"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, January 8, 2024

TTT: Favorite Book Club Selections of 2023

Favorite Books Club Selections of 2023

I am in two book clubs. This year I read 20 unique books, one duplicate (both clubs read it) and two rereads. These are my favorite book club selections based on themes and discussions. As in years past, I asked for input from other club members

1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Though the themes were generally dark, the book was so well written and provocative, we had an excellent discussion. It was also the #1 pick of my RHS Gals group. Kingsolver was inspired to write this book by Charles Dicken's David Copperfield.

2. The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

We read this beautiful epic story of a Vietnamese family and the history of country in both my book clubs. The SOTH Ladies ranked this as their favorite of the year and the RHS Gals ranked it #2. This is a perfect book club selection where the reader learns new information which enhanced the discuss.

3. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

Another historical fiction novel, this one set first in Spain during their civil war and eventually in Chile where many of the "losers" of the war ended up. This one tells the story of one family over 50 years. I learned so much and we all had so much to discuss about the history of Latin America. This is also our first Isabel Allende book. She is a wonderful writer. This was SOTH Ladies #3 pick of the year.

4. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

This book has so much to admire: good plot, likeable characters, unique setting and time period, and even a little mystery thrown in for fun. It was a club favorite and was ranked #3 by the RHS Gals.

5. The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Oh my. Such a sad story about Syrian refugees. It opened all our eyes after it broke our hearts.

6. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn

The only nonfiction book to make the list this year. I'm sure this was no ones favorite book of the year but we all were so moved by what we learned about poverty in rural America and we had a fabulous discussion about it.

7-9. These three titles are interchangeable in ranking.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, this is the story of four sisters and a boy who is friend to all. It is a story of friendship and of pain. I missed the club when this book was discussed but I understand it was a book beloved by all.

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

If you've not read a book by Brooks you are missing one of the best historical fiction writers out there. She stays with her same style telling a story from the past but including current day researchers to add to the knowledge. Yes, this story is about a horse and his black groom who was nameless until Brooks gave him one.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I did a little extra research AFTER our club meeting and that research increased my appreciation of this story. Patchett was inspired to write it based on the famous play by Thornton Wilder: "Our Town". She also threw in a little Chekhov for good measure to add to the literary nod.

10. Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

We could all relate to this novel because it was about living during COVID lockdowns and post-COVID life. Strout is an excellent writer and my book club has selected her various books several times and we've never been disappointed by her.

Honorable mention: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

This book was not one of my top ten favorites of the year but it was the #3 pick of the SOTH Ladies. They liked it because it felt like a real story about real people. I didn't like it because I felt the characters were stuck in bad communication patterns and didn't show any growth until the end of the book. I was in the minority. Most gals liked it a lot. Check out my review if you want to learn more about what I thought.

2023 was an odd year for book club selections. Three of the books were inspired by other literary greats: Dickens, Wilder, and Alcott. Four of the 23 books were really pretty awful. That is rare when we pick a book that no one likes, but four? I read the two rereads for the other book club in a previous year. Both of these selections had better discussions the first time around (There There by Orange and The News of the World by Jiles.) I guess timing is everything. And lastly, all five of the books not listed as a favorite, a reread, or non-favorite, could be on my favorites list this year. I liked them that much.

Looking for even more suggestions?

Click the links to check my past book club favorites by year: