picking a book for book club

We have just had our book group meeting about 'People of the Book' by Geraldine Brooks. We all enjoyed it but found it a bit confusing at times as it goes backward and forward through time and in location. We all learnt a lot from it: a good read!
We have been going for ten years and just have drinks apart from January when we all take food for a New Year feast. It's all ladies, there are eleven of us when we are all there.

Our Book Club has been going for 12 years and I have documented every read, more than 150 books! I am official note taker, we meet in each others homes always with wine, nibbles and chat so the notes are of variable quality, but we always have a lively discussion and lots of fun. We have had divorce,death, grandchildren and celebrations to unite us and we all value our monthly meetings.
Our last read was We are all Completely beside ourselves, our current read is A Week in Paris.

We have been going for about 4 years now & I have the list of all the books we have 'done' with marks out of 10 if anyone wants a copy. Just PM me. I also gets copies of lists from other local groups & we exchange ideas. Did Atonement last month. I chose it for our WW1 book this year & was horrified to open it & remember it actually stars in 1938. Ooops!!

Like the sound of that one we did one called death comes to pemberley by P D James it went down well I found it strangely to be reading about Mr Darcey and all written by someone else

A book I am enjoying immensely at the moment is called Longbourn by Jo Baker. It tells the story of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the servants of the household who each have their own lives to lead. It would be ideal for discussion at a book club because of the characters' different lifestyles and the vast chasm between the classes. It is written in its own style and does not attempt to imitate Pride and Prejudice but will often deal with details that the original novel skirted over. A very readable book.

I agree with you number that Cathy Glass books are worth reading, and she is one of the few authors of 'real life misery stories' that I would bother with. The books are recommended reading for prospective foster carers as they are quite true to life.

Thanks numbers please I have just got your suggestion can't believe its a month since I have been on here I well take a note of your book and see what they think the like to mix the books up and we haven't had one like that we have to change are club night as well as the are cutting the hour for our library so I hope we can still keep it going still in shock it's the 1st November

Does it have to be fiction, or will a true story do? I have just finished Damaged, by Cathy Glass, the true story of a foster mother taking on a very difficult young child, to find later on that she had been abused. It`s a very compelling, and sad, read, but well worth giving a go.

thank you janerowena I have just started the snow child and loving it can't put it down

I have it, but haven't read it yet. I really must.

One of last month's was The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. I found that really tough going, I had to read parts, then dip in elsewhere, then go somewhere else. I really don't seem to cope with gritty family traumas and mental illness very well. I want uplifting and educational and inspiring! I think there's enough misery going on with my own family and friends without adding to it in book form. But as you say, Book Club makes us read things we wouldn't normally touch with a bargepole. Which is a good thing.

However some people do take your criticism of their favourite books very personally so I find it hard to be as rude as I would like about some choices!

The other choice though, The Snow Child, was lovely, even though it too could have been very sad. I would recommend that one, it's beautiful.

I enjoyed it, but felt that as it neared the end I was getting a bit impatient with it!

I found it hard to believe that the media would have given up on Harold completely by the time he attained his goal. I know we were meant to suspend disbelief, but the author had paid such attention to detail in the first part I felt a bit let down somehow.

I enjoyed "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce, was lucky enough to get a free copy from GN when it was included in the GN book club.

What did others think?

I find that if there is unanimity about a book chosen for the book group, there isn't enough to discuss. It's good to have some disagreement to get a good discussion going.

Thank heavens, I thought I was the only person in the world who didn't like Gone Girl!

Thanks for all your idea's we have just read the lonesome heart is angry it was very good set in Ireland we are meeting up on Thursday to chat about it

granniefinn there is a thread on Gone Girl on GN in Bookclub page 4 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Q&A.

You should get a wide range of views from this.

Our book group also read Gone Girl and I don't think a single one of us liked it. As you say, ruby, the characters were all unlikeable. Over the summer we have read The Cuckoo's Calling by JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith. We will meet on Wednesday to discuss it. I've just been reading the sequel, The Silkworm, featuring the same characters.

I didn't really enjoy Gone Girl as I didn't like any of the characters. I did read it all as it was one of our book group books. This month we have read The Getting of Wisdom. I have enjoyed it, a story of growing up in Australia. I might not be able to go to the meeting but will send my opinion in any case.

Am I the only person to have hated 'Gone Girl' gave up a third of the way through. When I went onto to Amazon Reviews I found I was not alone.

A really lovely light one is The Guernsey literary and potato peel society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows. I chose it and everyone loved it. Much to my relief.

Have done Angela's ashes thanks it went down well will look up 10 year nap thanks have just finished the husbands secret it was very good think it's a toss up between them any more idea's let me know I love to read all sorts

suebailey - we choose two a month, one an intellectual and one a light read, to keep everyone happy. It works really well. We don't force people to read both, you could suggest it?

Gone Girl was our light read a few months ago - almost everyone loved it, so I think it would be a good choice. Only one of us had already read it.

That's the other problem, quite often two or three of us have already read the books.

I think Gone Girl is the best cliffhanger book i.e. one that keep you reading for a long time. We read it in Book Club recommended by the one woman who read crime fiction and all tought we woud hated but we gave it the best review we have ever done. Anglea's Ashes is not for me- too depressing. I have juts discovered a new author to me - Meg Wolitzer. I'm reading The 10 Year Nap- beautifully written, witty and insightful - about a group of career women who leave work to raise their children- a great read.

I recently left the Book Club as we had strayed into competitive selection - i.e. people recommending books which they thought it made them look intellectual! [sad} read what you enjoy.

What about Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt?

My aunt was reading it in hospital this week and her consultant asked her how she was getting on with it and said everyone should read it. I was just looking it up on our local library site to try and borrow a copy.