Molly's comments (member since Jan 20, 2009)

Molly's comments from the You'll love this one...!! A book club & more group.

Through Black Spruce is a follow-up to his first novel, Three Day Road, which I read for a group discussion elsewhere on GR this year. 3 Day Rd. was excellent and it would be interesting to read how the lineage of his first book's characters make their way through the world.

Chris wrote: "I'm reading A Tree grows in Brooklyn, I read it many years ago when I was a teenager and couldn't remember the author and couldn't find it in the UK so couldn't re read it.Thanks to Goodreads I fou..."

I just finished a re-read of this myself a few weeks ago! I remembered nothing of the story other than an overall fondness for it. I really enjoyed experiencing it again - this time more relating to Katie, but I could see exactly what would have drawn me to Francie when I read it initially at the age of 13.

Emma wrote: "I might start War and Peace too, I've had it for at least a decade... :)"

You may want to check out the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation which just came out a few years ago I believe. I read their translation of Anna Karenina and it was beautiful. From what I have read - they bring out a much truer representation of Tolstoy than some of the older versions. And, theirs is more readable.

Jaime wrote: "This is not going to be popular, but I could not finish Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time. I tired like heck. What Mortenson did is bey..."

I know what you mean - I found the first probably third of this book to be a chore. But then, when he immersed himself fully over there it really got exciting. I don't know how far you read into it, but once he stops with the background of his life and building up to making connections and raising money, the whole rest of it makes up for it three fold.

Nancy - I'm not sure. I assumed it was a ficticious account representative of actual lynchings at the time. I wonder if the author would answer your question though. She has a website and I have seen threads of book chats she has done.

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "In past 48hrs I have read/listened to:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Furies - Elizabeth Kay
Partners in Crime - Nigel Hinton
Liar - Pete Johnson
Until Proven Guilty - Nigel Hinton"

In the past 48 hours I read the last 10 pages of Rebecca. Bad bookworm behavior - you put me to shame Fiona!

Fiona & Donna - I love the Dexter TV series - though we are a season behind in our viewing. I haven't read the books yet - every time I get to the library they are checked out already.

Well isn't that interesting! Why am I not surprised it was all about religion? I found it amusing that the best alias they came up with for Fawkes was "John Johnson." No wonder they didn't believe him. So, not only did the failed attempt at installing Catholic rule provide Britain with the modern Bonfire Night, it also gave us the word Guy for Man and may have contributed to Macbeth. Of course, all those people were hung - so I'm not sure they'd agree that was a fair tradeoff. But death and destruction was their goal.

What the heck is Bonfire Night? Or is that a question for the All Things Blighty thread?

John wrote: "I just finished reading "The Last Picture Show" and was hoping to see the movie some time. TCM says is is not currently on the list of movies they show and I think it is too old to be in a rental s..."

I didn't even know it was a book. I saw the movie a while back and liked it very much. We hardly even have rental stores anymore - we use Netflix. They've got everything in stock. Is Netflix internationally avaiable?

I was never all that sympathetic to Skeeter's mother either. I like how you put that she grew into her own despite her - that is an important lesson.

The book also did a good job in putting us inside the heads and skin of the characters - the tension and fright was demonstrated very effectively when Aibileen was dropped off the bus in the dark, alone, and very near to an unknown but sure to be horrific occurance. Rather than focusing on the violent scene of the murder, the author focused on the emotions surrounding it - that Aibileen might be next, that at any moment her world could be destroyed. It helped to highlight just how brave the women were to carry on with their stories.

Jenny wrote: "I will definately be coming back to this one. Had some vouchers for my bday so will try and get hold of it!"

I don't think you'll be disappointed. She is a great storyteller. You feel like you are right there in the midst of the characters' lives.

Shannon wrote: "Can hardly wait until I get my hands on this book. Will join the discussion whenever that does happen!"

Cool! I just wanted to let anyone know that just because we are approaching the end of the month doesn't mean we can't re-start the discussion any time you get around to reading the selection. I'm happy to discuss anytime - next week or months down the road.

Susan wrote: "It really is comforting to know I'm not the only addict out here.....we could have worse addictions right? I'm just glad I dont live in Philadelphia. They are closing all of their 54 libraries next..."

WHAT?!?! That is terrible. I'm wondering how the communities let that happen. We fight tooth and nail for our branch to make sure it is staffed with volunteers and donations. Things are tight in this economic landscape but I just can't fathom cutting out an entire program completely.

C F S R wrote: "Because we speak (almost) the same language, sometimes it's easy to forget how little many of us know of the other country's history and culture - at least until we grow up and start finding out fo..."

That's one of the things that I enjoy about this group - the international flair :0)

I think that is interesting. I guess I assumed that other countries were aware of our country's struggles with equality - and that they are far from over. That is why Obama's presidency campaign was so heated and debated - were people voting for him just because of black guilt or because they believed in his abilities to run the country? Were people not voting for him because they'd be damned if some minority tried to run America? Some hid behind his name as a reason to frown upon him - his name sounds like a terrorist so he must be evil. Crap like that. It shined a light on the fact that the thoughts and feelings in this country towards race still run hot under the surface - and I think books like TKAM and The Help go a long way to explain where we were not that long ago and why where we are now is still a shaky point.

All that being said - I wasn't taught much of anything about more modern history in England or Europe. Our lessons focused on the American Revolution, The Civil War, WWI and WWII and we usually ran out of time while trying to cover Civil Rights/Kennedy/Vietnam. So I learned much from reading on my own or from listening to stories from my parents' generation. And what little I know of the rest of the world I obtain by self-education - through discussions online, via movies or documentaries, and of course - books. And some day maybe I'll get to travel abroad and see things for myself.

Well the chatter has died off here on this book so I am wondering if there are others still in the process of reading or if everyone has said all they cared to say?

I was thinking about some of the discussion in To Kill A Mockingbird and felt like there was a bit of disconnect for some in the UK and the ugly history of the American South towards race and tolerance. I am curious if this book has taught people more about those moments in history that maybe they were unaware of or provided a way to experience the world differently.

Henk wrote: "But isn't it written through Scout's eyes as it is semi-autobiographical novel. I don't remember whether I read that somewhere or have come to believe as the book seems so real and vivid.

Does a..."

My understanding is that much of Lee's own life growing up inspired characters and pieces of the story. The character of Dill for example is based upon Truman Capote who was her childhood friend. In her bio on Wiki, etc. you will see several parallels to her childhood and the book.

C F S R wrote: "This book is sounding so good, I'm going to have to read it after all (though it might not be this month)."

For once I think a book has actually lived up to the hype that I have been seeing here and in the book blogging world. If Oprah gets her hands on this puppy look out.

So I looked around online for some riveting discussion questions only to find that many of the topics mentioned have already been brought up here! Are we good or what?

One of the ones that seemed to stump people was what Ally mentioned - how Hilly could be lauded as a good mother when all other of her nature was so horrible. And how Skeeter's mother, and even Elizabeth, could appear sympathetic when they were obviously racist just like Hilly.

I'm not sure of the author's intent here, but I felt like it was important for her to illustrate that even bad people have redeeming qualities - we are all human, even if they can't see that in others. It also shows just how good someone like Aibileen was - that even in people who hated her kind, she found the good in them. Without a spot of good inside you, you can't overturn all that bad stuff I guess. I thought it impressive that she would have felt less of Skeeter for including the terrible acts of her mother in her own book.

Motherhood is another huge message throughout this book - Aibileen's heart aching for her dead son, the surrogate role she played with all of her "white children" and nurturing them so that the racist chain might someday be broken (recognizing that self esteem/self worth is the seed that grows into tolerance), Minny's brood protecting her from abuse, and yet she felt badly for "having so much" when Celia "had so little" - when in society's view Celia was the one that had everything and Minny nothing - Celia's doomed quest for a family, Elizabeth's indifference to her children, Hilly's pride and care for her own, and Stuart and Skeeter's domineering mothers complicating each of their family's relationships.