Two more titles:
Once There Were Wolves. I don’t know if this falls within HImom’s parameters, as I saw the descriptor “melancholy”.
West with Giraffes This one may be too soon after the CC discussion of Tender Is the Land as it takes place during the depression but the reviews are good and it doesn’t sound depressing.
I thought Cloud Cuckoo Land was an intriguing book but I was not sophisticated enough to get many of the plethora of connections and references and interfaces etc. I am glad I read it but not in love with it.
I read Malibu Rising when it showed up here as a potential and enjoyed it very much. Then I read Daisy Jones and the Six and absolutely loved it. And now I’ve just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but it was my least favorite of the three.
I understand that books that depress me and make me cry are very well written but I am with those who want a happy upbeat book. Recent best sellers might take a while to get through the San Diego library system.
I read Klara and the Sun, again when it was mentioned here. I liked it less and less the further I got into it.
West with Giraffes is on my TBR list!
@AnAsmom, I’m glad you made it! Thanks for the great analysis – I love the idea of the story as a tapestry (threads again!).
Re April, so many great book suggestions! I eliminated the ones that had been gently vetoed in the course of conversation. That includes the graphic novels, as we do have a lot of Kindle users and audiobook listeners. It also includes books someone has already read – unless that person explicitly stated they want to re-read or discuss it. So now we have:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Feel free to veto; the list is still too long for a ranked vote.
Funny thing, we didn’t actually end up with any banned books on our list. But by their very nature, most banned books would probably be too dark for @HImom (and others). Here’s a list to look at for fun – Candide made it 
. You couldn’t pay me to read American Psycho. In fact, there’s not a whole lot here that I find appealing: 25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today
I would add that the books on our list are all pretty new – at this point, probably only The Dutch House would be easy to get from the library. If there are suggestions for easy-to-obtain older titles, I’m all ears.
I’ve never read Peyton Place but it’s available open source electronically in Canada. It has been referred to a lot over the years and was made into tv series and movie. If we want something different?
Otherwise “The Real James Herriot” by Jim Wight is a book I think might be uplifting because it’s a biography by a son about an old time big animal vet who loved his career.
It will probably be difficult to find books people haven’t read yet but are easily obtainable. Did this book club ever cover Wild by Cheryl Strayed? I’m sure many of us have read it - I did, but not recently and would be happy to read it again.
No outright vetoes; would love to read The Dutch House. But, as (almost) always, I’m fine with whichever book ends up being picked.
Has anyone/everyone read All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot? There’s a new PBS Masterpiece series, which would make a nice “video companion” if we went that route. Just tossing out ideas for easily obtainable modern classics.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Have read The Dutch House but will join the discussion without rereading.
The Lincoln Highway is probably going to be impossible to get in time. However as with CCL, I may be in for a surprise.
The other books are available with reasonable waits for me. That may not be the case for all library systems.
This is on my list to read soon, so I thought that I would add it for consideration. It is a sequel, though.
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout.
ETA: Just read @Mary13 ‘s post. Count me in to read James Herriot.
I’m going to early vote.
No vetoes (sorry); I’d happily read (or reread) any of the books on your list plus All Creatures Great and Small
FWIW: The Lincoln Highway has a waitlist here - long enough to make getting it in time for an April discussion unlikely. No problem for me; I just finished it, as a friend loaned me her copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, which surprised me. It sounded too much like This Tender Land. I can happily say “not so.” And would happily reread it, if chosen.
#1 on my list: The Dutch House. Partly because it keeps appearing on our list, so maybe its time has come. And it’s easy to get a library copy. I know this because one of my book clubs just chose it for April. For me, it would kill two birds with one stone or rather two book clubs with one book. Lol. That book club also chose These Precious Days, Patchett’s nonfiction essays, to accompany it. That book club always chooses two books. You can read either one or both. If one book doesn’t interest you the other one might.
I also have All Creatures Great and Small already waiting for me on my Kindle.
I’m good with any of the books.
Another vote for the Dutch House. Sounds right up my alley!
I just read The Dutch House. I didn’t love it, but it would probably provide a good discussion. Don’t know if I’d reread it though. I got Love Songs out of the library, it looked intriguing, but I returned it without reading because there was a waiting list and it’s very, very long. I’ve heard mixed reviews for Lincoln Highway, both love and disappointed. I’d be happy to read it. I won’t have time till this weekend to look up the other books. There are holds of various sizes for all of them except Dutch House.
Well, it seems that most of the suggestions on our current list will be hard to get at this point, and should be pushed back to a future month. @mathmom, you’re right – Love Songs is too long for the next round, since we just finished a 650 page book.
What if we just voted on:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Or
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Completely different options, but both are easy to get. As we know from past history, not choosing a particular book doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Rather, the many good choices suggested in earlier posts can be revisited later when they aren’t so “hot.”
Not Peyton Place? 
I’m not necessarily recommending it for this group – I’m not sure it’s substantial enough – but I do highly recommend it. I just finished it and there are a lot of feminist themes throughout. Also, Grace Metalious was an incredible writer.
I’ve read both The Dutch House and All Creatures Great and Small. IMO, the latter is a lot more fun.
Both sound great to me, but very different. For those who have read both, which do you think would make for a better discussion?
I got sidetracked when I saw @HImom’s other suggestion and James Herriot entered my head. 
I’ve never read Peyton Place – glad to hear the good recommendation!
Equally good with either choice.
I’m definitely a fan of Herriot and would happily Re-read him plus the biography about him.
I also plan to read Peyton Place, which was written just before I was born but I’ve head references to it a lot over the years.
I don’t know about the other books.
I would be happy to re-read All Creatures Great and Small - I once had a copy and read the series some decades ago. I don’t know if the book made the move; it’s not inside, anyway! In the garage, there are two cartons - one filled with my Agatha Christie collection, and the other a conglomerate. I know exactly where it would have been in the old house!
I am sorry I didn’t start watching the new series on PBS - didn’t think of it in time. I’ve gotten so used to streaming that I didn’t think of DVR-ing it.
Every time I’ve looked into The Dutch House, I’ve looked away. I guess I’ve read too many books about family relationships and what love means where plot is an afterthought.