The Girl You Left Behind - Reading Schedule. (August Group Read)

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Sounds great Rebecca! I've got my copy ready to start. :-) Who is joining us on this one?

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Rebecca, I just went to mark my book, and some of the page numbers you list are in the middle of chapters in my copy. Did you end these on certain chapters? If so, could you list the chapters please. :-)

[Rebecca]

I can reformat it better. I will take a look at it tonight. Meg is starting her read on 24th so I will make sure we finish up before then. I have only read the first 10 pages but I am finding it moves quickly and is engaging so far.

[Rebecca]

Sheila I hope this works better. If not let me know.

August 1-8
Chapters 1-9
Pages 3-105

August 8-15
Chapters 9-16
pages 105-190

August 15-22
Chapters 17-29
pages 191-299

August 22
FINISH BOOK
Chapters 29-36
pages 289-363

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Works great, Rebecca. It makes it easier for me to know to stop at a certain chapter. :-)

[Rebecca]

Have you been able to start yet Sheila?

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Not yet. Hopefully get started tonight. :-)

[Rebecca]

Great.

[Jenna]

I'd love to join in... Who's the author so I can find it?

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Hi Jenna, we would love to have you join us! The books is:

The Girl You Left Behind
by Jojo Moyes

[Rebecca]

Welcome Jenna.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I got started on this one last night. Wow, sucked me in from the first chapter! I think I am really going to enjoy this one. It is VERY different from the other book we read by this author!

[Rebecca]

I am sucked in. I think the descriptive writing and the action from the start did it. Curious to know what made people want to read this book in particular?

[Nina]

I'm starting reading now :)

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Excellent Nina. Happy to have you joining us. :-)

Rebecca, I didn't vote for this book, so I can't really answer your question. LOL I was really expecting it to be a similar story to Me Before You, and it is not at all!

[Rebecca]

I am glad you are reading with us then Sheila. Its is very different the subject and the writing style.

I haven't figured out what I think of Sophie yet. I like this question. Does Edourd's portrait Sophie capture who she already was or who she had the potential to become?

The other question is how far would you go in order to feed yourself and your loved ones?

So far the hunger section and the though of eating weevils to survive has gotten to me. Since I have never been in that situation I can't only imagine what the sense of smell does to us when we are hunger let a lone starving.

I am excited for you to read with us Nina.

Let me know what you think about the pace. If we need to adjust it. I probably can finish it up sooner than I thought. I have finished this weeks reading.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I am unsure what to think of Sophie's portrait. I almost think it captures her potential. Her husband was able to see this in her, when most people probably didn't.

As to how far would you go to feed yourself and loved ones, I think that is hard to say depending on the situation, but if it was life or death, I could probably go pretty far. I think when it comes down to survival, many people are willing to do things they would not normally do or even consider.

[Nina]

I have now read the first 8 chapters and I haven't yet formed a clear picture if I like the writing or not. The start is written very describtive in the way of how people look and food, you can picture these people before you.

I have always tought that yiu can not judge another person on their actions before you have self been in the same position. I fo not known what I would do in a situation like sophie is in.

I think thatbthe "real" story has not even begun, thanstar has only been a back story.

[Rebecca]

We still have a few days but any thoughts you want to share about what you have read feel free to do so.

Jenna have you been able to get a copy of the book yet?

[Irene]

I have finished the first part and begun the second. Maybe it is that Iam distracted, but I am not getting into this book. I feel as if Sophie has shown up in so many novels, the strong woman who faces unimaginable hardships without ever cracking, never thinking of herself, the abused girl whose inner beauty is discovered and coaxed out by a "love at first sight" guy. The writing has not swept me away, although it is adequate to the task of this story.

I think that the portrait captures the radiance and self-confidence that a person often feels when they are in love.

Although I have no idea what I would do in a life or death situation, as an impartial reader, I have to say that the end can never justify the means.

[Rebecca]

I feel completely lost with this next section.
So far I haven't been able to make sense of what is going on other than the father and son disagreement over the painting.
I am not quite sure why she wrote more of a complete storyline and transitioned into a what seems to me fragmented bits and pieces of characters stories clumped together.
At this point I do fear some disappointment with the book.

[Irene]

Keep reading. I have read through chapter 16 and this turns into a regular story line as straight forward as the first. However, I am finding the romantic stuff a bit gag inducing.

[Rebecca]

Between Liv and Paul? I probably will get to 16 tonight. I will admit I am excited to finish this one up so I can move to Andersonville. :)

[Irene]

Yes, between Liv and Paul. I am finding Liv very irritating and her story overly melodramatic and less credible.

[Nina]

I have now read trough chapter 16 and I think I'm finally seeing how the storys are going to mix together. At first I was totally lost in the beginng of part two.

I felt that in this part she could have shorten the story by a chapter or two. I feel much of the wrighting was just filler, not important for the storytelling. I still do not understand what Mo had to do with the whole story.

[Irene]

I finished. I did not enjoy this enough to want to savor it. It was not my cup of tea, but I know that most GR comments I have seen about the book has been very good. I am in the minority.

Mo has nothing to do with the actual plot. She serves as someone to whom Liv talks, allowing the reader to see Liv's reactions and offering challenges/insights that create excuses for Liv to change her views.

[Rebecca]

I think most people have read up to chapter 16 so feel free to dicuss. I dont. I you have read ahead and want to share feel free. I dont sense that there is any earth shattering spoiler with this book??

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I have also read through chapter 16. Interesting book so far. I like the current day story. Though it seems amazingly easy for that detective ex-cop guy to find the painting. What are the odds? LOL

[Rebecca]

What do you think of Liv and Paul's relationship? What was Liv expecting of it?

[Irene]

I find it hard to believe that Liv can do this 180 with her grief. We see her nearly frozen with grief for four years, unable to open up to anyone. Then, Paul is tending bar when she gets drunk, and suddenly she is completely willing to leave her paralyzing grief behind and voila, intense passion.

[Nina]

I'm whit Irene, I find it strange that first we get a description of how Liv has not been able to move on from Davids death in four years and then "one night" chances it all.

I have now read trough chapter 29 and I still think that the book could be shorten by a couple chapters. I'm also better "on tha map" whit the book :)

I'm enjoying that ee get to see what happend to Sophie.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I also agree with Irene. For having been in severe grief for 4 years her "turn around" does seem very unrealistic.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Well I plowed through and finished this one last night (it is a quick read) so I am ready to discuss any part of it as we continue on. :-)

[Rebecca]

You all have been great. Thank you for your comments. So far I enjoy the painting conflict the most. I agree Sheila about it being unrealistic. Feel free to post anything you like at this point. I think I am the last one to finish up and will this week.

[Nina]

I also finnished this book last night and I'm ready to discuss :)

[Rebecca]

Is the book what you expected it to be and what you expected from this author? Did anything surprise you?

[Irene]

I do not know what I expected. After reading "Me Before You" I did expect a bit of realism, even if it was hard. But, this was just cheesy. The ending was so unbelievably convenient, the romance was so over the top, the characters were so made-for-a-soap-opera that I was VERY disappointed.

[Nina]

I have not read this author befor (but heard good things about her) so I didn't have any expections when I started this book. I can't say she left a very good first impression on me.

I tought that the present day story was not belivable and somehow it felt not well tought out. I liked Sophias story :)

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

I was expecting the book to be like "Me Before You" but then in the beginning, it seemed to be starting out so differently, so uniquely, that I thought we were going to get something different. But then it went into the cheesy, over the top ending. I didn't like the ending of "Me Before You" either, so maybe my idea of endings and this author's idea of endings just do not line up! LOL She seems to like to take the easy, convenient way out.

I wish it has stuck with being more of a historical novel, more of just Sophie's story, without all the silliness in the current day story of the painting.

[Irene]

I thought she avoided the over-the-top ending in Me Before You. There was no twelvth hour miracle in that one. But, this was just fairy tale sweet all around. I thought that she could have explored some tough themes in this one. To whom should art belong? Had there been no war, that portrait would have simply been passed down to family members. Whether or not the heirs appreciate the family inheritance the way its original owners did does not lessen their right to it. Or should art belong to the person to whom it conveys deep meaning? Is art more than property, more than the monitary value attributed to it? Instead, none of these issues were explored. It was a cheap love story with a last minute miraculous solution. As the court case was unfolding, I kept thinking that Liv could have asked for a print of the portrait to hold onto and given the original back. The image spoke to her and a print would have provided that. But, she was so convinced from the start that the painter's family was pure evil. I also could not figure out who these family members were. I am guessing that they were grand nieces or nephews, although we were never told of any family members of edouard at any point. We also kept being told that the family had disowned her and so had no right to her image, but the claimants have his surname, so it is not the same family members who condemned her. I found myself so confused about the identity of these discendants who wanted that painting.

[Rebecca]

Sheila I feel the same about the book. I am extremely disappointed after having read Me before You. I dont know about you but the way Liv acts toward Paul romantically and over the painting was just silly. Liv was almost childish because she wasn't getting her way. I didn't read this book before recommending and I should have. I appreciate all you comment and for those who hung in there with the book. Despite all I am sure I will be picking up her other out of curiosity to see if I like some of her others. She has written quite a few lately so we may luck out. :) I really wont be to sad when I finish.

[Irene]

Don't feel badly. I never recommend a book for a group read after reading it. I only suggest those I have not yet read, but want to and would like reading buddies to share it with. You should look at the archived discussion of Burges Boys which I suggested and facilitated last summer. I don't think there was a single good reaction to that one.

So, when will the thread be started for the September book? I have the responsibility to facilitate that one and it is quite short.

[Sheila , Supporting Chick]

Yes, Rebecca. Absolutely no need to feel bad. :-) Others wanted to read this too, and not every read is a great book that everyone loves. I actually enjoy hearing all sorts of opinions on books (both good and bad).

Irene, I will set up a thread for you for the September book, then you can post a reading schedule, etc. I'm off to do that now, so be on the look out!