You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Group Themed Reads: Discussions
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September 2015 - Character name in the title
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Just finished Corelli's Mandolin - my favorite genre - historical fiction set in Greece during World War II. Captain Antonio Corelli is so endearing and it was refreshing to read about the other side of war - the human side where compassionate and human decency were exhibited despite being on opposite sides. There was humor and lightness too, despite the horror of war. War is complex - even among allies, there's varying degrees of principles, objectives and approaches that the author surfaces. An absorbing and interesting read.
Did you ever watch the movie, Lilisa?
I just finished up Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I will admit I was expecting something more along the lines of The Fault in Our Stars but this was different. The whole description of high school and the cliques was spot on with the MC just wanting to get through high school without making waves, getting noticed or picked on. And who hasn't been guilted into doing something by their mother? The book had its laugh out loud funny parts as well as a few touching moments to tear up about as well.
Janice wrote: "Did you ever watch the movie, Lilisa?"I did, I found it enjoyable, but not outstanding.
I didn't read the book, though.
Mariab wrote: "Janice wrote: "Did you ever watch the movie, Lilisa?"I did, I found it enjoyable, but not outstanding.
I didn't read the book, though."
No, I don't think I have Janice, but somehow on the edges of my memory I'm seeing Nicholas Cage who I understand starred as Antonio. Maybe I caught part of the movie on TV while surfing many moons ago. I'll need to watch the movie sometime although Mariab's experience doesn't encourage me to do so in a hurry :-)
Have you seen the movie and read the book Janice?
Nicolas cage was in the movie. It was so long ago that I watched it that I don't remember except that I didn't have a great impression of it. I'd like to read the book some day.
Janice wrote: "Nicolas cage was in the movie. It was so long ago that I watched it that I don't remember except that I didn't have a great impression of it. I'd like to read the book some day."Two strikes for the movie so it's a no go then. Besides I usually prefer reading the book than watching the movie.
I read the The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer. It was a light and breezy read, but I always have a little trouble when a character comes in who knows how to fix everything and never misreads a situation or a person. Though (view spoiler)
I just finished Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and I was hooked on it from the first page to the last. When I picked it up I did not want to put it down again. I loved the fact that this was the Anti-YA Novel/Anti-Book about someone dying of cancer.
It starts out by telling us this will not be a sentimental heart-warming story where profound life lessons are learned.
I loved how this book was far more true to life and the author did not pull any punches. Almost every line within the book was laugh out loud funny. the humor was both edgy and quirky. And I loved how authenticate and retalbale it felt.
Also I enjoyed the various innovative narrative techniques which are used throughout the book.
Silver wrote: "Also I enjoyed the various innovative narrative techniques which are used throughout the book. .."
Really?I would be interested to know about it
Mariab wrote: "Silver wrote: "Also I enjoyed the various innovative narrative techniques which are used throughout the book. .."
Really?I would be interested to know about it"
It is gard to expain, the book is told in first person narrative but throught the story he has these quirky different ways of telling the story. Greg the narrator is an aspiring film maker so some chapters will be wriiten in movie script form, or sometimes he will use dilogue (like reading a play) and he uses bulletpoints sometimes. He just knod of mismashes all these different ways of telling a story together. So it isn't just a straight narrative.
I finished Ender in Exile some time ago, but haven't had time to write about it. I thought it was well written and continued Ender's story seamlessly; if I hadn't known, I would not have registered that this book has in fact been written 23 years after Ender's Game and only after the other three books in the series. I get it that Ender in Exile was written to patch up a "hole" in the series, but I still think it was well done. There was also an eplanation by Orson Scott Card partly about why he wrote Ender in Exile. I don't think the book deserves some nasty reviews it's received here on GR; whilst not quite as good as Enders' Game, it certainly was a solid four-star read to me. I haven't yet started Speaker for the Dead (the book that originally was the next in the series), so I can't yet say how helpful in understanding the whole story it was to read Ender in Exile first (i.e. not in publication order), but I feel that it helped at least me a lot.
That's good to hear that you liked the book Camilla!
Janice wrote: "Ariane wrote: "I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and I absolutely loved it. The writing is beautiful ans the story, even if it is short, is very original (well had to be at the time). I..."I guess... I saw somewhere an uncensored version of it, I wonder how much it differs from the version we know.
Ariane wrote: "I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and I absolutely loved it. The writing is beautiful ans the story, even if it is short, is very original (well had to be at the time). I saw the movie ..."I listened to the audio version of the book a year or so ago. I quite liked it. I think I saw the film first. How do you think they compared? I really liked the gothicness of it all (book and film)
Mariab wrote: "I read Penelope, a light (a little to light) historical romance, which just felt like a chick-lit. Nothing to treasure, that's for sure."Did you like anything about it Mariab or was it neither here nor there?!
@Silver & Mariab, It is in my TBR, but I didn't know about the narrative style. I like when authors take the plunge and try creative, innovative approaches. Thanks for sharing.
I read
Dimewhich is a novel about teen prostitution and human trafficking. The story is told in Dime's voice. She is a 14 year old girl who gets caught up in prostitution and recruited by a pimp. This gritty novel tells what life is like for Dime and her "wifeys," the three other teens who live with her and "Daddy". At times, this book was shocking, and hard to read. I felt like it was well-researched, but at the same time I didn't want to believe it! So much physical and mental abuse that these KIDS endured. It really made my stomach turn.
Sandra wrote: "@Silver & Mariab, It is in my TBR, but I didn't know about the narrative style. I like when authors take the plunge and try creative, innovative approaches. Thanks for sharing."Me too! I had already marked it to read, but I have moved it up on my list. Thanks, all!
I finished a second book that fit this theme. Dear Kate This is an adventure packed novel with a redemptive theme. Gave it 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What did you like about the book Tammy?
Sarah wrote: "What did you like about the book Tammy?"The book carried a mystery through to the last couple chapters with no clues to figure it out. There was also some historical basis to the setting of the story which was interesting. In the end love wins out, what's not to like.
I read Defending Jacob and liked it pretty well though found it disturbing but interesting. I need to go read some reviews and comments from other GR members because this is definitely a book with good discussion potential. Now I'm on to another book. This one is a book of short stories. Funny title - Barbara the Slut and Other People. I've read two stories so far, and liked them quite a bit. Lauren Holmes, the author, writes rather in the Hemingway style in terms of short, direct language and sentence construction. I've had several laugh-out-loud moments already : )
My pig book - The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood - got delayed, but hopefully I'll still get to it this month. It should be a pretty quick read I think.
I managed to read a book for this months theme, Conversations with Rabbi Small by Harry Kemelman. It is #8 in a twelve book series that I picked up this year. It's a mystery series with a small town Rabbi as a kind of detective. This particular book isn't much of a mystery, more of an excuse to explain conservative Judaism. I still liked it, it was informative but I like the real mysteries better.
Carla wrote: "I read the The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer. It was a light and breezy read, but I always have a little trouble when a character comes in who knows how to fix everything and never m..."I adored that book, though I agreed that I didn't like the stereotype. That didn't bother me too much though, given both the reality of how people spoke and made that caricature at the time, and the era when the book was written.
For my challenge this month I read Venetia which actually has more characters with deeper faults. It includes chauvinism, bigotry, bias against the disabled, serious family dysfunction, and overbearing paternalism. Yet, Venetia has a personality that allows her to make the best of bad situations, and she rarely feels down despite some really obnoxious people.
I struggled with this book because Venetia finds preference for people with character flaws that I find repulsive. These include a lecherous father figure (eww), a rake who is unrepentant about assaulting women, and open acceptance of infidelity. Despite her intelligence and strength of character, it seems that nearly every man in the book steamrolls over her or uses her in some way, and she takes it because she so few options. But she also dismisses many situations as less serious than they are, which does at times lead to bigger problems.
Overall, it's a very well written book, which includes many of the less savory elements of the time as matters of course. In that way I liked it, as it didn't imply that men accustomed to having mistresses would change they ways dramatically just because they get married. And it doesn't over romanticize romantic love. Societal approval or shunning is an important theme, as well as how circumstances outside one's control could put one in an undesirable social position. Yet, it doesn't take itself too seriously, so it isn't a depressing or angsty read. Thank goodness.
I read
Flirting with Pete by Barbara Delinsky and discussed it in the reporting thread - Post 41.It was a 3 Star read for me.
Flirting with Pete is a story within the story of a young woman who never met her father in life, and like him, Casey Ellis becomes a therapist. She's a whiny character that about drove me crazy for 3/4's of the novel, but she does redeem herself in the last 150 pages. The story line that held my attention was that of Marybeth Jennifer Clyde. Her father killed Jenny's mother as the woman beat Jenny. Jenny has no friends. Folks in Little River shun her - maybe out guilt, shame, or pure meanness. About a week before Darden Clyde is released from prison people begin to take notice, especially a handsome young man from Wyoming riding a big motorcycle. Pete is his name. And when he stops to give Jenny a ride home from the dance, well she flirts with him. And he LIKES her too! Pete's everything Jenny dreamt that "her man" would be and more. She and Pete fall in love. They ride his motorbike wildly, go to the Quarry, and much more. Jenny thinks Pete is too good to be true, and he is.
Meanwhile, Psychoanalyst Casey Ellis finds herself in a state of confusion. Her practice needs to relocate, thanks to one of her partners, her mother is still in a vegetative state, and her father has just died. The father she's only seen in public lecture halls. She is the product of his one digression. She's floored when she inherits Connie's Beacon Hill Home. It comes with a very handsome, enigmatic gardener and a maid. Cornelius Unger kept his practice here and just maybe she could too. She has doubts as she wanders from the office into a glorious garden. Her resolve not to have anything to do with Connie begins to crack, especially when she finds a thick envelope with "C she's kin, help her" scrawled in her father's handwriting.
Casey opens the envelope to find Flirting with Pete. Casey wonders if the pages are Fiction, a Journal, or a Case Study. Convinced that Connie left the envelope for her, Casey begins to read. Soon she is drawn into Jenny Clyde's story, and becomes frighten for the young woman. Casey must find Jenny and help her, but she needs to find the rest of the manuscript. It's just like her father to make her search a scavenger hunt. And that is exactly what it is. As Casey puts Jenny's story together, she also discovers her father. And she is about to discover that nothing in her new life is what it appears to be. There is a fine line between what is real and what is imagined.
Sarah wrote: "Ariane wrote: "I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and I absolutely loved it. The writing is beautiful ans the story, even if it is short, is very original (well had to be at the time). I..."I really liked the gothicness of it too, I think they are really much alike, maybe the film showed more of the depravation of Dorian. That is why I was curious to see how much of it may have been censored.
I have just finished reading Jakob's Coloursby Lindsay Hawdon and loved it. It was a 5 star read for me, a rating I reserve for the very few books that move me in such a way a part of them will stay with me forever. I actually even wrote a review for it something I rarely have the confidence to do. If you're interested here's the link https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read Ender in Exile and really enjoyed it!!! I almost think it was better that I read Speaker for the Dead first. This did not fill in all of the gap but I now understand why Ender ended up where he did and why. In addition some relationships in Speaker for the Dead seem much more relevant. I will definitely be reading the fourth book in the series.
For this months theme I read Songs of Willow Frost. It was a compelling and poignant story that I gave 4 stars. I thought it was beautifully written and the story of William and Willow really touched my heart. It brought to life the struggles that faced people during the depression and the stigma attached to unwed mothers back then. Between this book and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet I'm becoming a big fan of Jamie Ford.
I read Reconstructing Amelia, finished 9-29-15. I really liked it. Generally I cannot relate so much to young adult books, but this was definitely an exception, probably because of the mother-daughter relationship. (view spoiler)
@Kerri - that's great that the book inspired you to write a review! And thank you for sharing it with us...@Lori - So now I'm none the wiser whether to read Ender in Exile next or Speaker of the Dead! I wonder what Card says about the order - I might have to go google.
I read two books during September that work for this challenge, but have only briefly discussed one of them. So I'll try to discuss in more depth. Defending Jacob, as I already noted, was a disturbing book in terms of the subject-matter. The author does a good job of weaving the story together and maintaining suspense throughout. It's not a book I would typically pick up, but did because of this challenge, and it piqued my interest. It's pretty much a page-turner, and I read it in just a couple of reading sessions.
The other book I completed was Barbara the Slut and Other People, a collection of 10 short stories. The first two I found very humorous, but after that they were more serious in tone. As you might surmise from the title, sexuality was an important aspect in the stories here. The author has a forthright approach and is good at creating interesting, believable characters that kept me engaged. I liked the writing but sometimes was left wanting more in that the stories didn't really go any where much, obviously a deliberate thing. Maybe kind of part of the author's style, maybe something experimental, but good writing and interesting to read.
Sounds like you had a similar experience with those short stories that I often have TJ - left wanting more.
I agree, Sarah, and so I tend to avoid the short story genre usually. However, it didn't take long to read this one, and the stories were very contemporary in tone and theme, and I did found them interesting and believable, so I'm glad to have read it. This challenge got me to read two books I wouldn't have otherwise, and I liked both.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Defending Jacob: A Novel (other topics)Barbara the Slut and Other People (other topics)
Reconstructing Amelia (other topics)
Songs of Willow Frost (other topics)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jamie Ford (other topics)Lindsay Hawdon (other topics)
Barbara Delinsky (other topics)
Harry Kemelman (other topics)
Marcel Vaarmeijer (other topics)
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My other book was very different: The Maya Papyrus by Richard Coady. This book takes place about 5000 years ago in Egypt. Part of it is taken from the papers/sort of diary (papyrus) written by Nefertiti's brother Maya (all fiction!). The other part is a description of everything that happens (with changing viewpoint). The story is about 6 pharaohs and some of the difficulties they encounter. I really enjoyed it, but after about 400 pages and 4 pharaohs, it got a little boring (later that changed again).