Help, my whole book club are in a slump!

[Orangeinmybluelightcup]

Lockdown (zoom) and busy lives (young kids) are killing my book club! We've had 3 fails in a row now... Please recommend light hearted, enjoyable reads that will get us all going again!

Things we've enjoyed in the past include A man called Ove, how to stop time, the Rosie project, some people enjoyed Elinor Oliphant.

Have you read Standard Deviation?

I loved that book, it made me really happy.

Sorry, by Katherine Heiny

Ah that could really hit the nail on the head, thank you!

I read it again only the other day, hope you enjoy it too!

I’m halfway through Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray, that may fit your requirements?

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, a lovely book and we all enjoyed it also The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen and Miss Bensons Beetle by Rachel Joyce

We've all had ups and downs over the last 16 months where some can't face reading at all, some can't face yet another zoom meeting, some can't concentrate for longer than 5 minutes etc so we've tried to go for more feel good reads atm although this month is Shuggie Bain which I've thoroughly enjoyed although not necessarily light hearted!

I just read The First Day of Spring and it's the first book in ages that made me wish I were in a book club. It's extremely heavy subject matter but incredibly well written, I couldn't put it down.

We all enjoyed The Girl With a Louding Voice by Abi Dare.There are some grim descriptions but the main character is so resilient and has such a hopeful and distinctive voice.
Another book with a lot of scope for discussion is Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland. However a young woman and a baby die( separately) so may be unsuitable for your group.

The last book I really enjoyed was "People Like Her".

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. Lots to think about, easy to read, great story-telling and lovely.

Dear Mrs Bird - AJ Pearce. Well- written light read.

It’s not lighthearted, but I always recommend Burial Rites because it’s SO good and not like anything you’ve ever read before

Hungry - Grace Dent

Nearly finished this and have absolutely loved it. A memoir of her life but talks a lot about her working class family/background and so many food memories.

Away with the penguins

The Lido

The Offing by Benjamin Myers is wonderful and perfect time of year to read it

We've found that lighthearted books seem to be the biggest fails for ours. Away with The Penguins got a universal thumbs down, The Flat Share wasn't enjoyed much either. Our biggest successes this year have been American Dirt by Jeanette Cummins and A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier.

The Thursday Murder Club is a brilliant lighthearted read.

That's our next book @BonesJones

I would recommend West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. It's the story of a lad following the first giraffes to cross America in the 30s depression. An easy read, heartwarming and uplifting.

Three Hours - maybe not in the lighthearted categorically, but provoked a lot of discussion.

More lighthearted options-
Away with the penguins
Mrs Benson beetle

Our book group is very good at dislike the popular reads also.

I hesitate to suggest it because I hated it as I'll explain in a second but The Book Club by CJ Cooper.

I hated it because I found all the characters really really irritating and it had some highly implausible features to it.

Without spoiling it for you, the driver of the action is the aim of a particular character. The way she goes about it is utterly ridiculous and could have been circumvented by a literal and metaphorical hit and run.

The reason I recommend it though is that it was so irritating I would have loved to have had someone to complain about it's many flaws to at great lenght. It provoked a reaction in me which is always good book club material.

I'd chuck it in the bin when you've finished it though!

Maybe try some non-fiction to get things moving?
I've just read Battle of Brothers. It's about the royal family, particularly Harry and William. Everyone will probably have an opinion on it.

Over the last year our book group has enjoyed:

Their Eyes Were Watching God
My Sister The Serial Killer
A Single Thread
On Chapel Sands
Everything I Never Told You
The Vanishing Half
The Grapes of Wrath

Books we didn't enjoy as much:

The Midnight Library
My Name is Eva
The Back of the Bus

The Women in Black by Madeleine St John.

1950s set coming of age story with short chapters and incredible sense of voice between the different women.