My in-person book club has met eight times this year. Here's what we read this year and what I thought about them as a book club book.
Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel #1) by Connie Willis - What a good book. What a good book club conversation starter. Also, it's like Willis is a time traveler herself with the way she wrote about a fictional pandemic. There is time travel, so if that's off limits for someone in your group, perhaps you should consider a different book. Even my book club folks who aren't into science fiction/fantasy liked this one, though.
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes - This felt like homework to me, but I feel that way about all mythological retellings. I say skip it.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich - I don't think Erdrich is the right author for me. I found this interminable. It didn't really spark much discussion, either.
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Wells - My review at the time was "The most "meh" of books I've probably ever read. Book club pick that we deeply regretted because it sparked very little conversation. I have very few memories of this book outside of being deeply disappointed in the main character all the time.
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal - I missed this book club. I liked the setting, but there were too many character POVs and time jumps for me to settle in with anyone.
We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate - The book itself is whatever, but the true story was fascinating. Sparked a really interesting discussion, including that two of of book club members themselves were adopted from homes like this in North Carolina.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - Why did we go back to reading Erdrich again? We never learn, I guess. I love Erdrich's Twin Cities settings, I have to admit, but I don't really have it in me to read about the COVID pandemic - maybe I never will. I missed book club, though, because I was sick, but I heard the discussion about it was okay.
Euphoria by Lily King - I didn't care for this book, but it did elicit a great discussion. I think it's a good book club choice.
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Do you go to an in-person book club? If so, what's a good book you read for it recently?
Jeannette Walls is the author of the Glass Castle, right? I have a visceral reaction, just thinking about that book. Not a good reaction.
ReplyDeleteYes, she did write The Glass Castle. I haven't read that one, though.
DeleteI never thought I would say this, but I kind of want to give an in person book club a shot. The reason that I've never joined one is exactly what you have here - 8 books, and of those one was great and the rest didn't hit. I feel like the club might end up feeling like "homework" - but if I don't try it then I'll never know.
ReplyDeleteIt does sort of feel like homework, but it's worth it to me to have fun conversations about books. Sometimes the best discussions come about with books I don't love. Plus, it does force me to read books I normally would not read and that's a way to really grow my personal reading practice.
DeleteI've never belonged to an in-person book club. I do have the same reservations as Birchie, but I would be willing to try it. I just don't think I know enough people who like to read, to actually be able to form a club. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteDoes your library have a book club you could join? Ours has one, but it meets during the day when I'm working, so I've never been able to make that work. There have to be ways to meet other bookish people!
DeleteI liked The Glass Castle but found Hang The Moon was not as good. As for the others, I liked Before We Were Yours, thought Euphoria was okay, did not love The Sentence and DNFed A Thousand Ships. How do you guys pick books?
ReplyDeleteI have done an in person book club and I really enjoyed it. I was in one when I lived in New Orleans where we read books about New Orleans and I learned a lot! Plus I got to meet some interesting people. I actually did a book club when I was living in Instanbul and I cannot remember the book, but it was a great way to meet people!
We pick books for the next month at the end of our meetings. It's pretty democratic, but I will veto a lot of books because they're not easily accessible by library or because I don't want to read another book about World War II or the pandemic. Like, I think Tom Lake has been bandied about multiple times, but I just refuse to read it. LOL.
DeleteWhoa, 2 Erdrich novels in 1 year! I have come to accept that Erdrich is not for me. I did like The Sentence but that's the only book that has worked for me. The others were such a slog and I was so glad when they were done.
ReplyDeleteI've been in a book club for 10 years now! In years past, I rarely missed a book club meeting but this year, I barely attended any meetings because of my work travel. We are adjusting the meetings from the last Wed to the first Wed so that I can attend more as I rarely travel during the first week of the month. Looking at the list of books, I have to say it was not the strongest year for our club. I didn't LOVE anything we read, including the book I selected (Shark Heart). Here's hoping next year is a better year!
I don't think we've ever repeated an author in twenty-plus years of my book club. I like Louise Erdrich, though. I liked Connie Willis back when I read Doomsday book, but it all went badly off the rails for me later on - even though I love time travel books. I also didn't love The Glass Castle. We just read a really good book - Mayflies, set in Scotland - for this week, but I don't know if I can make it to the meeting, which is crappy.
ReplyDelete