I’m good with any of the books though I admit to not liking Blake Crouch’s first book Dark Matter. Recursion is bottom of the list for me though for that reason.
I’ve read Eleanor but - like SJCM - am fine with it as the next selection. It’s been a year and half since I read it, so no problem. It’s upbeat without being too much so (i.e. food for thought) and a quick easy read.
I haven’t read Eleanor but, from reading the Amazon blurb, it sounds fun.
Elinor is a 24 week wait at our library 
Maybe we can find a book similar in tone to Eleanor Oliphant that no one (or almost no one) has read and that might be easier to find at the library. I don’t know if there is anything here of interest, but I clicked on this link and was quite amused to find that the first book on the list is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and the last book is Little Women: https://bookriot.com/2018/12/07/books-that-make-you-happy/
Or we could completely forget what I said about avoiding a classic and read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens or a book of O. Henry stories that includes The Gift of the Magi.
Or, just for fun, everybody could go look at their own bookshelves and come back with the title of one book they’ve been really meaning to read for a time, but have just never gotten around to. That would be an interesting smorgasbord to choose from.
We’re not much of a sci-fi crowd, but the book I’m currently reading is more of an alternative history. The premise is that a meteoroid hits earth in 1952 and will set off serious global warming. Earth has only a finite amount of time before the oceans will begin to boil - so the space race goes on fast-forward. Our heroine is a calculator (like the ones in * Hidden Figures*) but she really wants to be an astronaut. It’s a lot of fun. I’m pretty sure it has a happy ending. (Since it’s a prequel to a novella that was actually written first.) It actually has a lot of interesting things to talk about as issues of racism and sexism are dealt with pretty extensively. It’s also seriously hard to put down. Highly recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/Calculating-Stars-Lady-Astronaut-Novel-ebook/dp/B0756JH5R1 It got both a Hugo and Nebula award which does not happen often.
Just off the top of my head, some suggestions for our next book.
How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper was recommended to me at the library as similar to Eleanor Oliphant… That may be a good substitute for EO since many of us have read EO.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Alone-Richard-Roper-ebook/dp/B07JLG5GVB/
Three Men in a Boat. I try to reread one old favorite every month. This month, I’m hoping to get to Three Men in a Boat if I finish all the books that are currently piled up on my nightstand.
It isn’t very long, is light and humorous, and perhaps will fit the requirement of a happy book.
I’m up for reading O. Henry stories anytime. A Christmas Carol isn’t my favorite Charles Dickens book but it is appropriate for the season.
And finally, I think the book mathmom suggested would be an interesting choice. But then I enjoy science fiction and fantasy.
I also like @mathmom’s suggestion.
And I still want to read The Great Believers.
I like @mathmom’s suggestion as well. And you know me, I’m up for any book that begins with an apocalyptic disaster.
@AnAsmom, I never heard of Three Men in a Boat; it sounds like fun (and is a Gutenberg freebie). One of the book’s fans on Amazon suggested pairing it with To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis):
That would be a light-hearted duo! However, I’m afraid it might be too much for December, as Willis’ book is long (500 pages). Maybe a possible choice for February?
I’m leaning toward The Calculating Stars for this round. It’s almost impossible to fulfill all the requirements for December (one book, not depressing, not too long, preferably a newer release rather than a classic, not yet read by anyone, and easily available), but this one comes darn close. All in favor, say “aye.” (Actually, @mathmom, @AnAsmom, and @ignatius already did say “aye.”)
Aye ?
Aye!
Short wait for that one. Sounds good.
@Mary13 The pairing of Jerome K. Jerome’s book with the modern day book by Connie Willis sounds like a great idea. I will keep that project for another month (perhaps it will be our February choice) - I have no time this month to read a 500 page tome in addition to the ones I have on loan from the library (which, I don’t know why ?, they seem to want back).
I’m looking forward to reading * The Calculating Stars* and hope?it will be our December book. It is in our library and no waitlist.
Just put Calculating Stars on hold - an apocalypse that isn’t a teen book? A female mathematician? Sounds good to me!
Also as a side note, re female mathematicians, I loved The Mathematician’s Shiva. https://www.amazon.com/Mathematicians-Shiva-Novel-Stuart-Rojstaczer/dp/0143126318/ref=nodl_
I just placed a hold on The Calculating Stars also.
As usual, thanks @Mary13 for leading the discussion.
As for my “bedside table” books at the moment: Little Women and Behind a Mask, or A Woman’s Power. I’m add some thoughts to this thread once I finish.
I’m also reading The Haunting of Hill House for a real life book club and, upcoming for the same club, Fahrenheit 451.
This was one of our quieter discussions. I wonder why …
I’ve read the Connie Willis book and liked it a lot - I always meant to read the Three Men in a Boat, but haven’t yet.
Regarding the discussion we never really address some of the possible discussion questions. For example " The last two chapters find Jo setting aside her budding literary career to run a school with her husband. Why do you think Alcott made her strongest feminine figure sacrifice her own life plans for her husband’s?" This has always bothered me, except somehow I feel sure that once that school is established surely Jo will go back to writing - perhaps books that the children would like. I can’t remember if there is anything to support that view in Little Men or Jo’s Boys. Does anyone remember?
I also thought this question was interesting: “Consider Jo’s writing: While we are treated to citations from “The Pickwick Portfolio” and the family’s letters to one another, we are never presented with an excerpt from Jo’s many literary works, though the text tells us they are quite successful. Why is this?” We got a peek at the sort of writing it might be by reading Behind the Mask. I can guess that one reason we don’t see it, is that Little Womenis supposed to be a wholesome book young people can read.
I’m going to read up a little on transcendentalism. I was a fan in high school, but can’t remember much about why any more.
Well, I’m #2 on our library’s waitlist, so that should be good timing.
Is it The Calculating Stars, then?
Yes, The Calculating Stars it is!
Yes, she becomes a famous writer. There’s a chapter in Jo’s Boys which is all about her obessive fans coming to visit/steal souvenirs, and Jo masquerading as her own maid when one turns up unexpectedly.
Yes, Jo becomes a successful writer:
The above quote is from an excellent piece about the parallels between Jo’s literary career and Louisa May’s: https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/jo-march-literary-lodestar
We’re just waiting for you to finish the books. 
Seriously though, I think that is sometimes a risk with choosing a classic. Every scholar in the world has already done the thinking for me, so I end up reading lots of analyses and posting links, but don’t pick apart the text on my own the way I tend to do with a new book.
Also, Little Women, being a children’s / YA novel, is not particularly controversial. It’s dated in some of its ideas and ahead of its time in others, but for the most part, it’s “wholesome,” as @mathmom pointed out. And Mr. Dashwood would be the first to say that wholesomeness doesn’t generate a lot of discussion. I guess if we’re going to discuss a classic, it’s best if it has an insane wife being hidden in the attic.