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This recent Guardian article (yes, I get all of my good ideas from Guardian these days) on one writer’s top 10 books on motherhood got me thinking–which books would I place in that category? Some of my favorite fictional mothers appear in Maggie O’Farrell’s The Hand that First Held Mine and Eliza Minot’s The Brambles. [...]

Frances Hodgson Burnett is most well known for her beloved children’s classics The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. That she also wrote adult fiction is less well known. So I confess that I was surprised when I saw that Persephone Books had reprinted an adult novel by Burnett called The Making of a Marchioness. [...]

As a book discussion leader, it does fall to me every once in awhile to lead a discussion on a title that I have previously done.  Last night, at our spring Greendale Reads book discussion, I had a similar experience.  After leading a book discussion on The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (see my October [...]

Here’s a fun theme for an upcoming meeting: Ask each reader in your group to select a book that represents the year of his or her birth. For added fun, bring food or drinks that were typical of the era, memorabilia, a copy of the bestseller list, or a list of events that occurred during [...]

What books do you think should be read by the next generation? Which books should be designated contemporary ‘classics’? The Guardian asked some authors to name the books they thought deserved recognition and a continued readership. I think that I would want to see the next generation read William Maxwell’s They Came Like Swallows or [...]

William Shakespeare and Agatha Christie will probably never lose their crowns as two of England’s most favorite authors. But the Costa Book Awards is making sure there are others waiting in the wings. The Costa Book Awards began as the Whitbread Literary Awards in 1971 but changed over in 2006 when Costa Coffee took over [...]

In this corner, Team Austen. Also known as Janeites, Jane-iacs, and Janesters; with six novels to her name, two of them published posthumously. In that corner, Team Bronte. Also known as Charlottans, Eyre-heads, and Brontophiles; three writers with a total of seven novels, only one posthumous. These two perennial and classic book group faves are [...]

What a lovely way to remember a faithful discussion group facilitator and member. Loveland Public Library has a special area called Priscilla’s Bookshelf which features collections of 32 novels specially packaged for use by area book clubs. Priscilla Beal started a book club in her home in 1965 and kept it going for 35 years. [...]

I’m waiting for one final source which traditionally concludes my compilation of the best books of the year in a single “megalist” spreadsheet. Next week I’ll post the final results and wrap-ups of speculative fiction and the highest overall vote getters. In the meanwhile, let’s take a look at the best reviewed books in some [...]

Life in North Korea may be more unusual than that in any country in the world. That’s the conclusion I can’t help but draw while reading Barbara Demick’s extraordinary book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. Demick interviewed six defectors to get a look at a country to which few outsiders have access. The result [...]

Our crime and mystery book discussion continues to explore its annual theme, “Youth is Wasted on the Young,” by reading Tana French’s first Rob Ryan and Cassie Maddox book, In the Woods (2007). The novel has an interesting but challenging premise.  Adam Robert “Rob” Ryan grew up in a Dublin neighborhood where he bonded with [...]

Book groups looking for a jolt in their reading should thumb through Thrillers: 100 Must Reads. This collection of essays, edited by thriller writer David Morrell and thriller critic/reviewer Hank Wagner, reminds readers of classic roller coaster reads and a few that have, undeservedly, slipped off the reading public’s radar. Morrell and Wagner have gathered [...]

Words failed Chauncey as he expressed his  disappointment in Horace’s latest selection for the He-Man Book Lovers Club. Go here for more cool artwork that combines books and photography from Thomas Allen.

My 2010 Megalist compiles votes from over 170 sources into one spreadsheet and provides the final word on the best reviewed books of the year. In previous posts, I’ve provided top 10 lists for general fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, narrative nonfiction, and biographies and memoirs. Today let’s look at this year’s crop in young [...]

Tuesday, I came nervously to the meeting of my science fiction/fantasy book group. Our monthly theme, fantasy short stories, did not seem like an easy sell. The books that I assembled onto our monthly list (which I create for each theme to give our readers ideas) do not circulate well from the library. But instead [...]

PBS Masterpiece has launched its 40th anniversary Book & Film Club. The web site offers guides (discussion questions, links, and more) arranged by author. There are also tips on creating and running a book and film club, and a list of print and online book group resources. Being a longtime Masterpiece fan, I just sighed up for [...]

How long has your book group been in existence?  Feel like forever sometimes?  I’ll bet you can’t beat the Zetema book club, based in Ottowa, IL.  They’ve been around since 1910!  It’s an invitation-only book club, but apparently, they’ve never turned a prospective member down.  They currently have about 20 members, with the oldest being [...]

I have a crush on Ellen Klages’s delightful story collection, Portable Childhoods. Published in 2007, its stories use just a touch of fantasy to capture the wonder and potential of childhood, the sweetness and fear that come with discovering the world. There’s so much here for book group readers to love and to discuss: “Basement Magic” [...]

I thought I’d share this slideshow list (boy I hate that format, though) of the National Book Critics Circle Award winner highlights from the last 30+ years, courtesy of the Huffington Post. Might be useful if you’re looking for book selections. You can also read the full list at the NBCCA site.

These eleven crime novels and thrillers have received the most mentions on best-of-the-year lists and awards as compiled in my Megalist of books published in the U.S. during 2010. 1. Room, by Emma Donoghue (46 votes to date) The runaway winner in this category is narrated by Jack, a 5-year-old who readers come to realize [...]