2020 Book Club Selection Ideas

[Jessica]

Post your ideas on books we should read. As people suggest books, I will add them to the 2nd post in this topic.

You can see the 2019 suggestions thread here if you are looking for ideas:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

General Guidelines:
1) We try to keep page count to under 400
2) Ideally book should be available in paperback

We do read longer reads in December/January so if you do have longer book ideas feel free to post them.

Authors: please resist the urge to suggest your own book in this thread. We do have a Author Promotion discussion section if you would like to post there.


2020 PICKS SO FAR
January: The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
February: The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King
March: News of the World by Paulette Jiles
April: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
May: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
June: We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
July: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis J.D. Vance
August: Sadie
September: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
October: Mexican Gothic
November: Oona Out of Order

[Jessica]

SUGGESTIONS

Fiction
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (432 pages)

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

The Power by Naomi Alderman

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester




Non-fiction
A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande

1947: Where Now Begins

Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World

The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Beastie Boys Book

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung

Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell

Longer Reads

[Denise]

Here are some non-fiction suggestions, all of which have at least a 3.9 rating on Good Reads.
1947: Where Now Begins
Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World
The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

And just for giggles, I'll throw this one in:
Beastie Boys Book

[Jessica]

I've heard good things about Hillbilly Elegy.

Some non-fiction ideas:

(these were released in 2019, so should check availability)

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto by Suketu Mehta
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor


following are released 2018 or earlier...
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

[Jessica]

We will pick our February book this weekend so get in your non-fiction ideas.

You can also throw in some fiction ideas for future picks.

[Jessica]

Fiction ideas:

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (432 pages)

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum


The Power by Naomi Alderman

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester


Memoir:
A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande

[Gunjan]

I joined this group a week or so ago. And got my copy this week, hardly 140 pages into it. But I love the book especially, came across it at curiously related time. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish by Sunday.

[Jessica]

No problem! We aren't sticklers about everyone finishing the book. People are more than welcome to join us even if they haven't finished...with the understanding that you may hear spoilers. :)

[Jessica]

Our March read is News of the World by Paulette Jiles. We will be meeting on Sunday March 29th to discuss. I'll set up the event for it in the next few days.

As always, feel free to drop any ideas for future reads into this thread.

[Gunjan]

I would like to up vote A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum and Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Vanderah, Glendy and also add
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

[Jessica]

As mentioned at book club: the Zora Canon:

https://zora.medium.com/100-best-book...

and here it is in Listopia form:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Jessica]

At the meeting people suggested mixing in 1 or 2 classics this year, particularly classics by women or authors of color. So suggest away...

Here are some ideas to get us started...(keeping it under 400 pages)

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton

The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

The Professor's House by Willa Cather

Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Passing by Nella Larsen

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

[Jessica]

Book club is in 2 days. Start thinking of June suggestions. Still want to stick with light/beach reads given the arrival of summer and the lingering pandemic?

[Jessica]

Some light reads, just released or coming soon that we might consider for July or August:
Brunch and Other Obligations (just released in paperback)
Felix Ever After - released in hardcover/audio etc.
The Secret Women - releasing in paperback in early June
Friends and Strangers - releasing in late June
Rodham

[Jessica]

Here's a list that I think is updated weekly with the most popular group reads on goodreads for the week: https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula... We may be able to get inspiration from the list. maybe.

[Kara]

thank you for posting this.

[Jessica]

Another list with some possible ideas: "most anticipated books being released in the first half of 2020...
https://themillions.com/2020/01/draft...

[Jessica]

Our July pick is the non-fiction work: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

[Jessica]

More potential ideas. Goodreads Top 40 books of 2020 So far:
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1...

[Jessica]

We got rained out before we could pick our August book. Throw out suggestions here. Perhaps something by a female author and light (but not too light) per request.

[Jessica]

Suggestions:

Sadie (suggested by Maura)


By Me:
Miracle Creek
Upright Women Wanted
All Adults Here


And not a female author, but an LGBTQ+ author:
The House in the Cerulean Sea


Also- Felix Ever After

[[deleted user]]

Sadie def not light, unless pedophilia and dead girls are humorous?

[Jessica]

Maura noted when suggesting it that it wasn't light. :)

[[deleted user]]

Makes sense. I was confused...long day wrestling a 230lb toddler on a ventilator. My apologies. Wasn’t clear on original post.

[Joanie]

I'd like to add Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

[Jessica]

Ah yes, that one has been on my list too, Joanie.

I guess we can give it until the end of today and then maybe start a poll?

[[deleted user]]

Oona sounds great, a poll sounds good too

[Jessica]

Poll is here:https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Go vote by end of the day on July 1st!

[Denise]

The newly-crowned Book of the Year for the British Book Awards:
Queenie

I'm not going to lie - they had me at "Bridget Jones meets Americanah." And I think, *I think* it counts as a romance.

[Joanie]

Queenie is really good but WAYYYYYY darker and heavier than Bridget Jones and definitely not a romance.

[Jessica]

I agree about Queenie. It is a lot darker than Bridget Jones. Also agree that I wouldn't qualify it as a romance. I liked it, but at its core it is about a woman with mental health issues who lets herself be used by men.

[Jessica]

There we a tie on the poll between Sadie and Miracle Creek. Sadie has been selected as our August book based on the fact that more people who have attended our meetings in the past voted for that than voted for Miracle Creek.

Miracle Creek will be on our list as a future read.

[Jessica]

Also wanted to mention that people should start thinking about books for our SPOOKY October read.

Some ideas:
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
The Silent Companionsby Laura Purcell
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
Ring by Kōji Suzuki
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
The Only Good Indians by

[Jessica]

Book Riot's Best Books of 2020 So Far: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jessica]

We talked at the meeting today about an October pick and decided to put up a poll. I will leave the poll open for a few days.

Anything from my list a couple posts above or any other suggestions for a spooky/creepy October read?

[Jessica]

You can find the poll here:https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

Voting will end on Friday.

[Jessica]

Voting ends tonight for our October Book Club read poll! Go vote now if you haven't already: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

[Jessica]

Ok, folks, time to pick our November book. Share your ideas here. Should be under around 400 pages and easily available (i.e. not out of print). Suggest away. I will start a poll on Tuesday evening if we need to narrow it down.

Some of my ideas...

Buttermilk Graffiti
The Five
Women & Power
Wait Till Next Year
Bluebird Bluebird
If I had your face

Anyone interested in any of these or have other suggestions?