Middleton Public Library’s Comments (group member since Oct 04, 2016)

Middleton Public Library’s comments from the Middleton Public Library group.

Lori wrote: "I want to thank Middleton Public Library for taking the time to have this group. I just joined Goodreads, and was pleasantly surprised to see this discussion group. I always did like the Middleton ..."

Great to have you in this group, Lori! Thanks for the lovely note :)

What is one overarching theme you noticed in the book you chose? Have you encountered this them in other books you’ve read (not just by Murakami) and how did Murakami’s interpretation of that theme differ from other author’s interpretations?

Which book did you choose and why? Was there something in particular that made you choose that book and not any of the others? Have you read Murakami’s work before and would you read more?

Welcome to July, folks! The beginning of a new month means the beginning of a new book discussion! We hope June was a great month for you and your Haruki Murakami reading and we’d love to hear some of your thoughts! Below are a few discussion prompts, but feel free to chime in with any interesting tidbits about Murakami and his work. No worries if you didn’t get a chance to join in on the book club this month! We’ll be a picking a new author for July, so stay tuned!

Did you learn anything new after reading this book (about Tourette's, books/libraries, or just in general)?

Josh has many fond memories of books and libraries and many of his pivotal life events seem to be centered around books (or have least referenced them in some way). What are your strongest memories that libraries or books have played a part in in some way?

What were your overall thoughts on the book? Did you like it? Why or why not?

We want to know what you're reading for the month of February!

Northanger Abbey was Austen’s first published novel, and some feel it is less polished than the others. Do you agree? If so, in what ways do you think it falls short of her other work?
Or, why is it just as strong as her other novels?

Northanger Abbey contains a famous “defence of the novel”—in a narrative aside about fiction, particularly the kind that is read and written by women. Why do you think so many women like romance novels and the currently popular genre called “chick lit”? Is there a male equivalent of this kind of escapist fiction? To what extent do you think Austen’s novels belong in the “chick lit” or “romance” categories?

Is Catherine's obsession with Gothic novels a bad thing? Have you ever been so influenced by a book that it has changed your worldview?

We want to know how you liked the book! Have you read this book before? How does this work compare to Austen's other works?

New year, new books, right? What are you currently reading to ring in the new year?

Discussion questions have been posted for Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore! Go take a look and let us know what you thought of the book!

We'll be ringing in the New Year with a classic - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Here's a quick synopsis:

Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen's Gothic parody. Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story's heroine is Catherine Morland, an innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry's mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

Don't miss out on the discussion for this book, starting January 1! Need a copy of the book? Reserve your copy now!

We want to know what books you're currently enjoying!

Can books give their authors immortality?

Are Penumbra and his colleagues motivated only by a quest for immortality? If not, what are the other rewards of their labor-intensive work?

Clay grapples with the fact that e-books could make brick-and-mortar bookstores unnecessary. Did the novel reassure you about the role of technology in the lives of book lovers? What are your thoughts on the future of libraries, bookstores, and physical books?

A lot of the story focused on design, typography, and the details of physical versions of books. Is there a book that you love, simply because of its physical traits (cover art, font, overall design/layout, smell, etc.)? Do you abide by the “don’t judge a book by its cover” rule?

What were your initial theories on what the mysterious patrons were doing?