Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - Starting November 1, 2016

[Jackie]

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

[Jackie]

Bookbuyer and Kaylin will be reading this starting 1 November, 2016. Feel free to join at any point throughout the month and happy reading.

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

I'm currently listening to the audio since my stupid online library thing wouldn't download any of my non audiobooks. I have it on hold at the library for a physical book. :/

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

The formatting is weird. I guess I didn't expect it to be in the form of 'letter'. Was that in the description??? O.o

[Kaylin]

I'm 10% into this book and still trying to understand the format. I'd seen it mentioned that Bee was going to have to read emails and letters to try and find her mother, but I didn't anticipate so much of the book would be composed of those emails and letters.

So far it's a little all over the place. I'm hoping things start to come together.

Are you still listening to the audiobook? I imagine that would be confusing with all the emails and letters. :P

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

Kaylin wrote: "I'm 10% into this book and still trying to understand the format. I'd seen it mentioned that Bee was going to have to read emails and letters to try and find her mother, but I didn't anticipate so ..."

No, I was able to download the ebook on my library overdrive finally. Apparently the old sign in and out again was the key. lol.

I also put it on hold at the library for the physical books since I tend to do better with those. So I have three formats of the book! O.O :P

[Kaylin]

Oh goodness! XD You'll have to compare and contrast and see if it makes a difference.

I'm entering part two of the book now, and still slightly confused. The setting feels really strong, and there are several secondary characters who seem really similar, but add to that setting. But there's just a lot of random things happening, I feel like.

And the format is still throwing me off, it jumps back and forth from really personal and not super realistic emails to Bee's narrative without much preamble, and it's all kinds running together.

[Kaylin]

Finished part two.

(view spoiler)[ I think I may have liked the first part better, thought the second certainly revealed more about the characters. I really liked Bernadette's Twenty-Mile House, and think it adds a lot to her character. But her letter after the interview, didn't seem to add anything I didn't know, except more explicit explain Bernadette's dissatisfaction with the different pieces in her life. And it just felt absurdly long.

Still not sure what I think of this format. Or the fact that I'm halfway into the book and Bernadette hasn't left yet... (hide spoiler)]

[Kaylin]

Finished part three.

(view spoiler)[ I don't understand all the hooplah about this TED Talk. Thinking Soo-Lin kinda has a thing for Bee's dad. And Audrey needs to take off her rose colored glasses when it comes to Kyle. (hide spoiler)]

[Kaylin]

Finished part four and five:

(view spoiler)[ This whole book really picked up for me during Bernadette's intervention. It's still nothing like I was expecting, but it has it's own quirky humor that's built upon itself. I also really liked that it was finally stated all the emails were gathered by Audrey and pieced together with Bee's narrative, which makes the first half of the book make more sense to me. I just don't understand how I'm still reading Soo Lin and Audrey's emails if they are taking place after Bee's book was compiled. (hide spoiler)]

[Kaylin]

Finished this last night!

(view spoiler)[ The ending letter seemed a little redundant and the way they found Bernadette seemed a little too fantastic for me, but I really enjoyed how everything came together. I appreciated they effort that was put into Bee and her father's relationship towards the end, and still loved Bee's relationship with Bernadette. (hide spoiler)]