spoko’s Comments (group member since Mar 05, 2021)

spoko’s comments from the EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club group.

A Christmas Carol has been selected as the Catch-Up title for December 2024. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Modern read by casting your vote here.

I nominate We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (384 p., pub. 2020).

⟡ David has moved around through various settings & groups of characters in the novel. Which have been your favorite?
⟡ Has any particular character or moment made you laugh?
⟡ How are you finding the pace of the novel? Too fast, too slow, just right?

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, nominated by Quinty (Taylor’s Version).

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? What aspects of the Hunger Games setting did you find most chilling? Did you find any inspiration in Katniss’ or other characters’ actions? What questions were you left with?

The Midnight Library has been selected as the Catch-Up title for November 2024. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.

I also have no medical knowledge, other than what I’ve picked up from podcasts & other books, but I found most of it pretty accessible as far as that. The last section of the book felt very dated, but the earlier parts were interesting enough. I’ve heard Sacks present more interesting cases (or in more interesting ways) in podcasts, etc. This is my first book from him, though; I may be willing to try something more recent.

I'm in Part 1, and already struggling to keep all the people & names apart. If anyone else is in the same boat, here's a chapter-by-chapter quick guide/introduction. I like these kinds of guides, because you can be sure nothing is getting spoiled.

https://www.bookcompanion.com/death_o...

ETA: Sorry for that pun; I assure you it was entirely unintentional. Didn’t even notice it till I happened to re-read this. Yeesh.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Catch-Up read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Classic read by casting your vote here.

Thanks everyone—nominations are now closed, and the polls are open! Help us pick the next Modern read by casting your vote here.

Pony wrote: “I’ve never tried an Agatha Christie book before. Is there any particular order they need to be read in or do they stand alone okay? I saw that Death on the Nile was listed as number 18 in a series.”

They don’t have to be read in order. It wouldn’t hurt to have some idea what kind of character Poirot (the recurring detective who’s in this novel) is, mostly because it’s fun to recognize his quirks. As one example, he’s often mistaken for French (he’s Belgian), which ruffles his feathers every time. It’s those kinds of things that you’ll notice if you’re familiar with him as a character. But as far as the mysteries themselves, they typically stand alone. Christie herself also has some recurring tendencies, but many of those have simply become canon in the genre, so you wouldn’t have to be familiar with her to see them. The trope of the detective gathering everyone together at the end in order to identify the culprit, for instance.

For Christmas last year, I bought my daughter a book that was slightly more expensive than the most expensive textbooks I bought in college: The Folio Society’s edition of Wu Ch’êng-ên’s Monkey. It’s a gorgeous book.

Ali, I pick The Secret History for you.

Next person, please choose for me from my list of books by authors I haven’t read.

For October’s sections:

⟡ David has given us his take on quite a few different characters, often with enough observation for us to form our own opinions (think Steerforth, Agnes, Uriah Heep, etc.). Are you finding that you agree with David’s assessments of these characters, or no?
⟡ There’s something unsettling about Uriah Heep, isn’t there? How is he affecting your sense of the novel, at this point?
⟡ We’re given a glimpse of relationships between other characters aside from David—Mr. Dick and Dr. Strong, for example, or Steerforth & Miss Dartle. Have you found any of these especially interesting or enlightening?

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks, nominated by Peggyzbooksnmusic.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? Did the book challenge your assumptions about the human mind? What questions were you left with?

This begins our group discussion of our Classics book selection, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, nominated by Quinty (Taylor’s Version).

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? If you’ve read other Austen novels, how did the tone, themes, & storytelling compare to this one? Which characters did you enjoy most? What questions were you left with?

Jane Eyre has been selected as the Catch-Up title for October 2024. Please feel free to continue with points from previous discussion, or bring up something new!

Do remember that this is the SPOILER thread, in case you would prefer to finish reading before proceeding here.