2018 Book Group - we're making a list - make a suggestion

[Chillywhippet]

It would be great to decide on books for the rest of the year.

So far we have

January North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

February Fatherland by Robert Harris

So what do we want on our list?
What categories do we want? Just fiction? Maybe a few non fiction, Biography/autobiography?

Two other suggestions that have been made so far
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

The North and South discussion begins tomorrow but I will post a short summary here with no spoilers if people want to know what people thought.

North and South Thread with spoilers in discussion

Are different genres allowed? Eg Fantasy? Or is it more general fiction?

Yes to genres. Much better word than categories. It's not the Baftas.

It's good to read outside your usual genres.

Some of the lesser known books by famous authors?
So Jill by Philip Larkin
Keep the Aspidistra Flying by Orwell
A Handfull of Dust by Waugh

I’ve heard loads of good things about The Power by Naomi Alderman. It’s under science fiction.

I'd love to read a recently published non fiction book such as the one about Trump "fire and fury"or the Gary Younge one - another day in the death of America. Am being greedy though as have already chosen x

I never read non fiction really so maybe one month something from that genre? No idea what though!

last queen I haven't even read anything by Larkin or Waugh, let alone their least well known. Have read most of Orwell's work though.
I like the idea of classics of a genre as well as newer books, hard to limit just to ten.
Only thing I'm less keen on reading is biography type stuff.
I will have a look at my wishlist now for inspiration.

I'm keen for Essex Serpent as suggested above.

Also thinking a collection of short stories could be good.
This Thing of Darkness is highly praised on the 50 books thread.

Ok so for genres so far we have

Classic
January - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell but obviously we can do another classic

Thriller
February - Fatherland by Robert Harris

Sci-fi
suggestion The Power by Naomi Alderman

Non fiction
Suggestions Fire and Fury Or Another Day in the Death of America

Lesser known by famous author
Suggestions
Jill by Philip Larkin
A Handfull of Dust by Waugh
Not included the Orwell suggestion as PP had read it

Historical
Suggestion
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson

Mystery
Suggestion
Essex Serpent

Others
Fantasy?

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman has been suggested but I see it is the MN book club February book. I didn't know there was an MN book club. www.mumsnet.com/books/books-to-read

In case anyone thinks I'm a writer or publisher or something, I am just in reading rehab after years of falling off the reading wagon and making every excuse under the sun. After trying the reading challenges here a couple of times and failing I am trying to commit this year!

Oh God that 'THe Power' was utter bilge imo - shockingly badly written, lurid, and obvious beyond words. Sorry :(

If you're after non fiction I can whole heartedly recommend East West Street - it is by a human rights lawyer and is about two things - first, his Jewish family and what happened to them in the war; and second, the parallel lines of his grandfather (one of the family members above) and another jewish lawyer of the same period, who end up being involved with the Nuremberg trials and establishing the idea of genocide, and crimes against humanity.

It sounds grimmer than it actually is! I found it riveting.

For fiction I cannot say enough in praise of The Horseman, by Tim Pears. It is simply superb.

that should say 'parallel lives' not lines and it's by Philippe Sands

Keep the Aspidistra Flying used to be one of my favourite books!

I'll have a look and see if I can suggest something from my reading list. I'm apprehensive of making a suggestion and it's then universally disliked.
Agree, genres sounds good.

List of best fantasy novels from 2017 here:
www.vulture.com/2017/12/the-10-best-fantasy-books-of-2017.html
I quite fancy the bear and the nightingale and Exit West from these.
Anyone else got any fantasy suggestions.

All my fantasy faves are part of longer series - bit pointless reading book 1 of a trilogy (or longer series).

Anyone up for tackling a play - eg Shakespeare?

I'm up for plays, have a couple of suggestions based on the fact they are on my book shelves waiting to be read King Henry V, King Lear, The Rover, The Widow Ranter.

Or maybe we could read the Shakespeare and a modern novel based on it i.e Tempest/ Hagseed, Othello/ Chasing the Stars, King Lear /Wise Children. Or others.

Jaimes i think book 1 of a trilogy would be good. People ca go on to read the others if they want to?

Ok then The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

And any Shakespeare- like the idea of reading play and then related novel.

Into Thin Air is really popular on the 50 books in a year thread

I also like the idea of a play and he related novel. Would be good to compare them

I’ll suggest a book I always suggest - Sweetland by Michael Crummey.

It tells the story of Moses Sweetland, who, along with the other members of a small island community off Newfoundland, are going to be relocated back to the mainland. Moses Sweetland refuses to leave his home, however.

It’s a terrific book.

If you want to read a play, Simon Stephens is a good choice. He adapted The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and has written lots of other great plays. Punk Rock is a brilliant play.

Owen Sheers’ Pink Mist is a great poem-play about three young soldiers from Bristol who go to Afghanistan. I never saw it on stage but it’s being adapted for screen I believe.

My other suggestions would be 4:48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane, Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Werternbaker, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Trystan and Yseult by Anna Maria Murphy/Kneehigh.

I've just had a look at my age old list from my notebook, books I planned to read, and have picked just two or three. I don't mind if they're not selected, as one or two are hit or miss, and so risky, having checked reviews.
Fantasy/Sci Fi - A Voyage to Arcturus - David Lindsay
The Sea Change - Elizabeth Jane Howard
Gillespie and I - Jane Harris

Great. We definitely have enough suggestions for the year.

Will draw up list of genres and options tomorrow unless anyone beats me to it

We have 10 categories for 10 months but they are pretty arbitrary and I may have wrongly categorised a few books! Please feel free to comment/correct.

Not sure how we decide but let's try.

Here is a summary of the great suggestions in no particular order:

Sci-fi

The Power by Naomi Alderman
A Voyage to Arcturus - David Lindsay

Non fiction

Suggestions Fire and Fury Or Another Day in the Death of America

Memoir/biographical
East West Street by Phillipe Sands
Into Thin Air

Lesser known by famous author
Suggestions
Jill by Philip Larkin
A Handfull of Dust by Waugh
Not included the Orwell suggestion as PP had read it smile

Historical

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson
Gillespie and I byJane Harris
The Horseman by Tim Pears. A friendship in Devon, 1911

Mystery

Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Fantasy
The Bear and the Nightingale
Exit West
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Shakespeare and/or novel

Tempest/ Hagseed,
Othello/ Chasing the Stars
King Lear /Wise Children.

Plays

Punk Rock by Simon Stephens
Pink Mist by Owen Sheers
4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane
Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Werternbaker
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
Trystan and Yseult by Anna Maria Murphy/Kneehigh.

Other fiction

The Sea Change by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Sweetland by Michael Crummey, tells the story of Moses Sweetland, who, along with the other members of a small island community off Newfoundland, are going to be relocated back to the mainland. Moses Sweetland refuses to leave his home, however.

I'd like to put forward A Very English Scandal by John Preston. Details here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_English_Scandal Quite a few of us on the 50 Books thread enjoyed it.