The Next Best Book Club discussion

Cool challenge. I am starting late, so I am going to "plug in" books I have already read in 2017. I have read a lot of books this year, so I will hopefully cover some ground. So, if it has a link next to it, I have already read it this year.

David Bowie (1967)

“Uncle Arthur” – Read a book with a man’s name in the title
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

“Sell Me a Coat” – Read a book that takes place in winter
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

“Rubber Band” – Read a book about a musician/band or that prominently features one
The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek

“Love You Till Tuesday” – Read a book that has a day of the week in its title

“There is a Happy Land” – Read a book with a child protagonist
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

“We Are Hungry Men” – Read a book about a global catastrophe

“When I Live My Dream” – Read a fantasy novel
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

“Little Bombadier” – Read a book that is drenched in cynicism and suspicion

“Silly Boy Blue” – Read a book that explores religion
The Knot of Vipers by François Mauriac

“Come and Buy My Toys” – Read a YA book
Aya by Marguerite Abouet

“Join the Gang” – Read a book that features a gang of some sort
Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy

“She’s Got Medals” – Read a LGBTQ book
Snow Beach by Sophie Cayeux

“Maids of Bond Street” – Read a book that features a celebrity or is written by a celebrity
My Book of Flowers by Grace Kelly

“Please Mr. Gravedigger” – Read a book about murder, or that prominently features a murder
Death on the Riviera by John Bude



SPACE ODDITY (1969)

“Space Oddity” – Read a space opera

“Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed” – Read a book about grieving or that features a character who is grieving
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

“Letter to Hermione” – Read a book written in the form of diary entries or letters
Black Box by Amos Oz

“Cygnet Committee” – Read a book that uses alliteration in its title
Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare

“Janine” – Read a book with a female protagonist
Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker

“An Occasional Dream” – Read a book about a break-up
Hummingbirds Fly Backwards by Amy Cheung

“Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud” – Read a fantasy novel with a child protagonist
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

“God Knows I’m Good” – Read a book about a character who is just scraping by
No Pain Like This Body: A Novel by Harold Sonny Ladoo

“Memory of a Free Festival” – Read a book about someone having a bad day



THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD (1970)

“Width of a Circle” – Read a book that features a monster (real or imagined)
The Iron Trial by Holly Black

“All the Madmen” – Read a book that deals with mental illness or features a character that is suffering from mental illness
The Vegetarian by Han Kang

“Black Country Rock” – Read a parody or satire
Animal Farm by George Orwell

“After All” – Read a book that has a sad ending
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

“Running Gun Blues” – Read a book about a serial killer or that features a serial killer
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd

“Saviour Machine” – Read a book in which technology becomes sentient
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

“She Shook Me Cold” – Read a book that contains bad sex scenes
Platform by Michel Houellebecq

“The Man Who Sold the World” – Read a book that leaves itself open for interpretation
Amerika by Franz Kafka

“The Supermen” – Read a comic book or a book that features characters will superpowers



HUNKY DORY (1971)

“Changes” – Read an angsty book

“Oh! You Pretty Things” – Read a book with a punctuation in the title
Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. by Bette Greene

“Eight Line Poem” – Read a collection of poetry
Satellites by Lenrie Peters

“Life on Mars” – Read a sci-book that takes place on another planet
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

“Kooks” – Read a book about parenthood or that revolves around parenting

“Quicksand” – Read a book about despair or in which a character is disillusioned
Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee

“Fill Your Heart” - Read a book that is co-authored
The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

“Andy Warhol” – Read a book that is an homage to something else

“Song for Bob Dylan” – Read a book that is about or prominently features a singer

“Queen Bitch” – Read a book about a seedy underground lifestyle
Dirty Havana Trilogy by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez

“The Bewlay Brothers” – Read a book that’s been labeled as an author’s “sell out” title

“Bombers” – Read a book about nuclear war or a book that features an apocalypse




THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972)

“Five Years” – Read a book that spans a long period of time
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1 by Luo Guanzhong

“Soul Love” – Read a cynical love story

“Moonage Daydream” – Read a bizarro novel

“Starman” – Read a book about an alien invasion or that prominently features aliens

“It Ain’t Easy” – Read a book that is a rewrite of an older book
Foe by J.M. Coetzee

“Lady Stardust” – Read a book that is set in the trippy 1970’s
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

“Star” – Read a book about a person on the verge of something big or features a character’s big break

“Hang on to Yourself” – Read a book about someone who has lost themselves

“Ziggy Stardust” – Read a book that is known as an author’s attempt to ‘reinvent’ themselves (or a book published under a pseudonym)
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré (pseudonym)

“Suffragette City” – Read a book that is heavily influenced by another book
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” – Read a book about a protagonist who does not deal well with aging

Continued...


ALADDIN SANE (1973)

“Watch That Man” – Read a book that features a lot of partying

“Aladdin Sane” – Read a book about a “lost” or past generation
Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Drive-In Saturday” – Read a book that has a day of the week in the title

“Panic in Detroit” – Read a book about political turmoil
The Last Summer of Reason by Tahar Djaout

“Cracked Actor” – Read a book that features a character who is losing their mind

“Time” – Read a book in which time is manipulable or that focuses heavily on time
The Last Execution by Jesper Wung-Sung

“The Prettiest Star” – Read a book with an adjective in the title
The Wayward Apprentice by Jason Vail

“Let’s Spend the Night Together” – Read a book about a one-night stand or that features a one-night stand

“The Jean Genie” – Read a book that packs a punch

“Lady Grinning Soul” – Read a book with a creepy sounding title
The Bone Readers by Jacob Ross



PIN UPS (1973)

“Rosalyn” -Read a book about teenage lust/obsession

“Here Comes the Night” – Read a book that takes place primarily at night

“I wish You Would” – Read a book that reads like a country song
Hannah: Bride of Iowa by Penny Estelle

“See Emily Play” – Read a play
The Devil in God's Land: An Eritrean Play by Bereket Habte Selassie

“Everything’s Alright” – Read a book in which everything turns out alright
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

“I Can’t Explain” – Read a book that made absolutely no sense
The Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard

“Friday on My Mind” – Read a book cover to cover over the course of one weekend
The Golden Bowl by Henry James

“Sorrow” – Read a book that makes you cry
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

“Don’t Bring Me Down” – Read a book that makes you ragey

“Shapes of Things” – Read a book that is considered the “least popular” of an author’s bibliography

“Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” – Read a book that features a protagonist who thinks they are invincible, above the rules
Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans

“Where Have All the Good Times Gone” – Read a book that makes you feel nostalgic



DIAMOND DOGS (1974)

“Future Legend” – Read a novelette
At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid

“Diamond Dogs” – Read a book whose primary character(s) are animals
Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan

“Sweet Thing” – Read a book about city living
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

“Candidate” – Read a book in which the characters spend a lot of time on the street
Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes

“Rebel Rebel” – Read a book that features a jaded protagonist

“Rock ‘N’ Roll With Me” – Read a book that rocks your socks off

“We Are the Dead” – Read a zombie novel

“1984” – Read a classic novel
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“Big Brother” – Read the last novel in a series

“Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family” – Read the last book in author’s bibliography



YOUNG AMERICANS (1975)

“Young Americans” – Read a YA or NA novel
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

“Win” – Read a book that you won or were gifted

“Fascination” – Read a book by an author you are fascinated by
On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev

“Right” – Read a book that someone recommended to you because they knew you would love it
Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac

“Somebody Up There Likes Me” – Read a book that is written in third-person
Bosnian Chronicle by Ivo Andrić

“Across the Universe” – Read a book in which the main character has to travel a long distance
Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell

“Can You Hear Me” – Read a book about a “player”, someone who gets around

“Fame” – Read a book that is considered experimental
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

“Who Can I Be Now?” – Read a book that defies genre

“It’s Gonna Be Me” – Read a book that is full of regrets

“John, I’m Only Dancing (again)” – Read a book that’s set in a foreign country
Rituals by Cees Nooteboom

“After Today” – Read a book that takes place in the future
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein


STATION TO STATION (1976)

“Station to Station” – Read a book that is basically a stream of consciousness
The Waves by Virginia Woolf

“Golden Years” – Read a book with a color in the title
Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

“Word on a Wing” – Read a book that pokes fun at religion

“TVC 15” – Read a book that features a television show or in which the characters are obsessed with TV

“Stay” – Read a book in which the characters stay put
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

“Wild is the Wind” – Read a book that takes place mostly outdoors




LOW (1977)

“Breaking Glass” – Read a short story:
Uhuru Street by M.G. Vassanji

“What in the World” – Read a book that’s told from multiple perspectives
Miramar by Naguib Mahfouz

“Sound and Vision” – Read a book that inspires you
Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy

“Always Crashing in the Same Car” – Read a road-trip book

“Be My Wife” – Read a book with Wife in the title
The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust by Edith Hahn Beer

“Warszawa” – Read a book that takes place in a foreign city
The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman by Andrzej Szczypiorski

“Subterraneans” – Read a book about someone or a group of people who have been left behind
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe




HEROES (1977)

“Beauty and the Beast” – read a fairy tale

“Joe the Lion” - Read a body-horror novel, or a book that contains some gory scenes
The Tain by Anonymous

“Heroes” – Read one of the more under-rated books in an author’s bibliography

“Sons of the Silent Age” – Read an historical fiction book
Inés of My Soul by Isabel Allende

“Blackout” – Read a book that features a protagonist who blackouts or abuses drugs regularly
The Man With the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren

“The Secret Life of Arabia” – Read a book in which the protagonist is keeping secrets
The Consequences of Love by Sulaiman Addonia

Continued...


LODGER (1979)

“Fantastic Voyage” – Read a book that features an older (bonus point for grumpy/cranky) protagonist
Malone Dies by Samuel Beckett

“African Night Flight” – Read a book written by a person of color
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

“Move On” – Read a book that features someone who is constantly on the move
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett

“Yassassin (Turkish For Long Live)” – Read a book about migrant workers or someone who hops from job to job
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

“Red Sails” – Read a book that takes place on a ship or boat or features one as a means of transportation
Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

“D.J.” – Read a book in which someone’s job eats away at them

“Look Back in Anger” – Read a book in which angels are characters or features angels in some way

“Boys Keep Swinging” – Read a book about drag queens or that features a character or characters who dress in drag
Wise Children by Angela Carter

“Repetition” – Read a book in which a word is repeated in the title
The Land at the End of the World by António Lobo Antunes

“Red Money” – Read a book that you find to be highly symbolic
W, or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec



SCARY MONSTERS (1980)

“It’s No Game (Parts 1&2)” – Read a book that is set during a time of protest or political upheaval
The Beautiful Screaming Of Pigs by Damon Galgut

“Up the Hill Backwards” – Read a book that is told out of sequence
Time's Arrow by Martin Amis

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” – Read a book with monsters or demons
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

“Ashes to Ashes” – Read a book that is a follow up or sequel
L'Assommoir (The Dram Shop) by Émile Zola

“Fashion” – Read a book set in the 80’s
A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi

“Teenage Wildlife” – Read a book that revolves around a group of teenagers

“Scream Like a Baby” – Read a book that just scares the shit out of you

“Kingdom Come” – Read a book that features a jail or prison
The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings

“Because You’re Young” – Read a book in which an older narrator is pining to be young again



LET’S DANCE (1983)

“Modern Love” – Read a contemporary love story
Chocolat by Joanne Harris

“China Girl” – Read a book written by a Chinese author or that takes place in China
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 2 by Luo Guanzhong

“Let’s Dance” – Read an author’s biggest hit
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

“Without You” – Read a book that is written in second person
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

“Ricochet” – Read a book that keeps bouncing around in your head

“Criminal World” – Read a book by an author who is, or features a character who is, bisexual
Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

“Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)” – Read a book which features a fire or revolves around fire
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

“Shake It” – Read a book that tried hard but just couldn’t pull it off
Disappearance by David Dabydeen



TONIGHT (1984)

“Loving the Alien” – Read a book about a conspiracy theory
The Trial by Franz Kafka

“Don’t Look Down” – Read a book about a character who finds himself in a bad situation
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

“God Only Knows” – Read a book with a narcissistic protagonist

“Tonight” – Read a book in which one of the characters die
Beartown by Fredrik Backman

“Neighborhood Threat” – Read a book in which something or someone terrorizes a neighborhood or group of people
Confession of the Lioness by Mia Couto

“Blue Jean” – Read a book that is a throwback to another decade
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

“Tumble and Twirl” – Read a book about travel or that features a character who travels
Travels in West Africa by Mary Henrietta Kingsley

“I Keep Forgetting” – Read a book that you keep forgetting to pick up once you put it down
Desertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah

“Dancing with the Big Boys” – Read a book with boys in the title or that focuses on a group of boys
The Wild Boys by William S. Burroughs



LABYRINTH (1986)

“Opening Titles including Underground” – Read a book that’s been turned into a movie
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy

“Magic Dance” – Read a book that would have been more effective if it was a short story (a book that was just too long for no reason)
The Plumed Serpent by D.H. Lawrence

“Chilly Down” – Read a book that makes a chill run down your spine
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

“As the World Falls Down” – Read a book about the end of the world
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

“Within You” – Read a book in which a character has multiple ‘personalities’ within themselves

Continued


NEVER LET ME DOWN (1987)

“Day In Day Out” – Read a book that takes place over the course of one day

“Time Will Crawl” – Read a book that seemed to take forever to finish
The Lion of Flanders by Hendrik Conscience

“Beat of Your Own Drum” – Read a book that is unlike anything you’ve read before
In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan

“Never Let Me Down” – Read a book in which a character places their faith in something
Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

“Zeroes” – Read a book whose final page number ends in a 0
Everything Happens as It Does by Albena Stambolova

“Glass Spider” – Read a horror novel (bonus: if it has a spider in it)

“Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” – Read a western or a book that takes place in the wild west
This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind by Ivan Doig

“New York’s In Love” – Read a book by an author who is from or currently resides in New York
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

“’87 and Cry” – Read a book about someone revisiting their home town (or country)
The Return of Philip Latinowicz by Miroslav Krleža

“Too Dizzy” – Read a book that makes your head spin

“Bang Bang” – Read a book that is a complete disappointment
Weeding the Flowerbeds by Sarah Mkhonza




BLACK TIE WHITE NOISE (1993)

“You’ve Been Around” – Read a book that has a profound effect on you

“I Feel Free” – Read a book, any book, and take credit for reading
Every Day is for the Thief by Teju Cole

“Black Tie White Noise” – Read a book that takes place in Los Angeles
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

“Jump They Say” – Read a book that revolves around a loss in the family
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

“Nite Flights” – Read a book in which an airplane is used as a mode of travel
The Forgotten Daughter by Renita D'Silva

“Pallas Athena” – Read a book that deals with religion
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

“Miracle Goodnight” – Read a book that kept you up way past your bedtime
The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope

“Don’t Let Me Down & Down” – Read a translation
Paradise of the Blind by Dương Thu Hương

“I Know it’s Gonna Happen Someday” – Read a book in which nothing much seems to happen

“The Wedding Song” – Read a book in which a wedding takes place
Xala by Ousmane Sembène

“Lucy Can’t Dance” – Read a book that can be considered “brain candy” (a quick, easy, enjoyable read)
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams




BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA (1993)

“Buddha of Suburbia” – Read a book that takes place in the suburbs

“Sex and the Church” – Read an erotica novel
Story of O by Pauline Réage

“Bleed Like a Craze, Dad” – Read a book that takes inspiration from another book
Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini (Don Quixote)

“Strangers When We Meet” – Read a book by a previously-unknown-to-you author
A Man Asleep by Georges Perec

“Dead Against It” – Read a book you had initially refused to read

“Untitled No. 1” – Free Space Read: Read any book and take credit here
The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye



OUTSIDE (1995)

“Leon Takes Us Outside” – Read a book that contains diary or date entries
Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding

“Outside” – Read a book in which all of the action takes place outside
Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival by Dean King

“The Hearts Filthy Lesson” – Read a book narrated by someone distant and/or menacing

“A Small Plot of Land” – Read a book that is long and punishing yet unputdownable
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

“Baby Grace (A Horrid Cassette)” – Read a mystery novel
Pumpkins in Paradise by Kathi Daley

“Hallo Spaceboy” - Read a ghost story
The Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston

“The Motel” – Read a book that takes place in or prominently features a motel

“I Have Not Been To Oxford” – Read a book that takes place in a city or country you have not yet been to
At Home on the Kazakh Steppe by Janet Givens

“No Control” – Read a book that someone recommended to you
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh

“Algeria Touchshriek” – Read a book in which the title is the character’s name
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

“The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)” – Read a book that features torture of some sort
Silence by Shūsaku Endō

“Ramona A Stone / I am With Name” – Read a book with a badass villain
The Ogre by Michel Tournier

“Wishful Beginnings” – Read a book that had a great beginning but fizzled as it went on
The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis

“We Prick You” – Read a book with a sex scene
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee

“Nathan Adler” – Read a detective novel
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

“I’m Deranged” – Read a book that features a crazy ass protagonist
Memoirs of a Porcupine by Alain Mabanckou

“Thru These Architect’s Eyes” – Read a book that uses punctuation oddly
City of God by E.L. Doctorow




EARTHLING (1997)

“Little Wonder” – Read a book about someone who is haunted by their past
Jack Maggs by Peter Carey

“Looking For Satellites” – Read a book that focuses on technology and its impact on a character
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

“Battle for Britain (The Letter)” – Read a book that takes place in Britain
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams

“Seven Years in Tibet” – Read a book that takes place over a long period of time
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

“Dead Man Walking” – Read a book that required many rewrites before being published

“Telling Lies” – Read a book in which the narrator is unreliable
Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis

“The Last Thing You Should Do” – Take credit for a book you DNF’d
Flying-Fox In a Freedom Tree by Albert Wendt (misplaced book before I could finish)

“I’m Afraid of Americans” – Read a book by a non-american author
One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir by Binyavanga Wainaina

“Law (Earthlings on Fire)” – Read a book about regrets
The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat

Continued


HOURS (1999)

“Thursday’s Child” – Read a book about an unlucky character, someone who just can’t seem to catch a break
Une vie by Guy de Maupassant

“Something in the Air” – Read a post-pandemic novel
(view spoiler)[Pines by Blake Crouch (hide spoiler)]

“Survive” – Read a book about survival or in which a character beat the odds
My Survival in the Killing Fields by Mao Sim

“If I’m Dreaming My Life” – Read a book in which dreams are prominently featured

“Seven” – Read a book with a number in the title
The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermoût

“What’s Really Happening” – Read a book in which you weren’t able to guess what was happening

“The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell” – Read a dark comedy
Memento Mori by Muriel Spark

“New Angels of Promise” – Read a book about or featuring video games

“The Dreamers” – Read a book that is basically a mid-life lament
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky



Heathen (2002)

“Sunday” – Read a book that is narrated by a survivor of some apocalypse
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

“Cactus” – Read a western

“Slip Away” – Read a book that features puppets in some way

“Slow Burn” – Read a book that slowly angered or annoyed you

“Afraid” – Read a book that others were scared by

“I’ve Been Waiting For You” – Read a book that you’ve been dying to get your get your hands on
The Artamanovs by Maxim Gorky

“I Would Be Your Slave” – Read a love story
The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette

“I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spacecraft” – Read a book about space travel
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

“5.15 The Angels Have Gone” – Read a book about the rapture

“Everyone Says Hi” – Read a book that deals with death
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

“A Better Future” – Read a novel about a Utopia
Masterminds by Gordon Korman

“Heathen” – Read a book about a main character who has lost their faith/is faithless



REALITY (2003)

“New Killer Star” – Read a book that takes place in New York City
Jazz by Toni Morrison

“Pablo Picasso” – Read a book that is about art or features a character who is an artist or works with art in some way
Revenge by Taslima Nasrin

“Never Get Old” – Read a book that was written in a previous century
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

“The Loneliest Guy” – Read a book that features a hermit or anti-social character
Silas Marner by George Eliot

“Looking For Water” – Read a book that features water in some way
The Sea by John Banville

“She’ll Drive the Big Car” – Read a book that focuses on a car or features a car as the main mode of transportation

“Days” – Read a book in which someone takes advantage or is taken advantage of
Nana by Émile Zola

“Fall Dog Bombs the Moon” – Read a book that has a title that appears to be gibberish

“Try Some, Buy Some” – Read a book that is set in, or written in, the 60’s.
Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec

“Reality” – Read a book that deals with issues that mirror those we are currently dealing with
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Böll

“Bring Me the Disco King” – Read a book whose title starts with an verb
Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner




THE NEXT DAY (2013)

“The Next Day” – Read a book that takes place in the near future

“Dirty Boys” – Read a book that is FULL of characters
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” – Read a book with stars in the title

“Love is Lost” – Read a book that is narrated by one’s older self
Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee

“Where Are We Now?” – Read a book in which the main protagonist is lost (physically or mentally)
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

“Valentine’s Day” – Read a book that is written on or around a holiday

“If You Can See Me” – Read a book in which the main character is especially vulnerable
Hallucinating Foucault by Patricia Duncker

“I’d Rather Be High” – Read a Vladimir Nobokov novel
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

“Boss of Me” – Read a book that takes place in an office or features a memorable boss
Disclosure by Michael Crichton

“Dancing Out in Space” – Read a book that takes place out in space

“How Does the Grass Grow?” – Read a book with a military theme

“(You Will) Set the World on Fire” – Read a book with the word fire in the title or that prominently features a fire
By Night the Mountain Burns by Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel

“You Feel So Lonely You Could Die” – Read a book that gives you all the feels

“Heat” – Read a book written by a Japanese author or that takes place in Japan
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburō Ōe



THE NEXT DAY (EXTRA) (2013)

“Atomica” – Read a book that shares a likeness to another book or is written in a style similar to another author

“The Informer” – Read a book that features a hitman of sorts

“Like a Rocket Man” – Read a book that was written in or takes place in the 20th century
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

“Born in a UFO” – Read a book that features aliens or space ships

“I’ll Take You There” – Read a book that just sucked you right into the story
Legend by David Gemmell

“God Bless the Girl” – Read a book written by a female author
Nada by Carmen Laforet

“So She” – Read a book told from a female’s point of view
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston




BLACKSTAR (2016)

“Blackstar” – Read a book that is open to interpretation

“’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore” – Read a book that features prostitution
Rose, Rose, I Love You by Wang Zhenhe

“Lazarus” – Read a book that is told from the pov of a ghost or a person who has died

“Sue (or In a Season of Crime) – Read a straight up who-dun-it novel

“Girl Loves Me” – Read a book that makes no sense whatsoever

“Dollar Days” – Read a book you picked up at a used book store or book sale
Come Back, Dr. Caligari by Donald Barthelme

“I Can’t Give Everything Away” – Read a book that someone gave to you

Hey Diane, thanks for joining in!!

Updated