<p>Those are great suggestions, PlantMom.</p>
<p>A couple of quick comments on your list. I have read Room, and although I liked it I would not really want to read it again.</p>
<p>I have read Passage to India at least twice. I adore it, and would very happily read it again.</p>
<p>I’m a big fan of Louise Erdrich and wish more people would read her. I have not read The Painted Drum and would love to see it selected.</p>
<p>Awww, Ignatius you might not join us in April??</p>
<p>There’s lots to talk about in Passage to India - the book is much more complex than the movie. Another thing I’ve been meaning to do forever is to read something by Salman Rushdie or some other author who can speak to the other side of the colonial experience.</p>
<p>mathmom some of Rushdie’s books are a lot more appealing than others. Midnight’s Children is terrific. I recently recommended it to a friend, and she really liked it.</p>
<p>Rushdie also wrote a book of stories called East, West that could be a good place to start.</p>
<p>My two favorite novels about India written by Indians are A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. The first is quite long, but incredibly rewarding. The second has some very haunting, poignant content but is just superb.</p>
<p>I’ve owned A Suitable Boy forever. I know my Mom liked it, she gave it to me after she was done with it, though her main comments were about having just made it through the length! The only book I’ve read of Rushdie’s is Haroun and the Sea of Stories. It was okay, but I wasn’t moved to go read more adult stuff from him. My sil almost wrote her dissertation about Rushdie which is part of the reason I always thought I should give him a chance.</p>
<p>Haroun is okay. It was written for his son. His adult work is a lot quirkier and edgier…more fun.</p>
<p>ignatius! Swamplandia! Lol. Based on what you’ve said, I withdraw Swamplandia from consideration. As much as I would love to read the spoiler, I will not, because I have to read this book, and soon, since S1’s GF gave it to me for Christmas. She and S1 are coming to visit for spring break, and I’d like to have something to say. At least forewarned, I will look for positives while I’m reading.</p>
<p>NJTM, yes, I too think Rohinton Mistry’s work is excellent. </p>
<p>I so appreciate suggestions for reading material (thank you again for all the great discussion of Possession!), and like psychmom, I will follow the herd. I received a book-a-day calendar for Christmas, and based on one day’s recommendation, I’m reading An American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin which is a bit fluffy after Possession, but entertaining. My book group here is reading On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes by Alexandra Horowitz; about being more present, and opening our eyes or seeing things through those of others. So many books, so much to think about, never enough time!</p>
<p>ignatius: I didn’t like Swamplandia!, either (it was the selection in another book group, and that seemed to be the general consensus). Creepiness presented as colorful. Room wouldn’t be tops on my list, either, but I know lots of people who’ve liked it.</p>
<p>Crossing to Safety sounds good–and I’ve also always wanted to read Stegner’s Angle of Repose, but maybe people have already read that one? I haven’t read Rushdie and only know Passage to India from the movie, so those have appeal, too.</p>
<p>I’ve read *Crossing to Safety<a href=“liked%20it,%20but%20don’t%20remember%20it%20well”>/I</a> and always wanted to read *Angle of Repose *too.</p>
<p>Years ago, after Crossing, I read Angle of Repose, but remember not liking it nearly as much as I had Crossing to Safety. It was a slower read for me–not as engaging. But that may be different now.</p>
<p>Hoping my lesson in italicizing was effective…</p>
<p>Can’t help myself here: I’m recommending two books I recently read - both published within the last six months or so. </p>
<p>*The Art Forger</p>
<p>The Orchardist*</p>
<p>I liked both and I think either - though not classics - could sustain discussion. The Art Forger is the quicker read of the two. And we put the The Stockholm Octavo up for consideration last time around. I still want to read it … but again ignore me. :o</p>
<p>NJTM: My daughter marries in April and yes it is a big wedding - I don’t know how that happened. I plan to give joining you guys a shot but it really depends on the book … and even then I can’t guarantee that I can find the time. Know that if I don’t join you, I will faithfully lurk. Kudos, of course, to our faithful leader Mary but also to SJCM who has participated since the first book. I think she might be the only one to have never missed a discussion (besides Mary) - though feel free to correct me.</p>
<p>Reading is my form of relaxation so as I complain about my upcoming lack of down time, know that I requested *Movie Shoes<a href=“thanks%20%5BB%5Dmathmom%5B/B%5D”>/I</a> and *14<a href=“thanks%20%5BB%5Dpsychmom%5B/B%5D”>/I</a> from the library. I have so little self-control.</p>
<p>I’m coming late to the discussion-and am so happy with whatever you all pick for the next selection!
FINALLY finished Possession-I loved it. I havent read anyone’s comments yet-always enjoy them and looking forward to it.</p>
<p>I’m sure your daughter’s wedding will be wonderful, Ignatius. Congratulations to her…and you.</p>
<p>The Orchardist sounds pretty good. Rather long, but good.</p>
<p>ignatius, Congrats and best wishes on your D’s upcoming wedding!
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<p>SouthJerseyChessMom missed one discussion. I’ve almost forgiven her. I just need a little more time. ;)</p>
<p>Seriously, though, she has been my invaluable partner since 2009, keeping things moving along for all of us, especially during my various cross-country, internet-free road trips. Thanks SJCM!</p>
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</p>
<p>Yes, she does! And now we have quite a few. Swamplandia is out, however. (By the way ignatius, I loved your ingenious spoiler alert system.)</p>
<p>I am also removing Room because if NJTheatreMOM or anyone else is going to re-read a book, I want it to be an enthusiastic re-read. And I am removing The Dirty Life because of the non-fiction aspect. We have talked about doing a combo at some point, pairing a non-fiction with a related fiction, but that’s still on our agenda and probably too big a chunk of reading for April (especially with ignatius otherwise occupied). </p>
<p>Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck</p>
<p>Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner</p>
<p>The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro</p>
<p>The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin</p>
<p>The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich </p>
<p>A Passage to India by E.M. Forster</p>
<p>The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald </p>
<p>The World As We Know It by Joseph Monninger</p>
<p>A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth</p>
<p>A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry</p>
<p>Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie</p>
<p>East, West by Salman Rushdie</p>
<p>I’m not entirely sure how many of the above were suggestions for our next read or recommendations thrown out conversationally. So if you want to help me pare down the list by saying, “No, thank you” to any of them right off the bat, that would be helpful.</p>
<p>^^^ Throw </p>
<p>The Stockholm Octavo </p>
<p>into the mix. I remember this post fromEmmyBet as we left The Glass Room:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>though I don’t know if she’s still interested.</p>
<p>Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck</p>
<p>Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner</p>
<p>The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro</p>
<p>The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin</p>
<p>The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich </p>
<p>A Passage to India by E.M. Forster</p>
<p>The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald </p>
<p>The World As We Know It by Joseph Monninger</p>
<p>A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth</p>
<p>A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry</p>
<p>Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie</p>
<p>East, West by Salman Rushdie</p>
<p>The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann</p>
<p>I’m not sure about keeping Rushdie on the list. It’s been so long since I’ve read Midnight’s Children that I’d hesitate to recommend it unreservedly.</p>
<p>I recommended it to my friend because she had recently read Rushdie’s autobiographical Joseph Anton, and I recommended it to mathmom because she mentioned an interest in Rushdie.</p>
<p>The person I know who has read Midnight’s Children sometimes posts here. Maybe if she sees this discussion she could weigh in on whether she thinks it would be a good selection.</p>
<p>East, West is a book of stories and might not lend itself as well to discussion as a novel.</p>
<p>Most of the books sound great to me, although I’m a bit lukewarm on The Art Forger, based on reviews.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about The Beautiful and the Damned. After finally (!) reading Gatsby a few years ago and loving it, I tried Tender is the Night. Unlike Gatsby, it seemed awfully dated. The Beautiful and the Damned is supposedly rather similar to Tender is the Night…</p>
<p>I forgot to say that though A Suitable Boy is one of my favorite books, with a special place in my heart, it really is too long for a book club. It’s over 1400 pages!</p>
<p>And it’s not available on Kindle, for those who mind that.</p>
<p>Maybe you have to have a special interest in India, and to have done a little bit of other reading about it, to really love the book. I don’t know.</p>
<p>I’m certainly not the only person who is very, very fond of it, though.</p>
<p>I agree A Suitable Boy is too long, but I do want to read it eventually. :)</p>
<p>Good edits. I’ll leave The Art Forger on for the time being, in case someone else has a rave review.</p>
<p>Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck</p>
<p>Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner</p>
<p>The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro</p>
<p>The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin</p>
<p>The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich </p>
<p>A Passage to India by E.M. Forster</p>
<p>The World As We Know It by Joseph Monninger</p>
<p>A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry</p>
<p>The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann</p>