Classic Trash discussion

The previous suggestions topic was getting a little too long, so I have pulled all the suggestions for my spreadsheet and locked it. Please add new suggestions here!

What makes a good book suggestion? It should be:
1) Older than 25 years
2) Definitely a genre book. I get a lot of suggestions that are classics or literary fiction. (Admittedly there is some overlap. Frankenstein would work for our group, but not Adam Bede.)
3) Easy to source. If it is available as a reasonably priced ebook, chances are most people will have access to it.

I will add your suggestions to the spreadsheet and it may or may not make it into the roation based on a whole host of variables. If you have any questions about the fate of your book, please message me or add a post here.

Regarding two suggestions from the last thread: availability for A Report from Group 17 and Elric of Melniboné is not that great, so I will probably not be adding them to the list unless they get a reissue.

How about Coma by Robin Cook (1977)? It was a pretty popular thriller ( it even was a movie ), so most libraries should have it.

ON the list!

Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner (1975)

Another thriller and one that was made into a movie. Maybe it could be readily found at libraries? You'd have to look, though.

I'm trying to think of more female authors that would fit your criteria. So many wrote more literary fiction than true genre fiction. I'll keep thinking about it.

Cheryl wrote: "Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner (1975)

Another thriller and one that was made into a movie. Maybe it could be readily found at libraries? You'd have to look, though.

I'm t..."

My library does not have it and the ebook is $11.99!!!!! Are they serious with that? Unfortunately, the availability for this is not what it could be.

I have also added Mary Higgins Clark, Mercedes Lackey, Danielle Steele, Barbara Cartland, and Rona Jaffe to the list.

Adelaide wrote: " My library does not have it and the ebook is $11.99!!!!! Are they serious with that? Unfortunately, the availability for this is not what it could be. "

Yeah, it's not worth spending $11.99 on a book that might not be any good. I never read it, but did see the Diane Keaton movie version a long time ago.

Ebooks - what a rip off they've become. When they first came out they were much cheaper than the regular books. I used to get them from a site that since was bought out by Barnes and Noble. When you bought a book there, you got "credit cash" (like 50 cents or so) for each ebook you bought. It added up, and then you could use it to get a free ebook when you had enough to meet that book's price (which was far below $10.00.) And it was good for buying any book, not just a few older books. Gone are the days.

Adelaide wrote: "I have also added Mary Higgins Clark, Mercedes Lackey, Danielle Steele, Barbara Cartland, and Rona Jaffe to the list."

That's good. I think a mix of authors makes things more interesting. What is the Rona Jaffe book? I was disappointed by her book The Best of Everything, so you might want to rethink that one. It was a pretty good movie (with Joan Crawford), but I found the book to be a bit boring.

How about Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall? The spooky Disney movie with Bette Davis haunts my childhood.

Sarah wrote: "How about Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall? The spooky Disney movie with Bette Davis haunts my childhood."

My library system does not have this book at all, but it does have many copies of Haldane Station by this author. It also looks creepy. I’d be willing to read that one, if Adelaide approves it.

So The Watcher in the Woods is currently out of print and there is no ebook edition, which makes it kind of expensive. (WHICH SUCKS BECAUSE IT IS A BOOK I LOVED AS A KID.) Haldane Station is similarly difficult to get for a reasonable price. (And my library has neither.) WTF. Watcher is a great book. Oh well.

As an alternative, I propose we read a Lois Duncan book. She's got lots of spooky stuff.

I've read Lois Duncan's Down a Dark Hall and enjoyed it. My library system has many different titles by this author, so I'd be happy reading anything else by her.

Sounds good!

How about The Silver Metal Lover? It looks pretty classic and trashy...

On the list!

Good, I really love that one. Is Focault's Pendulum on the list, still? I've been craving re-reading that one! And it's an ebook. :)

Oh, how about Homeland, by R A Salvatore? It's the first of the Drizzt Do'Urden series. I'm an old D&D fan, so these are fun fantasy series. :) It's been a very long time since I read any of the Drizzt books. :) For that matter, how about Nine Princes In Amber, by Roger Zelazny? And I can't wait for November. I love Stephen Brust! :D

I really have been wanting to read Nine Princes too...

ON THE LIST.

any book by John Saul I think would count.

On the list!

Adelaide wrote: "Regarding two suggestions from the last thread: availability for A Report from Group 17 and Elric of Melniboné is not that great, so I will probably not be adding them to ..."

Elric of Melniboné is getting an omnibus reprint in September I think, so we should be able to read it towards the end of this year/beginning of next.

Hey - how about Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay? It looks spooooooky 👻💀🎃🙀

Added it!

I have two suggestions:

Coma by Robin Cook

The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann

Actually, anything by these authors would be ok with me, if you can't find the books I mentioned at your library.

ON THE LIST!

Adelaide wrote: "Regarding two suggestions from the last thread: availability for A Report from Group 17 and Elric of Melniboné is not that great, so I will probably not be adding them to ..."

I'm looking forward to reading this one.. :)

And Nine Princes In Amber.... And Elric... and even Flowers In The Attic. Read that as a teen - pure trash, but I remembered liking it enough to read the second one (not as good).

I'd like to nominate: A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell. It was originally published in 1977, according to Goodreads.

That was the same year I was born! Like twenty-three years ago.

Sarah wrote: "That was the same year I was born! Like twenty-three years ago."

Ha! I know what you mean.

ON THE LIST.

Adelaide,

I know you like to have alot of diversity represented in the group reads books (which I like), so I 'm posting three mystery books featuring female African American detectives.

- Dead Time by Eleanor Taylor Bland (1992)
- When Death Comes Stealing by Valerie Wilson Wesley
(1994)
- If I Should Die by Grace F. Edwards (1997)

Each one is the first book in a series, too. I thought you might be interested. I found all of them in my library interlibrary loan system, and I think one was re-releasd in 2000 and might be more easily found.

Thank you! ON THE LIST!

I know this might be a bit hard to find at libraries right now, with the new movie remake being released, but I want to nominate it for perhaps later next year:

Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham

This was a very dark, but bat-shit crazy noir that was made into a film in 1947. I saw it and thought it was good. In fact, if you go to YouTube and search "Nightmare Alley 1947", you can watch it for free.

My library system also has the novel available in a collection called Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s. So it might be easier to find in a collection such as this.

I think that anything Cheryl refers to as “bat-shit crazy” should be read immediately

I was gonna make this the January book, but it turns out is real popular at the library right now because of the movie coming out, so I am gonna out it a few months down the road so people have time to get it.

Ok, I rearranged the books for the first half of next year.

January: Flowers in the Attic
Feb: The Blue Castle
March: Nightmare Alley
April: Marathon Man
May: A Rage in Harlem
June: The Angel of Terror
July: Fire and Hemlock

I figured it would be hard to get from the libraries now. Hopefully it will be easier by March. I think I’ll be requesting that collection I mentioned, since less people might know it’s there. Thanks, Adelaide!

I will nominate one of the Perry Mason books (you choose which one) by Erle Stanley Gardner:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/4050...

I have never read any of them, but am curious to try one.

Another nomination:

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
(Historical Fiction)

It was first published in 1945 and was made into series on PBS in the 1970s and more recently. I haven't read the book, but have seen and enjoyed the series.

Both on the list !

Hey I’m thinking we should do “Lord of Light” from Roger Zelazny. I just found out that the screen play for this novel was titled “ARGO” and is what the CIA used in 1980 to get Americans out of Iran (as per the Ben Affleck movie).

On the list!

I have updated the books for the rest of 2022. Since grad school is kicking my behind, I am trying to get things squared away before I start working on my thesis project.

June: The Angel of Terror by Edgar Wallace
July: Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
August: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
September: If I Should Die by Grace F. Edwards
October: The Collector by John Fowles
November: The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann
December: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Hooray! Wynne Jones and Zelazny! And ironcially, The Witch of Blackbird Pond was featured in one of Amazon's Kindle deals, so I already have that one. lol

Also, I just noticed that Sept will be our 10-year book club anniversary. WHAT?!?!?

Whoa! What should we read?

The schedule looks great! Alot of authors I’ve wanted to try.

Here’s a suggestion for a future group read:

Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan (1981)

The Goodreads page for this book lists it as suspense, YA, and paranormal. I found out about it from an article on “subtle suspense” older books. I thought it sounded interesting.