The Story of Arthur Truluv - October CC Book Club Selection

Parent Cafe
101

Thank you for suggesting books.

I’ve read The Ministry of Time as have a couple of my friends. We all gave it a :+1:. It would be an interesting choice.

I also started to suggest Enlightenment and God of the Woods is high on my want to read list.

I thought about suggesting Homecoming by Kate Morton. It’s been our second choice twice before, not quite making the cut. I read it with my irl book club. Everyone liked it and it generated enough discussion that no one wanted to leave. In other words, a really good choice for book clubs. Not sure it fits the parameters mentioned above as it starts with murder (Christmas Eve, 1959, Australia) but it’s about so much more than that. I’d enjoy revisiting it. Solid recommendation on this one.

Off to look up the other titles.

102

I want to read Wuthering Heights too and I really want to read Persuasion.

103

Correction: The Unmaking of June Farrow

104

Thank you! I just corrected the list.

Also, I love Persuasion. So thinking ahead to classics February, so far we have Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, and Persuasion. Just noting that now, so I’m not scratching my head trying to remember in a couple months.

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105

@ignatius 's suggestion of Homecoming sounds intriguing. A book that keeps book club members engaged even after the meeting? Sounds interesting!! (And I love reading about Australia.)

106

I can deal with in incidental death, just prefer a book not totally steeped in it.

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107

The first line in the description of Homecoming is: A family drama set in 1959 and present times. In 1959 a mother and her children are found dead just before New Year in the Australian outback.

So it starts with death!

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108

Weird, that sounds just like the opening of The Dry, also set in Australia.

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109

I LOVED The Dry – also her next book, The Lost Man. (Jane Harper)

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110

I love everything that Jane Harper has written. Force of Nature followed *The Dry. The Exiles is evidently the last in the series. I did love The Lost Man and The Survivors which was also a stand alone book along with The Lost Man.

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111

It starts with death but then moves to present day - a young woman and her grandmother.

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112

I read Frankenstein for the first time two years ago and loved it. The DK illustrated version provides a lot of interesting extra material. It’s a quick read and probably deserves to be call the first sci fi novel.

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113

I would love to read The Ministry of Time, I had it on hold at the library for my Kindle but couldn’t pick it up because I was in airplane mode because I was still reading an overdue book! It’s back on hold so I should get it soon.

You are Here looks interesting. Just bought it. :grin:

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114

I liked Homecoming very much, too. Agree it might not be the ideal choice for us at this moment, given the requests for lighter/brighter. Would “well written and intriguing” balance out some heavy plot lines?

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115

Absolutely. If we want a more in-depth discussion, it will likely involve some heavy plot lines.

I’m leaving Frankenstein for later as a potential February choice, since there were a couple of requests to hold off on a classic for December.

Are there any straight-up vetoes on the above list? We have seven titles, which is a bit high for ranked choice voting.

116

I’ll veto The Unmaking of June Farrow.

I’ve never read Huckleberry Finn :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:, so I’m hesitant to jump into James. Not a veto though.

@Mary13: You previously mentioned wanting to revisit Anne of Green Gables. Please put that on your classics to revisit list.

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117

I meant to add that the deaths are not gruesome in nature. At first glance, it looks as though the mother and children are napping.

118

I read “James” for my Books on the Beach group this summer. I honestly don’t think I ever read “Huckleberry Finn” – although I know the basic story line. While it may have enhanced my reading of “James,” I don’t feel as if it was a huge negative that I hadn’t read it.

I’ve read 2 other books by Kate Morton and enjoyed them; “Homecoming” is on my list to read.

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119

How about “ Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah? He’s a very interesting guy. It’s autobiographical. It was highly recommended by my Physical Therapist.

It comes in Audiobook with him narrating. I never tired of listening to him. He provides unique insights.

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120

I’ve read it – it’s an excellent autobiography! :+1: But I probably would not read again, so it’s a soft veto for me when compared to the other choices.

I think the goal at this point is to pare down the list. So I’ll eliminate The Unmaking of June Farrow and James. That leaves us with five solid choices.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
You Are Here by David Nicholls
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Homecoming by Kate Morton

I’ll be back shortly to post the Ranked Choice Voting list.