ReadingGroupGuides.com's "What to Read Next? Suggest a Book for This Group," aims to help a group by taking suggestions from our thousands of book group members.
We regularly features groups, tell our readers about them and share the group's previous 6 selections here, then ask you to leave a suggestion for them. We're excited to see groups sharing picks back-and-forth, and hope this feature helps groups find a new favorite discussion title!
The response to this feature has been overwhelming so we're excited to feature three groups looking for suggestions!
Click here to see the suggestions for last month's featured groups.
Click here to see the suggestions for previously featured groups.
This month we are featuring Reading Pages, a group of 12 busy moms who have been meeting for 20 years! The group's last 6 selections were:
- Losing Charlotte by Heather Clay
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
- Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
- Unspoken by Angela Hunt
- Columbine by Dave Cullen
- Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman
The second featured group is Bodacious Bookworms, a group of 6, who has been meeting for nearly 2 years. The group's last 6 selections were:
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
- Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
- The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
- Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Our third featured group this month is the Joy Luck Book Club, a group named after the first book they read when they began meeting in 1990. The group's last 6 selections were:
- One Day by David Nicholls
- Room by Emma Donoghue
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- Wish You Well by David Baldacci
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Last Month's Featured Groups:
Last month’s first group was the Great Apes Reading Group, an all-male book club from Colorado and Illinois. We previously interview them in our March 2011 Book Group Spotlight feature. You can read that interview here. The group’s last 6 selections were:
- The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin
- The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan
- Await Your Reply by Dan Choan
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Spooner by Pete Dexter
- Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Here’s what our readers suggested:
Joining Up by John Jack McGuire
Why You Should Read It: This is a Civil War historical fiction novel about two 14-year-old boys who escape harsh treatment at a Brooklyn orphanage to join the Union Army.
Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Why You Should Read It: We read both books in our all female book club. They were both great, but I really think a man would enjoy them even more.
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
Why You Should Read It: Maine is a wonderful story of families, generations and conflict.
March by Geraldine Brooks
Why You Should Read It: March is the story of the father in Little Women and his experiences during the Civil War.
The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes
Why You Should Read It: An event occurs to a man in his 60s, which forces him to look back into his teens. Is what he remembers now really what happened or does time color our past? This was a Man Booker prizewinner
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Why You Should Read It: First off, Conroy is a male author! It's also about enduring friendship, something this group can appreciate.
The second group we featured was FLAB (Fabulous Ladies and Books), another group that was featured in our Book Group Spotlight. You can read their interview here. The group’s last 6 selections were:
- Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
- Room by Emma Donoghue
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- Bliss, Remembered by Frank Deford
Here’s what our readers suggested:
The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer and Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Why You Should Read It: Your group seems very similar to ours --- we've read 3 of your last 6 choices --- and we loved these books. Enjoy!
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Why You Should Read It: It was a fascinating look into a particular time in our history, told in a fictional novel.
An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
Why You Should Read It: It is a heartwarming read.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Why You Should Read It: It is an amazing, true story. Should be required reading for everyone in the U.S.
The third featured group from last month was the Afternoon Fiestas, a group of 10 women that has been meeting for 10 years. The group’s last 5 selections were:
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore
Here’s what our readers suggested:
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Why You Should Read It: Having devoured every book listed by the Afternoon Fiestas, I don’t know who these people are, but I like them! City of Thieves is actually the name Hitler derisively cast on Leningrad during WWII. In this novel, a Russian commander forces two young men on a seemingly impossible quest, with their ration cards held ransom until they return. Irreverent humor keeps our heroes sane while they witness incredible scenes of starvation and worse, to find their way home. The ending to this novel is my absolute favorite of anything I've ever read! Go get it NOW!
The Girl in the Red Coat by Roma Ligocka
Why You Should Read It: An artist looks at her life and relationships after surviving the Holocaust. A moving story, I learned a lot about Poland and the day-to-day impact for young working people in occupied Poland.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Why You Should Read It: Our groups have a few picks in common so you would probably love the books that we loved! Enjoy!
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Why You Should Read It: A very good read. Very different concept and one many have never heard of.
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
Why You Should Read It: I think book clubs will enjoy this book because Archer is an amazing writer. This is also the first of a trilogy. Great story.
