Jodi Picoult Books Reading Group. discussion

What was your first Jodi Picoult book that you read?

My first was "My Sister's Keeper" and that book had me hooked on Picoult!

MSK was my first, too.

i created a poll for favorites!

MSK was my first one too!

Yeah! The same goes to me! =)

MSK was also my first and i've been loving her books ever since!

My first one was Salem Falls. I have been hooked since then.

Well, you can add me to the list of My Sister's Keeper as my first JP read. Actually, I listened to it on tape and was totally riveted. The next book I read was The Pact and that had me hooked.

The first book I actually picked up by Jodi Picoult was The Pact but I could not get into it so I quit reading it and actually donated it to a book sale. Then a book group I was in decided to read My Sister's Keeper. I was a little hesitant at first and almost didn't read it. I'm so glad I did! It is one of my all time favorite books and it got me hooked on her books! I ended up having to go out and get The Pact to read again. Never did get into that book the way some do.

Dev, you're just like me. Ok, then what was your third? Mine was Salem Falls. =)

Mine is the pact too

My first Jodi book was "My Sister's Keeper" , and I was forever a fan!!

Haven't read MSK yet but it's on my shelf. My first was 10th Circle-I was hooked.

Oh Lynlee4, you have got to read MSK! It's fantastic, i can't wait for the movie release of that book. Also, i would pick up The Pact too. They were both wonderful books of hers.

Stacy, also Salem Falls! =) I think you would never regret reading it.

I have MSK, Mercy and Vanishing Acts on my to-read pile. On bookcrossing.com I'm on a bookring for Songs of the Humpback-it was mailed to me today. I'll need to get all my current reads wrapped up so I can sink into that one!

Salem Falls was really good too! I read that about a year ago, i still have to tackle Plain Truth and Second Glance.

My first was Plain Truth. LOVED IT and it is still arguably my favorite....second only to My Sister's Keeper...OH...then there is The Pact....SO MANY #1 favorites in my mind!

BUT.......Plain Truth was my first and was new at the time so MSK wasn't even out yet. I totally gushed to my mom and we are totally hooked now and up to date on all of her books and usually have copies reserved at the local store for first dibs...LOL!!!

My first was Plain Truth. I loved it! I went out and bought the rest of her books. The second one I read was Songs of the Humpback Whale. I did not like the way this was written (one persone telling from the beginning, the other telling from the end of the story backwards). I did enjoy the story, but Plain Truth was much better. Since I own so many books I need to read, I have not read any other of Picoult's yet. I was planning on reading them from the order she wrote them. Harvesting the Heart would be next. Does anyone have any recommendations?

HtH was good. MSK was fabulous. MSK and Plain Truth are my faves so far.

Dawn,

I would recommend My Sister's Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Vanishing Acts or The Pact. While I enjoyed Harvesting the Heart, it was very different from her other books. Since you've already read Songs of the Humpback Whale, which is also very different, I would recommend one of her books that's more like the rest. Like with Plain Truth....the twists and turns. My personal all time favorite is My Sister's Keeper. I'd highly recommend it as your next read. You will not be disappointed!

Jaime,

Thanks for the recommendation. I think I will try My Sister's Keeper next. I have noticed that many people list that as their favorite Picoult book.

Dawn,

I'd love to know what you thought of it after you're done! Happy reading!!

Uh, actually, "happy" probably isn't the word for it!

My first was The Pact, which I enjoyed... And then My Sister's Keeper. Between the two, I was hooked!

The first book I picked up was The Pact, which I loveddddd, then I read Plain Truth-even better! And I just consumed all of her books after that. The only one I wasn't crazy about was Songs of the Humpback Whale.

My first one was Plain Truth. Nineteen Minutes was and still is one of my favourites. Reading Salem Falls now.Which should I read next?

Roshini, I would read Change of Heart or My Sister's Keeper next. I loved both of those!

Mine was The Tenth Circle. It wasn't my favorite book of hers since I've read numerous since, but it got me addicted!

Thanks Allison! Will definitely get to those next...just finished Salem Falls, which I thought was pretty great, but still not in the league of Nineteen Minutes, for me anyway...

Plain Truth also got me hooked. I randomly picked it out at the library. I've been loving her ever since!

Roshini, sorry to hear that Salem Falls wasn't quite up to par with Nineteen Minutes! I want to get back to Jodi's books and read at least one before the March 09 book comes out, I was thinking Second Glance will be next. Have you read that one yet?

Hi Allison, not to take anything away from Salem Falls, I did like the book but I think Nineteen Minutes was one of those that completely changed my perspective so pretty big shoes to fill. Only read three books by her so far-Plain Truth and the other two. Thinking of reading Change of Heart next. Have you started on Second Glance?

Hi Roshini, I liked Change of Heart a LOT, I definitely recommend you try that next. I haven't started Second Glance yet! I try to get to a Jodi book and something else comes up! lol

Hi Allison, thanks for the recommendation, I'll try to pick that up as soon as I can. Read any other books recently?

Right now I'm finishing a Lisa See book, which i LOVE. It's called Peony in Love, I definitely recommend it. I keep meaning to get back to Jodi but I have so many other authors I want to read also! I read a Joy Fielding book after every 2 books or so also.

Haven't heard of that book, I'll go look it up. Yep, I so get what you mean, so many books, so little time! I've been reading Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho, I would recommend that too.

Nineteen Minutes was my first experience with JP and I have been hooked ever since. That is the Columbine type storyline. Though it is a very emotional and difficult subject Jodi, as always, has an amazing talent for getting the reader into each of the characters heads. In life it is hard for most of us to imagine what could lead a kid to shoot up his school and how could his parents not see it coming. But not only do you feel for the victims of the shooting and their friends, you really can feel pain for the shooter and especially his mother.

I would highly recommend it! dara

Hi Denise, I'm definitely going to try ALL of See's books and Snow Flower is my next one! I love discovering new authors, thanks!

Hi Denise,

Not only great taste but similar too! What's on the list next for everyone?

Dara, I so get what you mean about Nineteen Minutes, it has changed me for life! I wish I had talent to write like that!

Denise! I bought Lucia, Lucia today at The Strand (for anyone not in the NYC-metropolitan area, it's a huge bookstore) and I can't wait to read it! The Berendt book sounds great too, I put it on my TBR shelf. And I agree, Jodi does that complicated situation/family drama thing so well!

Denise, not all of JP's books have that ability to make us see what isn't so readily obvious in real life. It is so easy (especially with the media's help) sit back and judge. Another one that really puts that message out there is Perfect Match along with MSK. I wasn't crazy about Tenth Circle.

d

Hi all -

I, too, love JP books! I have read Nineteen Minutes, MSK, Tenth Circle, and Harvesting the Heart. I am now going to read The Pact. How many of you have read The Pact? Who liked it? Who didn't? Hey Denise...my new BFF is bookmooch.com, too! It is awesome....the only thing is, how do you package your books to send out in an affordable way? I have received so many great books from that site already...I am having a problem with not knowing which ones to read first! I am on there under JMS1127 if you want to add me as a friend....
Back to JP...have any of you read Mercy? If you have let me know what you thought about it...any other authors out there that you like?

Jill,

In another thread in this group, I asked the same question--"Should I read Mercy?"--because a few people had told me not to bother. Several people posted comments saying I should read it, so I did, and I liked it VERY much. I am so glad that I did not listen to the negative comments, for I would have missed out on an excellent book. Just like all of JP's novels, it deals with some very tough issues and is at times quite heartbreaking, but it is definitely a worthwhile read!

Denise,

I heard of bookmooch.com but I haven't been able to get on to it to see what it's all about. That sounds really interesting! I think I need to wait a little while, between my book-buying obsession, my mother's book-buying obsession (we share everything!) and the library (yes, after my visit to the Strand, I went to the library the next day and took out 3 books!) I think I have too much on my plate. I will definitely check it out once I make a dent in my TBR! I'm very excited for Lucia, though. Oh, and I like Berg too. I read "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" recently. It was really good!

Bev,

I'm glad you posted that about Mercy because I've been more or less staying away from that particular Picoult book because of the things I heard about it - but now you've given me good reason to try it, so thank you!

Denise:

Adriana Trigiani is my other favorite author (with Picoult). I have read all of her books and love them all. Lucia, Lucia is one of my all time favorites. I see that you also have the Big Stone Gap trilogy to read. Just to let you know, there was a fourth book that came out to that series, Home To Big Stone Gap. If you don't have that one, make sure you get it. I was lucky enough to meet Adriana at a book signing for that one. She is such a warm, funny & friendly person. If you ever get the chance, you should go to one of her book signings. Another book that I loved by her is Queen of the Big Time.

Speaking of addictions to obtaining books--I have recently been going crazy buying books from the public library. You know, when they are trying to make more shelf space, so they sell extra copies (and sometimes well-worn copies) from their inventory? I can't seem to drive past the library without checking the shelves to see what new things have been put out! And when they have their big "10 Books for $1.00 Sale," well, forget it...I go nuts. I've been lucky enough to get nice hard copies of 3 of Jodi's books, and I keep checking back because I want more. I started out just buying a few, and now I have a few shelves full of these used books.

Speaking of which...does Bookmooch insist that you only send out books that are in great shape? I would never send out a book that was a mess or falling apart, but I have some that have a few flaws, such as curled paperback cover edges and such.

My first was "My Sister's Keeper" and now i'm completely hooked with Jodi's books...

Denise, I have been "smart" in that I have so many books I want to read (and of course more keep coming out) that I have tried to stretch my JP books, reading others in between. I think I would be devastated if I was just waiting for her new one. At least this way I know I can pick one up that I haven't read and get my JP fix. lol

dara

I like the idea of spacing out the books to spread out the enjoyment! I think I did that without realizing it. I have two more JP books left to read, and then, of course the new one to look forward to. What's great about these books, though, is they are worth re-reading after some time has passed, so you can keep your JP fix going as long as you like!

I am not a person who usually re-reads books. There are so many new things I'd like to read that I don't want to take the time. One of the exceptions is JP's books--I HAVE re-read a few and have enjoyed them even more the second time around.

My first Jodi novel was The Pact. I absolutely loved the book and found myself crying while finishing the book. I am not normally a crier when I read either! Jodi does an amazing job on picking topics that are "hot" at the time and writing about them in an educated manner. I am always so impressed to see the amount of research she does about a topic before writing about it.