2016 Book #35 – Amazonia by James Rollins

Posted in 2016, Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2016 checklist, Reading Challenges, Terryville - Fiction Lovers, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: Amazonia
Author: James Rollins
Date finished: 4/16/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: July 2003
Pages in book: 510
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

The Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world’s most inhospitable rainforest–a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing . . . and came out with both intact.
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father . . . toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated . . . an ancient, unspoken terror–a power beyond human imagining–that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of . . .

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (April). I haven’t ever read anything by this author and I didn’t really think that this author would be one I’d try reading, but one of my friends picked this for book club. And honestly I am really glad I read this, I will probably even try reading more by this author in the future. Also, this book will count towards my “PopSugar 2016 Checklist” reading challenge, marking off the “a book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with” since this book contains a lot of (admittedly fictional) information about the Amazon tribesman. It was really interesting to hear about the native tribes and their way of life in the Amazon jungle. In this book, Nathan Rand goes into the jungle to try and find out what happened to his father’s research team when they disappeared over four years ago. Along their journey, they encounter a number of mutant scary things and a lot of people die. Like almost everyone. Overall I really liked this book though I was a little tired of all the casualties by the time we got to the end. There were a good amount of twists and turns in the plot and a lot of excitement. I would definitely recommend giving this one a try if you like thrillers, it was definitely what I would want in a thriller.

The bottom line: I did not expect to but I really liked this book! It was fast paced and constantly kept me on my toes. There was a lot of crazy stuff going on and it was really thought-provoking. I would recommend!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

31Mar2016

2016 Book #27 – Good on Paper by Rachel Cantor

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Online Book Clubs by rebeccabook17

Title: Good on Paper
Author: Rachel Cantor
Date finished: 3/30/16
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Melville House
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Pages in book: 295
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: I won it! On Reading with Robin’s Facebook page

Blurb from the cover:

Is a new life possible? Because Shira Greene’s life hasn’t quite turned out as planned. She’s a single mom living with her daughter and her gay friend, Ahmad. Her PhD on Dante’s Vita Nuova hasn’t gotten her a job, and her career as a translator hasn’t exactly taken off either.
But then she gets a call from a Nobel Prize-winning Italian poet who insists she’s the only one who can translate his newest book.
Stunned, Shira realizes that—just like that— her life can change. She sees a new beginning beckoning: academic glory, demand for her translations, and even love (her good luck has made her feel more open to the entreaties of a neighborhood indie bookstore owner).
There’s only one problem: It all hinges on the translation, and as Shira starts working on the exquisitely intricate passages of the poet’s book, she realizes that it may in fact be, well … impossible to translate.
A deft, funny, and big-hearted novel about second chances, Good on Paper is a grand novel of family, friendship, and possibility.

My rating: 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I won this book on the Reading with Robin Facebook page in a contest. This book is actually going to be discussed with the author on her Facebook page tonight at 8pm so be sure to check that out if you’ve read the book! And here is a listing of future books selected for the page’s book club in case you’re interested in participating in any of those. Anyways, so this book tells the story of Shira Greene, who lives in Manhattan with her daughter, Andrea (Andi), and her best friend Ahmad, who has been helping Shira raise Andi since birth. Shira is offered the chance to translate for Nobel Prize-winning Romei, much to her surprise. She accepts even though this action alone forces her out of the comfort zone in which she’s been living for years, never really having to strive to any potential heights or success.
After she gets engrossed in the story though, she begins to realize things she didn’t know about herself, her daughter and her odd little family she’s formed. And Romei isn’t exactly what she expects. Many pieces of his work are hitting a little too close to home, reminding her of things that she’s written in the past herself. To help her figure out what Romei’s all about, she enlists the help of Benny, a bookstore owner/Rabbi across the street. In the end though, this work of Romei’s ends up being more for Shira than she realizes.
Overall I honestly loved this book. The author did an amazing job of crafting the words just so, it felt almost like I was reading a 300 page poem because it was crafted so wonderfully. While I really enjoyed the book, I do have to admit that I had some trouble connecting with Shira’s character. She basically drops out of grad school in her late twenties (I think I’m remembering the age correctly) over a guy and lets her life basically fall apart after she finds out that he hasn’t been honest with her. That to me was completely baffling. There were a couple other things that didn’t sit right with me about Shira’s character but it definitely did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. Just the opposite, Shira was one of my favorite (and least I guess) parts of the book. The way she discussed literature was profound and moving and being able to insert myself in those conversations throughout the book was one of the most interesting aspects of the story. Overall this book had a sweet ending but what really captured me about this book was the character’s flaws and also the intense psycho-analytical discussions on literature. This was a great read for anyone who loves reading!

The bottom line: This book was just wonderfully well done. It was magical to read, the author honestly did an amazing job of stringing words together to make the text almost lyrical. I loved the in depth discussions included in the conversations between characters. Really just a lovely book to read, I would most definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

9Feb2016

2016 Book #11 – Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonegut

Posted in 2016, Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Literary Greats, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2016 checklist, Reading Challenges, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: Slaughterhouse-Five (or the Children’s Crusade)
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Date finished: 2/8/16
Genre: Fiction, science fiction, literary fiction
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: 1969
Pages in book: 215
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Unstuck in time, Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut’s shattered survivor of the Dresden bombing, relives his life over and over again under the gaze of aliens; he comes at last to some understanding of the human comedy. The basis of George Roy’s great 1972 film and perhaps the signature student’s novel in the 1960’s embracing protest and the absurdity of war.

My rating: 2.75 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (February). Also, this book will count towards my “PopSugar 2016 Checklist” reading challenge, marking off the “a science-fiction novel” box since this is a science fiction novel. Obviously this is a well known book, popular for many high-school reading lists. I never happened to read this book in high school so I was interested to read it now. It was… weird. Not what I expected it would be. I said this at my book club tonight, but for anyone that watches Family Guy it felt a lot like a Family Guy episode to me, with pretty much any random thing you can think of all thrown into one story line. That’s mostly what this book felt like to me.
Overall this book left me feeling like I missed something. I felt like there should’ve been more of a point or an ah-ha! moment, but I didn’t find one. It was a quick read and kept my interest but other than that I just wasn’t thrilled with the book. Its a classic though, even included on Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime listing. So I can’t say that I don’t recommend it but be prepared for a good dose of weird.

The bottom line: I have to say I would recommend mostly because this is one of those things that I think everyone should read. Like I said before though, be prepared for some just odd stuff.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

11Jan2016

2016 Book #4 – Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire

Posted in 2015, Book Clubs, Book reviews, Bookish Bingo Holiday 2015, Fiction, Historical fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: Mirror Mirror
Author: Gregory Maguire
Date finished: 1/11/16
Genre: Fiction, Fairy tale retelling, historical fiction
Publisher: ReganBooks
Publication Date: September 28, 2004
Pages in book: 280
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Gregory Maguire, the acclaimed author who re-imagined a darker, more dangerous Land of Oz in his New York Times bestselling series The Wicked Years, offers a brilliant reinvention of the timeless Snow White fairy tale: Mirror Mirror. Setting his story amid the cultural, political and artistic whirlwind of Renaissance Italy—and casting the notorious Lucrezia Borgia as the Evil Queen—Maguire and Mirror Mirror will enthrall a wide array of book lovers ranging from adult fans of Harry Potter to readers of the sophisticated stories of Angela Carter.

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (January). Also, this book will count towards my “Holiday 2015 Bookish Bingo” reading challenge, marking off the “Retelling” square, since this was a retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. I have been wanting to try reading something by Gregory Maguire for a while now since he has some popular books out and also because I loved loved loved Wicked the Musical (is based on his book Wicked). So I was pretty excited when this one was picked for book club. And while I’m still looking forward to reading the Wicked series, this retelling of Snow White just didn’t hit the spot for me.
This books tells the story of Bianca de Nevada, who lives at her home of Montefiore with her father Don Vicente. Vicente is sent on what is basically a wild goose chase by Cesare Borgia (real person) and Cesare’s sister, Lucrezia, promises to look after young Bianca. Bianca is only seven years old when her father leaves on his quest. Much of the political text of this book is based on what actually happened, which adds an interesting twist to the classic fairy tale.
Overall I feel weird about this book. It was really interesting and I liked pieces of it but it was a pretty dark story, more like Grimm’s fairy tales than the ones I’m used to. Also there was a lot of weird sexual stuff going on, lots of incest. Its hard for me to say that I liked or didn’t like this one, really it was interesting but it made me feel weird and also sad is the summation of how I felt about the book.

The bottom line: If you’re into dark fairy tales then you’d probably enjoy this. It was a little too freaky for my tastes but I have to admit it was a creative and interesting retelling of Snow White’s story. Seemed less like a fairy tale and more just like a regular fantasy novel.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

17Nov2015

2015 Book #116 – Mean Streak by Sandra Brown (Re-read)

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

51teSFEPCWL This was my November book club book for the Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion. I was debating at first whether or not to read it since I just read it last year (you can see my original review post here) but I enjoyed it so I decided to read it again. I’m not going to do my usual review post since I’ve already technically reviewed the book, instead I’m going to add any additional notes I have on the book and also discuss any interesting items that came up during our book club’s discussion.

MY THOUGHTS:

In addition to the thoughts on this book that I initially expressed during my review of the book last year, I thought I would share some thoughts I had this go-around. I always find it interesting the little things that you pick up on when you read a book (or watch a movie) a second or third (or etc) time around. This book is pretty straight forward so I didn’t pick up a lot of extra hidden meaning items that I didn’t quite get the first time around. I still really enjoyed the story though, which is a mark of a good book for me. This book still held my interest throughout the whole story even though I just read it last year.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION POINTS: **(SPOILERS INCLUDED)**

Everyone seemed to overall like the book ok but to be honest this probably wasn’t a great pick for a discussion book, mostly because there isn’t much to discuss. The characters and the story line don’t really bring up many discussion items or questions. One of the things that came up is that the beginning of the book we’re lead to believe that the main guy character is a bad guy who has done something awful and there is a lot of effort and different pieces of the story line that lead the reader to think this. The turn around though when we find out he’s really like an ex-FBI agent, its not an easy transition for the reader to follow necessarily.
Other than that there wasn’t much to talk about, we all agreed it was a pretty interesting book that keeps the reader engaged. Happy reading!

19Oct2015

2015 Book #109 – The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Literary Greats, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Date finished: 10/18/15
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: 1896
Pages in book: 157
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H. G. Wells was greeted in 1896 by howls of protest from reviewers, who found it horrifying and blasphemous. They wanted to know more about the wondrous possibilities of science shown in his first book, The Time Machine, not its potential for misuse and terror. In The Island of Dr. Moreau a shipwrecked gentleman named Edward Prendick, stranded on a Pacific island lorded over by the notorious Dr. Moreau, confronts dark secrets, strange creatures, and a reason to run for his life.
While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells’s prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing “smarter” human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick’s adventures on Dr. Moreau’s island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read.

My rating: 3.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (October). This book definitely wasn’t something I would have picked up on my own but I have to say it was absolutely the perfect thing to read during October. I found it to be very creepy and gave me the goosebumps thinking about these creatures that Prendick encounters on the island. It was only 157 pages so it was a quick read. Basically Prendick finds himself lost in the middle of the ocean on a dingy and he gets picked up by a boat with a man named Montgomery aboard. Montgomery is Moreau’s assistant and he’s returning to the island after picking up some supplies. Prendick gets ditched on the island too and even though Montgomery is very hesitant about letting him stay, he doesn’t really have much of a choice.

Prendick encounters many different kinds of people on the island, though there seems to be something a little off about each one and he finds himself wary of these creatures. Turns out Dr. Moreau had been performing vivisection on various animals over the last 10 years on the island and had managed to mold different animals together to take on a human-like form. I guess my issue is that I can’t imagine what these beasts would have looked like and how they possibly could have resembled a human even in the slightest.

MV5BMjI0OTY1NDY5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjkwODg0NA@@._V1_SX640_SY720_

I mean none of the creatures in the photo look even remotely human to me. And Dr. Moreau spoke some about combining the different animals brains together. I’m not a scientist or anything but I feel like that wouldn’t really be possible. I don’t think you can take 2 separate brains and mash them together and have them work. I think with humans they are able to replace certain lobes of the brain but they use another human brain I’m pretty sure, I don’t think you can graft brains across different species.
I thought this was an interesting book though and it was a great October read. Its also a literary classic so I would recommend giving it a try if you haven’t already!

The bottom line: I liked this book fine. I don’t think I loved it but it was a short easy read and was appropriately creepy for the month of October.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

22Sep2015

2015 Book #101 – A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Date finished: 9/21/15
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Riverhead
Publication Date: May 22, 2007
Pages in book: 372
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul–they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.
A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (September). This book probably wasn’t something I would have picked up on my own but I’m very glad that I read it. I also thought it was interesting that I’ve never read books on this subject matter before but my other most recent read had a very similar story line and I couldn’t help but make parallels between the two novels. This book tells the story of two women: Miriam who grew up near Herat but moved to Kabul when she married, and Laila who grew up in Kabul and was born on the night of “the uprising.” These two women had very different childhoods. Miriam was a bastard child of a man who already had 3 wives, and she was raised out in a one room shack in the woods in order for the family to avoid being shamed. Laila was the third child of a couple in Kabul who ended up having to send their two first-born children (boys) to war, and while her father was doting her mother never recovered from having to send her boys off to war.

As Miriam and Laila journey through their lives in Kabul, regimes change hand again and again. Rules and restrictions are placed on the citizens of Afghanistan and women lose many basic rights and basically become prisoners in their own homes in many cases. Things are especially bad for women who are married to men like Rasheed, Miriam’s husband. Rasheed lays out rules with his fists and his belt, and when Miriam has one miscarriage after another, Rasheed wants even less to do with her. Miriam and Laila must both find their way in this world where they are treated as less, as if they are owned by their husbands and are not people on their own.

Overall I really liked this book a lot. There were a lot of interesting relationship dynamics between the characters and there were some unexpected twists thrown in there. Honestly I’m surprised I liked it so much considering how depressing it was. There was just so much violence in this book, and almost all of it was directed at women. This was a very powerful story though that really made me appreciate how lucky I am in life to not have to face such terror and heart-break. Both of these women were amazingly strong and I cannot imagine going through the things they experienced. Definitely an eye-opening novel and something I think everyone should read.

The bottom line: I really liked this book a lot. The subject matter was pretty depressing but overall it was a great novel.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

20Jul2015

2015 Book #75 – Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: Skipping Christmas
Author: John Grisham
Date finished: 7/20/15
Genre: Fiction, Holiday
Publisher: DoubleDay
Publication Date: November 6, 2001
Pages in book: 177
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.
A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

My rating: 2.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (July). I went to my first book club discussion with this group last month (June) and I really enjoyed last month’s book and the discussion, I think it is a great group for me to participate in so I wanted to keep going. I have to say I am really looking forward to next month’s book (I Shall Be Near You) which has already been on my TBR list for awhile. Anyway so this month’s book was Skipping Christmas by John Grisham and I actually had already read this book when I was in Middle School and my Mom and I read it for a Mother-Daughter book discussion that we were part of at the time. In 2004 this book was actually made into a holiday film, Christmas with the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis.
This book is amazingly frustrating to me. I felt that way the first time I read it and again when I saw the movie, and then again when I read it this time. I just get so mad about some of the blow back that the Kranks get as a consequence of telling people that they’re skipping Christmas. And really, what is so wrong with that? All they have for actual family is a daughter who they thought would be in Peru until the next Christmas. Really, what’s so wrong with treating themselves for one year and taking a cruise. And to be honest, how is it anyone else’s damn business what they decide to do with their holiday?? It really just gets me so fired up. I mean, yes it all turns out well in the end and the neighborhood assholes (excuse my French) band around the Kranks to make a nice homecoming for (surprise!) Blair and her fiance who call about 7 hours before they arrive (also ridiculously rude). But really I was still mad at everyone in that neighborhood in the end. If someone gave me that much hassle about putting a damn lighted snowman on my roof, I would’ve snapped way before then. If I don’t want a damn Frosty on my roof then I’m damn well not going to put one up there, I don’t care what any of my neighbors say. I pay the mortgage and I pay the taxes so you can get off my damn lawn. Also it kind of bothered me how much Luther talked about all these other women that he though were “hot” or “cute.” I don’t think I noticed that as much when I was younger but it is pretty creepy. Also why did they care whether Blair’s fiance was light skinned or dark skinned? What was up with that?
So as you can probably tell, I don’t especially like this book. I think people should have been up in the Krank’s business a bit less and not been so intrusive. Also I think Nora and even Luther are annoying main characters. Nora should’ve been a little nicer to Luther in the end, yes the whole cruise thing was his idea but she was all about it just the day before. And Luther should’ve been ogling young women in stringy bikinis a little less, or like not at all.

The bottom line: I know this is a pretty popular book (and movie) but I just find it so ridiculously frustrating. I would say people should try it but as you can tell, this is not my favorite book at all.

Link to author website
Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

27Jan2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Would Want to Read in a Book Club

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Top Ten Tuesday by rebeccabook17

Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there’s a different bookish topic and bloggers are asked to post their own top ten list based on the topic. This week is a listing of the Top Ten Books you would pick for your book club to read if you were lucky enough to be in a book club (unfortunately I am not so lucky due to a combo of lack of time and resources). So I put my thinking cap on and thought that if I were in a book club, what books would I like to discuss with my fellow club attendees.

1. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

I am currently in love with Giffin’s books after reading her Something Borrowed and Something Blue recently. Her books are intense and thought provoking and I think that they would make for a great discussion.

2. All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

This book has been on my to read list since before it came out in 2014. I think the subject of addiction in this book would make for a great discussion starter.

3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This was a highly praised book in 2014. I read many good reviews on it and I am honestly fascinated by the topic. A pandemic causes chaos to erupt and a new world forms amongst those who survive. Sounds freaking awesome.

4. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

A young woman without any prospects is asked to marry a wealthy family’s dead son, well actually to marry his ghost. I think this would be a great book to discuss since its subject is so unique and unusual.

5. Redeployment by Phil Klay

My husband and I met when he was in the Marines. I waited (not at all patiently I might add, though I wish I could say differently) while he went to Afghanistan on deployment. I think that I have to read this book. I think it might give me a better glimpse into the complicated world he lived at that time. I also think it would be a great eye-opener for book club readers.

6. It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell

Many women in this day and age have weight issues and body image issues. The media blasts us with images of “beautiful” women, all of whom are a size 0. This just isn’t realistic. This memoir is all about learning to love who you are and learning to love your body. I think this would be essential for a women’s book club and a great discussion piece for book clubs that can be candid with one another.

7. The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford

This book brings up a big discussion point: mental disorders. In this novel, a woman with bipolar disorder was the last person to see one of her friend’s alive and suspects she might actually be the killer.

8. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I know this is going to sound like a poor reason to have this on the list, but I heard this turned out to be a great movie. I think it would be an interesting book to read and discuss in a book group.

9. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I almost can’t believe it myself, but I’ve never read this book or the rest of the series. Astonishing, I know, considering how popular the book series was and even how much I have loved the movies so far. For those reasons, I’d love to read this book and discuss people’s thoughts on it.

10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

This is a classic that I have always wanted to read but never found quite the right motivation to actually pick it up.

So that’s my list! Anyone else see books on my list they’d like to read? Maybe we could start our own book club 🙂 Let me know what you’d put on your lists!