Picking three books for the summer was an impossible task. There isn’t a single book on the book club board I don’t want to read. On the plus side, I know what I will be reading this summer beyond the three official book club picks.
We have done so well reading a wide variety of books! So far we have read general fiction, young adult, a cookbook, and some fantasy. Not too shabby, don’t you think? Each selection has been one I would normally consider interesting, but not enough to pick up and buy. Not all of them have been THE BEST BOOK EVER!, but The Book Thief is one I’m glad to have read, especially since I shy away from young adult. That’s a book I will take down from the shelf and reread favorite passages, if only to get another glimpse at that lemon-haired saukerl, Rudy.
In keeping with the theme of variety, I’ve decided on Let’s Pretend This Never Happened for June. Technically, this is a “mostly true” memoir, but I’m calling it humor. (I’m now obsessed with reading something completely different every month of our first year.) The only problem I foresee is that we won’t have much to talk about, which is why I resisted popular memoirs like Bossypants and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? We’ll see what happens. I’m hoping the outlandishness of the stories will at least prompt us to figure out in the comments which part of the memoir is mostly true.
In July we’ll read A Discovery of Witches. This is listed as a fantasy but we’ve already read a fantasy. I’m calling it a paranormal. (I should be in politics.) This is a book that some loved, some hated, and the majority thought was perfectly okay. It’s part of a trilogy, with the second book available in July 2012. I chose it because I hope to tear apart the vampire/paranormal romance genre in the comment section and then build it back up. How sick of the genre are we, when will it end, and if we are so sick of it, why do we keep buying and reading?
Last, but not least, is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for August. It’s our first non-fiction account! It’s the most popular book on Goodreads, either because you have already read it or because it’s on your list of books to read. Since so many of you have already read it, I thought it would increase participation in the book club chat.
Okay. That’s the plan for this summer. I better publish this post because while I wrote it I changed the books three times.
I’ve been wanting to read all three so I’m very excited about your selections!
Before I make a pick, I try to visit everyone’s Goodread page and see which book gets the most pins on Pinterest. I hope that by doing that I get the most “popular” books, so I’m glad to hear they were all on your list! :)
Well skip howdy I’m ahead of the game and I’M READY to chat about the vampire genre with ‘Discovery of Witches’. I have Some Thoughts on it. Not deep thoughts. Never deep. Deep thoughts make my head hurt.
Also very excited to check out the Jenny Lawson book! That is one of the more brilliant covers I’ve seen.
Have you seen the UK version of the cover? I like it better. It’s the same, but with a more whimsical (aka: crazy) typeface.
Jenny Lawson’s book may have to be the first book I’m purchased new – ever. I actually already had my name on the library hold for her book about 2 months ago. After reading your post, I checked my status. I’m #100 on the hold list for the library and it’s not even available in our branches yet! Kripes!
A Discovery of Witches was on my list of books to remember to checkout, so it’s now on a “suspended hold” for the end of June. Love that planning ahead!
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is probably the first book I haven’t been excited about. I haven’t read nonfiction (about a person) since junior high. However, the thing I LOVE about PIBC is the variety and the push out of my norm – so it’s on a suspended hold as well!
I’m a little nervous about Henrietta, too. I rarely ever finish nonfiction books. I’m hoping I finish this one!
Well, if it’s any indication of anything….I’m number 15, 11, and 1 on the waiting lists for the three books respectively. Guess I’ll be reading a bit out-of-order. But, that’s okay by me! Thanks for doing all the research and semi-statistical evaluation!
Hah! Yes, the Immortal Life is an old book. I’ve avoided it for a while now because it’s nonfiction!
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is phenomenal. I typically read fiction, too, but something about the story struck the same chord.
That’s good to know. A lot of people who don’t normally read nonfiction have liked it, so I have some hope I will finish the book. ;)
Oh yay! I’ve read the June book and the August book! Can I join the book club?
Jenny’s book is… yes, well. Wait’ll you read it. It explains so much. There really needs to be a second book. And the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is probably the best book I’ve read in a long time. I’ve bought it multiple times and given it as gifts, have loaned it to coworkers, you name it. I would be so interested to participate in the discussion of it.
Of course! We discuss books at the end of the month they are assigned, unless it falls on a Thursday, weekend, or holiday. We are discussing this month’s pick, The Night Circus, on Monday.
New here and just wondering…do you only discuss at month end? So each can read at their own tempo? I ask, because I’ve made an agreement with myself that too many years have gone by dealing with kids and life and serious book drought, but I’m still getting back into making time to read, so would probably come skidding in at the end! I heard that “Let’s Pretend” is on the line up of this weeks “Book Report radio show”-you get to hear an excerpt from the audio book too…I don’t usually do audio books, but if I can deal with the narration, this may just be how I get to finish the book. Might be a good listen before starting the book next week(bookreportradio{dot}com)…or if you are that indecisive, perhaps you shouldn’t! :) Nice to read such great interaction among book lovers.
Yes! We discuss only at the end of the month and for the reason you suggested–we don’t want any pressure to read at a certain pace. Book club is supposed to be fun. Obligations are not allowed. :)
I’m interested to hear what everyone thinks about A Discovery of Witches. I read about half of it, and lost interest-very unlike me-so I wonder if I was just in a funk. Love the book club!
Yay! I think those three covers just look really nice together (different but nicely contrasting) and that’s why you picked them. :) (I”m a sucker for a good cover.) I know I sound like a broken record, but there was a GREAT Fresh Air interview with the author of Immortal Life, and it’s a great story about how she came to write the book. Here’s the link: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134622044/tracing-the-immortal-cells-of-henrietta-lacks
Can’t wait! 50 more pages of the last Sookie Stackhouse and then back to something a bit more meaningful.
I almost picked The Snow Child, but I want to save it for the dead of winter. :)
p.s. Thanks for the link! I want to listen to it before I read Henrietta.
p.s.s. Hahaha! You’re Sookie comment made me laugh out loud. I know EXACTLY what you mean. I haven’t read the last one or two of that series. Not that I’ve been reading anything better, as last week’s un-gayed vampire testifies.
Finished what I thought was the last one – but she’s written more???? Sigh…
Have you read the Stephanie Plum books? If so, are you a Joe or a Ranger girl? Sookie reminds me of Stephanie, and it’s the same good guy (well, if a vampire can be a good guy) Bill v. bad boy Eric.
Sweetie was actually telling me about that NPR interview when I told her about the book. After her summary of the interview (which I still haven’t listened to) I was actually pretty excited to read the book – and it was the one I was thinking I wouldn’t like!
lets pretend this never happened!!!! yay! want to read this. lovelovelove jenny.
I don’t read her blog, or at least I didn’t. I never got it! Every time I went there, it was during one of her controversial moments or her charity posts. Now that I’ve read so much about her in the press and have seen her respond to some negative comments, I’m a little in-like with her. We’ll see if it turns to love after the book.
I finished her book this weekend and really, really liked it. But I like her blog. And she’s from Texas. And she has a infatuation with weird taxidermy. What is there not to like?! Ok- don’t answer that.
Anyway- I thought it was personable, heartfelt and sincere. It explains a lot about her neuroses, OCD and public anxiety. Plus it gives me pleasure to know that someone else out there has crazy stream of conscious conversations that most don’t get AND has conversations with their husband via post-it notes.
Don’t even get me started about Beyonce the chicken! That is sooo something I would do.
I think there should be enough to talk about…
PS- I liked better than Tina Fey’s book.
The taxidermy infatuation and dioramas she sets up are some of the things I love most about her blog. I’m interested to see how people who don’t like/follow her blog feel about the book. Also, I was a little apprehensive when I saw that “Let’s Pretend” was recommended to readers who liked Tina Fey. I really didn’t care much for “Bossypants” so I’m glad to see that you liked Jenny’s better than Tina’s.
I never seem to make it to these discussions on time, but I do love seeing the books you pick out!
(And I agree on the difficulty of humor books – there isn’t much to say except “I loved it!” and then the temptation is just to swap favorite passages. Fun, but not really a discussion.)
“Let’s Pretend” had me laughing out loud repeatedly. So many parts I had to read outloud to the hubby: I think he finally just gave up and sat in a chair while I pretty much read him the whole book. The ‘colon cleanse’ section had me laugh-crying so hard, I had to put the book down.
Never Fear! you will have LOADS to talk about with LPTNH. It’s laugh out loud funny but it also has some very real and touching moments mixed in with the mostly true. I’m definitely gonna have to jump in on the discussions this summer!
How can one join your bookclub??