Some books I’ve read this month that I’ve enjoyed and I think would make good book club books:
Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
The Nest - Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
The Women in the Castle - Jessica Shattuck
^ @mathmom, you are right. I completely forgot that A Spool of Blue Thread was by Anne Tyler. I don’t mind repeating an author (although I think we have yet to do that), but I think we can eliminate her for this round.
True. So maybe it would have been interesting to see one of them learn the exact date of their death and then proceed with joy rather than despair. Fulfillment, satisfaction with the life they’ve led, contentment with family and friends.
I have read “Clock Dance,” and although I didn’t love it, it still might provoke an interesting discussion.
Current contenders:
The Nix by Nathan Hill
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories by Penelope Lively
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
If you’re happy with the list, it’s probably short enough to vote (round 1 anyway). If you’re not, we can continue to revise. Don’t forget that in addition to new releases and old classics, we can always add selections from the “books-I-missed-along-the-way” category. (For example, my daughter’s book club just chose Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson [1994]).
For my curiosity about a new-to-me writer, I’m casting my top vote for Penelope Lively.
I have read and would be happy to discuss Eleanor Oliphant, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, and The Nix.
Would gladly read the others if the group goes for one of them.
As I’ve previously stated, I’m up for almost anything. That said, I’m not sure I’ll get a chance to finish a l-o-n-g book by Dec. 1. Somehow the fall always gets away from me… On the plus side, at least for me, I have my RL Book Club and an online Book Club just started by my undergrad alma mater reading the same book for November 15th – “Educated” by Tara Westover.
i loved Educated. I literally couldn’t put it down – I read it in two days. It makes The Glass Castle look like a fairy tale.
I’m excited about reading Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I have the first from the library now and I am already on the waitlist for the second.
I think The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories by Penelope Lively sounds interesting. The other two are not top choices for me personally but I’m ok if we, as a group, choose either one.
I want to mention that I recently finished reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (got this earlier than I expected from the library last week) and absolutely enjoyed both books.
- *The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories* or *The Nix* or *Spinning Silver* - in no particular order.
- *The Great Believers* or *The Heart's Invisible Furies*
- *Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine* - I put this last only because I've already read it but I have no problem with a reread. If chosen, I'm good to go.
@Mary13: I think you missed @doschicos post #120 (though I’ve read The Nest and think it’s too similar to The Immortalists - four dysfunctional siblings …)
Yes, it is about dysfunctional sibling but much, much better IMO. And the characters are much more self-reflective and relatable, IMO.
I did miss @doschicos post – I was probably typing while she was posting. I expanded the list to include a couple of her suggestions. I also added Educated. I know that makes things more complicated, but where’s the fun in simplicity?
The Nix by Nathan Hill
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories by Penelope Lively
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
The Great Believers
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Educated by Tara Westover
The additions may or may not change the opinions of those who have already listed their favorites. Let’s do this:
- If any of the above are vetoes – not your thing, you’ve read it, you don’t care for the subject matter, etc. – speak and the title shall be removed.
- List your top three choices (I see the easy-to-please @ignatius managed to slip six titles into her top three).
Maybe the lists will lead us to a general consensus. If not, I’ll eliminate titles based on completely random and perhaps illogical criteria. 
Eleanor Oliphant
The Nix
The purple Swamp Hen
( in no particular order )
I’m having a hard time absorbing myself in a novel, so I could really use extra direction this time. Whatever is chosen is fine with me - just take me away from the news and reality!
Spinning Silver (that would be a VERY different choice for me)
Eleanor Oliphant (although I finished it last week, I would happily re-listen).
The others? Not sure. I skimmed descriptions and reviews on Amazon, and it was a mix of “that might be a good read” to “huh, not sure if I’m going to like that one” – but nothing strong enough to either veto or root for.
Anything terrific in the YA category to recommend? (sorry for the tangent @Mary13 )
@Midwest67 I don’t know if this is YA or not but it’s shortlisted for the National Book Award under Young People’s Literature (making it YP instead of YA, right? 
). Anyway my librarian daughter just mentioned it last week as being good.
^ @ignatius, which book are you referring to?
Oops: M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin: The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
Others have mentioned some inconsistencies in the book - either errors for the time period or just careless writing/editing. I agree that they detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Here are a few I noticed as I read that haven’t been mentioned, as I page through the book before returning it to the library:
page 186: The colonel calls Daniel a “special f-bomb snowflake”. I had to page back when reading to confirm that it was supposed to be 2006 not 2016. That insult (which I hate) wasn’t being used back then to my knowledge.
Bottom of page 232:
“Her hair (Ruby) is a bulbous bird’s nest of a bun”
Top of page 233:
“Ruby flicks her hair over one shoulder”
Oh, and more good Raj quotes/observations about the Gold family, this time to Daniel on page 241:
“I barely know you. No one in your family welcomed me. You treated me like I was trespassing, like I’d never be good enough for Klara. For the Golds - the precious, entitled, long-suffering Golds.”
and
“So you’ve been through some tragedy. No one’s denying it. But that is not the life you are living now. The aura os stale. The story, Daniel, is stale. You can’t let go of it, because if you did, you wouldn’t be a victim anymore. But there are millions of people still living in oppression. I came from them. And those people can’t live in the past. They can’t live in their heads. They don’t have the luxury.”
I think Raj was the most realistic character in the book. The story IS stale.
OK, I’ll vote this time!
1st tier: Heart’s Invisible Furies, Educated, Women in the Castle
2nd tier: Eleanor Oliphant, Purple Swamp Hen, Little Fires Everywhere
@mathmom, I’m surprised – if I recall correctly, you aren’t usually a fan of short stories.