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Book Club Selections

This month it's my turn to host book club, meaning that I'll be providing dessert for our discussion of Fragile Beasts by Tawni O'Dell (my 5 star review will be forthcoming on this blog), as well as selecting our book for the next two months. Check out the "Book Club" tab above to see a photo of my lovely book club!

I have several possibilities running around my mind for my selection, and wanted to ask your opinion. I usually like to preview books before I select them but of the ones mentioned below, the only one I've read is The Hunger Games. What do you think of each book?

The Hunger Games trilogy. Overall I loved this series and want to share it with my friends, but I have a couple of hestitations: 1) if they end up reading the trilogy, I wasn't happy with the ending of Mockingjay, and 2) we don't typically read Young Adult books.

Let the Great World Spin by by Colum McCann. I haven't read this but it was recommended to me by another book club. It takes place in the early 1970's in New York and is about several different stories that weave together in the end. However, it's only available as hardcover and my club tends to prefer paperback.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This is a book told from a dog's point of view. The dog's name is Enzo, which happens to be the name of the vicious mafia don in my novel, so that should be an interesting challenge for me!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. A Young Adult book about a girl and a wolf that I've been wanting to read (as well as the sequel Linger).

Any thoughts on those books? Or are there any additional books your book club loved that you'd like to recommend?

Time for our Meet an Author Monday Bloghop. Read instructions here. This bloghop is hosted by Lisa Sanchez, whose book Eve of Samhain I just started and it's awesome!

Comments

Jamie said…
Of the books mentioned I've read them all but the second one.

The Hunger Games - LOVED it. A kickass heroine and plenty of emotion.

The Art of Racing in the Rain - OMG I cried through most of this one. AWESOME SAUCE!

Shiver - LOVED this one too.

For suggestions

One Good Dog - I read this one on a whim (I picked it up at the bookstore and started reading the beginning...At first I thought the author was talking about a person...That was until I read the last sentence of the first chapter..."then I wagged my tail.") and really liked it as well. It's mainly told from the dog's perspective as well...Similar to The Art of Racing in the Rain. A lot of emotions go through this book as well.

Lonesome Dove - It's LONG but it's oh so worth the read in my opinion. It paints a vivid picture from page 1 until the end. If it was humanly possible to read all 945 pages in one sitting I would have attempted it....it's that good.
Jennifer Lane said…
Thank you for the recommendations, Jamie! Looks like I'll have a hard time choosing a book this month. A longer book can work since we have a holiday party in December and don't choose a book that month. Hmm...
Anonymous said…
Hi, Jen! Thanks for stopping by my blog and asking about my book! It's doing well.
I'm not part of a book club, but I've been reading the Sphinx's Princess and the Sphinx's Queen by Esther Friesner. Fictional historical YA novels about Nefertiti's life before she became Pharaoh. I've really enjoy reading them as well as her other books such as Nobody's Prize.
Best,
Kelsey
Jennifer Lane said…
I've never heard of that author, Kelsey. Thanks for alerting me. Glad to hear your book is going well!
I was hoping you'd tell us what you are making for dessert! I really really liked Hunger Games, and I'm not normally a YA fan. But didn't enjoy Mockingjay, so I didn't read the last one in the trilogy. The other books mentioned I've not read.
Jennifer Lane said…
Hi Karen! Ha ha. I was thinking of making iced pumpkin cookies but then I ended up buying some yummy treats at Trader Joe's instead. Do you mean that you didn't enjoy Catching Fire? I think I liked Catching Fire the best of the three, and I liked Mockingjay too except for the very end.
Elisa Dane said…
Oooh, Iced pumpkin cookies...yum!

Loved the Hunger Games trilogy. So good!

I'd go with Shiver. It was one of my favorites this year. Solid, well, written YA romance with just the right amount of paranormal thrown in. I follow the author on Twitter, and she's a real hoot!

Glad to hear you're enjoying EOS!
Julie Musil said…
The only book I've read on this list is Hunger Games. Loved it, and I don't usually read this type of dystopian book.

If you don't normally read YA, I'd suggest books from my favorite author, Jodi Picoult. I absolutely love each of her books and anxiously await the next one. Powerful stuff.
Mimi said…
Iced pumpkin cookies sound good.
The only book on the list that I've heard of is The Hunger Games, but I haven't read it,so no help, sorry.
Jennifer Lane said…
Damn, y'all are guilty me into baking the pumpkin cookies!

@Lisa--thanks for the recommendation. Looks like it's coming down to The Hunger Games and Shiver.

@Julie--THG was my first dystopian novel, too! I didn't even know what dystopian meant before I read it!

@Mimi--THG is definitely worth reading. The main character Katniss is amazing.
Unknown said…
Ooh, this is difficult since I haven’t read any of those books. And what makes a book “good” is such a subjective thing!
The main requirement for a book club selection, I suppose, is a set of complex characters whose actions and motivations you can discuss / pick apart.

Has your book club delved into the paranormal before? It’s either loved or hated!

Have they read the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson? (most likely old news)

It would be nice for you to take a risk and read along (for the first time) with them!

Do you always read novels? Have you ever read a biography?

Do you enjoy your questions being answered with questions?

I have officially NOT been helpful! Perhaps I will keep thinking...
I hope that you find a book you can enjoy without too much further deliberation!

~ Jemma :)
Jennifer Lane said…
Jemma, that's so true--it's all subjective! And it's hard to know what will spark a great discussion in book club, though the complexity of characters (as you mentioned) is a good start.

After reading a kickass review of The Hunger Games series by Killian McRae http://killianmcrae.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/books-review-catching-fire-and-mockingjay/ I think I'll probably choose The Hunger Games. She inspired me!

We read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but only a few of us read the whole series because some objected to the squicky violence.

I think we've read a memoir or two but I can't recall any biographies.

I do enjoy questions answered with questions, hee hee. I think you've been quite helpful. :)
Anonymous said…
I loved the first book in THE HUNGER GAMES, although struggled a little with the next two in the trilogy (too much rehashing in each book).

My book club is reading THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN which I'm enjoying very much.
Jennifer Lane said…
Hi Liz! Thanks for stopping by the blog. I've never heard of The Forgotten Garden but thanks for the recommendation. How long have you been in your book club? Aren't book clubs awesome?
LTM said…
ooo--I suggested The Hunger Games for my book club and they devoured it! And they split right down the middle btw Gale lovers & Peeta lovers AND btw Mockingjay lovers and MJ haters--! Isn't that crazy? But it was the liveliest meeting we've had and we typically don't read YA either~ just fyi! :o)
Jennifer Lane said…
How interesting, Leigh! (Nice pun by the way). I've hardly met any Gale lovers or Mockingjay lovers. I did end up choosing The Hunger Games so I'll report back, in January, what the reactions were to the book. I hope they gobble it up!