"book club recommendations"?

Hi,


I'm in a book club in Fairfield, CT. Our last two selections -- "The Glass Castle" and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" -- have been good, but very downbeat. I'm looking to mix it up a little. Any suggestions for titles that are meaty enough for discussion, but not lacking in humor or hope?


Please share your thoughts.

"book club recommendations"?
You should try "Inspector Imanishi Investigates" by Seicho Matsumoto. It may sound kind of weird, but I think it would work quite nicely for a book club. Great story!
Reply:'Happiness' by Will Ferguson is quite humourous but it will also provide a lot of material for discussion.
Reply:The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It will definitely get ya talking. I have read it 3 times now and find new things to consider each time. There are downbeat parts but for the most part it is an uplifting story about what happens when an innocent lie balloons.





The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Little Altars Everywhere(the prequel) by Rebecca Wells are both funny. Have yet to read Ya-Ya's in Bloom.
Reply:Ome of my favorite books of the last few years is "Stiff" by Mary Roach. A nonfiction work about what happens to bodies that have been donated to science. Although it can be graphic and not to everyones taste, it is well written, with a surprising amount of humor.





Anything by David Sedaris.





The true adventures of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Will be appreciated by anyone who was a child in the 50's - mid 60's. Good sense of time and place, and again written with much humor.





Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl. Third in a series, chronicles her tenure as a restaurant critic for the New York Times. She developed a number of disguises to wear so she wouldn't be recognized. How she was treated, and how she felt, in each of her personas is great fodder for discussion.





Call or visit your local library. They are trained to do this sort of readers advisory and also enjoy helping.
Reply:If you haven't done it yet, The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd). Also Peace Like a River would be great, as would Shadow Baby (Alison McGhee).


Anything by Jodi Picoult would be good as well, as she usually writes fiction based on contemporary media issues and her writing is wonderful.
Reply:Hi,


You should all read,


"The looking glass wars", by Frank Beddor


it is the "true" story of "Alice" in wonderland.





Although judging by the tone of your question you would be after older books? (as in aimed at a older audience?)


If so Tess Gerritsen and Matthew Reilly


are both good Authors,


(my favorite are Tamora Pierce, Christopher Paolini and John Marsden (the tommorow series)





I hope (if you read one) that you enjoy it,


Bye