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Book Club Book Club Picks (January 2024)

Litopia's Book Club for everyone... We meet on Zoom
Jason L.

Jason L.

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Hi there! Here is the link for the next selections!



​

So to summarize:

February 17: Jonathan Evison, Lawn Boy (Bloo)
March 16: Robert Dinsdale, The Toy Maker (Hannah)
April 13: Robert McCammon, Boy's Life (Jason)
May 11: Martha Wells, All Systems Red (Lyse)
June 15: Francine Prose, Blue Angel (Peyton)
Break for July
August 14: Susannah Clarke, Piranesi (Jonny)
September 14: Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn (Pamela Jo)
October 12: P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters (Matt)
 
Last edited:
I am transcribing from Jason's most excellent post (and who to blame/thank):

Feb: Lawn Boy by Evison (Bloo)

March: The toy Maker by Dinsdale (hannah)

April: Boy's Life by McCammon? (Jason)

May: All Systems Red by Wells (lyse)

June: Blue Angel by Prose (Peyton)

July: Piranesi by Clark(e) (Jonny)

August: The Last Unicorn by Beagle ( Pamela Jo)

September: The Code of the Woosters by Wodehouse (Matt)
 

Book Club Selections February – September​



February
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Funny, biting, sweet, and ultimately inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison's coming-of-age novel evokes the lives of working class people with compassion and honesty.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


March
The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
An enchanting, magical novel set in a mysterious toyshop - perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist.
UK

US


April
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to



May
All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


June
Blue Angel: A Novel by Francine Prose
“Screamingly funny … Blue Angel culminates in a sexual harassment hearing that rivals the Salem witch trials.” —USA Today
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


July
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, 'one of our greatest living authors' (NEW YORK MAGAZINE)
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


August
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Experience one of the most enduring classics of the twentieth century and the book that The Atlantic has called “one of the best fantasy novels ever.”
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


September
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
“To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.”―Ben Schott
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to
 
AgentPete said:

Book Club Selections February – September​



February
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Funny, biting, sweet, and ultimately inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison's coming-of-age novel evokes the lives of working class people with compassion and honesty.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


March
The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
An enchanting, magical novel set in a mysterious toyshop - perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist.
UK

US


April
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to



May
All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


June
Blue Angel: A Novel by Francine Prose
“Screamingly funny … Blue Angel culminates in a sexual harassment hearing that rivals the Salem witch trials.” —USA Today
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


July
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL, 'one of our greatest living authors' (NEW YORK MAGAZINE)
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


August
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Experience one of the most enduring classics of the twentieth century and the book that The Atlantic has called “one of the best fantasy novels ever.”
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to


September
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
“To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.”―Ben Schott
UK
US

Amazon.com

amzn.to
Click to expand...
Jolly good!
 
MattScho said:
Also, I would suggest that on a readability basis, we're off to a good start. Lawn Boy is quick and interesting. It is not available, at least in Germany, in an audible state, so actually reading, but it's worth a read, IMO.
Click to expand...
Hum… I’m 35% in and wondering if I can stick it out. I started wondering that at 18% in. I’m skimming bits now. I am also reading it on kindle (thus the %’s) as no audiobook was available here either. I am not looking forward to finishing the book but I am looking forward to the discussion!
 
BTW, there is a book on this list that is not available, at least not in English, here. Blue Angel. I saw that it is available, kind of, in the UK, but post Brexit that's a bit tricky.
 
LJ Beck said:
Hum… I’m 35% in and wondering if I can stick it out. I started wondering that at 18% in. I’m skimming bits now. I am also reading it on kindle (thus the %’s) as no audiobook was available here either. I am not looking forward to finishing the book but I am looking forward to the discussion!
Click to expand...
It's very easy reading (interesting to see what others think of voice). BUT, to me, it's all telling...??? Not much plot??? Now DISCUSS (as Barbra Streisand said).
 
MattScho said:
BTW, there is a book on this list that is not available, at least not in English, here. Blue Angel. I saw that it is available, kind of, in the UK, but post Brexit that's a bit tricky.
Click to expand...

That was one of mine. I do not know what to say about the regional rights issue. Let's see if anyone else cannot get a copy. I think I can order copies in print from here in the USA and ship them overseas as needed.
 
Hannah F said:
I've read the Amazon sample pages. I've ordered it from the library but it hasn't come yet. It has voice but hasn't hooked me enough to spend money on it. I'm not sure I'd want to read much more.
Click to expand...
Understood. Probably a bad choice on my part. Maybe I can withdraw it. @Jason L. Is that an option? Danielle Steel has some new books out, probably licensed around the world. No need to waste our time on literary novels.
 
Peyton Stafford said:
That was one of mine. I do not know what to say about the regional rights issue. Let's see if anyone else cannot get a copy. I think I can order copies in print from here in the USA and ship them overseas as needed.
Click to expand...
That's a great offer. But I don't buy (or accept) actual books anymore, if at all possible. I've moved back and forth across the Atlantic 7 times and 1. books are really heavy, therefore really expensive to move and 2. I don't really have spare room for books. When I left my library behind for the last time (and that library included a complete set of Wodehouse (compiled on three continents) and a Breakfast of Champions that my then homeless sister, having stolen it from the Portland or Seattle library, brought to Vonnegut as he was having a coffee in a place she sometimes worked. He got such a hoot that she was having him sign a stolen book that the sig was 2 pages in total, kind words, balanced by a huge asshole drawing, etc. Best birthday gift ever). Beyond that, my favorite sets of LOTR, complete Shute, complete Ambler, etc, etc). When I had to sell a house while overseas, my son took them to a book store, he sold them by the bag ($1 a paper grocery bag full). the buyer kept the valuable stuff then threw the rest into his very public annual PR stunt bonfire of books to protest the fact that most books can't be resold anymore and are valueless.
 
Hannah F said:
I've read the Amazon sample pages. I've ordered it from the library but it hasn't come yet. It has voice but hasn't hooked me enough to spend money on it. I'm not sure I'd want to read much more.
Click to expand...
I noticed that it's only available a pretty steep price in the UK. Peyton, was this the book on which the M. Dietrich movie was based?
 
MattScho said:
I noticed that it's only available a pretty steep price in the UK. Peyton, was this the book on which the M. Dietrich movie was based?
Click to expand...
No. The movie came long before the book. The book title is a humorous reference to the femme fatal theme, though in the book the femme is a college student, and the professor a creative writing teacher.
 
MattScho said:
, if at all possible. I've moved back and forth across the Atlantic 7 times and 1. books are really heavy, therefore really expensive to move and 2. I don't really have spare room for books. When I left my library behind for the last time (and that library included a complete set of Wodehouse (compiled on three continents) and a Breakfast of Champions that my then homeless sister, having stolen it from the Portland or Seattle library, brought to Vonnegut as he was having a coffee in a place she sometimes worked. He got such a hoot that she was having him sign a stolen book that the sig was 2 pages in total, kind words, balanced by a huge asshole drawing, etc. Best birthday gift ever). Beyond that, my favorite sets of LOTR, complete Shute, complete Ambler, etc, etc). When I had to sell a house while overseas, my son took them to a book store, he sold them by the bag ($1 a paper grocery bag full). the buyer kept the valuable stuff then threw the rest into his very public annual PR stunt bonfire of books to protest the fact that most books can't be resold anymore and are valueless.
Click to expand...
I am of the same opinion. As an academic, I have to make difficult decisions every time I move house--which is often. I will often scan a book because of the size/weight issue. Mostly, though, the big deal for me is that my husband has become extremely sensitive to mold. Any time I open a physical book, especially one that's not brand new, it's likely got some kind of mold spores in it, and my husband stops being able to breathe well. I've gotten into the habit of physically scanning my library books and processing them as PDFs. This is an unbelievable pity to Nenad, who still loves books and daily mourns the tragedy of so many of them on two continents he can never read again.
 
Jason L. said:
I am of the same opinion. As an academic, I have to make difficult decisions every time I move house--which is often. I will often scan a book because of the size/weight issue. Mostly, though, the big deal for me is that my husband has become extremely sensitive to mold. Any time I open a physical book, especially one that's not brand new, it's likely got some kind of mold spores in it, and my husband stops being able to breathe well. I've gotten into the habit of physically scanning my library books and processing them as PDFs. This is an unbelievable pity to Nenad, who still loves books and daily mourns the tragedy of so many of them on two continents he can never read again.
Click to expand...
Big love to your husband and to you. Who is Nenad?
 
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