Book Club Reads

While we're on the topic of books to read in 2011, I thought examining the top book club reads of 2010 might be another good start. I didn't look over this list before compiling my off the cuff "to be read" post but have been chatting about book club favorites over the last couple of days and so I thought I'd share and, of course, solicit which ones you've read, loved, and would recommend!

According to Book Movement, where over 26,000 book club groups are registered here's the top 20 picks avid readers across America seemed to have their noses in:

-The Help by Kathryn Stockett and which I mentioned here

-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I have to include this totally intimidating picture from a recent W magazine shoot for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie adaptation. The make-up and hair completely transforms actress Rooney Mara into character Lisbeth Salander to the point Rooney is completely unrecognizable:

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-Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

-Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaime Ford. Here's a copy of the query letter for the book that subsequently landed her an agent and a book deal to get this published! This was also a feature in one of my cover love posts.

-The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski

-Little Bee by Chris Cleave and here's an interesting Q & A with the author.

-A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

-Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

-Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and which has even the amazing John Irving singing its praises.

-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrow, which was already on my must read list

-Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and yes, I admit it I'm excited for this movie adaptation starring Reece Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson *fangirl squee*.

-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and which I have to give huge props for as it's the only YA book on the list!

-The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and which I highlighted here and here. Now if you're a follower of the blog then I probably don't have to tell you why I picked up this book. If you're new, let's just say I love dogs and this particular one on the cover reminded me so much of my dog Annie that I had to at least read the book jacket...and then a few pages...and then, of course, buy the book altogether and never stop talking about it :-) So here's the cover that started it all thanks to the great marketing people behind the scenes.




-Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is another nonfiction read which many of you know has been made into a movie. And if you liked this book you may also like How to Sleep Alone in a King Size Bed which I featured here.

-The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls. Serious props to this book as a nonfiction read amidst a sea of fiction.

-The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

-The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. I can't help but find this name hilarious!

-The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

-The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This has been compared to The Secret Garden which was a fav read of mine when I was younger so I'll definitely have to check this out!

-Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. OMG, if you read about how this book developed and the author's promise to build the first school in an impoverished Pakistani village...well, it's a must read. And, of course, horray for more nonfiction!

I have to admit there are quite a few on this list that I have not cracked open but that's fine by me as it means a great year of reading ahead! So tell me, what is your book club reading these days?