The Next Best Book Club discussion

Since you asked for recommendations, I relocated this to the Recommendations Thread.... just to keep my OCD happy :)

Jodi Piccoult has several good ones. I really enjoyed My Sister's Keeper (which was also my first one to read by her) but I think my favorite is Plain Truth... you should check it out.

I have read most of Picoult's stuff -The Pact was my first back 8 or 9 years ago, then Plain Truth, Keeping Faith, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, etc. up to Change of Heart. I left Mercy unfinished and have tried Harvesting the Heart but I never get far-her older stuff just doesn't seem to grab me.

Vanishing Acts wasn't my favorite but still okay. Second Glance was great-different than some of her other stuff but really good. She might not be the most literary author out there but her stuff always sucks me in and keeps me reading.

Kathy, you definately need to check out Joyce Carol Oates. She has some amazing books. I wouldn't recommend The Tattooed Girl by Oates, though. I read it and it honeslty just wasn't that great.

I read The Pact first and really enjoyed it. I read My Sister's Keeper next. I absolutely loved that book. I've read a few others, but they started to all feel the same. Maybe I'll take a break and come back.

I have read them all except the humpback whale book. Love them all. They all deal with issues that can be real, or not...

I enjoy Jodi Piccoult's books. I too started with My Sister's Keeper, the ending made me cry. I've read several others too. Second Glance was alright, it was a bit different than her other books. I think sometimes she can really drag out some of the court scenes in her books. I like that she really picks some out of the norm issues or touchy subjects. She seems to do quite a bit of research too, which is great.

I loved My Sister's Keeper but I thought the ending was a cop-out. In fact, apart from Plain Truth, I didn't really like the endings of any of the Picoult books I read. Tenth Circle ending wasn't too bad. I think once I'd read four or five I felt like Lisa, the books seem formulaic. Maybe I'll go back to them again next time I'm going on a long plane flight.

I loved My Sister's Keeper and cried my eyes out. I also really liked 19 Minutes, Perfect Match, and Plain Truth. Wasn't a big fan of Second Glance, Tenth Circle, or Change of Heart. I have to agree with Beth Ann...she can really drag out some parts of her books. I needed a break from her after reading a bunch in a row.

I haven't read My Sister's Keeper yet, but I do have it on my to read list. The only thing that I have read by her was Nineteen Minutes, and I absolutely loved it! It made me want to read all of her books.

I read MY SISTERS KEEPER right when my Mom started going through chemo. It was a hard book to read at that time, but I think at that time, it was the 1st for me.

I like most of Picolt (Humpback Whale wasn't so good). What I like about them is that they touch on real, up-to-date issues in such a way that I have to really think about them. The way she presents the story makes me uncomfortable, makes me look at some social issues I would normally not give much thought to. At the same time, they're easy reads.

One other book had the same effect for me. Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian was very similar and I would recommend it. I haven't read any of his other work but definately intend to.

Chris Bohjalian is really good. I've read The Double Bind, Midwives, The Law of Similars, and Trans-sister Radio by him and like them all.

My Sister's Keeper was my first Jodi Picoult and since then I've read about 6 of her books. They are always excellent but My Sister's Keeper was definately the best. The only one, in my humble opinion, that came close to it was The Pact. If you haven't read that one yet, I highly recomend it.

The Pact was my favorite. I have only read 3, The Pact, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister's Keeper. All good. I have Picture Perfect and The Tenth Circle at home.

I haven't read Nineteen Minutes. I wasn't sure I'd like it. What did you think Ashley?

The best part about The Tenth Circle was the ending, which by the way I did not see coming. About 3 months ago there was a movie version on Lifetime and it was actually quite good.

Elizabeth-just wanted to throw in my two cents worth, but I thought that Nineteen Minutes was an amazing book.....it is about a school shooting, but as a mom it really opened me up to the possibilities that this could happen to anyone's child.....from the shooter's side of things and to the victim's. I haven't read anything else by her yet....I have My Sister's Keeper on my to read list, but I think that Nineteen Minutes is definitely worth a try. Please let me know how you like it if you decide to read it.

I thought Mercy was the pits.

I've read most of Jodi Picoult's book. My first one was "My Sister's Keeper" and I thought it was really good. But I have to say that "Plain Truth" is my favorite book of hers. I thought it was amazing. The Lifetime movie was pretty good, too. I've read "The Pact" and that to me was one of the most frustrating books I've read from Picoult. It wasn't bad by any means. It was actually pretty good, but it was one of those books were I felt no sympathy for any of the characters.

Really? Hmmm, that's weird. I would think that if any school would ban a Jodi Picoult book it would be "The Pact". Wonder why they banned "My Sister's Keeper".

I also wonder the banning of "My Sister's Keeper" - I don't remember anything in that book that would stir controversy for a school - of course, it certainly doesn't take much for some people to urge banning of books in school districts. I've read several of Picoult's books - with many more on my TBR. My favorite so far is the first I read - "Plain Truth".

When I was a kid, if I thought a book was banned I would do anything I could to get my hands on it. I read the entire A Tree Grows In Brooklyn in 7th grade because I was told their was a dirty scene in it.

Thanks for the recomendation on Nineteen Minutes. I can't tell you how many times I've picked it up in Borders and then put it back. And I've read a few scarey/mysteries in a row, so I'm definately going to be in the mood soon for something like that. I'm definately intrigued that some of it is from the shooters point of view. I wonder how she researched that?

Elizabeth-not sure how she researched it, and I honestly never thought that I would empathize with someone that would do something as horrible as what happened at Columbine, but I found myself sobbing for this character!

Nineteen Minutes was my first JP book and I loved it. I read My Sisters Keeper next and loved it even more. I tried to read the one that had the clues in the cartoons and could not get into it. I can't remember the name of that one.

My first JP book was My Sister's Keeper, and I loved it. So I decided to read Plain Truth, which I also loved, then I moved on to the Pact. Then I decided I had to take a break. I really like her writing, and I especially like that she usually has a twist at the end.

I read her most recent book, Handle with Care, which I loved.

I'm getting ready to start Handle with Care!

The four Picoult novels I have read are My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, The Tenth Cirlce and Keeping Faith--Keeping Faith was actually my favorite of the four. I REALLY want to read Handle With Care.

I have never read one of Judi Picoult's books, but I am planing on reading My Sister's Keeper for the Spring Challenge (I am a cancer). I have heard that she is really good, albeit, really sad. I am not sure that I could read Handle with Care. SPOILER: I read the premise and heard that the parents say that they don't want a child... I am not sure I could read anything where that is the main element of the plot line... But that is just me.

The only book I have completed was Vanishing Acts. I have noticed that it doesn't seem to be many people's favorite book, but I liked it, so I figured I'd give some of her others a try. I have Nineteen Minutes and The Pact, but I haven't read it yet. I know it may seem silly, but because I am a teacher, I'd like to wait to the summer to read Nineteen Minutes. I am currently reading Change of Heart and I have Tenth Circle in my car on audiobook. (I tried that one before, but didn't get too far). I do look forward to reading more by her.

Kathryn: That is actually not the main element of the plot line. There is so much more to the story and I do not want to give it away, but it is a really great book that makes you think, "what would I do and how far would I go to make sacrifices for my child?"

I have read every single book by her and there are two books that I did not care for at all and maybe one that was so, so. The others I gave four or five stars. My Sisters Keeper, The Pact, Nineteen Minutes, Handle with Care, Perfect Match, and Salem Falls are my favorites.

Okay. Maybe I will give it a shot. I will do my sisters keeper first though!

Vicki wrote: "The only book I have completed was Vanishing Acts. I have noticed that it doesn't seem to be many people's favorite book, but I liked it, so I figured I'd give some of her others a try. I have Nine..."


While I can't get into graphic novels at all, if you do, you'll be missing something by reading Tenth Circle by audio. Jodi Picoult is now the artist for the Wonder Woman "comics", and I believe it was Tenth Circle that made her give it a try.

Thanks Elizabeth! That's an interesting piece of information. Actually the audio from the library is quite scratched and I lost patience with it this morning. So I'd have to go back to the book anyway at some point. I wasn't sure how important the graphic portion was to the novel.

Vicki, I'm not good with pictures, and Tenth Circle can be read and enjoyed without the graphics pages. But I think they could add to the enjoyment of this particular novel. Again, because I'm not good with pictures, I didn't spend much time on those pages. At the end, Jodi Picoult says she added special things to the drawings for the discerning reader. I don't know if there were clues along the way or what.

I'll get it from the library again and check it out. I didn't get very far the first time, but noticed there where graphics in there. It's an interesting premise though.

I just finished The Pact and enjoyed it - so far, I haven't read anything by Picoult that I haven't liked... have read Vanishing Acts, Tenth Circle, Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart... The last of the library books I have right now is I See You Every Where which I can't seem to get into... if anyone's read this and thinks I should give it a chance, let me know, i'd be interested to keep going if it might be worth the time.

I Loved The Pact.
I have also read and liked:
Nineteen Minutes
My Sister's Keeper
Handle With Care (her newest)

Vicki wrote: "I'll get it from the library again and check it out. I didn't get very far the first time, but noticed there where graphics in there. It's an interesting premise though."

I'm 100% with you ton this one! I enjoyed the book, but I'm not the biggest fan of graphic novels, so while I did read the graphic sections, it was a little more like a quick skim...

I have Handle With Care to read next... I heard it was really good!
As for the The Tenth Circle - it was good but I didnt enjoy it as much as a few others. I thought the comic strips were distracting and didnt add much to the storyline.

I am reading The Pact right now. So far so good! I haven't read anything by her that I didn't like, but I've only read Nineteen Minutes, My Sister's Keeper, and Change of Heart.