I agree that Defending Jacob had a lot of holes and parts were unbelievable, but I thought it really captured the different way parents would react to such a situation. How could parents believe their child could commit such a horrific act? What lengths would they go to to defend him? Overall, I thought the book was worth reading.
@makemesmart and @mathmom
Thanks so much for the suggestions, and Iāll take a look at them all. I did read The Warmth of Other Suns and both enjoyed it and was enlightened by it, but I recall it being very long, and I know Iād get pushback from the very busy members of my group, who often are challenged enough to complete an average-length book every month! (Iāve chosen books over sleep very often in my life, but I know Iām a little fanatical about reading and donāt expect that from everyone.)
I actually selected the Storied Life of A.J. Fikry for my book club last year. I provided my compatriots with links to all the short stories referenced in it (almost all available online) because I thought it was a great way to really appreciate the book, but my brilliant idea went over like a lead balloon. No one read the stories. Iām semi-retired, but most of the other members work in demanding jobs and still have a kid or two at home, so their time is at a premium. But I do recommend that approach to A.J Fikry. Itās short book, and of course the stories are brief, so the whole package is not overwhelming.
I just finished Educated, by Tara Westover. Quite compelling reading, and lots to chew over for book club or other conversations.
I thought The Woman in the Window was quite a tour de force for its genre. I see a movie in the future.
@MommaJ thatās whatās so great about the CC bookclub - a lot of people read the short stories. Iād have to check, but I think we kind of discussed one chapter at a time over the course of a week or so - so even if you hadnāt read the stories on day 1, there was often time to read them during the course of the discussion.
@mom2and - Listening to vs. reading the page = completely different experiences. I find the narrators on audio books can make or break the story. Last year, I tried to listen to The Sun Also Rises, read by William Hurt. Just didnāt work for me. Very flat.
On the other hand, George Guidall is an award-winning narrator of a long list of books. The ones Iāve enjoyed are the Gabriel Alon series by Daniel Silva.
Maybe I will give Defending Jacob a second chance when I have time to sit and read, without falling asleep. (The ābabyā starts college this fall.)
#:-S
I just read the Female Persuasion and thought it was really great. It surely would be a hit with a book club.
I also really liked female persuasion - I love Meg Wolitzer
Ack, I canāt stand George Guidall! 
I just read a very interesting book called Peculiar Ground. Describing it loosely, itās about a great estate and the people who own it, design and run it, and live on and near it in the Restoration era and in the 1960s onward. It is not a āheartwarming multi-generational epicā or anything like thatā¦much more individual.
@MommaJ
I would like to find a good book club where people meet face to face. How do you find your club?
I was very intrigued by āeducatedā, have not read it, only listened to the interview by new Yorkersā book review pod of Tara Westover, I canāt imagine her life growing up, ānever been to school till she was 17ā and now has PhD from Cambridge University! It is on my evergrowing to-read list!
To find a book club start with your local library and church - many have monthly book clubs.
Our local independent bookstore also has a monthly book club.
Every white person in the US should read āThe Warmth of Other Sunsā. And Iām only a quarter way through it!
Well, I am only a couple of stories in, but I highly recommend George Saundersā book of short stories Tenth of Dec. Iāve been reading for years about how superb a writer of stories he is, but this is the first book of his that Iāve read. Tremendous! I see what all the hype is about, and I am not usually someone who is drawn to the form.
^I love that collection. The title story is possibly my favorite short story of all time.
@VaBluebird - so true about The Warmth of Other Suns. I learned things I never imagined.
If you havenāt read Beneath the Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan, itās a kindle deal today for $2.99. It was one of the best book my bookclub read two years ago, second only to Gentleman in Moscow. Based on true storyā¦
I just finished the James Comey book, āA Higher Loyaltyā. I know pretty much EVERYONE is salty with Comey, and with some justification. But I actually liked the book quite a bit. Over half the book (the first half) is memoir with no mention of the 2016 campaign ā nothing on emails, Flynn, etc. I found that pretty interesting, especially once he got into stories of prosecuting mob crime, etc. Then once it got into the more current topics, I also found it interesting to see the exact timeline and his thinking laid out step by step. I follow the news pretty closely, and it still revealed a few things and made me consider some of it in a new light. Iām still not his biggest fan, but I have more respect for him than I did before I read the book. As with many books like this, I found reading myself (vs reading or listening to the reviews of others) was a good idea. There are paragraphs and sentences that spoke to me or made me think that arenāt mentioned in those reviews at all.
@gosmom, Iām a new Kindle user and Iām curious how you found out about the kindle deal? Thatās quite a bargain and Iād like to be aware of future kindle deals. Thnx
@rutgersmamma, I use BookBub to find kindle deals. They send a daily email. Nine times out of ten I ignore it because the selection isnāt always the best, but every once in a while thereās a great deal on a quality book. https://www.bookbub.com/welcome
^ P.S. There is also a Kindle Daily Deals newsletter that you can sign up for at Amazon. I havenāt actually done that, since Iām trying to have mercy on my email inbox.
I just finished The Last Days Of Summer by Steve Kluger. I was completely charmed by it. It is about a boy trying to establish a friendship with a professional baseball player in the last couple years before the US enters WWII. It is hilarious and touching. I think I am going to give it as a gift to my future SIL for his upcoming birthday.