2023 feels like a long way off, but it is already time for us to start thinking about what books we will read next year here at Close Reads. And, naturally, as we plan, we want to hear from you! So here is the procedure for making sure your voice is heard:
In the thread below please nominate abook you would like us to cover.
Please provide a few sentences explaining why you nominated that book.
And please provide a separate post for each nomination you make (Please note: any posts that nominate multiple books at one time will be discounted).
We will then use this list of nominations to help us decide what to do on the show. Please note that we can’t guarantee to choose a book simply because it is nominated the most times, but if something shows up often it will certainly come under consideration. Your defenses are far more likely to influence our choices than sheer volume.
And we will be adding our nominations to the list as we discuss.
We can’t wait to see what you put forward. Happy . . . nominating!
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I think this novel would provide for fruitful discussions of regret, dignity and loyalty. Attention could be paid to repressed emotions, and when there is and is not a value to that behavior. Finally, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta's famous statement about how we are not called to be successful, but faithful could be a good springboard for discussion as well.
2. An Edith Wharton novel that is fascinating because the main character is a terrible person, and yet Wharton manages to make her journey so compelling. Also upper class NY society has a lot to do with and say to our social media and image obsessed culture
2. One of the few non-classic books I’ve read lately that really moved me. It’s a book lovers book in that it emphasizes the importance of literature to thriving even in the darkest of circumstances, and would be a fascinating read in light of COVID given that it concerns an apocalypse brought about by a flu
2. I’ve been dying for Close Reads to tackle some GK Chesterton, and this short novel of his is thrilling. It’s one I read and feel as if there is so much richness to be discovered, and need help discovering!
2. Short read with vivid prose that asks the hard questions about God and the nature of suffering in this world. Feels very relevant with all of the tragedies splashed across the daily news
2. Explores fascinating questions about faith and divine providence, emphasizes the importance of community, and nails both the comedic and tragic with beautiful prose. Also has a charming fairy tale like quality to it
I would like to nominate The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil.
I think this would be very relevant for the time we live in right now. Also, it is fascinating and have loads of interesting material which is very discussable.
2. Have read but would love to have a better understanding of the stories. The previous Flannery O’Connor podcasts were fantastic and really. I know the first story was covered but the rest in this collection were not.
2. Have read but would love to have a better understanding of the novel. The previous Flannery O’Connor podcasts were fantastic and really brought to light things I was confused about. This novel in particular was difficult towards the end.
Till We Have Faces. C.S. Lewis. I've been reading a couple of Lewis books each year. I haven't read this one yet. My 6th grader is reading it now for assigned summer reading from his school. I would love to listen with him to a CR discussion of the book.
I will chime in to support anything Dickens. I began reading his works chronologically a couple years ago. I find his works to be under-appreciated in our current culture. All of the abridging and summarizing of his tales has stolen the beauty and brilliance from them.
(I read A Christmas Carol two or three times every December. And I loved reading The Man Who Invented Christmas which discusses how A Christmas Carol came to be. And is the inspiration for the movie by the same title—which I also love.)
The Angel Knew Papa and The Dog by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
This is a book that never leaves you once you’ve read it. It’s a very short book, but very powerful and impactful. The language is beautiful. Even if it’s not a Close Reads book, you should all read it if you haven’t already. I am certain you would love it.
I read this about six years ago and is the most unique book I’ve read I think. I would love to read it in discussion to really dig into all the twists and turns. It’s like a fascinating nightmare.
The Radetszky March by Joseph Roth. It jars the head, like the flames being put out in all the temples of Rome. This is the decline of an empire lived through grandfather, father and son prior to and into the 1st World War. The landscape of virtues and geography are, in part, unfamiliar and recognisable - real and metaphorical schisms. I think this book will resonate today in a way that, maybe, 20 years ago, it wouldn't have done in quite the same way.
Having just finished reading and listening to your podcasts on True Grit and Brideshead Revisited, I would really love for you to cover Lonesome Dove and Age of Innocence.
Kristin Lavransdatter because, “DUTY vs. DESIRE!” Anything by Flannery O’Connor because she’s amazing. Something by Toni Morrison because I read several of her books in college and would like to revisit them.
Anything by Donna Tartt but my first choice would be The Little Friend. It’s the “weirdest” of her novels, the most challenging. I think it would appeal to the Flannery fans among us.
Undset’s Master of Hestviken/Olav Audunsson series as a long selection for supporters. The Nunnally translation is being released section by section now, with the third installment coming soon. We have lots of Kristin devotees but this one is lesser known and possibly even superior in writing.
This is a deeply layered memory novel that I'd love to hear the hosts' commentary on. I think the possibility for discussion points are nearly endless--the art of this novel is breathtaking and mind bending, the story is compelling and keeps you turning pages, the characters and their story are horrific yet enthralling. It's one you don't stop thinking about, I was ready to re-read it right after I finished because I knew I missed so much of the genius.
One of Flannery O’Connor’s novels would be great. A lot of people claim that they are vastly inferior to her short stories, but I’m not sure. The Violent Bear it Away is her best but Wise Blood is my favorite.
This is Happiness, by Niall Williams. I sold it to my immediate and extended family as an Irish Wendell Berry-esque story and everyone has absolutely loved it. The writing is gorgeous, the story is poignant, and it deserves a way greater readership.
Not sure if I am too late on this- A Lesson Before Dying , by Ernest Gaines. It is from one perspective (unlike A Gathering of Old Men) and it is not a long book. It is about a teacher talked into visiting a young man on death row to “impart his learning and his pride to him before his death”
I have quickly become an Ernest Gaines fan (thank you Close Reads). I could not put this book down and cried through the last 2 chapters. I appreciated how the author develops the bond between the two men.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It really is the template for modern Christmas celebrations. Another reason is I celebrate in a faith tradition that is liturgical. It was very difficult last year to read A confederacy of dunces when everything else around me was focused on the incarnation. Pushing into the rhythms of the year would be helpful when choosing books and their timing during the year.
Passing by Nella Larsen is a book I don’t think I saw mentioned below (600+ comments now so I’m sorry if I missed it!) I committed the cardinal sin of watching the film on Netflix before I read the book but I was so intrigued by the film I immediately downloaded the book. I was reading it not too long after CR did Their Eyes were Watching God so I couldn’t help but compare and contrast two very different books written by female authors of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s a short book with lots of scope for discussion.
Kristin Lavransdatter. It’s a heart book, and I’d love to do it as a longer selection for subscribers. Heidi could really go to town on duty and desire in this one. ;)
One of the benefits of being part of this community has been the ability to apply the close reading principles I’ve learned to my understanding of Scripture. Especially the narrative portions have come alive since I have started reading them as well-crafted pieces of literature. Each true account and seemingly random fact of information has been intentionally included to drive home the purpose of the author (and Author). I think it would be fascinating and edifying to go through this exercise in this group.
It would be fun to read one of FOC's novels. Most people read her short stories, but fewer read her novels. This is such a weird book, with some of FOC's best-named characters. It is a book that deserves conversation. Plus, I know how controversial FOC can be amongst Close Readers, so it's bound to be a lively discussion online as well as on the podcast.
It's the story of Hazel Motes, a young man struggling with his faith, who falls under the spell of a blind street preacher and his daughter, Sabbath. In an act of defiance, Motes founds The Church of Christ Without Christ, but still cannot lose God. It's a tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, and wisdom. (paraphrased from the back of my book)
I've tried to read it a couple of times, and I just can't get into it. But so many people I respect love it and talk about what a great book it is. I'd love some help with this one.
This is one of my top five books. Once you read it, you will never forget Owen Meany, the boy with the wrecked voice. It’s the story of two friends growing up in NH, and the unique person that Owen is. Owen believes he is God’s instrument and is determined to live out what he thinks is his destiny. It’s such a special book. By far John Irving’s best book. The Cider House Rules comes close, but Owen Meany is better.
The first line: "I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice -- not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
I read this book only once. It took some time to get through it. In the end, the story had a profound effect on me. It’s on many Top 100 Books lists, yet I know no one who has read it.
A synopsis;
In his forty-six short years, Mr. Mohun Biswas has been fighting against destiny to achieve some semblance of independence, only to face a lifetime of calamity. Shuttled from one residence to another after the drowning death of his father, for which he is inadvertently responsible, Mr. Biswas yearns for a place he can call home. But when he marries into the domineering Tulsi family on whom he indignantly becomes dependent, Mr. Biswas embarks on an arduous– and endless–struggle to weaken their hold over him and purchase a house of his own.
I think especially men will like this book, because the main character struggles to be a man and the reader has to grapple with what it means to be a man.
I haven't seen this nominated, but I think that The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco would be an excellent choice. It is a very good mystery with an intricate plot, a super cool structure, fun characters (including a Sherlock Holmes style detective), countless biblical illusions and one of the best literary locations ever (a spooky medieval monastery and a labyrinthine library!). I think it would work really well on the podcast!
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. Nominating this on behalf of my daughter, who describes it this way: This novel opens with the bridge of San Luis Rey collapsing and sending five people to their deaths. The single witness to this event, Brother Juniper, decides at that moment to track down information on the lives of all of these people in order to prove scientifically the theological point that certain kinds of lives lead to certain kinds of deaths. Wilder himself then uses this novel to spin out the web of tension created by the impossible balance of predestination, divine intention, divine abandonment, and divine indifference; all the while calling into question his (and therefore the reader's) fitness to judge the outcome of question anyway. These intense themes are addressed with the clarity and cutting truth of a fable, providing a lyrical and at times painfully beautiful atmosphere in which to examine the meaning of life and the purpose of God.
Any of Toni Morrison’s books. I wrote under another comment that I read several of her books when I was in my early twenties but I doubt I understood them well. It would be amazing if you could get an African American guest as with Raisin in the Sun (a great podcast episode!) I am not American and I’m sure there are cultural things that I may miss that your discussions may reveal to me.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I think this novel would provide for fruitful discussions of regret, dignity and loyalty. Attention could be paid to repressed emotions, and when there is and is not a value to that behavior. Finally, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta's famous statement about how we are not called to be successful, but faithful could be a good springboard for discussion as well.
1. The Custom of the Country
2. An Edith Wharton novel that is fascinating because the main character is a terrible person, and yet Wharton manages to make her journey so compelling. Also upper class NY society has a lot to do with and say to our social media and image obsessed culture
1. Station Eleven
2. One of the few non-classic books I’ve read lately that really moved me. It’s a book lovers book in that it emphasizes the importance of literature to thriving even in the darkest of circumstances, and would be a fascinating read in light of COVID given that it concerns an apocalypse brought about by a flu
1. The Man Who Was Thursday
2. I’ve been dying for Close Reads to tackle some GK Chesterton, and this short novel of his is thrilling. It’s one I read and feel as if there is so much richness to be discovered, and need help discovering!
1. The Bridge of San Luis Rey
2. Short read with vivid prose that asks the hard questions about God and the nature of suffering in this world. Feels very relevant with all of the tragedies splashed across the daily news
1. Silas Marner
2. Explores fascinating questions about faith and divine providence, emphasizes the importance of community, and nails both the comedic and tragic with beautiful prose. Also has a charming fairy tale like quality to it
I would like to nominate The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil.
I think this would be very relevant for the time we live in right now. Also, it is fascinating and have loads of interesting material which is very discussable.
1. The Diary of a Country Priest
2. I likened it to a fictional biography (in first person) of a Saint.
1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
2. Short but great, it would to have a movie tie in. Haven’t seen the movie but would interested to hear everyone’s thoughts on it.
1. A Canticle of Leibowitz
2. Interesting and confusing
1. Virgil Wander
2. Great book, so relaxing and peaceful to read. I enjoyed when Peace Like a River was covered previously.
Similar to The Violent Bear it Away
1. A Good Man is Hard to Find And Other Stories
2. Have read but would love to have a better understanding of the stories. The previous Flannery O’Connor podcasts were fantastic and really. I know the first story was covered but the rest in this collection were not.
Thanks!
Some have been listed already
1. Violent bear it away
2. Have read but would love to have a better understanding of the novel. The previous Flannery O’Connor podcasts were fantastic and really brought to light things I was confused about. This novel in particular was difficult towards the end.
Thanks!
Dickens, but not A Christmas Carol.
Till We Have Faces. C.S. Lewis. I've been reading a couple of Lewis books each year. I haven't read this one yet. My 6th grader is reading it now for assigned summer reading from his school. I would love to listen with him to a CR discussion of the book.
I will chime in to support anything Dickens. I began reading his works chronologically a couple years ago. I find his works to be under-appreciated in our current culture. All of the abridging and summarizing of his tales has stolen the beauty and brilliance from them.
(I read A Christmas Carol two or three times every December. And I loved reading The Man Who Invented Christmas which discusses how A Christmas Carol came to be. And is the inspiration for the movie by the same title—which I also love.)
The Angel Knew Papa and The Dog by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
This is a book that never leaves you once you’ve read it. It’s a very short book, but very powerful and impactful. The language is beautiful. Even if it’s not a Close Reads book, you should all read it if you haven’t already. I am certain you would love it.
The Man Who Was Thursday by GK Chesterton
I read this about six years ago and is the most unique book I’ve read I think. I would love to read it in discussion to really dig into all the twists and turns. It’s like a fascinating nightmare.
The Radetszky March by Joseph Roth. It jars the head, like the flames being put out in all the temples of Rome. This is the decline of an empire lived through grandfather, father and son prior to and into the 1st World War. The landscape of virtues and geography are, in part, unfamiliar and recognisable - real and metaphorical schisms. I think this book will resonate today in a way that, maybe, 20 years ago, it wouldn't have done in quite the same way.
The Pavilion of Women by Pearl Buck.
I just love Pearl Bucks style of writing and this book has an interesting subject matter.
PLEASE do A Prayer for Owen Meany! I need you to help me unpack it!
Having just finished reading and listening to your podcasts on True Grit and Brideshead Revisited, I would really love for you to cover Lonesome Dove and Age of Innocence.
I was trying to refrain from jumping in, but I can't help it.
ENDER'S GAME by ORSON SCOTT CARD
Why? I will tell you why...
1) I don't think you have done science fiction. That's just a big genre gap that has got to get filled.
2) It deals in moral dilemmas
3) It is a page turner and fertile ground for prognos-TIM-cations (or whatever we are calling Tim's predictions)
4) The heartbreak... I will say no more...
I will fight anyone on the worthiness of this nomination.
Please consider it. EOM
Kristin Lavransdatter because, “DUTY vs. DESIRE!” Anything by Flannery O’Connor because she’s amazing. Something by Toni Morrison because I read several of her books in college and would like to revisit them.
Anything by Donna Tartt but my first choice would be The Little Friend. It’s the “weirdest” of her novels, the most challenging. I think it would appeal to the Flannery fans among us.
Undset’s Master of Hestviken/Olav Audunsson series as a long selection for supporters. The Nunnally translation is being released section by section now, with the third installment coming soon. We have lots of Kristin devotees but this one is lesser known and possibly even superior in writing.
Also, Lonesome Dove would be fascinating to dig into!
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I just finished re-reading it and was struck by how beautiful and deep it is and I’d love to dive deeper into some of the underlying themes.
The Secret History By Donna Tartt
This is a deeply layered memory novel that I'd love to hear the hosts' commentary on. I think the possibility for discussion points are nearly endless--the art of this novel is breathtaking and mind bending, the story is compelling and keeps you turning pages, the characters and their story are horrific yet enthralling. It's one you don't stop thinking about, I was ready to re-read it right after I finished because I knew I missed so much of the genius.
Little Women. I am not sure I really need to defend this one, it just feels like it's time for Little Women to be featured on Close Reads.
One of Flannery O’Connor’s novels would be great. A lot of people claim that they are vastly inferior to her short stories, but I’m not sure. The Violent Bear it Away is her best but Wise Blood is my favorite.
This is Happiness, by Niall Williams. I sold it to my immediate and extended family as an Irish Wendell Berry-esque story and everyone has absolutely loved it. The writing is gorgeous, the story is poignant, and it deserves a way greater readership.
Not sure if I am too late on this- A Lesson Before Dying , by Ernest Gaines. It is from one perspective (unlike A Gathering of Old Men) and it is not a long book. It is about a teacher talked into visiting a young man on death row to “impart his learning and his pride to him before his death”
I have quickly become an Ernest Gaines fan (thank you Close Reads). I could not put this book down and cried through the last 2 chapters. I appreciated how the author develops the bond between the two men.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It really is the template for modern Christmas celebrations. Another reason is I celebrate in a faith tradition that is liturgical. It was very difficult last year to read A confederacy of dunces when everything else around me was focused on the incarnation. Pushing into the rhythms of the year would be helpful when choosing books and their timing during the year.
Passing by Nella Larsen is a book I don’t think I saw mentioned below (600+ comments now so I’m sorry if I missed it!) I committed the cardinal sin of watching the film on Netflix before I read the book but I was so intrigued by the film I immediately downloaded the book. I was reading it not too long after CR did Their Eyes were Watching God so I couldn’t help but compare and contrast two very different books written by female authors of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s a short book with lots of scope for discussion.
Lucky Per, mostly because I heard Chris Beha say it’s a favorite of his. I’d never heard of it before but I looked it up and now I’m intrigued.
Kristin Lavransdatter. It’s a heart book, and I’d love to do it as a longer selection for subscribers. Heidi could really go to town on duty and desire in this one. ;)
The book of Esther
One of the benefits of being part of this community has been the ability to apply the close reading principles I’ve learned to my understanding of Scripture. Especially the narrative portions have come alive since I have started reading them as well-crafted pieces of literature. Each true account and seemingly random fact of information has been intentionally included to drive home the purpose of the author (and Author). I think it would be fascinating and edifying to go through this exercise in this group.
Wise Blood, by Flannery O'Connor
It would be fun to read one of FOC's novels. Most people read her short stories, but fewer read her novels. This is such a weird book, with some of FOC's best-named characters. It is a book that deserves conversation. Plus, I know how controversial FOC can be amongst Close Readers, so it's bound to be a lively discussion online as well as on the podcast.
It's the story of Hazel Motes, a young man struggling with his faith, who falls under the spell of a blind street preacher and his daughter, Sabbath. In an act of defiance, Motes founds The Church of Christ Without Christ, but still cannot lose God. It's a tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, and wisdom. (paraphrased from the back of my book)
A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
I want to read more Hemingway, and when you did The Sun Also Rises, this came up a lot. I've never read it, but it sounds fantastic.
Watership Down
I've tried to read it a couple of times, and I just can't get into it. But so many people I respect love it and talk about what a great book it is. I'd love some help with this one.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
This is one of my top five books. Once you read it, you will never forget Owen Meany, the boy with the wrecked voice. It’s the story of two friends growing up in NH, and the unique person that Owen is. Owen believes he is God’s instrument and is determined to live out what he thinks is his destiny. It’s such a special book. By far John Irving’s best book. The Cider House Rules comes close, but Owen Meany is better.
The first line: "I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice -- not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
A House for Mr. Biswas, by V.S.Naipul
I read this book only once. It took some time to get through it. In the end, the story had a profound effect on me. It’s on many Top 100 Books lists, yet I know no one who has read it.
A synopsis;
In his forty-six short years, Mr. Mohun Biswas has been fighting against destiny to achieve some semblance of independence, only to face a lifetime of calamity. Shuttled from one residence to another after the drowning death of his father, for which he is inadvertently responsible, Mr. Biswas yearns for a place he can call home. But when he marries into the domineering Tulsi family on whom he indignantly becomes dependent, Mr. Biswas embarks on an arduous– and endless–struggle to weaken their hold over him and purchase a house of his own.
I think especially men will like this book, because the main character struggles to be a man and the reader has to grapple with what it means to be a man.
Dandelion Wine by Bradbury- if you haven’t read it you’ll sink into the words and be delighted.
If you have read it , you’re be meeting an old friend.
I haven't seen this nominated, but I think that The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco would be an excellent choice. It is a very good mystery with an intricate plot, a super cool structure, fun characters (including a Sherlock Holmes style detective), countless biblical illusions and one of the best literary locations ever (a spooky medieval monastery and a labyrinthine library!). I think it would work really well on the podcast!
(I have only been listening for a year and change so ignore repeats of course...)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reasons:
1) It's fun to see the differences and similarities of narrative style from the olden days to today
2) It's a fantastic story
3) It's a surprisingly complex and nuanced story that I think a Close Reads discussion would help illuminate
(I have only been listening for a year and change so ignore repeats of course...)
Anything by John Le Carre.
Reasons:
1) A genre novel of a different genre from the last two (Western with All the Pretty Horses and mystery with Death on the Nile)
2) I really like your take on genre novels
3) I keep hearing how great his books are but haven't gotten the gumption to start any
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. Nominating this on behalf of my daughter, who describes it this way: This novel opens with the bridge of San Luis Rey collapsing and sending five people to their deaths. The single witness to this event, Brother Juniper, decides at that moment to track down information on the lives of all of these people in order to prove scientifically the theological point that certain kinds of lives lead to certain kinds of deaths. Wilder himself then uses this novel to spin out the web of tension created by the impossible balance of predestination, divine intention, divine abandonment, and divine indifference; all the while calling into question his (and therefore the reader's) fitness to judge the outcome of question anyway. These intense themes are addressed with the clarity and cutting truth of a fable, providing a lyrical and at times painfully beautiful atmosphere in which to examine the meaning of life and the purpose of God.
Plus, it's short!
Cry the Beloved Country would be a great read or Things Fall Apart. I would also love to read Wuthering Heights with you all.
I know there are mixed feelings about Till we have Faces but it’s my favourite Lewis book and I would love to hear a good discussion.
Any of Toni Morrison’s books. I wrote under another comment that I read several of her books when I was in my early twenties but I doubt I understood them well. It would be amazing if you could get an African American guest as with Raisin in the Sun (a great podcast episode!) I am not American and I’m sure there are cultural things that I may miss that your discussions may reveal to me.