Friends, it’s time once more to help me pick something from my shelves to read, helping me to clear my TBR and my conscience of these books that have been sitting around way too long. Whatever you choose, I promise to read it … sometimes it takes me a month or more, but I’ve always come through!
This month’s selection is from a number of acclaimed novels that have won prizes, been bestsellers, lauded by readers and critics alike … and yet I have not read them. Why? I don’t know, they all look good to me. But I need you to give me a little push and choose one.
Check out the covers and the Goodreads links below, and then vote in the poll. (If you skip this step and just comment, your vote might not get counted.) If you want to recommend more than one, please vote for your top choice but then explain your other choices in the comments.
- The Shadow of the Wind
- Less
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
- A Lesson Before Dying
- Measuring the World
Thank you so much for helping me with this difficult decision!
Shadow of the Wind because it’s the only one I’ve read and it’s one of those books that everyone seems to have read, so climb aboard.
Sounds great. We’ll see what comes in as the front runner.
Part-Time Indian is the only one I’ve read, and I give it top marks. The book gas been frequently banned in the US, which I usually see as a vote in its favor.
Haha, agreed. Don’t forget to vote in the poll, I added that because sometimes it was hard for me to tell what people were actually recommending.
The Sherman Alexie book was just “banned” at my local high school, meaning a teacher had assigned it for a class and parents succeeded in saying that it can’t be required reading for that class.
Well, I hope that means the students will all the more take it up as unrequired reading.
Reminds me of something I just read in Beverly Cleary’s memoir “A Girl from Yamhill,” she tells how a teacher in her junior college opined that any girl wearing red “deserved what she got, ” and the next day every girl who possessed something red wore it to school. Surely the best way to get teenagers to do something is to forbid them to do it?
My book group read and loved Shadow on the Wind but I think it must have been while I was in law school and didn’t get around to some of the choices if exams were imminent. I say, give it a chance for all of us!
It’s a popular choice …
Hmm, I went for the Sherman Alexie just from the blurb, and I’d fancy the Kehlmann myself if I was in the mood for it. I read The Shadow of the Wind when it came out, and while it drew me into old Barcelona, subsequent reads of his work just seems to cover the same kind of Gothick / magical realist ground. The Gaines sounds grim, while the Goodreads blurb for Less basically seems to have given away the whole plot — less Less is more!
Choosing the best blurb is as good a way as any to decide! I’d love a visit to Old Barcelona, though.
I’ve still got a Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel to read, though my last so-so review of his work got a fan boy — who thought the author was the best thing since sliced bread (as we Brits say) — very upset in the comments. But having a map of Barcelona spread out in front of me for one of his novels was great fun, even though it meant working out what the standard Spanish equivalents of modern Catalan streets were!
As much as I enjoyed Shadow of the Wind when read back in the day, I’ll vote for the Alexie because I think it might be his best fiction book. (And it’s so often banned!)
Those two are neck and neck now. Be sure to vote in the poll so your choice gets counted!
I tried to read Shadow of the Wind recently and struggled – I would probably have enjoyed it far more when I was in my teens. I did like the Sherman Alexie book when I read it about 8-10 years ago, but I know he has been accused of sexual harassment since, so I’m a bit conflicted about him now.
I know, there are some very disturbing stories. I think I’d still like to read the book, as it’s been so influential, but without putting the author on a pedestal.
wow interesting! I DNFed The Shadow of the Wind! After reading more than 60%. Something bothered me there, though I can’t remember what. Why did you struggle with it?
It just bored me – felt baggy in style. Would certainly have enjoyed it more in my teens, when I liked big books regardless of whether big was necessary.
The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favourite books ever, and the sequels are just as great and Carlos Ruiz Zafón
is one of my favourite authors. So, no doubt, he gets my vote.
Good reasons!
Lots of people I know, including older generation, love The Shadow of the Wind. I DNFed it some time ago – see my comment to Marina above.
I am getting curious now to read this book that has such strong, divergent opinions about it.
Hmm, I have actually read two of these books and was frankly unimpressed by both. So I shall not vote The Shadow of the Wind or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, haha. I’ve cast a vote for Measuring the World.
I can’t vote! I’ve only read Shadow of the Wind, and while I thought it was fine, the way the author treats women (in the book I mean) is…disappointing, at best. The next two books are just depressing. If these books are accurate, nobody should move to Barcelona. Still, this is probably the best one.
Do you mean you had trouble with the poll widget? Or do you mean you can’t decide?
I have not read any of these Lory, but I’d vote for Shadow in the Wind only because I recently bought my first Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel!
Did you vote in the poll? If so I don’t think it’s showing … this book is almost tied with the Alexie so that’s why i need to ask!
Yes, I did vote in the poll. I’ll try again, but I hope it won’t skew the results!
Oh, I see. I must not have hit submit, because I didn’t see the results the first time. 🤭
Must have been that. Thanks for checking, the poll just helps a bit vs trying to interpret comments.
Part-Time Indian is a powerful story.
That’s what I’ve heard. I’m quite intrigued to read it, although Shadow of the Wind is inching ahead at the moment.
I have started reading The Shadow of the Wind at least four times now and have never finished it. Maybe you can read it for me and let me know how it goes! XD
It looks like that one is the winner, so wish me luck at getting through it!
I am sure you will do better than I! 😀