It's coming into that time again. What do I put up for the book group book choosing in a few weeks time.
I have six weeks to find two books to bring to book group for the lolly vote.
We have pretty strict criteria:
- Should be under 500 pages
- Of a literary or good popular fiction standard
- Easily accessible in libraries, bookstores, on audiobook or kindle
- Must be fiction - no memoir or autobiography.
And so I get my long wishlist out there as I percolate on what I want to put up (and what might be back ups if somebody else knicks my books.
Anyway, here are a few on my long list - with blurbs and pros and cons.
1) Devotion by Hannah Kent
Hannah Kent wrote Burial Rites and The Good People, which went down well with the group. She's a lyrical writer - expansive and emotional, and a great one for detail. Her latest book has just come out.
Pros: Established author - the group like her
Cons: Somebody will probably snap this up before me.
2) Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Another new novel, set in London, about a woman and her struggles with depression. Sounds a bit glum? Actually the characters are wonderful and you get to love the plucky main character as she wobbles through life. I loved it as it reminded me of my time in London. It's a quick read too.
Pro: Modern, short, topical.
Con: I've raved about this in the past - it might get snapped up early.
3) Animal by Lisa Taddeo
I loved Lisa Taddeo's Three Women, a non-fiction book which looked at three women's sexual assault stories. Fascinating stuff. This book's jacket reads, "In a haunting, visceral novel about women surviving men, Lisa Taddeo has produced one of the most haunting anti-heroes in fiction." It sounds gritty. Runs to just over 300 pages.
Pro: Recent, modern, easily available, gritty.
Con: Might be too gritty for some.
4) Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser
Another author we have read in our book group. An author I have met through Faber. I like the premise of this book - it comes in two halves. You can either start with the white cover side up, or the red cover side up - so people are going to read this differently. According to the front cover, "...three scary monsters - racism, misogyny and ageism roam through this novel." I'm intrigued.
Pro: Good length, known author, a bit of a challenge, especially as it has the two halves thing going on.
Con: The two halves thing might put people off.
5) The Performance by Claire Thomas
I only reviewed this the other day. I loved this quiet book about three women watching a performance of Samuel Beckett's Happy Days. I loved it. Glorious writing and a wonderful premise. It's also short. And Australian content.
Pro: Well reviewed. Short. Easily available.
Con: Not everybody's cup of tea.
6) Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr wrote All the Light we Cannot See - and that went down a treat. This is his latest offering, which according to the back cover, is a "...beautiful,and redemptive novel about stewardship - of the book, of the Earth and of the humand heart." Unfortunately, it runs to 600 pages.
Pro: He's a great writer.
Con: It's too long to really be considered for book group, though we've had the odd longer novel.
7) The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley
Jacqueline Maley is an Australian journalist and this is her first book. This is a book about guilt and shame and female anger, and inparticular, about mothering. It's short, recently released and Australian content. Never bad things.
Pro: Short, available, topical and Australian
Con: Not another book about mothering...
8) Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto
Another Australian author we have read before. Her book, The Strays, won the Stella Prize a few years ago. Wild Abandon appears to be a grittier novel than The Strays. But I do like putting up books which challenge. At 400 pages, it's a bit longer than some other books.
Pro: It's an Australian author. Readily available.
Con: The content and length might put people off.
9) 7 1/2 by Christos Tsiolkas
I adore Christos Tsiolkas. He's just won the Melbourne Prize for Literature. This book has been published for a week and it looks pretty gritty - but would you expect anything less from the bloke who wrote The Slap and Damascus. At 360 pages it a bit less than a few other of his tomes.
Pro: It's Christos Tsiolkas - it's bound to have a lot to talk about in its covers.
Con: I think Damascus put a few people off him.
10) The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Lighter fare, but wonderfully thought provoking. A book about choices and where we could go. I loved this book too. Very book group friendly. And nothing triggering in it.
That will do for the moment. It is always interesting to see what comes up in book group book choosing.
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