The Next Best Book Club discussion

♫ That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight...♫

CHRONIC TOWN (1982)
"Wolves, Lower" – read a book that centers on wolves or prominently features wild dogs
"Gardening at Night" – read a book that takes place primarily at night
"Carnival of Sorts (boxcars)" – read a book about a carnival, or that features a circus
"1,000,000" – read a ‘doorstopper’ (a book that is more than 600 pages long)
Lonesome Dove Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove #3), 5-29-16 (5*), review 945 pgs.
"Stumble" – read a book that you just happened to 'stumble' upon
The Ex Alafair Burke, 6-9-16 (3*), review Downloaded it from the library while looking for another book.

MURMUR (1983)
"Radio Free Europe" – read a book that takes place in Europe
Seduced by a Highlander Paula Quinn, #2 Children of the Mist, 5-4-16 (3*), review Whitehall Palace - London, England
"Pilgrimage" - read a book about a character who goes on a long journey
"Laughing" – read a book that will make you laugh
Big Rock Lauren Blakely, 5-31-16 (4*) review
"Talk About the Passion" – read an erotica book
Stitch L. Wilder, #2 Satan's Fury MC, 5-26-16 (3*), review
"Moral Kiosk" – read a book in which one of the characters is struggling with their morality
My Stepbrother: The Dom Arabella Quinn, 5-30-16 (3*), review Stepsiblings fall in love and struggle with the taboo factor of their relationship.
"Perfect Circle" – read a book about a tight knit group of friends or family
The Outsiders S.E. Hinton, 5-9-16 (4*), review
"Catapult" – read a book set in medieval times
Into the Dreaming: With Bonus Material Karen Marie Moning, Highlander #8, 6-4-16 (2-1/2*), review year 1482
"Sitting Still" – read a book in which nothing seems to happen
Loyalty in Death J.D. Robb (#9 In Death), 5-23-16 (4*), review This book was pretty dull and slow-going until an exciting ending.
"9-9" – read a book with 9 in the title, or a book that has only 9 chapters
"Shaking Through" – read a scary book
"We Walk" – read a book about a protagonist, or group of characters, who’s main mode of transportation is walking
Follow the River James Alexander Thom, 5-24-16 (4*), review MCs walk over 800 miles to return home after escaping from their captors.
"West of the Fields" – read a book about someone who has gone away, or is gone from home too long
Thursday's Children: A Frieda Klein Mystery Nicci French, 6-12-16 (2*), review MC returns to her hometown after 23 years.


RECKONING (1984)
"Harborcoat" – read a book that is left open for interpretation, whose plot is ambiguous
Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk, 5-8-16 (2-1/2*), review
"7 Chinese Brothers" – read a book about pain, loss, bereavement
Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love Lora Lindy, #1 Days Trilogy, 6-13-16 (2*), review The MCs have suffered the losses of loved ones.
"So. Central Rain" – read a book in which the character or characters are waiting for something
"Pretty Persuasion" – read a book that someone recommended to you
Time After Time (AnnElise)" – read a book that spans a large period of time
"Second Guessing – read a book that you’ve been hesitant to pick up
"Letter Never Sent" – read a book that is told primarily in letters or diary entries
"Camera" – read a book that centers on photography or on a particular photograph
"(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville" – read a book you promised yourself you would never revisit
"Little America" – read a book set in the western era
True Grit Charles Portis, 6-1-16 (3-1/2*), review

FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION (1985)
"Feeling Gravity’s Pull" – read a space opera or a book that takes place in outer space
"Maps and Legends" – read a book that contains its own map/legend
"Driver 8" – read a book that prominently features a train as the main mode of transportation, or features a protagonist who has to travel a long distance
"Life and How to Live it" – read a self-help book
"Old Man Kensey" – read a book that features an old man as the protagonist
"Can’t Get There From Here" – read a book that seems to go nowhere
The Last Time I Saw You Elizabeth Berg, 5-23-16 (3*), review Centers around a group of friends at their 40th class reunion; just a gentle story of friendship; not much happening.
"Green Grow the Rushes" – read a book that is set in summertime
"Kohoutek" – read a book that revolves around astronomy, or prominently features stars, a sun, or a moon.
Billie Anna Gavalda, 6-6-16 (4*), review MC has a continuous conversation with a star, reflecting back on her life with her best friend, while waiting/hoping for rescue after a fall while hiking.
"Auctioneer (Another Engine)" – read a book about wanderlust
"Good Advices" – read a book written by an author you’d never heard of before
"Wendell Gee" – read a book about a dream or in which dreams are prominently featured
Chasing Fire Nora Roberts 6-7-16 (5*) review h has recurring nightmares after her jump partner is killed (murdered?) while fighting a forest fire.

LIFE’S RICH PAGEANT (1986)
"Begin the Begin" – read a book you’ve already read
Pearl Cove Elizabeth Lowell (Donovan #3), 5-15-16 (3-1/2*), review
"These Days" – read a book that takes place in present day
"Fall on Me" – read a book about oppression
"Cuyahoga" – read a book that takes place on or near a river, in which a river is prominently featured
"Hyena" – read a book with an animal in the title
"Underneath the Bunker" – read a book about the end of the world
"The Flowers of Guatemala" -read a book that takes place in a foreign country
Tamed by a Highlander Paula Quinn, #3 Children of the Mist, 5-7-16 (3*), review
"I Believe" – read a book about fairy tales or a book that is a spin on a fairy tale
"What if We Give It Away" – read a book about giving up or giving something up
"Just a Touch" – read a book that uses multiple formats or gimmicks in which to tell its story
"Swan Swan H" – read a book with a word repeated in the title
"Superman" – read a book about a superhero


DEAD LETTER OFFICE (1987)
"Crazy" – read a book about a protagonist who goes crazy
"There She Goes Again" – read a book about a prostitute or that features prostitution
"Burning Down" – read a book that has the word burn or fire in the title
"Voice of Harold" – read a book that gives you goosebumps
"Burning Hell" – read a book that prominently features religion or a religious protagonist
"Toys in the Attic" – read a book that exudes nostalgia
"Windout" – read a book with multiple twists and turns
"Ages of You" – read a book with the word You in the title
"Pale Blue Eyes" – read a book that gives you all the feels
"Bandwagon" – read a book that everyone else is reading
"Femme Fatale" – read a book that features a woman who plays hard to get
"Walter’s Theme" – read a book with a man’s name in the title
"King of the Road" – read a book that takes place mostly on the road or prominently features a motel/hotel

DOCUMENT (1987)
"Finest Worksong" – read a book that revolves around music
"Welcome to the Occupation" – read a book about a blue collar protagonist
"Exhuming McCarthy" – read a book about politics or that features politics in some way
"Disturbance at the Heron House" – read a book about rioting or a world gone to chaos
"Strange" – read a “bizarro” or “experimental fiction” book
"It’s the End of the World as We Know It" – read a book that deals with some form of corruption
"The One I Love" – read a book that is an anti-love story
"Fireplace" – read a cozy mystery
"Lightnin’ Hopkins" – read a book that prominently features freakish weather
"King of Birds" – read a book that features birds, or has the name of a bird in the title
"Oddfellows Local 151" – read a book about firemen or that features a firehouse/firemen

GREEN (1988)
"Pop Song 89" – read a book that is about another book
"Get Up" – read a book that sounds boring
"You are the Everything" – read a book in which the protagonist is pining for someone
Forever Amber Kathleen Winsor, 5-15-16 (5*), review The MC, Amber, cannot get over her first love, Nicholas, even when she is mistress to King Charles II.
"Stand" – read a book that deals with direction (either literally or figuratively)
"World Leader Pretend" – read a book that revolves around war
"The Wrong Child" – read a non-YA book in which the protagonist is a child
"Orange Crush" – read a book about a protagonist who is called away or forced to leave
"Turn You Inside Out" – read a book that hinges itself on dishonesty
"Hairshirt" – read a book with a weird title
"I Remember California" – read a book that takes place in California
"Untitled" – read a book that deals with protection in some way
Midnight in Ruby Bayou Elizabeth Lowell (Donovan #4), 5-13-16 (3-1/2*), review H is hired as a bodyguard for h and to guard some valuable rubies.

OUT OF TIME (1991)
“Radio Song” – read a book that has to do with music, or prominently features a radio station
“Losing My Religion” – read a book that is considered an author’s “biggest” hit
“Low” – read a book about the morning after, or regrets
“Near Wild Heaven” – read a book that deals with the end of a relationship
“Shiny Happy People” – read a book about a utopia, or the search for utopia
“Belong” – read a book that revolves around a child, but does not feature a child as the protagonist
“Half a World Away” – read a book about a band
“Texarkana” – read a book in which the main character is searching for something
“Country Feedback” – read a book about heartbreak, about unrequited love
“Me in Honey” – read a book with the word Sweet or Sweetness in the title

AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (1992)
“Drive” – read a book that revolves around youth
“Try Not to Breathe” – read a book about giving up
“The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” – read a book about a humorous love
“Everybody Hurts” – read a book about depression
“Sweetness Follows” – read a book about death, or that prominently features a funeral
“Monty Got a Raw Deal” – read a book in which one of the characters gets “a raw deal”.
“Ignoreland” – read a book that similarly features the word ‘land’ in its title
“Star Me Kitten” – read a book that features the F-word, either in title or in text, or uses asterisks in the title
“Man on the Moon” – read a book that is a tribute to someone or something else
“Nightswimming” – read a book on a dare (have someone dare you to read something)
“Find the River” – read a book with River in the title

MONSTER (1994)
“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth” – read a book that encapsulates Generation-X
The Marriage Plot Jeffrey Eugenides, 5-1-16 (3-1/2*) review
“Crush with Eyeliner” – read a book about discovering identity
“King of Comedy” – read a book that makes you laugh
“I Don’t Sleep, I Dream” – read a fantasy book, as a distraction from real life
“Star 69” – read a book by an author you are crazy obsessed with
“Strange Currencies” – read a book that features a strange obsession, or OCD
“Tongue” – read a book with a body part in the title
“Bang and Blame” – read a book about a one night stand
“I Took Your Name” – read a book in which something is taken away
“Let Me In” – read a book that messes with your emotions
“Circus Envy” – read a book that revolves around jealousy
“You” – read a book written in second person

NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI (1996)
“How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us” – read a book set in the wild west
“The Wake-Up Bomb” – read a book about drugs, or drug addiction
“New Test Leper” – read a book about a character who is struggling with a disease
“Undertow” – read a book that takes place primarily on or under the water/ocean
“E Bow the Letter” – read a book that revolves around two best friends
“Leave” – read a book with the word leave or leaving in the title
“Departure” – read a book that is unlike the rest of a particular author’s bibliography
“Bittersweet Me” – read a book that features a bitter protagonist
“Be Mine” – read a collection of love poems
“Binky the Doormat” – read a book that is known for being strange or bizarre
“So Fast, So Numb” – read a book with a comma in the title
“Low Desert” – read a road-trip book
“Electrolite" – read a book that was written in the 20th century


UP (1998)
“Airportman” – read a book that takes place primarily in an airport or features a character who spends time in or around one
“Lotus” – read a book that is highly symbolic or allegorical
“Suspicion” – read a book you have been putting off
“Hope” – read a book with just one word in the title
“At My Most Beautiful” – read a book about goofy, silly love
“The Apologist” – read a book with ‘ist’ in the title
“Sad Professor” – read a book that features a teacher as the protagonist
“You’re in the Air” – read a book with the words Your or You’re in the title
“Walk Unafraid” – read a book that others have found incredibly scary
“Why Not Smile” – read a book about a protagonist who is habitually unhappy
“Day Sleeper” – read a book that features a protagonist who works the grave yard shift
“Diminished” – read a collection of flash fiction or short stories
“Parakeet” – read a book that’s told from an animal’s POV
“Falls to Climb” – read a book that features a character who is viewed as a martyr

REVEAL (2001)
“The Lifting” – read a prequel
“I’ve Been High” – read a book that is told in past tense
“All the Way to Reno” – read a book that features a protagonist who is trying to get their big break
“She Just Wants to Be” – read a book written by a female author
“Disappear” – read a book that involves magic or a magician
“Saturn Return” – read a book about a character who does what they want, who goes against the norm
“Beat a Drum” – read a book with an instrument in its title
“Imitation of Life” – read a book that revolves around art, or a specific piece of art
“Summer Turns to High” – read a book with Summer in the title
“Chorus and the Ring” – read a book about forgetting or denying
“I’ll Take the Rain” – read a book that takes place during a storm, or features a lot of rain
“Beachball” – read a book that is typically referred to as a ‘beach read’


AROUND THE SUN (2004)
“Leaving New York” – read a book that takes place in New York
“Electron Blue “– read a book with a color in the title
“The Outsiders” – read a book that takes place primarily outside
“Make it All Ok” – read a book that makes you feel good
“Final Straw” – read the last book in a series
“I Wanted to Be Wrong” – read a book that you wish you could have changed the ending to
“Wanderlust” – read a book about a character who is running away from something
“The Boy in the Well” – read a non-YA book that features a young boy as the protagonist
“Aftermath” – read a book about the survivors of an apocalypse
“High Speed Train” – read a book that has a mode of transportation in the title
“The Worst Joke Ever “– read a book that others found funny but you did not
“The Ascent of Man” – read a book about books
“Around the Sun” – read a book that features space travel

ACCELERATE (2008)
“Living Well is the Best Revenge” – read a book that has a great revenge scene
“Man Sized Wreath” – read a Christmas themed novel
“Supernatural Superserious” – read a book that takes place in a summer or day camp
“Hollow Man” – read a book that has failed to meet the hype that surrounded it
“Houston” – read a book that is set in a big city
“Accelerate” – read a book that is less than 125 pages long
“Until the Day is Done” – read a book in one sitting
“Mr Richards” – read a book that prominently features a president
“Sing for the Submarine” – read a classic dystopian/apocalyptic novel
“Horse to Water” – read a book that involves a fight of some sort

MONSTER (1994)
“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth” – read a book that encapsulates Generation-X
The Marriage Plot Jeffrey Eugenides, 5-1-16 (3-1/2*) review Follows the lives of three college students through school and shortly after graduation. Takes place in the early 1980s.