<p>NJTM: Speaking of recommendations, I believed you suggested The Crimson Petal and the White. I jotted the title down but never got to it. Well, I saw the title again in this week’s Entertainment Weekly in a sidebar (to the article on 50 Shades of Grey) “Hot Books: A History”
</p>
<p>I think I’ll have to move the title higher on my list. ;)</p>
<p>Oh … I am feeling better today. Thanks for asking. My “tired” turned into a migraine but I’m all better now.</p>
<p>Another title to consider</p>
<p>I just returned from my local library … for the second time this month, one of the librarians told me that I must read:</p>
<p>Salmon Fishing in Yemen</p>
<p>(The movie is out now and looks good …)</p>
<p>Ignatius, you might be interested to know that there is a film treatment of The Crimson Petal and the White too. I haven’t seen it, but the BBC is pretty dependable for quality!</p>
<p>[BBC</a> Two - The Crimson Petal and the White](<a href=“http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zxc4d]BBC”>BBC Two - The Crimson Petal and the White)</p>
<p>Okay…pulling together various ideas here: We will not do a classic for June (but keep it in mind for August)…We are entertaining the idea of non-fiction, which the club has not yet tackled…We have some excellent suggestions in the fiction category. Candidates:</p>
<p>Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard</p>
<p>The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey also by Candice Millard</p>
<p>Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell</p>
<p>The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch</p>
<p>The Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Reverte</p>
<p>Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday</p>
<p>The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber</p>
<p>The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje</p>
<p>The Expats by Chris Pavone</p>
<p>Watergate by Thomas Mallon</p>
<p>Well, you can’t say this group doesn’t have eclectic tastes! I haven’t read any of the above. Does anyone want to pare down the list by removing titles that they have no interest in?</p>
<p>The Crimson Petal and the White has starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, BookList - all four. I really do want to read it.</p>
<p>Including some reviews:</p>
<p>Salmon Fishing in Yemen</p>
<p>[Book</a> Reviews - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/salmon_fishing_in_the_yemen/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/salmon_fishing_in_the_yemen/)</p>
<p>Watergate:</p>
<p>[Book</a> Reviews - Watergate by Thomas Mallon](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/watergate/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/watergate/)</p>
<p>Cloud Atlas</p>
<p>[Book</a> Reviews - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell](<a href=“http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/cloud_atlas/]Book”>http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/cloud_atlas/)</p>
<p>I am not dissing any of the other titles … just can’t find them on the Reviews of Books site.
(Expats may be too new.)</p>
<p>From things I have read online about The Fencing Master and The Hangman’s Daughter, I’m afraid neither of those books really appeal to me. A translated book by a foreign author would be a nice choice sometime, though! I’d love to try a Murakami, whom I still haven’t read.</p>
<p>The Crimson Petal and the White is excellent but quite long. I’m not sure I’d be into rereading it for the book club, but given that I was the one who originally suggested it, I certainly wouldn’t veto it.</p>
<p>Would discussions about the Watergate book tend to become too politicial? I mean, it does sound entertaining, but Watergate was sooo complicated that I’ve always sort of gone into brain freeze when trying to keep the facts straight. Somehow, the possibility of a lengthy discussions here of issues like, “the book emphasizes such-and-such, but what about this-and-that other element of the story?” makes me tired just thinking about it.</p>
<p>**Mary13 - That said, if a friend asked me today for a recommendation, I would not be quick to suggest The Bridge of San Luis Rey **</p>
<p>Had the exact thing happen yesterday, when a friend asked if I’d recommend it, and I didn’t. Interesting, but glad I read it, and I always am “enriched” after the CC discussions. A book gets a thorough, in depth review here. </p>
<p>Perhaps it’s fate, but at last month’s “Literature” class I’m taking, the Professor highly recommended Cloud Atlas. So that one might be a good choice. </p>
<p>I’ll try whatever is decided, and thanks to **Ignatius **,NJTheaterMom and others, for suggestions.
I value all these ideas! My kindle is filling with samples from your suggestions.</p>
<p>Yay, your prof recommended Cloud Atlas, SJCM! Your “Literature” class, in quotes, as opposed to real literature, or what, lol?</p>
<p>Good observation, NJTheaterMom.It’s a part of a series of “lifelong learning” or adult education clasess, and meets once a month for six months.
The theme LOL—'Food in Literature" and taught by former Rowan Univ Professor. It’s really quite fun.
As you can see from our reading selections, food is not always very prominent in the selected books.
We read “The Debt to Pleasure”,
“Emma” Jane Austen
“Dubliners” James Joyce, “Babette’s Feast”,
“Like Chocolate for Water”,
and ending with “My Father’s Earth” by Thomas Wolfe (not the author of Bonfire of the Vanities, the other Thomas Wolfe)</p>
<p>^ SJCM, what fun! And you can follow up with some good movies:</p>
<p>[Emma</a> (1996) - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116191/]Emma”>Emma (1996) - IMDb)</p>
<p>[The</a> Dead (1987) - IMDb<a href=“from%20%5Bi%5DThe%20Dubliners%5B/i%5D”>/url</a></p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103994/]Like”>Like Water for Chocolate (1992) - IMDb]Like</a> Water for Chocolate (1992) - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092843/]The”>The Dead (1987) - IMDb)</p>
<p>[Babette's</a> Feast (1987) - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092603/]Babette’s”>Babette's Feast (1987) - IMDb)</p>
<p>Great suggestions! I would love any of them but pretty interested in Destiny of the Republic, Cat’s Table and Cloud Atlas-but happy to read anything!</p>
<p>Mary13, we think alike. I watched all those movies you listed, had to find The Dead (Dubliners) on Amazon streaming. I even suggested to the Prof to consider a class on books to movies.
Just want to add that the movie version of Babette’s Feast is so much better than the short story. There aren’t many times when I would say that, but in that case, it’s striking. </p>
<p>Now back to the regular programming 
next book selection.</p>
<p>I will read any book chosen … hopefully … May looks crowded for me with my three young adults moving out of their current living arrangements and ever onward. Regardless, I do want to try to join you. CC Book Club has spoiled me for my real life one.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Cat’s Table</p></li>
<li><p>Salmon Fishing in Yemen or Cloud Atlas</p></li>
<li><p>Any of the other books listed.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>“The Cat’s Table.”</p></li>
<li><p>“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” or “Cloud Atlas” (maybe we could read “Cloud Atlas” when it gets a little closer to the movie release date and advertising for it has begun).</p></li>
<li><p>Either of the Candice Millard nonfiction books.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>^^ Ignatius’s librarian highly recommended “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” twice, and the movie is already out. </p>
<p>That one is ahead by a nose !</p>
<p>I know, I know … we’re narrowing the list, not adding to it. But Elaine Newton’s Summer 2012 Reading List just came out and I thought I’d share it (usually SJCM posts it so I hope I haven’t jumped the gun). Anyway, I noticed a book we read - State of Wonder, books we’ve considered - The Art of Fielding among others, ones “we” haven’t considered but “I” have -The Sisters Brothers, An Available Man among others. Just thought I’d share:</p>
<p>[Elaine</a> Newton’s 2012 Philharmonic Summer Reading List | Maurice on Books](<a href=“http://mauriceonbooks.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2012/04/09/elaine-newtons-2012-philharmonic-summer-reading-list/]Elaine”>Elaine Newton’s 2012 Philharmonic Summer Reading List | Maurice on Books)</p>
<p>Possibly better link to the list:</p>
<p><a href=“http://thephil.org/education/documents/12-CCSummerReadingList.pdf[/url]”>http://thephil.org/education/documents/12-CCSummerReadingList.pdf</a></p>
<p>I recently read one of the books on that list, “By Blood,” and I liked it so much that I found an earlier novel by the same author and read that too! Both of those Ellen Ullman novels are kind of weird, though – both of them have a central character who is very troubled and psychologically dysfunctional, something that might not be to everybody’s taste. Therefore, I’ve been disinclined to post about them on the other thread. In addition, they are not books that I think would be very good for a book club discussion.</p>
<p>If anybody is interested in an intriguing story and high quality writing and wants to hold their breath and take the plunge, though, I’d recommend both Ullman’s “By Blood” and “Bug.”</p>
<p>Great find ** Ignatius**- completely forgot about Elaine Newton’s list!!</p>
<p>NJTheaterMom " Both of those Ellen Ullman novels are kind of weird, though – both of them have a central character who is very troubled and psychologically dysfunctional,"</p>
<p>Ummmmmmm rather not …(although I just watched three seasons of Breaking Bad via Netflix-twisted stuff)
Just read “The Language of Flowers”- and enjoyed the lighter, upbeat feeling. ( not suggesting for book discussion, just mentioning the “low” brow lighter reading I’ve been doing)</p>
<p>Do we want a book with broad appeal ?</p>
<p>ignatius, nice list. I feel like I read and read, yet I haven’t read anything on there except State of Wonder! FYI, Rules of Civility was highly recommended by someone on the “Best Books” thread. </p>
<p>However, unless there is a last minute entry that brings a groundswell of enthusiasm, it seems to me that for this round, our finalists (in no particular order) are:</p>
<p>The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaajte
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard</p>
<p>PATheatreMOM, ignatius and NJTheatreMOM, are the three choices you each listed above ranked? If not, do you want to rank them? SouthJerseyChessMom and any and all lurkers/posters/readers, feel free to rank your preferences!</p>
<p>Yes, I was ranking them. I am actually equally in favor of Cat’s Table (note that it is on the Elaine Newton list!) and Cloud Atlas, but a shorter book would probably be better for Ignatius and maybe others.</p>
<p>Salmon Fishing sounds good, and has the advantage of being short too.</p>