There are eleven members of our book club, and though not all of us have been together since the beginning, we just celebrated our club’s 10th anniversary. As part of that anniversary we voted for our Top 10 Favorite Books From 10 Years of Reading Together and we had votes for 62 of the 121 books we’ve read. (We counted our most recent book, Jayber Crow even though it officially should have started our next ten years!) While tallying the votes, I was intrigued by the way the girls voted and decided that we could make this a quiz to see whose taste in books fits you. To be 100% honest, a state of being that doesn’t always work for me, my brilliant niece, Beth suggested this from the moment I asked her for help starting this website. Here we go, Beth!
I tried to make avatars for each of us; for the most part they look like us when we were in college. The girls don’t know about these, but I’m safe until they actually look at the website. I will post the name and avatar with the list of books for which they voted. If you see a few books on a list that you have read and enjoyed, the odds are (and my only credential for saying this is that my brother lived most of his adult life in Las Vegas) you will appreciate other books on the list. Some of us voted for more than 10, some voted for fewer, so the lists do not include the same number of books.
Are you a Teresa? (I’m starting with me.)
and wear red glasses, but I think
this avatar is me wanting to be
Olivia from the alternate universe
of Fringe.
Teresa likes short stories, literary fiction, historical fiction (but not the lite variety), and nonfiction. She appreciates cleverness in an author, loves a good turn of phrase, and hopes to learn something with every book she reads. If a book rolls easily along the surface, she’d rather watch TV and play games on her phone while watching. Titles are grouped by genre and asterisks have been placed by books that were not read with the book club and therefore not discussed on this site. She is also a fan of David Sedaris’ essays, Sarah Vowell’s quirky nonfiction and the occasional psychological thriller. but opted not to add those categories to the list because they weren’t read with the book club.
Short Stories
- Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules, edited by David Sedaris
- A Good Man is Hard to Find and *Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor
- The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (which is not straight-up short stories but are stories related to each other
- *Music for Wartime by Rebecca Makkai
Literary Fiction
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
- We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
- John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead
- *On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Historical Fiction
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
- City of Thieves by David Benioff
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- *The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
- *The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Magical Realism
- The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
- *The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia
Nonfiction
- The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Behrendt
- *Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- *Educated by Tara Westover
- *The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Are you a Mary?
Mary was previously in a book club headed by a Catholic priest (an author himself) and her favorite books certainly include those concerning faith and spirituality. She rounds out this preference with a willingness to read anything but is possibly still trying to forget that one visual from Martin Amis’ Money: A Suicide Note!
Short Stories
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Literary Fiction
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson
- I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
Historical Fiction
- Out of Africa by Isak Dineson
Memoir
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway
Are you a Geri?
Geri is not only famous for honors in her chosen profession, she is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for having said the title The Red Tent 50,000 times. Well, that may not be entirely true, but it seems true. Geri’s favorite books are primarily historical fiction but she gives the imperfect leader of her book club carte blanche to choose and change books at her whim!
Literary Fiction
- The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow
- The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
- Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel
Historical Fiction
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Historical Fantasy
- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Are you a Melissa?
Melissa says that the common link in her top ten picks is that each of the books gave her more than she had when she started. The books have stayed in her memory either because she learned something from them or they caused her to experience an emotional reaction or see something from a different point of view. She enjoys book that describe what’s happening in the world around it, as the story unfolds. In addition to the books listed below, Melissa enjoys the suspense stories of Daniel Silva featuring the art restorer and Israeli operative Gabriel Allon.
Short Stories
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Literary Fiction
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Historical Fiction
- 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
- Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- City of Thieves by David Benioff
- Out of Africa by Isak Dineson
Memoir
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway
Magical Realism
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
- Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
Nonfiction
- The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Are you a Marcia?
Marcia’s experience with books prior to Fictional Friends was primarily with children’s books. If she were talking about a picture book – she would say that her favorites always have a great “marriage” of text and illustration. Choosing what makes a best book for herself is more complicated, but would include an excellent narrative voice and lyrical, imagery-rich, descriptive style. Two of Marcia’s favorite books are The Mists of Avalon and The Red Tent, which suggest that she prefers books written for and about women.
Literary Fiction
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
- I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
- Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
- A Short History of a Small Place by T. R. Pearson
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Biographical Fiction
- Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Historical Fiction
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Historical Fantasy
- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Magical Realism
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Nonfiction
- In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker
- In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
Are you a Sharon?
The most important aspect of a book for Sharon is that the book be well written. She loves a story that compels her to read more. Beyond that, she’s realized that righteous rural fiction has no appeal to her. She references the books we’ve read by Marilynne Robinson and Wendell Berry. When Sharon sent me this information, I thanked her for her candor and suggested we’d stay clear of such choices in the future and her response was “Nonsense, I have no problem with starting a book to see if I like it; if I don’t like it, my preference should not effect the others.” Maybe that is more telling information to help determine if you are a Sharon!
Literary Fiction
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
- As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
- Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis
Historical Fiction
- City of Thieves by David Benioff
Are you a Rosalie?
Ro likes a book where the main character is a woman, (but she made an exception for Jayber Crow!) She enjoys a complex plot but not too many characters to keep straight; and unlike the great Russian novels, she prefers them to use only one name. Her favorite genres are historical fiction or fiction about a place or a culture she knows little about.
In addition to our book club books, Ro says she got hooked this winter on novels about the settling of New Zealand by Sarah Lark. She also recommends Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
Literary Fiction
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson
- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
- Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Historical Fiction
- Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
- Out of Africa by Isak Dineson
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Nonfiction
- Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Mystery
- Holy Orders by Benjamin Black
Are you a Susan?
Susan appreciates a brook with a great opening that grabs her right away. After that she wants genuine characters and a captivating story line. Her favorite genres are historical fiction and short stories. In addition to the books she’s read with Fictional Friends, she would add The Silent Patient, Where the Crawdads Sing and Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet to her list of favorites. Susan encouraged the club to read A Prayer for Owen Meany which was the book with the most votes in our top ten of ten years!
Literary Fiction
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Historical Fiction
- Molokai’ by Alan Brennert
- To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
- Out of Africa by Isak Dineson
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Magical Realism
- Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
Memoirs
- Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
Are you a Chris?
For a book to be in Chris’ top ten list it has to stick with her. Like a great play, it needs to keep her really engaged while she’s reading it but also keep her popping with questions and revelations later, sometimes for years later. She likes writing that feels perfect for the points the author is trying to make, whether that means straightforward and to the point, lyrical, or inventive. A big plus is an overall structure that enhances the author’s points, either by reinforcing what the language does or adding another dimension of meaning. She’s not looking for feel-good experiences and doesn’t have any problem reading books that would be considered dark or contain characters that are unlikable. If they enlighten her in some way, they’re worth reading. What she’s really looking for in a book is something that adds to her understanding of the so-called human condition—of the struggles people face, how relationships work, the existential questions no one can avoid. For that reason, she favors the best current contemporary literature that’s set in the present day. She doesn’t seek out historical fiction, and although she loves books that give her a peek into other cultures, what interests her are the universal issues and questions. Don’t get her wrong–she loves a well-crafted mystery, family saga or psychological thriller, but her top 10 always have to go way beyond diversion and leave her with something she didn’t know or feel before.
Short Stories
- A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
- Bark by Lorrie Moore
Literary Fiction
- Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson
- Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
- As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
- Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Historical Fiction
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Are you a Linda?
Linda looks for a compelling story, preferably with characters she can care about. She likes a book with voices that make her think, or tell her something she hadn’t thought of. Her favorite genres are historical fiction, literary fiction, autobiography/ biography.
Literary Fiction
- *The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
- Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel
Historical Fiction
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Are you a Karen?
Karen likes a book with a hook, something that grabs her from the beginning and makes her keep going. She wants a good plot, strong writing and characters she can visualize. Her favorite genres are historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, and biographies. Karen is our newest member, so some of her favorites are books read before joining the group.
Literary Fiction
- *The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
- The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
Historical Fiction
- *To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Nonfiction
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Behrendt
Biography and Biographical Fiction
- *I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Magical Realism
- Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
- The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Well, that is all of us. Did you find someone who matches your taste in books? We’ve lasted 10 years together because there is clear overlap in the books we appreciate. That’s important for a book club, but it’s also important to respect others’ choices and give something new a try! That’s me talking like a more typical website contributor, but the real me says I’m never reading another page about Biblical women ever again.