Even Teen Boys like it!

Looking for a good book? My book club read a pretty crazy-good list in 2015.  Rankings were highly sophisticated, a paper vote and handwritten tally based on 6 of 8 members attending.  We all confessed our votes after the secret query, hence the “almost top three” category.  It was kind of like an Iowa caucus, all causal like except with wine.

Top Three:

“All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr

Our number one pick of 2016. Stellar writing, as a book should be that wins the Pulitzer Prize for literature. We don’t always go for the power winners but the WW2 storyline was unique, compelling and intriguing.

“Girl On The Train” by Paula Hawkins

A page-turner mystery novel that will keep you guessing to the end. The main character drinks so much you will want to swear off alcohol for at least a week.

“I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai and Christine Lamb

This is the story of the Pakistani girl who was shot in the face for going to school. We learned so much about how the Taliban is able to come into power and how one young girl could inspire a world to fight for education for girls.

Very Close to Top Three

The Martian by Andy Weir

One gal from our club called it a Boy Scout story on Mars. It took some convincing as space is not really our thing, but yet another book club member said it really wasn’t any different from reading about a foreign country. It was surprisingly HILARIOUS. And yes, the book IS better than the movie, way, way better.

The Rosie Project by Don Tillman

If you like the Big Bang Theory television show, you will love this book. The main character is highly intelligent and highly functioning autistic adult. He’s looking for a mate and tries to use probability to find THE ONE. Seriously LOL.

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out A Window by Jonas Jonasson

An hilarious tale of mystery, serendipity and unlikely friendships. The movie is as good as the book.

Great Writing/Sad Story

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

INCREDIBLE writing. “…mashed potatoes fluffed up like cotton” The story was riveting and character development rich.

The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross

Memoir about a father-daughter relationship that seems ideal most of the time, but the father does despicable things the daughter only understands in adulthood.

A Thousand Lives by Julia Scheer

Julia Scheer tells the story of The Jim Jones Tragedy in Guyana through a handful of survivors of a mass suicide.  We were surprised how much California influenced Jim Jones’ success and that anyone lived to tell about it.

For The Experience

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Look at it as a rough draft for “To Kill A Mockingbird.” It might upset some to see Atticus as a racist but Scout had a hard time with it too. There are some tender moments and honest depiction of the times.

Furthest from Number One
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

An award-winning book our group just couldn’t finish, not one of us. Great writing, however.