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Nonfiction?

Historical fiction?

fiction?

Nonfiction: memoir, biography, history, true crime?

Historical fiction? Period? Great historical figure? Less known person?

Fiction? limitless really . . . adventure, mystery?

If we do fiction, should we do a classic or more contemporary?

Do we want to proceed on theme with what we've read or proceed to something totally new?

I have a few totally random ideas--just very early suggestions: Wildflower:An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal., What Remains by Carole Radiziwill.

The first is about an environmentalist in Africa, Joan Root and her death in Africa in 2006. The similarities and compare/contrast possibilites with West With the Night are obvious.

The other book is told by a good friend of JFK Jr's wife and her struggle with her friend's death in the plane crash while simultaneously dealing with the death of her husband. Of course there is "the aviation" connection but more importantly it seems like a good memoir on grief and dealing with grief.

Anyway just a couple of thoughts to get us started.

Let's hear what you all think.

Just adding Punky's suggestion from other thread: total 180 to sci-fi or fantasy.

i'm up for the next one so i'll be checking in. i'm up for anything really.

Personally, since our first was non-fiction/memoir, I'd like to go with a different type of book.

Personally, contemporary fiction would be my choice for this month.

I'd opt for fiction too. I don't mind what sort.

Okay, it seems the early consensus is fiction of some sort.

I read almost exclusively nonfiction so I didn't have any on my wish lists anywhere.

So I just checked out the best-seller lists a came up with a few ideas to start:

A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrich

Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann

Cutting For Stone, by Abraham Vergheses

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.

Any thoughts on these? Or ideas on others?

The Help got good reviews.

"Cutting for Stone" is on my to be read list, so I'd vote for that one.

"Let the Great World Spin" recently won a big award. It was very good.

My vote would be to shy away from 'best sellers' and go more towards personal favorites in this area.

Are we talking contemporary literature fiction or contemporary mass market fiction?

Huge difference between the two.

I'd be interested in doing it this time around.

I'll read just about anything that is put in front of me so just let me know.

Plus it will give me a break from all the books about the FLDS cult I've been reading. I think there is only so much you can read about Warren Jeffs before you start going insane.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Life: A User's Manual by Georges Perec is, if I'm remembering right, a clever, weird, unusual novel. I've been wanting to re-read it for years.

I just bought The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, which is off to a good start.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

There are several mainstream even "literary fiction" offerings from otherwise mainstream/literary authors that are crossing over...I'm thinking World War Z and Cronin's "The Passage," both of which are being marketed mainstream. Yiddish Policeman's Union, by Chabon, might fit in that as well.

Can we include those or would we consider those scifi or horror just by subject matter? Delineations unclear these days.

Or do something like re-read A Prayer for Owen Meaney or something like that? If I had to pick a personal favorite that I'd like to re-read 20 years later to see what had changed for me, that's what I'd pick. It was a major, major book in my development as a reader.

[This message edited by ladyvorkosigan at 8:07 AM, September 18th (Saturday)]

Wow it's sort of overwhelming, isn't it?

Why don't we each offer one we'd really like to read. If there is a clear winner in terms of people choosing the same book, so be it. If not, we could always ask a kindly moderator to put all the titles in a hat and draw one for us.

What do you think? We could have all submissions in by Monday before noon. Then make the choice by Monday evening (by consensus or drawing) and start securing the book.

Then we could finish up our discussion of WWTN by mid-week and hope to start the new book by the end of next week?

Thoughts or suggestions.

I'm up for anything and will pick from the choices that are offered.

I got on a big John Irving kick about 10 years ago, but never read Prayer for Owen Meaney...wasn't there a movie based on this?

A movie that should not even be tangentially associated with it pretended to be made from it a few years back but it...just...everyone involved distanced themselves from it, etc.

Has nothing to do with the book.

The movie you're thinking of is "Simon Birch." Stay away at all costs. This piece of trash doesn't hold a candle to the book (and anyways, it's only a loose association).

I remember reading Owen Meany about seven years ago. I'd read it every day on the bus to and from work. In the span of ten minutes I'd be both laughing and crying. One person on the bus even asked me what I was reading, and when she saw that it was Owen Meany, she understood.

Like ladyv, this was a formative book for me. I'd be happy to read it again.

[This message edited by manAscending at 6:52 AM, September 20th (Monday)]

Well unless we get any other suggestions in the next hour or so, I'd say we just go with Owen Meany, I've never read it?

Agreed?

Owen Meany is available at my local library, so i'm good.

I'm fine with that.

Ok Owen Meany it is.

From those who have read it, when is a good start date for discussion?

I assume we'll read the whole book first.