The first book that popped in my head is Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy. I checked it out at the library when I was in high school, and remember how great it was.

Robo, one of my goals for this year is to re-read Azimov’s I, Robot trilogy. It has been years since I read it, but I think the ideas might be pertinent to today. You could just read Book 1.

Your book club wishlist is similar to my reading preferences, so here are a few favorites that I think might be good for book club discussions.

Backlist:

A Place for Us, by Farima Mirza

The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne

Current:

Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old, by Steven Petrow

Morningside Heights b,y Joshua Henkin

No Cure for Being Human, by Kate Bowler

Mrs. March, by Virginia Feito

Not sure what literary for True Crime means, but this book caught my attention from the NY Times article linked in their newsletter and I bought it yesterday. Haven't read it yet, but I've added a link to the NY Times article below as well.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/books/review/walking-the-bowl-chris-lockhart-daniel-mulilo-chama.html

Have you read any of Erik Larson's books? The latest "The Splendid and the Vile" is just out in paperback. https://eriklarsonbooks.com/the-books/

Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller (of NPR/Radiolab Fame). I never, ever would have picked this up, but it was my book club pick and we all loved it; great discussion, too. Non-fiction

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - this could be a great discussion book, depending on your group

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

A slightly older one I loved: Canada by Richard Ford

"Hillbilly Elegy" by J D Vance

"The Time Travelers Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

"Open Water" by Caleb Azumah Nelson

I really enjoyed Migrations by Charlotte McConaughy. The writing is lovely. The plot is a good springboard for discussions about loss and also current events but the messages are very subtle.

Most of my book club would hate it, all they want to read is historical fiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42121525-migrations

I have started Butter Honey Pig Bread -- loved the writing but I wasn't in the right mood for it.

On my trek to expand my reading genres, I read A Psalm to A Psalm to the Wild-Builtthe Wild-Builtby Becky Chambers (Science Fiction) and absolutely loved it. It is beautifully written and just such a gentle read. It is the first in the Monk & Robot duology, but it stands well on its own. (The second book is due out in July). I think it would be great for a book club-- so much to discuss.

I also very much enjoyed The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. It's a memoir and story of a couple that loses everything due to a bad investment. Just days after finding out the husband has a terminal disease, they set out to walk the South West Coastal Path in England .. through Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. I think it would be great for a book club -- it made me think of the concept of home and homelessness differently. It's tender and raw and beautiful. I also think the story of how this book was published is pretty amazing-- an unknown author getting a deal with virtually no edits. Warning.. detractors found it repetitive, flat and boring. Of course there is some repetition as they are walking/camping in a tent/seeking food for the duration-- but it didn't detract from the story for me. This is also a duology-- i haven't read the second book as yet.

Have you read any N.K. Jemison? I am currently reading The City We Became and loving it-- it's more fantasy though... some of her other works may be more generally accessible but I am loving this one.

For SF, have you read any Octavia Butler? She's on my list to read this spring/summer. I can't recommend any one book though it seems people suggest starting with Kindred. She's just such a fascinating woman and her writing was groundbreaking.

Also in the fantasy range but classified as horror is Ring Shoutby P'djeli Clark. It was one of only 3 5-star reads for me last year (The Salt Path and 84, Charing Cross Road being the others). It is a very short read but so impactful and so much to discuss.

For a classic that is a little off the beaten path, I adored The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino. I haven't reread it in many years but i can't imagine it doesn't stand the test of time.

About Larsen's books, "Devil in the White City" has been optioned by Keanu Reeves. Larson writes well-researched history that reads like a novel.

In support of my desire to read more SFF, my SO compiled a list for me-- it started with some of his favorites-- and then he added recommendations from some of his friends and then he sought out lists on the internet. In his words-- it's from his heart but his ocd brain took over. It's a long list but I would be happy to send to you in PM or email. It has many classics (some of which I have read). but is a pretty good list.

My book club lobed The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Right nowwe are reading The Magician by Colm Toibin. We havent discussed it yet but I recommend it.

The Hearts Invisible Furies, mentioned above, is another fantastic read.

Science fiction for those who don't usually like SF: Hervé Le Tellier, The Anomaly.

Brood by Jacki Polzin is not terribly long, beautiful language, and has themes for discussion.

The Anomaly sounds great, Bookwoman. Thank you-- i have downloaded it.

Thank you to ALL for the fabulous recommendations so far. I am going to print out a BUNCH of covers + synopses for our meeting tomorrow and it will ALL be from this thread.

sushipup2 Erik Larsen is another book club fave!

I should say - I personally actually totally love genre fiction. Give me a good Reacher, Game of Thrones, or Bridgerton any day. But my book club is far more snobbish haha.

Funkyart I would love to read the list so thoughtfully compiled for you. I am actually a huge sci fi and fantasy lover but I haven't picked up a new series in years. I got burned badly by Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones, for one thing. And perversely because the genres are so popular now, it's hard for me to weed through everything to get to the great stuff. I will check my houzz messages and also send you a message with my email.

I am just dipping my toe in again -- the first since my teen/20s. I thought this was a most thoughtful "gift"... especially because he isn't much of a reader anymore. I will send around lunchtime.

I am not drawn to the SFF epics-- too many pages, too much commitment-- and the fanboys are intimidating LOL!

Under biographies/memoirs, I really enjoyed Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, first child of Steve Jobs. I think it could make for great discussions.

Sad to say but I really don't read anymore but one of my favorite books of all time is English Passengers.

English Passengers

I also loved the Josephine Trilogy

Josephine B

Rory, I have a have a josephine B book in the living room that I just found, and I never read it.

Our first Boston Terrier was named Josephine Bonaparte, aka Josie. :)

We just did Warmth of Other Suns and it was a long read but very educational and told in an interesting way.

We're reading The Rose Code now and I'm enjoying it a lot.

Our other book club read Invisible Women about data bias....was excellent.

Also good discussion with Picoult's A Spark of Light.

One more: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats...just beautiful.

I just got The Rose Code out of the library. It is next up for my reading.

Why Fish Don't Exist would be a great book club selection. Thank you Oly. (I will report back in book thread soon.)

I too loved The Lincoln Highway.

I just finished Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult and it’s still on my mind. The general subject has to do with the Covid pandemic when it first starts and I admittedly did an initial eyeroll. Stay with it. Very interesting turn about midway through, and the Author’s Notes give some insight that will spur a good book club discussion.

Have you ever read anything by Octavia Butler? Black science fiction author (a rare bird when she came onto the scene in the 70s) whose work it literary enough to have made into college reading lists. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler

I have been seeing out diverse science fiction authors in search of finding new and interesting stories. Publishers seem to get on a theme and do it to death. Nnedi Okarafor has written a couple things I've really enjoyed: Who Fears Death and the Binti series, which I think was originally published as novellas but there's an omnibus edition that presents as almost a continuous narrative (it doesn't quite flow like a novel).

If you're still taking suggestions, I would second @deegw Migrations by Charlotte McConaughy. It's about loss and pain, along with environmental issues. Really well-written.

Migrations made it on the list :)

Along with many of the suggestions here!