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</p>
<p>Once you’ve read the book, be sure and come back and tell us your opinion of it! This thread may give you a lot to think about.</p>
<p>XU2011----you must come back and share your English class topics of discussion about this book- promise?</p>
<p>Ignatius- I now understand why you may have been more tuned in to Mccann’s Irish tone.</p>
<p>Mary13- your mother may have been harboring a fugitive, but more likey a brave, caring, hero to many back during a very dark period in US history. The Vietnam war was very divisive war. Immoral, too. </p>
<p>Ironic that Josh was hired to use his computer skills to accurately access the death toll during the Vietnam War. We now know that those numbers were purposely manipulated by the Nixon Administration to mislead the public. </p>
<p>Mary13, tell your mother she is a wonderful person :)</p>
<p>I hope I didn’t just give my own mother up to the FBI by posting that story :rolleyes:. But since it was 45 years ago, I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations has passed :).</p>
<p>ignatius, I’m with you re “dark,” “gloomy,” and “horrific.” Here are a few other less dark (I think?) possibilities from SJCM’s link, to add to the two you mentioned above:</p>
<p>Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
These is My Words by Nancy Turner</p>
<p>Feedback from one and all would be welcome!</p>
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</p>
<p>I meant to indicate that I was fine with any of the remaining 16 out of the top 20 on the link + the other two I mentioned. Other suggestions are fine too - I just tried to remember previously considered books and The Forgotten Garden and The Postmistress popped to mind immediately.</p>
<p>Sorry, don’t have any suggestions for next book.
Perhaps someone who has read those listed above would share their opinions ?</p>
<p>Mary13, whatever you, and others, decide is fine by me!</p>
<p>I’ve read Glass Castle and enjoyed it as did my book club. I loved the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. My suggestion is one I saw advertised in the NYT- The Woman Who Fell From the Sky by Jennifer Steil. It is about a journalist living in Yemen. It sounded intriguing to me.</p>
<p>Have also read “Glass Castle.” Enjoyed it well enough – made me appreciate my incredibly normal (boring?) upbringing.</p>
<p>Well, let’s not do The Glass Castle then. Since it’s a 2006 release, I have a feeling that there are a lot of people out there who have already read it. So here’s the list of possibilities for this round, culled from previous posts. If anyone feels strongly pro or con regarding any of these choices, please share: </p>
<p>Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
These is My Words by Nancy Turner
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Woman who Fell from the Sky by Jennifer Steil</p>
<p>Also, periodically I list the books we’ve already read, for newcomers who might want to know what titles have been discussed previously. Here’s our history:</p>
<p>2009:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html</a> (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/739173-dreamers-day-july-cc-summer-book-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/739173-dreamers-day-july-cc-summer-book-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/756770-sarah-s-key-august-cc-summer-book-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/756770-sarah-s-key-august-cc-summer-book-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/775489-american-wife-october-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/775489-american-wife-october-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/802971-thirteenth-tale-december-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/802971-thirteenth-tale-december-cc-book-club-selection.html</a></p>
<p>2010:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/839908-help-february-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/839908-help-february-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/874004-shadow-wind-april-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/874004-shadow-wind-april-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/921062-elegance-hedgehog-june-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/921062-elegance-hedgehog-june-cc-book-club-selection.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/950434-let-great-world-spin-august-cc-book-club-selection.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/950434-let-great-world-spin-august-cc-book-club-selection.html</a></p>
<p>Since others have sometimes mentioned preferring choice of edition, I checked the titles listed. I don’t own a kindle, but I remember that more than one person hoped for the option previously. Checking the availability of the various options possibly narrows the choices listed.</p>
<p>Available in hardback, paperback, and kindle:</p>
<p>The Forgotten Garden</p>
<p>These Is My Words</p>
<p>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet <em>Kindle edition only - $6.49</em></p>
<p>Cutting for Stone <em>Caveat - close to 700 pages</em></p>
<p>I also discovered that my library system does not have a copy of The Woman Who Fell from the Sky. Surprising! I live in one of the largest cities in the U.S. and never have trouble just requesting a library book. It sounds good - thanks for the suggestion, Onward - but I think limited availability might be a problem: no (?) library option, no paperback, and Kindle price $14.30.</p>
<p>Happy here with any choice made.</p>
<p>^^ The Woman Who Fell From the Sky is probably too new. Maybe we can do it next year when it comes out in paperback.</p>
<p>Cutting for Stone is long, but it’s a quick read. It’s a bit melodramatic in places but the story is interesting, and the glimpse of life in another culture (Ethiopia) is fascinating.</p>
<p>Thanks for doing the research, ignatius. I especially like the Kindle availability because my husband and kids just gave me a Kindle for my birthday! I’m looking forward to using it (except I’ll be frustrated when I want to share a book—we do a lot of passing around of books in my family, but now I’m the only Kindle owner).</p>
<p>Anyway…our list of possibilities is narrowed down to:</p>
<p>Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
These is My Words by Nancy Turner
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton</p>
<p>All are in the reasonably priced ballpark ($10 and under). Is anyone particularly inclined toward one of the above titles? I haven’t read any of the books and would be delighted with whatever choice is made. I’m happy to let the poster with the strongest opinion make the selection. Otherwise, I’ll just be throwing the four names into a hat and asking my parakeet to pick one out.</p>
<p>“Cutting for Stone” is on the list for another (real life) book group I’m in. I wouldn’t mind “killing two birds with one stones,” as the saying goes.</p>
<p>I thought of Tillie and Jazzlyn when I read this. If Jazzlyn lived, would her two young daughters eventually ended up working the streets themselves? (Note the charge also for possession of heroin.)</p>
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<p>Tragic and another reason why LTGWS rings so true, then and now. Heartbreaking.</p>
<p>Ignatius-you should send that to Mccan (via his website)</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t be surprised. Poverty, addiction, lack of education, and family history of prostitution are all contributing factors. Jazzlyn’s daughters were born into an environment where all those factors existed. I think, had Jazzlyn lived, her daughters’ lives would have been bleak. Although it was unintended, she truly gave her life for her children, because it was her death that led the girls to Gloria. I wonder: If Jazzlyn had been told by God, “If you die, your daughters will be removed from your world, loved, cared for, educated, and kept safe from harm,” would she have said, “Take me now, Lord!”? I think so.</p>
<p>Haven’t chimed in, as never got around to reading current book.</p>
<p>My bookclub has a few lined up:
October: Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
November: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Skloot
December: Little Bee, Cleeve
January: Mudbound, Hillary Jordan</p>
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<p>I have Water for Elephants on my bedside table. I didn’t mention it because I figured many have read it already. I started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a couple days ago - again I figure many have already read it.</p>
<p>I’m fine with any book chosen. (I guess I approach Cutting for Stone with less enthusiasm than the other books listed due to its length and "medical detail or, in the words of one reviewer, “vivid descriptions of surgery.” On the other hand, the reviews seem overwhelming positive, so if chosen I’ll give it a go.)</p>
<p>The surgery bits were some of my favorites, but then I love that sort of thing. :)</p>
<p>I haven’t read Water for Elephants, so that would suit me fine. On the other hand, I haven’t read Cutting for Stone either, and am not put off by surgery (performed on people that aren’t me :)).</p>
<p>CBBBlinker and ignatius have already expressed their (mild) preferences regarding these two titles–let’s hear from some more of our regular crew of readers: If it comes down to these two books, which would you prefer? SouthJerseyChessMom? BUandBC82? PATheaterMom? Booklady? teriwtt? alwaysamom? whatever4? And anybodyelseImighthavemissed? It’s time for a straw poll!</p>