Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovelies at The Broke and the Bookish.
This week’s Top Ten theme is: Top Ten Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks
Now I've decided to imagine I'm picking ten books for my own imaginary book club. I'd probably pick books I've loved or hated, or books which I responded to differently than the vast majority. Or maybe books I could talk a lot about.
As always in no particular order. Let's see...
I wish I had a local book group as there are so many books I love. But then, that's why I started blogging! That way, the whole world is my book club oyster! So here would be five books I would most love to talk about with others over a nice glass of red.
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
My Comments
I suppose this was on a lot of book club lists this year. I have this on audiobook and I've listened to it four times and yes, it's the unabridged version! I kept telling people to go and buy this book so that I could talk to them about it. At this stage, I think I'm owed a share of the profits!
The Shining - Stephen King
My Comments
I think this would make a great book club read as so many people would have preconceptions given the Stanley Kubrick movie adaptation. I've always preferred the book as Jack Torrance's decline is so much more creepy. In my opinion (and I'm sure plenty will disagree with it) Jack Nicholson seems unhinged from the very beginning of Kubrick's movie. The decline of the family and the effects of alcoholism are the real monsters in this narrative.
I'd love to discuss the original story with people who would both agree and disagree with my views on it.
Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
My Comments
I think books which deal with the topics we find "hard to talk about" are actually great for discussion. This can be a tough topic for a lot of people and individuals tend to come down on one side or the other of debates such as the justification of suicide. The discussion of the suitability of such themes within the YA genre would be fun enough in itself!
Note of Madness - Tabitha Suzuma
My Comments
When I made my mother read this she was surprised by the idea that it is often shelved as a YA novel. It deals with a young male college student who is bipolar. Suzuma handles the protagonist with unflinching reality and sensitivity. This is another where the debate around the book's appropriateness for its audience would be as interesting as the narrative itself.
Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma
My Comments
I was reluctant to put two books by the same author on the list, but what can I say? Suzuma writes great books for discussion. If we're talking about taboos, then they don't come more controversial than the issue of incest. The love described in this book is uncomfortable in its sweetness. The audience can't help but wish for the couple to find their happy ending somehow, even though the outcome seems so inevitable. I'd love to know what others thought of this darkly, disturbingly beautiful book.
Some of the books I've loved are a little bit different to the traditional fare of book clubs, so I've chosen three of these to add to my list this week.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
My Comments
A silent movie in book form? Weird eh? And yet this book will drag you in and have you admiring the stunning artistic beauty of both the artwork and the story. Given the recent release of the movie (I've not seen it yet. Any good?) this would be a great book for a group to talk about. Would others admire it as much as I did, or would they think it wasn't really a "story" at all?
The Vision of Escaflowne Vol. 1 - Katsu Aki
My Comments
I watched the series on Cartoon Network when I was a kid and adored it. However, I was re-introduced to the tale in the original Japanese as an adult and found it far more compelling. The print version is astounding. I'd love to know what others thought of a traditional manga book. For starters, how would they cope with the whole reading backwards thing?!
I'm sure it'd be an adventure into new and unexplored territory for many readers.
The Walking Dead Vol. 1 - Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore
My Comments
A buddy introduced me to these before they were made into a TV series and I'm forever thankful. This is perhaps my favourite graphic novel series. I'm a sucker for a good zombie story and this series is one of the best. It's dark and gruesome and I adore the artwork and characterisation. Best of all it's truly unpredictable in ways that TV shows and movies just can't be.
I'd love to introduce a few traditionalists to this style of book.
There aren't many, but I have encountered a few books that I just...can't...stand. I've included two of these to finish up my top ten.
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
My Comments
This book is always going to remind me of the time my kidney stopped working. I was reading this book as a part of my university course and my ailing kidney led to blood poisoning which, in turn, led to some trippy hallucination in which I was on a damned boat crying "The horror!" at the various ghosties and ghoolies and long leggedy beasties my mind dreamt up. Sounds funny? It wasn't! It'd take a whole lot of book clubbers to convince me this is anything other than dull.
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
My Comments
It's amazing what one bad teacher can do. They can sour you on entire aspects of literature. I read this book when I was in the 6th form and although I'd like to blame my hatred on the teacher, I think part of the problem was that this book is just boring! I understand the subtlety, I do. I get the nuances of the relationships and the poetry of the prose. Nonetheless, it is completely snooze-worthy. Even writing about it here makes ... me... zzzzzzzzzzzz
So there you have it! My top ten book club reads! Let me know what you think! Lx
Except for Thirteen Reasons Why and the two Tabitha Suzuma books that you've mentioned, I haven't read the books here. But the topic's interesting and I agree that they would make for exciting discussions.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of "Thirteen Reasons Why" sand the Suzuma books? :)
DeleteI have Forbidden on my list as well! I really wanted them to be happy. I cried so much at the end. Great list!
ReplyDeleteMy Top Ten Tuesday
*Heads to your list to read and comment*
DeleteI still feel faint when I hear someone speak the name Joseph Conrad. Lord Jim was our assigned reading and I don't think I've spent more time reading a book that I liked less. Never connected with that awful book.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't this make a good Top Ten: Top Ten Required Reading Books that Didn't Work for Me....
Here is my Top Ten Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks. I hope you will stop by!
That's a brilliant idea! You should suggest it to The Broke And The Bookish! If they say no then we'll have to do it anyway =P I shall pop over to see your list now!
DeleteThanks for your comment on my list. I really like your ideas, too, especially Hugo Cabret! I read it in a class once and we had a really good discussion about it. Most people seemed to enjoy it, although there was some debate about whether it was a novel or a picture book. Have you seen the movie version? It is also really good.
ReplyDeleteThe only one of these I've actually read is The Help. The others look really interesting though! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThe Shining would make for some interesting discussion. Great list.
ReplyDelete-FABR Steph@FiveAlarmBookReviews
My Top Ten...
YES. Thirteen reasons why was number 1 on my list. Great picks!
ReplyDelete13 Reasons Why is on my list too! It was an amazing and super sad book. I haven't read the other books but I've added some to my list. Awesome list!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Top Ten
I didn't know there were Escaflowne books! I'm going to have to pick those up.
ReplyDeleteI need to read The Help--I admit, I haven't yet. Probably the only person left in the U.S. who hasn't. I've been really interested in 13 Reasons Why. I need to get that from the library when I go back there.
ReplyDeleteThis list is great, and I love that you put some manga on yours. I did, too! Manga can have some surprising depth to it sometimes.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Thanks for stopping by my top ten!
ReplyDeleteYou have picked some really interesting books for your list...I haven't read the Tabitha Suzuma books, but I will go and investigate!
OMG I HATE Heart of Darkness so so much! Thanks for that. I love that you included graphic novels on your list, and have been reminded for about the 80th time that I need to listen to The Help. :P
ReplyDeleteI read Heart of Darkness in high school (for fun, can you imagine?!) and was bored most of the way through. Conrad's writing is excellent, but I just couldn't get into the story.
ReplyDeleteNeither Blogger nor Blogspot are letting me comment while logged in. You can check out my list for this week here
I'm getting so many good ideas for my next book club meeting!
ReplyDeleteYay for The Help! :)
ReplyDeleteI hear Forbidden is really interesting too.. it's high up on my TBR list!
Thanks for stopping by :)
Michele | Top 10
Hmmm...13 Reasons Why is a good thought. I loved The Help. Perfect book club read.
ReplyDeleteI love your list. The idea of thinking of what kind of books would make a good book club sounds like fun. I agree with your choice of 13 Reasons Why and Forbidden. I would love to discuss those sometime.
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