are your reading selections? I love Lirael, by Garth Nix. It’s geared toward young adults, but it’s far and away his best book ever. Such fun!! And there are things like The Spanish Lover (I forget the author), which only has about 2 swear words. I’ve always loved the Orson Scott Card book called Enchantment. It’s kind of a version of Sleeping Beauty, but so creative!
The Glass Castle, a memoir of a womens life raised by two highly dysfunctional parents. Last year our fav was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Fun and WWII history we never knew about.
Go to my blog & look under the Labels and then “Book Club.” There are 16 books that my club has read.
I recommend “90 Minutes in Heaven” by Don Piper & Cecil Murphey. This is a true story about a minister who died in a tragic car accident. His Ford Escort was crushed by an 18 wheeler. He died instantly at the moment of the crash, but God had other plans. God spoke to a man waiting in the line of stopped traffic. Dick Onerecker felt compelled to pray for the dead man in the wrecked car and as a result, Don Piper was brought back to life 90 minutes after being pronounced dead. This is the story of the 90 minutes of Mr. Piper’s death and his time in heaven and then tells how he coped with his broken body, surviving a long and exhausting recovery while experiencing constant pain. In this he found a mission in ministering to those who suffer.
I’m not sure if you’ve read it, but Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss is one of my all time favorites.
Wow, that sounds like an interesting book!!! Thanks for the heads up on the ending! As far as recommendations go, I’ve been reading Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson. I like it much more than Three Cups of Tea (the first book in the series), because it flows more easily through the story. It is the continuation of Greg’s efforts to build schools (mostly for girls) in Afganistan and Pakistan to give back to a poor village that saved his life after he got lost on a mountain climbing expedition, and then to help rebuild the countries during enormous upheaval.
I really enjoyed the book, “29 Days of Giving” by Cami Walker. It was an inspiring read. There is even a web-site for people start their own 29 days of giving challenge.
My book club loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society about German occupation on Guernsey during WWII. Interesting take on WWII, definitely not your average Jews/Concentration camp read.
We just read Left to Tell about finding faith during the Rwandan Holocaust. Amazing.
I loved Prisoner of Tehran about a teenage political prisoner in Iran.
The Good Earth is my favorite modern classic. It follows the life of a poor farming family during the rule of the last Emperor in China.
I don’t think any of these have bad language or anything, although the Rwandan one does have a small amount of graphic material (but nothing that turned me off to the book, and it is a true story so I give it a little leeway – you can’t ignore that it was in fact a holocaust even if the book as a whole is inspiring and uplifting).
I recommend “Life is so good” It’s a biography of a black man who learned to read at age 97. Very uplifting.
We really loved “These Is My Words” by Nancy Turner. It’s a fictional journal taking place from 1881-1901 and talks about pioneer times and settling in the south (Texas/Arizona) – it’s written as journal entries and has a wonderful perspective on what life may of been like for families ‘back then’. It also does not take long to get into, which is nice for a book club pick.
Good luck choosing, there are some wonderful suggestions on here! I love book club until it’s my time to pick and then I get stressed
I am also reading “Life Is So Good.” I’ve just started, but I think it will be excellent. My past three books have been “Frederica,” “Firefly Girls,” and “Sarah’s Key.” They were all on your list! (I tend to always grab very mainstream books, so it has been fun to branch out!) Can’t wait to hear what you decide.
I just read and really enjoyed “Lift” by Kelly Corrigan…..a quick, one day read (probably less for you!) If you’re stuck looking for a new book, most large metropolitan public library systems have a book club recommendation section online. My cousin lives in Seattle and once used their library’s resources for her book club. Also, check out Borders, Barnes & Noble and your local independent book stores. I read some books based on your recommendations and can’t wait to hear about your new selection! Keep em’ coming!
This month we are reading The Nineteenth Wife. I don’t have it, haven’t looked at it, so I can’t actually recommend it.
I just found a magazine page I tore out with a book pick recommendation that looked good. It is called The Girl Who Cased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen. It’s described as a deliciously quirky novel , small town Southern life….has a character hoping to bake her way to happiness…
I would say don’t read Wicked, especially if you’re looking for a book that doesn’t contain a lot of sexuality, unless you enjoy bestiality-among other things.
My recommendation is the Hunger Games Series (2 books out, 3rd and final comes out in August)
I have read a few really wonderful books lately that would be perfect for a book club.
1. People of the Book – this book is about an ancient Jewish book that is being conserved by an australian book conservator. You learn details of the book that she doesn’t know the story behind. You then hear how the stains or other things found in the book originally got there. It is an excellent book on the history of Jewish persecution from the Inquisition through the Holocaust. Absolutely fantastic book!
2. The Life of Pi – this is a wonderfully charming book. It is the story of a 16-year-old Indian boy who ends up on a lifeboat when the ship he’s on crashes. It made me suspend disbelief in a way that I’ve not done since I was a child. This would be the most different book your group will ever read, most likely. Very innocent and delightful.
Both of these books are for a fairly smart group, who enjoy “meaty” books more than “fluff.”
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a good one.
Ashes of Roses is another interesting one.
Same Kind of Different as Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall is a true story about a homeless man who befriend’s a rich man and the woman(the rich man’s wife) who brought them together. Through the read you will be inspired, uplifted and a little tearful.
By the way, that pie looks REALLY good. I can’t wait for the recipe.
And, as for your painting, I wouldn’t expect anything less, Leigh Anne, you are good at everything you do! Wish me luck, I start my sewing lessons tomorrow!
I am reading for my book club “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak- it is actually a young adult book- but very good. It is about a German family during the Holocast that choose to hide a Jew in their basement and interestingly, is narrated by Death.
Last month we read “Snow Flower & The Secret Fan” by Lisa See. It was excellent! It is about a very special friendship between two girls and details what it was like to grow up with ancient Chinese traditions including foot binding. I highly recommend it!
Next month our group will read a book about a book club called “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society” by Mar Anne Shaffer & Annie Barrows.
Cold Sassy Tree is always a great read.
Our ward book group is reading The potato peel Society book this month. Next month is The Help by Kathryn Stockett – a fabulous book. I highly recommend it. We also did Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It’s a series and though it is a YA book – it’s a great read. I’d recommend reading both books #1 and #2 in the same month – they’re both addicting and quick reads. Everyone in our group loved them.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time is: The Widow’s War by Sally Gunning. Lots to talk about.
This one would be excellent for a book club…
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins
It provoked me to write another chapter for my memoirs.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Her Brother’s Shotgun Wedding is my friend Noreen’s debut novel. Really funny, great story of friendship, family and life in London.
This book has been sitting by my bed forever. you’ve inspired me to read it.
best, mo
Leigh Ann,
My top two favorites are:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
It’s funny, I never read them in high school like most people do. I only discovered them through my daughter who is such an avid reader. They are both good on so many levels.
Hi Leigh Anne,
One of my favorites is The Chocolate Lover’s Club. Its about a bunch of girlfriends who love chocolate and unite to help a friend. A fun, cute read that made me laugh out loud.
The Help! It is amazing and the characters will stay with you long after the book is over…
Same Kind of Different as Me. This book was given to my father’s colleagues from the CEO a few Christmases ago. I read it and loved it, laughed and cried. A story of a freed slave-turned- homeless man and his friendship made with a white soup kitchen worker and his family. Really inspiring!
A lot of people have recommended The Help by Kathryn Stockett because it’s such a good read. It’s hard to put down and when I do I’m thinking about all the characters. It’s wonderful written. Enjoy!
I just read Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas and enjoyed it very much.
I don’t know if your book club would consider reading a book for kids, but I thought A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park was excellent. It won the Newbery award in 2002. It was a great story, and held my interest very well. (I really do read books written for adults too.) The characters were very interesting and it teaches good values too. I have thought of the characters and the story several times since reading it a few months ago.
I just finished Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It was the best book I have read in a long time. It unravels a mystery of a four year old girl found on a ship in 1913.
my favorite last 3 are The Help, The Glass Castle, Still Alice. all really good, a little lanuage in each of them but hard to find ones without. we also read the potato peel society. really liked that. i have not heard good things about wicked. i am reading book thief right now, i don’t see anything appealing about it yet!
Leigh Anne,
Our book club meets tomorrow night and for the first time we are following the lead of my friend’s club in San Luis Obispo…featuring a local author. The book is Sign of the Cross, written in 2000 by attorney John Phillips and is the true story of his successful prosecution of the Klu Klux Klan for cross burning here in southern CA in the 1980′s. It was a complex case and he perservered in spite of threats to his wife and family. He will be our guest speaker and for the first time husbands are invited as it’s a subject they would be interested in. I’m not sure the book is still available in stores, but it can be purchased from the author.
Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of The Hedgehog. Smart. Smart. Smart. Insightful and touching. I ADORED this book and will be using it for my book club. It has been a french bestseller for years and has FINALLY been translated into english. A story about an old grumpy concierge who is not the woman she is perceived to be. A must read. The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society was darling. Fun to see you at the Mac counter. Do come see the farm when you have a chance. You’ll enjoy it!
Hey Leighann
I just read a really fun book that Liz Taylor recommended “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. It has all emotions but it is a lite read with such fun, such heart and it’s all from a dogs perspective!
I loved The Book Thief! I have heard lots of good things about The Help. Have fun picking!
My book club has recently read:
The Help- loved it!
The Madonnas of Leningrad- also a great story, based on actual events
On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet- also terrific- based on experiences of Japanese Americans sent to interment camps- but not too dark, based in Seattle.
Still Alice – one of my favorites.
People of the Book- Geraldine Brooks- a great great story!
I could go on and on.
I agree with everyone who recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It has some mild language, but that’s it. My book club just read it and it is my new favorite book.
Other favorites that are completely or mostly clean language and sex wise: Cold Sassy Tree, The Eyre Affair (although being familiar with Jane Eyre is helpful with this one), The Princess Bride, Crossing to Safety, Bel Canto, Hattie Big Sky, The Thirteenth Tale, Tales of a Female Nomad, The Housekeeper and the Professor, A Girl Named Zippy, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Glass Castle, I Capture the Castle, 84 Charing Cross Road, Ella Minnow Pea, Girl Sleuth, When the Emperor Was Divine…
Sorry for the long list… I read A LOT!
I loved “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. I can’t remember the author, but it was a really fun book to read. It was told from the perspective of the family dog.
“The Glass Castle” was really good, and the author has a new book out based on her grandmother’s life story. I haven’t read it yet, but heard it was good.
“Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara — an Historical Fiction account of the Civil War. One of my all time favorites.
“Peace Like a River” by Leif Enger — if you liked “To Kill a Mockingbird” you will like this one.
“Tending Roses” by Lisa Wingate — a nice, easy, casual read.
“These Is My Words” by Nancy E. Turner — one at the top of my list. An historical fiction account of a lady growing up in the wild, Arizona territories.
Ditto on Three Cups of Tea, The Glass Castle, Good Earth.
I heard Wicked was not a good read — only the play.
I just finished The Help– FANTASTIC!
Here are my other suggestions:
Hotel on the corner of bitter & sweet
The Hunger Games
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Olive Kitteridge
Sarah’s Key
The Thirteenth Tale
Widow of the South
The Zookeepers Wife (i have not read it yet, but its on my must read list)
Good luck!
I would not recommend Wicked for a book club setting. I read it, and it is quite pornographic.
Just my two-bits worth.
A book titled What Remains by Carole Radziwill is one of the best books I have read.
Hanna Swenson mysteries with recipes are fun mystery books written by Joanne Fluke – titles include Key Lime Pie Murder, Chocolate Chip Murder, Carrot Cake Murder and Apple Turnover Murder.
Our book club just read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Art of Racing in the Rain, both really good books. The next book we’ll be reading is The Last Lecture. Everyone that’s read it tells me its a really good book. I’d like to know what you choose. Happy Reading!
I liked reading of the list of others’ suggestions. Many of them mirror my own suggestions:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (which our book club is discussing next month) (epistolary novel of historical fiction)
These Is My Words (historical fiction of non-LDS pioneer woman)
A Girl Named Zippy (I laughed so hard I cried, and laughed, and cried, and laughed, until finally my husband took the book from me)
Ella Minnow Pea (another epistolary novel about a girl on a fictitious North Carolinian island whose residents revere the author of “The Quick Brown Fox Jumped over the Lazy Dog” and go to extremes when those letters start falling off the author’s statue)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (we took a poll of classics that we wanted to read, and this book won) (second place was Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray)
I also liked:
Hunger Games, but you will not be able to put it down, and you will race for the sequel, ,and then you will curse the author when you find out that the third and final installment is not due out until August.
Cold Sassy Tree
The Help (which has one somewhat sexually explicit scene, really borderline for an LDS group)
I Capture the Castle (enjoyable)
Whistling Season, by Ivan Doig
Molokai, by Alan Brennert (excellent but long for a book club–perhaps read over the summer?)
Obsessive Genius (short bio, well written, of Marie Curie)
Dairy Queen (young adult, so quick read, but you will want to go on and finish the trilogy. You can read just the first book, though, for book club, because the story feels like it finishes. The characters are so enjoyable that it’s nice to be able to read more if you want to.)
Kinship and Courage series by Jane Kirkpatrick (which we read over the summer–three books–about non-LDS pioneer women. What happens when every man in your pioneering party dies?)
Education of Little Tree (evidence points toward the story not really being true, so take it with a grain of salt)
Freakonomics (controversial findings which make for great discussion)
The Far Pavillions (1100 pages, but fantastic from start to finish. Well, the first 30 pages were pretty tough to get through, but after that it was great. One sex scene which is not explicit, as I recall.)
The Host, by Stephenie Meyer–yeah, the vampire author. But this one has nothing to do with vampires and is wonderful. Great discussions. But on the longer side.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Newbery young adult, quick read, and when I finished, I thought, whoa! the ending completely changed everything, and I need to go back and read it again!)
I do not recommend for book club:
Three Cups of Tea (horrible writing–too bad, because the story of how Greg Mortensen got involved in building schools is interesting. But the journalist that wrote it for him killed any joy in the story.)
Mountains Beyond Mountains (tons of swearing–but if you can get past that, story of a doctor who helped Haitians. Interesting choices which make for good discussion)
Wicked (this goes beyond using sex to sell a story–it was way too much!!!) (Loved the play–highly recommend that.)
Austenland by Shannon Hale (cute story, but nothing to discuss)
I have heard is good:
Interpreter of Maladies (short stories that won Pulitzer prize)
Crossing to Safety AND Angle of Repose, both by Wallace Stegner, both with sad endings
A Town like Alice
Happy Reading!
Some of the books that have gone over well with our book club recently are:
- The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohi0: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less, by Terry Ryan
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne
- Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct, by P. M. Forni
I love, LOVE the Hunger Games series as a entertaining read, but there’s not much there in the way of discussion.