My oldest book group is one that was already well established when I joined it shortly after we arrived in Montreal a very long time ago. It has been going for at least 45 years, meeting every two weeks between September and June, except for December when there's one meeting.
Each year about this time we draw up a list of possible books for the coming season and for summer reading. The actual books discussed--and we take turns leading the discussion--are determined by what's easily available in paperback or libraries as well as the tastes of individual members. Here's the first half of what we came up with this week: I'll post the second half later. (Thanks to Carol Greene for compiling the list.)
Ali, Monica In the kitchen
Alia, Ayann Hirsi No man
Alsanea, Rajaa The Girls of Riyadh
Armstrong, Sally The Nine lives of Charlotte Taylor
Aslam, Nadeem The Wasted vigil
Atkinson, Kate When will there be good news
Aw, Tash Map of the invisible world
Ballard, J.G. Miracles of life: from Shanghai to Shepperton
Banville, John Infinities (see also his mysteries, “by Benjamin Black”)
Barry, Sebastian Sacred scriptures
Behrens, Peter Law of dreams (GG 2006– Ireland)
Boylan, Clare Beloved Stranger
Brookner, Anite Strangers
Buergenthal, Thomas A Lucky child: a memoir of surviving Auschwitz
Bundrick, Sheramij Sunflowers
Carey, Peter Parrot and Olivier in America
Catton, Eleanor The Rehearsal
Chevalier, Tracy Remarkable creatures (“faction”– Mary Anning)
Coetzee Summertime
Connelly, Karen Burmese lessons (memoir)
Crummey, Michael Galore (Newfoundland)
De Bernieres, Louise Notwithstanding
Dias, Junot The Brief and wondrous life of Oscar Wao
Dickner, Nicholas Nikolski (Canada Reads winner)
Duras, Marguerite The Sea Wall
Ebadi, Shirin Iran awakening: from prison to peace prize
Edwards, Kim The Memory keeper’s daughter
Eggers, Dave Zeitoun
Eng, Tant Wan The Gift of rain
Falk, Sebastian Devil may care (a “James Bond” novel)
Fallada, Hans Every man dies alone
Foulds, Adam The Quickening maze
Fraser, Antonia Must you go? My life with Harold Pinter
Gardam, Jane The man in the wooden hat
Garner, Helen The Spare room
Gaynor, Arnold Girl in a blue dress (“Faction”– Dickens)
Gildiner , C After the falls (continuing memoir)
Grenville, Kate The Lieutenant
Guo, Xiaolu A Concise Chinese-English dictionary for lovers
Hage, Rawi De Niro’s game (Lebanon)
Hall, Barbara The Music teacher
Hanif, Mohammed A Case of exploding mangoes
Helligman, D. Charles and Emma (Darwin)
Holeman, Linda The Linnet bird
Kalniete, Sandra With dance shoes in Siberian snows
Kathryn Stockett The Help
Kingsolver, Barbara The Lacuna (“faction”) – Trotsky, Rivera, Frida,
Kneale, Matthew When we were Romans
Kunzru, Hari My revolutions (1700's in London); The Impressionist
Lansen, Lori The Wife’s tale
Larsson, Stieg The girl with the dragon tattoo, etc.
Leon, Donna Guido Brunetti Venetian mysteries
Lively, Penelope Family album
Lively, Penelope A House unlocked (memoir)
Lyon, Annabel The Golden mean
Maalouf, Amin Samarkand
Machado de Assis, J.M. Dom Casmurro
Mantel, Hilary Wolf Hall
Marai, Sandor Embers–a must read rediscovered Hungarian classic
Marias, Havier Your face tomorrow; Fever and spear; Poison shadow and farewell (3 vol. trilogy)
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6 comments:
That's one heck of a long list - & just half of it? How many actual books do you decide to read out of the list in the time frame of the book club?
Well, we read two books a month for eight months (there are two times a year when we go to book-related movies, plus a potluck and the annual book list meeting.) So usually 16, so nobody reads the whole list --ever! But the group includes severa librarians or former librarians who read quickly and widelyl.
Well, that sounds like lots of fun & a LOT of reading. :)
If I find a book that is intriguing, & that mesmerizes me, I can't put it down & read it quickly. If not then it takes me quite awhile to finish it.
Do you sometimes read books with the club that you have to force yourself to finish because it's unappealing?
One of the things I now allow myself to do is not finish book I really don't like. But I give try to give each 100 pages. Of course, the best discussions are frequently those where there is a divergence of opinion.
And it must be said that we don't all make every meeting. Earlier on family obligations stood in the way, and now as people are retiring, travel interfers. This winter I must admit I didn't make many because I was too busy. But it is a continuing pleasure, and there are evenings when we have 14 or 15 women, which is about as much a living room can hold.
That _is_ a nice list. Internet has hurt my book reading. But in my autumn years, I'm making sure that side doesn't go lacking.
That's quite a list!
I've just about finished Hans Fallada's "Every Man Dies Alone," and can highly recommend it. I can't imagine any of the members of your book club giving up on it after 100 pages.
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