You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Group Themed Reads: Discussions
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December 2015 - Reporting Thread
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I finished The Winter People and discussed it in its group read discussion thread. I wasn't expecting such a creepy read and I'm so glad I read it. The writing was so descriptive and atmospheric, I could almost feel the cold and the eeriness of the woods.
I read The Winter People and discussed this in the group discussion thread.I also wasn't expecting such a creepy read, especially during the winter months.
I really liked her writing style and the way she build the story. It made me want to read more and more.
I read The Winter People and posted several comments in the discussion thread. It was very well written and definitely not predictable! I am going to go back and re-read some portions in the middle of the book to see if there was something in the time frame that I didn't notice. I want to see if there were no clues or if I only saw what I thought I should see or if it was definitely there and I just saw it the only way my mind could process it without knowing the end.
I also read The Winter People and discussed it in the group discussion thread.I really enjoyed it! As others have already said, it was well-written, unpredictable and very unsettling which is just perfect for this time of year. The characters and plot also had a lot more depth than I expected and I got completely caught up in the story. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.
I read After You and discussed it in the group discussion thread. Having read and loved Me Before You, I wanted to find out what became of Lou. I wasn't expecting much from the book as I'd read a few reviews which were all pretty negative. I tend to agree that the story should probably have been left as it was and that this book was unnecessary. It was ok, but I found parts of it too unrealistic and overly filled with drama, so a disappointing read for me, but not totally unexpected.
I read the The Winter People and discussed it in the group discussion. My review is here I loved the beginning and I agree that the scene was set beautifully. I really liked the plot but I was really disappointed with the last section as the story resolved. Like Kerri I found it non-credible. I gave it 2 stars.
I read The Glass Castle. I enjoyed it in the beginning, but in the middle part it got a bit too much of the same for me. In the end it picked up again though. It was well-written and a quick read. I reviewed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read The Heretic Queen. I really enjoyed the interweaving of many plots that occurred in the story. There is a nice blend of fact, fiction, intrigue, love, hate making the book a compelling read. I like the authors notes at the end about what was historically accurate and what was fiction and also why she chose the fictional elements she did. I have posted a couple times in the discussion, but at this point I'm really the only one. Will continue to discuss as others join in. Gave this 5 stars
Badges are awarded for the discussion aspect of the group reads so discuss away Tammy in the other thread even though no one else is reading at the moment - at least then you've earned your badge and others will contribute to the discussion when they start reading.
I read
After YouDespite some awful reviews and rating I found it sweet, thoughtful, sad and funny. Gave it 4 stars.
(Put my thoughts in the white covers discussion thread)
I just finished
Kind van Sneeuw (English title: The Snow Child) by Eowyn Ivey. I discussed it in the 'white cover books' discussion thread. I really loved it! 5 stars!It was wonderful and magical. A really good read for the wintermonths!
I just finished reading
. I enjoyed it so much the first time that grabbed the opportunity to read it again for a white cover.You would never believe that this book was written in the late 1800's. I can just imagine the two main characters meeting on an internet chat room instead of over a telegraph line. I highly recommend this story.
I read Norwegian Wood and discussed it in the White Covers thread.It was my first Murakami book and I really enjoyed it. I expected something much harder to read, but was surprised by the western style. It felt modern and at moments I even forgot it was set in Japan, but still there were some cultural insights.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Will check in over in wjite cover thread again. I really hated the first 30% then began to get into it. Probably a 4 star for me
I read
for White covers and it was very good.4 Stars
Yes, the Christmas season is murderous. Old man Simeon Lee has called all of his family together for Christmas. One son, Alfred, is loyal to his father, David, the sensitive artist, has a burning hatred for his father. Harry is the prodigal son, returning after 20 years. George is an MP and needs money to support his young wife. Pilar is the granddaughter Simeon has never seen. The brothers wives hope the old man wants to reconcile with his sons and granddaughter. But that hope is short-lived as they enter Simeon's bedroom on Christmas Eve. Old man Lee is on the phone talking to his lawyer. He informs his family that he is going to change his will and reduce their allowances. He curtly dismisses them, telling them that he will see them all in the morning.
But morning never comes to Simeon Lee. The family hears furniture overturning and Simeon's unearthly scream. They all run upstairs to find his bedroom locked and Simeon isn't answering them. Stephen Farr, Simeon's old business partner's son help breakdown the door and the family finds the old man dead in a pool of blood. So much for a Merry Christmas. There is no shortage of suspects, everyone under the Lee roof has a reason to want the old man dead. M.Hercule Poirot is spending the holiday with his friend, the Police Super-indent, and is called upon to solve the case.
Christie weaves many red herrings into this classic tale of a lock room mystery as well as many Shakespearean quotes. A mustache, missing uncut diamonds, and a painting lead Poirot to the identity of the murderer.
I read The Fur Person
for this challenge of mostly white covers.I'm so surprised I'd never come across this book before recently. It's written from the perspective of a cat. He's first a "cat about town" who becomes "a gentleman cat" and then "a quaker cat."
I love the songs that the cat thinks up and recites to adversaries and friends. And love what makes him a "fur person."
I recommend this book for anyone with a heart and an iota of love and feeling for cats.
Loved this book!!
Tejas Janet wrote: "I read The Fur Person for this challenge of mostly white covers.I'm so surprised I'd never come across this book before recently. It's written ..."
Read a few dog books but not a cat one - adding to my TBR list - it sounds fun - thanks!
I've read three shorter books with white covers this month, and have reported them on the discussion thread:
- a personal productivity and behavior change guide from a popular blogger
- a series of personal productivity essays by different authors
- a light and lightly comedic Christmas romance that is about a young woman learning to forgive herself so she can enjoy the holiday again
Finished The Heretic Queen and enjoyed it - a 4-star for me. This is my 5th Michelle Moran book - I like her selection of strong female characters and how she brings them to life, along with the culture, customs and setting of the historical period - here it's about Ramesses II, one of the longest reigning pharaohs of Egypt and his Chief Wife Nefertari. A bit more in the thread I posted:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Lanelle wrote: "I just finished reading . I enjoyed it so much the first time that grabbed the opportunity to read it again for a white cover.You would..."
Lanelle thanks for the book recommendation - it sounds delightful. Have you read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions It is one of my favorites
I finished reading The Winter People and dicussed in the thread for the book.I gave the book 4 stars. I really enjoyed reading it. I thought it was beautifully written and loved how creepy and eerie it was. And I very much enjoyed the wintry atmosphere and landscape which permeated throughout the book.
I just finished The Winter People and really enjoyed it. I've made comments in the discussion thread. Am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Joan wrote: "Have you read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions It is one of my favorites ."I've seen it around, but I've never taken the time to read it. It sounds...odd. What did you like about the book?
I read The Heretic Queen and discussed it in the group thread. I gave it 3 stars because it was a book that I enjoyed as an escape but found rather predictable.
I read Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and discussed it in the buddy read thread. I gave the book 4 stars. I am a fan of the author, Murakami, and I think his books are better enjoyed with friends and lend themselves to buddy reads or other discussion. The buddies in my buddy read saw many different things in the book than I did, and it was very interesting to think about their theories. I finished the book before most of the other readers, and, although I enjoyed it, I was sort of scratching my head trying to figure out what it meant. After seeing others comment as they read, I saw new things in the book. The book is actually two parallel stories, one set in hard-boiled wonderland and the other set at "the end of the world." The interrelationship of the two provides plenty of food for thought. I tended to focus on a more cerebral view of the two, but other readers were more tuned in to sensory aspects like sound and vision, and their observations made my experience of the book richer.
I read Seven Ways We Lie
(young adult), and rated it 4 stars. I wrote a comment in the White Covers Thread. I expect to write a review too, since this was a arc netgalley copy, but I think I'll need to settle some ideas before doing it. In the overall I liked it better than I thought I would. It's told from 7 different points of view, which I generally find interesting (not confusing at all). The voices were pretty well developed.
This POV are from seven teenagers attending the same high school (junior year) when an inappropriate teacher-student affair is found out. Each character is related to a deadly sin, the way they lie to themselves.
It was kind of deep for a young adult. I'll recommend it if you enjoy the genre.
I read The Heretic Queen and discussed it in the group discussion thread. I enjoyed the characters and setting. The author's writing was straight-forward and comfortable, making the characters relatable and easy to connect to. The historical setting was interesting and the political intrigue surrounding the Pharaoh's court was tense without being overly dramatic.
I read
and discussed it in the group discussion. I gave this book 5 stars. I really loved all of the characters. They were very interesting and not too flawed. The plot was well done and had some surprises along the way. I will continue the series since I just love Darby, the main character. She is a CSI investigator and I haven't came across a book that has that occupation in it yet (as the main character).
I read
. It is a memoir about a Lutheran pastor's unconventional path to the ministry. It is not chronological, but rather liturgical in its presentation, using the church liturgy as a backdrop to tell about her life, her church, her ministry, and the people to whom she ministers. I posted on the other appropriate thread, I think.
I read
for my white cover book this month and discussed it in the White Cover thread. Despite my ragged copy, it was a great read. The way in which it is written is elegant and entertaining. I highly recommend it.
I read Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
for white cover and discussed it in the December 2015 - White Covers thread.It was an interesting book about punctuations with some history of it. The author explains the loss of knowledge or interest in proper use of punctuation. I enjoyed reading the book.
Lanelle wrote: "Joan wrote: "Have you read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions It is one of my favorites ."I've seen it around, but I've never taken the time to read it. It sounds...odd. What did you like abo..."
Lanelle - I loved that it turned my perception of the world up-side down; that it is a brilliant allegory for life and that I helped me better understand what physicists mean by multiple dimensions. The analogy of a bowling ball on a mattress does not help me understand space/time but Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions did.
Poongothai wrote: "I read Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation for white cover and discussed..."have you seen the grammar mugs at CafePress?
I especially love the
"Let's eat Grandma" ...
commas save lives ...
"Let's eat, Grandma"
I read The Winter People and discussed it in the group discussion thread. I usually don't read horror books, assuming I won't like them at all, but I may have to reassess that after this. It was intriguing. Maybe I'm ready for Stephen King now.
You're ready, Sharon... especially since not all King's books are horror. He recent trilogy, Mr. Mercedes is case in point. There have been hints of something supernatural happening in the third book, but it hasn't been published yet. I'm really looking forward to that final book.
I did not make it this month, Sarah. I started my book but never picked it up again after my first status update. I think this is the first group read I have missed all year. Oh well!
Oh no! Not to worry Cherie. December can be a pretty full on month. Here's to many more group reads in 2016.
Badges are posted. Let me know if I've missed you.
Am I entitled to one even if I am still going? If not all good.Am reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World which I started on Christmas day and got derailed by sickness. It's been a wild ride so far, with a dream within a dream feel. I'm not sure how it's going to end, but I definitely recommend it. For nothing else besides Murakami's storytelling and writing, but I think, depending on the ending of course, I may like this one more than The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
I'd say yes Rusalka! The badges for the group reads are awarded for the discussion and you've been discussing the book over in the buddy read thread. Many of us have abandoned reading a book due to not liking it but badges have still been awarded if people have discussed it. It's not the same as the challenges where it has to be read within that month to qualify, after all, we award badges for those who have read a book months prior to the group read (as long as they discuss it). I'll see to it that a badge makes it to your wall.
Oops I didn't report mine... but maybe it's too late ;)I've read
and shared my thoughts on it in the white covers thread.I still don't know if I really liked it; the beginning was good, the story was original and emotional and great, but the way it is written was too repetitive for me.
I gave it three stars, it was a "meh" book for me.
Not too late Ariane. What did you think of it? (So I don't have to trawl through the thread).
Sarah wrote: "Not too late Ariane. What did you think of it? (So I don't have to trawl through the thread)."I just edited my post to write my thoughts on it ;)
Thanks Ariane. A badge is finding it's way on to your wall right now.
Any more for any more? I know Christmas and New Year may well have delayed people reporting.
Sarah wrote: "Thanks Ariane. A badge is finding it's way on to your wall right now."thank you!
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Room (other topics)Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (other topics)
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (other topics)
Mr. Mercedes (other topics)
The Winter People (other topics)
More...
After you have read your chosen book(s) for this month's group theme read, please report in the thread below.
Please state what book you read (and link it), that you discussed it (and where), and briefly summarise what you thought of the book and/or link to your review if you have written one.
Here is an example for how to report your read:
“I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and discussed it in the [Harry Potter/Buddy Read/Other books in theme] thread. I really enjoyed the book. I watched the film first so I already knew the storyline but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book more as there was more detail involved. Plus I listened to the audio which was narrated by Stephen Fry who is a superb narrator. 4 stars.”
If you read more than one book which fits the theme, please report all your reads in the same post rather than in separate posts.
In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have completed the book(s) before or during November 2015.
2. discussed it in the relevant thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favourite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in that thread.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread below, along with a brief summary of what you thought.