Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, by Matthew Quick → Start Date: May 29, 2015

[Vicki]

Please join Cassie, Jessica, and me when we read this one!

Emily, let me know if this date doesn't work for you and we can change it.

[Emily]

It works for me, but this wasn't the book I was planning on reading :) this is the one you were reading with Cassie. LOL

[Jessica]

Yeah, I think we were planning on Throne of Glass for June 13.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

OMG This one is so good. I read as an audio book. I hope you guys love it! it's a very tough but very good book

[Vicki]

lol omg I was in a hurry! Let me check when I'm home & see how I can fix it lol

[Joni]

If you guys are planning to do this one at all I would like to join!

[Vicki]

Okay, sorry everybody for my blunder. LOL I went ahead and put this in the TBD category until Cassie gets her book and then we can decide on a date. I'm sorry if I confused anyone.

[Cassie]

Hahaha I just saw this all now! xD

But according to my email Barns and Noble will be shipping the books tomorrow. So I'm hopefully expecting them by Friday at latest! Anyone is free to join, I'm so excited to read it with you Vicki and Jessica!

[Vicki]

I'm excited too!! Once you get your book we will set a date. Post here as soon as you get it!

[Cassie]

The book is scheduled to arrive Saturday!

[Vicki]

Awesome! How about Sarah Dessen's book?

[Cassie]

I have the book! So let's set a date! I'm open from May 22 to whenever!

[Vicki]

Then how about May 22?

Joni, would that work for you, too?

[Cassie]

That can work!

[Cassie]

I also just put the Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen book on hold. I am number 2 in the holds list so I am not sure as to when I'll receive the book.

[Vicki]

I'll go ahead and change this one for May 22.

Joni, if that doesn't work for you, let me know and I can always change the date.

[Jessica]

Would anybody be able to push this back a week to the 29th? I'm going away on the 22nd but if this is the only date that works I'll try to for it in.

[Cassie]

Jessica wrote: "Would anybody be able to push this back a week to the 29th? I'm going away on the 22nd but if this is the only date that works I'll try to for it in."

I'm fine with that. Let's just see what Vicki has to say regarding it. (:

[Vicki]

I'm okay with that.

[Cassie]

Okay then 29th it is then.

[Joni]

Yes 29th works for me as well. Sorry been a little under the weather this week!!

[Vicki]

Sorry to hear that, Joni.

[Cassie]

I'm so excited to start this! Might start it even tonight.

[Joni]

Thanks Vicki. Apparently hubby will be off this weekend and I will have no reading time so I blew through this today. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what you guys think.

[Cassie]

I'm starting it tonight!

[Vicki]

Joni, you didn't post any comments on the chapters you read. LOL

I finished Ch. 14

I hope that (view spoiler)[Leonard does not follow through with his plans. (hide spoiler)]

Baback (view spoiler)[sure seems to have a spot in Leonard's heart. Maybe his music will somehow get through to Leonard and he'll give up his ideas of death. (hide spoiler)]

So far I (view spoiler)[hate the language used and all of the racial slurs! (hide spoiler)]

[Cassie]

Wow Vicki you made major progress through this? How can one such as you can? Share with me your special reading powers!!! (:

[Joni]

Sorry Vicki. Shockingly I read the whole thing and didn't want to spoil any of it for anyone. I will have to do the spoilers on my laptop.

[Vicki]

Cassie, my special powers is an audiobook. I have both the regular hardback book and an audiobook so whenever I'm driving or doing something where I can't read my book I'm listening to the audiobook and it's really quick.

[Vicki]

Finished Ch. 22

One thing I wanted to address is (view spoiler)[how Leonard had said early on in the book that people post the correct say to commit suicide. It breaks my heart to think of this because SO many young people feel like when they are having a problem that there is no other way out but to commit suicide. I find suicide runs through so many YA books. I guess it's a subject that teens are curious about, but it also worries me that a troubled teen might feel encouraged to commit suicide. We had a female student at our high school who went in front of a train to kill herself about two months ago. SO tragic!! (hide spoiler)]

Herr Sterling is a (view spoiler)[rare teacher who would pick up on something being wrong with Leonard. I really like how he encouraged Leonard to talk with him about any issues he's going through right now. So many kids think that no one really wants to hear what they have to say or their problems. I say that based on class discussions. And that scares me. If you can't talk over your problems and discuss options, what else do you have but suicide? That's thought people have like they are at a dead end (pun intended). (hide spoiler)]

Lauren (view spoiler)[and his crush on her was cracking me up. When he was pretending to be interested in religion and asking her so many questions, I thought wow. I've seen those type of questions turn a person's heart to Christ before. Atheists who've set out to prove Christ wrong that ended up believing in him. Anyway I was busting up when he was describing the pamphlet she handed out that showed a boy lusting after a girl and his thoughts he might be having as he realized his sis. LOL (hide spoiler)]

I guess Jackson (view spoiler)[was a shocker to Leonard. Poor Lauren! Leonard's response must have thrown her! But she might have been his one reason for possibly not going through with suicide. (hide spoiler)]

Oh, and when Leonard asked Lauren to (view spoiler)[pray for him, her response was so wrong! But when she said she was going to pray for him daily and she never lied, I think he liked that connection of her thinking of him every day. When he started having more thoughts of killing Asher he sensed she'd stopped praying. She sure makes it difficult for him to get close to her. LOL He asked why he'd have to go for a "Jesus freak," and I'd say maybe it was God's hands on the wheel. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished Ch. 35

Oh my gosh! (view spoiler)[Poor Leonard and his first kiss. LOL (hide spoiler)]

Uncle Dan (view spoiler)[ is such a PIG!!! I am SO SAD and ANGRY that there are people like this in the world. People like him RUIN a person's life, and then that person's life is ruined, and so on...a vicious cycle. (hide spoiler)]

When Asher and Leonard (view spoiler)[had sex and Asher showed him "hot to feel good" they were only TWELVE! That I can totally blame on Uncle Dan. Such innocence lost. So sad for both of those boys. (hide spoiler)]

I am REALLY glad that (view spoiler)[Leonard didn't kill Asher. And thank God his gun didn't work and he called Herr Silverman. That teacher is a godsend! I have never heard of the pink triangle. I wonder if that was really what happened. I've just never read about that before. I worried when Leonard left. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashwini]

omg I loved this book and I know book are better than movies, always. but, they should make it into a movie and cast miles teller as Leonard! who agrees?

[Vicki]

Ashwini wrote: "omg I loved this book and I know book are better than movies, always. but, they should make it into a movie and cast miles teller as Leonard! who agrees?"
I agree! :o)

[Vicki]

Finished and wow!

Linda (view spoiler)[makes me sick! What kind of mother forgets her son's 18th birthday? Then she chews him out for what he told Silverman. Women like her should NEVER have children!! She is too into herself to take the time to realize that Herr Silverman would never have called her unless there was something to it and that her SON wasn't just being a drama king! She ticked me off when she didn't even fix or eat the pancakes with him. ugh...rotten mother! (hide spoiler)]

The end of the book (view spoiler)[was really beautiful. I'm so glad that he had Silverman and that Leonard lived to realize his letter of having a wife and daughter.Wow! Her 18th birthday brought me to tears. He turned out to be a GOOD dad in spite of his life/mother or perhaps because of it. Either way it was a beautiful ending! (hide spoiler)]

[Cassie]

SPOILERS MAY BE CONTAINED, I HAVE NO ACCESS TO A COMPUTER TO EDIT THIS INTO THE SPOILER FORMAT, SO FOR NOW MY COMMENTS MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS

I am currently mid way through chapter 21. I literally cannot put this book down! I'm very curious as to what the secret between Asher and him is. I find it also interesting how his mother can just leave him home alone all the time without it becoming a problem? Isn't it illegal to let a child live alone like that? Correct me if I'm wrong please. Leonard is certainly older then his age, his personality to me doesn't fit his age group. And the incident with that 1970s lady he followed off the train one day? Can someone explain to me why she supposed he was a pervert for following her although he explained why as such he was?

[Jessica]

Wow, you flew through this one, Vicki! I got through chapter 14 I believe last night and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm at work right now so I'll post my spoilers later.

[Jessica]

I am so sorry that posted so many times. I'll delete the extras once I get home. Sorry!!!

[Vicki]

LOL Jessica, it's too funny! Leave them. I think it's cute. Ha ha ha!

[Cassie]

I have finished the book! I have many different emotions but to keep it spoiler free I will wait till I get home tomorrow to say my thoughts. (:

[Jessica]

Vicki wrote: "Finished Ch. 22

One thing I wanted to address is [spoilers removed]

Herr Sterling is a [spoilers removed]

Lauren [spoilers removed]

I guess Jackson [spoilers removed]

Oh, and when Leonard aske..."

(view spoiler)[ I agree with pretty much everything you've said so far, especially about suicide. It's so sad that so many young people think it's the only way out of their problems. There was a young student in my town a couple of years ago who commit suicide and it's just so awful. I hate that information like that is available to anybody on the internet. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Cassie wrote: "SPOILERS MAY BE CONTAINED, I HAVE NO ACCESS TO A COMPUTER TO EDIT THIS INTO THE SPOILER FORMAT, SO FOR NOW MY COMMENTS MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS

I am currently mid way through chapter 21. I literally c..."

(view spoiler)[ I think it was probably scaring her that a random boy was following her; women have to be very careful walking by themselves. I definitely think it's wrong for his mother to live him alone like that but I'm not too sure what the law has to say about that. I'm curious too. I'm also super interested in what the deal with Leonard and Asher is! I'm wondering if it was a fight or I'm not sure what else it could be. (hide spoiler)]

I'm trying my hardest to finish this tonight because I've got a lot of studying and homework to do tomorrow.

[Jessica]

Just finished!!

(view spoiler)[ Linda is such an awful mother. She shouldn't have treated Leonard the way she did, especially leaving him home alone while she's in New York with her boyfriend. It's disgusting. The ending made me really happy that everything turns out okay. Herr Silverman is an amazing person! There are truly some great teachers and people in general who actually care. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I really liked this book! It didn't absolutely blow me away but it was a very good read!

[Vicki]

That's pretty much exactly how I felt when I rated it, Jessica. I'm glad you liked it, too.

Cassie, I'd agree with what Jessica said regarding why that woman called him that.

[Joni]

HI. I Finally have access to my computer. I'm glad everyone seemed to enjoy this book.
My only issues were that Leonard (view spoiler)[ tried to force Lauren to kiss him, which wasn't right.
Also I don't see how he ever got continuing help that he definitely needed. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Good point, Joni.