Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle

Finally I am reviewing some good books again! The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is one of my book club's picks and an excellent one. Usually our rule is to stick to fiction but this is definitely one of those memoirs that reads like fiction and certainly generates enough discussion. What makes this "sad childhood" memoir a good discussion book is that the author is neglected, but the abuse is not in the way you expect in a book of this genre. And though there is clearly some mental illness involved on the part of her parents, particularly her alcoholic father, it is of the brilliant kind. Jeannette's parents truly love her and she them. It is interesting though at what point each of us in the book group decided we hated her father (even if she didn't). Also, a good discussion surrounding homelessness. These people, the author's parents, literally chose to be homeless and destitute. A New York Times bestseller and a great book club pick.