Book Club Reads in 2016

This year's Book Group reads have run the gamut from Sci Fi to classics to popular fiction. We have read it all. Here's a list of all our books this year.
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar (Interesting read) Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (slow, but great imagery of the horrors in war) The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (my favorite) The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi (scary look at our future) The Best of Connie Willis by Connie Willis (did not read) Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (enjoyed this non-fiction) The Dinner by Herman Koch (disturbing, unlikeable characters, good) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks (dnf) A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore (currently reading)


Happy Reading!

Current Read: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

"No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred, five-year-old Peekay learns the hard way the first secret of survival and self-preservation - the power of one. An encounter with amateur boxer Hoppie Groenewald inspires in Peekay a fiery ambition - to be welterweight champion of the world."

Book Group choice for March.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Read for Book Group. Another book I wouldn't have chosen on my own

For being a book about the Spanish Civil War and the intricacies of the political aspect of it, it could have been a very difficult read to get through. It wasn't easy, but the descriptive storytelling of Orwell's own personal experience made it interesting and palpable. I was lucky enough to have a copy that had the political explanation chapters in the appendix. I may have skipped those. 

A depressing and disillusioned, un-romanticized look at war through the eyes of a great writer. The descriptions were so real. I still feel itchy after reading about the lice in their trousers. Ick.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

Very well presented description of events leading up to the hikers' disappearance, the initial search and investigation into their deaths and the author's own investigation. This story was intriguing and the author's conclusion about what happened is believable. This story was amazing and seemed straight out of an X Files episode. 

As usual, I am always amazed at people who find trekking into the mountains in treacherous conditions fun. It is not something I would want to do. I just don't understand the appeal.

Really enjoyed this and can't wait for book group to discuss. 

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks 293 pages, Paperback First published August 1988, Harper Prism
I really love the diversity of books we read in my book group. This was chosen by our lone male at the moment. Science Fiction is not a genre I usually read. There have been some I have read and enjoyed on recommendation by the hubby but I don't usually read them on my own. Glad to have read this one, too.
It's an interesting premise. A master game player, Jernau Gurgeh,  is recruited to travel to the Empire of Azad to play the ultimate in games- the game of Azad. The winner becomes Emperor. What is the point of Gurgeh going and participating? Is it for his entertainment, a mission by The Culture to infiltrate Azad? It is hard to know when everyone is playing a game.
This book had me so enthralled. I listened to it in the car and read my copy when I was home. So much going on behind the scenes of such a quiet book. I never knew who to trust, or who was who. I will be reading more of Banks' Culture series. 
December/January Book Choice: Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Current Read: The Player of Games by Iain Banks

"This is the story of a man who went far away for a long time, just to play a game. The man is a game- player called 'Gurgeh'. The story starts with a battle that is not a battle, and ends with a game that is not a game." page 1, The Player of Games by Iain Banks.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Click on book cover for details from GoodReads.

"Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America"
Quite a tagline to live up to. 
I just kept wondering which of the 3M's is meant for the architects and builders of the White City. I think all three fit them just fine.
The Devil in the White City tells three simultaneous stories that took place in Chicago, circa 1893. The construction of, and the drama surrounding, the World Fair and the people who envisioned it. Holmes, a serial killer who lured victims to his World Fair Hotel. And a deluded man obsessed with Mayor Harrison.
Larson's storytelling helps make these historical events very palatable. I am usually not very apt to reading nonfiction, but this read almost as fiction- full of suspense and intrigue. I really thought the story of Holmes would be what I enjoyed the most, but it was the building of the World Fair and what went into getting it ready that I found most interesting. 
Really enjoyed this. Perfect read for RIP X. Glad it got picked for Book Group! 
I am hosting our meeting next week. Can't wait to hear if everyone else enjoyed it, too. Those of you who have read it, any ideas for food tie-ins? We like to take ideas from the book, but this one doesn't offer up much in ideas. Cracker Jacks and Pabst Blue Ribbon is what I have so far. :)

Next book: The Quick by Lauren Owen   Happy Reading! _________________________________________

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

"A Tiffany Aching Adventure"

Armed with a frying pan and the help of some little, but fierce, blue men in kilts, Tiffany Aching is on a mission to find her brother and return him home.

She will have to battle monsters, enter another world and attempt to steal her brother back from the faerie queen. As a witch, she has some advantages, but she has just discovered she is one, so it's all a bit new to her. 

Fun book. Love the Nac Mac Feele's. Their speech takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get it- so much more enjoyable. 

This was a really great book to get to reread for book group. Again, I had to miss the meeting, but really hope the others enjoyed it just as much. I have read all the Tiffany Aching books, and now feel the need to read all the other books in the DiscWorld series. Now to figure out where to start.

July Book Club Selection ( a little late with my review)

August Selection: Horns by Joe Hill (my review from 2011)
September/October Selection: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History by Donna Tartt ebook, 547 pages First Published September 1992, Knopf
Source: purchased 
A California kid from a working class family manages to get in to an East Coast College and tries to fit in with all the rich, upper class kids in his Classics courses. They are a strange bunch, who happen to kill someone, but he is still determined to be a part of their group. 
This book was so long. Almost 600 pages. About three hundred pages in we finally find out what happened to Bunny. Then there are almost 300 more pages, including a really long Epilogue. This story could have been told in half the pages. 
So long, and yet I kept reading. I wanted to know what happened to Bunny so I kept reading. 
None of the characters are very likable- all very self-absorbed, lazy, drunk kids that don't see any consequences for their actions. They are interesting, but unlikable. I usually enjoy reading about elitist societies but this was different somehow. Perhaps because it was so hard to pinpoint the time period that this story takes place in. I believe it is supposed to be the late 80's or early 90's but it read so much older. I characters dressed and spoke as if it were the 50's or 60's. It was confusing and threw me off when something more current was mentioned.
So, it is hard to say if I liked or disliked this one. The writing is great, the murder and its suspense was intriguing. It is going to make for some interesting discussion in book group next week. Can't wait to hear what the others thought about it. 



Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild by Cheryl Strayed 315 pages, Paperback Published March 2013, Vintage Books
Source: Purchased 

I was a little worried that this was going to be another Into the Wild where I had absolutely no sympathy for the main character and his unpreparedness. I thought this could easily go that route, but for some reason, I understood her need to get away and her reason for thinking she could do it.
Cheryl Strayed was as prepared as she could be for the state she was in at that time. Having lost her mother, dealing with childhood abuse, entertaining risky behavior- heroin, unprotected sex, etc and a subsequent divorce- she deserved a second chance and her restart was this trek along the Pacific Coast Trail.
Yes, she was unprepared and naive about what it would entail, but she managed to meet her goal. With the help of others, despite some setbacks, injuries and scary encounters, Cheryl survived the wilderness. But surviving everything before the PCT to become a successful writer, a wife and a mother was the real accomplishment.
I can't wait to here the thoughts of the others in my book group.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 384 pages, Mass market Paperback Pubished July 2002, Avon, Reprint Edition
Source: purchased
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
How had I not read this before? Wow. I absolutely loved it.  The foreshadowing and build up of Manderley, the first person retelling of the new Mrs. de Winter of how she came to Manderley and what she did- Perfection. I especially enjoyed when she would imagine what was happening elsewhere or conversations between others that had occurred years prior. Her mind works a bit like mine- dwelling on what others are saying, doing and playing it out all in her head. 
My first introduction to the strange character of Mrs Danvers, was actually in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books. This was years ago, and still I never felt the need to pick up this book. Finally, for book group, I got the chance and I couldn't put it down. It may need a reread again very soon. I feel like little details could easily have been missed as I sped through to find out what exactly happened to Rebecca. 
Aw, Rebecca. So loved by all, presumably. How could the new Mrs. de Winter compare? Really enjoyed learning all about her slivers of information given by Mrs. Danvers, the staff,  neighbors and Max. The side looks, the resistance to talk about her- all so mysterious.
Have you all read Rebecca? What did you think about it?
Happy Reading! _________________________________________

Review: Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

audiobook

Publised April 2014, MacMillan Audio

Source: giveaway win through Reading Group Choices 

First, about the audio...

Ron Livingston narrates Keep Quiet and, I have to say, I was impressed. He is very good with voices for all the different characters and the pace is nice and quick, but not too fast. Reading/Listening went very quick. It was easy to listen to and get sucked into the story on my 45 minute commute into the city every Thursday for ceramics and during my 3 mile walks. 

Now, about the story...

Jake and his son Ryan find themselves on the side of the road after hitting a jogger trying to figure out what to do. Call the police or leave the scene of the crime? A quick decision to save his son's future turns into a nightmare for their whole family while they attempt to "keep quiet". 

What seems like a story of morals and guilt changes to more of a suspense thriller with the introduction of a mysterious stranger. There is a lot going on but all is quite entertaining and I found myself talking/yelling at these characters who have difficulty making the right choices. They definitely weren't the easiest characters to like.

In the end, I think there should have been more consequences. This story felt too happily wrapped up. It all worked out a little too well for me. It was entertaining, however, and found myself unable to stop listening many times. 

Can't wait to hear what my other book group members thought of it. 

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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Review: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

607 pages, paperback

Published September 1998, Vintage

Source: borrowed from a friend

It is not very often that a book completely draws me in to its world so thoroughly. This was one I read slowly and made last for awhile and it wasn't because of how long it was, but because I wanted to really read everything and make sure I didn't miss a thing. Every word, every look from a character, and each of their stories seemed to have hidden meanings. 

The story at first seems pretty straightforward and simple…man loses cat, man searches for cat, loses wife, then finds cat. It is so not that simple, of course. The man, Toru Okada, comes across a multitude of interesting characters during his search, each with a story to tell. 

Dreamlike and otherworldly, this book has made its way onto my favorites list. I loved its Kubrick-esque feel. It was so different than anything I have read before. I can't wait to find out how the others in my book group felt about it. I am thinking no one enjoyed it as much as I did.

Have you read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle? What did you think about it?

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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Review: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

368 pages, paperback

April 2013, Harper Perennial

Source: Purchased

I joined a mother's group Book Club and this was the first book I have had a chance to read with them. I am hoping to make the meeting, but never too sure with the hubby's travel schedule. Anyway, I am glad I got to read it even if I don't make it to the meeting.

Beautiful Ruins follows the lives of multiple characters from 1962 Italy to present day Hollywood.  Pasquale Tursi dreams of making his tiny hotel in his tiny town a destination for American tourists. He is surprised when an American actress comes to stay and even more surprised when he learns how she ended up there. Their chance encounter and how it affects their and the future generations lives is the story here. A story for the movies.

Loved how the story jumps between characters and time. I am a sucker for these generational story lines. It is an interesting look into the politics and publicity of Hollywood and the affects it has on the people who come in contact with them. A great mix of drama, romance and humor. The description alone of Michael Dean had me in stitches. The picture it put in my head. I wonder if he based on anyone?

This one is highly recommended. Going to make for a great discussion. 

Italy

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Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Hardcover, 367 pages Published May 2007, Riverhead Hardcover
Source: purchased/gift
This book has been on my bookshelf since December 2008. I received it for Christmas after just finishing reading The Kite Runner and loving it. This book, however, just never called to me to be read. I couldn't put myself into the mindset to read it. Not quite sure why I had such a block towards it for so long. 
I placed it on my list of to read books for Roof Beam Reader's TBR Challenge to make me finally read it and it luckily for me it was chosen for my book group this month. So happy to have finally read this. It was an amazing novel that had me bawling silently in a hotel room trying not to wake my sleeping two year old. 
from GoodReads :

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Initial thought on finishing:
Wow. Just, wow.
Such a moving, tragic and heart-wrenching story. Beautifully told and so much more harder to read as a mother. Don't think it would have resonated as much had I read before having the little girl. 
Having given the book some thought for awhile, what stood out the most to me were the sacrifices and sufferings of the mothers. So many different types of mothers, but all trying to do their best for their children the only way they knew how or were capable of. 

6/12 books

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Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Wow.

I just finished and, wow. That was one crazy, $@*! -up story.

I loved it.

I really disliked both Amy and Nick, neither of them really endeared themselves to me but it is the situations that Flynn puts them in, the way the story is told from their different perspectives and the pure craziness of it all that really grabbed me. I didn't see the twist coming, I didn't predict the ending. Like Nick feels sorry for Amy, I feel sorry for both of them. Talk about not being able to leave a bad marriage. This one takes the cake.

Have you read it? What did you think? I can see why some people love it and others hate it. This one is definitely not for everyone. We are going to have so much fun talking about this one in book group. I cannot wait!

Source: purchased


Happy Reading! _________________________________________   
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April Book Group: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

It has been a year since I last posted about our Book group meetings! We are still going strong, thankfully. Yay! Here is the list of the books we have read so far:
2011 August- Austenland by Shannon Hale September- The Happiness Project by Gretchin rubin October- The Shining by Stephen King November/December- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 2012 January- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot February- The Last Letter to Your Lover by JoJo Moyles March/April- Are You Somebody? by Nuala O'Faolain May- A Million Nightengales by Susan Straight June- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern July/August- Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant September/October- Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson November/December- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett 2013 January- The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh February/March- Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner April- Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ______________________________  It was my turn to host again and choose our book. This months book was chosen because I really wanted something lighter than the previous month's book (Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner). I also really wanted to read a YA book with our group. I came to our March meeting with two choices: Beautiful Creatures and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Two very different style of YA books.  We went with Beautiful Creatures. Thoughts about the book:
Everyone seemed a bit torn about this one. They didn't think it was all that great, but they were all still going to get the next book in the series. Guess that is the good thing about not finishing your story in one book. Even those who aren't totally invested will get the next book so as not to be left with questions unanswered.
We all thought it was okay. It was a fast, light read-exactly what we wanted. There were just a bunch of little nit-picky things that kept everyone from truly enjoying it. The use of "casters" instead of witches, the ending or non-ending, Lena wanting to go to a party thrown by her evil cousin and the guests are all the kids that have been mean to her. 
Popular Question: The character of Ethan is a bit feminine. How would the book and the relationship between him and Lena be different had he behaved more like a teenage boy?
This was one of the nit-picky things. Ethan didn't act like a teenage boy. Perhaps due to a female writer, but I have read believable teenage boys written by female authors before. We all got confused when we started reading, thinking the narrator was female. Perhaps it is on purpose; Another reason why he is different than the other boys in town. I don't know. 
Next Months book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
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DNF or hold?: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

February/March Book Group: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.  Written back in the 80's, about the lives of two couples, friends since meeting at the University the husbands taught at. Different in personalities, wealth and status they become friends despite those differences.  The book begins in the present day. They are older,  have adult children, and are adjusting to their later years while dealing with the illness and imminent death of one of the four. While waiting for the strictly planned activities during a last get together, flashbacks of their earlier lives are shared. This was a really hard book for me to get into. It took me over a month to get past the first paragraph. Not quite sure why. It's not written in difficult language but I have gotten used to lots of dialogue and this book doesn't have much of it. It started with a lot of internal thoughts from the main character and descriptions of his surroundings. However, once I got past this, it did get better and I did start to enjoy it.  Of course, two months after starting, I still am not done. I believe only 2 ladies in my group finished it. Perhaps being younger than the characters, in a different time and place we had a hard time relating.  Has anyone read this book? What did you think of it? Wondering if I should keep trudging through. Source: borrowed  Happy Reading! _________________________________________  FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

This has to be my favorite Book Group pick so far. What an amazing story. I loved so many things about it.

First, it is set in San Francisco. I love reading books that are set in places I lived in or visited. Second, the main character, Victoria Jones, is flawed but strong. Someone you want to cheer for then shake when not making the right choices. And third, Vanessa Diffenbaugh. She has written a novel that pulls at your heartstrings and draws you in with her characters, the story and the language of flowers.

Victoria has been a foster child all her life and at the age of 18 is released and left to try and make it on her own. Unable to find a job and pay for her room, Victoria finds solace in her plants and flowers that she grows in a hidden patch in a city park. Her love and understanding of flowers and their meanings- something she learned from Elizabeth, the closest she's ever had to a mother- is what saves her. It helps her get a job, find love and eventually find a family.

Jumping back and forth through Victoria's life, we get a glimpse of what makes her angry, scared to love and a "misanthrope". We learn how she lost her chance to be a part of a family with Elizabeth on her vineyard in Northern California and how she manages to find happiness and success. Her life is not easy and she has to fight her feelings to flee at all times. The choices she makes are not always the right ones or thought out, but they are what make her such a great character.

We are going to have so much to discuss with this book. I can't wait to get together with my friends in San Francisco and talk about this one.

Source: purchased


Happy Reading! _________________________________________

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Book Review: Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant

Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant

I needed a light read for the summer so I suggested this book as a possible title for book group. It had been sitting on my bookshelf unread for so long that it was about time. I received this book a couple years ago through the Early Readers program at Library Thing. Was really excited to get it back then, having just read Brant's debut novel, According to Jane and really enjoying it. I blame the new babe for making me so late in reading and reviewing it. :)

Anyway, I was glad my book group decided to go with this book despite their inability to find it at the library. Anyone know how to go about requesting copies not in a library's collection?

This may be the fastest I have finished a book for book group so far. I was really intrigued by these three ladies contemplating cheating on their husbands. Each one had a different reason, different problems at home that contributed to their thoughts of infidelity. I found it interesting how the choices they made early on in their relationships affected their behaviors twenty years later. I couldn't help trying to figure out who of the three or if any would go through with it while reading.

The ladies and their familial dilemmas were very interesting and entertaining but their friendship left something to be desired. Their relationships with each other lacked intimacy, candor and believable friendship. They felt more like acquaintances, which made it hard for me to understand why the three of them, with very little in common besides troubled marriages, would get together every week for coffee.  It seemed more a chore and something they dreaded rather than something they looked forward to. 

Thankfully, this issue seemed to resolve itself before the end of the book. As their problems at home were rectified, so to was their friendship. They seemed to become closer once they were able to open up and share and get each others support.

Good book. Would recommend to any other book group looking for a light read but with some good topics to discuss with friends and good wine.

Source: Library Thing Early Reviewers


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