February & March 2008 Fiction Book Suggestions

lovesbooks07 · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject:

There two books on here thati think would be good

The Girls by Lori Lansens and To the Lighthouse. They both looks good reads and it looks like it got plenty of things in to discuss.

BrianSJNB · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject:

I would like to second Persepolis. Enjoyed it immensely and would love to reread it before going to see the movie that has just been released.

Chris OConnor · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:15 am Post subject:

Any additional comments about the books that have already been suggested? This is last call folks. We need to swap out Wicked for a book that is going to generate some quality discussion. Please comment on other peoples books.

The question I am asking is...

Will you read any of the books already suggested?

Ophelia · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:11 am Post subject:

Persepolis is a comic book for children about a girl's childhood.

So it's not suitable for us, I don't know how that escaped me the first time I looked it up at amazon.

www.amazon.com/gp/reader/037571457X/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-9701495-2799254# reader-link

bklvr · Guest Usergroups: None **Thanks** Gender:

Although I am new to this site and not sure what your group normally reads, I don't see how anyone would not enjoy reading "Fire Bell in the Night" by Geoffrey Edwards.

http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Bell-Night-Geoffrey-Edwards/dp/1416564241/r ef=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199461186&sr=8-1

It is historical fiction, set in Charleston, SC in 1850. The story is told from the point of view of New York reporter, John Sharp. Sharp is sent to Charleston to cover the trial of Darcy Calhoun, who will likely be hanged for assisting a runaway slave.

This story is not a trial book though. We follow Sharp for about 10 days as he becomes caught up in both the glamour and horror of the antebellum South. He is not sure who he can trust, as the nation is quickly being torn in two directions. It is a great historical thriller and I actually learned a lot about the time period while reading this book.

I found a couple reviews from the author's website if you'd like to read more:
http://geoffreysedwards.com/reviews.html

bklvr · Guest Usergroups: None **Thanks** Gender:

Sorry - forgot to comment on the other suggested titles. I would be interested in reading "Persepolis".

Ophelia · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:04 pm Post subject:

Hello bklvr, and welcome!

I'm glad you've found us, and thank you for your reading suggestions.
I love historical fiction and it is rare to find good books in that genre, and also rare to find people to talk to about them !

So I'll follow your tip, I have ordered "Fine Bell" and will get back to you when I've read it.

Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini?
This is the fiction book Booktalk is discussing at the moment, and I am trying to entice more people to read it, as most people on this forum are more into non-fiction.

I hope to hear from you again at Booktalk. Smile

irishrosem · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

I don’t mean to put a damper on the enthusiasm Persepolis has garnered here; but, looking it over, I wonder if it’s the type of book that leads to good literary discussion. In fact, it’s advertised as an autobiography and a memoir, which wouldn’t really serve the interest of a fiction discussion at all. I’m interested to read Persepolis, so if it’s chosen I’ll probably join the discussion. But will it be possible with Persepolis to discuss themes, characterization, imagery, symbolism, structure—all the elements that make for good fiction? Now that’s not to say that I would champion the two books I had earlier suggested. Though Pride and Prejudice would support literary theory discussions up to a certain point, it isn’t a narrative that’s chock full of such opportunity. And, while To the Lighthouse is saturated with such elements, I don’t see much booktalk interest for either modern writing or gender discussions.

I’m wondering if any of the people who want to participate in the fiction discussion would be interested in picking up the type of texts that are often read in lit courses. Just off the top of my head I’m thinking of books like: Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness; Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter; Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby; Bronte’s Jane Eyre; Walker’s The Color Purple; James’s Daisy Miller. There’s a reason books such as these, and many more besides, resurface in English literature classes year after year—and that’s partly because they lend themselves to the type of discussion I hope we’re interested in pursuing in the new fiction forum.

So I just thought I would throw the query out there. Maybe some of us might be interested in getting comfortable discussing fiction online among some familiar canon, before branching out to other titles.

MadArchitect · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject:

I'm pretty much always up for re-reading "Heart of Darkness". I've already read it three times, but can you ever exhaust a book like that? As for the other authors you've named, with most of them, I'd like to read some of their works that don't get required in public education. Maybe something "House of the Seven Gables" for Hawthorne, and much thought I love "Gatsby", maybe "This Side of Paradise" for Fitzgerald. Henry James is an author I've been meaning to read for a long time now, so just about anything from his bibliography would be fine by me. I've read some Toni Morrison and found the experience more frustrating than enjoyable. I could probably stand to revisit Walker.

Ophelia · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

My respect for the classics is as high as ever, but somehow I don't feel like discussing them now.

bklvr · Guest Usergroups: None **Thanks** Gender:

Ophelia - yes, I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns and it is one of my favorites. I will find that thread on here for sure.

Can't wait to hear what you think of Fire Bell!

irishrosem · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:17 pm Post subject:

Just to clarify I didn’t list those titles as actual suggestions, just to demonstrate the types of books I was thinking we might want to consider.

MadArchitect · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:53 pm Post subject:

Too late! You named them, and now I'm holding you to them!

Mr. Pessimistic · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

Niall001 · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject:


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