A Good Read for a Book Club--

During our most recent book club, we hosted an open session when each participant brings a book (or more for that matter) to discuss of their only choosing. I had to smile when the slightly older title The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was discussed by one. The book was first published in 2002 and sat on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year (thanks, Wikipedia).

Is there any popular novel reader who hasn't heard about this title? A 14-year-old girl is raped and murdered with the crime becoming an ongoing investigation in the novel. However, the girl, Susie, lives on in spirit in heaven and she observes how events and life change with her family and friends.

The elements and emotions of the novel made it a success and a must read for many and it also became a frightening title too. Some would comment that some aspects of the book (the death of a child, etc.) would make for disturbing reading.

And--according to Wikipedia again--the story will have a new life (so to speak) as a film version of the book may arrive for the public sometime this year.

As I mentioned in the title for this post, this is a good read for a book club. I read this book several years ago for the "Rea Road Readers" book club at my library where general interest adult titles are discussed.

I really liked the book overall, although I felt a twist near the end of the book was forced and unnecessary.

At that time, I had considered using the book for the mystery book club as it has mystery elements with a clearly different slant. Now, I haven't yet but maybe I should keep it mind. When the book was shared that night, I asked of those present who read the book and only three of us (just under half) did.

In fact, this book could be good for an older teen book club too...

Reading tips from the Sunday paper--

When I turned to the book section in Sunday's Charlotte Observer newspaper, I was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar faces recommending books. Three individuals were included in book section feature as notable figures from the local book world. One person is Cathy Pickens who is a local mystery writer. The trio offered suggestions for reading read-alike titles and here's what they said:

What do I read next?

JERI KRENTZ

jkrentz@charlotteobserver.com

We're always looking for good books to read, so we turned to three experts for advice. We hope their ideas help the next time you're browsing at the library or shopping at your favorite book store.

JULIE AGUIRRE WHITTED

Whitted is a freelance reporter for WFAE-FM (90.7) and founder of the new Charlotte World Book Club. The club meets the second Tuesday of the month to discuss and learn about literature, life and the world beyond Mecklenburg County.

If you enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" -- The story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy in Afghanistan and the son of his father's servant -- Whitted recommends:

"Ursula, Under," by Ingrid Hill.

I loved this book. I like to think that a million more Americans with diverse family backgrounds have similar stories in our own family trees.

"Always Running," by Luis J. Rodriguez

By age 12, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of gang warfare. An interesting and touching first-person view.

"Naked in Baghdad," by Anne Garrels

Maybe because I'm a reporter, but I could not put this book down. Garrels, an NPR correspondent, shares her experiences covering the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

"Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario

I picked this up at the Novello Festival. It shows the illegal immigration issue from an important point of view: That of a young teenager driven to reunite with his mother in North Carolina.

"Around the Bloc," by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

A funny and fascinating look at a young woman's experiences in Moscow, Beijing and Havana. A great read for armchair travelers.

CHARLES BROWN

He is library director for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Before coming to Charlotte, Brown directed the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota and the Arlington County Library in Virginia.

If you enjoyed "The World Is Flat" -- subtitled "A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," it looks at the sweeping changes taking place -- by Thomas L. Friedman, Brown recommends:

"The Extreme Future," by James Canton

The publisher touts this book -- subtitled "The Trends That Will Shape the World for the Next 5, 10, and 20 Years" -- as "this generation's 'Future Shock.' " Canton is a global futurist and social scientist.

"The Lexus and the Olive Tree," by Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman argues that globalization is the international system that replaced the Cold War system. "If the first era of globalization shrank the world from a size `large' to a size `medium,' " he writes, "this era of globalization is shrinking the world from a size 'medium' to a size 'small.' "

"Mind Set!," by John Naisbitt

By the best-selling author of "Megatrends," "Mind Set!" (according to Naisbitt's Web site) "discloses the secret of forecasting." Naisbitt "gives away the keys to the kingdom, opening the door to the insights that let him understand today's world and see the opportunities of tomorrow."

"America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," by Mark Steyn

Here's how the publisher states Steyn's argument: "America should proclaim the obvious: we do have a better government, religion, and culture than our enemies, and we should spread America's influence around the world -- for our own sake as well as theirs."

CATHY PICKENS

Cathy Pickens the pen name for Cathy Anderson, a professor at Queens University of Charlotte whose novels include "Southern Fried" and "Done Gone Wrong." She likes reading and writing mysteries because they're "intellectual puzzles."

If you enjoyed "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich--it begins a series about funny bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her off-center New Jersey friends and family -- Pickens recommends:

Joan Hess' Maggody series

Hess' characters -- including Chief of Police Arly Hanks; the chief's mother, Ruby Bee Hanks; the n'er-do-well Buchanon clan; preacher Brother Verber and others -- are people that anyone from a small town (Southern or otherwise) will recognize.

"Skinny-dipping," by Claire Matturro

In this and Matturro's other books, Sarasota, Fla., attorney Lilly Rose Cleary takes on such cases as a kayak whiplash and defamation of an orange. The latest in the series is "Bone Valley;" the fourth is due out next fall.

"Sucker Bet," by James Swain

Swain, a gambling expert, and wise-cracking Tony Valentine take readers through the fascinating underworld of professional gambling.

"The Virgin of Small Plains," by Nancy Pickard

On a more serious side, but with rich regional atmosphere, this is a suspense novel set against the dramatic Kansas Flint Hills. Her best book yet.

c) 2006 Charlotte Observer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.