The Annual Favorite Books Survey Results and Winners Are Showcased Below!
We are looking forward to next year's results already, so start making note of your favorites in 2015!
|
|
|
|
Fresh Ideas for Discussion
Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade
 A stunning debut novel in the vein of Sarah Waters’ historical fiction and inspired by true events, it tells the fascinating story of a woman who must choose between revenge and mercy when she encounters the doctor who subjected her to dangerous medical experiments in a New York City Jewish orphanage. Lush in historical detail, rich in atmosphere and based on true events, Orphan #8 is a powerful, affecting novel of the unexpected choices we are compelled to make that can shape our destinies.
The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall
 From the bestselling and award-winning author of Whistling Past the Graveyard comes an adventure tale about two daredevils and a farm boy who embark on the journey of a lifetime across America’s heartland in the Roaring Twenties. As they crisscross the heartland, exploring the rapidly expanding role of aviation from barnstorming to bootlegging, from a flying circus to the dangerous sport of air racing, the three companions form a makeshift family with members as adventurous as they are vulnerable, and as fascinating as they are flawed.
Flame Tree Road by Shona Patel
 From the acclaimed author of Teatime for the Firefly comes the story of a man with dreams of changing the world, who finds himself changed by love. In 1870s India in a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage, young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood—shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance—Biren devotes his life to effecting change.
The Blonde by Anna Godbersen
 From New York Times bestselling author Anna Godbersen comes a whip-smart re-imagining of the life of Marilyn Monroe, set in a world of silver screen glamour and political intrigue. At once a crackling portrayal of Old Hollywood, an intimate portrait of the larger-than-life star, and a cat-and-mouse thriller, The Blonde is history rewritten as it could have—and might have been. Part biography, part spy thriller, and part love story, this is a whip-smart re-imagining.
All the Single Ladies by Dorothea Benton Frank
 The perennial New York Times bestselling author returns with an emotionally resonant novel that illuminates the power of friendship in women’s lives, and is filled with her trademark wit, poignant and timely themes, sassy, flesh-and-blood characters, and the steamy Southern atmosphere and beauty of her beloved Carolina Lowcountry. In this charming, evocative, soul-touching novel, three amazing middle-aged women are bonded by another amazing woman’s death.
|
|
|
|
Fresh YA Idea for Discussion
The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate
by Jacqueline Kelly
 Callie Vee, Travis, Granddaddy, and the whole Tate clan are back in this charming follow-up to Newbery Honor-winner The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Travis keeps bringing home strays. And Callie has her hands full keeping the wild animals-her brother included-away from her mother's critical eye. Whether it's wrangling a rogue armadillo or stray dog, a guileless younger brother or standoffish cousin, the trials and tribulations of Callie Vee will have readers laughing and crying and cheering for this most endearing heroine.
|
|
|
|
The All Souls Trilogy
With more than a million copies sold in the United States, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists, garnered rave reviews, and spellbound legions of loyal fans.
The Book of Life brings the number one New York Times bestselling series to a deeply satisfying close. The Book of Life goes on sale July 15, 2014.
|
|
|
The Perfect Author for Summer: Jojo Moyes
The Perfect Summer Beach Read: Me Before You
If you have not already read Me Before You, it's a must! And so say our readers because it was one of our Favorite Books of 2014!
If you have read it already, you might want to read it again to get ready for THE SEQUEL! Thank you, Jojo!
After You by Jojo Moyes will be published at the end of September.
STAY TUNED! We will be running a drawing for you to win copies of Me Before You, and ADVANCED copies of After You in August!
Dear Reader,
I wasn’t going to write a sequel to Me Before You. But for years, readers kept asking and I kept wondering what Lou did with her life. In the end the idea came, as they sometimes do, at 5:30 in the morning, leaving me sitting bolt upright in my bed and scrambling for my pen.
It has been such a pleasure revisiting Lou and her family, and the Traynors, and confronting them with a whole new set of issues. As ever, they have made me laugh, and cry. I hope readers feel the same way at meeting them—especially Lou—again. And I’m hoping that those who love Will will find plenty to enjoy.
—Jojo Moyes
|
|
|
Book Club Sweepstakes: Us by David Nicholls
 To celebrate the paperback release of Us—the #1 international bestseller from the author of One Day—one book club has the chance to win copies of the paperback for their group, plus a Skype chat with bestselling author David Nicholls.
Sweepstakes runs until July 31st.
"I loved this book. Funny, sad, tender: for anyone who wants to know what happens after the Happy Ever After.” — Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and One Plus One
|
|
|
SEVEN Wonderful July Contests:
Register Below for a Chance to Win!
Register for a chance to win a copy of The Little Paris Bookshop PAIRED with a copy of the 2016 edition of DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris.
“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.” —Monsier Perdu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dollbaby Contest
Register to Win a Copy of
Lane McNeal's Novel, Dollbaby!
For fans of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help, Dollbaby brings to life the charm and unrest of 1960s New Orleans through the eyes of a young girl learning to understand race for the first time. By turns uplifting and funny, poignant and full of verve, Dollbaby is a novel readers will take to their hearts.
Register for a chance to win a copy of Ana of California PAIRED with the Puffin Classics version of Anne of Green Gables.
In the grand tradition of Anne of Green Gables, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and The Three Weissmanns of Westport, Andi Teran’s captivating debut novel offers a contemporary twist on a beloved classic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Register for a chance to win an ADVANCED COPY of House of Thieves AND 1 Grand Prize Winner will win ADVANCED COPIES for their entire group plus a SKYPE CHAT with the author, Charles Belfoure!!
From the nationally bestselling author of The Paris Architect. In 1886 New York, a respectable architect shouldn't have any connection to the notorious gang of thieves and killers that rules the underbelly of the city.
10 winners will win a copy of The Book of Life,
3 winners will win the entire All Souls Trilogy, and
1 Grand Prize Winner will win the Trilogy & the All Souls Trilogy Board Game & The Commonplace Book!
The entire All Souls trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life, available in a beautiful boxed set. With more than two million copies sold in the United States, the novels of the All Souls trilogy have landed on all of the major bestseller lists, garnered rave reviews, and spellbound legions of loyal fans. One Grand Prize Winner will also receive a limited edition of Diana Bishop's Commonplace book, which contains a floor plan of the Old Lodge, snippets of poetry, some passages from a witch's grimoire, astrological insights, and much more, AND the even more limited edition All Souls Board Game!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Register for a chance to win the AUDIO BOOK, Everybody Rise.
Bracing, hilarious and often poignant, Stephanie Clifford's debut offers a thoroughly modern take on classic American themes and on the universal longing to fit in.
Register for a chance to win copies of Whatever . . . Love is Love for your entire group PLUS a SKYPE CHAT with Maria Bello!!
Whatever...Love Is Love is not a memoir about an actress. It is a frank, raw, and honest book about the way every woman questions the roles she plays in love, work, and life, filled with wisdom, questions, and insights relevant to us all.
|
|
|
 In need of a summer getaway? Then look no further as Fool’s Gold is moving to Chicago for the Susan Mallery Fool’s Gold Getaway, an exclusive weekend retreat hosted by Harlequin and romance’s pre-eminent world-builder, Susan Mallery.
Register to win TWO TICKETS and a 2-NIGHT HOTEL STAY for a weekend of romance, great food, games, and prizes.
This drawing ends July 17th, 2015. The winner will be notified by July 19th, 2015.
Click here for more details about the weekend.
|
|
|
The Results Are In!
Reading Group Choices' Annual Favorite Books List
Each year, we ask YOU, our reading groups, what your favorite books were for the year. This year, we had over 2,000 responses, and we narrowed down your list to your top 11 favorites, which we heartily agree with.
Some of these books may not seem like a surprise - yes, of course, this year's Pultizer Prize Winner for fiction made the list, and we thank Anthony Doerr for writing such an amazing book. But your top 11 also includes new authors like Charles Belfoure for The Paris Architect and Gabrielle Zevin for The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. But no matter if it's Jojo Moyes or Gillian Flynn or Christina Baker Kline, what this list shows us, and what your comments told us, is that you enjoy historical books, nonfiction, mystery, intrigue, books that spark interesting discussion, books that are unputdownable, and books that are clever, well-written, and thoughtful.
We hope to continue to provide you with recommendations such as these from old faithful writers to fresh talents for many many years to come. Thank you for reading, thinking, and discussing, and we wish you many more happy reading group discussions to come!
|
|
|
|
Congratulations to Our Favorite Books of 2014 Winners!
In order to better meet the needs of our readers, we requested your participation and feedback in our recent annual survey. All participants were entered for a chance to win $100 towards your next reading group discussion plus a box of discussible books for your group. The winners also sent in photos of their groups, information about their groups, and their favorite books of 2014!
Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to Oak Brook Book Club & Book Babes!
Oak Brook Book Club
Oak Brook Book Club started in 1997 as a neighborhood group, although current members cover a wider geographic area as folks have moved or invited friends to join. We are a diverse group of women who enjoy a lively discussion of interesting books. We take turns volunteering to host the group, with each host selecting the book for their month. We enjoy an eclectic assortment of books each year, typically literary fiction, with occasional branching out to other genres. We love talking about books and want to thank Reading Group Choices for this recognition!
The members have spoken—our two favorite book picks for 2014 are:
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
The Husband’s Secret by Lian Moriarty
Book Babes
The summer of 1997, Elaine Plevier approached Noel Gaeta and Betsy Ryan with the idea of starting a book club. We began with an organizational meeting on Elaine’s wraparound porch to plan our first year of our book club. It was decided that we would meet once a month from September to May. We chose to skip December because everyone was so busy at that time of the year.
Our format would be that once a year in the summer we would plan the agenda for the following September to May meetings. Each person brings one or two books to the organizational meeting to recommend to the group. They show the book and tell a little about it. After everyone has presented a book, we begin deciding which months would be best for the books. Usually the person who presents the book will be the leader of the meeting when the book is discussed. Next someone volunteers to be the hostess for that meeting which includes providing snacks to nibble on during the discussion and serving a dessert a the end of the evening.
The first book we read was Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, and the last book was If I Could Paint the Moon Black, which was written by Nancy Burke, daughter of member Marie Burke. To date our group has read 146 books. Over the years we have had guests come to our meetings to shed some light on the topic having lived through the time periods. We have also attended many book signings of authors we enjoy reading.
This is our 18th year. We now have 10 members although during most of the years we had an even dozen. We began with some members in their 20s, others up to their 80s. We even had three generations of one family!
|
|
|
Scratching my head trying to decide why our group is unique, I realized that our uniqueness comes from the personalities of our members who range from approximately 55-75years. This assortment of 15 women have collectively traveled every continent, but Antarctica, and have each worked or still work in fields that benefit society. These experiences make each a valuable contributor to discussion and a good person to have as a friend. In existence for fourteen years, the group is comprised of passionate readers who were born in California, South Africa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Most members volunteer in different organizations with social action goals; one third of us volunteer for a Literacy program that helps at risk youth from pre-school to college age. One woman drives 73.2 miles each way to our monthly meeting and the 140 plus selections we have read are representative of a variety of genres from fiction to nonfiction, serious to humorous.
We have no name or mission statement because we believe we don’t need either because our mission, to share and discuss literature with one another and to learn from one another is obvious. Although we have considered clever, insightful names, we prefer to be called “Book Group” because that is what we are and it does not limit the choice of books to discuss. The group is an important part of each of our lives.
Become one of our Spotlight Book Clubs:
Email us at info@readinggroupchoices.com with a picture of your book group and description of what makes your reading group unique. If your book club is chosen, we will send you and your group a box of books to share!
|
|
|
Reading Group Choices' Events Across the Country
JULY 8TH: Annabel Smith at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL
Reading Group Choices will partner with Sourcebooks and author, Annabel Smith, who is visiting from Australia! Come hear a discussion with Annabel, and purchase her lovely new book, Whiskey & Charlie. Click here for more details.
AUGUST 31ST and SEPTEMBER 1ST: Quail Ridge Books' Book Club Bash in Raleigh, NC
Reading Group Choices will co-host two Book Club Bashes with Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, NC. RSVPs required ahead of time. Stay tuned for event details and RSVP information.
SEPTEMBER 20TH: The Brooklyn Book Festival in Brooklyn, NY
Reading Group Choices will host a BookEnd Event at the Brooklyn Book Festival. Stay tuned for event location and time. Click here for more details about the festival.
SEPTEMBER 24TH at 7pm: Reading Group Choices' Custom Club Nite at Mystery to Me Bookshop in Madison, WI
Reading Group Choices will co-host a Custom Club Nite with Mystery to Me Bookshop in Madison, WI. RSVPs required ahead of time. Click HERE for event details and to RSVP.
SEPTEMBER 25TH at 7pm: Reading Group Choices' Custom Club Nite for Young Readers at Mystery to Me Bookshop in Madison, WI
Reading Group Choices will co-host a Custom Club Nite for Young Readers with Mystery to Me Bookshop in Madison, WI. RSVPs required ahead of time. Click HERE for event details and to RSVP.
OCTOBER 17TH & 18TH: The Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX
Come stop by our exhibitor booth at the Texas Book Festival! Click here for more details about the festival.
|
|
|
 Reading Group Choices 2015 is available for purchase as an ebook or print book on our website. We hope you enjoy the variety of books we have recommended this year. As always, thank you to our readers for your continued support, interest, and passion for books!
Coming in August: Reading Group Choices 2016! Stay tuned!
|
|
|
|
|
|
