The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - The last meeting we had via Zoom. This generally went over well with my book club members and some of them chose it as their favorite of the year. I just remember feeling really melancholy by the end of the whole thing and a very heated discussion about whether or not it was a happy ending (pretty divided, actually, which probably says more about the mindset of the reader than the writer).
The Overstory by Richard Powers - Our first face-to-face meeting! I remember crying when I first got there and we all hugged one another, even though we aren't a hugging group. This book is definitely in the contention for favorite of the year by most people. I really think the first 150 pages or so have superior writing and I think about this book a lot.
A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum - I have no memories of this book and as I read through my review, I did not like it. Ha!
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - This was absolutely my favorite pick of the year. It was not as universally loved as The Overstory, but it sparked an excellent discussion. There was a moment when a woman named Laura hesitantly said, "...I don't think I read it like the rest of you" and came up with this absolutely insane, but well-constructed argument, about the plot of the book. So much smart reading. I love my book club.
Amnesty by Aravind Adiga - Sad, sad book. Also, it seems like it was quite forgettable based on the number of "what is that book about again?" questions in our discussion about books this year. I personally think the hopelessness of the issues in this book make it quite memorable, but I was definitely in the minority.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner - Another interesting discussion. Much faux-planning of a trip to London so that we could all go mudlarking and stumble upon some historical mystery we would (obviously) solve in a few days.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman - Such divergent readings of this one. Our discussion wasn't exactly the smartest, but it was fun to hear the people who read it as an audiobook pull up the different characters' voices. I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a book club since it didn't really spark a ton of discourse, but I would generally recommend it, as long as you're okay with reading about mental illness and suicide.
I've only read 2 of these books - Anxious People and Addie LaRue. I read Addie LaRue last December during the sleepless haze of the newborn phase so I did not like it as much as I think I would have if I was sleeping better/had a clearer mind. My book club just had our last meeting of the year last night via zoom. We met via zoom except for the warmer summer months when we could meet at a park. I don't mind zoom meet-ups because of the convenience factor, but I did enjoy when we could meet in person! Last night we discussed Caste which we all really liked. In 2021, we picked books by BIPOC authors and a lot of what we read was VERY HEAVY AND SERIOUS so I want to try to pick something lighter for 2022.
ReplyDeleteI've only read Anxious People! I'm curious to read Piranesi, and I was thinking about the Overstory but I just read your review and...no. I think it would be too depressing.
ReplyDeleteAh, so many books out there to read... I've only heard of one of these (Anxious People), but haven't read that one yet either.
ReplyDeleteWe read Addie Larue for my book club, too! That was a 5-star read for me. I really loved it! It got mixed reviews, which made for a pretty lively discussion.
ReplyDeleteTwo of these books I abandoned (Piranesi and Anxious People). I recently heard Piranesi described as a murder mystery and that intrigues me a LOT to want to try to give it another shot. The fantasy elements were just so far out there for me. And I need to go back to Anxious People. I really hated it when I read it originally and gave up after 80 or so pages, but everyone says the ending is so worth it!
Sarah Penner is a local author and I've wanted to try her book, but I've heard really mixed reviews so I'm not sure about it.
Anyway, I really liked how you recapped your book club books! Our book club was off-and-on this year. It was a tough year for the woman who leads our book club, and I've quickly realized how easily we fall apart if she's not at the helm!
Based on your review I keep thinking I should try Piranesi but... not sure I would like it. I guess that's why they have e-book samples...
ReplyDeleteAlso? I love how you describe how the group reacted to the book, and the differences among the book club members. It really highlights how reading is an individual experience, and someone else's experience may not be the same as yours.