To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

[Richard]

I joined this group because I am what Eddie Izzard would descibe as "thinly read" so I am looking forward to taking myself out of my comfort zone and reading something that I would not normally have taken a glance at.

[[deleted user]]

I thought we were reading between September and October......I am going to be starting this weekend I hope..fingers crossed...although I might re-read Watership Down again...lmao Nicolle....That last comment was just for u as u know how obsessed I am!!!! tee hee!!!!

[Nicolle]

Thanks so much Teri-Lynn, I appreciate you need to keep me informed!

[Dana]

Hello everybody! :) I'm re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time since I was in 9th grade, and I'm really enjoying it thus far. So far so good, I'm only on pg. 40. Scout is an amazing character. Her voice is so warm and fuzzy in its naivety. I'm only on pg. 40 for now, more to come soon!

[Martha]

I love all of the book, but I love the relationships of the kids the most. Having grown up in the south it all feels so familiar to me ... playing outside after dark, exploring. We played hide and seek after dark while the parents sat on porch stoops and visited. Impossible now, but such fun then. We never thought about danger. And Atticus ... isn't he the father every child deserves?!?! Mine left when I was 10 so by the time I read this story and then saw the movie, I knew that there were better fathers out there and they had Gregory Peck's face! LOL

[Miss.terri]

Martha wrote: "I love all of the book, but I love the relationships of the kids the most. Having grown up in the south it all feels so familiar to me ... playing outside after dark, exploring. We played hide and ..."

OMG! I played hide and seek in the dark when I was I high school and had a blast! I also grew up in southern states (military family). There is just a different feel now having lived in some northern states. I liked them...don't get me wrong but I am still a southern girl at heart even with living in the great state of Alaska.

[Martha]

I was born in Florida (Dad was working as a civilian for the Navy), lived in Georgia (Ft. Gordon), Alabama (Dad was in Korea) & Louisiana (Ft. Polk). I ended up in Illinois b/c I married a soldier ... something I said I would NEVER do! LOL Illinois is his home. Now he wants to move south, but I won't leave b/c our kids and grandkids live here! Funny world.

[vasiliki]

i <3 hobbit..i first read it when i was 13 n' i was so captivated by the story that i now reread it every summer-j.r.r.tolkien's one of my favorite writers!!!

[Miss.terri]

Martha wrote: "I was born in Florida (Dad was working as a civilian for the Navy), lived in Georgia (Ft. Gordon), Alabama (Dad was in Korea) & Louisiana (Ft. Polk). I ended up in Illinois b/c I married a soldier ..."

I never said never! Lol! Dad was a military man and so was my husband. That is what brought us to Alaska and we stayed after he retired. I am a Georgia peach.

[Miss.terri]

I have started To Kill A Mockingbird. If the thread of humor keeps on though the book, I know I will love it.

[Jill]

Love this.. '--I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.' -Atticus Finch

Reading this as a 27 year old versus a ninth grader makes a huge difference for me. There's several things that makes my surprised my uber conservative high school let us read about in this book.. I didn't remember them.. But just surprised. Won't say more as I know its not officially September and I'm way ahead. But enjoying rediscovering this book!

[Uday]

I wanted to read it. Watched the movie about 4 or 5 years back. But as I love reading, I want to read it now. I am traveling this weekend so may be I will start reading from mid of September.

[Lauren]

I just picked up my copies of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hobbit. I am excited to have found this site and joined this club. Looking forward to more discussions.

[Jimmy]

Now I have started re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I am reminded that one of the things I liked was the great sense of place it has. The American Deep South is quite different to the North of England, and there a few terms I'm not familiar with, so as re-reading the book I want to gain a bit more understanding I wonder if friends across the Atlantic would care to elaborate on these terms:

Chapt1 - 'flivver' (i googled this so now know what it means but may be helpful to others).
Chapt1 - 'Tom Swift', I have not seen this in the UK, but are these books still popular
Chapt4 - Indian heads - would these still have been legal tender in the setting of the book
Chapt6 - 'collards' - a sort of cabbage?
Chapt8 - 'Lane Cake', now I like cakes so this is really want prompted me, I've not heard of this. I occaisonally bake (Ginger cake today!) so if anyone has tried it, let me know if it was good.

[Miss.terri]

Jimmy wrote: "Now I have started re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I am reminded that one of the things I liked was the great sense of place it has. The American Deep South is quite different to the North of En..."

Indian Heads are pennies. Back in the day and as it is today also, sometimes, the powers that be change the way a coin looks. Indian Heads had the imprint of an American Indian on one side of the coin. Their value is greater today than the amount of a penny because of their age and rarity and also because they are a collector's item.

Collards are like a Kale. They are considered in the category of greens. The leaf and stems are thicker and hardier. They take a little longer to cook because of the thickness of the green. They are sort of like a staple food of the south.

As for “flivver”, “Tom Swift”, and “Lane Cake”, I have heard of the later two before but am not familiar enough to venture an explanation. Maybe someone else can inform both of us.

[Martha]

Jimmy wrote: "Now I have started re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I am reminded that one of the things I liked was the great sense of place it has. The American Deep South is quite different to the North of En..."

My parents separated when I was 10 & my father always wanted my mother's recipe for Lane Cake. She would never give it to anyone. I remember the smell as she was preparing it and I enjoyed helping. It's one of my favorite things. Instead of frosting or icing, it had a filling of ground items (raisins, coconut & nuts I believe). The real treat was the shot of bourbon poured over it every morning. Lifting the lid on that old cake pan was quite potent after a few days, as you can imagine.

[Goosegirl]

Breanna wrote: "Goosegirl wrote: "Miss.terri wrote: "I have never read To Kill A Mockingbird. I have always heard it spoken of in good terms and am looking forward to reading it."

Me too, I hear alot of good thi..."

Hiya, thanks for that comment. I am about half way through now and I am really enjoying it so far. Yeah, I will definitely checking that movie out afterward.

[Jimmy]

Thanks miss.terri and Martha. I think I might need to check out this Lane Cake, although it sounds like a special occaison would be required.

[Richard]

Well, I originally planned to read this over the course of the next week or so having never read it before. However, I started it yesterday and by the time I was 100 pages in I was utterly hooked. The characters (especially Atticus and Scout) are so engaging and I ended up finishing the book in one sitting in the sunshine in my garden this afternoon.
Having never even seen the film, my only prior knowledge was that it was about a trial, and although that is a hugely important part of the book, it certainly doesn't dominate the first part of the book, this is used to make you fall in love with the characters.
Thank you so much for recommending this book, I cannot wait to discover more gems that I am currently unaware of!

[Martha]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Andrew! I haven't started it yet b/c I know that I'll do the exact same thing. So I'm taking it to the lake with me this weekend. Do watch the film. Gregory Peck is wonderful as Atticus. All the cast is great, but he's the best IMO.

Here's a link you might find interesting

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/0...

[Martha]

In case you're interested in learning more about Harper Lee, here's a link to a biography that I read.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

[Richard]

Thanks Martha, will definitely have a look at the film, I read the article as well. Pity she decided she wouldn't be able to top this book, the first thing I did when I finished it was try and find something else she had written!

[Ankita]

I'm joining in right now. Just got my hands on a copy! Happy reading everyone (:

[Amanda]

So, I just started reading last night. I had trouble going to sleep because I wanted to keep reading. I was one of those kids who tried reading TKAM in high school, but found it completely boring. I think I was too young to appreciate the writing. Harper Lee has a wonderful style that just draws me in. I love how much detail she adds to everything. I live in the south and she has made me fall in love all over again with my home, just like I have with all of the characters. Dill cracks me up! :)

On a different note, has anyone read the review by Meghan Conrad on the TKAM page? I do not feel the same as she does, but I did find her point of view interesting and worth pointing out. I have been sucked in by this book in just the first few chapters. I work in a Library and I'm allowed to read at work and I am kicking myself for forgetting my copy at home! I could go upstairs and grab a copy but I've got other reading to complete today... Ok, I'm digressing. Just go check this review out. It was quite interesting. :)

Happy Reading!!!

[Amy]

I'm really looking forward to reading this. Think I will tackle this one before I read The Hobbit.

[Sam]

I started this on Wed (Aug 31st!!!) and finished it on September 1st! WOW, that is all my brain is able to put forth. I do not feel as though I have the verbal capacity to give To Kill A Mockinbird justice. Having grown up in a different country I did not read this in school, and I am glad I waited til my 30s to give it a go. This is now one of my fave books of all time ;)

[Jill]

I finished today, and as many others have written didn't intend to read it that quickly! I really enjoyed this book. Having grown up in Texas, and visiting my grandparents in the country often, I felt at home with the characters and setting. Though we have come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement, it breaks my heart that in some parts of this country (at least in my opinion) the trial may have had the same outcome for the same reasons.

Regardless, fantastic book. Glad we chose to read it!

[1verylovedmom]

I am so excited to read "To Kill a Mockingbird". I watched the movie with my favorite aunt when I was in 4th or 5th grade and I fell in love with it. That movie cultivated my love for classic movies. Now I am anxious to read the book because books are usually better than the movies and I am hoping it will cultivated a love for classic literature.

[Melissa Jeanette]

@Jimmy - I'm so glad you asked those questions, I had no idea what any of those things were either. Very Interesting.

I also read this in High School and I didn't love it. I'm really looking forward to revisiting it since I didn't like Steinbeck then either but now I love him. Now if only my copy would hurry up and arrive!

[Miss.terri]

Jimmy wrote: "Thanks miss.terri and Martha. I think I might need to check out this Lane Cake, although it sounds like a special occaison would be required."

I found this information on the net:

The Lane cake, one of Alabama's more famous culinary specialties, was created by Emma Rylander Lane of Clayton, Barbour County. It is a type of white sponge cake made with egg whites and consists of four layers that are filled with a mixture of the egg yolks, butter, sugar, raisins, and whiskey. The cake is frosted with a boiled, fluffy white confection of water, sugar, and whipped egg whites. The cake is typically served in the South at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and other special occasions. The recipe was first printed in Lane's cookbook Some Good Things to Eat, which she self-published in 1898.

In Alabama, and throughout the South, the presentation of an elegant, scratch-made, laborious Lane cake is a sign that a noteworthy life event is about to be celebrated. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Alabama native Harper Lee, character Maudie Atkinson bakes a Lane cake to welcome Aunt Alexandra when she comes to live with the Finch family. Noting the cake's alcoholic kick, the character Scout remarks, "Miss Maudie baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight." Shinny is a slang term for liquor.

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/...

Now to find a recipe!!

[Rosanna]

Hello Everyone!! I'm new to the group but thought I'd jump right on in. I read To Kill a Mockingbird May of this year and thought it was a great coming of age story about life in the South, during a time when racial injustice was rampant. Here’s a link to my review for those who care to read: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Here’s Miss Maudie’s Famous Lane Cake recipe from Sarah Gardner’s Read it and Eat:
For the Cake:
1 cup butter plus some for greasing the pans
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 ¾ cups cake flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
8 large egg yolks
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped candied cherries
1 cup chopped raisins
1/3 cup bourbon

For the Frosting:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup water
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while beating at high speed. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. In a large bowl mix the flour, milk, butter, baking powder, salt, and vanilla at low speed; increase to medium when combined and continue to beat for another 4 minutes. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes, in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling: Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the coconut, pecans, candied cherries, raisins, and bourbon. Set aside.
To make the frosting: Place all the frosting ingredients in the top of a double boiler and beat with a handheld mixer at high speed for about 1 minute. Place over rapidly boiling water and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Pour into a large bowl and beat until thick enough to spread. Set aside.
Cut each cake layer in half horizontally (making 4 layers). Place the first layer on a serving plate and spread a third of the filling on top. Repeat with the remaining layers, then frost the cake on top and sides. Happy Baking!!

[Ashley Lewis]

My all time favorite book. I have been looking for an excuse to re-read this for awhile now. YAY!

[Miss.terri]

@ Rosanna :

You are awesome! Thanks for the receipe!

[KatLynne]

I hope to begin this soon Nicolle. Read this many years ago and loved it.

[Amy]

I'm enjoying the book so far, read the first 4 chapters yesterday. Took me a moment to turn on my mental translator, the part of your brain that can decipher unfamiliar terms or phrases. I am continually pulled back to my childhood as I read, where I grew up in a small town of less than 100 people and spent all my time outside playing with a family of 4 girls, my "extra sisters". I thought we made up some fun stuff....and I grew up about 15 miles from the Canadian border. Can't get much farther from the South!

[Maggie]

Just finished and really enjoyed TKAM! What really hit home for me was the relationship between Atticus and his children. He does such a wonderful job with instilling a level of conscience and morality in them. And not just that, he holds himself to such a high standard as well. The idea of behaving so that we as parents are able to look our children in the eye...something that will stay with me.

[[deleted user]]

Desiree wrote: "The worst enemy of parenthood is hypocrisy."

Couldn't agree more, Desiree. Moreover, children can gauge the hypocrisy of their parents.

I was pleased with the humor and the way plot develops. Atticus does a good job of being a father. But why does Finch children call him with his name, though ? Was it a common culture in (southern states of) US ?

[Miss.terri]

Malkesh wrote: "Desiree wrote: "The worst enemy of parenthood is hypocrisy."

Couldn't agree more, Desiree. Moreover, children can gauge the hypocrisy of their parents.

I was pleased with the humor and the way pl..."


I was wondering the samething. I was born in Georgia but never called my parents by their first name. I never heard any of my friends call their parent by their first name either.

[Martha]

I'm from the south (Louisiana) and don't think it was common. My DIL calls her mother by her first name and it drives my son crazy! LOL

[Danita]

I joined this group recently because I want to broaden my reading horizons. It is so easy for me to get "stuck" with a favorite author, lol.

[Melissa Jeanette]

I'm loving this book! I'm really enjoying watching the events through the eyes of Scout. I remember reading this in High School (18+ years ago - Wow! I haven't done the math on that in a while!), and I was indifferent. Now I both want to read faster to see what happens and to slow down and enjoy each scene.

[Jill]

Malkesh, I had the same question! Someone else gave a pretty good response (though we agreed that it's all speculation). As someone who who grew up in Texas/has traveled all around the south, I don't think it's common either..

[Madison]

I just joined this group and I am very excited to get started. I have a couple of exams coming up so my reading consists of textbooks and test preps, but I really want to work in at least one of the books on the list for the next two months, so I've chosen To Kill a Mockingbird. I read this my Freshmen year of high school and my mom recently helped put on a play of this story, so I'm anxious to give it a closer read.

[[deleted user]]

Ok, so, it is Sunday morning and I am just about to start TKAM. After reading the comments on here I can't wait to get stuck in! I'm hoping it is one of those books that completely hooks me in and keeps me reading and reading! I've not fond a book like that for a while but it seems this might have the potential!

[Melissa Jeanette]

Sarah wrote: "Ok, so, it is Sunday morning and I am just about to start TKAM. After reading the comments on here I can't wait to get stuck in! I'm hoping it is one of those books that completely hooks me in and ..."

By the third chapter I was totally hooked! I bet you will be too. :)

[Martha]

I finished it yesterday at the lake ... so good. I just love the book ... in a week or so I'm planning to watch the movie.

[Melissa Jeanette]

Martha wrote: "I finished it yesterday at the lake ... so good. I just love the book ... in a week or so I'm planning to watch the movie."

I had a gal at the park tell me TKAM is her favorite book and that I'll fall in love with Gregory Peck once I see the movie because he is Atticus. I'm excited about seeing it once I finish as well!

[Miss.terri]

I have not seen the movie yet...ever. I am probably 3/4 the way thought the book. I am loving the book. I kick myself in the butt for forgetting to put it in my purse when I am out. When I finish the book I will look for the movie to watch. I have heard very good things about it....mainly what has already been discussed previously.

[Hermione]

I love this book so much! It's the third time I've read it, and it seems to get better and better every time... Has anyone seen the film? I definitely need to watch it when I finish TKAM. Any reviews?

[Martha]

I've seen it numerous times and consider it a masterpiece of casting. The story is wonderful, of course, and I can picture them as I read it each section. Truly wonderful.