November 2016 Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng Average rating: 10.0 A perfect 10! This is the second highest rated book of all time for this book club. All five members in attendance could not find any fault with the book at all. We thought it was masterfully written and well-crafted; a layered story with very believable characters and plot. One review we read called it "quiet yet intense" and we all agreed it was apt. This story was easy to read yet had a lasting impression. Suggested by: Pat Meeting location: Anne
October 2016 The Secret Keeper, A Novel by Kate Morton Average rating: 8.2 (6.5, 7, 8,8,9,9,10) We enjoyed this well-crafted page turning story with a fabulous twist. The author did a great job of making every detail credible and logical while keeping the mystery aspect going. Part of the story may have lagged but picked up in the end. We would be interested in reading more by this author. Meeting location: Margarita's
September 2016 Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah Average rating: 4.8 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5.5, 5.5) A memoir of a Chinese-American woman from an extremely dysfunctional family. All were in agreement that it was not well written although the history of the time period was interesting. Two of us read the alternate version: A Chinese Cinderella which was the story of her childhood only told from a child's perspective. Suggested by: Anne Meeting location: JoAnne's
August 2016 The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows Average rating: 6.9 This story of an archetypical southern dysfunctional family and the quirky characters in their small town received mixed reviews by our group. Opinions differed as to the likeability or believability of the characters and plot. The use of different narrative points of view was, to some, disjointed and confusing. The author's illustration of her title theme: how truths differ according to each person, was well accomplished. More than half the group rated it less than 7. Suggested by: Barb
July 2016 All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Average rating: 7.8 The group was a bit divided on the merits of this book. Although the vivid, unique descriptions were appreciated, some found the book was somewhat convoluted in its message, number of characters and focus. Knowing that the author got his start writing short stories shed some light into the number of vignettes used in the book. We generally liked the characters even though they did not always fit into definitive roles within the story. We agreed that the myth surrounding the gem was probably unnecessary to the story as was the rape scene. Some thought the setting of World War II was secondary to the inner narratives, while some were tired of WWII stories in general. Note to those not in attendance: Pat will not vote for a book set in WWII again! Meeting location: Anne's
May 2016 The Door by Magda Szabó Average rating: 5.5 Why would anyone allow a housekeeper to control their lives and beat their dog? Why does anyone stay in a dysfunctional relationship? The relationship between Emerence and Magda is dysfunctional on so many levels. Emerence – the anti-intellectual with a keen intellect, controlling, fiercely independent, irrationally needy, emotionally unstable and more than just a bit mad. Magda – the lady writer and intellectual, superficial, acquiescing, insensitive and more than just a bit self-centered. Is it love they share, or only an emotional intensity that each defines as love? How do the experiences of war and the upending of politics affect individuals, relationships, countries? Who is the “better” person – the Sunday sweeper or the Sunday worshiper? And what, in the end, is the significance of The Door?
With more questions than answers swirling throughout, this is a dark and fascinating exploration of two tragically-intertwined lives and the times in which they live – or not. The group was split in its appreciation of the subtleties and complexities of the book, with six members voting it a 5 or 5.5 and four voting it an 8 or higher.
“The doors we open and close each day determine the lives we lead.” Flora Whittemore Meeting location: Mary's April 2016 The Martian by Andrew Weir Average rating: 9.2 We all enjoyed this realistic science fiction novel which was also recently released as an Oscar-nominated film. Some discussion involved which was better: the movie or the book; or which was better to have seen first. For some, seeing the movie helped them to better understand the math and science aspects of the story. We all agreed that the main character's sense of humor was key to making the book enjoyable and readable. Overall, a story of survival in the face of unimaginable obstacles. One of our highest rated books in the last few months. Meeting location: Cheryl's
March 2016 A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki Average rating: 6.5 If a book is read by no one, is the book real? What part does the reader play in the life of the book? These strange questions and more were posed in A Tale for the Time Being. The story is a mix of coming of age with Japanese culture, Buddhism and quantum physics. Maybe the themes were too diverse, maybe they were all the same according to the grandmother. We all found some deficiencies with the plot and the characters: believability, the inclusion of different elements, etc. and we came up with better more satisfying plots and endings. In a different universe we may have enjoyed the book more. Meeting location: JoAnne's February 2016 Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Average rating: 5.9 as a stand-alone book; 8.4 as a companion to To Kill a Mockingbird There was general agreement that the book needed a good editing and really didn't stand alone outside of To Kill a Mockingbird. But as a sequel, it was very insightful and enjoyable. While TKAM might be for a young audience, Go Set a Watchman is a more mature and nuanced novel. The flashbacks to childhood were the most vivid and fluid scenes. The present day scenes were more stilted and less developed, perhaps mirroring Jean Louise's feelings of being unsure of who she was and how her surroundings had 'changed.' The theme of loving someone despite differences in philosophy is a rare and sensitive one which was refreshing to read. A good discussion! Meeting location: Margarita's January 2016 Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan Average rating: 8.0 An inspiring book about the art of cooking. Most of us were inspired to cook more or at least appreciate the effort that goes into the (good) food we buy. The author gives reasons why cooking from scratch is more nutritious, more rewarding, better in so many ways, without seeming preachy or judgmental. The food science was interesting as it was presented within a cultural context. Perhaps too many pages were devoted to barbeque. Those which had read Pollan's previous books found this one not quite as compelling, although still enjoyable. Meeting location: Pat's
November 2015 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce Average rating: 9.0 General enthusiasm for this book was driven by the eloquent yet simple writing style. The actual pilgrimage of Harold to see Queenie before she dies had the fundamental elements of a religious pilgrimage, but the real story was what happened in the past to Harold, his wife Maureen and their son; and the role Queenie played in their family story. The current events are sad yet uplifting, but it was the character portrayals that were considered the strength of the book, with minimal initial descriptions allowing the characters to emerge gradually over the course of the book. A few people felt that the story was slow in evolving, but that was seen as a strength of the writing style by others. The characters seemed very realistic, with the main characters becoming more likable over time, while some of the minor characters came to represent archetypes of common flaws in society. Even the flawed characters are sympathetic and motivations all felt realistic, even the fundamental story plot of a mild-mannered retired man heading out of his home to mail a letter and deciding to walk the length of England instead. Meeting location: Cheryl's October 2015 The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd Average rating: 8.9 (?) The book was liked by everyone. The two alternating voices of Sara and Handful told complementary pieces of the story. Since the story was based on actual events, it made us more interested in learning more about this period of history.
September 2015 Mindset by Carol Dweck Average rating: 5.3 Well we have now used our entire book rating scale - with one reader giving this book a 1. Most of the others were in the range of 5 - 7 but we only had five votes. It was a very lively discussion; some people really liked the message and thought the book was useful while others considered it simplistic and merely restating ideas that have been around a long time and presented better by others. The consensus (if there was one) was that it was not a very well written book and that many of the examples and suggested changes in language we use to praise kids was awkward. Might have been a better journal article than a book. Meeting location: Pat's
August 2015 And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini Average rating: 9.0 Highest rated book we've read in quite a while. Beautifully written if disjointed stories of how one family's members were broken apart and eventually come together again over a span of decades. Poignant, heart-breaking, courageous and brutally honest, the book makes us think what we would be capable of when faced with impossible choices or no choice at all.
July 2015 The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Average rating: 8.5 Enjoyable life affirming story. Well written and researched. A shining example of true team camaraderie.
May 2015 The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls Average rating: 6.5 Enjoyable but predictable was the consensus on this book. There were some parallels to "To Kill a Mockingbird" which seemed a bit too obvious. A readable book.
April 2015 Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters Average rating: 4.7 It was hard for the group to connect with this classic book of poems. The originally serialized portrayal of small town midwesterners as bitter victims or shocking criminals was better suited for the time of publication. A book more suited to the classroom of today rather than a book club of today. Meeting location: Margarita's
March 2015 Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous Average rating: 7.4 Split opinions over this book. For some, the characters hit home and for others the characters were just plain annoying. Probably lots of nuance was lost in the translation or simply understanding the Italian stereotypes referenced. Meeting location: Anne's
February 2015 The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman Average rating: 4.3 We all had a disappointing experience reading this book. It did not live up to expectations. The title was not appropriate in that the cookbook collector appeared not until halfway through the book and was a minor theme at best. The review promising "Jane Austen-like" was baffling as there was no similarity to that author that we could see. Predictable, predictable, predictable.
January 2015 My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor Average rating: 8.8 This was an enjoyable memoir. We had much discussion on the differing objectives and perspectives of a memoir vs. an autobiography vs. a biography. In the end, we concluded that this was a success story aimed at inspiring young people. Meeting location: Cheryl's
November 2014 An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine Average rating: 6.6 We were very divided on our opinions of this book. What drew some people in to relate to the main character did not grab many others. Aaliya lives alone and mostly in her head. She used the characters from books as a lens to see the world and her unconventional internal sharp wit to keep the world at arm's length. Only at the very end does she allow her neighbors to help her and get close to her, ending on a more hopeful note. Meeting location: Anne's
October 2014 The Pickup (Nadine Gordimer) 7.6 Meeting location: JoAnne's Our small group of four enjoyed a good discussion of this interesting book by a South African author. The author's writing style was challenging to read--at some times poetic and at other times clipped and impersonal. We thought the two main characters were both very ego-centric and immature. This made the book intriguing for some and irritating for others. Not identifying with either character made the story more of a surprise, as it was hard to anticipate what was going to happen. We felt it was a coming of age story where, by the end of the book, the character of Julie has started to mature, but still has a long way to go.
September 2014 Orphan Train (Christina Baker Kline) - 8.8 We all really enjoyed this story based on real events and set in Minnesota. None of us had ever heard of the real orphan trains who brought orphaned immigrant children from the east coast to the farms of the Midwest. The story of Vivian was very believable and heart-wrenching. The parallel story of the modern day foster child Molly, helped to bring a nice closure and healing to both their stories.
August 2014 Whale Talk (Chris Crutcher) - 8.7 This young adult book was full of extreme stereotypes, but that did not make the book less enjoyable. We all agreed that for the audience, the book was very relatable. We appreciated that it was geared toward a young male audience for which there is not as much available literature. A powerful well-written book to be recommended to any teenage boy.
July 2014 Life After Life (Kate Atkinson) - 7.5 Most of us really liked the concept of this book: one woman reliving the same life over and over, but making small adjustments based on past life experiences. Some thought the multiple repetitions of the life made the story more enjoyable and some found it frustrating.
May 2014 The Professor & The Madman (Simon Winchester) - 7.8 A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary: Although the story was interesting, we felt reading this detailed non-fiction on the heels of "In The Garden of Beasts" was less than ideal. Of the two main characters: Professor James Murray and insane asylum inmate Dr. W. C. Minor, the latter was much more interesting and tragic. Reading about the process of how the dictionary was created proved fascinating in and of itself; taking 70 years! The story evoked amazement, appreciation and sympathy for everyone involved in this endeavor.
April 2014 In the Garden of Beasts (Eric Larsson) - 6.8 A historical drama describing Berlin of 1933-37 through the lives of American Ambassador to Germany William Dodd and his family (wife, adult son and daughter) “In the Garden of Beasts” had mixed reviews from the book club. The daughter is the main character, probably because she had the best written record from letters and personal documents. However, she was seen as a disappointingly shallow person with questionably weak morals, taken in by socializing and glamour while being fairly oblivious to the atrocities of Hitler’s growing influence in Germany. The academic obsessions of William Dodd himself precluded him from being effective in the role of ambassador and he was clearly not suited for the political realities of the position. Some of us saw this as an interesting perspective on the upper middle class society of the day, raising the ever important questions of how people could have let the whole Nazi Germany machine come to such power. Is this self-centered, pleasure seeking phenotype common in current society and does it predict a risk for such evil being tolerated again? Were people so disillusioned from the war to end all wars that they wanted to avoid considering threats to a more pleasant existence? Some of the book club members felt the book was well written, raising these kinds of eternal questions and serving as an example of how “evil thrives when good men do nothing”. Other members felt the story was wrung out of the author’s research, knowing this was an important time in history but eventually finding a disappointing amount of interesting story in this chosen angle. There was a general consensus that the author tended to a bit of melodramatic foreshadowing, hinting at big things at chapter endings that were not fully developed in subsequent chapters.
March 2014 The Late Homecomer (Kao Kalia Yang) - 7.7 Meeting location: Margarita's We welcomed Maowee Lee as a special guest to our discussion. Maowee is Hmong and her family had similar experiences as the author of The Late Homecomer. Maowee confirmed that the book illustrates a common experience of Hmong people who have immigrated to the United States. Maowee graciously shared her story with us and answered our questions. We all enjoyed the book, but hoped for even more personal details about the author herself. We agreed that the story was more about her grandmother and about honoring her grandmother's life.
February 2014 Behind the Beautiful Forevers (Kathryn Boo) - 7.0 Meeting location: Sara's Our discussion focused on the issues of poverty & corruption which the book raised, rather than much discussion on the book itself. Are the causes of corruption overpopulation? Lack of opportunity? Prejudice? Greed? Colonialism? We felt the book was not that well written and left us feeling hopeless, although it did give us a view into a world we knew little of. The book is a good book club book in that it raises several important and difficult issues for discussion.
January 2014 I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith) - 6.3 This book received great reviews from critics and readers alike. As a group, we spent most of the discussion trying to determine the reason for this. We suspect that turn of the century rural English humor is lost on us. The book reminded many of us of Cold Comfort Farm, which was also not highly rated by us. Although the story was somewhat enjoyable, we found it hard to admire any of the characters, nor really laugh at them outright.
November 2013 The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky) - 7.8 Meeting location: JoAnne's Mixed opinions of this book resulted in a 7.8 rating from the group. Overall we thought the story was very believable and true to life. The varied and complex relationships between the characters were depicted very realistically and provided a basis for discussion. We also thought it would be a good read for an older teenager.
October 2013 When the Emperor Was Divine (Julie Otsuka) - 7.1 Meeting location: Anne's A good discussion on both the book itself and the historical events described in the book. We felt the issues of discrimination and prejudice are universal and perhaps timeless. We discussed the possible reasons behind the deliberate choice of sparse writing style and how that could either illustrate ideas or disengage the reader. Whether we liked the book or not, it left you wanting to know more about that time in U.S. history and provoked thoughts about current issues.
September 2013 What Alice Forgot (Liane Moriarty) - 8.5 Meeting location: Barb's Even though this book had a humorous tone, the main character deals with some heavy subjects: death, marriage, divorce, parenthood, relationships and the choice of what kind of person she really wanted to be. We asked ourselves the essential question of the book which is mainly: "Would the self you were ten years ago approve of your present self and the life you are living now?" We appreciated the rarity of second chances and the value of true friendships.
August 2013 Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury) - 9.2 Meeting location: Margarita's The discussion of this book centered on the vivid imagery the talented author could create without using a lot of unnecessary words. The chapters of character vignettes were woven together nicely to create a complete story of the summer of 1928. We wondered if the kids of today would appreciate or relate to the stories of a simpler time, yet agreed that much of the themes are still very modern.
July 2013 Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner) - 8.3 Meeting location: Ellen's Most people enjoyed the book, but not the characters in the book. (A concept lost on some of us.) Themes discussed included the compromises and rough times any long term relationship must endure; what forgiveness means and second chances to get things right (illustrated by Susan's relationship with her grandson). Many people expressed an interest in reading more works by this author.
June 2013 Couplets for a Shrinking World (John Mederios) Meeting location: Anne's We chose not to rate the book which as a group we agreed tended to invoke feelings of sadness and loss. We did have an interesting discussion on how to read and judge poetry (most of us felt that we could use some help); how poets can bare their souls in their work and its effect on themselves and others; and similar related ideas. The personal nature of some these poems seemed almost voyeuristic to some of us who knew John.
May 2013 The Other Wes Moore (Wes Moore) - 8.5 Meeting location: Barb's We all appreciated this sobering, thought-provoking, true story, which gave us a view into a world none of us would otherwise know. The author’s non-judgmental tone helped the reader to really feel for these people and to appreciate the complexities of each of their situations. The main takeaways for us were the importance of relationships, community and education in people’s lives. The saving grace of the author’s life was his immediate and extended family values, positive role models, structure and educational opportunities. We felt that the ‘other’ Wes Moore could have also excelled if he had been given some of these same opportunities or role models.
April 2013 Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbs) - 6.7 Everyone enjoyed reading “Cold Comfort Farm” but did not feel that it changed their lives. It helped to know that it was a parody of the types of pastoral romantic books popular in England in the late 1920s and early 1930s, but without that context most of us felt the book did not resonate, was dated and started a bit slow. The exception was Ada Boom and her using her "victimization” of what she “saw in the woodshed” to control the rest of the family which was very timeless and relevant across the ages. The most enthusiastic endorsement of the book was how the main character, Flora Poste, just refused to let that kind of victimization attitude run their lives and her willingness to ignore those prevailing attitudes and improve everyone’s lives. Everyone enjoyed the clever use of language from the names of the characters to the names of the cows to the descriptive words that were probably made up (e.g. clettering). There was general consensus that it might have been even more enjoyable to listen to the BBC radio version of the book. Hard to believe that the British Library selected it as book 88 on the list of 100 books Britons should read.
March 2013 Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón) - 9.8 “The Shadow of the Wind” begins with a visit to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by a father and son where the son, Daniel, discovers a book, aptly named “The Shadow of the Wind.” The book starts Daniel on a search for the author which leads to a dark, twisted story of mystery, revenge, and love. In his search for the author, Daniel grows not only in age but in maturity, learning to be the selfless person he yearns to be. Our discussion of the book centered around themes that included Christianity and “the book within a book,” as well as the way the translation seemed to enhance the story instead of detract from it. We all thoroughly enjoyed the book.
February 2013 Good Omens (Neil Gaimon and Terry Prachett) - 7.86 Meeting location: Margarita's A small contingent braved the February cold to discuss Good Omens. The tone of the British humor was generally appreciated by all and it was especially enjoyable via audiobook. The number of characters was a bit overwhelming at times and the first half of the book more gripping than the second. All in all, a nice break from the more serious fare we have been covering recently.
January 2013 The Snow Child (Eowyn Ivey) - 8.6 Meeting location: JoAnne's The Snow Child was well-liked by all in attendance. The only rating below a 9 came from Dave who self-admittedly did not have the benefit of discussion or wine. Excellent character development and wonderful storytelling made this book a page-turner for many. The dominant theme that emerged from our discussion was the question of personal identity: what determined who each character was, who they became, how each was perceived by others and finally accepted for who they truly were.
December 2012 Book Selection - The weather and kids kept the attendance down but we still had 15 books to choose from. The charity of Choice for this year was Water For Life and we sent them over $200. New books are listed in the months of February through July above. We have picked a very short (62 pages?) book of poetry by our old club member John Mederios, for June and we will try to get him to come talk about it if possible.
November 2012 Worst Hard Time (Egan) - 7.86 was eye opening for most of us regarding the horrors of the time/location. Again a good discussion book on the lessons from the era and whether our current actions reflect what was learned (global warming?). Writing was excellant but some wished he had followed fewer families during the period - it was hard to care about people who disappeared for long stretches of the book.
October 2012 Sea Change (Earle) - 6.5 (approx) was a book like Caleb's Crossing- in need of a good editor. Different people liked different parts but many felt that she couldn't decide if this was a personal memoir, an ocean "Silent Spring", a history of ocean exploration and science, or what?
September 2012 The Road (McCarthy) - 7.5 (approx) Meeting location: Mary's The Road was bleak, depressing and thought provoking with a good discussion.
August 2012 Catching Fire and Mockingjay (Collins - Books 2and 3 of Hunger Games trilogy) -9.875 The rating says it all - highest ever since Blindness. Raises interesting questions about power, ends justifying the means, and personal choices in an imperfect and morally ambiguous world. The whole series will become a classic. PD
July 2012 Caleb's Crossing (Brooks) - 5.4 One of our lower ratings in a while. It wasn't that the book was awful - but the author seemed not to be able to decide on the point of the book. Things started and then petered out; the most interesting questions were left unexplored, and no one could tell what was the climax of the book. We blamed the editor for the mess as much as the author. PD
June 2012 Hunger Games (Collins) - 9.55 Meeting location: Sara's One of the highest rated books since Blindness got straight 10s. It is not "Blindness" but the book works on so many levels- as an adventure story; a comment on the nature of humanity and power; our current obsession with reality television; surviving terrible situations with your humanity intact. So many of us want to discuss the whole series that the final two books are the pick for August. PD
May 2012 Just Kids ( Smith) -8.3 People generally liked the book; of the ten people who rated it one gave it a 7, and the rest gave it an 8 or 9. Had a great discussion about accuracies/inaccuracies in memoirs vs. historical fiction. People who had trouble with the fiction part of historical fiction last month had less trouble with not being able to prove that everything mentioned in this book happened - it was Patti Smith's "truth" and even if inaccurate told you something about her. PD
April 2012 The Agony and the Ecstasy (Stone) - 7.71 General consensus was that the book gave a great sense of a very fascinating artist and man while describing the society and era in which he lived and worked. Some found that not knowing what was fact versus fiction quite frustrating while others said they found it an interesting story and didn't worry about that aspect. Everyone agreed it would be fun to read while in Italy - when you could walk the streets and see some of the sites described in detail in the book. PD
March 2012 Unbroken (Hillenbrand) - 8.5 ( approximate based on later recall of a number of members- generally people loved the book - even when emotionally difficult to read)
February 2012 The Outermost House (Beston) - 8.67 A very small but dedicated group came to discuss the book and all in attendence rated it 9 or 10. The lower rating was due to two in absentia votes ( Ellen - why a 6?). The general agreement was that Beston's use of language was beautiful and precise -the word images he used evoked the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of the area and his time there. Overall it was a great book about nature, the small details we often don't take time to observe, and how much poorer our lives are when we don't take the time to connect to the natural world. The book is calming without being boring. At a later meeting a number of persons who did not attend the discussion said they found the book boring and hard to read.
January 2012 The Plague (Camus) - 7.86 The consensus was that the book is not the most exciting or gripping book to read but provides great discussion material and food for thought. Debate was lively and several questions were raised that didn't necessarily get decided ( What was the significance of Grand taking out all the adjectives in his "book"? Are there any 'heros' and did Camus favor a certain type of response to a crisis?) Several people stated that their rating of the book went up based on the discussion.PD
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