Our Book Group meets ten times a year, almost always at 7:15 on the last Thursday of the month. While some of our participants come to just about every meeting, others drop in only when they are particularly interested in the current month's selection.
Most of our books are contemporary or classic fiction, but we also dabble in the occasional drama, poetry collection, or work of nonfiction. We welcome suggestions on what to read next, our only caveat being that we need to be able to borrow from other libraries sufficient copies of the book to meet demand.
Take a look below to see what we've read so far:
1997:
Berg, Elizabeth Pull of the Moon, The
Good discussion about aging, dreams, women's issues.
Lewis, Sinclair Main Street
Most of the group found this cumbersome to get through, old fashioned, and
not particularly interesting.
Berg, Elizabeth Durable Goods
Most of the group enjoyed this, but it didn't generate much discussion.
de Bernieres, Louis Corelli's Mandolin
Great story and beautiful writing.
Atwood, Margaret Handmaid's Tale, The
A favorite of the person who suggested it, but not liked by the others.
"Too depressing." See 2007 entry, though.
Sparks, Nicholas Notebook, The
Liked by some, disliked by some, and others had mixed feelings. Generated a lot of discussion both on the subject matter of Alzheimer's and on the
author's writing style.
Berendt, John Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Generally liked; some fascination with The Lady Chablis.
Drabble, Margaret Realms of Gold, The
Another favorite of the person who suggested it, but strongly disliked by most
of the group. "Tedious."
Gordimer, Nadine My Son's Story
Card, Orson Scott Ender's Game
Most readers didn't have much of a reaction to this, and one person suggested
it be left to the teenagers.
Hegi, Ursula Stones from the River
1998:
Thomas, Elizabeth Marshall Reindeer Moon
Not a great book for discussion, but interesting, and enjoyed by most of the
group.
Brown, Rosellen Before and After
Generated a lot of discussion about teenagers, guilt, and families.
Ireland, Patricia What Women Want
Interesting reading; lots of discussion.
Ackerman, Diane Natural History of the Senses, A
Most of the group thought the book was too long and detailed, but we ended up
talking a lot about perfume, weirdest foods we've eaten, etc.
Munro, Alice Open Secrets
Consensus was that the stories were so "clever" that we missed the point of
most of them. Little discussion. Awkward silences!
Cornwell, Patricia Postmortem
People either liked or or didn't, but not much to discuss.
Mayes, Frances Under the Tuscan Sun
Sheehy, Gail Understanding Men's Passages
Alexie, Sherman Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, The
Yoshimoto, Banana Kitchen
Eliot, George Middlemarch
1999:
McCourt, Frank Angela's Ashes
Enjoyed by all. Lots of discussion about the author's life and how remarkable it was that he pulled himself out of poverty.
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel Love in the Time of Cholera
Disliked. One reader suggested it should have been named "Lust in the Time of Cholera."
Hansen, Ron Mariette in Ecstasy
Cather, Willa Professor's House, The
du Maurier, Daphne Frenchman’s Creek
Lukewarm response. Most people thought it was an OK entertainment, but had nothing to discuss.
Gardner, John Grendel
Faulkner, William As I Lay Dying
2000:
O'Connor, Flannery Short Stories
Most of us liked at least some of her stories. Pretty good conversation.
Trollope, Anthony Warden, The
Not a memorable discussion, but people liked the book.
Alvarez, Julia How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
Rivers, Edgar Lee Spoon River Anthology
Hardy, Thomas Far From the Madding Crowd
Guterson, David Snow Falling on Cedars
Bohjalian, Chris Trans-Sister Radio
James, Henry Turn of the Screw, The
Lanchester, John Mr. Phillips
White, Michael Brother's Blood, A
2001:
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice
Frankl, Viktor Man's Search for Meaning
Banks, Russell Sweet Hereafter, The
Naslund, Sena Jeter Ahab's Wife
Reardon, Lisa Blameless
Dostoyevsky, Fydor Crime and Punishment
Erdrich, Louise Beet Queen, The
Orwell, George Animal Farm
2002:
Hardy, Thomas Woodlanders, The
Liked by most of the group, but not as much substance as some of his other works.
Irving, John Widow for One Year
Mixed reactions. One person wouldn't finish it. Led to some interesting discussion about morals, parenting, etc.
Greene, Graham Human Factor, The
A favorite of the person who recommended it, but a lukewarm response from everyone else.
Paton, Alan Cry the Beloved Country
Well-liked; generated a good discussion.
Steinbeck, John Pastures of Heaven
Not a favorable reaction to the short stories, but it generated a lot of discussion about motives, blame, etc., so ended
up a success.
Morris, Willie My Dog Skip
Fun discussion of childhood freedom then vs. now, and lots of "back in my day..."
Lewis, C. S. Screwtape Letters, The
Hardy, Thomas Pair of Blue Eyes, A
Shelley, Mary Frankenstein
Tannen, Deborah I Only Say This Because I Love You
2003:
Steinbeck, John Grapes of Wrath, The
Shute, Neville On the Beach
Letts, Billie Honk and Holler Opening Soon, The
Collins, Wilkie Moonstone, The
Wodehouse, P. G. Code of the Woosters
Peters, Ellis Potter's Field, The
Stowe, Harriet Beecher Uncle Tom's Cabin
Fitzgerald, F. Scott Great Gatsby, The
McCall Smith, Alexander No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The
Hawthorne, Nathaniel House of the Seven Gables, The
Hersey, John Hiroshima
2004:
Wharton, Edith Buccaneers, The
Brooks, Geraldine Year of Wonders, A
Beckett, Samuel Waiting for Godot
Hemingway, Ernest Sun Also Rises, The
Gaines, Ernest Lesson Before Dying, A
Hurston, Nora Zeale Their Eyes Were Watching God
Haddon, Mark Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dickens, Charles Our Mutual Friend
Jackson, Shirley Haunting of Hill House, The
Condon, Richard Manchurian Candidate, The
2005:
Caldwell, Ian Rule of Four, The
Forster, E. M. Room with a View, A
Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman
Picoult, Jodi My Sister's Keeper
Wilde, Oscar Picture of Dorian Gray
Smith, Dodie I Capture the Castle
Goldberg, Myra Bee Season
McCullough, David John Adams
Stoker, Bram Dracula
Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go
2006:
Cather, Willa My Antonia
Sinclair, Upton The Jungle
Russo, Richard Straight Man
Dante Inferno
Warren, Robert Penn All the King's Men
Wilder, Thornton Bridge of San Luis Rey, The
Fergus, Jim One Thousand White Women
Boulle, Pierre Bridge Over the River Kwai
Otsuka, Julie When the Emperor Was Divine
Lee, Harper To Kill a Mockingbird
Atwood, Margaret Alias, Grace
2007:
Picoult, Jodie Pact, The
Lahrir, Jhumpa Interpreter of Maladies
Atwood, Margaret Handmaid's Tale, The
Good discussion about the story, and its relevance.
Jones, Edward P. Known World, The
LeHane, Dennis Shutter Island
Austen, Jane Mansfield Park
Allgor, Catherine Perfect Union : Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation, A
Maguire, Gregory Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Robinson, Marilynne Gilead
2008:
Anderson, Sherwood Winesburg, Ohio
Niffenegger, Audrey Time Traveler’s Wife, The
Enjoyed by all.
Rodriguez, Deborah Kabul Beauty School, The
Most of us enjoyed this, and had fun discussing it.
Stegner, Wallace Angle of Repose
Difference of opinion about the writing style--what some us thought was beautiful others
considered over the top. We thought the story was interesting, though.
Steinbeck, John East of Eden
Most of the group enjoyed this. One person commented that there were a lot of philosophical issues to ponder. On the flip side, another reader thought the book was too wordy.
Ehrenreich, Barbara Nickel and Dimed : On (Not) Getting By in America
Liked by most. Plenty to discuss.
Pilcher, Rosamunde The Shell Seekers
Liked by most. Not much discussion of the book itself, but it led to a meandering but
enjoyable conversation about gardening, travel, etc.
Chabon, Michael The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Several people couldn't get into it, but those of us who persevered liked it. Beautiful
language.
King, Stephen The Shining
Most of us liked this and found it appropriately scary.
2009:
Kingsolver, Barbara Prodigal Summer
Liked by most of us.
Dubus, Andre House of Sand and Fog
Most of us liked this, although we all agreed it was depressing.
Bryson, Bill The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Everyone thought this was a fun book to read, and it led to a lot of reminiscing.
Kingsolver, Barbara Animal, Vegetable, Miracle--A Year of Food Life
We all thought this was a great book which led to a discussion about local food production, gardening, and much more.
Eugenides, Jeffrey Middlesex
Strout, Elizabeth Olive Kitteridge
We differed on how much we liked the book, and on our reactions to Olive. Should have led to a lively talk, but
discussion really foundered.
Boyle, T. C. Tortilla Curtain
Most of us liked this and it led to a good discussion about prejudice.
Gordon-Reed, Annette The Hemingses of Monticello
We found this painfully slow and cumbersome to get through, and some of us found the author's endless conjectures and arbitrary footnoting irritating. The book and the subject matter did lend themselves to a lively discussion, though.
Moore, Christopher A Dirty Job
Opinions ranged from lackluster to those who would try other books by Moore, but no one hated (or loved) the book.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel The Scarlet Letter
Again, a good discussion about a book that some of us enjoyed while others of us found a real snoozer.
2010:
Genova, Lisa Still Alice
Most of us found this a well-written and compelling story.
Benioff, David City of Thieves
Interesting, fast-paced story, but didn't really lend itself to discussion.
Miller, Walter A Canticle for Leibowitz
The two of us who had read this years before still liked it very much. The others were not so fond of it. Some gave up on it, one found it too dry, another said he read it and now needed someone to tell him what he had read.
Cleave, Chris Little Bee
Most of us liked it (one of us loved it and wrote down particularly beautiful passages to remember later), but one
reader didn't like it, found most of the characters irritating, and thought Little Bee was too good to be true.
Sutcliffe, William Whatever Makes You Happy
Two of us didn't like this at all, most of us liked it OK, but only two of us would seek out another of his books. There was some interesting discussion about the behavior of the various characters, but none of us particularly recognized either ourselves or our children in them.
Bohjalian, Chris Skeletons at the Feast
Most of us enjoyed this book, although one of us found some of the images too disturbing. Another reader wrote "a very hard read--the reality of it all overwhelmed me--the inhumanity was horrendous." Interestingly, it led to as much discussion about issues of bigotry and insularity in our lives as it did to specific discussion about the book itself.
Schaefer, Jack Shane
One of us thought it was dated and one-dimensional, but most of us enjoyed it to varying degrees, from the person who called it "a nice little Western" to the one who rereads it every few years.
Woolf, Virginia To the Lighthouse
This one got mixed reviews, although everyone agreed it was a challenge. Some couldn't finish, and a couple who did so bemoaned the lack of plot. One person, who both listened to the audiobook and read the book, compared it to reading poetry, and one or two of us could see reading it again in the future.
Priest, Christopher The Prestige
Although one person thought it too dry, most of us liked it, although none of us was wowed by it.
Rand, Ayn Atlas Shrugged
Opinions both about the writing and the author's philosophy varied, and only two of us managed to finish, but people did have opinions, which is always a good thing for a discussion group!
Greene, Graham The Comedians
One of us very much appreciated the writing and the story in this bleak tale of Haiti under Papa Doc's reign of terror. A couple of us disliked it--one not making it more than 10 pages into the story. The others liked it OK, but didn't have much to say about it and a couple thought the writing was dated.
Donoghue, Emma Room
Everyone liked this, but, surprisingly, most of us didn't have much to say.
Simonson, Helen Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
No one had any major criticism of this "feel good" story that, nevertheless, gave rise to discussion about cultural differences, parent-child relationships, and religion.
Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-Five
Some of us liked this. Some of us didn't like it. So it goes.
Stein, Garth The Art of Racing in the Rain
One of us liked this, and most of us thought it was OK. One of us disliked it, feeling that it didn't deliver on its promise, either as a good story or as a philosophical inquiry. Also, the dog should have had more pride in its "dog--ness."
Haruf, Kent Plainsong
Most of us enjoyed this, and it fostered a nice discussion. Interestingly, only one person did not see it as a sentimental story.
Bell, Alden The Reapers are the Angels
This was our Halloween selection because of the zombies, but they were actually not the main focus of the book. Instead, the book was an exploration of good and evil and predestination. Most of us liked the book, but one of us could not get beyond the lack of technical integrity in a post-apocalyptic story.
Shaffer, Mary Ann The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
All of us liked this, although most of us agreed that the "modern day" parts detracted from the World War II story.
2012
Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451
We certainly had mixed feelings for this one! A couple of us found it dated, shoddily-written, and with stereotyped depictions of women. A couple of us liked it well enough, although with reservations about the datedness or the writing style. A couple of us liked it almost without reservation, feeling that the main points of the book survived the test of time.
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