I’ve been such a lurker this time around! I will happily discuss (or lurk for discussion of) any of the books mentioned. I would especially love it if we picked North and South.
1 Like
I keep running into the situation where a book is recommended in one of these threads and not chosen, but it sounds interesting, so I put it on hold and enjoy it; then I check out other books by the same author and enjoy them; then I read another and look for all of that author’s books; so I’ve now read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Gabrielle Zevin’s books, yet would be quite happy to read and discuss any of them again; I do admit that I didn’t care for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but it’s not being recommended so not a problem.
I just looked up North and South and am ambivalent - looked at the first page of the book and seems to consist of sentences of 100 words or so. As mimicked above!
My preferences are more light hearted and entertaining. I would happily re-read Daisy Jones or Tomorrow. Of the rest, most interested in Half Sick of Shadows.
Well, the first sentence of North and South is only five words, so at least Gaskell breaks you in easy. 
But yes, it’s a Victorian novel with that particular style of sentence construction, no doubt about it.
I’ve reduced the list to five, removing some that didn’t seem to generate much interest and others that have already been read by several people (sometimes more than once). Some of you may have to vote again on account of the vetoes:
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Tru Biz by Sara Novic
Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
1 Like
-
North and South
-
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (long waitlist in my library system but, since I’m at the front of the line, I’m good to go. Don’t know about you guys, though?)
-
Half Sick of Shadows (I’m concerned I don’t know the Arthurian story well-enough to appreciate the retelling. But still … it sounds good.)
*I’m also good with Daisy Jones and the Six. (I may or may not reread it, even though I probably should if I want to participate in a discussion. I read it three years ago in January. Still … so many books, so little time and in a reading slump. Regardless I’ll show up. @Mary13 may give me a failing grade for unpreparedness and lack of participation, but hopefully I’ll get points for sticking around through thick and thin.)
3 Likes
Sorry to be so useless, but any of these is fine with me. I don’t know much about them, but I’m up for a surprise.
1 Like
Daisy Jones and the Six
North and South
Half Sick of Shadows
I am voting no on Tru Biz as it is the most expensive on the secondary market. Daisy Jones is in one of our libraries and the other two are fairly reasonable on E-bay and Amazon used.
I am good with any of the remaining choices
Okay, thanks everyone! With the veto for Tru Biz and the potentially long waitlist for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, that leaves us with:
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian
After re-reading all the comments above, I am going to call it for North and South. I’m doing this for two reasons:
-
We need to get @ignatius out of her slump, and she had by far the strongest preference on the February selection.
-
When torn between a “hard” read and and “easy” one, I like to choose the book that’s more of a challenge, because that’s one of the reasons we’re together. One the the best things about this group is that it has introduced me to books I would never have read on my own.
I’m a little nervous about choosing a book I really like because some of you will undoubtedly feel the opposite. But differing viewpoints is what we’re all about, so let’s do it! I can promise you that even if you don’t like North and South, you will appreciate it by the time we’re done with discussion. Whatever you do, don’t purchase the John Jakes novel by accident. 
I’ll start a new thread.
4 Likes
I actually usually enjoy the discussions most when I dislike aspects of the book and others do too. That and the books where there’s so much extra stuff historical and otherwise going on (Possession or The Luminaries for example.)
5 Likes
Sorry, late to the “picking a book” party – I’ve spent the last week at my father’s helping him as he recovers from surgery.
As usual, I’m OK with whatever the choice ends up being. I would have voted for “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” since my RL Book Club has that as a January selection (you know, 2 birds, 1 stone) but I see it’s been crossed off. 
1 Like
Regarding #1: Now I understand why @VeryHappy worried no one liked Peyton Place. Eek!
and
Regarding #2: Peyton Place wouldn’t have made it on my reading list. However, I’m happy that @VeryHappy kept at us to read it. I found Metalious a better writer than expected; I was thinking more along the lines of the Fifty Shades of Grey writer. But nope. And, for what it’s worth, the local librarian encourages us to read a banned book every so often. So, done. After hearing Peyton Place in the vernacular for years, I now have a sense of why. In my personal opinion, Metalious herself turned out to be as much of a discussion topic as her book - sadly.
Point being that @Mary13 hit the nail on the head when she points out that the book club encourages us to read that which we might not pick up on our own.
6 Likes
North and South is on Kindle Unlimited for those who have that.
3 Likes
Taking a minute to thank @Mary13 for leading another good book discussion and another minute to thank everyone who enlivened the discussion with remarks.
Also, we usually list our bedside table books/interim reading. I know I’ve gotten some great suggestions in the past. So let’s do it!
As I noted, I’m in a reading slump but here goes.
Violeta - Isabel Allende. Let’s just say it’s not doing anything to knock me out of the slump. I try to read a chapter at night before turning out the light or first thing in the morning while still in bed. It puts me to sleep or, as happened this morning, back to sleep. I don’t hold the book responsible; on the other hand …
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Sophie Irwin. Victorian romance lending itself at this point to the slightly humorous with no bodice-ripping. Definitely lighter and “cleaner” than Peyton Place.
Musical Tables - Billy Collins (former Poet Laureate of the United States). Poetry (obviously) and I thoroughly enjoy the short poems, and I do mean short. Ex.:
3:00 AM
Only my hand
is asleep,
but it’s a start.
2 Likes
I tried to read The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner – author of The Weight of Ink, which I absolutely adored – and after 60 pages I gave up. It was the most depressing thing I’ve ever read.
I’m reading The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte. He’s an amusing writer and I’m enjoying it. (This resulted from a trip to the Natural History Museum in Charlotte with my granddaughter. I realized I know absolutely nothing about dinosaurs, so I thought I’d try to learn.)
2 Likes
That’s too bad about Rachel Kushner’s new book.
I am reading Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. It is seriously weird, but engaging even though we haven’t really stuck with any character in a meaningful way yet.
I’m also reading one of the Bridgerton prequels First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn. I could tell you exactly what’s going to happen by the end of the first chapter!
Just finished Anne Tyler’s French Braid. This book like the last one, just didn’t really do it for me. Irritating characters, not enough time on any one of them.
2 Likes
Not much to share,
Audio book ali Wentworth ( Ali’s well that ends well )experience, with Covid, teens in Covid lockdown time, George her husband , aging, her dream about being married to Jon Hamm as she binged Mad man ( again another Covid sickness related delusion )
She is funny !
Audio Book, Delia Ephron Left on Tenth, co author with her sister, Nora Ephron “ You’ve got mail,” based on her life, didn’t know that,
Well, she also shares leukemia with her sister,
And, waving to @ignatius skip this one, detailed medical information, “not your cuppa tea”…….
Happy Hanukkah
Joyful winter solstice
Merry Christmas
Ya all
2 Likes
@VeryHappy, Rachel Kadish wrote The Weight of Ink, not Rachel Kushner. No connection between the two, so don’t give up on Rachel Kadish!
3 Likes
Oh goodness!! That was why I started it – I thought I loved her work!! Well, I do not recommend The Mars Room, unless you want 50 pages of terribleness about the inner thoughts of a 29-year-old woman sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. It was a tad gloomy.
1 Like
I just signed off from a Zoom “Author Speak” that my library does periodically. One of the audience members mentioned that she herself is writing a historical novel about her grandmother who, in 1933, was imprisoned for three years for the “crime of fornication.” She became pregnant out of wedlock so they locked her up. The baby, the audience member’s mother, spent her first two years in prison with her mother.
This reminded me of Peyton Place in 1939 – Connie’s terror of anyone finding out that Allison was born out of wedlock. I guess the consequences were worse than just being shamed by society!
5 Likes
@VeryHappy That’s appalling, good for the audience member writing it out. Come back with it as a book club suggestion if/when she’s published!