All Creatures Great and Small - April CC Book Club Selection

Hesitated to post this but since you asked … I know you really like the book so no veto from me. The review just gives pause, though maybe it shouldn’t. The fact that’s it’s easy to get is a check in its favor also.

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Fun links: Olga Dies Dreaming looks to be hard to get right now.

I’m kind of meh about all the books on the list as well. Probably because I’ve been overindulging myself (staying up into the wee hours) reading books in my favorite genre of fantasy fiction and don’t really want to confront reality :joy:

However, I will read whatever we choose as a group. Even if it isn’t my first choice, making myself read it helps me get out of the rut.

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Weird, it’s available right away in my local library! Short hold for Kindle version though.

Just reading some summaries of the book suggestions, and found this on Amazon, about The Secrets We Kept,

Seems like the name Olga keeps popping up , Olga dies Sleeping and this from Amazon review

The Secrets We Kept -
The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story–the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskayawho was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago’s heroine, Lara–with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak’s country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, D.C. to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature–told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the center of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world.

Well, I’m 4th on hold list now for “While Olga Dies Sleeping” and 87th for “Run Rose Run.”

Haven’t tried reserving any of the other books yet.

I’m now #61 on the hold list for audio and #31 for hard copy and #4 for large print (but there’s only one copy large print).

I’m surprised that others can get it so quickly but the same thing happened to me with Cloud Cuckoo Land.

So, for what it’s worth, I’m good with whatever gets chosen (other than The Book of Longings). I’m feeling somewhat guilty letting Kirkus Reviews dampen any enthusiasm for Peyton Place since @VeryHappy likes it.

Like @AnAsmom I’ve been reading and reading and reading at the moment. Maybe I’m heading into one of those dreaded reading slumps. So ignore me. I haven’t missed a CC book club discussion since 2009. I haven’t liked each and every selection but I have always loved participating in the discussions. CC Book Club is the best!

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I took a quick look at the lists and to be honest, not real excited to read a book about a dysfunctional family that has a secret that explodes the family then brings them together, all in a book heavily immersed in another culture. Or is that just me seeing the theme in literature?

An idea popped into my head - Mindy Kaling’s collection of essays Why Not Me? It looks fun, thought provoking, and available since it’s from 2015.It might make a nice early summer read and discussion. Just a suggestion!

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And I just finished Ann Patchett’s These Precious Days (essays) and loved it. I cajoled nagged bullied two friends into reading it. They actually did and both ended up giving it five stars on GoodReads. One said that she thought it would be boring and then couldn’t stop reading it. Anyway, it has enough “good for discussion” …

I just didn’t bring it up because essays can be a hard sell. Regardless of whether or not it could be considered a choice here, I’m highly recommending it.

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Goodness, I think you just described Black Cake which I read and really like. Your post made me laugh as maybe it is a current theme.

Re: the books mentioned:
I’ve read and LOVED “The Book of Longings.” That said, I know others who didn’t like it. It does totally upend the traditional story of Jesus as told in the Bible.

I’ve also read and really liked “The Vanishing Half” and “An American Marriage.” I’ll be reading “The Henna Artist” in May for my other online Book Club, and “The Lincoln Highway” for Books on the Beach this summer.

As always, I’m fine with reading whatever the groups chooses.

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Well, I think you’ve just described everything from War and Peace to Spongebob Squarepants, so I’m afraid it can’t be used as veto criteria. :smile:

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I also really enjoyed the Book of Longings.

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I just looked through the book suggestions. I’m good with anything that gets picked, since I like reading books with this group, even if I’m not crazy about the book. If I have to narrow it down, here are my top picks (in no particular order).

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

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I did read Mindy’s Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? – didn’t know she had another book.

I like the idea of essays – either Kaling’s book or Ann Patchett’s These Precious Days, but maybe we should revisit for August, since I think I’d better pare down the list at this point, rather than add to it.

I’m cutting the choices in half based on interest as indicated in the above posts plus a sprinkle of randomness:

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González

How about if everyone ranks their top three and we’ll see where we land.

The Anomaly
Olga Dies Dreaming
The Secrets We Kept

Really don’t have strong vibes about options, so trying to rank, to assist our dedicated, fair and balanced @Mary13

The Secrets We Kept ……do we want to read anything about Russia right now ? Might be helpful to learn more about this beast,

Olga Dies Dreaming- do we want a harder to get book, but Marilyn has read it a recommends as selection.

Peyton Place, - do we want to linger in the 1950’s ? Juicy, @veryhappy points out, ok maybe we do want to revisit those 1950’s :hugs: :joy:

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Fun way to assist. I’ll join in. All four choices - not yet ranked.

The Secrets We Kept - a 2019 book that no one seems to have read despite solid+ reviews. Historical fiction. Easy to get. Russia of the 1950s (+ or -). Doctor Zhivago ties.

Olga Dies Dreaming - 2022 publication (+) and (-). The - only if hard to get. Lots of buzz.

The Anomaly - Translated from French to English. An international bestseller. Solid reviews. May or may not be hard to get. I read this one and suggested it. Definitely steps away from
“a dysfunctional family that has a secret that explodes the family then brings them together, all in a book heavily immersed in another culture.”

Peyton Place - Kirkus Reviews calls it a “likeably trashy novel.” Nothing wrong with that, in my humble opinion. I like trashy novels and we haven’t stepped in that direction, I don’t think. Written in the 1950s - maybe a + (easy to get) or maybe a - (do we want to pick up another “classic” after just having read one and, yes, Peyton Place is a classic in its own way.)

I’d read any of the four listed above. I may rank later, after some thought. (I doubt I’d buy Olga Dies Dreaming, as house repairs have curtailed any extras at the moment. I may or may not get it in time. Not worried, really, it seems like plenty of time. Still … At worst, I’d be sliding into “class” late, hoping @Mary13 won’t deduct points.)

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The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

But I can read any of them.

Thanks, all. The above comments and rankings were helpful to the point that I’ve made a decision without having to pull a title out of a hat — and also without waiting for everybody to vote. :grimacing: My apologies — I guess I’m employing the “better to ask forgiveness than permission” method.

  1. @jerseysouthmomchess, you’re right, I don’t think I really want to read about Russia at the moment. That doesn’t mean “never” —The Secrets We Kept looks great—but the daily bombardment of Russian news is enough for now. I recognize that there is another, valid argument that we could have a discussion that draws in what is currently happening on the world stage and the evolution of the Cold War, but…let’s not. At least not at this juncture.

  2. @ignatius, you don’t need yet another demerit for bad behavior, so I’d rather not put you in a position of being late for Olga Dies Dreaming. However, let’s be sure it’s on the list for the next round because it has a summer read vibe to it. Per the Star Tribune: "A smart romantic comedy that lures us in with laughter but keeps us hooked with insight.”

  3. Peyton Place. I’d be totally on board with this, but it, too, might be best as a summer read. Also, more importantly, we just read a classic (i.e., 50 or more years old) and alternating between old and new is generally a good way to mix things up.

  4. The Anomaly. I’d never heard of this book, it’s a bit out of my comfort zone, and I’d be unlikely to pick it up on my own. So guess what that means? I need to read it with all of you. I already know that it’s a top choice for @ignatius, @Caraid, @CBBBlinker, and @mathmom, and there were no vetoes from others, so let’s do it.

I hope everyone is on board (pun intended :blush:).

Also, it got a terrific review in The New York Times. Caution: I think the review gives too much away, so if you want the basic positives but no spoilers, just read the first three paragraphs: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/03/books/review-anomaly-herve-le-tellier.html

The book is available immediately in all formats at my library, so I’m hoping others will have the same luck. I’ll start a new thread.

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