Victoria Golden McMains

This book was written in 2000 so there have been lots of great books written since then and obviously this book is missing them. But it is always nice to go back and explore a well-written book that you may have missed and this book would be a good starting point. However, and this is a big drawback in my opinion, it is very American-centred. There is one book by Atwood (Robber Bride) and one by Alice Munro (Love of a Good Woman) and The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje but that's it for Canadians. There are a few more British writers like A.S. Byatt, Pat Barker and Sebastien Foulkes and a smattering of writers from other countries but most of the books are written by Americans. Just something to keep in mind as you read it.… (meer)

Another "book of books," this one contains 200 book club favorites. I had only read, or had on my to-read list, about 25 of these titles, so there were quite a few new ones to peruse. The anthology begins with a preface containing information about starting and maintaining a book club, and is followed by the booklist. Each novel has its own page with a short description, author information, and discussion group questions. The majority of the books are obscure gems, not bestsellers, and while most are contempary fiction, there are a few non-fiction and biographical works thrown in. My only minor criticism is that the presentation doesn't really grab you, but the content is still good. This is a great investment and resource for a book club or for any lover of literature.… (meer)