By the way, I'm famous for not showing up. I think that's why they named the group after me. I usually manage to discover what we're reading, and I often read the book. As the storm beat on the windows, the discussion got around to books that don't lend themselves to being read by a group. Examples included New Age books such as Mutant Message Down Under or The Celestine Prophecy .
Most groups read fiction, most of the time.
Several people went out of their way to praise Pope Joan by Donna Cross. One person called it the best work of fiction she'd ever read. On the other hand, Ellen Gilchrist's novel Annunciation came in for some disdainful criticism. When an entire book group doesn't like your novel, you're in trouble. People agreed that publishers' suggested topics are rarely what these groups actually want to discuss.