Lisa's Book Club

I am part of a wonderful book club that meets once a month in a member's home to discuss that month's chosen book. We are all mothers of young children, so all of our book choices must be available in paperback and must be of reasonable length. The following is a list (in reverse order) of all the books we've read and discussed since our inception in May 1997. Since many of us order the books through Amazon.com, it seems fitting to include our list here. I will add my comments/reviews as time allows.

You can read more about our Book Club in the Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Krupp!

I've listed additional good books that I've read at the bottom of the page - be sure to scroll all the way down or CLICK HERE so you don't miss anything!

January 2009: The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

November/December 2008: The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

October 2008: Unless by Carol Shields

September 2008: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

May-August 2008: When A Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin

April 2008: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

March 2008: Talk Talk by TC Boyle

February 2008: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

January 2008: One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
I loved learning about the native peoples in our country through Fergus's colorful writing.

November 2007: Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
This first novel by a young writer is amazing! It is the story of a father and daughter set in current times using literature as a jumping-off point. Brilliant!

October 2007: The World to Come by Dara Horn

September 2007: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

August 2007: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

May 2007: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
One of the newest members of my MUST-READ list! This book made me stop and think about how I live my day-to-day life. I highly recommend it!

April 2007: Flowers in the Blood by Gay Courter

March 2007: The Last of her Kind by Sigrid Nunez

February 2007: Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

January 2007: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

November/December 2006: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

October 2006: A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

September 2006: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
I've just started this story of a London detective who is hired to unravel three mysteries from the past and in the process, learns loads about himself and how each of these cases fits together. This one was recommended by our book club's facilitator.

August 2006: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
A beautifully-written story of a Holocaust survivor's struggle to make a place for himself in the world and the young girls whose life he impacts.

May 2006: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I won't give away the plot secrets, but suffice it to say that this book is full of bizarre images and surprises. Ishiguro is also the author of The Remains of the Day

April 2006: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
This classic has held up well through the decades! A wonderful coming of age story of a young girl growing up in Brooklyn during wartime.

March 2006: The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
This book gives you an inside look at a totally dysfunctional family that somehow manages to function, all through the eyes of a very successful journalist!

February 2006: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

January 2006: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

December 2005: The Children's War by Monique Charlesworth
A look at World War II through the eyes of two children - one Jewish girl and one Christian boy, both 13 years old at the beginning of this story. Very intriguing . . .

October/November 2005: The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka

September 2005: Name All the Animals by Alison Smith
Another fantastic memoir about a teenage struggling with the death of her brother . . .

August 2005: The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer

June 2005: Consider This, Senora by Harriet Doerr

May 2005: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

April 2005: The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
I LOVED this book! It was a beautifully-written story of Native American life in the wilds of Canada as told by a female painter.

March 2005: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

February 2005: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

November 2004: Embers by Sandor Marai

October 2004: The Known World: A Novel by Edward P. Jones

September 2004: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

August 2004: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger

June 2004: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

May 2004: Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

April 2004: Three Junes by Julia Glass

March 2004: A Home at the End of the World: A Novel by Michael Cunningham

February 2004: Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides

January 2004: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

November 2003: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

October 2003: The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

September 2003: Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

August 2003: Atonement by Ian McEwan

May 2003: The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer

April 2003: Martin Sloane by Michael Redhill

March 2003: Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

February 2003: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

January 2003: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie Dai

December 2002: Empire Falls by Richard Russo

October 2002: A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot

September 2002: A Painted House by John Grisham

July & August 2002: The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
A fascinating look at one woman's life through her own version of The Truth

June 2002: When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant
This novel is a fascinating look at the development of Israel at the close of World War II and one young woman's search for identity.

May 2002: Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi

April 2002: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

March 2002: Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

February 2002: The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

January 2002: The Pact by Jodi Picoult

November 2001: Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

September/October 2001: The Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

August 2001: Chocolat by Joanne Harris

July 2001: The Hours by Michael Cunningham
This book, soon to be a major motion picture (!), is so beautifully written though the story is filled with distress. I highly recommend it!

June 2001: Cold, Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

May 2001: The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
A beautiful story set in the Far East at the start of World War II. If you enjoy this book, read Tsukiyama's first novel, Women of the Silk.

March/April 2001: Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk

February 2001: The Fortune Catcher by Susanne Pari

January 2001: Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey by Jane Goodall
I loved Goodall's recounting of her life in Africa and her studies with the gorillas. The writing style leaves a bit to be desired, but the content is fascinating!

November/December 2000: Amy & Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout

October 2000: The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle

September 2000: Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg

August 2000: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

July 2000: Lost In Translation by Nicole Mones

June 2000: The River Midnight by Lillian Nattel

April & May 2000: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
This is my new all-time favorite novel! Set in Africa, this amazing story is told from the perspective of four different sisters born to a missionary father and strong but subservient mother in the Deep South. Barbara Kingsolver's use of language is poetic - you won't want the book to end!

March 2000: Charming Billy by Alice McDermott

February 2000: A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler

December 1999 & January 2000: Personal History by Katharine Graham

November 1999: The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett

October 1999: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

September 1999: A Widow For One Year by John Irving

August 1999: All Over But The Shoutin' by Rick Bragg

July 1999: The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

June 1999: Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

May 1999: In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien
We chose this book for our "Couples Night"

April 1999: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink & Carol Brown (translator)

March 1999: Crazy in Alabama by Mark Childress
A truly "crazy" book about life in Alabama during the Civil Rights era. Beautiful writing and an excellent read!

February 1999: Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

January 1999: Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

December 1998: A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr

November 1998: Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman

October 1998: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
A beautifully written book about a young boy's life after being rescued by a Greek archeologist during World War II.

September 1998: A Southern Exposure by Alice Adams
An interesting character study of a Northern family moving South between the two world wars.

August 1998: A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron
Based on a short story by the same name, this book has the makings of a good novel but just misses the mark.

July 1998: Snow in August by Pete Hamill
A wonderful story of the relationship between a young Catholic boy and an orthodox Jewish rabbi in Brooklyn just after World War II.

June 1998: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
A wonderful, yet frightening, accounting of the recent disaster on Mt. Everest. After reading the book, go see the IMAX film if you have the opportunity.

May 1998: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

April 1998: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

March 1998: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
I don't even know where to start with this book - it's one of my very favorites that I'm sure I'll re-read many times throughout my life. The characters are truly brought to life, and I felt like I had made many new friends by the end of the story. If you enjoy this book, be sure to read the prequel, "Little Altars Everywhere."

February 1998: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
We chose this book for our "Couples Night." A treasure of a book with many valuable life lessons.

January 1998: The Color of Water by James McBride

December 1997: Plain & Simple by Sue Bender

November 1997: Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi

October 1997: The Distance from the Heart of Things by Ashley Warlick

September 1997: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

August 1997: She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

July 1997: The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

June 1997: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

May 1997: The Wedding by Dorothy West

OTHER BOOKS
[to the top]

These are books that I've read outside of my main book club and/or books that were suggested to me. Enjoy!

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
The story of a member of a travelling circus during the Depression Era - an amazing tale!

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull
One young woman's account of moving half way around the world from Australia to Paris and making a new life for herself. The author's sense of humor is intoxicating as are her descriptions of life in France!

The Ha-Ha: A Novel by Dave King
A very interesting story of a war veteran suffering from permanent brain damage that causes him to lose his ability to speak. I loved this book!

The Devil Wears Prada: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger
I laughed out loud at this story of a young woman's experience working as a junior assistant to the female publisher of the world's top fashion magazine. Now a movie, but read the book first!

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman
This one came very highly recommended by my parents. The story of a woman married to a divorced partner in the law firm where she works and how she becomes part of his young son's life. A good beach read.

Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham
This latest novel from the author of The Hours (see July 2001 above) is equally brilliant, in my opinion.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Laugh, cry, but be sure to read this crazy accounting of Sedaris' life experiences!

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Foer reminds me a bit of J.D. Salinger in his writing style: very raw, very real, very gripping!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
A young boy's struggle to accept and deal with his father's death in the bombing of the Twin Towers.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
A graphic accounting of overcoming drug and alcohol addiction as told by a 23-year-old man. Make yourself get through the first 100 pages!

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
A fictionalized account of the life of the younger sister of Ann Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII - fascinating to read about what life was "really like" in the English Court!

Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale
Yes, just like the movie by the same name! But, in the book, you get the story as told by Frank Abagnale himself. He includes details about his mind-set as well as his prison experiences. Great read!

Dry by Augusten Burroughs
Like A Million Little Pieces described above, this is one man's account of overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. However, unlike the other author, Burroughs uses fewer graphic descriptions and more humor.

A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
A tall-tale of life in HotLanta!

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
Winchester spins an amazing tale of the man behind the creation of the OED.

Gods Go Begging by Alfredo Vea

Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard
The after-story of Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol fame.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A new favorite of mine! I had flashbacks to To Kill A Mockingbird throughout the novel - well worth the time to read!

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
A disappointing follow-up to the book above though still a good beach read.

Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
A beautifully-written novel about the girl behind the painting.

The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus

Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan
Not one of my favorites - and definitely a mindless "beach read" - but an interesting look at life after divorce.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
This novel is the fictional account of a teenage boy who kills several schoolmates in a Columbine-esque manner.

Little Children by Tom Perrotta
A hilarious and deceivingly complex story of a stay-at-home dad and a stay-at-home mom who have a fling.

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank