Here is a list and a short summary of the books my Real Life Book Club has read since we began meeting in March 2007:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
This amazing book was our first group selection, and the gold standard by which we measure all other books we select! Historical fiction at it’s best, this story is about the life-long friendship between two women in 19th Century China. The footbinding section is particularly gruesome, but fascinating. All members of our book club loved this book.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid
This was our 2nd selection. An easy read. Most liked it, some loved it, some thought it was just ok. Can easily imagine it as a movie. We had a great discussion about race relations and family secrets.
Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge
This was our 3rd selection. We had an interesting book club meeting, with the author calling in on speaker phone. Lively discussion about food, eating disorders, family ties, secrets and lies, caring for a loved one with a terminal illness. It’s all there. Great book for a book club.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Our 4th selection. Everyone in our club really enjoyed it. Set in 1931 during the depression and prohibition, an old man in a nursing home reflects on his past as a veterinarian in a travelling circus. Very well written and entertaining.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Our 5th selection. Set in Afghanistan, and in the US, and back.. it is the tale of a friendship between Amir and Hassan, a wealthy man’s son and the son of their servant, raised like brothers until a terrible twist of fate pulls them apart. We had a great discussion about loyalty, class differences, politics, love, etc. The reading guide/discussion questions at the back of the book were excellent. Even though there were a couple of very brutal scenes, this is one of my all time favorite books, a modern day classic. Can’t wait for the movie.
Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald
Sept. 2007. This book is a delightful, very quick, easy read. The parents of 27 year old Tami send her to America from Iran in the hopes of finding a husband before her visa runs out. We loved the romantic ending. Many funny, laugh out loud moments. The author got the “voice” of Tami just right. We talked about cultural differences between Iran and the US, parental expectations, marraige, OCD, stereotypes, etc. We had a fun meeting which included the author by speakerphone. Highly recommend.
1.000 White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
The jury is still out on this one. Our meeting will take place Oct. 21, 2007.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, reviewed HERE
November/December 2007–
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory, reviewed HERE
January 2008
Summer People by Brian Groh, reviewed HERE
February 2008
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler, reviewed HERE
March 2008
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, reviewed (sort of) HERE
April 2008
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, discussed HERE
May 2008
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski, reviewed HERE
June 2008
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, reviewed HERE and discussed HERE
July 2008
The Sweet Potato Queens First Big Ass Novel by Jill Conner Browne, reviewed HERE
August 2008
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, with a book club wrap-up HERE
September 2008
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace.. One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Relin, reviewed HERE
October 2008
Peony in Love by Lisa See, reviewed HERE
November 2008
Kandide and the Secret of the Mists by Diana Zimmerman
December 2008
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, reviewed HERE
January 2009
Chez Moi by Agnes Desarthe, reviewed HERE
February 2009
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, reviewed HERE
March 2009
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 320 pages, reviewed HERE
April- Taking a break!
May 2009
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein 336 pages, reviewed HERE
June 2009
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 432 pages, reviewed HERE
July 2009
Still Alice by Lisa Genova, reviewed HERE
August 2009
Life of Pi by Yann Martell
September 2009
Lottery by Patricia Wood
October 2009
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
November 2009
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
December 2009
Bold Spirit by Linda Lawrence Hunt
January 2010
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, reviewed HERE
February 2010
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
March 2010
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
April 2010
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
May 2010
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
June 2010
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
July 2010
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
August 2010
Clapton, the Autobiography by Eric Clapton
September 2010
City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
October 2010
Honolulu by Alan Brennert
November 2010
Dracula, My Love by Syrie James
December 2010
People of the Book by Geraldine March
January 2011
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
February 2011
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathon Tropper
March 2011
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
April 2011
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
May 2011
The Imperfectionists
June 2011
Wench
July 2011
Beneath a Marble Sky
August 2011
Little Bee
September 2011
The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
October 2011
November 2011
Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
December 2011
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
January 2012
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
February 2012
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
March 2012
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
April 2012
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
May 2012
Faith by Jennifer Haigh
June 2012
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
July 2012
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
August 2012
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
September 2012
Mudbound by Hilary Jordan
October 2012
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
November 2012
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
December 2012
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
January 2013
The Gap Year by Sarah Bird
February 2013
Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson, reviewed HERE
March 2013
Waiting by Ha Jin, reviewed HERE
April 2013
The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow
May 2013
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
June 2013
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Steadman
July 2013
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
I love that you list your book club selections here on your blog – I may have to steal this idea!
What a great idea to post your book club’s book choices on your blog! My real life book club read a lot of these titles in 2007 also. I’m on to read your 2008 picks next
Great blog! I would like to suggest a few more books that your club might enjoy:
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain is terrific, as is her most recent novel, Before the Storm.
I also thoroughly enjoyed “The Year of Fog” by Michelle Richmond.
[...] Book Club Picks [...]
I had no idea that you read Loving Frank in the book club. I’m reading that right now.
Did you like it?
Great list! What did your group make of Life of Pi?
Greetings,
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Peter Nagy
I have read almost every one of these books either by my own choosing or the book clubs I belong to.
Great idea to post them for new ideas….I see a few I need to “check” out.
THANKS.
I found several of your reviews were spot on with what our book club thought about the books! Thanks for posting the reviews. I can’t help but notice that your club reviews ended in July of 09. Will you be posting more reviews?
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