The Reading Group Insider

Table Of Contents

Introduction
 
Starting a Reading Group… Picking the Books
Trial runs
Joining a group
Starting a group of your own
Making a Selection
      New and Favorite Fiction  
                        A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
                        The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
                        Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
                        The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern  
                        The Astral by Kate Christensen
                        The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller  
                        Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga
                  Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
                  Aleph by Paulo Coelho  
                  Ed King by David Guterson
                  The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
                  The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff
                  The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst  
                  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
                  1Q84 by Haruki Murakami  
                  The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
                  Swamplandia! by Karen Russell 
                  The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott
                  Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka  
                  Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch
                  The Gap Year by Sarah Bird 
                  Daughters of the Revolution by Carolyn Cooke
                  Low Town by Daniel Polansky
                  Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago
                        Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman  
                        The False Friend by Myla Goldberg
                        Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon 
                        To the End of the Land by David Grossman 
                        Private Life by Jane Smiley  
                        The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi
            New and Favorite Nonfiction 
                        Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
                        The Wave by Susan Casey
                        I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron  
                        The Tiger by John Vaillant
                        The Grace of Silence by Michele Norris
                        Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides
                        The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson           
            Thriller corner
                        The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
                        The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell 
                        Fragile by Lisa Unger
                        Damaged by Alex Kava           
            Out of ideas?
            Timing  
Setting up a meeting
      Choose a discussion leader
      Set a meeting time
      Pick a place
      Come prepared
      Set the tone
 
Tips for Meetings
Do research
Attend a reading or chat with the author
Take a trip
Read authors in-depth
Author Spotlight: William Faulkner                       
                        Absalom, Absalom!
                        As I Lay Dying 
                        The Sound and the Fury         
Author Spotlight: Alexander McCall Smith
                        Charming Quirks of Others                  
                        Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
                        Corduroy Mansions
Focus on a theme
Explore a different culture
Consider movies and theatrical tie-ins
            The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
            One Day by David Nicholls
            I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson   
Plan questions and discussion topics ahead of time
Track your reading list
Seasonal reading
Author chats
Cooking tie-ins
 
More Discussion Resources…
… for Books into film
… for Fiction
… for Memoir
… for Mystery, Thriller and Crime Fiction
… for Non-fiction
… for Poetry
 
Excerpts
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 
The Astral by Kate Christensen
The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff
The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott
Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch
Daughters of the Revolution by Carolyn Cooke
Conquistadora by Esmeralda Santiago
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell   
I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson
 
Reading Group Guides
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 
The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller 
Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
Aleph by Paulo Coelho 
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff
The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst 
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell 
The Gap Year by Sarah Bird 
Daughters of the Revolution by Carolyn Cooke
Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman 
The False Friend by Myla Goldberg
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon 
To the End of the Land by David Grossman 
Private Life by Jane Smiley 
The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi
The Wave by Susan Casey
I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron 
The Tiger by John Vaillant
The Grace of Silence by Michele Norris
Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson           
Fragile by Lisa Unger
Damaged by Alex Kava           
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
The Sound and the Fury          by William Faulkner
Three Titles by William Faulkner: Comparative Reading Group Guide
Charming Quirks of Others by Alexander McCall Smith                      
Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith
Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith  
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
One Day by David Nicholls
I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson