Meant to get around to this yesterday but wanted to ask those of you who read the book recently:
I vaguely remember Woolly and his “want” of a perfect day. He got that day in New York visiting the Empire State building. I got the impression that once he had his perfect day, he no longer needed to continue to live in hopes of it - hence, his suicide. Am I misremembering something?
Book suggestions:
Suggested last time: The Good Wife of Bath
And
The Once and Future Witches
I haven’t read either though my youngest daughter (librarian) rated The Once and Future Witches 5 stars on Goodreads.
FWIW: Like @mathmom, I’m rooting for a women-centric book this time.
I just read and loved Lessons in Chemistry and would gladly read it again. But it’s a new best seller so might be hard to get. Perhaps if not now, it could be added to the “under consideration” list for the future?
I think you might be right. I think Dutchess wanted a day that was different, not routine, but I think he got a bunch of them.
The Good Wife of Bath looks really interesting and might be the final impetus for me to actually read Chaucer who I think has been on my to read list since I was 16.
Having the perfect one-of-a-kind day definitely seems to aid in his decision to bid the world adieu. He replays the day in his head after he swallows the pills, and his story ends with:
But one mustn’t rush, thought Woolly, as the window curtains stirred, and the grass began to sprout through the seams between the floor boards, and the ivy climbed the legs of the bureau. For a one-of-a-kind day deserves to be relived at the slowest possible pace, with every moment, every twist, every turn of events remembered to the tiniest detail (p. 501).
First, I love the suggestions made, but in the spirit of “book selection time” I put forth these books, I haven’t read, but find interesting based on goodreads reviews. By “ Debbie”
( Debbie is not someone I know, I’m one of 910 “friends- find her -friend her -she’s a witty book lover )
Spunky librarian, sense of humor, when enthused about a book, she “ gets on her pogo stick, hops around and tells everyone how enthused she is” , so below I’ve selected some of pogo stick worthy books,
This is her profile :
“ Dear writer,
I was an editor for more than 35 years, and I’m getting old and cranky.
Great plots and characters make my day. So does a good unreliable narrator, a tricky story, and dance-y or soulful language. Play with those words, damn it! And stop with all the description already. Life is too short.
Get a good editor and keep the story under 400 pages, will you? For the love of god, don’t ramble, don’t add random characters or storylines, and don’t try to teach me a thing or two. And please, kill your little darlings if they’re getting in the way; you’ll forget about them in no time.
I know I’m being a bossy ■■■■■ but I can’t help it. Please, please, just give me a book that keeps me up all night and that I can’t stop talking about.
Thanks in advance,
Debbie”
So I put forth for your opinions, based on Debbie’s reviews,because I don’t have any other personal recommendations 
The Nature of Fragile things - sue Meissner
The Wife- Alafar Burke
Sister, mother, husband, dog- Delia Ephron
Broken ( but in the best way) Jenny Lawson
Don’t know if any would be good for discussion 
I want to read Lessons in Chemistry and put my name on the wait list at the library on May 28. I’m now #70 and would maybe (probably) get the book in time. Just note that the wait list has been working ever downward for me since May. If I put my name on the list today, I’d be #240 in line.
If not chosen this time, I’d definitely want to see the book show up as a choice again in the future.
And happy to see the positive recommendation.
This is a book that I’m planning to read once I get back to a normal schedule. Currently I have a houseful of people so reading time is very scarce and likely to be that way till the end of the month.
The Girl in his Shadow by Audrey Blake
It has been recommended by our library as a must read. Fits the woman centric part as well. I’m not sure about the wait to get it. I’m #200 on 10 copies so it may be a while.
I like the sound of all the books suggested so far.
I put a hold on it too #359 out of 63 copies.
Also, put hold on Lessons in Chemistry, #53,
Wild. I would be hold #12 out of three copies. You all must live in much bigger places than I do. Or maybe just more literate places.
If we want something that’s women-centric, I can reprise my recommendation for Peyton Place. Again, it has some naughty bits, but IMO they are relevant to the plot. Mostly. I think it’s a very feminist novel.
Vetoing The Girl in his Shadow with all due respect. It’s me, not the book. I read this in the Library Journal review:
Drawing on deep research, their description of medical practices and procedures is harrowing
Harrowing medical practices/procedures … no, no, no … please.
Then do not read The Pull of the Stars.
I’ll throw back out an earlier suggestion:
Mindy Kaling’s collection of essays Why Not Me? It looks fun, thought provoking, and available since it’s from 2015
I don’t know how big my own library is, but Westchester County is one library system for most holds (there are some weird rules with certain e-books). Google says that’s 38 separate libraries.
I’d like Mindy Kaling or Peyton Place. Lessons in Chemistry sounds good but I wonder about availability.
I just picked up The Pull of the Stars at a bookstore! But I love harrowing medical practices and procedures, so it’s all good. 
(I’ll post a voting list later this evening, once all suggestions are in.)
Lessons in Chemistry is going to be tough to get in time. I’m 800 for an e-book (94 copies), 400 for a paperback edition (100 copies) and 130 for large print (15 copies).
I have all 3 formats on hold in the hopes that one gets to me in time!
It looks very interesting! So my vote goes to it.
I also like The Once and Future Witches as a second choice.
@ignatius, I don’t much like to read gross and gruesome medical details either. The reviews for content in The Girl in his Shadow seem to be mixed. I will give it a try and see.