What book would you recommend for a book club?

Question

I'd appreciate book recommendations for my book club. We are a group of women age range from late 20s to mid 40s. We read a wide variety of books. We just finished Middlesex.

Answer 1

Our book club has been using selections from "A Year of Reading" by Elisabeth Ellington. It has been a lot of fun!

Here's the review of it from Booklist:

The authors have fashioned a blueprint for a delightfully varied year of reading, reflection, and discussion. Whether it be for the member of an established book club, a novice attempting to launch a reading group, or an independent reader looking for suggestions, this guide offers something for everyone. It is organized around the calendar year; five titles designated as crowd pleasers, classics, challenges, memoirs, or potluck options are provided for each month. In addition to selections centering on appropriately seasonal themes, there are brief descriptions of each book, thought-provoking discussion questions, information about the authors, video and Internet resources, and lists of related readings. Literary discussion groups will welcome this invaluable resource.

Answer 2

Books by Joanne Harris
A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Agatha Christie
William Somerset Maughm (Saki)
Books By Roald Dahl
Tennessee Willliams
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Answer 3

The Long Day Wanes: A Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess

It deals with an expatriate brit in Malaysia in the strong but waning days of the British Empire, the Guerillas, and the coming of the Americans, all with one central character.

Very funny book, great use of language, pertinent topic in the pattern of the three periods of independence and the things that happen under each socio-economic setup.

If you haven't all read Fahrenheit 451, do so, the edition printed with Ray Bradbury's afterword (25? 50? -- I think 50 - years after its first publication). Lots of great imagery for discussion in terms of what he saw in the future back then and how amazing it was that he imagined things that seemed to have developed outside of any predictable pattern.

Answer 4

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, story about an Irish boy growing up dirt poor during the 40s I think. Very good and interesting story, not for the weak at heart. Pretty detailed.

Answer 5

I would definitely recommend reading The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. There are so many discussions that can be covered in this book, its amazing!! All the other answers to this question are great, so good luck choosing books for your club!!

Answer 6

Try

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

Answer 7

This is what you want:

http://www.awardannals.com/wiki/Honor_roll:Genres

Books sorted by genre, and ranked by number of awards won. These lists certainly favor more recent works (more awards now than previously), but you are unlikely to find a loser at the top of any of these lists.

Also these:

http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/grtother.html#great

Lots of lists, but I especially like the Harvard Classics list - all the books that I should have read, but (mostly) never did.


I hope this helps.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Answer 8

A Game of Thrones and its subsequent installments, by George RR Martin. Definitely a book very conducive to conversation.

Answer 9

I'm in an online bookclub and so far, we've discussed The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Sueskind, and we're currently talking about Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. We switch between classics and contemporaries so we get a wider range. Most of us in the club are women and we're upper-teens and 20s for the most part. So I think these may be ones you could use. Hope this helps!

Answer 10

Try Alexander Mc Call Smiths.."Number one Ladies detective agency" Excellent...Smith is Scottish and was born and raised in Botswana..very very interesting and thought provoking....many opportunities for discussing different points, character development, and morals.
Also Laura Esquivel's" Like water for chocolate"