Before I started this blog, I was participating (still am) in an online book group, International Book Club aka IBC, since 1999. Currently, the group interacts via email and Goodreads.
The reading group was formed originally at women.com (an onelist mailing list group) which then became part of Geocities and then Yahoo Groups. We migrated to personal emails and Goodreads in 2020 (details here).
The name for the group, IBC, was created based on the fact that the women who joined were from different parts of the world rather than the types of books read. The founding list owner was living in Norway and the co-founder was in New York. At the time, I was in Connecticut. When the founders left the group, I stepped in to co-moderate the list with Anne B. in the latter half of 1999. And in 2022, Dona Q. started to moderate.
The books we read are selected via nomination then vote by members. The only rule is that the books be fiction. Below is the list of books read.
~~2022
January - Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson
February - none
March - The Maid by Nita Prose
April - The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
May - Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
June - none
July - A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
August - The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
September - Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle
October - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
November - none
December - none
~~2021
January - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
February - Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
March - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
April - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
May - The Rent Collector by Camron Wright
June - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
July - Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
August - Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan
September - White Ivy by Susie Yang
October - The Last Apothecary by Sarah Penner
November -Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
December -The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
~~2020
January - Normal People by Sally Rooney
February - The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
March - The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
April - Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
May - Dancing in the Lowcountry by James Villas
June - Long Bright River by Liz Moore
July - The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
August - The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
September - The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
October - The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
November - America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray
December - Verity by Colleen Hoover
~~2019
January - none
February - none
March - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
April - The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton
May - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
June - The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
July - Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
August - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
September - Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
October - A Sudden Light by Garth Stein
November - The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
December - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
~~2018
January - The Tour by Jean Grainger
February - The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shatluck
March - Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
April - The Dry by Jane Harper
May - The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
June - The Leavers by Lisa Ko
July - Great Small Things by Jodi Picoult
August - none
September - none
October - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
November - Missing, Presumed by Susan Steiner
December - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
~~2017
January - In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
February - The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown
March - The Muralist by B A Shapiro
April - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
May - Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsey Jayne Ashford
June - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
July - The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
August - A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
September - The Cold Dish (A Longmire Mystery) by Craig Johnson
October - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
November - The Round House by Louise Erdrich
December - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
~~2016
January - The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
February - The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
March - Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank
April - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
May - The Little Paris Book Shop by Nina George
June- The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden
July - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
August - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
September - The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain
October - The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan
November - Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
December - Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
~~2015
January - The Color of Milk by Nell Leyshon
February - The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
March - Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
April - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
May - The Diary of Maddie Spenser by Sandra Dallas
June - The Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
July - The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
August - The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck
September - I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum
October - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
November - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
December - The Heart of Horses by Molly Gloss
~~2014
January - The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas
February - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
March - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
April - Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
May - The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki
June - Stardust by Neil Gaiman
July - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)
August - The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
September - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
October - Defending Jacob by William Landay
November - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
December - none
~~2013
January - War Brides by Helen Bryan
February - Honolulu by Alan Brennert
March - The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
April - Beach Trees by Karen White
May - Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield
June - The Whip by Karen Kondazian
July - Juliet in August by Dianne Warren
August - The Time In Between/The Seamstress by Maria Duenas
September - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
October - Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
November - The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
December - A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
~~2012
January - The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
February - Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman
March - The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
April - Any Human Heart by William Boyd
May - Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
June - Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
July - The Dove Keepers by Alice Hoffman
August - The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
September - Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches
October - Tandia by Bryce Courtenay
November - The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
December - The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
~~2011
January - Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter:A Novel by Vargas Llosa
February - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
March - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
April - Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah
May - The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
June - Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
July - Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
August - Old Filth by Jane Gardam
September - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
October - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
November - Whaleboat House/Amagansett by Mark Mills
December - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
~~2010
January - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
February - Night of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
March - How to be Good by Nick Hornby
April - The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
May - The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
June - The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
July - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
August - Little Bee by Chris Cleave
September - Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
October - The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
November - Molokai by Alan Brennert
December - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
~~2009
January - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
February - Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
March - The Shack by William P. Young
April - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
May - Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
June - Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
July - The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
August - Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
September - The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
October - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
November - Still Alice by Lisa Genova
December - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
~~2008
January - The Spirit of Sweetgrass by Nicole Seitz
February - The Keep by Jennifer Egan
March - Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
April - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
May - The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
June - The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
July - Disturbances in the Field by Lynne Sharon Schwartz
August - Abundance, A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund
September - Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran
October - Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
November - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
December - Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
~~2007
January - The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
February - The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
March - The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day
April - The Twelth Transforming by Pauline Gedge
May - Kindred by Octavia E Butler
June - Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell
July - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
August - Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda
September - Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert
October - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
November - The Quality of Mercy by Faye Kellerman
December - Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos
~~2006
January - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
February - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
March - My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
April - A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi
May - Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
June - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
July - The Rice Mother by Rani Manika
August - P.S., I Love You by Cecilia Ahern
September - Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
October - Any Bitter Thing by Monica Wood
November - The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
December - Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
~~2005
January - Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
February - Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
March - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
April - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
May - Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
June - Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
July - The Shadow in the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
August - The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
September - Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
October - Silk by Allessandro Baricco
November - A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris
December - The Christmas Quilt by Thomas J. Davis
~~2004
January - Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
February - White Teeth by Zadie Smith
March - Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
April - Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan
May - Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
June - The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
July - Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama
August - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
September - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
October - Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
November - Life of Pi by Yann Martel
December - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
~~2003
January - Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding
February - Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
March - Apologizing to Dogs by Joe Coomer
April - The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
May - 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
June - Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
July - The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
August - Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
September - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
October - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
November - These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
December - Three Junes by Julia Glass
~~2002
January - Moo by Jane Smiley
February - Shopgirl by Steve Martin
March - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
April - What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg
May - Jamaica Inn by Daphne DuMaurier
June - The Drowning People by Richard Mason
July - White Oleander by Janet Fitch
August - This Body by Laurel Marian Doud
September - The Rose Grower by Michelle de Kretser
October - I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
November - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
December - Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
~~2001
January - Plainsong by Kent Haruf
February - The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
March - Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
April - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover
May - One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus
June - The Dress Lodger by Sherri Holm
July - Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
August - Chocolat by Joanne Harris
September - Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
October - Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
November - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
December - Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
~~2000
January - Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover
February - Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God by Joe Coomer
March - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
April - The Cider House Rules by John Irving
May - Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
June - Winterkill by Craig Lesley
July - The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
August - Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
September - The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
October - The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte
November - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
December - Literary Murder by Batya Goor
~~1999
January - Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler
February - Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
March - Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
April - Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
May - Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
June - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
July - none
August - Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas
September - Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
October - The Honk & Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts
November - Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
December - Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane
