-
Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary by Liesbet Collaert
-
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
-
My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir by Tia Torres
2 Likes
Hello @Maeve
What a great selection of books for us to choose from, thank you for compiling the list.
I have read some of these previously, Travels with Charley, What the Dog Saw, and The Empress and The English Doctor. All would make for great discussion with the group.
My top three that I haven’t read are:
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
- The Ride of her Life
- The Bee Sting
1 Like
@Landbiscuit , @Makelikeanapeman and those who have DM’d,
So nice to hear form you!
Thank you!
2 Likes
Hi @Maeve thank you for compiling this great selection of books for us to choose from. 
My choices in order are;
-
What The Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
-
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
-
The Housesitter’s Guide To The Galaxy by Jessica Holmes
1 Like
Hello All,
Thank you to everyone who has replied. I have heard from 12 people. One does not want to participate, one is on an epic sightseeing trip so probably can’t join us for the first book. I have tallied up the results of the other ten and it looks like we now have our first four books lined up, all great choices!
The top choice was The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.
The second was The Housesitter’s Guide to the Galaxy by Jessica Holmes. I’m hoping we will have the author present, as she’s a member of TH and here on the forum.
And tied for third were The Bee Sting by Paul Murray and Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary by Liesbet Collaert.
I’ll be opening a new topic for our first book, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Thanks again.
2 Likes
@maeve. Thanks so much for doing this. I am looking forward to reading the books and rejoining the discussions. I sat out the last few meetings.
3 Likes
@Amparo: I realize this is an old thread, but I finally finished my copy of “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. If this were a fictional story, I would’ve said it was too implausible to be relatable. But instead, it was truly amazing and inspirational. Mindset-blowing. So thank you, Amparo.
Highly recommended. Not just an amazing story, but well-written. And challenging.
FYI, I read the “clean” version. I haven’t compared them, but I don’t feel like I missed out on anything.
What do you think of the sequel, “Never Finished”?
On a book-club related note, I saw in another thread that the next book is for “The Housesitter’s Guide to the Galaxy” by our own Jess Holmes. I already started reading the book on my iPad, and I plan to be at the next meeting!
2 Likes
Glad you were able to appreciate it. I have not read the second book book, yet, but I read almost constantly. Anything that gives me pause, self reflection and improves me in some way, meaning it causes me to question and even better to change an old paradigm and make adjustments, is going to be on my reading list.
I will also reread things that have had significant impact.
Enjoy!
2 Likes
Hello Everyone,
Our next meeting is six days away on 14 August, when we’ll discuss The Housesitter’s Guide to the Galaxy by Jessica Holmes. At that time we’ll also need to choose our next book.
To recap, we will have read the first three books decided on at our last vote, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, The Bee Sting and The Housesitter’s Guide to the Galaxy. To break things up, I suggest alternating housesitting-themed books with books of a general nature.
I have culled a group of books set in various locations for consideration, as most of us are interested in travel, other countries and cultures. Please take a look and add your own titles to this list.
Following our next selection, we will read Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary by Liesbet Collaert. I have been in contact with Liesbet and I’m delighted that she will be able to attend the discussion of her book later in the fall.
Books for Consideration (Add your suggestions)
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich – North Dakota, USA.
2021 Pulitzer Prize winner
Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres - Greece
The Paris Wife by by Paula McLain – France.
My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme – France.
Shantaram by Gregory Roberts - India. Very long, can be divided up over 2, or even 3, meetings
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood – Ontario, Canada.
Booker Prize winner
2 Likes
Hi @Maeve,
Thanks for the list of suggestions for future books.
Here is another one to add to the list:
A memoir about coming of age in Albania during the end of the communist era.
4 Likes
This is a really great book!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our discussion of Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi. It was very special that three of you had been to Albania! Hearing about the contrast between then and now added to our understanding of a place many of us knew little about.
My husband, who joined us, wondered why a “travel group” would have chosen this selection. Afterwards he was impressed with how relevant it was! I got the thumbs up from him — he really enjoyed the meeting.
Our next book is
Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
The author will be joining us. I’m thinking we could meet in the latter part of November or early December and will get back to you with dates after I connect with Liesbet again.
4 Likes
Wow so interesting books!
1 Like
Please send your book suggestions. We will need to select a book to follow Plunge.
Hi Maeve,
Might I suggest this book? Plunge brought it to mind. You might also be able to get in touch with the author through her website:
Also…
And, I loved this one for alternative ways of living and questioning the typical path of home ownership:
3 Likes
@anon6309382 , Thank you for suggesting these titles! They all look great.
We’ll consider them all. 
1 Like
Hello Readers,
We’ll be be meeting with Liesbet Collaert in about a week to discuss her book, Plunge: One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary.
We’ll also have to choose our next book, so please take a look at these possibilities. The first three are personal odysseys in fascinating windswept, seaside locations in Scotland and Cornwall. The fourth is an atmospheric true crime tale first published in the 1990s, set in Savannah, Georgia that became a best seller, then a film and is now slated to open on Broadway in 2025. The last is by Elizabeth Strout, who won the Pulitzer for her novel, Olive Kitteridge. It also involves a murder and is set in the town of Crosby, Maine. They’re all available on Kindle.
If other books come to mind, please add them to this list.
1 Like
My top two choices are Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Tell Me Everything.
Great meeting today!
1 Like
I agree with @Makelikeanapeman, those are my top choices too.
Thanks for the meeting it was really enjoyable.
1 Like
Some interesting sounding books here, most of which I would happily read as our next book.
I have heard of, but not read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The true crime aspect sounds interesting too.
My second choice would probably be Homesick: Why I live in a Shed.
It was a really interesting book club yesterday. I’m still not sure I’m ever going to try sailing long enough to build a tolerance for my hereditary sea sickness though. I prefer canal boats!
1 Like