Book Club - my turn to nominate book

[Rollergirl1]

I really need some guidance here: This is a school mum's book-club. We have had 4 books. There is only one of them I have liked so far. They were:

Fifty Shades of Grey
Shadow of the wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (this is the one i liked)
The Secret life of a Slummy Mummy - Fiona Neill
The Secrets between Us - Louise Douglas

I loved Shadow of the wind, it was amazing and i would never have found it without the book-club. I have loads of books that i love and really want to suggest but i'm worried that they're just too obscure and weird for the majority of this book-club.

My first is 'Under the Skin' by Michel Faber. I read this book 10 years ago and it still stays with me now. But I think it might be a bit way out for the other people.

My other is 'The Gargoyle', which is probably similar in terms of being a bit "out there" for other readers?

Finally, i'd love to suggest "The Passage" but know it's far too long to be a book-club option...

Help please???

[reallyyummymummy]

I would go for Under the Skin. I have not read it but the fact you have said it still stays with you makes me want to read it. Secondly, the point of a book club is surely to read things that you would not usually read.

[KeithLeMonde]

I'd say go for it - I haven't read the books you've mentioned but if you love them, then maybe others will too. My reading group tend to chose things I would never want to read (lots of chick lit), and I felt a bit nervous about choosing at first, but when it's my turn now I chose something I love or something I would want to read but haven't read yet. Some they have enjoyed and others they've hated but at least there is normally a lively discussion!

I know it might make me sound like a book snob but I do like the fact that I can introduce a work of literature to someone who previously thought that 50 Shades of Grey is an "amazing book". After all, it's a reading group so I am guessing they want to explore literature.......

[dalek]

I was going to suggest Under the Skin! I think its fantastic for a book group - not too long and thought provoking! Good luck x

[DoItToJulia]

Or the American Wife by Curtis Sittingfeld. Brilliant. Don't google or research it though, it will spoil the surprise. My book of 2012.

[DuchessOfAvon]

Gods Own Country by Ross Raisin sparked a fantastic book group for us. ITs not too long, beautifully written and sticks with you for a very long time afterwards. I think its the perfect Book Group book.

[Parisbanana]

Under the Skin is a great book and perfect for a book club.... Not too long, will certainly get you all talking, and one of the points of a book club is that you read things you might not normally.
I think all those points have been made by other posters already!
I also belong to a school mums book club and the only one we read that was universally loved was The Sisters brothers and this was a book which when suggested was not particularly enthusiastically receives!