June Book Club Picks - Women Authors

This month, my book club picks are all books written by women authors - and bonus: They are all great reads for a day at the beach!  Enjoy

 Belong to Me - Marisa de los Santos

I listened to this on audiobook last summer, and fell in love.  This book is well written and fun, and there are plenty of turns to keep you hooked.  Your book club will love it!

 All Fall Down -- Jennifer Weiner

All Fall Down details a woman's struggle with and admittance of her drug addiction.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll talk forever about this amazing book.

Best Friends Forever - Jennifer Weiner 

Another pick by Jennifer Weiner, Best Friends Forever reunites two best friends who haven't seen each other in years.  They rekindle their friendship amidst some crazy trials for Valerie.  You'll love the whole book.

Book Club Picks - Zombie Reads

Hi gang - if you are anything like me, You Love Zombies!  That's why my April Book Club Picks are all books about Zombies.  Enjoy!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith - A classic book with a zombie twist will keep your book club talking for hours.

Rot & Ruin – Jonathan Maberry - Though technically a YA book, Benny and his gang will keep your book club gabbing about all the crazy things that happen in this novel.  (For even more fun - listen to it on audiobook.  Brian Hutchison does a great job of narrating it.)

Dust & Decay – Jonathan Maberry - this second book in the Rot & Ruin series is even weirder and more excellent than the first.  Worth every minute it takes to read, and totally awesome to talk about.

The Walking Dead – Volume 1: Days Gone Bye – Robert Kirkman- Let's just lay it all down: if you love TWD TV show, you are sure to love the graphic novels.  (And the bad guys will give you plenty to talk about.  And so will the good guys.)

Warm Bodies – Isaac Marion - if you like your zombies with a side of romance, this is the perfect zombie book for your book club to read.

Book Club Picks - Spooky Reads

Hey y'all!  Happy October!  I can't believe September is over.  But alas, it is.  That means we are one step closer to my favorite holiday: HALLOWEEN!  In celebration of Halloween, I have picked some scary books for my book club picks this month.  Enjoy.

 

Last year, I lucked out and got a free copy of Survive The Night, by Danielle Vega to read and review as part of the Wicked Reads tour put on by Penguin.  I cannot even describe how much I LOVE this book.  It is scary, surprising, and just downright amazing. If your book club is looking for a book to keep you on your toes - this book is it! 

 

I just finished Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, a collection of short stories picked by April Genevieve Tucholke.   The stories in this book are the perfect stories to read during the month of October.  There isn't a single story in this collection that won't give your book club members the chills.

 

It's pretty hard to pick just ONE Stephen King book you should read.  But I did - because while Stephen king is undoubtedly the king of Horror, The Shining is my favorite of all his books.  Your book club will have plenty of scary things to talk about when reading this book!

 

While  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs, is not an out and out horror book, it does have plenty of scary happenings in it to keep you up at night. This book will definitely keep your book club talking.

 

Asylum, by Madeleine Roux, is a story about a group of high school kids who take college classes during a summer course.  They get put in an old asylum that was converted into dorms.  What happens to these kids during their stay will give you the creepies all month long.  Read it - you and our book club will love it!

 



August Book Club Picks - YA Fiction

Because teenagers love to read - this month my book club picks are all YA fiction!  (Don't worry - some of you adults may find some books here that you'll love, too!)

Divergent - Veronica Roth

There wasn't a single page of Divergent that I didn't like.  It's sequel, Insurgent, was good as well.  This is a great discussion book for any teenage book club. 

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 

I have yet to read a Neil Gaiman book I didn't like.  This one is no exception.  Full of creepiness and awesome characters, this is a book that is sure to bring lots of discussion and love from any YA book club!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Chances are there are tons of teens (and adults) who have already read this book!  So, get ready for a re-read, because this book is totally YA book club worthy.  Full of fantastic characters, a weird yet well written plot, and some death, this anti-war book leaves plenty for book clubs to talk about!

 The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak

I originally read this with my book club and fell in love with it. It was one of my favorite reads of 2010.  This book has a haunting, amazing plot that will break you open and leave you wanting more.  I am sure any YA and adult book club will have plenty to discuss with this book.

 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Some people say this book is weird - and I agree, but I probably think it's weird for different reasons. I love this book!  Part thriller, part romance, completely amazing - this book will leave you reaching for the next in the series as soon as you finish.  There are plenty of things to discuss in this fantastic book.

The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski 

This book about a young woman who falls in love with her slave and a society on the brink of war will leave your book club with so many things to talk about.  There has yet to be a single moment in this series that I don't like - I think you'll love this book as much as I do.

July Book Club Picks

It's almost the end of July - can you believe it?!  In keeping with my promise to do at least monthly book club picks, here are the books I pick for the month of July!

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, will leave your book club with plenty to discuss.  There is a lot happening in this novel.  There are a lot of twists, and you may even find yourself debating the actual marriage of the two main characters as well as the mystery of the wife's disappearance. 

American Gods is easily my favorite Neil Gaiman book.  There is no way I could sum up everything I feel about this book, so I'll just tell you that your book club will surely have a heated debate about this book, and close this part with my favorite literary line ever: "You're so full of shit, I'm surprised your eyes aren't brown."  - Odin, from American Gods.

 The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards, takes place in a time when kids with disabilities are treated as less than, simply because they have a disability.  I won't say much more than that.  I will simply tell you that this novel will break you open and leave your book club with more than enough to discuss after you read it! 

 

 The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is always a sure fire hit with book clubs.  There is so much tension, and anger, and so much to discuss about the racial inequalities that occur throughout the book.  You'll find yourself simultaneously loving and hating this book, and your book club will have plenty to talk about!

I picked two Gillian Flynn books this month, because they are both so good.  Sharp Objects, I thought, was slightly better than Gone Girl.  It has mystery, some mental health issues, and a cast of characters that will draw you in and make you go "Oh, god, no what just happened?!"  Your book club will love this book and it will keep you talking for sure.

Book Club Picks - June

Hi Y'all!  So, you all know I love books.  Also, I love book clubs.  What could be better than sitting around with a group of friends talking about a book you just read?!  So, if you are in a book club, you are going to love my new monthly (sometimes more than monthly if I have a lot of ideas) book club post.  In each book club post, I will have three to five titles that you HAVE to read at book club.  They may have a theme, they may not. One thing is certain though - all the book club picks will be fabulous!

So, without further ado - here are my book club picks for June:

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, has been stuck in my head since I read it 4 years ago.  It is amazing in it's plot development and imagery.  There is so much that happens in this book, that your book club will have a lot to discuss! 

Stieg Larsson started a masterpiece trilogy with his book The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo.  It's too bad that he died before he had a chance to continue his series.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will keep you hooked from page one, and give your book club plenty to talk about. 

Room, by Emma Donaghue, was introduced to me from my book club.  It is a book that broke me open and made my heart ache.  It is so well written and well plotted that I couldn't stop reading, and I loved every page.  The touchy subject will be interesting to get through, but it will leave you grateful and will leave your book club talking.

Audrey Niffenegger created an instant classic with her book The Time Traveler's Wife.  When Claire first meets her husband, she is a young girl, and he is fully grown.  He waits as Claire gets older, and they develop a relationship that will make you yearn and take your breath away.  The book is a must pick for any book club.