The Phenomenally Indecisive Book Club participants, Divergent is the September book club pick. At least, I think it’s called Divergent. I’m pretty sure�Insurgent is book two, though I’ve devoted 10 minutes of my life to figuring it out and still can’t be positive. It’s confusing, and during discussion next month my first point of business will be to complain about the names. The only thing I am sure about is that the third book in the series will end in (u/e)rgent. Maybe Turgent. Or Resurgent. Or, my favorite, Detergent.
I poke fun, but I’m excited to read the first book, whichever it may be. I’m also going to read book 2, but you only need to read book 1 to participate in the discussion. This book is both young adult and science fiction, so that makes me happy. We can now cross science fiction off the list of unread genres.
Picks for October and November are still up in the air*, but I want to have that wrapped up this week. Shaina noticed we hadn’t read a thriller or romance, so I’m doing research on both. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a thriller. So is anything by Stephen King, obviously. I was eyeballing Gone Girl, but it’s a new release and don’t know how easy it is to get in libraries. Several people here have read it and given it low marks on Goodreads, so that’s something to think about. Bad books are great for discussion, but only when you don’t have to pay new release prices to read them. Fans of thrillers (and romances), please share your recommendations.
I’m on my way to Andrea’s house with the boys. We’re going to let the kids swim while we work on The Craft Cabinet. We sold out in just a couple of days, which both surprised and pleased me. If you would like to be on the wait-list, let me know. You know how it is–people cancel at the last minute all the time for this sort of thing. We have lots of work to do, but it will be fun. I took that picture of the boys yesterday at my friend Helena’s historic and gorgeous childhood home. It’s one of the last times the boys will swim there, since the house recently sold. I’m pretty down about it, but it’s the best move for Helena.
*I would have waited until I had all the books picked to write this post , but since this is a popular series I thought it best to cobble a quick post together and give you time to rush to the library. Libraries readers: can you check on the wait list with your library asap and let me know in the comments of this post? I’m thinking if the wait list is too long for too many people, we can move this book to October/November and read a thriller or romance for September.
Just requested it – looks I’m 3rd on the hold list, and our library system has 36 copies, so I’m hopeful the wait time won’t be too long.
Okay, that’s great. Most people so far have said the same thing. It seems like most of the hysteria has died down.
There’s only 2 holds on Divergent at my library (Nashville) so I should be good to go for September.
Just for kicks, I looked up Gone Girl and there’s 405 holds on 79 copies. That could take awhile. I do want to read it. I don’t read Stephen King and I’ve decided not to read Dragon Tattoo because of the subject matter. I’m very particular about thrillers but I don’t mind sitting that month out if need be.
Thrillers are tough. Dragon Tattoo wasn’t as bad as I expected, but I know what you mean about subject matter boundaries. That’s how I feel about books on demonic possession. I read some Stephen King short stories (the one that inspired Stand By Me, for example) and they weren’t the blood-filled horror stories I was expecting. I hear Carrie is, though. Haven’t read that one or The Shining. I haven’t watched the movies, either, and I won’t!
I accidentally saw a few minutes of It when I was a kid and it scarred me for life. I’ve heard his shorts aren’t bad and Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies but yep, I just can’t do horror. As far as Dragon Tattoo, my background is social work and I figured I’ve seen and heard enough bad stuff, I don’t need to read it, too. But I can understand why people like them.
Not to be a creeper, HopefulLeigh, but I’m in Nashville, too – sounds like you beat me onto the list. :)
Ah! That’s awesome. Maybe our paths will cross some day.
Baton Rouge currently has 35 holds on 8 copies. Bummer.
Urgh. Okay, put yourself on the hold (if you like, of course) and maybe we’ll move this book to October/November if it seems like a lot of people have the same trouble.
In the DC library system there are 10 copies currently available for check out of 31 total.
In the Arlington County, Virginia library system ( just outside of dc) there are 10 holds on the first returned of 17 copies. However they also have an e-book and e-audio edition available through OverDrive on their website.
In the King County, Washington library system (one of the country’s largest counties where Seattle is located) There are 378 holds on the first returned of 92 copies. It looks like they will be adding an e-book edition soon, but it is not currently available for check out or holds.
All of Orange County is reading Divergent, apparently, since 25 copies are checked out and the hold list is a mile long.
I just read 11/22/63 by Steven King, which I really liked (I greatly enjoy his writing, so I could be biased). It was not gory horror, or even that scary, really. Just a good story. And I liked the ending on this one–I frequently get annoyed at King’s non-endings (or crappy endings).
I also liked the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books, although the violence in the first book is a bit much.
Divergent – I’m 4th in line for 13 copies.
Gone Girl – there are 33 copies and 73 holds. But I didn’t request it.
suburb of Chicago
I had placed Divergent on my library’s hold list back in March, and I’m now #26 in line for one of the 34 copies throughout the 34 branches, lol. So maybe I’ll be up for receiving it in time to read & discuss at the end of October.
Sweetie owns the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series. I checked the hold wait on Gone Girl and guffawed. I’m #882 in line for one of 213 copies. An additional 24 copies are on order and for some reason that process tends to take a couple months at a minimum. I suppose it’s possible I could have that one by the end of November.
I’m not regular reader of thrillers but it’s Sweetie’s favorite so I asked her.
Children of Paranoia is a thriller that Sweetie would recommend as the “one book to read” this summer (or at some point, lol). Copies are available now at my library.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10768183-children-of-paranoia
I find romances in general to be hard for me to push through. I get so irritated. However, I asked Goodreads and thought The Story of Beautiful looked like worth trying. It’s also available now at my library.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9545064-the-story-of-beautiful-girl?a=5&origin=related_works
I read The Story of Beautiful Girl for another book club. It’s very good!
I could barely read this post, I’m so taken with that house. Comes very close to the hazy image in my head of my dream Forever Home. Tell me there are some orange or lemon trees on the property. There must be! I’d be sad to lose access to it, too.
Can I add in a vote for something in the classic vein? Fall seems the perfect season for it.
Loved Divergent, haven’t read book 2 yet. I’m a slacker LOL.
HATED Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have yet to get through half.
Currently have Gone Girl on my Kindle, but still have 3 Anita Blake books to read … no comments, will report back soon.
In Denver, I’m 31st on the wait list for 10 copies but that usually means less-than-2-weeks wait. It’s also on audio with only 2 people waiting.
Gone Girl, I’m only 21st (and they also have audio with 2 waiting)
People must not be reading as much here this summer…
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo is a good thriller. It’s part of a series, but you don’t have to read them in order. I’m not sure how many of the others are translated into English. The reason the reviews are so mixed on Gone Girl is the ending. Depending on what you think, you will love or hate it. The ending, that is. The book itself is awesome.
Or Redbreast, also by Nesbo. In the sci-fi category ( I think), I just finished Ready Player One. It was fun and exciting and sweet.
For a thriller you could read something in the Jack Reacher series. But then you would all be as upset as I am over the insanity of Tom Cruise playing him in a movie. He also has a love interest in a few of them, so maybe that could count as a romance without the book club having to read something too cheesy or possibly pornographic (you all know to what I am referring!) .
Also, you might consider Dorothy Sayers. One of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries where he is chasing Harriet might be both a thriller and a romance.
If you do want to consider either of these options, send me an email and I’ll try to in point the right book(s).
love the Lord Peter Wimsey series!!! I vote for The Nine Tailors!!!
Oh, there’s another genre we haven’t covered yet – Erotica! LOL
Oh wow, was going to suggest the Divergent book as Young Adult one. Its one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in the past year or so !
Looks like the wait for Divergent is about 9 weeks in my library system.
I got a good review of Gone Girl from a trusted friend (as in, I trust her reviews). However, the wait is veeeeerrrry long at my library. Already read Dragon Tattoo 1 and 2 and enjoyed them far more than I expected. I like thrillers, and I found them better written than many.
Oh blast it! Well, now at least I know that I’m on line for the wrong book (Insurgent); at least I made it to #60 before I found out — thanks. :)
OK — so now I’m #85 for Divergent, but it looks like there are tons of copies so here’s hoping the line moves quickly. I’ve been looking forward to reading this series! Love reading YA fiction, especially during the summer (for whatever reason.)
As for Gone Girl, I put myself on the list for that one a week ago, and have so far crept up to… #527. Hey-o! That might take a while….
I’m still laughing at ‘Detergent’…..seriously, I just keep laughing every time I think of it…
‘Detergent’ was some good times . . .
Now, I just need to suck it up and go to the library–a girl can’t always buy her books. Obviously. Sigh.
As for suggestions, for thriller/crime: Henning Mankell is on my list (another Swedish author). We could double up on some, you know. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Picture of Dorien , etc. could be horror + classic (I figure we probably aren’t going all the way back to classical literature, right?)
I could go on and on–except for Romance . . . yeah, I’ve got nothin’ on that one . . .
Okay, I’ll admit I didn’t read through all the comments, and I’m a little late to the game, but I thought I’d throw a few recommendations out there for you anyway.
I just finished Gone Girl, and I think it’s well worth a read, particularly if you’re looking for a thriller/suspense novel. I don’t like Gillian Flynn’s other novels, but this one was an intriguing, mind-bending page turner.
For other thrillers/suspense novels, I’d recommend anything by Tana French. Suspenses aren’t even my favorite, but I’ve loved everything French has written. I’d start with her first, “In the Woods,” which came out a few years ago, so you’d be good to go on the library front. “The Likeness” is my other favorite; definitely highly recommend. (She just released “Broken Harbor,” but I haven’t read it yet, and it might be difficult for you guys to get from the library.)
I thought the Dragon Tattoo series was just so-so; the first one started pretty strong, but I finished the others largely just to follow the main character’s story. I thought the writing was really detail-heavy, which got in the way of the story itself, in my opinion.
Just throwing my two cents out there! Can’t wait to see what you guys pick! :)
I just finished Gone Girl and thoroughly enjoyed it. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend it for a book club discussion. Cuyahoga County Public Library (Cleveland, Ohio) has 446 holds on first copy returned of 616 copies (with 7 sizzlers on the shelf in branches across the system), so it looks like a lot of holds, but will turn over pretty quickly with so many copies.
Hallie, where are you from?
So excited that Divergent is the next pick!
I just ran into this problem as well. I think we will be reading Gone Girl for book club and I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes. We’ve had a 50% success rate with the books that we’ve chosen
PS – I really love that your comment box has spell check!