The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Category: US fiction
The Swimmers – Julia Otsuka
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel The Swimmers is about Alice, a Japanese American woman in the early stages of dementia. She swims daily but when a crack appears in the pool (ie in her memory) she has to stop swimming and move to a… Continue Reading “The Swimmers – Julia Otsuka”
The Trees – Percival Everett
READ FOR BOOKERTHON ❝ The Trees is set in Money, Mississippi and is full of characters with names like Junior Junior, Hot Mama Yeller and Reverend Fondle. The white folk of the town suddenly start turning up dead, savagely beaten and with a black… Continue Reading “The Trees – Percival Everett”
Crossroads – Jonathan Franzen
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Suzy All members of a clergy family find themselves at a crossroads of life ❝ The Hilderbrandts are a clery family from New Prospect, Illinois. The minister father heads a youth group named Crossroads, yet this reference also pertains… Continue Reading “Crossroads – Jonathan Franzen”
Sophie’s Choice – William Styron
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel An aspiring novelist is captivated by a Holocaust survivor and her unpredictable boyfriend ❝ Stingo is a Southern young man aspiring to be a novelist and living off the income from his grandmother’s controversial sale of slaves many… Continue Reading “Sophie’s Choice – William Styron”
Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead
READ FOR BOOKERTHON The story of daredevil female aviator Marian Graves and her plans to circumnavigate the globe ⫸ “Marian and Jamie Graves are rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, then raised by their uncle in Montana. After encountering a… Continue Reading “Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead”
No One Is Talking About This – Patricia Lockwood
READ FOR BOOKERTHON A woman with new online prominence grapples with the reality of the cyber world and real life ⫸ “The internet, referred to as ‘the portal’, is given a life of itself in this novel, a place where the unnamed protagonist is… Continue Reading “No One Is Talking About This – Patricia Lockwood”
The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jodie A successful young woman’s life spirals into a depressive breakdown. ⫸ “Esther Greenwood’s story is remarkably similar to Sylvia Plath’s own life and struggles and is considered autobiographical fiction, despite being written under a pseudonym. “Esther is an… Continue Reading “The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath”
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
Chosen by Jodie A group of Greek mythology students attempt to experience a higher level of being and in doing so carry out an evil act. ⫸ “There were many reasons why the The Secret History was such a hit with us all in… Continue Reading “The Secret History – Donna Tartt”
Lost Children Archive – Valeria Luiselli
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks A family’s road trip across America collides with an immigration crisis at the southwestern border. ✚ “Lost Children Archive is not purely about immigrants crossing borders. More, it reflects on the histories of immigrants that have been lost… Continue Reading “Lost Children Archive – Valeria Luiselli”
We’re currently reading:
Books read:
How many books have we read for bookclub in the past 17 years?
The Free-Range Bookclub 
Recent Comments