Top Ten Tuesday (3)

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is great book club picks.   Honestly, I feel I am a terrible judge of book club picks.  In my teen book club we generally talk about the book for five minutes - ten, max.  After that it's just an excuse to get together and go out to eat (which is always a good time.)   Anyway, enough about my lazy book club.  Here's my list of books that we've read or I think we should read.

1. Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

This book made me super uncomfortable because of the uber-realistic way Pfeffer portrayed an end of days situation.  This was one that I probably would not have picked up on my own, but because we read it for book club I got to widen my horizons a little.  Also, it made me want to fill my basement with batteries and canned goods.  On the plus side, I feel I am slightly more prepared for the Armageddon. 

2. The Hunger Games series - Suzanne Collins

I know, I know, obvious choice, right?  I can't help it.  I just have so many feelings about these books and I need to talk about them with everyone I encounter that's read them.  When we read them for book club it was my third time reading them and I was so excited to talk about them as a whole series, but then one of our members didn't finish the third by our meeting and it was like, what can I say without spoiling everything.  Ugh.  I think it might be time for a reread.  Definitely before the movie comes out.

3. Hate List - Jennifer Brown

This is an 'issue' book, which usually makes for good discussion.  It's a school shooting story from the point of view of the shooter's girlfriend, Val.  Everyone thinks she had something to do with it because they made a 'hate list' together and that's how he chose his victims.  It's about her struggle to cope and move on.  I thought it was extremely well done.

4. Bumped - Megan McCafferty

I wanted to love this book, I really really did.  I love the Jessica Darling books (who doesn't, right?) and I had such high hopes for Bumped.  I think it would be interesting to discuss because I didn't connect with it.  I really want someone to try and sway me to their side, so I guess this is a challenge?  Tell me why you loved this book please!

5. Wherever Nina Lies - Lynn Weingarten

I actually sat in on my town library's teen book club when they did this book because the author came and did a discussion/signing.  Lynn is such a great, fun author to come talk to a group.  I loved how this book was done with the pictures and the clues and it was so interesting to hear the process of how she wrote it.  It's the story of a girl whose sister went missing two years earlier.  She finds a drawing in a second hand shop that was done by her sister and sets off on this road trip with a guy she barely knows to find her and bring her home.  There's mystery, art, and one heck of a story to be told.

 

6. The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney

I loooooved this book, and they just put a new cover on it.  It's another 'issue' book, but I think those are some of the easiest to talk about at a book club.  They inspire the strongest emotions.  I can't wait to read its sequel, The Rivals.  Hell, I can't wait to re-read The Mockingbirds.

 7. A Blue So Dark - Holly Schindler

A story about a girl whose mother is a schizophrenic artist and how that affects her own life and art.  I chose to read it because I thought the cover was incredibly striking and it turned out to be a great and thought provoking read. 

8. White Cat - Holly Black

I didn't expect to love this series as much as I do.  Holly Black created a fascinating world of magic and fabulous narrator in Cassel.  It's a little disorienting at first because you know nothing, but the fun in it is jumping right in and finding things out along with Cassel.  They also just put a new cover on this one, which I kinda love.

9. Shine - Lauren Myracle

I first heard about this book when the controversy over the National Book Awards nominations happened and I knew that I had to read this book.  It's the story of Cat, whose former best friend Patrick is in the hospital because he was beaten and left for dead because he's gay.  This is our current book club pick.

10. Winter Town - Stephen Emond

I haven't read this one yet, but I've heard great things.  We try to read all different genres in our book club and we haven't done any graphic novels yet.  I think this would be a great way to introduce that genre without overloading those who don't fully embrace graphic novels.  (That would be me.  They give me headaches.)

I can't wait to see what everyone else recommends, they may even go to the top of my book club's to-read list!