Sunday, March 3, 2019

SOL 3/31: So Many Good Books!




It's book choosing time! Our book club has a yearly retreat in March and that's when we select our books for the next year. Many people in my book club prefer nonfiction (I'm not one of them). They tease me when I bring a nonfiction book as one of my three options to put forth for our upcoming year of reading. I always respond that if I have to read nonfiction, I want some input on choosing it. 

This year, nonfiction books keep popping up on my radar. I want to read Michelle Obama's book, Becoming and Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Leadership in Turbulent Times (we heard her speak at Seattle Arts and Lectures in the fall). There are a couple of nonfiction books I've read that I would heartily recommend. Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say  by Kelly Corrigan is a slim memoir that could be perfect for one of the busier months of the year. I Am I Am I Am by Maggie Farrell is a collection of seventeen short stories detailing her brushes with death. It's my first Maggie O'Farrell book, but maybe I want to explore something else by her. For someone who doesn't like nonfiction, that's quite a few possibilities. Could it be that my book club's preference for nonfiction is rubbing off on me?

And now it's on to fiction, my favorite genre, especially historical fiction. Our book club prefers that we've read the book before recommending it, but that is rarely the case with me. I did recommend News of the World this past year, and I reread it when it was selected. Here are a couple I've recommended before that weren't chosen - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and By the Lake by John McGahern. Should I take them back again? 

I may take The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan which I purchased on a whim at the bookstore when I fell in love with the cover. And there's this blurb on the back from Kirkus Reviews:  "Old-fashioned storytelling with a sprinkling of magic." Another book I own but have yet to read is The House Girl by Tara Conklin. It's historical fiction, one of my all time favorite genres. I also own Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adidche. She spoke at NCTE and it's on my want-to-read shelf.

I recently checked out The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris from the library and I may take it. I heard a wonderful review of Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen on my favorite podcast, Modern Mrs. Darcy's What Should I Read Next. I'm also considering Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry because I've never read anything by him and Modern Mrs. Darcy recommended it as her favorite Wendell Berry book. 

As you can easily see, I have more than three titles (the number of books each person gets to throw into the voting ring). But I'm sure there's another title that I've been meaning to bring that I may have forgotten. That's okay, I still have four days before we leave.  And that's where you come in. Let's make this even harder for me. What have you or your book club read recently that you loved? Leave a comment with your recommendation.

8 comments:

  1. I so agree with. So many books, so little time to read them! I keep making lists from all the recommendations, try to read them, then more added to the list!

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  2. I have added some of these books to my list. Have you ever read Educated by Tara Westover? It is her memoir and AMAZING! I also love anything Jodi Picoult.

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    1. Yes, Elana, I have read Educated. Our entire family read it for our family book club discussion which we do intermittently. I'm sure that some of my NF loving friends will bring it.

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  3. Ohhhhhhhhh I need to open amazon now! You've mentioned a lot that I dont' have on my list yet.

    My kids and I are listening to Becoming -- awesome audio book!

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  4. I am actually jealous, I would love to be involved in a book club. Sorry, no help with titles from me

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  5. Decisions, decisions! I've heard so many people say how much the love Michelle Obama's memoir, and you're the third person to mention News of the World recently. I was listening to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but got sidetracked by Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus. Thanks for the recommendations, Ramona!

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  6. What a great predicament to be in! I can’t believe you are asking for more! Haha, oh, yes I can! It’s just that you already have so many intriguing titles.

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  7. This is one of my favorite dilemmas to have! The challenge of choosing books! You have so many wonderful ideas here, and I'd be excited to choose any and all of these books if I were in your book club. (Also, I'm a huge fan of Modern Mrs Darcy's podcast. I love my Tuesday morning commute to work because I get to listen to the new episode!)

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