A big part of our regular booth display at most library conferences is books that we suggest for book discussions. This is a topic of never-ending concern: What to read? OHMYGOD, how do we pick something that everybody will read and that will get a good discussion going?!
Random House naturally feels that we have all the answers when it comes to selecting titles for your book group and this week when readinggroupchoices.com announced their Top Book Group Favorites of 2008, I was delighted. All of the following made the list:
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (Ballantine Books) — a fabulous first novel of love and betrayal
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (Knopf Books for Young Readers) — perfect for all ages, but great for YA discussion groups
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Random House) — wonderfully exotic, strong on women’s issues
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial Press) — the format (written in all letters) is just perfect and the wartime setting makes for such a universal theme. Just won an Indies Choice Book Award!
-Marcia
I’ve read The Book Thief and Loving Frank and I agree that both would be excellent choices. The Book Thief is a mainstay in my library and Loving Frank has lots of potential for great discussions as well. There are so many issues in all of them that make for terrific conversation.