Summer Book Menage: The Conclusion.

Well, first off, I just wanted to thank everyone for joining in our Menage this time around. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the books and the questions and the discussion. I have emails in to both Michael Perry and Tom Bissell (Bissell is out of the country until August 3) with a couple of our questions, so if I hear back, I will post their answers here in the future. One bright side of the new world of book publishing and book marketing is that (this is my opinion, anyway) authors are very aware that book clubs can help sell books, so if you put "book club question" in your email subject line, I would imagine they're more into answering it.

That is not a dig at authors. I salute them for doing all the marketing and traveling and selling they have to do.

So now my thoughts to our next Menage. Does anyone have any ideas? Are we up for a fiction/nonfiction pairing again? If we were, I might suggest Penelope Fitzgerald's novel The Bookshop, perhaps paired with a travel book? (Fitzgerald's novel is all about a town where everybody knows each other, while travel books are often about outsiders getitng to know a place, and might provide a neat contrast.) Or is there some nonfiction genre we still haven't tried? Nonfiction graphic novels? True Crime? Do let me know if you've got any ideas, and we'll take a vote before our next Menage. And have a great weekend, everybody.

Comments

[Jessica]

I'll read anything. I trust you to uncover books I wouldn't have found on my own.

[Beth]

Hey there,
Sorry I missed this Menage, but can I suggest that if you do Graphic Novels (which are absolutely my fave), Fun Home by Alison Bechdel is a must, which could easily be paired with Persepolis or Maus, although I would pair it with Why I Killed Peter by Alfred and Olivier Ka, both of which are about growing up with a dark childhood incident, facing it and learning how to be your own person despite it all. Also looking forward to Stitches by David Small, coming in September :)
Thanks for the blog, lady.
Beth

[Beth]

Oh! It could also be paired with I Kill Giants, a fiction story about a young girl who deals with a problem at home through fantasies. It's amazing. Or perhaps all three ;)
Beth

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica,
Sounds great. I find a lot of new books at your site too so I'm glad to return the favor!

Beth,
Thanks for all the great GN suggestions! I confess graphic novels are not my favorites (although I did think "Fun Home" was fascinating), but perhaps we could pair one with a more traditional fiction or nonfiction choice, and see how they compare? Something to think about!

[Tripp]

I like the GN idea as well. They are quick reads, so maybe even more people could participate.

[Venta]

What are you doing to me, CR? The Bookshop versus true crime? AAACK. I can't decide.

If this was a young adult menage, I might suggest the novel Coraline by Neil Gaiman and the graphic novel of the same name adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell. Is there anything like this in the adult world?

I have complete faith in you, CR, and your readers to choose wisely.

this was a terrific menage!!

[Citizen Reader]

Tripp,
Yes, there's some definite possibilities among graphic novels...we will have to think on this some more.

Venta,
It hurts me, but we may have to wait on The Bookshop, if we go with graphic novels or something. I wonder, how does everyone feel about a Rick Geary graphic novel combined with a true crime read? Hmm?

Ooh, Coraline gave me nightmares. I'm not kidding. Wasn't it creepy? I don't know if I could discuss it without bringing the nightmares back!

Yes, this was a good menage. I owe all of you my thanks.

[Robin]

Hmmmm...a nonfiction/fiction pairing? How about Hot, Flat, and Crowded with My Sister's Keeper? Let's do this thing!

[Citizen Reader]

Robin,
Pretty hilarious stuff, that. But wouldn't the Friedman book already count as fiction?

[Beth]

Hey there,
I came upon this new Geary GN today, and it looked really interesting. Just throwing it out there.
Beth

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